Surreal landscapes of the Namib-Naukluft park

These are not paintings, as it might seem at first glance. These are photos that were taken in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia, in a strange and almost "alien" place called Dead Vlei. And although many people call this place the Dead Valley, in fact it is not a valley. The name translates as "dead swamp".

(Total 16 photos)

1. This is a huge layer of white clay, located next to the more famous Sossusvlei salt marsh.

2. Here are hundreds of dead acacia trees that once bloomed here when the Tsauchab River fed this wasteland.

3. About 900 years ago, the river changed its course.

4. And after that the valley dried up.

5. The sand dunes surrounding this place are considered the highest in the world.

6. The highest of them reach 300-400 meters.

7. The clayey formation was formed after rain when the Tsauchab River overflowed its banks, creating temporary shallow pools, thanks to which dried trees sprouted due to the abundance of water.

8. When the climate changed, a drought came here, and the valley was covered with sand dunes, which blocked the river from the sea.

9. Trees died because they didn't have enough water.

10. Of course, there are some types of plants left, for example, saltwort and nara, which have adapted to life here - they absorb moisture from the morning fog and rare rains.

11. The remaining tree skeletons, which may be about 900 years old, turned black because burned out in the sun.

12. Trees, although not petrified, did not rot, either. too dry.

13. The first photo in this post was taken in the morning sun, which illuminated a huge red dune dotted with white grass. And the bottom of the valley at the same time remained in the shade.

14. In the first photo, the bottom of the valley appears blue because it reflects the sky above.

15. “Because of the contrast between the shadowy foreground and the illuminated background, I used a 2-stop filter with a scale that reduced the contrast,” says photographer Frans Lanting, who took these amazing photos.

16. “This perfect moment came when the sun reached the very bottom of the dune, but had not yet reached the very bottom of the valley. I used a long telephoto lens for the shot."