Freeman Patterson, renowned Canadian photographer (www.freemanpatterson.com) called Namaqualand the ‘Garden of the Gods’ in one of his books.  Each Spring the dry, arid land bursts into life with carpets of wild flowers erupting on rocky soil, mountainsides and along seldom-flowing streams.  The colours range from white to cream, yellows, oranges, blues and purples – and the best way to photograph them is whilst lying down on your tummy a few centimeters away from them, using a macro lens!

The Kamieskroon Hotel (www.kamieskroonhotel.com) is home to photographic workshops in the Spring – a comfortable country hotel whose owners are incredibly knowlegeable about local conditions, where the flowers are, when it will rain (!) and how long the flower season will last (usually August/September).  Namaqualand in the Spring is a ‘must’ for any photographer …!