In western Namibia there is a defunct German mining town called Kolmanskop. It was abandoned almost a century ago (though it remained minimally inhabited into the 1940s), and left to the desert, which began the process of reclamation. Today it is a tourist destination, and a fascinating subject for photography. I had the privilege of visiting twice – once in 2017 and again in 2024. This time I went with Wim van den Heever, a South African photographer whose work is featured in the new gallery that was being set up in Kolmanskop as we visited. Suffice it to say, it pays to go with someone who knows the place! He got me to locations to maximize the light, but the composition is my own.
The images as a whole have been disappointing in PT competition, but tend to do well in Monochrome.
2 comments posted
Richard Distlerath
Yes, I have visited Kolmanskop. It is a very special place. Some one had moved the bathtub to the dunes in the front of the town when we visited. I exposured bracketed most of my indoor images as getting exposure was a bit tricky. You nailed the exposure here. You have three basic elements with tub and 2 doors. The composition works. I recall picking my focal length for the room and then taking some panos to include more of the room.
The lighting is very good. I looked up Wim and saw that he likes to work in black and white.
This image certainly brought back memories for me. Thank you! Posted: 03/02/2025 07:50:55
Lillian Roberts
Thank you, Richard! There are actually several tubs, though I only saw the one outside on my first visit. On that trip I went with a respected landscape photographer but who had himself never been there before, and just turned us loose. Take home lesson: know your tour leader before plunking down $$$$! Wim really helped me get to the right locations at the right times, and he doesn't hold back his "special places." I'm probably not supposed to promote a specific leader on this forum (I can't mention names when writing a Journal article), but I have been on a lot of photo tours and there are a few who really stand out. He's one.
