Namibian Photography Journey – Reed Hoffmann

Whden a photographer hears “Africa,” they naturally suppose wildlife. That’s true for components of the continent, but it surely’s a giant continent! Northern Africa, like Egypt and Morocco, are far more about tradition, folks and panorama. But as you progress south, out of the desert areas, wildlife turns into a much bigger a part of what you will discover. That’s why most of my Africa journeys have been to these areas: nations like Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania. But there’s one other nation on the southwest coast that has wildlife, but additionally far more – Namibia.

About ten years in the past a good friend posted images from a visit she’d taken there. I used to be blown away. Not by the wildlife images, however by the landscapes. I didn’t know Namibia had a few of the tallest, most colourful sand dunes on this planet. Nor that there was a ghost city within the desert. Or that one of many extraordinarily uncommon quiver tree forests on this planet was there. Plus, there’s the Namib folks. Oh, and wildlife too.

So I began planning, and led my first journey to Namibia in 2019. And I’ve returned twice since then (I’ll return as soon as extra in 2027). The most up-to-date journey, in April of 2025, I helped lead with Mark Comon of Paul’s Photo and the Creative Photo Academy. Here’s how we did that, and the way we plan to run the journey in 2027.

Our journey begins and ends within the capital metropolis of Windhoek. Because of German colonial rule, there’s a heavy German affect in each place names and meals (kudu schnitzel, anybody?). It’s a contemporary African metropolis, although comparatively small, with a world airport.

From there we head south, our first cease being the quiver tree forest. It’s an attention-grabbing place to go to, and never simply due to the distinctive bushes. Located on a farm, the proprietor realized he may create a pleasant enterprise internet hosting individuals who wished to see the forest. Accommodations are primary, however they feed you and the bushes are only a quick stroll away. Since we spend the night time there, we benefit from the darkish sky to do some night time images.

Next up is Kolmanskop, a small city within the desert constructed to help a diamond mining operation over 100 years in the past. Abandoned within the 50s, it’s slowly being reclaimed by the desert, and is a superb place to discover as a photographer. As the solar begins to set, we return to our vehicles and head to the close by seaside metropolis of Luderitz for the night time.

The following morning, we begin again north, now on our means towards the purple sand dunes of Sossusvlei. On the best way, although, we make a cease at We Kebi Safari Lodge. This was a spot we drove previous on the 2024 journey, and Matthew, our information, talked about that along with different wildlife, they’d rhinos. Safari lodges and recreation reserves are fenced, extra like massive zoos, with predators and prey saved separate and punctiliously guarded from poachers. While we’d find yourself seeing a rhino within the wild later within the journey, this was an effective way to make some good images of those uncommon animals in a extra managed atmosphere.

Staying at a lodge close by, we left properly earlier than dawn the subsequent day to drive to Sossusvlei and get in line for once they open the gates to the nationwide park. That’s actually essential, as a result of essentially the most distinctive a part of the dunes is Deadvlei. Hundreds of years in the past this was a small lake with just a few bushes rising in and round it. When the sand shifted, blocking water from the lake, it dried up and have become a salt pan (white). The bushes, nevertheless, stay, blackened and dried out from the various, a few years on this highly regarded, very dry place. If you arrive quickly after dawn, you’ll be able to silhouette these bushes towards the sky, with shadows on the dunes behind them. The different benefit to an early arrival is that regardless of the lengthy hike in mushy sand to get to it, the world might be crowded by mid-morning. Oh, and there’s the warmth, too. By late morning we’re on our means out of the dunes, for lunch and to test into our lodge. A couple of of us will return later within the day to {photograph} the dunes, then we’ll return as soon as extra the next morning for extra images. A couple of hours later we head to the close by airstrip.

As you’ll be able to inform by my map of our journey, under (right here’s how I create that), we cowl loads of floor. Our transportation is safari vehicles, on gravel roads more often than not. To keep away from at some point of that, we choose to constitution small planes from Sossusvlei (the city there may be Sesriem) to Swakopmund. An additional benefit is that it’s a “flightseeing” journey, so we’ve got the chance to {photograph} the dunes as we fly over the desert west to the coast, then comply with the coast north to town.

From Swakopmund we parallel the Skeleton Coast for some time, stopping to {photograph} a shipwreck. That coast received its identify as a result of it’s usually foggy, inflicting many ships to run aground over previous centuries. We additionally break up the drive north by stopping in a small village to do some memento procuring and meet the native folks. After arriving at Swakopmund and getting settled in our lodge, Matthew took us on a tour of the township there, then out into the hills for a “sundowner” of oysters and champagne. Roughing it we weren’t!

The subsequent morning we’re headed to Etosha National Park, however earlier than getting there we cease to go to the Otjikandero Orphan Himba Village, to be taught concerning the Himba and Herero cultures.

From there it’s on into Etosha National Park. One of the crown jewels of African parks, it’s finest identified for the various water holes that dot the sting of an unlimited salt pan (simply seen from house). For that afternoon, and the next two-and-a-half days, we spend our time driving from one watering gap to the subsequent, photographing the big variety of wildlife that calls the world their dwelling.

On ou rlast day in Etosha, we spend the morning on a recreation drive, then as an alternative of taking the remainder of the day to make the lengthy drive again to Windhoek, we cease midway at one other safari lodge. The massive shock there have been a pair of Nyala that wandered the grounds. Since they’re used to seeing folks, I used to be in a position to crawl by the grass to {photograph} one resting there.

As you’ll be able to see, a visit to Namibia is about far more than wildlife. It’s a possibility to not simply go to a unique a part of Africa for its wildlife, however to {photograph} some unimaginable landscapes. That’s why I’m already wanting ahead to the journey deliberate for 2027.

Other

As talked about above, I plan on returning to Namibia within the spring of 2027, after which Tanzania (Serengeti) in the summertime. If you’re inquisitive about becoming a member of me on both of these journeys, let me know!

NOTE: I’m additionally instructing an internet Wildlife Photography class this January for the Creative Photo Academy (and a Night Photography class after that). Message me if you happen to’d like extra details about both of them.

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