Cape Storms



Canon EOS 7D
f18
1 Sec. exposure.
ISO 100
EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM @ 35mm

So it is now the 1^st of July and the 1^st day of the second half of the year! Time seems to be flying by. It feels as if it were just yesterday that I started writing this blog. To sit back and think that I am still here writing six months later is a pleasing thought and fills me with sense of dedication which I tend to lack with most things. My photography has certainly benefitted from it. The feeling of time passing quickly sometimes causes me to take note how little time we actually have in life and how important it is not to waste it.

I’ve been Knysna for a while now and although the temperatures that the area gets are similar to those of Cape Town, it certainly feels much colder here. The sun sets 20 minutes earlier here also making the days feel incredibly short with the darkness settling in around 6pm.

The weather has played a big part in dictating my activities. Mostly I have been house bound due to the rain that sporadically comes down in heavy waves from the overcast skies. The weather reports this time of the year are sketchy at best and do not prove particularly useful when planning outings for walks on the beach or into the forest. The days they show as being sunny and calm with clear skies turn out to be cloudy with icy cold winds and the occasional downpour.

During a break in the bad weather the other day and with nothing to do I decided on taking a drive and just seeing where I ended up. I thought that I would try and get some photographs of the Goukamma River mouth with the sun setting behind it. This involved driving about 30 kilometres out of town through fairly hilly, borderline mountainous terrain. As I got closer to the sea I could see that the weather was slowly beginning to worsen. I made it onto the beach just as the sun was setting behind a bank of dark storm clouds. As I shot pictures of the river, focusing on a piece of driftwood that had become lodged in the sand, the wind began whipping up spray from the waves and the rain started to fall; gently at first, until quickly becoming a torrential downpour. I walked slowly back to the car, happy to be on the beach during the storm.

Although the sky was grey and it was freezing, I was happy to be there to experience the sheer beauty of a scene that will remain in my thoughts and make me smile when I’m somewhere slightly duller than this. It is times like these that I come to just realise how precious even a few moments can be. This is time that I have not wasted.

P.S.

Thanks for reading.

Rugby in the Rain

Canon EOS 7D
f4
1/640th sec.
ISO 320
EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM @ 105mm

The problem with blogging is that you always need something to write about. For me, I also feel as if I need a good picture to go along with my subject! So when I’m busy with college work and I have little free time, I find myself unable to find things to write about that I feel are interesting and make for a good story! So here I sit this evening and I realise that I haven’t posted in over twenty days, which makes me feel quite upset. It is as though in this amount of time, I feel that I haven’t done anything that I consider to be ‘interesting’.. The truth is actually far from it. I have done plenty of things that are interesting; they just aren’t things that are different.

I think that everyone in South Africa has noticed that winter is truly here. To me, the onset seemed somewhat delayed. I spent the month of May continually waiting for it to get cold and for the rainy weather to set in, but it just didn’t seem to come. I obviously hadn’t taken into account the fact that I had moved from Claremont to Gardens! I was really surprised to find that it was completely overcast and raining on some of the occasions that I was that side of the mountain in comparison to the clear sunny skies in town! I knew that the mountain had an effect on the local weather conditions just not that it was so drastic.

A few weeks ago I was asked to take some pictures of the rugby games that were taking place at SACS High School, situated in Newlands, between their competitors from Stellenbosch, Paul Ross. When I left it was very cloudy but the sun was managing to break through the clouds on the odd occasion. When I arrived in Newlands, the rain was hammering down. Sceptical that I was going to manage to get the pictures I was hoping for, I went out anyway under the cover of a poncho which was beginning to break apart in a big way. During the next couple of hours I managed to get thoroughly soaked to the bone but did come away with some shots that I was happy with. The heavy rain added a new creative element to the pictures I got, whereas originally I thought it might have had the opposite effect.  I spent a large part of the time trying to keep my camera as dry as possible. Fortunately, the lens I was using (24-105 L) is weather sealed which kept my mind slightly more at ease, but even still, the thought of water on expensive electronics doesn’t sit well in anybody’s mind!

One of the annoying things about photographing or filming sports and events that you find interesting is that you can’t really pay attention to what’s going on. You spend the whole time with your eye to the view finder and concentrating on capturing the moment that you actually miss the action. The irony is that, as a photographer, you are intent on capturing an image for someone else, but, in this case, you don’t really get to see it for yourself. … I guess in a sense its all worth it if you succeed in capturing that rare moment. Especially if it’s paid work!

I’m going to Knysna in a few days time for a week or so, just a little holiday. Hopefully I will find some cool things to do that I can tell you all about! If I’m lucky I may be able to manage to capture a little more of South Africa’s unique beauty.

I have now had over 1000 page views! Thank you for your interest. If anybody has any ideas or suggestions on how i can improve this page or any suggestions about things for me to write about, please feel free to comment. Your thoughts are much appreciated! Thanks again.

P.S.

Check in soon!

Canon EOS 7D
f4
1/160th sec.
ISO 320
EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM @ 105mm

Fleeting Glimpse

Canon EOS 7D
f4
1/6th Sec.
ISO 640
EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM @ 24mm

For the last few days I have been hearing speculation about the end of the world, which is supposed to happen today… but it hasn’t yet. Apparently, but don’t quote me on this, it has been 7000 years since the great flood which changed life on Earth. This is the same flood which prompted Noah to build an ark and save a pair of all the animals in the world. Apart from unicorns, according to The Irish Rovers they were messing around and got left behind.

