Notes From Namibia
November, every two to three years in my world, is three weeks of Namibian heat, dust, sweat, tears and an incredible array of natural and human-strewn perfection.
Namibia has long been known to photographers and wanderlusters alike as a destination like no other. The hospitality of the Namibians is legendary, and this sparsely populated country offers such a diversity of light, form, and experience.
I have now been to Namibia four times, co-leading photography workshops for OFFBEAT, and every time I return, I know I’m in for a journey that’s equally exhausting and elational. This most recent trip was no exception: over the course of 3 weeks I drove over 4500KM with an incredible team of fellow photographers, combining rooftop camping with hotels and taking in a myriad of locations.
Quiver trees. Stars. The ghost town of Kolmanskop. Deadvlei. Sossusvlei. Etosha. Flamingos. Decay. Life. Spitzkoppe. The hunt. Shadows. Sand. The vastness.
PS - Endless thanks to my co-leaders on this on, Kahli April, Sara Kempner, Aaron von Hagen, and Lee Nordbye. You all made this so so much more enjoyable.
Note: all of the above images were taken in 2024 using a combination of my new Fuji GFX 100s II and my trusty Sigma lenses.
The below images are a smattering of favourites from past trips:
100 Images From 2018
It’s the time of year when many photographers look back on the year that’s been and to a certain degree reflect on what they’ve done, where they’re going, what themes and storylines emerged in their work.
I, as throughout my whole career, spent my 365 days shooting a mixed bag of passion projects, travel, commercial, editorial, portrait, and wildlife work. I thought about presenting a small series of collections, each on the theme….but my theme, for better or worse, is “photography”, not genres within photography, so I’m just going to stay on point and present my mixed bag.
I have no clue if these are my “best”. They’re just images that I like, from across time, place, and subject. They are memories and feelings and experiences. They are me, and they are my year.
I hope something within resonates.
Dave
PS - a huge shout-out to two of my incredible sponsors, Sigma Canada and Strobepro Lighting. Every single one of these images was taken on a Sigma lens, and I can’t say enough about their line-up of lenses and what a great company they are. All of the portraits that used introduced lighting were all taken with Strobepro goodness - their products have transformed my work.
