Big Five...but not.

For once it wasn't work, but a well earned rest with Jackie. Of course, saying that it wasn't work only means that I wasn't paid. Last weekend Jackie and I took our first 'holiday' in three years. What a fantastic experience. No stress, no pressure from clients or students. Of course a camera was still involved though.

We spent two nights at Madike River Lodge in the North West Province as a prize for last year's runner up image in the Getaway Gallery annual competition. True to form I spent more time photographing the reserves smaller denizens and its beautiful surroundings than the large population of lion and elephant (I'll leave that to the 'real' wildlife photographers).


Not that there weren't lions mind you. Within the first kilometre to the reserve we were welcomed by an enormous male with an extremely well maintained mane. He lazely saluted us with a yawn before we ventured deeper into the reserve. But it was chameleons and the like, my usual stock in trade, along with stormy skies that entranced. With any luck I'll be able to return. Maybe next time, I'll be paid to do so ;)

April St Lucia Workshop - Painting with Time

Long exposure photography seemed to be on the cards over the last week in St Lucia. This month's students (Jess from the UK, Britt from Down Under, Katie from the US, Cheryl from Canada, Odelia from Belgium and Mandy from...heyhey, SA) were almost strong-armed into playing with long exposures due to the windy conditions on the first day. Again on our third day while watching the sun rise over the Indian Ocean we again were playing with sub 1 second exposures to blur the incoming tide (as can be seen from the photo of everyone with their tripods on the sand).

I also came across a small ant that obligingly allowed me to set up tripod with flash and softbox and enough time to rattle of a 4 gig card of images as it tended to a small swarm of aphids on the leaf stems. Again I find myself amazed at the lighting opportunities presented by a single flash with softbox attached. I'll be posting a new tutorial on macro lighting this week on the tutorial page of my website, so keep posted for more...

As usual, the evening painting with light shoot was a hit and the students had a great time experimenting with torchlight on the dunes outside St. Lucia. Now, of course I need to get back to the real world and the pile of files that need to be processed...they never end ;)

March St Lucia Photography workshop - Smoke and Water

We’ve just come to the end of a really enjoyable week of photography in St Lucia. I had a great group of students from Scotland (Alison and Lesley – apologies that I could barely understand you), the US (Ray and Chris), Germany (Timo) and Australia (Kelly). I am constantly amazed at the ability of people who are passionate to pick up the skills start to learn how to master light, and this week was no different.

A unique opportunity presented itself to us on the first day of the course as in the form of a plantation being burnt for replanting and clearing of dead wood. Careering down a dirt track in African Impact’s Toyota Condor we soon came across the plantation owners and were able to secure permission to shoot the fire and the plantation workers who were sweating in the stinging smoke. We were soon doing the same...treading where tivas and sneakers were not designed to step. Some smouldering soles later we emerged, smelling of wood smoke and armed with memory cards of ghostly images shot through thick white smoke.

The second day of the course had us travelling to a usual photographic haunt of mine, Mission Rocks in Isimangaliso Wetland Park. Here interesting tessellated patterns in the rock along with great cloud formations invariably make for wonderful long exposure studies of the incoming tide. We almost missed the light, being waylaid by a large herd of buffalo towards the entrance of the park. Later, a night shoot had everyone scurrying around after crabs on Jabula Beach, as well as learning painting with light techniques on the rippled patterns along the dunes.

The three day course came to a finale last night with the photographer assignments being presented. Each photographer was asked to produce a small portfolio of five images along with a background story, text or rationale behind the project. Chris, an aspiring script-writer took honours with his clever blending of humour and imagery.

All in all a wonderful week with some great images created by the students.

doings in the night

Far less nefarious than it looks. What's the best guess as to what's going on? I was intrigued by the dancing shadows as a group of chefs toiled over a line of half barrel braais. The imagination can fill in interesting blanks and it becomes something out of a Hammer & Max. Possibly the red crates add to the imaginary gore... or else I've simply not been getting enough sleep lately.