BARREN VISTA # 1

I was privileged to do a trip of about 750 kilometers through the dunes of the Namib desert from the town of Luderitz in the South to Walvisbay in the North. Usually I travel by myself but for this adventure I had to commission the services of a scout who understood the area well and knew how to drive through the treacherous desert dunes. Normally I am not tied down to a set time for a trip like this but for various reasons I was limited to a two week trip. This meant that I would need to work much faster than normal and there would be no time to linger around and wait for the next day to do photography.

The area was breathtaking, seeing so many images that are beyond one’s frame of thinking. It was disappointing to know that one was missing out on so much more to shoot. I simply wanted to walk and walk and walk, exploring more and more. Normally I would scout for compositions in the heat of the day and would not shoot pictures until late afternoon or early morning when the light was softer, but fortunately the time restraint on this trip forced me to work differently. It was a blistering hot day, and while I was slogging my way through the dunes I spotted this image. My first thought was not to include the sun in the composition but then I changed my mind and waited for a couple of hours allowing the sun to move into my shot. As it dropped into my composition the image came alive and the picture really started working. I could feel the heat and aridness of the desert… and yet it was fresh and dramatic with the dark blue sky that would polarize to almost black. It is such a blessing to sit in the middle of this awesome landscape and experience the greatness of God’s creation. From a photographic point of view it is one of the most rewarding places I have encountered. It was an unforgettable experience offering so much to be photographed; I just hope to have the opportunity to revisit the Namib Desert soon, this time for a lot longer.