Personally I hope it doesn’t end today. There are too many things I still have to do. Going out for dinner tonight with my girlfriend to one of my favourite restaurants would be one of them, winning a noble prize, having one of my photographs on the front cover of National Geographic magazine, they would be others. But even still, I’m having too much fun just being alive and living for today.

So the provincial elections are over and the DA have retained their position as municipal rulers of Cape Town. It wasn’t a particularly tough race by the sounds of it. Lets just hope the good job they have been doing doesn’t stop. I didn’t vote as I am not a South African citizen but a lot of people I know did. It is nice to see a lot of young people were voting. After all, they are the future of the country.

I was driving over

Da Vaal Drive

with Joss last night on the way to Rondebosch when I glanced over my shoulder to look back at the city. I was amazed by the sheer beauty of what I was seeing and made Joss do a quick U-turn in order to find somewhere to stop so that I could take a couple of pictures. Luckily I did have my camera with me (it usually is with me) but I had left my tripod at home not really. I wasn’t sure that I was going to get a useable shot as I was shooting handheld in very low light. When I quickly glanced at the screen I was awed by the colours I was getting of the sky but feared that they might be a little blurry. To my surprise, when I got home and looked at the pictures on my computer, only a few were blurry. The majority of the photos had come out very sharp even though I was only shooting at shutter speeds of between 1/5^th and 1/20^th of a second. Although there is motion blur, which I what I wanted to achieve, the backgrounds are sharp and crisp. I don’t think I would have managed without the amazing image stabilizer on the lens that I am using. Very, very happy with it.

One nice thing about the shorter, cloudier winter days is that you get to drive home to the sight of a beautiful sunset. Its amazing there aren’t more accidents caused by people marvelling at the view! If the end of the world looks anything like the end of Africa then hey, bring it on.

P.S.

Will be back…

Canon EOS 7D
f4
1/80th sec.
ISO 320
EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM @ 105mm

I went to butterfly world with Joss this morning. Really awesome place. This little guy was the size of my hand!!

Coal and Trains

Canon EOS 7D
f4
1/13th Sec.
ISO 160
EF 24-105 f4 L IS USM @ 24mm

The second term at AFDA began two weeks ago which explains and in my case, justifies my absence. The work has begun to build up resulting in many late nights in front of my computer, toiling away at essays in which most of the time I’m not entirely sure what I am actually writing about. It’s a horrible feeling knowing that you have explained what you have to in 5 lines but you need at least another 50 to adhere to the 5+ page criteria.

I went away last weekend to shoot the South African National Rally Championships with some friends of mine in conjunction with Rapid Motion productions. The rally was held in Witbank, a small town an hour and a half outside of Johannesburg which I’m guessing came into existence due to the large coal deposits in the area. I don’t think I’ve been somewhere quite as polluted as Witbank. There are signs along the roads in the valleys warning that your visibility may be impaired by smog!! I thought this was a little funny until I experienced it first hand.

The hotel we were staying in was quite a joke. I was sharing a room with a friend of mine, Sean. There was no hot water for the first two days that we were there but after continual moaning to the managers we were finally moved to another room on the other side of the hotel. Thinking that we had finally secured a room with hot water we were pretty happy with ourselves… this didn’t last long. Our new room had a broken toilet seat and a broken shower head. It was a ‘rain shower’ style head, but most of the raining it did ended up on the bathroom floor with the water then proceeding to flood out onto the carpet after it had covered the entirety of the floor in the bathroom. There were also pictures of mate antelope in our room. A very weird place indeed.

Filming for the two days was also a different sort of experience mainly due to the dust. The course took place over 11 stages and some of these stages wound their way through very sandy terrain. When I saw the first car barrelling down on me at over 120 kph, it was the car that caught my attention but rather the 20 foot high dust cloud that was being carried behind it. When it hit I literally could not see my hand in front of my face. This made filming pretty challenging as I had to keep cleaning my camera as well as trying to find different and interesting angles to shoot from. The rally went off with out a hitch apart from a small hitch which involved one of the spectators being hit by a car and very badly injured.

It was nice to get back to Cape Town after the three days in the north. I can’t begin to describe how appreciative I am about being able to live in a city where there is no smog continually hanging in the air. It only took three days in Witbank to remind me how much living by the sea means to me.

A week ago I went down to Simons Town with my sister and a friend, Bjorn, to take pictures of a steam train that operates on occasion on the line that runs from Cape Town to Simons Town. She had recently shot her 3^rd year experimental film on the train and needed to get a few shots of the train running along the line. We waited at Glen Cairn for nearly an hour for the train to come by. It was quite a sight when it finally appeared around the corner in a dramatic scene of billowing smoke and the sound of screeching metal. It flew past us along its coastal route on its way to Simons Town station where we caught up with it half an hour later.

I managed to get some interesting pictures of the inside train as it sat in the station waiting for its return trip to Cape Town. I think for me, trains are one of those fascinations I had as a child, so it was quite a nice to feel slightly like I did when I was very young and to see that there is still some of the child I once was left inside me.

Back when I’m free!

P.S.

Canon EOS 7D
f4
1/640th Sec.
ISO 160
EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM @ 105mm

When i have managed to get some free time I have been going for short walks along the Sea Point promenade. Other than the much needed exercise it has been a good chance to test out and get to grips with my new lens. I have recently bought a 24-105 F4 L lens and am very happy with the results I have been getting from it. In this picture, a young girl stares down from the window of a small train in a childrens park.

