For the last two weeks' blogs we are visiting Deadvlei in Namibia. The wind started blowing harder and harder. When you are in a desert with sand as far as the eye can see strong winds are not your friend. You get sand blasted. Your eyes get sand it. Your gear gets sand in. It is not a pleasant experience. Then again, I was not there for a pleasant experience, I was there for pleasant images.

          Waves of sand blew all around. Luckily the wind was not constant, it blew in spurts with gusts. That presented the opportunity I was waiting for. In the lull of the wind I would get ready. When the gusts started again I would take a few images before the sand gets to me. Then I would turn around to protect myself and my gear (I stood in front of my gear when the sand reached me). Nasty conditions may often present opportunities that others who are not willing to endure the conditions will never have. Here are two images I got of sand blasting along:

Images such as these only present themselves when the conditions are nasty. Position yourself to get the best possible light. In this case I wanted the sand backlit so I positioned myself in the right place to get this effect.

          The next time the conditions are not pleasant stick around (provided that it is safe to do so). You may just end up with images that are a bit rarer than what others have. These are the images that immediately get people to ask you questions. These images speak to people.