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Cape Town Moon Rising
I made this image of the Moon Rising as a contrast to the many sunset images I've made. It was just so bright and low in the sky that it was remarkable to me. My 365 Project 105/365
Koozie from Hawaii
Some people complain, or ridicule trinkets that people bring them from trips and vacations, and many times rightfully so. It actually takes thought to give someone a meaningful gift. Meaningful does not have to mean expensive, just relevant. I made this image because it is an image of a thoughtful gift. This was given to me by my sister on her recent trip to Hawaii. Knowing Hawaii, I'm sure it was expensive as well. She knows that I enjoy my one or two Sam Adams beers every evening. Now in Cape Town, that would be Jack Black Lager. I can now slip my beer into my Koozie and think of her and home. Thanks Sis!
Plattekloof View of Table Mountain
Table Mountain is virtually everywhere you look in Cape Town. This is a view of the mountain at dusk from one of the Northern Suburbs along Plattekloof Road, in what is known as the Boerewors Gordyn (Eng Phonetic: Boorevors Hoardane) (Translation: The Boer Curtain) beyond which the main language spoken is Afrikaans. This dates back to when the English controlled Cape Town. The English ruled the Cape and people in and around the city and the Southern Suburbs spoke mainly English, where the Afrikaaners that were not fond of English rule stayed in the Northern Suburbs and mainly spoke Afrikaans. To this day I almost need a translator there. Not really, but you can instantly tell that the primary language is Afrikaans. Plattekloof offers a beautiful view of the city as it is at this point where you start gaining elevation away from Cape Town toward the East. My 365 Project 103/365.
There is an area of Cape Town called the Bo Kaap (Upper Cape). The Bo-Kaap is an area of Cape Town, South Africa formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is quintessentially a Township, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city centre and is an historical centre of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town. The Nurul Islam Mosque, established in 1844, is located in the area. Bo-Kaap is traditionally a multicultural area, rich in history and situated on the slopes of Signal Hill. The area is known for its brightly coloured homes and romantic cobble stoned streets. It originated during the third quarter of the 18th century, when Cape Town began to expand along an east-west axis. The first houses in this neighbourhood were probably built in 1790 but between 1795 and 1820 an increasing number of lower income families including many artisans began to make their homes here. The influx of Malays into this quarter probably began in the 1830s when slavery was abolished and Malay residents who had been forcibly brought to the Cape began to make their homes there, and by the middle of the 19th century it was already known as the Slamse Beurt, or the Islamic Quarter. It owes much of its character to the nature of its domestic architecture, mostly single storey houses with flat roofs painted in a variety of pastel colours. A number of mosques with picturesque minarets are still in daily use. The Quarter was probably a major factor why the Cape Malay community managed to retain its identity as a group. Unfortunately the quality of its environment began to deteriorate after WWI, and in 1944 it was declared a slum. This led a number of prominent Cape Town citizens to form a group for the retention of the Malay Quarter, with the support of both the then Historical Monuments Commission as well as the City Council. Initially much of the suburb was purchased by the City Council, but as public opinion began to swing in its favour, so then the Government began to set aside funds for the rehabilitation of this area. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 15 April 1966. (Wikipedia) (http://www.sahistory.org.za/places/malay-quarter-cape-town)
My experience in the Bo Kaap started with aimlessly driving the streets of Cape Town when I got here. The colorful houses and culture was a photographic marvel to me. I organized a photowalk there and had everyone meet at a restaurant called Biesmiellah. Sanna, the lady on the far left told us that Biesmiellah is the oldest Malay restaurant in Cape Town and has been in business for thirty eight years. The Chef on the right has been there all thirty eight and his assistant for twenty seven. The food is amazing and every time I go I just have Sanna bring out "something". It's funny that many Capetonians knew nothing of The Bo Kaap, and were careful no to go there. I can tell you from experience that it is a totally safe place especially during the day with all of the tourist photographers making images of the colorful buildings. Tour busses stop here. What a wonderful place! My 365 Project 102/365
Owners of Biesmiellah
More images of The Bo Kaap from a previous visit.
My Tilley Hat
Read MoreOn my evening run I made several images and this one was a pleasant surprise. I initially wanted to get a view of my favorite subject, Table Mountain, from a low vantage point with a sweeping view of the beach in the foreground. When I got home and looked at the image on the computer I immediately realized that what I captured really was not about Table Mountain, but of the texture of the sand in the foreground. While the mountain is there and is certainly pleasing, I was more interested on how you could see the individual grains of sand which is the texture in the image. Surprisingly enough, I got this amount of detail with my iPhone.
