Desert survivor

Morkel Erasmus's Image

It was a particularly quiet day in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa.

'The sky was streaked with wonderful cirrus clouds,' says Morkel, 'looking as if it had been swept with an invisible broom.' He couldn't believe his luck when a lone blue wildebeest wandered into the scene and posed against the dramatic backdrop. 'I wanted to celebrate the wildebeest as a desert survivor,' adds Morkel, 'caked in dust, constantly on the search for food and water, dodging the onslaught of predators.' It was noon, the light was harsh, and so black and white was a fitting medium to immortalise this moody scene.


Behind the lens

Morkel Erasmus

Morkel Erasmus

South Africa

Morkel first picked up a DSLR camera in 2009, and hasn’t looked back. He was awarded in the 2010 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, and has since won other awards and been published in the media. An industrial engineer by trade, he leads photographic safaris in his spare time, and promotes wildlife photography as an enjoyable pastime and conservation tool.

Image details

  • Canon EOS 1000D
  • 18-55mm lens
  • 1/250 sec at f16
  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari desert, South Africa
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Natural frame

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