Namibia is named after the Namib — the oldest and most life-rich deserts in the world. The desert is just 200 kilometres at its widest point and has the rocky escarpment to the east and the cold Atlantic Ocean to the west. While much of the area receives less than 10 mm of rainfall a year a fog bank hangs over the coastline most mornings and when this blows inland it drops moisture and provides life to a habitat to a wide range of fascinating desert-adapted plants, insects and animals.

The dune fields extend from Luderitz northwards ending abruptly at the Kuiseb River, south of the German town of Swakopmund. Visitors are particularly drawn to a remarkable place called Sossusvlei, which lies right in the middle of the dune fields and includes towering sand dunes with names like Big Daddy and Dune 45. Its hard to know where to point your camera in this amazing landscape – but make sure you spend at least one evening or morning at Deadvlei, or, literally Dead Lake. Water stopped flowing to Deadvlei more than 500 years ago leaving behind a skeleton of camel thorn trees silhouetted against the red dunes. Wherever you go or drive its easy to see why the ever changing shades of red, bronze and black, make this Namibia’s most photographed landscape. If photographers wish to have early and late access to the mobile Sossusvlei dunes then the Namibian Wildlife Resorts run by the government is currently the only option.

There are outstanding private concessions some with vast areas that stretch deep into the Naukluft Mountains. The largest is the 100 000 hectare Namibrand Reserve where photographers can get up close and personal with wildlife, desert adapted plants and magnificent scenery. Don’t miss the opportunity to fly over the dunes by balloon or light aircraft at first light. The dunes are wonderful from the air – and, keep an eye out for fields of geometric circular patterns, which are completely without vegetation. The Fairy Circles are thought to be caused by termite activity extend from South Africa all the way through Namibia and into Angola.

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