Namibia. An abstract, almost alien landscape shaped by the forces of nature and time into one of the most beautiful and photogenic places in the world. Home to the largest dunes in the world, glowing red in the rising sun, clay pans with the black skeletons of long dead trees, and some of the darkest skies on the planet for astro photography. Namibia is a landscape of space, one of the least populated countries on the planet with vast areas of remote wilderness. A place where awe at nature and the effects of time constantly surround you. These are landscapes that move our soul, the kind of scenes that landscape photographers dream of capturing

For this tour we’ve decided to focus purely on Namibia’s most iconic locations. From the awe inspiring desert landscapes where we’ll spend four days amongst the stunning dunes of Sossusvlei to the atmospheric Kolmanskopp, where the desert sands fill up an abandoned mining town, we’ll share with you the landscapes that make Namibia a photographers paradise. You’ll capture the stunning abstract shapes of the desert from the air as we’ve included a sunrise helicopter flight above the dunes or Sossusvlei, and we’ll also spend one night in Aus, where we’ll focus on astrophotography and capturing the Milky Way.

As usual with my Namibia workshops, I’m delighted to be partnering with Hougaard Malan, one of South Africa’s finest photographers and experienced Namibia photography guides, along with leading Namibia travel and photography guide Jandre Germishuizen, for this really special trip. With more than a decade’s experience of photographing and leading tours here they’ll be guiding us as we visit Namibia’s most stunning landscapes.

The extreme Namibian heat starts fading during April and by late May and early June the climate is cooler with longer nights and ideal conditions for astro photography. This tour has been planned to put us at the ideal astro destinations during the waning moon phase, when we can shoot Namibia's famous night skies after sunset and still get to bed at a normal time. 

This tour is limited to 10 participants with 3 guides, and like all my workshops is designed to ensure that you can focus on photography while we take care of everything else. From the ideally located and comfortable accommodation, great food and of course a tour that’s structured to maximize your opportunities to get great images whilst improving your skills as a photographer. We use all our experience and knowledge to get you to some of Namibia’s most beautiful locations in the best light, and in the field we’re on hand to provide as much support, advice or guidance as you want.

PRICE    

$tbc

(price is for shared occupancy. Single room supplement $$tbc)

GROUP SIZE

10

EXPERIENCE

Amateur, enthusiast and semi-pro photographers.  

PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY

Easy, although participants should be prepared to deal with heat

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Ground transport for the entire duration of the tour

All tourism taxes and park entry fees

All meals

All non-alcoholic beverages and beer.

Maximum Guide to client ratio of 1:3

All accommodation/lodging costs.

60-min Helicopter Flight at Sossusvlei

Flight from Windhoek to Luderitz

Access to Kolmanskopp mining town out of hours (sunrise and sunset)

Continuous assistance with your photography and image processing by the guides

The services of a highly experienced local guide and drivers

Highly experienced tour leaders with great knowledge and experience of landscape photography

NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Airfare to and from Namibia

Snacks and drinks between meals

Premium alcoholic drinks (eg wine and spirits) at mealtimes

Credit Card surcharges

Travel Insurance

ITINERARY BREAKDOWN

Arrival in WINDHOEK | 1 Night

Upon arrival at Windhoek airport, you will be received at the airport by a driver with a name sign and transferred to our comfortable accommodation where we’ll have the welcome briefing and our first group dinner.

LUDERITZ/KOLMANSKOPP | 2 Nights

On the second morning, we’ll have breakfast and then head to the airport to catch our chartered flight to Luderitz, our base to explore the iconic deserted town of Kolmanskopp. This is a magical place with so much photographic potential that we’ll make sure we spend at least 3 sessions here. We’ll also have a special permit which allows us to stay late after usual opening times, and arrive before sunrise, again, outside of regular opening times.

Hougaard and Jandre have photographed Kolmannskopp hundreds of times and I’ve had over a dozen visits myself, so between us we have a vast knowledge of how to best photograph this place. With its 40 buildings and hundreds of rooms, it can be a little daunting, so on our first afternoon there we’ll walk you around the site, showing you the different locations and compositions to give you a good idea of how to go about getting the best images from this place. That first evening you’ll leave Kolmanskopp with multiple images before we head for dinner in town.