Cold mornings and panoramics

Canon EOS 7D

f29

2 second exposure

ISO 160

EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 32mm

I’ve been in Knysna for the last couple of days and it is definitely feels as though winter has kicked in and is here to stay. The days are getting shorter and there is a biting cold during the nights. Since I have been here I have heard stories from people back in Cape Town of the freezing weather and snow on the mountains in the outlaying areas just inland of Cape Town.

I arrived four days ago, it has rained almost continuously. I found last winter to be quite mild in comparison to the Cape winters I have experienced in the previous years. Weeks went by without rain and although there was a chill in the air, the skies were blue and the sun was shining. Although on occasion, a large front would roll in over Table Bay and drench the streets of Cape Town for a few days. They never stuck around for long and after washing clean the streets of debris left by city goers, the sunny weather would quickly return. Everyone seemed to agree on the idea that a warmer winter was not such a bad thing at all. I don’t think we will have the same luck this year; it’s going to be a cold one, big-time.

One of the nice things about winter is that you don’t have to be awake at half past 4 or 5 in the morning to catch the sunrise. I woke up at ten past six and drove to the beach yesterday morning to try to get some long exposure shots of the water in the morning light and when I arrived there at 20 to seven, the sun hadn’t even begun to rise yet. Walking across the small car park with no shoes on reminded me of how cold it actually was and made me thankful that I had worn 3 jackets. The cold sharp stones of the loosely tarred floor bit into my feet making them sting until they became too numb to feel. The sand was freezing from the cold water and the previous night’s rain but the refreshing smell of the sea air and the sheer beauty of the beach I was standing on made it all worth it.

I got a few shots before it got too light and hurried back to the car for the comfort of the heater. My jeans were soaked from kneeling on the wet sand and I still couldn’t feel my feet. I didn’t get the fantastic pictures that I had been hoping for with pink and orange skies and huge thundering waves, but I did enjoy myself; and at the end of the day I suppose that is what photography is all about.

I thought I would put this other picture up... It’s another of my Photoshop attempts in which I have blended 3 pictures I took on top of lions head into one. Thought it looked quite nice. Nearly died climbing down in the dark though with only one small torch between 3 people. Haha.

P.S.

Looking forward to winter! And getting a new lens tomorrow!!!



Canon EOS 7D, 3 Photographs

f7.1

0.8 sec.

ISO 160

EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 18mm

Spider in the Garden

Canon EOS 7D

f5.6

1/1600 sec.

ISO 160

EFS 18-135mm 3.5-5.6 IS @ 135mm

When I started writing this blog I didn’t actually think anyone was ever going to see it, let alone read it. However, just 3 months down the line I’ve had just fewer than 580 page views from countries around the world. This may not be a massive number but it’s made me pretty stoked about it! It is quite a rewarding feeling to see that people are looking at the pictures I take and reading about my experiences and opinions on things. I think that for me this blog has just become something of a hobby. I really enjoy posting on it when I get the chance, although I must admit that lately I have been a little lazy and also really busy. It’s hard to find the time to get out and about and find interesting things to photograph that I can also write about. After about 10 days of not posting I get really angry with myself as I always say that I’m going to do more and rush out with my camera on the look out for something cool. I must say that it can be really irritating!!

So last Wednesday I went off to Kirstenbosch Gardens with Joss for a walk and a change of scenery. Cape Town really is amazing for that. The hustle and bustle of the city can easily be left behind with a twenty minute car journey out towards Kommetjie, Hout Bay, or any other direction in fact. It’s something that I love. Kirstenbosch is a closer option but a great one none the less.

Although it is a little pricey to get in, it really is a beautiful place. Once entering you are greeted by lush gardens and sprawling lawns which stretch out across the park. A maze of pathways guides you through different areas of flora and in some cases fauna. We came across a mass of spider webs all stitched together in one shady corner under some trees. In the middle of each web hung what are called Golden Orb Spiders. Joss naturally felt uncomfortable as girls seem to do when faced with huge crawling insects. Female Golden Orb Spiders can grow 15 to 30 cms apparently… pretty big for a spider. Whilst Joss took cover I got closer to try and get some good shots of them hanging around; continuously waiting for insects to fly into their webs of death. The sign said that although they were big, their venom does not have any effect on humans and if you do get bitten it’s more of a scratch than a bite.

I didn’t get bitten so I can’t vouch for the sign declaring them to be non-lethal spiders. They certainly looked dangerous. There wasn’t much light in the bushes so I ended up using the sky as a background and opening up as much as possible to create a nice shallow depth of field. It kind of worked but has finally proved to me that I need to invest in faster lenses!

This spider was about the size of my hand. If you look closely, or enlarge the photograph by clicking on it, you can see flies and other insects trapped in the web. The spider scatters their bodies, wrapped in its silk around the web to make it visible to birds so that they do not fly through it. Very interesting.

Anyways I have a few ideas in my head for future posts which I think will be fun to write about, just have to get out there and get the pictures now.

Until then!

P.S.

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Life changes

Canon EOS 7D

f5.6

1/1600 sec.

