>
De Lende Collection KL logoDE LENDE COLLECTION

Baobab Collection

The Baines baobabs on their plateau at Nxai Pan at dusk, pink and magenta in the sky

Africa's upside down tree, from Venda to the pans of Botswana

Koos van der Lende

The baobab tree is the so-called upside down tree with the roots in the air.

— Koos van der Lende, on Kubu Island

The baobab is Africa's upside down tree, its bare branches held up like roots to the sky. Some are four or five thousand years old. The bark is smooth and soft, there is no wood in it to burn, only cork, and in times of drought elephants break into the trunks for water.

For Koos van der Lende it is the tree that says Africa. He has followed it from Venda in the far north of South Africa, to Mapungubwe where three countries meet, to Kubu Island and the Baines baobabs on the pans of Botswana, places you can only reach in the dry season.

He goes in winter, when the leaves have fallen and each tree shows its true character, and he works at the edges of the day: against the rising sun, in the last colour of the evening, and long after sunset, when he paints the trunks with light.

The Works

  1. A baobab in silhouette beside warm sandstone at sunrise in MapungubweAfrican SunriseMapungubwe, South Africa
  2. Baobabs among the rocks of Kubu Island in cool evening lightKubu IslandMakgadikgadi pans, Botswana
  3. A dirt road winding through green bush to the baobabs of Venda under a deep blue skyBaobab RoadNwanedi, Venda, South Africa
  4. A cluster of bare baobabs on a hillside in Venda after sunsetBaobabs at DuskNwanedi, Venda, South Africa
  5. A great baobab facing the sun in Venda, a small baobab on the horizonBaobab in the SunNwanedi, Venda, South Africa
  6. Two baobabs painted with light after sunset, the near trunk almost goldenBaobab DuoNorthern South Africa
  7. Sunrise over the curling crust of Nxai Pan with the Baines baobabs behindSunriseNxai Pan, Botswana
  8. The Baines baobabs in silhouette above dry grass lit from behindBaines' Baobabs | MorningNxai Pan, Botswana
  9. The Baines baobabs at dusk, tall yellow grass and pink and magenta in the skyBaines' Baobabs | EveningNxai Pan, Botswana
A baobab in silhouette beside warm sandstone at sunrise in Mapungubwe
No. 342

African Sunrise

Mapungubwe, South Africa

Koos spent close to two months in Mapungubwe, where the Shashe meets the Limpopo and three countries come together, photographing it for the Peace Parks Foundation before it opened to the public. A baobab beside sandstone is the scene that says Mapungubwe. Facing into the early light, he let the tree fall into silhouette while the rock kept its warm colour, and he chose the picture for the front cover of his book Moments of Grace.

A very strong, typical African image, one that depicts Africa.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
Baobabs among the rocks of Kubu Island in cool evening light
No. 02

Kubu Island

Makgadikgadi pans, Botswana

One of Koos's first panoramas, made soon after he bought the camera, on a group trip to the Makgadikgadi pans. While the others settled in among the rocks, he walked out to the baobabs. The exposure ran for two minutes in the evening, and a little falcon sat perfectly still in the branches. There was no warm light, only a cool, quiet sky.

The cold atmosphere also adds to the picture.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
A dirt road winding through green bush to the baobabs of Venda under a deep blue sky
No. 130

Baobab Road

Nwanedi, Venda, South Africa

North of the Soutpansberg the land turns dry and truly African, with shepherd trees, mopani and mountains behind. Koos hardly ever includes a road, but here he did, standing on the roof of his vehicle for a bird's eye view and letting the sides of the frame fall darker, so the eye travels down the track to the trees.

Just a very friendly African landscape.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
A cluster of bare baobabs on a hillside in Venda after sunset
No. 175

Baobabs at Dusk

Nwanedi, Venda, South Africa

Just around the corner from Baobab Road, Koos waited for the evening. The exposure would run for minutes, so he lifted his vehicle onto high lift jacks to keep the roof he stood on perfectly still. Bare branches against the last of the light.

It is a very beautiful, really African setting.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
A great baobab facing the sun in Venda, a small baobab on the horizon
No. 203

Baobab in the Sun

Nwanedi, Venda, South Africa

The far north of South Africa is known for its huge old baobabs. Koos worked out the day before exactly where the sun should sit to balance the trees, then came back and set eight reflector boards around this giant to send the light back onto its trunk.

In winter I went back to this park again and again to photograph these beautiful, big, ancient trees.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
Two baobabs painted with light after sunset, the near trunk almost golden
No. 820

Baobab Duo

Northern South Africa

On a private reserve close to Botswana, the daylight was too harsh and full of shadows, so Koos waited until long after sunset. Dressed in black, invisible to the film, he walked into the picture and painted both trees with light, working from a low angle to show the size of the near trunk and its reaching roots.

The long exposure gives you ample opportunity to paint with light, as I did here.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
Sunrise over the curling crust of Nxai Pan with the Baines baobabs behind
No. 872

Sunrise

Nxai Pan, Botswana

The Baines baobabs are named after the pioneer Thomas Baines. Koos spent several days with them, near and far, at sunrise and in the evening. Here the rising sun sits in the corner and the dry pan, its crust curling up almost like leaves, leads back to the trees.

Botswana is one of the last truly wild countries, where man and beast still live together.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
The Baines baobabs in silhouette above dry grass lit from behind
No. 873

Baines' Baobabs | Morning

Nxai Pan, Botswana

Close to the trees it felt chaotic, so Koos stepped back and went lower, making the dry grass the subject, lit from behind while the trees stand in silhouette. He calls it his art version, with the sky a little darker and some of the colour taken out.

A very beautiful area to visit, remote and serene, with elephants and other wild animals passing through.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980
The Baines baobabs at dusk, tall yellow grass and pink and magenta in the sky
No. 875

Baines' Baobabs | Evening

Nxai Pan, Botswana

After the morning picture Koos left the camera standing and came back for the evening. The tall grass glowed yellow against the pans, the clouds drifted during the long exposure, and pink and magenta lingered in the sky.

The grass was especially beautiful to me, being so tall and yellow.— Koos van der Lende
Sizes and prices
Limited edition of 25, signed and numbered, from $980

Koos van der Lende

For close to two decades Koos van der Lende has travelled Southern Africa with a panoramic film camera, planning each picture days ahead, where the sun will fall, at what time, at what angle. He still works on traditional slide film, which is processed and scanned to make prints of rare quality.

His archive runs from the Namib to the Indian Ocean. The Baobab Collection is drawn from it for this site, alongside the Classic Collection, Sacred Forests, Evidence of Mankind, the Water Pear Tree Collection, Solitary Survivor and the Latest Release.

Moments of Grace, the linen covered panoramic book by Koos van der Lende
The book

Moments of Grace, eighteen years of his panoramas from Angola to the Seychelles, a linen cloth covered, hand assembled book in a handmade leather pouch, opening to a full metre wide.

See the book
See all of Koos's prints