The next morning we’ll be up early to get to Kolmanskopp well before sunrise in order to get the pre-dawn glow on the walls of the buildings. This will be a very structured, ordered shoot to ensure everyone gets the shots they want, before people head off on their own to explore the town and find some of the compositions we showed on the previous evening. We’ll head back to the hotel for breakfast and a break from the heat before heading back again in the afternoon for a completely “free” session in the town. We find this session is when people final “get” Kolmanskopp. By now you’ll have discovered compositions you like that you won’t have had chance to shoot in the previous sessions, and you’ll have learned all the compositional tools you need to create portfolio images that you’re really proud of. You’ll also be able to explore some of the rooms and buildings you’ve not yet had time to see…there really are an infinite number of compositions to shoot here.

The final morning will be an optional return to the town for people who don’t feel like that got the dawn glow images the previous morning, but for those that did, there’s an option to have lie in and breakfast before we hit to the road.

AUS | 1 Night

We’ll make the relatively short drive to Aus, a small mining town where our main focus will be astro photography. Just outside town are the railway lines that linked the old mining town of Kolmanskopp with the rest of Africa, and dotted along these lines are some old railway buildings from the early 1900s which make for fantastic foregrounds for astro images. We’ll dedicate a session here to helping people get to grips with their camera settings, then wait for the Milky Way to rise (which it does very shortly after sunset at this time of year) and capture the stars arcing above this picturesque building.

We’ll have dinner and sleep in the town, before getting up the following morning and heading into the desert.

Sossusvlei | 4 Nights

After breakfast we’ll drive to our beautiful lodge in Sossusvlei.. Our lodge is located inside the outer gate of the park and next to the inner gate which allows us to access the park an hour before sunrise and leave an hour after, meaning we’ll be in the park and on location in plenty of time to find our compositions and wait for the light, and at the end of the day when the large groups who come here during the day have all left, we’ll be able to stay and wait for the best light to create fascinating intimate landscapes and abstracts in one of the world's most photogenic landscapes and there are endless shooting options.

Our four day stay in this amazing lodge will be the highlight of the tour, and will give us plenty of time to ensure that you get the best possible photographic return on our time here . During our stay we will shoot at least one sunrise and one sunset in Deadvlei as well as the iconic towering dune spines at both sunrise and sunset. We’ll do a sunrise or sunset helicopter flight above the desert, an absolutely unforgettable experience where you’ll be able to capture the abstract forms of the dunes from above, and we’ll also spend some time scouting for Oryx to add scale to this immense landscape.

Again, Hougaard and Jande have a decade of experience photographing this place, and I’ve been to Sossusvlei over 20 times over the last 5 years, and we’ll be on hand to share all of our knowledge of the compositions in Deadvlie and Sossusvlei, ensuring you come away with multiple portfolio images. It is one of the most diverse photogenic landscapes in the world, and each year we discover new compositions that we’ll share with you, as well as showing you how we “see” compositions in this vast landscape.

Our itinerary here is flexible as we’ll decide which days we visit Deadvlie or shoot dune spines depending on the weather, and organising around the helicopter flights, which will take place over multiple sessions.

Swakopmund | 2 NightS

We’ll do a final sunrise shoot at Sossusvlei and make our way north back to the Swakopmund, which will take us around 6 hours.

While we’re here we’ll also have the chance to focus on the famous micro-wildlife of Dorob National Park. There are two animals in particular that are as photogenic as the famous red-eyed tree frog - Palmato's Gecko and Peringuey's Adder. The first has translucent skin, oversized eyes and a beautiful pastel colour palette that makes for stunning photos. The second burrows under the sand to reveal only its eyes in one of nature's most astonishing shows of camouflage. We'll be doing a privately guided trip with an expert guide to photograph these elusive animals.

We’ll also have time here to photograph the flamingos and pelicans of Walvis Bay, as well as do some drone photography (the only opportunity on the trip as drones are prohibited in all the other locations) owe the salt works, which create abstract blocks of colour,
On our final morning we’ll make sure everyone gets to the airport for their flight how, whether it’s at the local airport of Walvis Bay (for connecting flights via South Africa) or the 5 hour drive to Windhoek (for direct flights to Europe).

