65 | 100 Infinite expanses
Lea Mildefrom the series 100 photos - 100 stories
Foto Koch is celebrating 100 years and we are telling YOUR best stories, because without you we wouldn't be here! Today's story comes from photographer Lea Milde and her journey through beautiful Namibia.
in 2019, my boyfriend and I embarked on a journey that became the epitome of freedom for us: a roadtrip with a roof tent through the endless expanses of Namibia. Namibia, one of the driest countries on the planet, characterized by breathtaking landscapes, untamed nature and wild animals. Our 3-week trip took us from Windhoek via the Waterberg Plateau to Etosha National Park and from there along the coast and back through the Namib and Kalahari.
The epitome of freedom
Namibia not only inspired my wildlife ecologist heart, but also my artistic side. And that's what my photo and my little story will be about... We drove along the long, dusty roads in the Namib Naukluft National Park, one of the oldest and driest desert regions in the world. Besides the orange dunes, the white pans and dead camel thorn bushes, you also have a wonderful view of the mountain range in the picture above and if you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of an oryx antelope, which are perfectly adapted to these extreme environmental conditions. Like many photographers, I already had an image in mind that I wanted to realize. I wanted a picture with an oryx antelope, alone in the vast landscape, against this mountain backdrop. We had already spent 3 days in the national park and we still hadn't really got this picture or this scene. On the last evening, we were already on our way back to camp when we suddenly spotted an oryx walking alone in the light of the setting sun. I grabbed my camera and quickly took a picture. However, it was not as I had imagined and so I put the camera aside and watched the oryx disappear into the endless expanse of the Namib. Months later, I went back through the pictures I had already sorted out from our trip and suddenly discovered this one photo. And there it was again, the feeling of freedom. The picture immediately brought back that moment and my thoughts and emotions. And then I realized that this is exactly what makes a good photo and why I simply love wildlife photography so much. It's now one of my favorite photos and a symbol of our adventure in Namibia.
You can find more work by photographer Lea Milde on her website or on Instagram.