ISO 320

Sigma AF 150-500mm f5-6.3 APO DG OS @ 200mm

Well it’s been a seriously busy couple of weeks for me and things have finally calmed down. I had my first 5 minute film to shoot at AFDA which went pretty well. We shot for over 20 hours which was pretty intense but a good test of endurance. I was quite happy with what I shot and hopefully things can only get better from here on upwards!! I also did an edit which went okay but caused me to spend some very long days sitting in front of a computer, an activity I’m not particularly fond of.

Other than that I was part of a team shooting a wakeboarding expose revealing the river lifestyle and showcasing some of South Africa’s most talented riders. There have not been any high quality videos from South Africa about wakeboarding so this is what we were tasked to do.

We were shooting on the Misverstand River which is about 120 kms from Cape Town on the N7. By the time I arrived with a friend of mine it was already night time and pitch black out in the country side. Navigation isn’t the easiest task in the dark when you are driving along dirt tracks not knowing which on earth you are and only being able to see what is visible in your headlights. My tiny car managed to overcome the bumpy tracks and needless to say we eventually made it to the house in which we would be staying and unloaded all our stuff. We had apparently passed part of the river on our way but I didn’t see a thing… driving the same road in the daytime I saw that it was right next to the road at some points!

We were two of the first to arrive and whilst we chilled by the fire people started to slowly turn up. Meeting everyone was really cool and everyone was super friendly and amped to be there which is always a good vibe in the beginning of a shoot. After a good chat and some food we all went to grab some sleep. Every morning would be an early start as we wanted to be on the water filming during sunrise and whilst the sun was still quite low in the sky.

The mornings on the river were pretty cold and flying along at 60 kmph in a boat didn’t help. For the first day and morning of the second day we filmed from the shore capturing some awesome footage from a lot of different angles. One of the main factors of the video was footage from the RED shot at 120 frames per second so turning 1 second into 5. We shot in the mornings and in the later parts of the afternoon until the sun went down.

Watching the guys out there riding and pushing each other to improve was really cool to see. The enthusiasm to create this video was awesome and was clearly shown by the level of riding and the drive the riders had to land seriously difficult tricks.

The nights were spent chilling and laughing as people recalled funny stories and chatted about the days events. We also reviewed some of the footage that had been shot on the day and everyone was pretty stoked with what was going to create an awesome final product. Look out for it - Tropical Roast!!

I left a day before the end of the shoot because I had to get back to Cape Town to do some more editing but was pretty bleak to have to go. I had such an awesome time over the couple of days and will hang on to it for a while to come. Really was amazing and was super stoked to meet everyone who was there!! Cant wait to see the final cut!!

The shot above is one I took on the last day that I was on the river. I got a chance to take some pictures and was lent a longer telephoto lens by one of the photographers there which allowed for some awesome pics. I filled a 16 gig card in less than an hour! I was only shooting from one angle and whilst on a boat moving pretty quickly so it was quite a challenge especially with such a big lens. In this shot Nick lays down a solid grab with a smoke canister taped to the tip of his board.

The holidays have begun and I have little to do now which is a really blessing as it gives me time to focus on myself and do the things that I enjoy the most. As winter draws steadily nearer I look forward to the change of season and what it may bring. I’m usually bleak when I think about winter but for some reason this year I am looking forward to it and the changes that it will bring. In terms of photography the seasons are extremely interesting to capture and allow for different feelings to be captured in places that they normally wouldn’t be. It is the feeling the photograph creates that is the most important thing about it. I say all this now but in a month’s time when the rain is pouring I will probably feel very differently! Haha.

Anyways I have a couple of cool things lined up… Will share them soon!!

P.S.

Posting more often from now!

Sea Point Stroll

Canon EOS 7D
f7.1
1/200th sec.
ISO 400
EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 30mm

So every now and again, what I can only describe as a serious lack of creativity turns around and kicks you really hard. Coupled with the fact that I have been suffering from a strange bout of migraines and a serious college workload, I seem to have lost my artistic vision and drive to take photographs. Fearing that it may have been a permanent thing was actually pretty stressful. However, as the headaches subsided and the college work eased up I have been finding myself with a little more free time on my hands which has been a nice opportunity for me to get back out and start taking pictures again without the nagging in the back of my mind that I should be at home completing assignments.

I took a walk along the promenade in Sea Point the other night and was amazed to see how busy it was. There were so many people running, walking, throwing balls for dogs, pushing babies around whilst at the same time a huge swell repeatedly hammered at the sea wall. All this comotion was highlighted against a beautiful backdrop of orange, pinks and blues thrown out by the setting sun. I must admit that it is a really nice way to wind down after a hard day at work.

When you live in Cape Town you begin to take the beautiful scenery for granted after a while, forgetting how lucky you are to live in one of the more beautiful cities in the world. I have travelled pretty extensively and can say that there aren’t too many places in the world quite like it. I mean COME ON!!! It is seriously beautiful here!! How can I live here and feel so uncreative? I would hate to feel how bad it would be if I was in a flat, inland concrete jungle rather than surrounded by majestic mountains and two oceans. But like I said, it’s easy to become complacent. So when I get out and start to walk, climb a mountain or take a drive down the coast, at some point I am guaranteed to get that shaky excited feeling when I look out and find myself surrounded by this beautiful city and landscape. It is all I need to to regain that creative drive within me.

I took this shot as two young women walked past me on the promenade. Silhouetted against the colourful sky I felt this described the perfect evening. Why would you want to walk anywhere else?

P.S.
Hoping to get out more!

Music and Polo

Canon EOS 7D

f7.1

1/800th sec.

