The Lake District - it has won my heart.

Midweek Sunset...

No words needed...

Renewed Inspiration

So I went to the annual David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation "Wildlife Artist of the Year" exhibition at The Mall Galleries in London on the weekend.  It was pretty spectacular!  I had a great time and enjoyed the work on show.  A massive congratulations to Zimbabwean David Filer who claimed the title with his stunning graphite pencil drawing of an elephant and her calf.

As always, it was great seeing what Emily Lamb has been up to, major inspiration she is!  Young and full of new ideas bringing such a fresh take of wildlife art to the art world.

While on my trip back to South Africa, I went through some goods sitting in storage at my folks' place and I found a picture of a painting I did for school back in 1999.  After looking at all the art on show and looking at some art I've done over the years, I've decided it would be a good thing to put the camera down for a few evenings a week, step away from the computer screen and put brush to canvass again.  I love my photography, but there is something so liberating and peaceful about sitting in front of a blank canvass and painting away.

Here's the painting I did of elephants with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background.

There’s No Place Like Home… part II

As mentioned yesterday, I have a few panoramic shots of areas around the Garden route that I’ve snapped while being out with friends.  A policy I’ve tried to keep to while on my trip is to have my camera with me wherever I go.  I can’t say I’ve managed this all the time and the one time I wish I had, I was in the bank when I got a call from my brother – “boet (brother), get down to the beach, Orcas are in the bay and they’re right up near the beach hunting dolphins!” – unreal!  Something hard to watch I’m sure, but something I would find incredible to witness.  The first thought that went through my head was “get your camera!” and only then did I remember it was at home with batteries charging – SCHOOLBOY ERROR!!!  So I rushed back to get it all, but by the time I got to the beach all the  madness had ended and the Orcas were nowhere to be seen.  Sometimes I think I should just enjoy the moments with or without the camera.

Anyway!  Here’s the landscape shot of Wilderness beach at sunset. I had friends waiting at the restaurant so this was literally a stop shoot and go pic. What a spot!

There’s No Place Like Home…

Over the next few days, I’ll be posting a few panoramic shots taken in my “back yard”…  The Garden Route is one of the most beautiful places I have seen.

This is Robberg Beach taken at dusk.

A View From Above

As some of you lovely readers may know – I have finally made it back to my homeland South Africa for a bit of a visit.  After a long 2.5 years since my last return, I thought it was time to make the 11.5 hour flight to Cape Town and the 8 hour bus trip to my home town.

One thing I love about flying is the aerial views you get.  It’s a completely new and fresh perspective of the incredible planet we live on.  A photographer who’s aerial work I love is Vincent Laforet – I highly recommend you take a look at his aerial photography. When I heard my seat was a window seat I was so stoked!  Camera by my side as always, I looked forward to waking up to a sunrise and an open sky with mind-blowing views.  I’ve put a few images down below. 

The first thing I saw when I woke up and opened the blind was this breath-taking view.  An ocean of clouds and the most intense, golden light streaming from behind them.

The Namib Desert – what a sight!  At first I thought I was seeing an ocean full of huge swell, but when I took a second look I could see that it was actually a ripple of dunes over a huge desert.  The clouds combined with the rows of dunes made for a great photographic opportunity.

After the desert we headed over the ocean.  A low sun over a blue ocean gave some great colour and the clouds floating above the ocean gave a real sense of depth.

“good light”…

One thing about flying to Cape Town International is the juxtaposition of wealth and extreme poverty, of amazing natural beauty and saddening decay and waste.  I find these views a reminder of the situation so many have found themselves in without any choice and can only be left feeling challenged to remember how good my life is and the great responsibility we all carry to help the poor and needy.  A life lived selflessly is a life lived well.  The two shots below are of the Northern Suburbs and a small informal settlement located in the Modderdam area behind the airport.  Two vastly different areas not very far apart.

Spring…

I took this shot a good few years back now and I just love it.  It was taken outside my town on the way back from work.  It takes me back to Monet’s classic painting “Poppies at Argenteuil” – well, that’s the English translation at least.  Scenes like this can only inspire.  I fully understand why Monet was struck to paint this scene – nature is just amazing!!

While driving home this evening, I was just blown away by the sunset, the clouds, the shades of colour in the fields and it all became a little too much!  I was just blown away by my Creator’s creation!  What a wonderful thing nature is.

The Amazing Landscape of the Lake District

A few weeks ago I headed up to the Lake District to visit my lovely lady’s family.  I’ve never been up there even though it was probably my #1 spot to visit in the UK – 4 years on and only now have I been!  It was spectacular!  And the best part of it – other than her family being absolutely lovely – is that they love getting out and having a good ole walk!  By day 3 of my stay I felt my calves cramping up as we set out for our last walk before heading home – I laughed a lot about that!

As always, I took my camera – it rarely leaves my side.  The weather wasn’t the greatest, but for the time of year it was not bad.  I’m heading up that way for Christmas and I’m really looking forward to having a good few days to head out and see what more I can capture.  Here are just a few from the trip.  Enjoy…

FREEZING But Beautiful…

If you live in the UK, you would probably agree with me that the last few days have been absolutely freezing!  Some have told me to man up – fair comment, I probably should – but this body was made for the African sunshine!  As freezing as it is though, it has got to be said that the mornings have been incredible!  Everything from dense fog/mist to crisp, blue skies.  The range of muted, subtle tones of whites, blues and greys to the popping contrasts of the white frost against the blue sky and the last remaining autumn leaves.  It’s all inspirational and breathtakingly beautiful.  With all this going on, I could not help take myself out into the freezing cold along with my camera to capture some of the magic that is winter!