Namibia Travel Guides for Photography - Sossusvlei + beyond

Photographing the Dunes of Sossusvlei + The Namib Desert

Lisa Michele Burns — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 09:02:19 +0000

Photographing Deadvlei with Wilderness Safaris – Namibia Departing in darkness, a slight glow simmered on the horizon, a tiny hint of the magic soon to be revealed across the Namib Desert. With Kulala Desert Lodge being the closest lodge to Sossusvlei, a short drive led us to the Namib Naukluft National Park gate from where the peaks of dunes grew closer and my camera quickly jumped out of the bag, never to leave my hands for the rest of the day. Despite knowing photos from a moving vehicle don’t always produce the best results, I couldn’t help myself. As the sun rose slowly in the distance, the dunes changed colour and I was snapping out the window at anything and everything that revealed one of the dunes I’d been wanting to photograph for years. With me for the day I had the Olympus E-M1X and E-M1 MKII bodies, both with impeccable weather sealing to ensure the desert dust wouldn’t be an issue. The M.Zuiko 7-14mm f2.8, 12-40mm and 40-150mm pro lenses were also in my bag to ensure all bases were covered for the scenes I imagined along with the MC-20 2x teleconverter which I was using for the first...

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Hoanib Skeleton Coast – The True Desert Oasis

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 12:33:25 +0000

Hoanib Skeleton Coast – Wilderness Safaris Let’s start with this statement – once you’ve experienced Hoanib, you’ll forever want to return. I promise. Be mesmerised and intrigued by the landscapes, animals and the atmosphere of this magnificent and even otherworldly glamping experience in Namibia. What the team have created here is almost beyond words, actually, it’s best described in song and dance, something the staff are more than competent in performing; not me, I wouldn’t put anyone through that. Instead I’ve put together a collection of photographs from my time at Hoanib Skeleton Coast, where I took roughly 8500 images in 3 days. Not joking. Located within a remote area of dry riverbeds in the Kaoloveld, it’s where unforgiving conditions provide the setting for an adventure like no other. Here wildlife exists where it seems impossible, their habits adapted to the harsh desert environment of the Skeleton Coast. Wake to a golden glow on the horizon that softly illuminates the scenes surrounding your tent. In the distance perhaps a giraffe is nibbling on acacia trees, a dust cloud is stirred by passing oryx and the fresh morning air provides a burst of energy on your walk to breakfast. Then, a...

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Aerial Photography: Floating Above the Namib Desert

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:34:23 +0000

Aerial Photography in Namibia Orange hues of all shades pass below as the basket drifts slowly across the Namib Desert. A gentle breeze pushes us over deeply etched sand patterns carved by wind, footprints by wandering Oryx and towering dunes stacked all the way to the horizon like they’d been painted perfectly in place beneath a contrasting blue sky. When the subject you’re shooting is a sandy, barren desert, composition becomes the key to creating images that showcase it’s beauty. From above the world is a truly inspiring place and on a recent trip to Namibia I saw just how striking it can be while photographing from both a hot air balloon and a tiny Cessna 206 plane. The aerial perspective is one that I’ve been drawn to for years. It’s one thing to work with a landscape at ground level, using the horizon to compose your image along with elements such as water and wind plus shadows and reflections. From the air though things change quite dramatically, the scene that once had peaks and depth is now flat, stretched out like a giant canvas waiting for your interpretation. Aerial Composition Photographing aerials requires a degree of thought to...

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Wilderness Wonders at Kulala Desert Lodge, Namibia

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 07:19:14 +0000

Kulala Desert Lodge – A Visual Hotel Review Staring into the distance, sand dunes dance in a haze of heat and oryx are spotted wandering on the horizon. It’s a desert scene of dreams, one that you can experience somewhere just as rugged as it is luxurious; Kulala Desert Lodge. Namibia is one of those places that takes your breath away at first sight. Flying over vast landscapes of rocky, sandy wonders was just the start of my time in the Namib Desert, on route to Sossusvlei, one of the most photogenic regions on earth. As we descended towards the runway, a small dirt airstrip beside mountainous ranges, it became obvious the desert was far larger than I’d imagined. Those images we see of Sossusvlei on Instagram are one thing, actually seeing the entire region from above and witnessing the expansive landscapes as they stretch for hundreds of miles is another. I’d actually say that nothing can really prepare you for how Namibia will dazzle you, especially when travelling with Wilderness Safaris. From Windhoek it’s roughly one hour by small plane with Wilderness Air, a flight you want your camera out for the entire way. The scenes below are some of...

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