The Shadow Of Death

Beautiful, simple, graphic appeal to this one.

This is beautiful. I really like the stark lines, and incorporating the shadow in the foreground like that makes it work so very well.

WOW!

Simple and elegant. You did a great job here.

Awesome FG! Great shot!

Always good to see a new take on a 'mature' subject. The clean lines and mono treatment bring out the starkness of the place.

This works well for me!

I remember seeing some of your images from this location and find it one of the most interesting graphical series' I've seen. This is a great composition and I love the b&w.

as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ... "Run Forest Run" !
Great shot.
Excellent simplicity and contrast.

Stunning shot. I don't believe I have seen this subject photographed in this manner before. I think I would like to see the shadow a bit darker even.

I agree with Kah on the shadow. Stunning shot for sure.

Beautiful. Very nice interpretation of the scene. Excellent Black & White!

Wow, what a fantastic image. I love everything about this.

Great presentation. It would be outstanding anyway, but the shadow in the comp puts this way over the top. Very well seen and executed.

A very graphic image! Very well done.

and one more for great captures in your future....... !

That's a nice take on a very popular subject. It works beautifully in black and white.

This is absolutely gorgeous. This is truly a work of art Marsel. Wonderful work.

I wish I could afford to take your Namibia workshop, maybe some day

Simple, graphic, beautiful, I think this is incredible.

I'm a sucker for the graphic shots and this one doesn't disappoint. I'd personally go just a bit lighter in the top eigth only because of how light the bottom is. You could alternatively go KKY's route and darken the shadow to achieve the same balance. These are nits on a super strong image to begin with. Beautiful shot Marsel.

This is B&W-photography at its best!!

Rune Hansen

Very NICE! Great job on BW

Phenomenal imagery Marsel. This is incredibly powerful and technically outstanding. I wouldn't change a thing.

This is a masterpiece.

Lon

Its great. As Marc said its simple but works really well. Love the detail in the fg.

Impressive piece of work! Beautiful and elegant in every aspect. Great work!

Love the simplicity. Outstanding. Happy shooting in southern Africa.

Marsel,

Really well done.

Fabulous image...I'd love to see a color version of this one too, seeing that the Namib dunes have the amazing red color!

Fantastic! This is one to be very, very proud of, Marsel. Simple, bold and powerful. Love it.

This is fantastic, Marsel! Excellent composition and tones and a very powerful scene. Bravo!

Guy

You've done something fresh and new with this oft photographed area. Beautiful graphic shot.

Very dramatic, very graphic...very well done.

Classic B&W. Very graphical and well composed. Great image.

Best,

Jose

this is very dramamtic, I agree with going a bit lighter on the top.

Very powerful image. Well done!

Lori

Love the shadow and the centered composition. Nicely done!

Beautiful!! Simple and the best. Love it.

Amazing! That's all...

I really like how you have distilled this scene down to the essence, including sucking the colour out, to create this powerful scene. Excellent in every way.

outstanding marsel. brilliant bold lines and the shadow is very effective.

Thanks for all the comments, kind words and suggestions - much appreciated.

@ Peter: I agree it doesn't look like an acacia tree, that's why I never said it was one.

Great minimalist shot, really like this, and very appealing!

This is one of the best I've seen from there. I need to make it to Namibia some day.

Outstanding image. Very simple, clean composition, very gripping subject and very well converted. Excellent work!!

Patterns in the foreground with the strong lines of shadow funnel to the tree/subject while providing plenty of details to explore. The bright sky and silhouette are so graphic, and I end up just being blown away by this photograph.

What a dramatic photo!... Congratulations Marsel!

Wow, you're racking up the EP's this week, and all richly deserved.

Very beautiful and creative.

Wow,

Now that is one of the coolest, most original images I've seen of this amazing place! Fantastic job and congratulations on the EP!

An awesome image that makes me want to go back to my days of shooting B&W.

Wow !

All the good things have been said. I agree with them. This is an excellent photograph.

Graphically, I see a lot of strength here. There a two things that bother me:

1. The sky vignettes quite strongly. It darkens in the upper corners to the extent that I begin to lose track of the primary tree shape, which is the center of interest. This may be an insurmountable consequence of how this was shot.

2. The of thing that bothers me is that the second-largest tree shape in the frame intersects violently with the distant dune-sky line. You have a frame full of strong graphics here, but I do see that distant tree group as important.

You would have to move the camera up to get the group of tree skeletons below the dune-sky line. That would change the composition of the other elements to some extent, and may have made it impossible to block the sun with the foreground tree. It would be great to have been there, to take this photograph, and to try other compositons.

Pete D.

Wow!! love this.

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I had to chime in and say this is superb. Just superb.