Namibia Photo Tour
May 22 - June 1, 2023
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Namibia is a land of stunning contrasts. From the largest sand dunes in the world (and they are ORANGE!) to people still living in the stone age, the land is incredibly unique and endlessly fascinating. The landscape photography is second to none, and we’ll take advantage of sunrises and sunsets so we can capture the quintessential S-curves that have made this place so famous among photographers. The contrast in color between the intense orange sand and the blue sky is amazing. You will also be able to have a close encounter with cheetahs, leopards, lion, wild dogs,
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caracals, and more. Get pictures that usually take serious telephoto lenses, but at a unique facility established to protect wildlife, these kinds of images are possible. We also include on this trip a boat trip on Walvis Bay for up close and personal (REALLY close) pictures of fur seals and African white pelicans, and a fascinating desert tour in Swakopmund in search of desert animals. The quiver tree forest is another highlight on this tour you'll love. This trip will surpass your expectations, and the pictures you take will be among the best of your life.
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What you will learn on this photo tour:
How to take great compositions using S-curves
Making shadows an important compositional element
Photographing the Milky Way
Camera settings for wildlife photography
Using the sun as an element in a picture
Depth of field issues for distant subjects
Photographing birds in flight
How to set your focus points
Understanding white balance for sunrises and sunsets
Using HDR for landscapes
How to replace skies for maximum visual drama
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ITINERARY
Day 1, May 22, Monday.
Arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, Namibia on this day (airport code WDH). If you are departing from North America, you will need to leave at least by May 21. Jim recommends that you overnight in Johannesburg to recover from the long flight. Then you can continue on to Windhoek on May 22. Upon arrival in Windhoek on May 22, you will be met by your guide who will transfer you to your first night’s accommodation in Namibia. Jim will give you an orientation of the trip, discuss landscape and wildlife photography, and answer any questions you may have. From the rooftop bar, you can photograph the beautiful Christ Church built by German settlers in 1910. Dinner will be served at the hotel this evening. Overnight Hilton Hotel.
Day 2, May 23, Tuesday.
Today you will depart Windhoek via Rehoboth and Mariental to Keetmanshoop. Here you will be staying at the Quivertree Forest Rest Camp, which is ideally situated for taking photos of the Quivertree Forest in the early morning hours or in the night. There is a restaurant/bar in the main building. Breakfast and
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dinner are served as a set menu. Guests at the Quiver Tree Rest Camp have the opportunity to interact with the variety of domestic and tamed wild animals, including warthogs, cheetahs, and meerkats. Overnight at the Quivertree Forest Rest Camp.
Day 3, May 24, Wednesday.
Today you travel back towards Mariental and to Lapa Lange Lodge, an ideal stopover to lessen the driving distance for the next day. The Kalahari is not a true desert as it receives too much rain, but it is actually a fossil desert. Golden grass and small red dunes are characteristic for this landscape. The Lodge is set in the rugged
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Namibian wilderness and resembles an oasis of luxury. You can take wonderful photos of the variety of African game visiting the waterhole at the lodge to drink water. Overnight at Lapa Lange Game Lodge.
Day 4, May 25, Thursday.
After breakfast, we depart for the Namib Naukluft National Park where you will spend the next 3 days photographing the most amazing landscapes. You will arrive at the only lodge inside the park (which means we can start shooting as early as we want and stay until the last light is gone) at about lunchtime. After check in and some rest, we have our first encounter
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with the most beautiful sand dunes inthe world. It's like "S-curve city". It's impossible to take bad pictures here. We capture low angled sunlight until dusk. Then we return to the lodge for dinner. Overnight at Sossus Dune Lodge.
Day 5, May 26, Friday.
We have two photo sessions today -- in the early morning and in the late afternoon -- to take advantage of the best light on the dunes. All of the sand dunes can be photographed right from the main road with a long lens, but you will also want to walk up to the base to include a foreground and to use wide angle lenses. At midday, we have lunch and
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time for resting or downloading photographs. Overnight at Sossus Dune Lodge.
Day 6, May 27, Saturday.
We leave the lodge very early in the morning and drive to the famous Deadvlei where trees that died 500 years ago make striking foregrounds in the desert. The skeletal remains look very dramatic against the dawn sky and sunrise. In the parking area, you can also try your hand at capturing pied crows in flight. They give you lots of chances. In the late afternoon we return to another section of dunes for sunset. Overnight at Sossus Dune Lodge.
Day 7, May 28, Sunday.
Our adventure today takes us via Solitaire, which merely consists of a filling station, a shop, a chapel and a bakery with a café. The café is well known for its apple cake, many say it is “the best in the whole of Namibia”. The first thing to catch your attention when arriving at Solitaire is the abundance of classic cars from the 1930's and 40's decaying in the desert. It's a lot of fun photographing them. We then head west to the Atlantic Coast and Walvis Bay via scenic passes. We arrive in the afternoon, and when the light becomes ideal we spend some time photographing African white pelicans, flamingos, and other birds in
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the lagoon. We overnight at the Oysterbox Guesthouse which is ideally situated on Walvis Bay.
Day 8, May 29, Monday.
We get up early today to take a boat trip on the bay. We catch the sunrise that silhouettes ships and cranes, but the highlight of the morning is close encounters with seals and pelicans. Both of these species are accustomed to humans, and at least one or two seals jump up on the boat to give us a warm welcome. You might even get an affectionate hug from a seal! The pelicans land on the boat's railings and on the roof of the bridge, and to fill the frame you'll need a wide angle lens! You can also catch them in flight, landing on the water and eating fish. Jim will recommend camera settings for capturing birds in flight.
From Walvis Bay we drive about 40 minutes to Swakopmund. Our hotel is beautiful, and after lunch we enjoy a fabulous desert tour with Tommy. Besides wonderful landscapes of dunes in good light,
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we are looking for desert reptiles and birds. Tommy has an uncanny ability to find chameleons, lizards, snakes, and more. We end with a sunset shot with dunes in the foreground and the Atlantic Ocean in the background. Overnight at the Strand Hotel.
Day 9, May 30, Tuesday.
After breakfast, we drive back toward Windhoek. Na'ankuse Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary is dedicated to the rehabilitation and preservation of orphaned and injured wildlife. Located on 65,000acres, this is the perfect habitat for recovering lions, leopards, cheetahs and many other types of African animals. Even though these animals are captive, their environment is the African bush and the pictures look completely natural. Species that are very hard to see and photograph in the wild, such as caracals, wild dogs, honey badger, and genets can be photographed here. Overnight in the beautiful lodge at Na'ankuse.
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Day 10, May 31, Wednesday.
We have two photo sessions today, early morning and late afternoon, photographing big cats, wild dogs, and other species from ground level. We can also photograph members of the Bushmen tribe because they have an encampment on the Na'ankuse property. Overnight in the beautiful lodge at Na'ankuse.
Day 11, June, Thursday.
This morning we transfer to the international airport in Windhoek for our return flight home, knowing we captured the most amazing pictures of this beautiful African country.
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