Donna

A brief modelling session by Donna in her new skinny jeans…

Donna and her new clothes - cool.

Earth hour

Treated myself to a little photography last night to have a bash at recording Earth hour. Sat 27 March between 20h30 and 21h30 Cape Town stadium and Table mountain put their lights out. A nice symbol, except that neither of them need their lights on…

Ah well. This is what it looked like.

Cape Town stadium lit up before Earth Hour.

Lights out for Earth Hour.

Table mountain and the Disa towers before lights out.

Lights out for Earth Hour.

Epic

Looking at Sam Clark’s pictures of the Cape Epic I got that feeling of wanting to go and do it again. Photographing it that is. But I was brought back to my sences by Sandy finding a picture that Gary Perkin took of me last year. And I was cured.

Not a pretty sight - by Gary Perkin

Elton John

Elton John ripped at Kirstenbosh last night entertaining a capacity crowd despite the rain. With Annie Lennox singing “Daniel” and Ray Cooper putting on a drumming set beyond belief … and putting an entirely new meaning to tambourine playing – it was well worth braving the wet and cold.

The rain at Kirstenbosh could not stop Elton John.

Wearing a fantastical Lion King jacket John got the crowd to their feet with his “Circle of Life” from the Lion King.

A standing ovation for The Circle of Life.

Moonstruck

Moonstruck 2010 on Clifton 4th beach was a huge success. It was a perfect evening and we raised R29500 for Bakoven Sea Rescue. Families were out in full force and children swam until

4th beach Clifton was packed, with plenty boats sitting 100 meters off enjoying the atmosphere and music.

they turned blue and then some. The glow sticks were the best fund raisers, followed by candles, hats and water bottles. Our new idea of taking pictures of people in a rubberduck on the beach for R20 each was a total flop. We covered the costs – but only just.

Three children who did want their picture taken on our rescue boat!

The selling of glow sticks is really what the kids ( and adults) wanted. A roaring trade.

Kloof Corner

There is nothing quite like a walk on the mountain after work to remind one of how beautiful Cape Town is. The Kloof Corner circuit is one that I used to do in around 26 minutes, Up to Kloof Corner from Tafelberg road, along the contour path, and down under the Cable car.

Well its a good deal slower than that now, but it has been a while. This trip also involved  making a pano looking out from the beacon and another stop to photograph the cable cars. Not to mention the young British tourist who with a point and shoot camera in hand asked if this was the way to the top of the mountain. Oh dear. The cable cars had just been closed because of high wind speeds at the top. Spot the problem.

The Cable cars make their last run before being closed because of high wind speed on the top of the mountain.

Pets photographed

Children and animals. These, we are told are the most difficult of subjects. And they are. The photographer needs extrordinary patience … and a couple of helpers. It took a good few hours to get six cats and two rats photographed, and earned me carpet burns on my elbows. If your subject has eyes -  that’s the height of your first camera angle. The cats knew exactly where we wanted them, and how the flashes and umbrellars were set up. And were determined not to sit there.

The youngest of the cats, Sasha, thought it would be more fun behind the velvet.

Ruby and Cuddels were slightly easier to manage than the cats.

The old boy was bribed with food, which made him a willing subject.

The thing with photographing animals, or children, or people for that matter, is that you need to reflect somthing of their personality. Those who know the subject should go ” Ah, thats just so like so and so…”

Lions Head blue moon

December 31 2009 saw a blue moon rising over Cape Town and I just had time to climb Lions Head, with hundred of other people, to see it come up over Table Bay.

People walk down Lions Head as the Blue Moon rises on 31 December 2009.

It is a wonderful city that we live in. While out on my Kayak the other day I paddled into Bakoven’s little beach and saw this sun worshiper sun tanning.

A man on the rocks at Bakoven

Cape Town new year celebrations

Seeing the new year in from the Waterfront, and watching the traditional fire works is a great way to do it.

It was a crazy New Year, and because we were rather short staffed at Independent ( you might say, yea, and so) the photographers got to move around rapidly. I also managed to get myself out the office and slipped down to Camps Bay beach, mangaged to fit a climb up lions head in before poping down to the waterfront to see the new year in. Fireworks by the way are a really tricky thing to photograph. If, like in Sydney, they are shot off from a huge area its not such a mission, but this year, in the Waterfront, they were sent up from more or less the same area. This means that they all exolpde in much the same place. And you can only have so many fire works in one place on your image before they all blend into one big mess. The long and the short of it is that at 200 iso the apeture should be around F8 and shutter about 30 seconds.

A huge number of people turned up to watch the display.

Each year, on the 2nd January I try and get off the Picture Desk and onto the streets to watch the minstrel parade. This year, as usual they were rather late in leaving Ditrict 6 and marching down Darling street and into Adderley, where they took a break from the heat, before moving on up Wale. I found a really cool new way fo getting those elusive high shots … put the camera on a monopod, set the self timer for 10 seconds or so and hold it up as high as you can. When the shutter trips it can be felt through the monopod, and hey presto. Nice high angle anywhere you like.

The Golden Dixies turn into Wale street during the 2010 Minstrel Carnival.

Washiela Laurence of the Hollywood Superstars resting from heat in Adderley street.

Justin May of the Kenfac troop from Factreton during the parade.

And then, just to round the trip off I had a look at Camps Bay. One of the beaches that people flock to on New Years day. A happy atmosphere and great fun was had by all, even the lifesavers – who really worked hard.

Camps Bay beach was full of people celebrating New Years day.

AquAbba Aqua Festival

The magnificent stage at the Aqua Festival in the V&A Waterfront, December 2009.

With a little spare time, an amazing camera and a panoramic tripod head its amazing how much fun one can have. The single frame, similar to this picture, was published in the Cape Argus Wednesday 30 December 2009. This digitally stitched panorama was put together with ten frames and a little photoshop help from HDR panoramic master and friend Robert Miller.