ISO 200

EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 135mm

Over the weekend I attended the MK awards with Joss. The event showcases the top South African artists in the music industry. Basically, the MK awards are the local version of the MTV awards. Unfortunately for me the majority of the talk was all in Afrikaans. I don’t speak any Afrikaans at all but luckily Joss managed to translate most of what was going on to me. It was an interesting evening and it was nice to see some of the more unknown local artists winning awards as well as the more popular ones.

My younger sister was in Cape Town over the weekend with her school on a water polo tour of the Cape. She is 14 and goes to Oakhill in Knysna. Oakhill is pretty small by anyone’s standards, having only about 250 students in total. I completed my last two years of schooling there but was pretty shocked upon arrival when I found out that there were only 25 or so people in my year in comparison to the 150+ in my previous school!

I managed to go and watch a few of the games they played against Herzlia, a school in Oranjezicht, very close to where I live. However, the games started at 8 in the morning on a Sunday! I’m not really one to sleep in late but I don’t particularly enjoy waking up at 7 on a Sunday. Haha, anyways I arrived on time with Joss and my other sister Kiera, who is 21. The games lasted the good part of the morning and by the end we were all cheering them on and shouting at the refs’ stupidity! All in all it was a lot of fun and a pretty interesting morning. I managed to get a couple of shots of one of the 1^st team boys’ games. So I will leave you with one of those.

I also thought I would add on this picture of a cheetah from the Tenikwa cat sanctuary. Its one of my favourites so I thought I would post it for you all to see.

Hopefully I can find a few more interesting things to do!!

Until then! P.S.

Nikon D40x

f7.1

1/200th sec.

ISO 200

Nikon AF 70-210mm f3.5-5.6 @ 210mm

Ultimate X

Canon EOS 7D

f5

1/1250th sec. (high speed continuous)

ISO 200

EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 18mm

I’ve had a pretty event filled weekend! I went to see U2 on Friday night with my family which was by far the most awesome concert I have ever been to!! It was a performance like no other and an event that was no doubt enjoyed by everyone who attended. The people that I have spoken to about it are still in awe of the incredible performance which lasted over 2 hours! I have been to a lot of concerts and this one was by far the best. I am still trying to relive it over and over in my head. The amazing sound as well as the lighting and the way everything fitted together was fantastic. The amount of time and coordination, not to mention the cost, to create such an event must be staggering. I just hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get my camera in which was a shame as it would have made for a fantastic photo opportunity. I did manage to get a few pics on my phone and I will try to upload some decent ones in the next few days.

I did however manage to get my camera into the Ultimate X, an extreme sports bonanza which was held close to the waterfront on Saturday the 19^th, the day after U2. The Ultimate X showcased the talent of many of the best South African riders in freestyle motocross, skateboarding, BMX, Dirt BMX as well as wakeboarding.

I unfortunately arrived slightly late… My family were in town for the weekend and I went to the Biscuit Mill with them in the morning before heading there with Joss and my younger brother. We had missed the motocross which was a shame but managed to watch a lot of the dirt BMX and skateboarding. It was such a hot day and the crowds were not big as I had expected them to be, which was nice as it meant we could get right to the front (great for pictures, of which I took a lot!). After an hour we made our way onto the bridge which was right over the kicker/ramp the wake boarders were using to get some seriously decent air. Pulled by jet skis in one of the canals that surround the waterfront area, the riders would take turns to hit the kicker or slider that had been made for the occasion. We witnessed a few heavy wipe outs as well as a few awesome tricks.

I was shooting on high speed continuous (8 frames per second on the 7D) and managed to get some really amazing sequences which I stitched together on Photoshop. I’m really not great with Photoshop and don’t use it often enough to figure out how most of the features work so this exercise proved to be pretty difficult in the beginning but after a while and a few attempts it managed to work out.

It has been a long, exciting weekend. Hopefully there are many more to come!

Enjoy your week. P.S.

Sunset after the chains

Canon EOS 7D
f4.5
1/2000th sec.
ISO 100
EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 40mm

A few evenings ago I climbed Lions Head with Joss and a few friends on a spur of the moment idea, stimulated by a slight hint of boredom. It had been a hot day with little wind to cool things down. The South Easterly wind that blows throughout the summer had eased off and hadn’t come hurtling across False Bay before pouring over Table Mountain creating what is known to local Capetonian’s as the boiling tea pot, or table cloth (I’m actually not too sure as to what it is referred to as). It created a long week of stagnant, hot air which sat in the city bowl making life in the day just a little bit uncomfortable.

As the evening approached, a light breeze picked up providing a welcome break from the heat. It dropped the temperature just enough to make the walking around, or in our case climbing a mountain, just bearable.

So after buying some snacks we headed to the start of the route up at the bottom of signal hill. We started to climb at about half past 6, giving us just over an hour to reach the top before sunset. I had heard that it was a beautiful walk but the views I was greeted with were far more beautiful than I had expected. In terms of the walk I found it to be quite relaxing in comparison to the reviews I had read which labelled it as being ‘strenuous’, the evil word that so many tend to avoid when hearing it. Climbing up the ladders and chains along the rocky walls closer to the top added for something you don’t generally find or have to overcome on a walk. There were couples with young babies making there way up and down as climbed. I noticed one man who had a child on his back and one on his front, both carried in those baby back pack things. I started to feel glad that I all I had was a camera, tripod and food in my bag!