Read MoreI saw a great combination of sunset and Table Mountain to get a bit of a silhouette of it and dusk. I immediately pulled over in Table View Beach to make the image. I've been looking for this for a while now. 74/365 #tablemountainsunset #tablemountain #capetown #tableview #capetownbeach #southafrica #za #capetownsunset #fujixe2 #365project
Read MoreI've seen many articles on selecting a wedding photographer. They are usually found in bridal magazines or Pinterest and are not written by photographers. That is unless the photographer is looking for work. To be clear and for full disclosure, I am not actively seeking clients. I am in Cape Town until June of 2015 and at this point I am concentrating on personal projects. I may take on weddings again in the future, however, I plan on being very selective on the clients I work with. I will never be a wedding photo factory. I could never do that. I am the type of photographer that desires to establish a relationship with people I photograph. You can't do that shooting a ton of weddings a year. To that end, my number one piece of advice would be my number one piece of advice to be to pay attention to how many weddings a photographer shots per year. I would not select a photographer the shoots fifty weddings a year. It is almost impossible to give personal and unique photography services to each client. High volume photographers are generally, what I call the photo factory and will have a cookie cutter approach to the weddings they shoot. You will pay less for the photo factory, but remember, this may be your once in a lifetime wedding. A good clue that you may have found a great photographer is one that either answers a phone or returns a phone message rather than doing everything by email. The one that wants to speak with you and wants to find out what YOU want is at least starting out in a good direction. So in a nutshell. Step one would be to make a list of ten of your favorite local photographers that shoot twenty or less weddings a year, have a phone contact and return your call in a couple of days with plans to talk about your wedding photography desires.
"Melkbosstrand Sunset Panorama" 50/365. You really have to have this image fill the screen to appreciate it. This is my first serious foray into a Panorama. The sky was kind of ho-hum with my 35mm f1.4 lens on the Fuji XE-2 but all of the parts left and right put together with what I saw would be what I wanted. I made individual images and stitched them together in Photoshop. Then I turned them into the exact tone I wanted in Black and White. Actually a slight Gold and Selenium tone. I really like it. I really enjoy requiring myself to make an image everyday as it is pushing me to be creative. At least in my mind.
I saw this little bot in Hout Bay, a harbor town just on the other side of Table Mountain from Cape Town. I had gone to a market that they have there especially so that I could do some photography at the market and the fishing boats in the Harbor. This boy's Mother was selling sea shell trays that you would put change, or your keys in. I stopped and asked if I could make some images of him and she said yes. I also bought to little trays. I will never make an image of someone if they ask for money, but if they're selling something I will always buy.
Read More"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
I came home from photographing in Cape Town today to find the parking lot by my beach full of cars with Windsurfing gear on top. The Windsurfers were taking advantage of the roaring Southeaster and the break that is so famous right in front of my apartment in Melkbosstrand. My strength has always been action sports photography and it was the perfect day and time of day to make some images. I used my Canon 5D Mark III with a 70-200mmIS L lens with a 2X converter. I made the image at 1600 ISO at f5.6 and 1/2000th of a second to be able to capture him in flight. I've seen these guys pull off this move a few times when the waves were this high. Many of the guys that come to my beach are pro's and Olympic hopefuls from all over the world. This guy was from France. Image 18/365.
My photography group here in Cape Town, South Africa planned an excursion to West Coast National Park near a city in South Africa called Langebaan. I've been hearing for a long time that it's a must see place because of the flowers blooming in Spring here in the Cape. Yes Northern Hemisphere dwellers, it's Springtime here in South Africa. Langebaan is about 105km from Cape Town. If you want it in miles it's a little over 60 miles. We wanted to start out early to avoid the crowds and we planned well, or better said Sarah, the planner, set it up it perfectly. We were the third car through the gate. There is a special area in WCNP called the Pottsberg area where the Flowers are best and the area is only open in August and September as it is a fragile eco-system. I guess I shouldn't say that too loudly or someone will try to drill for oil on it. I was the passenger this time, in the back seat and it was great. We were headed down the road and I saw Ostriches that I wanted to photograph. The South African's I was driving with said not to be silly there are Ostriches everywhere. Well I finally convinced them to stop and I made these images of either an angry or a very sexually driven Ostrich.
Black Wildebeast in West Coast National Park, Langebaan, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
As we kept driving I still had my medium zoom lens on the camera and I saw what looked like a Buffalo off in the mist. It was running faster than the car, and I got my long zoom on just in time to catch only one image of a Black Wildebeast.
