Camel thorn trees, Deadvlei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia

At first glance, it looks like a surreal art installation: dark trees frozen on a clay pan, backed by sand dunes and a glowing sky.

But this scene from Deadvlei, in Namibia's Namib-Naukluft Park, is entirely natural.

The name 'Deadvlei' means 'dead marsh'—a remnant of the wetland that once filled this basin.