The way to the top of the Desert
Embrace the strong winds that cancel your footprints.
Embrace the strong winds that cancel your footprints.
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Dec, 2020Views
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Awards
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in ViewBug Homepage Photo Contest
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Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
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Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken in Sossusvlei, in the Namib desert (Namibia).Time
I wanted to take a picture of the sunrise from the top of the dune. I crawled out of my sleeping bag at 5AM and against 6am we started to drive towards this dune to climb them. This shot was made around 7.15am and I really had to hurry to get to the top in time because it is a dune of more than 300 meters high. This shot was taken on the way up while the sun gave the horizon a phenomenal color.Lighting
I just used the light that nature gives me. The soft diffuse light that lights up the horizon and gently awakens one side of the dune. What I do for a lot of my photos is to reduce the shutter speed to 1 sec or even a bit more so I don't have to increase my ISO to avoid noise. This shot was taken with ISO160; shutter time 2sec. Normally I don't do this with a lot of wind, but in this case I did it in spite of the strong wind because it gives a soft look to the sand.Equipment
I always shoot with Sony mirrorless camera's. This shot was taken with the SONY A7RII, Zeis lens 16-35mm f/4.Inspiration
Deserts are an inspiration in themselves anyway. They are endlessly beautiful because of their simplicity and their constant change. The Namib Desert is one of the most enchanting places in the world I have ever seen. While preparing for Namibia, I came across a lot of photos that already stirred my imagination. And I had a shot in mind to do, but usually the best shots are the ones you don't always plan to do. This shot is one of those.Editing
My way of working is to do most of the work at the site itself. If you know what you can do with your camera and the natural elements are with you, it becomes a masterpiece in itself. Of course, I have to give my RAW files back the color and feel that I saw with my own eyes. My workflow is that I start in Lightroom, additional finishing in Photoshop and the finishing touch in Luminar.In my camera bag
Two workhorses: Sony A7RII en A7RIII Wide-angle: before Sony zeis 16-35mm f/4; at this moment Sony 12-24 f2.8 GM Midrange lens: Sony 24-70 f2.8 GM or Sony 24-105 f/4 G Zoom lens: Sony 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 GM Sometimes I have also my Sony 50mm f/1.8 (ultra sharp portrait lens) Some ND and CPL filters from Breakthrough Photography and NiSI. Leofoto Carbon TripodFeedback
# Book your pitch at the nearest campsite well in advance. # Leave on time and know where you have to go. # Make sure you're in good shape. It's a tough climb. # Put on warm clothes because it can even freeze. # Don't forget to bring enough water. # Be sure to bring a headlight because you'll start your climb in the dark. # Protect your equipment from the sand for as long as possible. # And when you're making pictures, make sure you can always quickly pull something back on the camera and lens. # Don't forget to enjoy the sunrise with your own eyes. It's magic!
