Describing the famous Deadvlei to someone who has never been in a desert is very difficult for me. From our point of view, Namibia itself is already a very distant country and I'm not talking about the cultural differences, which are huge, no,
I'm only talking about the distance.

My first arrival in 2007 is unforgettable for me. I took over the huge Toyota and the asphalt road ended as soon as I left
the capital Windhoek. I will probably remember the next 6 hours on gravel and sand tracks forever. Just like arriving at
the gate an hour late, namely after sunset.

At the gate is a small campsite where I was assigned a place. When I got there, I immediately trotted towards the restaurant
and enjoyed a few cool beers. The next morning the cold in my sleeping bag woke me up and when I looked at the clock I knew
it was time to leave. It takes a good hour to drive 66km on the paved road. After that it gets tricky, because the last 4 km
are deep sand and can only be managed with special 4x4 vehicles.

But even if you manage to do this yourself, you are only in a practically unmarked place where you can park. The actual
Deadvlei is seen from the parking lot behind two other dune ridges that can only be reached on foot after a very strenuous
hike of about one hour.

The whole thing would certainly be easier without the 20kg photo equipment on my back and the heavy Gitzo in my hand,
but those who make the pilgrimage to the famous Deadvlei are usually also gifted photographers and want to show what they
can do there. A master's test among photographers, so to speak.

Long before my arrival in 2007, I had carefully examined the images taken by the photographers who had been there before
me and found that the vast majority had stuck to standard focal lengths. This was clearly evident from the photos posted
on the internet. So it was clear to me long before my visit. Anything but standard lenses.