A Night At Deadvlei
The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadvlei, in Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia. The moon was bright enough to illuminate t...
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The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadvlei, in Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the sand dunes in the distance, but the skies were still dark enough to clearly see the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. Deadvlei means "dead marsh." The camelthorn trees are believed to be about 900 years old but have not decomposed because the environment is so dry.
Single exposure for 25 sec at 16mm f-2.8 ISO 3200
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Single exposure for 25 sec at 16mm f-2.8 ISO 3200
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Sep, 2015Views
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Awards
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Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
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Summer 2020
2020 Choice Award
Contest Finalist in The Color Orange Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in The African Continent Photo Contest
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in A Lonely Tree Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Contest Finalist in Day Or Night Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Unique Landscapes Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 2
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nataliejumper
November 03, 2015
This is so visually stunning. It took my breath away. Beautiful image.
nandicmb
November 06, 2015
Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Image of the Month Photo Contest Vol. 2!
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took the photo at Deadvlei, in Sossusvlei, Namibia, while traveling the country with a few other photographers.Time
This image was taken early in the night, after sunset, and just after the stars became visible.Lighting
The trip had been planned with the new moon phase happening while we would be at the NamibRand international dark sky reserve, for the best dark sky photo opportunities. Our next stop was Deadvlei, and by then the moon was at a waxing crescent phase. As soon as it got dark and the moon started rising behind us, I was worried the stars wouldn't show up well because the moon seemed so incredibly bright. However, it illuminated the whole foreground and sand dunes, which made for a very unique scene! We were on a time limit though, since there is a very strict sunset curfew in the park. It takes special permission to be there after dark, and even with permission you are still only given an extra hour or two. The stars did come out since there is very little light pollution Sossusvlei, but they only started to get bright about halfway into that extra time we were allowed.Equipment
The camera was a Canon 5D Mark III and 16-35 f/2.8 lens. I used a mefoto roadtrip tripod, and a bright laser pointer to focus on the tree.Inspiration
With getting special permission to stay after sunset, I knew we would get unique photos of a view not often seen in Deadvlei. But with the moon rising and lighting up the foreground, I knew this was something even more special. At the time wasn't sure I would be able to get any photos to do the reality of the scene justice. I was focusing very hard on trying to get the perfect framing and camera settings, but at the same time I didn't want to take any pictures, I just wanted to enjoy the view. Sitting on the ground in the moonlight under the stars just felt like something really special. It was very quiet and peaceful after the sun went down, and I would have been quite happy to sleep on the ground at the base of that tree. I only had second thoughts about that when I returned a few hours later for sunrise and saw hyena tracks in the sand walking out of the area!Editing
The photo is a single exposure taken over 25 seconds, it is not a composite nor HDR. My editing involved adjusting color temperature, contrast, and basic dodging and burning.In my camera bag
I always bring my Canon 5D Mark III body, 24-105 lens, and my 16-35 lens. I may bring a 70-200 or 100-400 depending on what I'm planning to shoot.Feedback
Don't be afraid to try night photography - getting started is easier than you would think! Do some location scouting and plan your shot around when the milky way will rise and set, where it will be in the sky, and the moon phases. Planning your photos for after the moon sets or before it rises will ensure dark skies and less light pollution. But as my photos shows, you could also use it illuminate the landscape.
