photographer chiara zonca's oman desert dunes appear as futuristic architectural shapes

canadian photographer chiara zonca’s minimalistic take on sand dunes of oman desert is shot in the few seconds of light just before the sun dips below the horizon. titled ‘tread softly’, the series enhances the abstract nature of sand and its intricate patterns, creating surreal and architectural shapes that somehow appear futuristic.

‘what attracted me to sand dunes was the utter solitude,’ explains zonca. ‘I am interested in barren, mystical territories, places that challenge my perception of the earth until it becomes completely unfamiliar.’

‘the abstract and solitary nature of those sand dunes gave my eyes no reference point to connect those dreamscapes to reality, enabling my thoughts to unravel and my body to connect with the space I was into on a deeper level,’ continues the photographer. the whole series is shot on digital format and lightly colour graded to enhance the contrast between the pearly greys and the deep orange hues.

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom