By Alan Coligado. We didn’t quite get to Deadvlei on a trip to Namibia in 2019, but I think that this scene – skeletal tree; sand dunes shrouded in fog – conveys the stark desolation of Sossusvlei.

The Dry

By Alan Coligado

Sony A7III, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens; ISO 160; 70mm; f/11, 1/125s; Handheld

We didn’t quite get to Deadvlei on a trip to Namibia in 2019, but I think that this scene – skeletal tree; sand dunes shrouded in fog – conveys the stark desolation of Sossusvlei.

Don’s response

The dunes of Namibia are something of a landscape photography staple, but photographer Alan Coligado has pulled back from the more customary tree+dune compositions to give the viewer a better feel for this stark landscape.

The elongated aspect ratio works well and the placement of the dead tree takes full advantage of the rule of thirds’ intrinsic strength.

It’s in the nature of the setting that the foreground is not very interesting, but I think there’s enough going on in the middle distance to overcome that minor deficiency.

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