Daisies and Dust — Namaqualand

Namaqualand is a place of restraint.
For most of the year, it withholds everything—colour, softness, excess. Then, briefly and without apology, it reveals all of it at once.

Daisies and Dust is an immersive film photography experience set in the Nieuwoudtville region of Namaqualand or the Hantam Karoo, where ancient geology, wide horizons, and seasonal extremes create a landscape that rewards patience and intention. Presented by Craig Fouché and Sven Jurgensen, this workshop is an invitation to witness one of Africa’s most poetic contradictions—severity and abundance sharing the same ground.

Participants are hosted in carefully selected accommodation within the region, positioned for early light, long shadows, and uninterrupted nights. We work with 1920s-era cameras, medium format systems, and large format film, including panoramic approaches that suit Namaqualand’s vast, unbroken vistas. Equipment is provided where needed, allowing you to arrive unburdened and fully present.

The workshop is offered twice yearly, each season revealing a distinct photographic language.

Winter brings stillness and scale. The nights open completely, revealing the Milky Way and long star trails above the largest quiver tree forest in the Southern Hemisphere at Gannabos. By day, the land stretches outward—perfect for panoramic large-format work, where space itself becomes the subject.

Spring is Namaqualand’s quiet spectacle. For a fleeting moment, the desert sheds its dust and erupts into colour as wildflowers and Namaqualand daisies bloom for kilometres on end. It is an internationally celebrated phenomenon, yet one that remains deeply intimate when approached slowly, frame by frame, on film.

Throughout the experience, guidance is offered one-on-one, shaping each participant’s work with care and respect for individual vision. Film stocks are selected in advance and assigned to your account. Development, high-resolution scanning, and optional fine printing are handled with the same discipline as the making itself.

Simply fly in. Join us.
We take care of the rest.

This is not about chasing colour or spectacle. It is about timing, restraint, and trust—knowing when to wait, and when to release the shutter once.

No automation.
No repetition.
Just dust, daisies, and the quiet certainty of a photograph made honestly.

Workshop experience dates to be confirmed. Complete our Workshop Enquiries form for more information and early reservation.

Reserve your space now, limited to 5 participants only.