The rest of the day was just magnificent. The flowers were incredible and the scenery so diverse. A field of flowers at one turn and then boulders, cliffs, calm bays and crashing ocean waves.
Last 2013 Winter Sunset in Cape Town
I heard some debate to day on the radio whether or not this was the last day of winter here in Cape Town, South Africa. Regardless of whether it is or not I decided to go out with my iPhone and make an image of the potential last sunset of winter. The sunsets here never cease to amaze me. I guess that's what is experienced by living directly on the beach. To that end I thought a lot about the experiences I've had here and the realization that we, as individuals, do not experience enough beauty, nature, people, and travel. We tend, and by that I include myself, to allow too much of our lives to go by un-experienced! And also un-appreciated. As they say here in Cape Town, "sho, shame man." This place and the people here are amazing. I'm sure some will be long time friends. Are there problems here in Cape Town, yes, but probably no more that any other large city in the aggregate. People in Cape Town know how to live. They experience life to the fullest because they enjoy life. Take for instance the Braai. We in the U.S. would call it a Bar-B-Q. But here it has little to do with eating. It's about people getting together, building a fire out of wood and waiting hours until that wood turns to red embers prior to cooking. In the meantime people are talking, sharing experiences and a little bit of drinking. Do I miss family and friends back in the States? Of course I do, but the experiences that I have had and made here, and have yet to experience are, and will be priceless. And I plan on sharing those with others when I get back to the U.S. So what started out in my mind as just going out and making a simple image has reminded me of all of the advice that you hear in song, in writings, and in the movies. Go out and experience life. Take that risk. Travel to that place that you've always planned on visiting, but haven't. Most of all, live a life without regret!
Last Saturday I traveled to Stellenbosch at the urging of a friend as it is definitely a place not to miss if you visit Cape Town. I was also advised that I may have trouble communicating as Stellenbosch is also VERY Afrikaans. Well, they were right on both accounts. I've seen towns, but what could be so special? When I got there it's as if I had been transported back in time with all of the Dutch and Afrikaaner architecture. Not to be lost in the conversation, it is the home of Stellenbosch University. A fact I did not know is that Stellenbosch University is where the South African National Rugby Team, Springboks, was founded. The town was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself — Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's Bush". Humble guy. It is situated on the banks of the Eerste Rivier ("First River"), so named as it was the first new river he reached and followed when he went on an expedition over the Cape Flats to explore the territory towards what is now known as Stellenbosch. Yes, there were modern shops, galleries, restaurants, and cafe's, but all was in theme with the aged charm, of the town. It was a shame as most Galleries and shops were closed as I got there later in the afternoon after getting lost on the way. Not a surprise. There is wine everywhere. During 1690 some Huguenot refugees settled in Stellenbosch, grapes were planted in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch and soon it became the centre of the South African wine industry. I don't know much at all about wine personally as I am a beer snob, but I have been told that the South African wines are among the best in the world. Unfortunately, my stay was cut short as it was raining, so my time there was very limited. Here are a few select images. I will definitely be traveling back to Stellenbosch in the near future on a nice day. Hopefully I can find a bar with good beer!
What is out there?
I made this image the other day on a beach run in Melkbosstrand. I saw the the little girl just standing there with her cute hat on and thinking that she must be wondering what is out there. I asked the parents if it was ok to make her image, and made several images with my iPhone. Yes my iPhone. "The best camera is the one you have with you." In this case it was the iPhone. I edited the image in a program called Snapseed that is free and owned by Google. I've had it since it came out and I actually paid for it. Oh well, it was worth it. It's what I use to edit most of my iPhone images. It allows for a lot of creative control and not just some standard filters. The point of the post though is not the image, the editing program or the camera. The point is that you can usually find the best images or ideas in your own backyard, so to speak. Not literally your own backyard, though it may be in my case, but somewhere that you have unencumbered access, is close, and one that you are very familiar with. We all have these locations. I'm looking out my window right now and I see a Kite-Surfer preparing his kite for a ride. I am sure that if I go out there I will be able to find something to shoot. You get the point. Find the spot you know like the back of your hand and concentrate on that. Push yourself to make good images. See you later. It's a beautiful orange kite!