After about an hour we reached the top, just in time for the sunset, which by now was shooting different shades of pinks, oranges and reds across the sky in a beautiful display of light and colour. We sat down to eat and watch the sun disappear from sight on its round the world trip, maybe providing the people in Australia with a beautiful sunrise as we watched it set. I fired off a few shots with my camera and managed to get this nice silhouette of Joss as she watched the play of colour in the sky.

After the light faded we began to make our way back down. All I can say about this one is that if you do decide to go down after dark, don’t forget to take a torch!

See you soon P.S.

Saturday Shopping

Canon EOS 7D

f6.3

1/100th sec.

ISO 320

EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS @ 18mm

This morning I woke up relatively early for a Saturday, as I was going to see a flat with Joss, my girlfriend. It was in Woodstock and after we had viewed it, which took all of three minutes, we decided to go to the Old Biscuit Mill. I don't often go on a Saturday morning but when I do I thoroughly enjoy it.

Upon arriving we were greeted by the same usual dilemma.. where are we going to park!? It took the good part of 20 minutes just trying to find somewhere relatively close by to park the car. After discovering a small, improvised car park a block away, which cost 10 rand, we parked and made our way along the bustling streets of Woodstock to the market.

I had already had breakfast but the sight of hundreds of people gorging themselves on things that smelled so delicious was to much to bear and we headed for the food stalls after popping into a photography gallery/shop which sells Diana 35mm film cameras as well as a few others. The amount of people that cram themselves in between the endless isles of stalls, selling the most awesome food, is unreal. You almost have to go with the flow rather than try to fight your way through crowds. We stopped at a few stores and talked to the makers/sellers of the wonderful food and sampled various things. I tried amazing chillies and other condiments which i had to drag myself away from buying; otherwise I would have bought everything.

We stopped at a stall selling very nice looking sushi and bought a few pieces to eat. I always think that if sushi looks better, it'll taste better. This is the case sometimes but luckily this time it was. However, the problem we encountered was trying to find somewhere to sit and eat! Every table was packed full of people so after much searching we decided to just stand and eat, not such an easy task with sushi. I managed to knock the little bowl of soy sauce that we had been given out of Joss' hands, which went absolutely everywhere when it hit the floor, including the trousers of all the people standing close to us. Feeling guilty i pulled Joss away and made a quick getaway! Sorry whoever you are. I hope it comes out.

We bumped into a lot of people we knew around the market and chatted to people we had never met before and will probably never meet again. The friendly, jovial atmosphere of the place is something that I haven't experienced in too many other places and it is unfortunate that there are not more of these social gatherings going on. Watching people chat so happily to one another fills me with a sense well being and joy, making me enjoy the environment even more.

Whilst standing out of the way at the end of a line of stalls, I captured this moment between a lady selling beautiful cakes and her customer. She was telling her an amusing story about something or another, (I couldn't really hear for the hustle and bustle) and both of them kept laughing on and off for a good while. Having clearly just met, brought together by a love for great food, it was as if they had know each other for years. For me this picture captured what the market is all about.

Canon EOS 7D

f5

1/100th sec.

ISO 250

EFS 18-135 f3.5-5.6 IS @ 44mm

The variety and quality of the food is absolutely amazing. I wish the market happened everyday so that I could do all my food shopping there. There are amazing breads, cakes, meats, fish, vegetables, herbs and spices, the list goes on forever. There is simply so much on offer as well as a huge variety of drinks, homemade as well as mass produced ones. Before leaving I had a bacon butty from a stall named Dasdog. It was amazing! Sour dough beard from Knead, with lots of streaky bacon on a bed of rocket, finished off with a few balsamic onions and a little tomato sauce. Absolutely fantastic is all i can say. Joss had a rooibos iced tea from the same place which she also claimed to be amazing. I don't like tea so i cant give you my verdict but you should take her word for it.

Two other things he caught my eye were the crayfish (pictured above) and a steak sandwich made with beef fillet. The sandwich looked unbelievable and is definitely something that I am going to be having the next time i go. I love shellfish, especially crayfish and lobster! I was so tempted to order some crayfish which smelt great and looked even better but i decided to leave it for another time. At least it gives me a reason to go back! They did however make for a nice photo. We finally left but not before buying a nice small jar of fresh, hot chillies for me to enjoy with whatever they will go nicely with; which is everything!!

If you haven't been to the Old Biscuit Mill on a Saturday morning, I really suggest you do. Go and wander the isles of food. Look, talk, laugh; but most of all EAT!

Enjoy your weekend, P.S.

Slick Concrete

Canon EOS 7D

f4.5
1/125th sec. with built in flash.
ISO 400
EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 @ 38mm

I got a call yesterday from a friend who invited me to come and skate with him and a couple of mates in a multi story car park in town. It sounded cool so I took him up on his offer and headed over there at about half-past nine in the evening. We had to go there after the offices and most people that were out for dinner had all gone home so there were less people to complain to the security. We were obviously not supposed to be skating there.

I used to skate when I was younger and had been pretty good until I got over being injured all the time, swapping it for kite boarding. I had never done long boarding though…

It had always kind of interested me. When someone shoots past you going super fast downhill with a look of extreme concentration, which turns into a broad smile, as they reach the bottom of the hill, you can’t help but think how awesome it must feel and the adrenaline rush it provides. I’m an adrenaline junkie and I love anything that gets my pulse racing.

