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.