A Photographic Odyssey in Namibia

Kolmanskop is a town that used to be home to miners that worked at the Elizabeth Bay diamond mine in Namibia.  Abandoned long ago, the Namib desert is gradually reclaiming the land with the dwellings once occupied with hard-working miners and their possession now filled with sand.  Day 4 of a 12-day photographic workshop in March 2019 brought our small Aussie team to this haunting location.  We arrived around 5:30am in darkness waiting for sunrise and the morning “golden hour”.

Five of us crowded in a room that may have once been a bathhouse, cameras set up on tripods, patiently waiting for the sunlight that Tom – our workshop leader – assured us would lead to stunning images.  Thirty minutes later, we snapped photos as warm light spilled past wooden doors immobilised in sand.  The group quickly folded up tripods and dispersed to take advantage of the golden hour lighting up rooms in other buildings.

This story is part of our Remote Landscapes series. Read more here.

Less than 30 minutes later, I was marvelling at the light bathing the colourful walls of a room I was in and suddenly realized how much better the bathhouse room must be looking.  I sprinted back, found the room empty and setup my tripod and camera and quietly snapped more pictures.  The colours were amazing.  Hearing a noise behind me, I found Tom perched in a corner, snapping photos: “It’s magic, isn’t it?” he grinned.

Our next destination was Sossusvlei which was a full-day’s drive over barren, rock-strewn plains occasionally broken up by low rocky ranges.  With dust-devils and dust plumes from approaching cars often the only movement across the still landscape, encountering a family travelling on horse-drawn carts was an unexpected and a warm experience. In general, the Namib people are friendly, very attuned to their environment and have a wonderful rich culture.

We arrived at Sossusvlei where red sand and towering dunes dominate the landscape.  Dune 45 was our first stop planned for the next day, with a climb up to its 170m peak to capture a sunrise.  Arriving at 5:00am Tom and I pushed off in darkness, initially starting at a good pace that gradually slowed to virtually a crawl… heavy packs loaded with camera gear, a steep dune, and sand that gives way with each step does that!

Multiple rest stops later under a slowly brightening sky we reached the peak (if you can call it that), set up tripods and cameras and captured the sunrise and glowing landscape.

Descending the dune was ridiculously easy compared to the ascent. At the bottom, we poured sand from our boots and rejoined the rest of the group for breakfast, having (understandably) worked up a decent appetite.

The next day we visited Deadvlei, arguably the one location everyone in the group wanted to visit.  Deadvlei is a white clay pan sporting a few dead acacia trees, surrounded by towering dunes.  On arrival, you realise how big the clay pan is and how few trees there actually are – is this really the same place that you’ve seen captured in stunning images?  As you walk around, the stillness and quiet is nearly overwhelming – Deadvlei has an other-wordly feel to it and remains untouched by the ever-changing desert.

With a few hours until sunset, we explored the area trying various compositions and soon being advised by Tom to setup for the “money shots”.  At sunset you have only minutes to capture the perfect shot before shadows fall across the dunes.

The remainder of workshop encompassed photographing Nambia from the air, granite ranges, colourful salt pans, and spying wildlife that included ostriches, zebras, oryx, jackals, hyenas, and the odd chameleon.  Nambia is unique for its stunning deserts and dune landscapes, amazing wildlife, fascinating culture and wonderful people, and will forever be an unforgettable experience for this dusty-booted photographer. 

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