Another Beautiful Cape Town Sunrise at Work - 247/365

Sometimes I catch these sunrises just right going into work. Image was made in the Koeberg Nature Reserve.

Table Mountain Dusk - 246/365

Table Mountain at dusk with the lights of Melkbosstrand and Table View in the foreground. No one is on the beach as far as the eye can see. It was a cold night.

Ice Bucket Challenge Self Portrait - 244/365

I made this image immediately after my ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video. Luckily it was warm in Cape Town that day, but as usual, the water was Ice Cold so I needed neither a bucket nor ice!

Ice Bucket Challenge Self Portrait

Fire in the Sky - Cape Town, SA - 234/365

I made this image by getting as close to the ground with my camera as possible to accentuate the sand and shells in the foreground as well as the sky and upcoming sunset. What drew me to the scene initially were the wisps of clouds that look like smoke coming off of a fire.

Stand Up Paddleboarders - 228/365

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUPing) here is not just a flat-water sport as it is in Florida. Here it is quite the opposite. Yes there are people that SUP on flat water, but most do it as a form of surfing. Some people here were quite amazed when I told them that in Miami people do Yoga on them. You can do that when the water does not move. The SUP's are also much shorter for performance riding on the waves, like these guys were getting ready to practice. I saw them almost at sunset and I asked them to pose for a photo. I also gave them my card, and when the one on the left emailed me I sent them the image for free. I do that with all of the images I make of people I encounter.

Just Another Cape Town Evening Storm - 226/365

If you've been following my posts, you can probably tell I love photographing the weather here. I never lived on the beach, and never realized how quickly the weather changes and how beautiful and dramatic it is when it is extreme and combined with a sunset. This is another image of "The Cape of Storms" in all it's glory.

Thabo Hermanus originally shared:

Cape Of Good Hope : Bartolomeu Dias originally named it the "Cape of Storms". If you have felt the winds in the Cape, you can draw your own conclusions as to why he named it that.

However, it was later renamed by John II of Portugal as "Cape of Good Hope" because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to India and the East, which would be fruitful for trade.

Coat Rack at the Italian Restaurant - 218/365

Made this image while awaiting a Pizza at the local Italian restaurant. For some reason it just reminded me of what should be typical in an Italian restaurant.

Storm at Sunset, Cape Town - 215/365

Storm at Sunset, Cape Town shows the impressive colors that can be experienced by the combination of the two. This is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image where three images at different exposures are combined to be able to get detail in the shadows, and highlights where one would normally not be seen. It's not as easy as it sounds as you have to determine on your own what the initial exposure should be. If you want to know more about HDR a photographer named Trey Ratcliff gives a tutorial on how to produce the images at www.stuckincustoms.com .

The Storm is Coming - 203/365

Cape Town is known as "The Cape of Storms". I thought storms came into Florida quickly and they do, but in Cape Town they are ferocious. The wind howls, the rain blasts, and the ocean churns with such force that amazes. It is also beautiful. There is something calming and relaxing about watching a storm roll in. I remember rounding the Cape of Storms when I was in the Navy on an Aircraft Carrier. There was a huge storm as we were rounding in winter with 90 foot seas. The huge ship was bobbing like a cork in the water. We could not eat for two days and we had to strap ourselves in our bunks. I remember thinking, how did these guys in little ships make it around? Well a lot did not. To this day the Cape of Storms takes it's toll on even modern vessels.

Getting Ready for the Wind in Cape Town - 202/365

I was on the beach and I saw a boy practicing his Kite Surfing control skills on the beach in my backyard. I really loved the colors of the kite against the sky with Table Mountain in the background.

Going Out for a Surf in my Backyard- 193/365

I spend a lot of time surfing on the weekends, and one of my favorite time is when I can go right out my door and go straight into the water. No traveling, or hassle, but I do miss seeing my friends in Muizenberg. As I've said before, it is very meditative for me just being out there on the water. Maybe that's why surfers and surfing in general is so mellow and laid back. Never really grasped all of this in my earlier days of surfing. Road-trips and girls were the order of the day then. Will never forget those days, with Hector, Jimmy, Willie, Lee, Bobby, Shelly (he didn't like Sheldon), Joe, Pepe, Billy, and many others. Good times.

My Buddy Standing Guard - 186/365

Here's the image I was able to finally make of my Buddy from the neighborhood. He lives on the corner, but this is obviously his beach.

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Whales in my Backyard

I woke up this morning to an ocean, that for Cape Town, almost looked like a lake. Though there were small waves, it was very calm. I knew that if I just looked carefully enough during these conditions, it would not be difficult to spot the Whales. I opened the blinds and I did not have to search. They were about 50-100 yards off the beach. Right in front of my place. The last time I saw them they were much farther off. I made some photos of what I saw this morning and you can see those below. What I tried to emphasize was perspective. I wanted to show their size and how close they were to shore. These are the Southern Right Whales. They come close to shore between June and November to calve and feed their newborns. As such you do not see them breach (jumping out of the water). It paid off being patient though. The last few images were of the tail. Enjoy!

My Backyard Waves - 173/365

A really beautiful Cape Town, Winter day with nice waves literally in my backyard! The town I live in, Melkbosstrand (Milk Bush Beach) is a surf town with restaurants on the beach where kids ride their bikes, skateboard, and surf in perfect safety. Not what many people think of Cape Town.

Selfie after a Surf - 167/365

I don't ever remember wearing beanies in Miami. Only on the odd trip up North or an infrequent ski trip. In those cases I even had to borrow them. I certainly was not the type to wear one in ninety degree weather as is common to see now. That's just ridiculous. Anyway, the beanie is necessary here and I've collected a few already. This is a self-portrait after a surf session in the backyard.

Melkbos Beach at Night 163/365

A Night Scene of the town Melkbosstrand (Melkbos Beach) where I live.

"African Runner" Cape Town

"African Runner" 19/365
I was out for a run on my Cape Town beach, and making sunset images when I saw another runner coming my way. I waited for him to enter the frame anticipating a silhouette caused by the sunset. #365project #iphoneography #capetown #beachrun #sunset #melkbosstrand.

African Runner