Namibia Photo Tours 2016

There are a lot of very photogenic places on our planet, but a certain few stand head and shoulders above the rest. Areas where there are an abundance of remarkable and easily accessible photographic opportunities. Landscapes like Iceland, Patagonia and The Colombia River Gorge jump to mind. I’ve been lucky enough to have one such place within a day’s drive all my life; Namibia. My first two visits were when I was still in school and when photography played no role in my life. The first time I explored Namibia solely for photography was in 2010 and that was the first of many trips to come. In total, I’ve spent roughly 7 months photographing Namibia and the result is that I know Namibia’s photography hotspots better than most.

Deadvlei on a calm April morning.

Having some of the world’s most unique and inhospitable terrain makes Namibia a bucket list destination for any tourist and especially so for photographers. It also boasts the title of the world’s 2nd most sparsely populated country, which explains why the average distance between towns is 200km. If there’s one thing that Namibia has no shortage of, it is pristine wilderness.

Namibia doesn’t get much rain, but when it does rain, it’s an amazing sight to behold. The Namib Desert’s rain comes in billowing thunderclouds from the mountains East of the red sands, mostly from February to May. In normal amounts, the clouds guarantee dramatic sunsets and fields of grass. In abnormally dry years, it can turn the desert into a barren hell. In abnormally wet years it turns the desert into a wetland and it brings fierce thunderstorms to the dunes. I was lucky enough to witness such a year in 2011. The three years since have been quite dry, so a wet year is bound to make a return soon.

A magical sunset in the Namib Rand

The Photography

Namibia has great tourism infrastructure and all the destinations are very tourist-friendly, but thinking you can just pitch up and get great photographs everywhere is foolish. I have learnt from experience that each destination has its tricks of the trade for ensuring you get the shots. At some places you need to know which tree is the special one and at others you need to know which dune is worth climbing. At Sossusvlei you’ll watch sunrise from your car if you’re not staying in the right lodge and at Kolmanskop you need to know which rooms are right at what time of the day. When you only have two or three days at each location, you can’t afford to be in the wrong place at the right time or vice versa. When you attend a workshop with CapturEarth, we bring that experience to the table. We ensure that you stay at the right lodge, photograph the best subjects and that you’re set up and ready when the magic light comes.

Sunrise over the Fish River Canyon

I guided four Namibia tours in 2015 and have again optimised my recipe for 2016 to create the ultimate photographic trip to Namibia. Click here to download the full PDF Itinerary.

Intimate Namibia with CapturEarth | 6-19 April 2016 | ND$79000/ USD$6500

Arrive Windhoek INTL Airport
Night 1 – Windhoek
Night 2 – Quiver Tree Forest
Nights 3+4 – Fish River Canyon
Nights 5+6 – Kolmanskop Ghost Town
Nights 7+8+9 – Sossusvlei
Nights 10+11+12 – Wolwedans
Night 13 – Windhoek
Depart Windhoek INTL Airport

Main Features

Small group of only 9 people guided by two professional South African photographers. A guide to client ratio of 4.5:1 ensures that everyone will get sufficient personal attention.
Fully Inclusive – Only expensive liquors and airfare to and from Namibia excluded.
Luxurious and comfortable transport in Land Rover Discovery 4′s – only 3 passengers per vehicle.
Aerial Photography – Two hours of aerial photography from a helicopter at sunrise/sunset with the doors off.
Ideal Season – Late summer still offers the chance of clouds and grass, without the extreme heat of summer or all the tourists of winter.