The dunes of Sossusvlei: Travel Photography #8

Because Sossusvlei is not accessible during night time, I camped in Sesriem. One hour before sunrise, the gates to Sossusvlei opened and everybody drove off. From Sesriem, it is about an hour drive to Sossusvlei, but most people were speeding like crazy. After 45 kilometer, I arrived at the first massive dune: Dune 45. While still dark, I climbed to the top, where I arrived just before sunrise and enjoyed the beautiful sunrise. I watched the shadows sweep across the land as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. While everybody remained at the top of Dune 45, I quickly ran down to capture the hard shadows created by the low sun.