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At the end of the Tsauchab Dune Valley in Namibia is the famous Deadvlei, which was cut off from Sossusvlei—and any water source—by a low dune an estimated 700-800 years ago.
The lack of water, the arid climate and the hard wood of the Namibian Camel Thorn tree have kept the trees of Deadvlei from decomposing. The result is a collection of ghostly trees rising from a cracked white clay surface. The pan is deceptively large and offers about 50 of the oddly shaped trees to photograph.
I took this morning shot back in 2014 while scouting for my Namibia workshop. The sun was coming up behind a huge dune, gradually lighting the pan. This was the moment the light started to touch this unique tree, leaving it partly lit and partly in shade, a point of beautiful transition. The shade line can also be seen on the dune behind.
The final image was taken with my Sony a7R and Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS.
Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram, Facebook and 500px, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates. Erez offers photo workshops worldwide.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)