Fish River Canyon Photo

Photographer’s Note

Fish River Canyon, when you stay on the rocks looking down to the canyon you feel so small-sized. The depth is so impressive that you could forget to take pictures.

(from www.namibia-info.net)
The Fish River is, at 650 kilometres, the longest river in Namibia. Its source lies in the eastern Naukluft Mountains and flows south-west of Ai-Ais into the Oranje.

The Fish River canyon, situated along the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in the southern part of Namibia. It developed predominantly during the pluvial times - a rainy climatic epoch - many millions of years ago. With a depth of up to 550 metres, the Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, before the Grand Canyon in America. The enormous gorge meanders along a distance of approx. 160 kilometres through the fissured Koubis massif all the way down to Ai-Ais. The canyon starts near Seeheim, is 161 kilometres long and ends at Ai-Ais.

The Fish River Canyon probably formed about 500 million years ago. However, the gorge was not only created by water erosion, but also through the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the earth's crust.

Because the Fish River is being dammed in Hardap near Mariental, it only contains a small amount of running water. In winter, during the dry season, the river bed is often completely dry or reduced to only the occassional puddle. However, after rainfalls in summer the river can become a raging torrent.

Budapestman, fabio_ts, Gerrit, giorgimer, snunney, feather, Cricri, PaulVDV, shevchenko, Didi, Jakab, pierrefonds, fayeulle, Silversnow, stego has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Budapestman (43238) 2008-11-12 2:22

Hi Achim,
Fantastic landscape with spectacular composition. The atmosphere is great, like that the sight as if we would look at lunar landscape. The strong lights show the romantic details of the landscape wonderfully. Have a nice day!
George

fabio_ts (13674) 2008-11-12 2:32

A impressive DOF for this breathless view, a lovely landscape Achim, great work my friend!!

have a nice day,
Fabio.

Gerrit (36529) 2008-11-12 2:38

Wow what a rugged. barren and desolate landscape, Achim.
Fine composition and great definition.
Regards, Gerrit

mauro61 (16620) 2008-11-12 3:18

ciao Achim,
POV alto che mette in risalto la bellezza del posto ,complimenti

dvlazar (6492) 2008-11-12 3:40

Impressive viewpoint over the rocky landscape. Some brightening through levels in PS could have helped make this shot a bit more dynamic and even more attractive I think.
Good work getting to this sight.
Dave

Nicou (46171) 2008-11-12 4:19

Hello,

De toute beauté ce canyon, quels dessins naturels, quel graphisem avec cette immesité, la rivière qui a creusé sont lit et tourne autour, grandiose.

braov et amitié
Nicou

giorgimer (21640) 2008-11-12 4:36

Hi Achim,

impressive view! I feel so small in front of this extraordinary place. Good colors and details.

TFS

Gio

snunney (35808) 2008-11-12 4:47

Hello Achim,
A great capture of this magnificent and stark landscape. The tones and textures are beautifully rendered with fine detail. Exceptional clarity and depth of field.

feather (50480) 2008-11-12 8:03

Very interesting to see this kind of rock formations in Africa; it's very similar to sights we saw in Utah USA. You high POV works very well.
Kath

rgarrigus (0) 2008-11-12 8:42

Hi Achim,

First this is an outstanding and exemplary note that I wish everyone would emulate. It is truly in the spirit of TE through and through and much appreciated. As a landscape photograph though this one falls short for me. To my eye the light has just gone too cold. More oblique light earlier in the day would offer better modeling of the features and would result in a more attractive landscape overall. Dave suggested improving this in PP but I think it'd be better to make the image in warmer light from the outset. I sincerely hope I haven't offended as I mean only respectful honesty. Most people will probably disagree with me anyway ;)

Cheers!

Bob G.

Cricri (44068) 2008-11-12 10:05

Hi Achim
Impressionnant ce paysage rocheux ou serpente le fleuve, POV et détails magnifique, belle note d'accompagnement
Friendship
cricri

PaulVDV (5449) 2008-11-12 10:06

Hello Achim,
I'm surprised there's no single trace of any kind of vegetation, not even at the bottom of the canyon ... Or the plants must be very small there ...
Is this due to the fact that in winter this river is completely dry ?
The landscape looks very impressive but I think photography must be difficult there because the whole scenery has the same colour.
Best regards, Paul

shevchenko (10184) 2008-11-12 18:53

Hi Achim,
Amazing pov to shoot the bent river, detail to see the erosion surface of this magnificient canyon, thanks for sharing the wonder land.
Ally

wolf38 (13153) 2008-11-12 22:35

Hallo Achim. What for a landscape. The photo pleases me very well. It is beautiful and worth seeing. Photographically skillfully realizes. Regards, Wolfgang.

jemaflor (39847) 2008-11-13 10:47

Hi Achim,
Impressive landscape, great view with this canyon, well in your composition the place of this curved river, good result.

mikeo (12117) 2008-11-14 5:02

Hello Achim,

It's really breathtaking! Amazing place, it is sooooooooo huge...colours are incredible...It looks like a different planet.

Very well shown.
TFS,
Best greetings
Mikeo

Didi (36668) 2008-11-14 8:49

Hello Mr President
Very magnificient view similar to the US Colorado.
I don't know at what time of the day you took this picture.
If it was early in the morning OK but if it was the middle of the day you should give more lights.
Best regards.

Jakab (3524) 2008-11-14 16:10

Hallo Achim,
gleich vom Mond zurückgekehrt? Ganz erstaunliche Landschaft, kaum glaubhaft, dass so etwas auf der Erde gibt.
Viele Grüße
Laszlo

pierrefonds (26797) 2008-11-15 7:41

Hi Achim,

The curves of the river are assets to the composition. The point of view is showing the details and colors of the canyon. There are similarities to the Grand Canyon USA. The picture is clear and sharp. The light is enhancing the colors. Have a good weekend and a nice week.

Pierre

Angshu (34219) 2008-11-16 19:56

Hello Achim
Quite a funny name of the river - Fish River! A very impressive high POV showing the entire valley & canyon. I wonder whether a small correction in tonality would bring out this better. But what an impressive place!
Best Regards
Angshu

fayeulle (26547) 2008-11-20 9:02

Hi Achim
I would like to go back to this canyon and have a trek in the canyon. I think it should be a great adventure.
Cheers
JP

Silversnow (2121) 2008-11-20 10:25

Very very interesting place, although the contrast seems muted somehow, as if a little bit of highlight increase would help to render it as it looked like in real life.

stego (22500) 2008-11-28 11:52

Hi Achim,
Stunning! It's a superb view, with the compo making very good use of the vintage POV.
It reminds me a bit some places in North Africa, but much more arid, as in those places it's common to find some grass, bushes here and there, and spots of green and trees in the lower parts of the valleys, even when there isn't water in sight, like happens here.
Bravo! TFS.
Regards, José.