In southern Namibia near the small mining and fishing port of Luderitz is a truly unique and interesting location for photography. Surrounded by an apocalyptic looking barren landscape, Kolmanskop Ghost Town is unlike any other location that I have been too. Like many other locations in Namibia this is one of those places that has been on my wish list for some time and one of the reasons I decided to return to Namibia.
Kolmanskop is a long deserted diamond mining settlement that is slowly being swallowed up by dunes and disintegrated by the harsh weather. I suspect that the deterioration is not as quick as it might have been in a an environment with more moisture and regular rains. The mining operation dates back to when Namibia was still under German colonial rule, starting in the first decade of the 20th century and finally petering out in the 1950’s. The settlement was built in a German style and is a mixture of commercial buildings, worker’s barracks and elegant management residences – some still with German nameplates on the front like ‘Architekt’.
Read MoreI have just returned from a twelve day driving tour of southern Namibia. It was a fantastic (if exhausting) experience during which I was able to revisit some locations for the second time and finally see some locations I hadn’t been able to previously. The Quiver Tree Forest is an utterly unique and world famous place that I have been wanting to visit for a long time. On this, my third visit to this amazing country, I was finally able to do so. The location itself is five to six hours drive south of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital and about twenty minutes’ drive from the small dusty town of Keetmanshoop. It is privately owned, not in a state reserve or national park. It is in fact part of a working farm and you have to pay a fee to the owners for access. Fortunately it is possible to get a night photography permit for unrestricted access at any hour which is essential. I stayed at the Quiver Tree Rest Camp which is located on and run by the farm operation.
Read MoreI have always been an admirer of the San (commonly known as Bushmen). I had read about them in fiction and non-fiction on many occasions and it was clear they were one of the hardiest and most resourceful of indigenous peoples to be found anywhere. Pushed into marginal arid area's of Africa (places like the Kalahari desert) by more dominant and war-like Bantu peoples, the San had to survive where others could not. They were highly skilled hunters.....
Read MoreThere are very few places in Africa where you will be guaranteed a wild leopard sighting. I have spoken to people who have made several trips and never seen one. I myself have been lucky to see and photograph quite a few leopard in Botswana, Kenya and Namibia but this is not necessarily the usual course of affairs. There is however, a place in Namibia where you can be very confident that you will be able to see and photograph leopard and cheetah. Okonjima is a unique game reserve located an easy 2-3 hours drive from Namibia's capital Windhoek. The.....
Read MoreAll wildlife photographers like capturing images of lions or other large and charismatic animals. As we search for those opportunities we shouldn't pass up any chances that come our way for some of the smaller and cuter wild characters. I was reminded of this in Namibia recently after getting engaging shots of a scrub hare and a mouse (see below). I took the mouse photo at a waterhole where everyone else had their lenses trained on elephants and I was facing the other way shooting the mouse in a tree behind us. Sometimes the Aaawww! factor.....
Read MoreHaving now recently completed my second trip to Namibia, I have visited quite a number of the waterholes that are to be found in Etosha National Park. One must understand the geography and ecology of Etosha to visualize the situation you will find yourself in when photographing wildlife in this part of Africa. Etosha pan is a long dried-up expanse of crazed white clay. Parts of it do see water at times but it has not been properly filled for thousands of years. This featureless, vegetation-less, water-less 'lake' makes up the majority of the area of Etosha National Park and apart from a few animals seeking refuge there at night (or oddly a rhino I saw way out on the horizon once) it has no.....
Read MoreI recently returned from my second trip to a country who's people, wildlife and landscapes I really love: Namibia. I have uploaded a bunch of new images into my main galleries but the summary of them is below. I'll have more to say about the experience in future blog posts but for now I hope you enjoy the images!
Read MoreSituated in the northern part of Namibia, Etosha National Park is one of the iconic wildlife locations of southern Africa. At it's heart is the Etosha pan, a dry lake bed stretching to the horizon, which is virtually featureless (except for a few animals who seek refuge of a night because it doesn't provide any cover for predators). Surrounding this there....
Read MoreThere are some landscapes that are so unique to a particular place that they become emblematic of that place or country. For me Deadvlei is one of those iconic locations that represents Namibia. Any photo ever taken within the confines of the Deadvlei pan are immediately recognizable and could never be mistaken for some....
Read MoreNamibia has interested me for many years - for at least as long as I have been obsessed with photography. It has extraordinary landscapes but also most of the well known large African wildlife species including the 'big five'. Of course like all African countries it has a rich and diverse cultural history and a mix of tribal groups, each with their.....
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