Arriving at the undisclosed location, I paid my way into the car park and proceeded up to the top level where I was told to go. Driving up the inclined ramps all the way to the top I began to get super excited. I got to the top level to find Justin buzzing about his last run down to the bottom. The others hadn’t pitched, so we had the whole car park to ourselves. Using his sector 9, we started taking turns to ride down the levels of the car park (which was downhill all the way) to the bottom and then catch the lift back to the top. All I can say is that I have found the coolest thing to do at night in Cape Town and it only costs as much as the entry into the car park, which was cheap.

Cruising down the slopes and picking up speed, you slide into the corners hoping that you can stick the turn. The floors are really smooth concrete and you seem to glide along them. By the end of the night we were carving between the concrete pillars, grabbing the board with one hand and leaning right out so as not to fall inwards on those really tight corners, all the time trying desperately not to slam face first into a wall, or worse, someone’s Porsche 911 that was parked at the bottom!

Justin had found something special. The perfect spot. Free of crowds and onlookers, just an empty car park with slick concrete floors and a lift to save you from the walk back up. Helping us to ride again and again.

I didn’t take to many pictures whilst I was there as I was too busy riding. I did manage to get this one of Justin as he carved through the pillars with a huge smile on his face, which kind of illustrates just how much fun it was, which is the whole reason we were there in the first place.

I finally know what it feels like to ride downhill and experience that ‘YES’ moment that I have seen so much of in the past. All I can say is that it’s truly awesome. I will definitely go back.

Check back soon, P.S.

Waiting for Waves

Canon EOS 7D

f6.3

1/500th sec.

ISO 100

EFS 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 @ 135mm

I've been enjoying life closer to the CBD. Its nice trying to find new places to eat and shop, not that I've been having too much luck... I guess I'll have to look a little harder! I had to spend most of the week at my new flat as there have been people here constantly painting and fixing all the little problems that there are. Things that should have been done before i moved in!

Today was the first day I have had a lot of free time so i took the opportunity to go for a walk along the promenade in Sea Point with my girlfriend. It's a really nice casual walk along the waters edge. It was busy as it usually is on a Saturday when the weather is as nice as it was. Women with push chairs pacing along at speed seem to be in such a rush to just get the daily walk over and done with or maybe its a way of exercising with your baby. Then there are the dog walkers and the old people who sit on the benches for hours on end staring out at the horizon as if waiting for something to happen.

We came across two young boys who were watching the small waves roll in and splash against the sea wall. occasionally a larger wave would roll in and send water shooting up over the side and onto the promenade sending them running for cover, laughing and joking with each other. I snapped the shot above as they stared at the splash from a wave a little further down. After i had taken the shot and walked back a little another one hit right in front of them, completely soaking one of the boys who wasn't paying attention. A very amusing moment for every onlooker as well as the boy himself.

Until I get outside again! P.S.

A walk in the park..

Nikon D40x
f16
2.5 seconds
ISO 200
Nikon AF 18 - 55mm 3.5-5.6 @ 18mm

I've been back in Cape Town for a few days now. I'm really enjoying being back in the hustle and bustle of the city. There is always something going on. Being able to spend my time between Knysna and Cape Town is something that I am really greatful for. It is nice to be able to escape the constant noise of city life for the peace and tranquility that Knysna offers and vice versa.

I am moving flat though.. Since I arrived in Cape Town at the beginning of 2007, I have stayed in Rondebosch, Newlands and Clairmont. I'm Moving to Gardens on the other side of the mountain, closer to the CBD. I think its going to be a nice change of scenery and I'm looking forward to having to familiarise myself with that side of town. Its going to be pretty cool finding new things to do, looking for places to shop and places to hang out and just experiencing life on the other side of the mountain.. haha.

One thing that i am going to miss about being in Clairmont is being so close to the Newlands forest and that area of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). I do a lot of walking in the forest when i have free time and I'm not at college or at the beach kiteboarding or surfing. The trails starting from the Newlands Fire Base on the M3 offer anything from a gentle stroll to a full on serious hike. Following your instincts can lead you into a serious maze, never really knowing where you are going to come out. Its pretty hard to get really lost though. I most enjoy walking up to the contour path and then up through the Newlands ravine; and from there on to devils peak. Its a nice ramble for the more fit. The toughest of the climb being a part known to myself and my mate Martijn, as 'The Squiggley'. It seems to go on forever. Anyone who has been up this route probably knows what i am talking about.

A lot of streams run through the forest carving miniature gorges on their way down. During the winter month when we experience the most rainfall, a lot of large tree trunks and logs are washed down and end up towards the bottom of the mountain. This always instills these images in my mind of raging torrents of water rushing down the mountain. However... I have never seen one. Whenever I'm there, they are only ever small trickling streams, gentle making their way through the rocky riverbeds and the tree trunks. So until i eventually see a raging torrent, I have added a picture of a stream.

Hope you enjoy it. P.S.

Trust

Nikon D40x

f5.6

1/80th sec.

