The symbol of Namibia
This photo is part of a photo shooting of some weeks ago in Namibia. A small group of Gemsboks (Oryx) walking in the desert among the dunes of Sossusvlei at sun...
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This photo is part of a photo shooting of some weeks ago in Namibia. A small group of Gemsboks (Oryx) walking in the desert among the dunes of Sossusvlei at sunrise. The Gemsbok is the sumbol of Namibia, a powerful antelope with long horns that it uses for fights and defense against predators.
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Feb, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Sossusvlei, Namibia, along a 40Km road that leads to the dry salt pan. It is a magical place that all photographers should see at least once in a lifetime. The road to the salt pan is tarred but to get to Sossusvlei you need to drive a long distance on untarred roads from Walvis Bay, you can use a normal car but a 4x4 car is recommended to reduce the risk of flat tyres.Time
6:40am. I woke up before sunrise, packed up my tent and rushed to the pan, because the dunes are at their best at sunrise or sunset. The problem is that the whole campground had the same idea, so there was some traffic on the road to the pan! On the way to the pan I saw this small group of Gemsboks wandering lazily in the desert and luckily I was the only one who stopped to take photos. I could take my time to take photos without anybody around, the antelope were just enjoying the cool air of the sunrise and were perfect models.Lighting
Any time of the day is good to photograph at Sossusvlei, but of course sunrise and sunset are the best times, as then the dunes have a wonderful orange or red color, you would not believe that striking colour is true!Equipment
I used my Canon PowerShot SX20IS, hand held, natural light, no other equipment. The SX20IS works very well with natural light and when the light is abundant like in the desert. No need to use a tripod unless you want to shoot at dusk or at night.Inspiration
I love deserts and life in the deserts. I shot thousands of photos in a few days in the Namib desert. I could stay weeks shooting photos in the desert landscapes of Namibia and never get tired. For this particular photo, I tried to have the Gemsboks in front of the dune ridge in the background, so I waited until they were walking exactly where I wanted. I wanted to have both the Gemsboks and the dune in the same frame, a real symbol of Namibia.Editing
Almost no post-processing, just some sharpness and contrast increase. I like post-processing, but in this case it was not necessary.In my camera bag
Very little as I was travelling and could not have much weight: Canon PowerShot SX20IS and a smartphone Samsung Galaxy Note for very quick shots.Feedback
Get where you can have many occasions to capture photos of nature and always keep your eyes open and a camera ready. A good tele lens is very useful. Of course it is easier if you travel to exotic places like Namibia but it is not necessary, you can capture nature anywhere, even in your backyard or in a city street. Do not follow the crowd and wake up early!
