NAMIBIA

 

DEADVLEI

Surrounded by dunes, Deadvlei is a clay pan formed when the area flooded thousands of years ago when the Tsauchab river flooded allowing camel thorn trees to grow. Then, the dunes encroached cutting the pan off and drying it out, but instead of rotting, the incredible dryness of the air petrified the trees, and now around 700 years later they still stand in the white clay pan surrounded by the read and orange dunes.

The East Wind at Dead Vlei

The East Wind blowing through the Dead Vlei after sunset was pretty brutal to photograph in, blowing sand in your eyes and all over the camera, but it created some incredible dynamic scenes as it blew through the pan of the Dead Vlei, the dust backlit by the rising sun.

The Sand Flame

Strong winds from the east kick up sand on the top of the dune which is then backlit by the rising sun as the gusts chase the sand across the white pan of the Dead Vlei just after sunrise

Deadvlei Mist

On my second sunrise visit to Deadvlei we were incredibly lucky to get mist, which is incredibly rare and happens perhaps once in a decade. The combination of mist with the trees against the dunes as the first light cut across the pan made for really simple compositions

Deadvlei Dance

Rare flat skies in Deadvlei made it interesting to include the sky in the composition

 

Deadvlei I

Early morning light on Deadvlei

Deadvlei Light

Hazy early morning light crests the dunes and illuminates the camel thorn trees.

Deadvlei Mist II

The first touch of light starts to fall across a misty Deadvlei

Deadvlei Mist III

Abstract shapes and simple colours on a misty morning in Deadvlei

Deadvlei Mist IV

Abstract shapes and simple colours on a misty morning in Deadvlei

Deadvlei II

Early morning light on Deadvlei

Deadvlei III

Late light fall on Deadvlei and the petrified camel thorn trees

Deadvlei Morning

After the mist had cleared the dawn light poured into the Deadvlei pan bringing with it incredible colour

Deadvlei IV

The petrified remains of two camelthorn trees on the Deadvlei in Namibia

Deadvlei Sky

Rare flat skies in Deadvlei made it interesting to include the sky in the composition

Nine

Three trees in the pr-dawn light of Deadvlei

Deadvlei Abstractions

Trees in the pr-dawn light of Deadvlei

SOSSUSVLEI

Deep in the dunes of southern Namibia is a river valley, carved out hundreds of thousands of years ago, the river now is long gone, returning only briefly in the rare rains that come here once or twice a decade. Running alongside the valley are some of the oldest and tallest dunes in the world, coloured beautiful deep oranges and red due to all the iron oxide, they are an abstract dream to photograph.

Dune Abstractions

An abstract play of lines and light on the mountainous dunes of Sossusvlei, Namibia.
It’s impossible to really show in images how imposing these dunes are as the line up along the north and south sides of the valley. The dunes in this image are more than a kilometre away and yet still fill the frame of a telephoto lens.
This is an unusual scene in that generally the dunes here are captured facing the spine of the dune with strong contrast as the sun lights up one side and leaves the other in shadow, but this scene in the last light of day is shot directly into the light, reducing the contrast and leaving the wind-shaped contours on the side of the dunes barely visible.

Dune 45

Dappled light on Dune 45 at the end of the day in Sossusvlei

The “Squiggle” Dune

The curves of the dunes create wonderful abstracts as the light gets lower, dropping the other side into deep shadow and painting the sand a deep red just before the sun sets

Dune Spine

The last light of the day picks out the curves of the mountainous dunes

Dawn Light on the Dunes

The first light of day picks out the ridges in the sand, which was also being whipped across the face of the dune by a strong wind

Glow II

Incredibly clear air combined with overcast skies to create unique conditions at Sossusvlei. These peaks in the Namid Rand are usually invisible due to heat haze, but incredibly cold conditions created an incredibly clarity, and as the sun set, it picked out this tall peak with the last light of day

Glow

Incredibly clear air combined with overcast skies to create unique conditions at Sossusvlei. These peaks in the Namid Rand are usually invisible due to heat haze, but incredibly cold conditions created an incredibly clarity, and as the sun set, it picked out this tall peak with the last light of day

Windswept Sossusvlei

When the wind swept down the valley, combined with the haze of the last light of the day when looking directly into the light, some beautiful high key scenes were revealed.

Sossusvlei Haze

Early morning haze and strong wind combine to particularly obscure this massive dune in the Sosssusvlei valley

Ribs

The last light of day picks out the shape and texture of the dunes in the valley of Sossusvlei

Cracks

The rain in the previous week had quickly drained away leaving these wonderful cracked tile shapes in the mud and clay.

Sossusvlei Light II

And late afternoon light creates the same effect from the other side amongst the dunes of Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Light

The low morning sun creates incredible abstract shapes amongst the dunes of Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Light III

And late afternoon light creates the same effect from the other side amongst the dunes of Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Dune Abstract

The curves and lines of the Sossusvlei dunes are an endless source of abstract images when the low light of sunset hits.

Oryx

An Oryx wandering through the grass in the last light of day

Oryx Pair

A pair of Oryx in the Sossusvlei valley

Oryx

The unseasoned rains turned the valleys yellow with grass and brought out so many Oryx

THE SKELETON COAST

The Skeleton Coast is where the Namib Sand sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. It’s utterly empty wilderness, endless sand for hundreds of kilometres in every direction, and some of the largest dunes in the world. I’ve been lucky enough to camp here multiple times, driving into the area in a modified 4x4 with a trained and experienced team, allowing us access to this absolutely incredible part of the world. It’s an incredibly special and unique experience, completely cut off from civilisation spending time beneath the stars and amongst the endless rolling dunes.

