49.8

This shot was published as a double page spread in National Geographic earlier this year.

It was taken in a small ghost town in southern Namibia, a few kilometres inland from the Namibian coast. Once a small mining village, developed after the discovery of diamonds in the area in 1908, to provide shelter for workers from the harsh environment of the Namib Desert. The village was built like a German town, with facilities like a hospital, ballroom, power station, school, skittle-alley, theater and sport-hall, casino, ice factory and the first x-ray-station in Africa.

The town declined after World War I as diamond prices crashed, and operations moved to another place. It was abandoned in 1956. The geological forces of the desert have been claiming back her territory ever since, and have turned the town into one of the most surreal places on earth.

This shot was taken inside one of the family houses. Most people think that this is a composite image made in Photoshop, but it's not - it's exactly like this. I think the confusion is caused by the surreal qualities of the image, as it is almost like a Salvador Dali painting.

©2011 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.