HIGHLIGHTS OF NAMIBIA 2025
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Namibia is one of the finest photographic destinations that the planet has to offer up: vast open plains bordered by impossibly burnt orange sand dunes that tumble into the cobalt blue Atlantic Ocean. Other-wordly mountains that glow in the dawn light, stretching up to an endless sky. That’s just the standard views.

Then are the special places, like Dead Vlei with its hauntingly beautiful petrified thorn trees surrounded by tall walls of sand. Or Spitzkoppe with its extraordinary rock features that seem to flow from the earth like molten treacle. The eye-aching expanse of Etosha Pan with a herd of giraffe moving slowly across its the mirage-shimmering surface. This is Namibia.

I’ll be teaming up with Emil von Maltitz, one of Namibia’s most experienced photography guides and a member of the International Environmental Photographers Association in South Africa, for an incredible journey through the majestic landscapes of Namibia.

We have crafted a 13-day Namibia Highlights workshop that gives you a glimpse into the kaleidoscope of opportunities that Namibia offers to keen photographers. We’ll explore one of the world’s finest natural game reserves, Etosha National Park, home to a vast array of wildlife, including elephants, lions, zebras, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, springbok, and rhinos, providing incredible opportunities for wildlife photography.

We’ll travel into Damaraland, a realm inhabited by the extraordinary Desert elephant, where night dark skies allow us to picture the Milky Way arching overhead. Then, we travel to edge of the Skeleton Coast, photographing the massive sands of the Namib Desert as they flow into the buffeting waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

From there, we journey to the heart of the Namib Desert, where we photograph the extraordinary Dead Vlei as the sun rises over the dunes, lighting up the ancient petrified forest now trapped in bowl of fire coloured sand. All of these sites offers endless opportunities to capture unique and stunning images of this beautiful region.

BRANDBERG - 2 NIGHTS

A quick game drive in Ongava to start the day before we hit the road south. The terrain gets scrubbier and drier as we travel through the Kalahari towards the desert proper.

Brandberg, also known as the Burning Mountain, is the highest mountain in Namibia and offers a unique landscape that provides excellent photographic opportunities. From space, the mountain rises like a giant round mound separated from all the other geological features around it.

For some, it’s reminiscent of Australia’s Uhuru (Ayre’s rock).

We aim for this massif with its myriad photographic opportunities as well as the chance to find the elusive Desert Elephants that make this part of Namibia their home range.

Depending on travel times and energy levels, we’ll head out for a sunset shoot before dinner and a potential star shoot thereafter.

There are several photographic opportunities in Brandberg that we can take advantage of, including:

• The Brandberg Mountain: The towering Brandberg Mountain provides a stunning backdrop for landscape photography. The mountain changes colors throughout the day, from warm yellows and oranges during sunrise and sunset to cool blues during the day.

• The rock formations: The Brandberg is also known for its unique rock formations, which provide excellent photographic opportunities. The area is home to ancient rock art, caves, and natural rock formations that are perfect for close-ups and detail shots.

• The wildlife: Brandberg is home to a variety of desert-adapted wildlife, including elephants, mountain zebras, and leopards. We can capture stunning photographs of these animals as they move through the rugged landscape.

• The night sky: The clear skies above Brandberg provide an ideal opportunity for astrophotography. The Milky Way is visible overhead, and we can capture stunning images of the stars and the surrounding landscape.

SPITZKOPPE - 2 NIGHTS

After a morning shoot and a leisurely breakfast, we head on towards Spitzkoppe just south of Brandberg.

Spitzkoppe, a striking granite inselberg in Namibia, is often dubbed the “Matterhorn of Namibia” due to its towering peak. This iconic landmark rises dramatically from the flat, semi-desert landscape of Damaraland, offering breathtaking views and unique geological formations. I find endless inspiration in the shapes and stories of rock formations, but you don’t have to be a rock person to love Damaraland. The rocks grow on you, whether you like it or not.

We are staying at a scenic lodge which allows for excellent access to the basaltic mountain and its iconic rock features. Our canvas-sided rooms are built amongst the rocks, with the lounge and dining area nestled on an outcrop with a fabulous view towards the desert plains.

Having partially explored the area around Spitzkoppe, we now have the whole day to discover new compositions and angles in this photographer’s playground.

The Arch is one of the most prominent sites at Spitzkoppe. Thanks to having two nights in the area we have good opportunities to photograph this location. However, there are multiple other less photographed but equally photogenic locations around Spitzkoppe, allowing plenty of opportunity to create fantastic and surreal landscape images.

This is also an opportunity to catch up on some downtime and image management during the warmest parts of the day. In the evening we’ll head out to another nighttime photoshoot amongst the rocks features that litter the plain around the mountains.

WALVIS BAY - 1 NIGHT

After an optional dawn shoot in Spitzkoppe we head onto the road again, hitting asphalt for the first time in days. We make our way to the quaint seaside town of Walvis Bay.

Walvis Bay is the main harbor town in Namibia. This small town is on the edge of the Namib Desert and is the best access to Sandwich Harbour which is a low-level estuary system on the edge of Namib, and an attraction for tens of thousands of migrating seabirds as well as two species of flamingo (Lesser and Greater Flamingos) that make their home here.

It’s a fairly short drive of only about two and half hours from Spitzkoppe to Walvis Bay, giving us some downtime before being picked up for our afternoon adventure in the dunes. For this exploration, we hire specialized vehicles and guides who take us on an unforgettable journey across the sands for the last light of the day.

We'll have the chance to experiment with a variety of compositions, from sweeping wide shots that capture the vastness of the dunes to intimate close-ups of the intricate patterns formed by the wind. The soft, golden sands beautifully contrast with the deep blue sky, especially during the golden hour when the light is at its most flattering. As the sun sets, the shifting light will create dramatic shadows and highlights, adding depth and texture to our images.

NAMIB DESERT - 3 NIGHTS

Today we strike out along the north of the Namib Desert and then down towards Sesriem. The road from Walvis Bay takes roughly five hours to cover and is corrugated and bumpy along several stretches. It will be with a sense of relief when we roll through the gates of the Namib Naukluft National Park and order a round of Rock Shandies to quench our thirst. It’s a popular non-alcoholic drink that typically consist of a mix of lemonade and bitter lemon, often served with a slice of lemon or lime.

Sesriem is a tiny little oasis on the edge of the desert and the access point to Dune Alley and Sossusvlei. We’ll be staying at a newly opened luxury lodge on the edge of the dune field itself. This unique tented chalet lodge looks out towards the dunes and affords easy access to the dune corridor at the end of which we find Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei.

The Namib is the oldest desert on earth, a 200+ million-year-old riverbed of volcanic table-top mountains, gravel valleys, and sand ergs. It’s very much a highlight for most photographers. We are staying in a location that allows us to leave before sunrise as it is an hour drive to Sossusvlei and an additional hour of walking to get to Dead Vlei for dawn. Early dawn access is limited to people staying in the park, so there is a reasonable chance that we’ll be the first photographers on site.

Our two full days are spent with a mix of exploring Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei, climbing some of the towering dunes—among the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world—and photographing the limitless opportunities offered by the desert’s shifting sands. For those who want to take an extra excursion, there is an option of flying over the dunes in a helicopter with its doors removed for a totally unobstructed view. It’s a fantastic chance to capture stunning aerial shots that very few people do. This activity is an optional extra, but highly recommended.

On our last night, we’ll come together for a group dinner, raising a glass to the unforgettable experiences, the extraordinary landscapes we’ve explored, and the photographs we’ve captured during our workshop.