Am sitting in Johannesburg airport, waiting for my connection to Namibia. Memories flood back of our trip here last year.  So many wonderful people to travel and photograph with.  Such special places to visit.  Did we really do that much driving? 

One week, we were huddled around a campfire in our down jackets.  The next at a different spot as it was too hot to be out by nine a.m., and we found cool spots next to granite rocks to shelter by.   

Each place we visited took us time to connect with.  Familiar places, yet new and strange.  South Africa reminds me of the Flinders Ranges or the Devils Marbles.  Roadside rest stops even have our eucalyptus trees to trigger that memory even more.  

Who you travel with makes the world of difference.  Being relaxed with good people makes the world of difference to my creative endeavours. Feeling supported and loved is just as important as the connection with country and subject.  Well, it is for me.  

Do you know, I have fonder memories of the people than I have for the place? Yet, I ache to return and sitting here reminds me of both.  

Struggling tree caught in a crack in the granite. South Africa. Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2018