Many years ago, a river flowed between the gigantic sand dunes in Sossusvlei, Namibia, and provided enough water for trees to grow in this pan. However, since then, the river has failed to reach this pan most years, killing the trees. Because of the very dry climate, the dead trees have remained well preserved.
I visited this pan soon after the morning sun had reached it. I moved around one side of the pan, trying to find the best compositions of trees in the foreground with an enormous orange sand dune in the background. This image is one of several compositions that I tried. The simplicity of a few trees, the white pan, and the orange dune appealed to me. The trees also reminded me of dancers in the desert.
