Sossusvlei : Sand Dunes of Namibia
The sand dunes of Namibia, located in the southwest corner of the African continent, are among the most striking landscapes I’ve ever encountered. These towering dunes, some of the highest in the world, rise from the vast Namib Desert in a palette of deep reds, oranges, and ochres, colors that shift with the light and the time of day. Their rich hue comes from the iron content in the sand, oxidized over time by exposure to the air, giving them that unmistakable, rust-like glow.
These dunes are constantly in motion, sculpted by winds that sweep inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Some move only inches a year; others can shift dramatically with strong desert winds. Despite their movement, they form surprisingly stable and iconic ridgelines, offering a blend of permanence and impermanence that’s fascinating.
The landscape is minimal and vast. Shadows and shapes play across the ridges like brushstrokes on a canvas, especially in the early morning or late afternoon light. There's a silence to the desert, a stillness that feels almost sacred.
For me, the most powerful way to experience and photograph these dunes was from the air. I spent a week flying in a helicopter over the dunes of Sussusvlei, launching at sunrise each day to catch the golden light as it struck the crests and valleys. From above, the dunes took on an abstract quality, waves of sand, endless and surreal, flowing across the earth in patterns that looked almost like brushwork or sculpture.