End of Tour

If you would prefer to spend another night in Windhoek or Swakopmund to remove the stress of catching your flight, we would be more than happy to arrange it for you

WHAT WE DO (AND WHAT WE WANT YOU TO GET FROM THIS WORKSHOP)

Our aim is to take you to beautiful locations and give you every opportunity to get great images while improving your technique over the course of the workshop.  We direct out time to being outdoors and we limit the number of participants on our workshop to just ten which gives us plenty of time with everyone in the field, meaning either myself, Hougaard or Jandre will be close at hand to give you any advice or help you need, from composition to whether to use a filter. From the beginning of your time with us we can identify your photographic level and what you’d like to focus on, and then tailor the sessions accordingly.  

We carefully select the dates of our workshops to try and make sure we are in each location at the best time of year.  In Namibia, May and June means cooler temperatures and a respite from the searing desert heat, as well as earlier sunsets which means we have the opportunity to shoot Namibia’s incredible dark skies without having to stay awake till the middle of the night.

2027 will be Hougaard’s 15th year running photo tours to Namibia and my 5th, and the recipe is constantly being fine-tuned to ensure that guests have the best possible experience. Every single restaurant, lodge and shoot is meticulously planned on the back of nearly a decade of experience.

Finally, we want to share with you our passion for nature and landscape photography in this incredible place. Travelling in such small groups means we can quickly build a great learning environment where people feel comfortable together and at ease with asking questions and making the absolute most of the trip. We aim to make your experience here in the beautiful landscapes of Namibia a memorable one and a trip from which, as well as getting some great images from amazing locations, you’ll also go home having had a true adventure with great company in a very special place.

 Is Namibia Safe? 
Our guides have travelled Namibia extensively and never encountered any problems. The only thing to be wary of is small amounts of cash that might go missing from your room if you leave it lying around. 

Do I need a VISA to enter Namibia?
Most of the major countries in the world do not require a visa to enter Namibia, please see the chart at the bottom of this page to determine if you need a visa.

Will I have cellphone reception?
You will have good cellphone reception at Swakopmund, Sossusvlei and Luderitz for calling/texting. 

Will I have Internet access?
There will be WIFI of various speeds and standards at the different hotels. Before and during the trip we will keep you diligently informed of what to expect. If you’d like a sim card for the local cellphone network, we will help you organise that.

What about medicines, diseases and vaccinations?
We will not be visiting any Malaria risk areas, but we advise you consult with your doctor for a professional opinion. We recommend that you take the basic medical supplies like painkillers, antihistamine, insect repellant, disinfectant cream and plasters. Sun tan lotion and lip balm are crucial in the hot and dry environment.

Will there be fresh water available?
The tap water is drinkable at all destinations, but it is safer to drink bottled water as this might avoid a disagreement between your stomach and the local water supply. There will be bottled water available everywhere.

Will I be able to purchase snacks?
We will stop at grocers and cafés on a regular basis so everyone can stock up on drinks and snacks.

What food can I expect?
Namibia’s cuisine is primarily of British influence with a slight German element.
All our destinations serve a hot English breakfast and it usually accompanied by breads, cold meats, fruits, yoghurt and cereal. Most places have an a la carte lunch menu offering sandwiches, salads, burgers etc. Dinners will mostly be three courses, consisting of a salad or soup starter, a meat main course served with a starch and vegetables, followed by a sweet dessert.

What about allergies or dietary preferences?
Most of the lodges are prepared to handle basic allergies and dietary preferences like vegetarian meals. If you have a very rare allergy, please inform us so that we can make the necessary preparations.

Are there any luggage restrictions?
Not really, but please pack considerately. One large suitcase or bag, a large camera bag and tripod is the norm. Most lodges offer laundry services, so you don’t need to pack a fresh set of clothes for every day.

