ddekadt
Mu-43 Veteran
I recently took a long overdue trip with my wife to see the Sossusvlei in Namibia. For those who don't know it, the Sossusvlei is a famous and unbelievably beautiful location in the Namib desert, on the South-West coast of Africa. For the duration of the trip I used only my EM-5 and PanaLeica 25mm. There were moments where I missed having a longer lens, but all in all it was a fantastic and rewarding challenge to use only the 25. I cannot recommend Namibia enough to photographers.
It takes roughly 6 hours to get to the desert from Windhoek, Namibia's capital. We traveled with a small group, and arrived at the desert as the sun set on the first day. The lodgings were very well appointed semi-permanent tents:
Desert Camp in the Dusk by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
We woke before dawn on the second day to make the (non-trivial) journey from the desert edge to the Sossusvlei. The dawn light creates the famous "S" curve on the dunes, along with impressive contrasts in the sand:
Dunescape II: Contrasts by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Desert Floor - Sand by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Making our way through the desert to the Sossusvlei area, we embarked on a climb of the biggest dune in the Namib, "Big Daddy". Rising some 300m (~1000ft) above the desert floor, this was one of the more exhausting climbs I've done. The sand makes way beneath your feet, so every step forward is a half step back.
Dunescape III: Scale (Colour) by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Once on the "summit" (as it were), we ran down the side of the dune into a giant clay pan, probably the most famous photographic site in Namibia.
Desert Floor - Clay by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
This clay pan is known as the "Dead Vlei". It is home to about two dozen dead Acacia trees, which have stood preserved in the dry clay for roughly 700 years. Close-up, one can see the utter dryness of the dead trees -- it is quite striking to behold. There is not a drop of water to be found anywhere around, aside from the bottles in our backpacks. Yet the trees stand where they have always stood, protected from the wind by the massive dunes all around them.
Dead Vlei Detail III by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
In full, the contrasts between the trees and their surroundings -- the pale clay, the orange dunes, and the stark blue sky -- become even more pronounced.
Dead Vlei Portrait IV by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Dead Vlei Portrait V by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
On our way out of the pan, we stop at another dune, surrounded by dried out trees.
Desert Floor Trees: Back by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Desert Floor Trees: Alive and Dead by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Finally, my wonderful errant companion and I return to our camp, in the coming dusk.
Desert Sunset: Mountains by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Desert Sunset: Companion by Dan de Kadt, on Flickr
Thanks all for looking . For those interested, everything was shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom 4. The full album is available on my flickr feed.
It takes roughly 6 hours to get to the desert from Windhoek, Namibia's capital. We traveled with a small group, and arrived at the desert as the sun set on the first day. The lodgings were very well appointed semi-permanent tents:
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We woke before dawn on the second day to make the (non-trivial) journey from the desert edge to the Sossusvlei. The dawn light creates the famous "S" curve on the dunes, along with impressive contrasts in the sand:
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Making our way through the desert to the Sossusvlei area, we embarked on a climb of the biggest dune in the Namib, "Big Daddy". Rising some 300m (~1000ft) above the desert floor, this was one of the more exhausting climbs I've done. The sand makes way beneath your feet, so every step forward is a half step back.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Once on the "summit" (as it were), we ran down the side of the dune into a giant clay pan, probably the most famous photographic site in Namibia.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
This clay pan is known as the "Dead Vlei". It is home to about two dozen dead Acacia trees, which have stood preserved in the dry clay for roughly 700 years. Close-up, one can see the utter dryness of the dead trees -- it is quite striking to behold. There is not a drop of water to be found anywhere around, aside from the bottles in our backpacks. Yet the trees stand where they have always stood, protected from the wind by the massive dunes all around them.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
In full, the contrasts between the trees and their surroundings -- the pale clay, the orange dunes, and the stark blue sky -- become even more pronounced.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
On our way out of the pan, we stop at another dune, surrounded by dried out trees.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Finally, my wonderful errant companion and I return to our camp, in the coming dusk.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Thanks all for looking . For those interested, everything was shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom 4. The full album is available on my flickr feed.
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