PHOTOGRAPHY

Removing the Colors of the Desert

Black and white photography: Life in the desert

A desert is known to be a lifeless area. A barren landscape with little to no vegetation and conditions that make it hard for animals to survive. Yet I always tried to capture the variety of a desert. The various colors it has to offer. The countless animals that do live in these harsh conditions. I wanted to show its beauty.

But today I am taking a different approach. By eliminating colors.

Dennett shared her colorful world in black and white with the readers of snapshots a few days ago and I loved her collection. It inspired me to go out and see what my world looks like. What my world looks like without colors.

My world is the desert. At the moment at least. I’ve lived for five years in a desert and I got to experience all sides of it. After being away for a little over a year it’s time to reconnect.

The Namib desert

Located in southern Africa the Namib desert is the oldest desert in the world and the second driest just after the Atacama desert. Some areas get no rain for several years. The part I lived in received 5-10 millimeters per year. In average.

Knowing it is a desert, you sometimes do get surprised how much life is to be found in some areas. Due to a high level of moisture from low hanging fog this desert does get quite a bit of water. It would be the wettest desert in the world if the fog would count as precipitation.

Plants and animals have adapted to collecting the moisture of the morning fog and live off it. Some serious survivors are to be found in this harsh landscape. Animals and plants we can only learn from.

Part of this desert is several dried-out riverbeds. Some of them carrying water once a year when it rains in the mountains. Others only once in a decade. The river that we entered today has been flowing a few times in the last years but only once it reached the ocean and that was in 2010. It’s been ten years already since this river had enough water to push through and reach the delta.

The rest of the time of the year it’s deserted. No water to be seen or heard for miles. For us a perfect place to go out and explore the desert life.

Wildlife

When I say that there is no water I must be wrong. Somewhere in the mountains, there must be some hidden springs from which the animals drink.

Because there are plenty of animals to be seen in this area. The most common ones I would say are ostriches and springboks (an antelope). But lots of different types of animals are living in this specific riverbed. Jackals are always on the go searching for food and even leopards are living in the mountainous area of the canyon.

Birds

And of course birds. Even if I don’t see a tree for miles I can see birds in the desert. So many different bird species are living in this riverbed. When it gets quiet towards sunset and the wind dies down just listen to their songs.

This weaver nest was found in a very bushy part of the riverbed. Weavers build their nests on the longest branch. The one that is swinging the most in the wind. Just to impress the females. It has to dance in the wind but still withstand the harsh conditions.

An oasis

I haven’t seen many of them but with the right knowledge or a bit of luck, you get to see them. The hidden gems of the desert. Oasis. Following the lush green grass and leaves surrounding wet areas is what will bring you there.

Despite having explored this riverbed so many times I’ve never seen this one. We drove up a side valley and all of a sudden I saw those high reeds. High up in the valley. Reeds. A clear sign for moist ground.

We got out of the car and inspected the area. It was very muddy and parts of the ground were white. Most of the water must have evaporated and the salt is what stayed behind.

But there were still some small holes with water inside of them. Probably very salty. But I assume animals come and drink here. Judging by the footprints it must be lots of them.

Life and death

Nowhere else in the world is life and death so close to each other like in the desert. Only the toughest ones will survive. Survival of the fittest is here the ultimate rule of life in the desert.

While we were amazed to have found this little hidden oasis we found at the same time a few bones and skeletons. A sign from the roaming leopard in this area.

If you are not careful you won’t survive the desert.

Vegetation

I can’t tell you exactly where the line runs between desert and semi-desert. But the vegetation to be found in both of these landscape features are unique and not to be found anywhere with higher precipitation.

With special roots, thick leaves, and other adaptations these plants have adjusted to the harsh living conditions. Heat, extreme winds and very little rainfall is what they struggled with. Just like animals too, they are fighting for their survival.

Lots of succulents are to be found in the deserted landscape. The quiver tree is one of them.

Insects

Where there is life there will be insects too. Even the smallest blossoms will attract pollinators and other insects. So yes, you do find bees, flies, and even mosquitos in the desert. Not many. But they do exist.

Especially when the wind dies down you will get to experience the numbers of flies living in this area.

After spotting this colorful flower in the sand I was trying to capture its beauty with my camera when the bee came by. Instead of running away and beating the insect I remained quiet and waited for the perfect shot.

Sunsets

Where there is no rain there are no clouds. And without clouds, there’s lots of sun. Lots of sunsets. But what is a sunset without colors? Well, look above. That’s what it looks like.

A sunset in black and white.

The African sky

The last feature of life in the desert are the stars. An endless sky filled with stars is what a desert is known for. With little to no light pollution, the stars seem brighter. The milky way bigger. Seen with the own eye.

I have seen stars before I came to the desert. But I’ve never captured them. Not even mentioning the milky way. The stars of the desert taught me something about peace, patience, and the dimensions of our planet.

“Peace begins with a smile.” — Albert Einstein

All photographs are taken with my Canon EOS 750D. Captures are taken in Namibia on 18/12/2020.

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Anne Bonfert is a traveler. Photographer. Writer. Teacher. Skydiving instructor. Adventure enthusiast. Nature lover. And fell in love with the African continent.