ISO 200

Nikon AF 70-210mm 4-5.6 @ 210mm

I haven't posted for nearly a week! I've been away in Cape Town and Johannesburg for the weekend and the last few days I have been recuperating from the lack of sleep I got throughout the trip. It was really nice to see JHB. I have lived in South Africa for six years now and I've never spent anytime there! I've been to the airport a lot but never any further than that. I love experiencing new places, it's something that drives me as a person. I want to see everything and I want to experience everything. I didn't see as much as I would have liked to.. Not necessarily a bad thing as it means that i will have to go back for a return visit :)

I took this picture a few months ago whilst visiting the Tenikwa Wildcat Sancturary. The Park is just outside of Plettenberg Bay and is worth the visit if you haven't been. I had actually forgotten that they have a leopard there so when I arrived and remembered I was quite happy about it. Such powerful, stealthy, efficient predators that attack their prey without warning and usually leave it with no chance to escape. There is something so intriguing and mysterious about them. Everyone always remarks "you can't trust a leopard". One of the only animals that cannot be tamed, an animal that can be perfectly fine with you one day and tear you to shreds the next. The only other species I can think of that shares this characteristic is the human race. Can we ever truly trust anyone or are we like the leopard?

Habitat destruction, poaching, trophy hunting and culling by farmers, all play a role in the decreasing population numbers of the African Leopard. New evidence shows that trophy hunting of large cat species is having a more detrimental effect than previously believed. Hunters always want to shoot the biggest and the strongest, the most 'fearsome' animal they can set their sights on. What this is doing in the long term is weakening the gene pool by removing the stronger blood lines. The larger cats are killed and the females mate with the smaller cats resulting in cubs that are not necessarily unfit but they aren't as strong they would have been if she had mated with a larger cat. Its natural selection with its head cut off. How anyone can shoot a leopard is beyond me and I find it disgusting to think people do it for fun. I don't even want to think about starting to share my views about trophy hunting though..

I find leopards to be one of the most beautiful of the big cats and probably the most photogenic. The fencing around the enclosure was a sort of wire mesh with large holes but not big enough to get my lens through. The leopard was lying in long grass behind some trees when we first arrived at the enclosure but got up and moved a little further away when we got closer. He seemed to ignore us completely and acted as if we weren't even there. Something caught his attention though and he raised his head through the grass. I was crouching down away from everyone else and managed to get this shot as he stared at the focus of his attention.

Phewww... more to come soon. P.S.

Cape Town at night

Nikon D40x
f9
20 sec.
ISO 200
Nikon AF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 @ 30mm

I'm off to Cape Town tomorrow! I love Cape Town. It is a city that has a little bit of everything, but enough of everything to keep everyone happy. Especially me! I have always lived by the sea. I grew up in Dubai and we pretty much lived at the beach in those days (at one point we did ACTUALLY live on the beach). After I finished high school in Knysna the obvious place for me to go to college was Cape Town. I could have gone anywhere I suppose but i wanted to be close to the sea as well as be in the bustle of the city. Where better than Cape Town?

Cape Town at night is a fantastic place. Not only is it alive and vibrant, it is also beautiful. With Table Mountain illuminated on clear summer nights it sets the perfect back drop for the city lights adding such a contrast between nature's creation and human imagination.

I took this photo one night a few months ago whilst at the V&A Waterfront. Just happened to be wondering around with nothing to do... Actually I think I was waiting to see a movie with my sister or something and I happened to have my camera along with a tripod. I was glad that I managed to avoid camera wobble with such a long shutter speed. At the time it was actually quite difficult to see Table Mountain in the background and I was really happy when I saw how well it had showed up in the photographs!

It's my girlfriend's 21st birthday on Saturday, so I'm also going to Johannesburg on Friday... I've never been before which is slightly odd seeing that i have been living in South Africa for over six years now. I haven't had a reason to go. I am really looking forward to the trip and her party. Should be a blast.

Until I return...

By the way.. please feel free to comment on my posts. This is my first blog and if anyone has any pointers, tips or suggestions on how i can improve please feel free to let me know. Would be much appreciated.. Of course all criticism is welcome :)

Thanks P.S.

Slightly Odd Looking Birds...

Canon EOS 7D
f6.3
1/500 sec.
ISO 200
EF 75-300mm 4-5.6 III @ 205mm

Since I have lived in South Africa, particularly in Knysna, I have been really interested in these slightly odd looking birds. The African Black Oystercatcher is an extremely shy, skitterish bird. They are easily spooked and most of the time very hard to approach. Feeding on the sandy flats around the lagoon, I often see them whilst out walking.

I have never been a person to go bird watching or “twitching”, as it is apparently called in some parts of the world. However, lately I have found myself taking lots of pictures of the birdlife around where I live. There is an immense variety of birdlife around Knysna that I have always taken for granted. I used to chuckle when I saw people from out of town sitting with their telescopes gazing out onto the lagoon all day long. Picnic baskets by their sides and all sorts of fancy equipment and books, I could never see what all the fuss was about or how enjoyment could possibly be had from such pastime… Needless to say I sometimes feel as if I have become one of them. Instead of the chuckle I used to have I find myself stopping to see what they have spotted hiding in the reeds.

I have found enjoyment in something as simple as watching birds going about their daily lives. Sound boring? I used to think it was; now I’m not so sure. But hey, that’s just me.

I managed to get close to this pair of Oystercatchers yesterday whilst at Coney Glen, a small beach at the foot of the Knysna Heads. I have never been able to get as close as I did in the past and managed to get off a few frames before they scattered.

The African Black Oystercatcher is endemic to the South African and Namibian coastal region. There are estimated to be only 5000 individual birds making them one of Africa’s rarest coastal birds. There seem to be plenty in Knysna though… Something else that I used to take for granted.

Thanks for reading…