ENTRY DESCRIPTION
On a visit to the famous Deadvlei in Namibia's Namib-Naukluft Park last Autumn, I knew ahead of time that getting to the site as early as possible was necessary not simply to avoid the crowds but mainly to take advantage of the early light and shadows.

The ancient, weathered skeletons of the vlei's camel thorn trees make excellent subjects backed by the massive dunes however, finding a unique and pleasing composition when the light is best can be a challenge. I had scouted the vlei the previous afternoon when the light was poor and identified a stand of trees with great spacing and interesting branches. What made the scene come alive early this morning was the long shadows caused by the low light allowing for an excellent reflection of the gnarled limbs of the trees on the parched desert floor.

The shards of light streaking across the dunes also help to bring out the amazing texture of the sand which is not as noticeable in color rendering. While many associate this area with bright oranges and reds, the contrast in the landscape lends itself perfectly to monochrome work.

AUTHOR
Born in London but now living in Boston in the United States, I'm passionate about taking photographs of the world's wild places and the people, cultures and animals that reside within them. Much of my portfolio has a particular focus on the amazing continent of Africa where I have been lucky enough to study, live for a time and spend many treasured days exploring.

I am President of a private family foundation dedicated to supporting the long-term protection of at-risk wildlife and ecosystems around the world called the Preservation of At-Risk Wildlife (PAW) Foundation.

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