Dead trees & dunes

     During the other morning we spent at the Sossusvlei dunes, we headed out to one of the most photographed locations in the Namib Desert; Deadvlei. In simple terms, Deadvlei is a lake that has been dry for hundreds of years with the remnants of what used to be wetland trees. Now, these trees are famed for their minimalistic beauty and they make excellent photo subjects. Deadvlei is reached via a short hike above a small dune which leads you down into an otherworldly landscape. At sunrise, the dead trees create incredible silhouettes against the brightly-lit dunes behind. Walking around Deadvlei, you’ll notice the cracked and salty surface of a dry lake bed. Looking up, the steep slopes of Big Daddy Dune, a popular tourist attraction, loom over you. And if you look close enough, you will probably see hikers traversing the crest of Big Daddy Dune in hopes of catching the sunrise on top. To me, Deadvlei felt like a strange combination between surface of the Moon and the landscape of Mars; an alien-like environment. The white of the ground, orange of the dunes, and the blue of the sky complement each other in landscape images captured here.