DECEMBER 2006 – A Cessna 210L Centurion seen from behind while waiting for take-off on a sand strip in the dry grass of the Namibian Desert. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
We had mastered a nerve-wrecking drive from Swakopmund to the Namib Desert Lodge. We had booked two nights, so we could take a full day of rest at the pool and relax. But upon check-in we noticed that flyer promoting scenic flights over the Sossusvlei. We had already booked scenic flights in Tofino, B.C., in 2002 and in San Francisco in 2003. This offer was by the Adventure Center of the Sossusvlei Lodge in Sesriem.
We were hooked.
After a bit of debate, we decided for a 90 minute roundtrip across the Sossusvlei and along the Atlantic Coast. They would conveniently pick us up at the airstrip of the Namib-Desert-Lodge and return us there after the flight. After all, we did not want to drive the gravel highway all the way to Sesriem and back (in order to protect the car – and our nerves). The cost? Very expensive. But we decided to do it anyway. We realized that this really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us.
The drive to the airstrip of the lodge was short, maybe 10 minutes, and it was exciting to see the plane in the middle of the dry grass of the Namibian desert. The 6-seater Cessna 210L Centurion aircraft (registration V5-AEM) used to be permanently based on the Sossusvlei Lodge’s property. It looked totally out of place in this wilderness, almost like an UFO. At the same time it was a link to civilization, a sign that we certainly won’t get lost.
I like this photo because of its clear geometry and deeply saturated colors. Even today, the image yells “adventure” to me.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date & Time | 05-DEC-2006, 16:33 |
| Location | Namib Desert Lodge, Namibia |
| Camera | Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II |
| Lens | Canon EF 24-70 mm 2.8 L USM |
| ISO | 400 |
| Exposure | 1/2000 sec at f/8 |
| Digital Image Source Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, AdobeRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4845 x 3230 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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