Photo of the Day

dead trees in Namibia
January 3, 2016

“Island of Silence and Heat”

Your Shot member Carsten Krüger submitted this otherworldly photo of Namibia’s Dead Vlei: withered trees anchored in a white-clay pan, standing in striking contrast to an intensely colored, towering sand dune. The trees have been there for hundreds of years, reminders of when river waters cooled and hydrated this now scorched earth. Krüger writes, “[It was] a surreal island of silence and heat … We hiked one lonely mile without navigation and maps to find Dead Vlei … [It was] a masterpiece of nature: abstract shapes and unbelievable bright colors.”

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Join now >>

Photograph by Carsten Krüger, National Geographic Your Shot
DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE