Deadvlei, a photo from Hardap, South

Photographer's Note

Petrified acacia tree in Deadvlei, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park.

Deadvlei - the Valley of the Dead - was cut off from the main Sossusvlei valley by a wandering sand dune approximately 900 years ago. Cut off from regular water, it has become a burning salt pan. The petrified acacia trees are as old as the vlei itself.

ChrisJ, dziki_rysio_997, elmec, Lynette, bubbapenner, avel9665 ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

Tracker (1942) 2006-04-27 15:30

Hi Phillip,
Interesting picture with good colours and minimalistic composition. It remembered me a kind of Dali :)
Thanks.

SelimAzad (477) 2006-04-27 15:31

beautiful colors, well controlled saturation and contrast. The tree conveys the brutal and harsh environment existing there.

clarita (654) 2006-04-27 15:43

good work here...amazing sharpness and good symmetry...glorious colours captured as well.
good work.

celinaconroy (717) 2006-04-27 16:15

Hi Phillip,

What an amazing sight - likewise your image - which is very stark but that just magnifies the harshness of the landscape - the black tree, like charcoal remains of a great fire, also serves to illustrate this because it is in contrast to everything around it.

Celina

ein22 (478) 2006-04-27 21:27

It's so arid.

The tree still clings to the earth even after death. Mmm I feel really modivated to think more about the impact after death now.

Thank you it's thought provoking.

Andrew

abulafia (4900) 2006-04-29 3:08

Hi Philip
nice contrasts of colours, a very good composition, the bright blue sky is just great.
Harry

kinginexile (2598) 2006-05-03 23:26

Just as the great expanses of Martian red sand, your shot tells us this is a place unlike any on earth. Here, it's the forlorn and dark branches of the tree that convey the immensity of the desert, its beauty, and its dangers.

Graal (103040) 2006-05-05 6:28

Hi Phillip,
unusual view, strong colours and interesting a place. I like this view a lot. Well done photo.
Rgs, Aleksander

Signal-Womb (13048) 2006-05-05 12:48

Great capture Philip with good contrast and saturated colour. Composition is good but I may have pulled back a little so as not to cut the shadow. Well done, Steve.

ChrisJ (171884) 2006-05-06 5:36

Hi Phillip

There is some noise or mottling in the sky, but that's easily fixed with photoshop. I ike the graphism of the tree, & the strong, simple compo. Good work overall, & tfs!

Vesela (967) 2006-05-08 3:06

Hi Phillip!
Nice shot with splendid colors and composition.
I like very much the color of the sky.
Regards
Vesela

kelo (523) 2006-05-08 12:31

Sometimes, the nature is so perfect that it looks like a stage of theater, it does not seem real. Sometimes the photography receives this nature, like your shot. Very good composition.

zhimmelm (105) 2006-05-08 21:05

This is an amazing pic. I really like how you left the smaller tree in the background. It gives a nice sense of depth and scale.

tabora (0) 2006-05-10 13:48

Bonsoir Philip
Joli cadrage de cet endroit très aride,belles couleurs bien constratées.
A+ Joseph

ajujot (91) 2006-05-12 0:20

Hey Phil!

Awesome colors ...very rare pic..thanks

dziki_rysio_997 (425) 2006-05-12 7:59

Hello,
Great shot! Really interesting and maybe even magic place. I like the colour tonation, especially the fact, that they are dividing the photo into three separate layers. And the dark silhouette placed in front of them- well done!
Regards,
Damian

elmec (12210) 2006-05-19 12:04

Hello Phillip!
This is so amazing composition!
Lovely idea and contrast and colours!
Perfectly done!
Regards!

donluicu (24741) 2006-05-20 17:35

It's incredible what you (te'ers) bring us from Namibia...fantastic skies, great blue mixed with strong oranges...
it's just incredible.
here's the framing is very good.
well done
TFS

thor68 (5586) 2006-05-25 4:19

amazing shot, phillip! :-)
the colors are awesome
and the composition of the petrified acacia
with the sand dunes and the beautiful blue
sky superb.
best wishes, thor.

Ulishna (2268) 2006-06-27 12:58

Hello Phillip,
Very nice photo. Strong colors, I like it very much.

Lynette (1615) 2006-08-04 8:41

Hi phillip, i love the way you have captured this image with the charred remains of this tree, its silhouette against the dunes and the blue sky is captivating. warm regards from cape town.
: ) lynette

BigCrompy (270) 2006-08-07 9:22

Wow....where to start with critiquing/appreciating your work? So many diverse locations, so will take me several days in my short visits to see them all.

This is stark and simple, yet beautifully coloured and an aesthetically pleasing picture all on its own. It looks hopeful although desolate in the extreme. Really well done!

bubbapenner (164) 2006-08-17 16:56

Just looking through your photos, and this one just jumped right out at me. Beautiful. The solitary tree, the gradiated colors from bottom to top, the POV; it all works and the end result is an excellent photo!

Budapestman (82620) 2006-08-27 13:47

Hi Phillip!
Very expressive and spectacular photo! Interesting and fascinating mood! Excellent composition and beautiful colours! Very good shot!
Thank you, nice days
George

smash2707 (3320) 2006-09-03 20:09

Hi Phillip. Simple, but very beautiful composition. I like the intense colors and the layers. Regards, Yvonne

ballaln (406) 2007-06-24 8:37

amazing picture! the strength of the blue sky colors coupled with the strong foreground makes a wonderful picture here. 10/10 on this one! thanks for sharing!

Zepter (2) 2007-07-08 4:10

Hi!
great picture with fantastic colors!tfs
zepter

avel9665 (245) 2007-07-25 14:53

«As árvores também morrem de pé». Foto excelente

lotis (132) 2008-06-13 12:58

Hi Phil,
I am having a look at your gallery after having read your heated discussion with robbienight...! Maybe you remember! Anyways, just to reassure you, your shots are definately better even if you get less points..!
But more seriously, I am commenting here because I read the critiques and you asked chrisJ for a workshop but he hasn't done it yet. So I'll give it a shot...My comments are the same as his. Plus, composition-wise, I think it might have been better if you hadn't put the tree in the middle, but on either side and given us more sand in the background. And less foreground too because I find the "white" or light colored sand not very appealing.
In general, well done. I hope my workshop gives you an idea.

Cheers!
Louis

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