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.