Do I need to bring spending money along?
Although most of your expenses are included, you will need some cash to buy snacks, drinks and souvenirs. You can use Namibian dollars or South African Rands and it is very unlikely that you’ll need more than 10 Euro per day.
Tipping
It is customary in Namibia to tip porters and guides at lodges. You can budget about USD100 for these tips

Do I need a laptop?
A laptop isn’t an absolute must. If you want to edit your images while you’re on the go and receive advice from Andy and Hougaard about post processing techniques, then you’re welcome to bring one with you. The workshops is crammed pretty full and when we’re not out shooting we strongly advise people to rest in order to avoid burnout later in the tour. Because of this, processing isn’t an official part of this workshop, but later in the tour when we’re in Sossusviel there will be a chance to work on your images.

 A dSLR or mirrorless camera

The criteria for the kind of work we’ll be doing is a camera that can be operated completely manually to ensure we get the best exposure with interchangeable lenses allowing us to cover a range of focal lengths

Lenses

You need to cover a focal range of 16-400mm, or 10-300mm with APSC . If you are a keen bird photographer, then it will be worth dragging your 500/600mm along for this trip as well. An astro lens like a 20mm f/1.4 is great to have for all the nighttime scenery.
What you do NOT need is a macro or fisheye lens. 

Filters

Graduated filters aren’t a necessity, but if you own a set, you can bring it along.
A circular polarizer, especially for your 70-200mm/100-400mm will help a lot. Make sure you have one in your bag that fits your wide angle and telephoto lenses.

Cleaning

Namibia is a very dusty and sandy place, so expect to clean all your lenses daily. Bring enough cleaning liquid and cloths. The best tool for getting sand off camera gear is a paintbrush.

Tripod

It is obvious that you need a tripod for a landscape photography workshop, but this is an area that a lot of people neglect. If you do not own a high quality tripod, please enquire about renting one from us. This also saves you the effort of having to fly with a tripod. 

Backpack
We will be doing a lot of walking with camera gear, so it is critical that you have a comfortable backpack that can take your camera gear, a bottle of water and a warm layer of clothing. 

 ANDY MUMFORD is a Lisbon based professional landscape and travel photographer. Andy grew up in the UK loving nature and travel and took up landscape photography over fifteen years ago. Since then he has travelled extensively photographing all over the world and his photography and articles have featured in publications and books worldwide. He is a passionate photographer teacher and has been leading both group and one-to-one workshops for over five years.

He is a Fuji X Photographer and a brand ambassador for Fujifilm in Portugal, although he also has extensive experience with Nikon and Canon cameras.

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Hougaard Malan is an award winning South African photographer who has been guiding and organising photo tours to Nambia for a decade. He has taken people from every corner of the planet to every corner of Namibia. His own photos of Namibia have won him awards like the 2016 International Landscape Photograph of the Year and his clients have also won numerous awards with the photos captured on his tours. All the images on this page were captured by Hougaard.

Hougaard believes the essence of a landscape photograph is allowing the viewer to experience that place without ever being there. When the light, clouds and land combine to produce scenes so beautiful that they etch a profound place in viewers’ memories, and witnessing such moments unfold over earth’s most beautiful landscapes is, for me, one of the highlights of living.

Hougaard’s work has been published in countless media all over the world, from books and magazines to calendars and coffee table books by the likes of National Geographic. Licensing and commission clients include global and local corporates like Samsung, Toyota, SAB Inbev, FNB, Standard Bank and Europcar.

www.hougaardmalan.com

Jandre Germishuizen based in Namibia backed up by over 10 years of photography travel and tours in the country. Jandre studied nature conservation and guiding in South Africa and soon started leading groups all over Namibia. He is currently a full-time photography guide specialising in wildlife, accompanying some of the world’s greatest photographers like National Geographic photographer Art Wolfe and leading wildlife photographer Isak Pretorius through Namibia. Jandre has an incredible and expansive knowledge of the landscapes, wildlife, geology, history and nature of southern Africa which he is happy to share and use to help his clients both capture and understand this beautiful country better.

www.jandrephotos.com

 REGISTRATION

To register for the workshop we require a $2500 deposit.  Please complete the form below to sign up or for more information, and please read the Terms & Conditions by clicking on the link below.