The Namib: The World's Oldest Desert

At 55 million years, The Namib is the world's oldest desert. Its vibrant colours, unique shapes, and curious encounters inspire a sense of mystery and awe.

The Namib, meaning "vast place" in the Nama language, is just that. It covers 81,000 square kilometers, and includes iconic yet obscure regions such as the Skeleton Coast, a coastal desert littered with wildlife, and Deadvlei, or "dead marsh," a clay pan hugged by some of the world's tallest sand dunes.

Despite its forbidding terrain, the Namib embodies a subtle harmony between its elements which I felt compelled to explore with my camera.

The series uncovers the hidden beauty found in an otherwise desolate land. The vulnerability one feels when exploring the vast sand dune-sea is completely awe-inspiring: the sand dunes' sheer scale immediately dwarfs those who enter their space, making us feel humbled in their presence.

These are a collection of my favourite desert photographs taken while on assignment for BBC Travel over the years. To learn more about this mysterious land, view my photo essay about the Namib and its mysterious “fairy circles” on BBC Travel.

​The Long Journey III. Sossusvlei, Namibia. 2019.
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