2006: Wildscapes - Winner
Bernard van Dierendonck (The Netherlands)
Dune
As the day lengthened at the Sossusvlei Dunes in Namibia, the light became harsh and the air hazy. It was then that Bernard, more used to the Alps, decided to scale Big Daddy. At 325 metres, this is Sossusvlei's tallest dune and one of the highest in the world. 'Halfway up', he observes, 'I was a tiny speck in a mineral world of giant lines sculpted by the wind - nature's architecture displayed at its best'. The dune's perfectly straight edge, its razor-sharp crest curving into the distance, contrasted against Deadvlei far below - a floodplain plastered with sun-baked mud. 'The shapes and colours were truly dramatic,' concludes Bernard. 'It was nature organised to perfection.'
Canon EOS 1D Mark II with 24-70mm f2.8L USM lens; 1/125 sec at f11; 100 ISO.
View other winners in this category
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Adult awards Sky and reef Jordi Chias Pujol
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Adult awards The great delta Theo Allofs
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Adult awards Antartica sunrise Daisy Gilardini
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Adult awards Great water, Devil's Throat Jan Baks
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