Envision yourself on a landscape photography trek into country that seems to be unmarked by time, a land that pushes the horizon beyond its known limits, a palette of subject matter that simply exists nowhere else in the world…this is Namibia. As the second least populated country in the world (after Mongolia), much of Namibia is untrammeled, untouched and untamed. Nature is left to her own devices, sculpting incredibly diverse landscapes, habitats to the rare and unusual plants and animals that live there.

Namibia promises visions for your camera that it will never see again and a learning experience that will truly transform your photography and most likely your life. You could be one of just 10 passionate photographers to be guided across this amazing landscape by two of the world’s finest landscape photographers, June 22–July 3, 2013. You’ll receive group and one-on-one instruction to help you capture the spectacular images just waiting there for you.

During this unprecedented, 12-day photographic journey of Namibia, you’ll visit several areas of the country known for their striking beauty, magical light and the special combinations of seascape, mountain and desert vistas that can only be Namibia.

Your photography skills will be immediately challenged when you find yourself in the Quiver Tree Forest and the Giants Playground rock formations in south central Namibia near Keethmanshoop. First, the Quiver Tree is actually a plant and one that surely is transplanted from an alien planet. From 200 to 300 years old and standing as tall as 30 feet (9 meters), Quiver Tree branches and leaves are at the very top of the plant, looking like giant broccoli heads. Typically standing alone on rocky outcrops, the plant’s scaly bark and coloration create the feeling you are photographing individuals beings, each with its own personality.

The nearby Giants Playground is a series of “dolerite” dykes, or a rock backbone of hard rock that remains along the tops of hills. Wind, sand and time have eroded these rocky spines into fabulous formations. The natural elements have created maze-like wanderings with an unlimited number of camera positions to capture extraordinary landscape compositions.

Traveling directly west from Keethmanshoop brings you to the South Atlantic coast and the town of Lüderitzbucht. It will provide you with cultural, architectural and landscape photography lessons, as it looks like a village transplanted from Bavaria, Germany. Originally a German trading station, the town has retained its 19^th-century charms and churches, bakeries, cafes and Art Nouveau architecture that were so welcoming and comforting to the Germans who lived and worked there.

Your journey will take you back to the east and deep into the Namib Desert, considered the oldest desert on Earth, estimated to be 55 million years old.

At the remote location of Garub is a windmill and water tank that provides water for the wild desert horses of the Namib. Horses are not native to this landscape and those that roam this section of the Namib may be the descendants of horses Europeans brought to this land. A portfolio of these free spiritss of the desert would be among your most treasured images.

It’s a short distance to Sossusvlei, which is an area of salt and clay pan in the Namib Desert. Here are found the great, towering sand dunes that present a colorful spectrum from pink to orange to red. These dunes are so well known that they have been given names, including Dune 45, which is considered “the most photographed dune in the world.” Your workshop instructors will help you find new visions of this and the other dunes in the area, so you can add to their fame and your skills as a landscape photographer.

Namibia is not all wild seashores and vast deserts; a central plateau runs north and south, part of which is the Naukluft Mountains. Here is an entirely different landscape of exposed rock, with mountain streams that flow into the valleys to create the Naukluft’s signature fountains, springs and crystal clear pools.

The visions of Namibia dramatically change again at Swakopmund, situated north of Walvis Bay along the South Atlantic. The area also strongly reflects its German colonial heritage and has become the adventure-sports capital of Namibia, thus providing many action photography subjects. Plus, the Walvis Bay Lagoon is the home to a wonderful collection of bird life, giving you the opportunity to expand your bird photography skills.

Your perspective as a photographer will never be the same again when you join renowned landscape photographers Jack Dykinga and Justin Black on one of Visionary Wild’s most exciting Workshop Expeditions, June 22–July 3, 2013. Learn more and reserve your place by visiting http://visionarywild.com/

Recommended Reading:

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• 500 Poses for Photographing Group PortraitsSelling Your Photography: How to Make Money in New and Traditional Markets 
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• Photographer's Survival Manual: A Legal Guide for Artists in the Digital Age
• Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images
• Taking Stock: Make money in microstock creating photos that sell
• Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer

Photo copyright Jack Dykinga

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