Namibia Photography Tour

Namibia is the third least densely populated country in the world. Its wide open spaces encompass the world’s largest sand-dunes, world-class wildlife, abandoned mining towns, extraordinary desert flora and fauna, along with some of the darkest skies on the planet. This tour focuses on areas that rank amongst the best anywhere in Africa for abundant big game, stunning desert landscapes and iconic astrophotography.

The tour starts in Etosha, the “Big White Place”, where we are sure to encounter elephant, zebra, giraffe and lion around the most productive waterholes. There will be numerous opportunities to photograph the behaviour of these species. We will also seek less familiar mammals, such as brown hyena, and the amazing bird life of this National Park, including ostrich and secretary bird. After dark we will gather at a waterhole adjacent to our comfortable rest camp where we expect to see and photograph black rhinoceros, a species rarely encountered elsewhere in Africa.

Our journey takes us down part of the Skeleton Coast, where we will photograph fur seals and shipwrecks, into the heart of the Namib Desert, home to chameleons, geckos, rolling spiders, scorpions, lizards and snakes. We then spend three days at Sossusvlei, making images of the huge dunes and pans in early morning and evening light. An undoubted highlight of our time here will be sunrise at Deadvlei, with its preserved skeletons of trees that died centuries ago, now one of the most sought-after destinations in the world for landscape photographers.

In the far south of Namibia we visit the charming coastal town of Luderitz, where we will focus our photographic attention on the remarkable deserted mining town of Kolmanskop. Gently decaying as the houses are absorbed into the desert, this is another place that is instantly recognisable from countless images but has to be experienced to be truly appreciated.

Our final destination is the Quiver Tree Forest and Giant’s Playground, a sparse landscape of huge dolerite boulders and iconic quiver trees. We will photograph these in early morning and late afternoon, when they briefly glow in golden light. However, it is after dark that the true potential of this remarkable area is revealed as we appreciate the stunning Southern Hemisphere night sky in all its glory. Far removed from any light pollution, we have three evenings to photograph the Milky Way’s galactic core, Large and Small Magellanic clouds, southern constellations and star trails with the silhouettes of quiver trees and dolerite boulders as foregrounds. The holiday is scheduled around moon phases to optimise conditions for astrophotography.

Led by professional outdoor photographer Robert Harvey, who has travelled throughout Namibia over the last 20 years, who will give full guidance on techniques for wildlife photography, landscape photography and astrophotography. This tour will give you fantastic experiences, develop your photography to the next level and enhance your understanding of the natural world.

Particular highlights of this tour include:

• Photograph classic African wildlife, including elephants, lions and giraffes, in Etosha - Namibia's premier national park

• Make dawn and dusk images of the world's highest sand dunes in the Namib Desert

• Capture the iconic landscape of Deadvlei at sunrise

• Desert wildlife including chameleons, geckos, snakes and highly engaging meerkats

• Photograph Namibia's iconic Quiver Trees at dawn, sunset and at night

• Make images of the stunning southern hemisphere night sky, including the galactic centre of the Milky Way, Large and Small Magellanic Clouds

• Urban exploration at the deserted mining town of Kolmanskop, where civilisation is being reclaimed by wilderness

• Led by wildlife, landscape and astrophotographer photographer Robert Harvey BA ARPS EFIAP MCIWEM CSci CEnv