This is the surreal landscape of the Dallol Depression in Ethiopia. This place has the hottest year-round temperature average on Earth (it was 104 F when I was there with my photo tour group), and it is the place where the famous 3.2 million year old hominid fossil, Lucy, was found in 1974. The geology is intriguing to say the least; the colors from the various minerals are amazing to photograph. It's really like exploring another planet. Most of the ground has a hard crust that makes exploring the area safe, but it’s still very important to pay attention where you place each footstep. The pools of water are quite acidic. My settings for this landscape image were 1/400, f/16, and 1000 ISO. I used a Sigma 14mm f/1.8 wide angle lens.
2 Comments
Jul 22, 2022, 11:05:42 AM
Jim - Hi Tom, Thanks for your query. Regarding your questions, you will need a car and driver. You can drive to the Dallol Depression on good roads. I was there in January, and it was very , very hot. 40 Celsius, 104 Fahrenheit. Your driver can act as an interpreter, which you'll need. Regarding arranging interviews, in most cases that's easy. Tribes people will speak to foreigners through your interpreter. I didn't see any one living in the heart of the Dallol -- there is nothing growing there, as this photo indicates -- but in surrounding areas you'll find people. If you don't have any contacts in Ethiopia, I'd be happy to give you the contact info of my local guide company. They are excellent and dependable. Jim
Jul 22, 2022, 10:59:37 AM
Tom Ward - Dear Mr Zuckermans, Forgive me for emailing out of the blue. My name is Tom and I’m a freelance journalist. I’m talking to British GQ about writing a feature on Dallol, Ethiopia, and was hoping I might be able to pick your brains as I know you’ve produced some great work there. Specifically I’m looking at logistics around traveling out to Dallol, arranging interviews with locals, and whether a translator would be needed. Any advice you could give me would be a huge help, and I can mention your work to GQ, should the feature get the final sign off. Thank you Tom GQ Norman Mailer and PPA award winner New novel 'The Lion and The Unicorn' (Unbound) out now tomwardwrites.com