The Skeleton Coast

An incredible sky and golden light combine on the Skeleton Coast in Namibia

Skeleton Coast Sunset

The shipwreck of the Shawnee on the Skeleton Coast, captured just after sunset on an absolutely wonderful evening in Namibia.

The Skeleton Coast II
We headed deep into where the dunes meet the ocean on Namibia’s coast and camped next to this shipwreck. What an incredible place to spend the night.

Desert WInd

A strong wind blows across the dunes at sunset on the Skeleton Coast

Desert Driving

Jandre’s Landscruiser cross the dunes of the Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast Dunes

The infinite dunes of the Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast Boulders

Late light across boulders deep in the desert wilderness of the Skeleton Coast

Skeleton Coast Abstract

Dappled light from overcast skies creates abstract patterns on the dunes of the Skeleton Coast

Skeleton Coast Milky Way

The Milky Way sets just before dawn above the Shawnee shipwreck on the Skeleton Coast

Skeleton Coast Mist

Sea mist rolls in just before sunset on the Skeleton Coast

Flamingo

A flamingo at Walvis Bay

 

THE NAMIB RAND

The Namib Rand, or “edge of the Namib” is a landscape of mountains and vast plains that seems to go on for ever. The scale of the landscape is mind-boggling and when the light gets low in the mornings and evenings the scenes are magical.

Namib Rand Light

First light of day on the vast plains of the Namib Rand

Namib Rand Light II

Last light of day on the Namib Rand

Kwessi

A lone tree in blue hot at Kwessi dunes in the massive expanse of the Namib Rand

Namib Rand Morning

The scale of the Namib Rand really is incredible

Namib Rand Light III

The scale of the Namib Rand really is incredible

Namib Rand Light IV

Dappled light illuminates trees on the plains of the Namib Rand

QUIVER TREE FOREST

The Quiver Trees aren’t actually trees at all. They are in fact succulents that usually grow amongst rocks on some of the hard to reach ridge lines and hills scattered throughout Namibia. However, not far from Keetmanshoop is Giant’s Playground, an area where some of the trees are relatively easy to access which is great for astro photography

Quiver Trees

The Milky Way rises above the Quiver Tree forest in Namibia

Quiver Tree Sunset

The iconic shape of a Quiver Tree at sunset

Quiver Tree Forest

Gentle early morning light in the Quiver Tree forest

Cheetah

A cheetah finds some shade beneath a Camelthorn tree in Namibia

KOLMANSKOPP

The town of Kolmanskopp was built to house diamond mine workers in the early 20th Century. When the diamonds dried up the town was abandoned and since the 1950s has been being slowly reclaimed by the desert sands. Exploring the empty buildings is incredibly atmospheric.

Kolmanskopp Dawn

First light comes through the windows of the dune filled houses of Kolmanskopp

The Blue Room

Kolmanskopp Light

The old diamond mining town of Kolmanskopp, abandoned for over half a century, is slowly being reclaimed by the desert

Kolmanskop Light II

Light and dust in the deserted mining town of Kolmanskop

The Red Corridor

The Green & Orange Room

The Blue & Yellow Room

The Blue & Orange Room

The Green Room

The Blue & Yellow Room II

Kolmanskopp Dawn II

The Blue & Orange Room II

The Blue & Yellow Room III

The Sun Room

AERIALS

Namibia is a beautiful country, but from the air it’s even more spectacular as a land of abstract shapes and texture is revealed. Helicopter trips with the doors off are an incredible experience and give an entirely different perspective on these stunning landscapes.

Namib-Rand Aerial

The mountains of the Namib Rand from the air just after take off

The Devil’s Pitchfork

Taking a helicopter flight with the doors off above the dunes at sunrise in Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Aerial I

As the sun rises it creates incredibly strong contrasts that really bring out the abstract shapes and colour of the dunes that can be seen from the air

 

Dune 42 Aerial

First light creates a play of shadow and light on the dunes of Sossusvlei captured from the air.

Sossusvlei Aerial II

Taking a helicopter flight with the doors off above the dunes at sunrise in Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Aerial III

Taking a helicopter flight with the doors off above the dunes at sunrise in Sossusvlei

Namib Layers

The peaks of the Namib Rand from the air on a hazy sunrise

Sossusvlei Aerial V

Taking a helicopter flight with the doors off above the dunes at sunrise in Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Aerial IV

Taking a helicopter flight with the doors off above the dunes at sunrise in Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei Aerial Abstract I

The abstract shapes of the dunes at first light from the air

Sossusvlei Aerial Abstract III

The abstract shapes of the dunes at first light from the air

Sossusvlei Aerial Abstract II

The abstract shapes of the dunes at first light from the air

Sossusvlei Aerial Abstract IV

The abstract shapes of the dunes at first light from the air

The Devil’s Pitchfork II

Taking a helicopter flight with the doors off above the dunes at sunrise in Sossusvlei

Sandwich Harbour Aerial

Thousands of flamingos take to the skies in Sandwich Harbour on Namibia’s coast. I captured this image from a helicopter looking down onto the river estuary