Lone Tree and Wind Mill
I tagged along with my group of friends to go to the Cederberg Wilderness Area for a four-wheeling excursion. The Cederberg is about 200km North of Melkbosstrand where we all live. That's roughly 120 miles on a two lane crazy road with trucks, bicycles, people walking and anything else that will move. That's just how Africa is. When you get into that area there is a small town that you go through called Clan William. Not much there. Some gas stations, restaurants, school, etc, however, there is a very famous resort called Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat. Supposedly this is one of the top ten resorts in the world. It's out in the middle of nowhere. Cederberg has beautiful terrain.
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Big red rocks precariously balanced on top of each other and a relatively dry climate.
After going through some relatively mild roads we got to a small town named Wupperthall. Wupperthall was established by missionaries and many of the people there are descendants of the founders and either live off the land as subsistence farming, working for the preserve, or work in the shoe factory.
Wupperthall Shoe Factory Sign
Wupperthall Shoes
We walked around the town for a while and encountered several of the locals which were more than willing to pose for photographs. This young man wants to be a photographer, so we chatted a while, and I gave him my card so that I could send him his photo. I like to do that with everyone I photograph. it's the least I can do.
Boy in Wupperthall
We left Wupperthall and that's where the adventure really began. Granted the road was not marked well and the map was difficult to read. As luck would have it we took the wrong way of two choices. We went down into a valley with no exit out. We would not find that out for another two hours. Shortly into the ride one of the vehicles had the road give out under the rear wheel and tipped into a very large hole. The Jeep was almost on it's side with two wheels on one side in the air.
Hooking up Jeep
Front view of Jeep
We finally got out after talking about how we'd be sleeping in the vehicles and being seriously worried. It's not like a tow truck could even get to us. We finally got to the end of the trail as far as we were concerned after I was chased by a farmer's hogs when I was opening some gates. Not fun. We turned around and got back to we made the wrong turn and headed back to ClanWilliam where we had some burgers a went home. Another remarkable adventure with great friends. To be honest most of the time we laughed off our predicaments because we live and work in the paradise that is Cape Town! Can't wait to do it again!
My first three weeks in Cape Town were spent at the Bontkop Guest House in Melkbosstrand, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The Guest House is impressively decorated and has a stunning view of the ocean and Table Mountain from almost all of the rooms. Ronel and Nico are the owners and make every effort to provide a home away from home for the traveler. Ronel provides a great breakfast every morning consisting of fresh fruit, coffee, yogurt, and granola to start. Then Ronel prepares a hot breakfast for everyone. Melkbosstrand is a beach and surfing town about 35 km North of Cape Town. It is easy to fall in love with this little community. I liked it so much that my mission was to find a place in town for the next two years. My original plans included areas closer to Cape Town, but after experiencing the laid back attitude and quiet solace of Melkbos it was a no-brainer to stay here. Staying at the Bontkop provided the convenience of being able to walk to the business section of town a couple of blocks away to either hang out and watch the surfers, or take in dinner at a number of great restaurants. My favorite was Dam Huis. "House at the Dam" was the first building in Melkbos and as it turns out one of the waitstaff lived at the house prior to it becoming a restaurant. Michaela essentially grew up in the house until 2003. A lot has changed since she lived there, but good memories still linger. The food is great and the service even better. Try the Fisherman's Casserole! The first image is a view of the shore and ocean just outside the Bontkop at dusk on a very stormy and cold day and night. I'll always remember the Bontkop and how Ronel and Nico looked after the new Capetonian from the states.
Kimmy Bennett from "Into the Basement."
I had the opportunity to create images for an upcoming comic book series based on the graphic novel "Into the Basement" featuring the character Kimmy Bennett. The premise was to create an image of a living model that best portrays the character in the series. While I made the images, the imagination behind creating the living character is completely attributed to the model. After the session the portfolio was sent to the author of the novel, Norman Applegate, and he said the images are exactly how he envisioned Kimmy Bennett would appear. So I consider that a success. The original images were shot against white seamless paper. I added the background and border in post production.
You may beat the Rap, but you may not beat the ride. Just ask Carlos Miller, a Miami photographer who hosts: www.photographyisnotacrime.com
Here is an image of a MetroRail station in Miami. Had I not used an iPhone and some authority had been around, I'm sure I would have been harassed.
1. You can make a photograph of anything and anyone on any public property, except where a specific law prohibits it.
e.g. streets, sidewalks, town squares, parks, government buildings open to the public, and public libraries.
2. You may shoot on private property if it is open to the public, but you are obligated to stop if the owner requests it.
e.g. malls, retail stores, restaurants, banks, and office building lobbies.
3. Private property owners can prevent photography ON their property, but not photography OF their property from a public location.
4. Anyone can be photographed without consent when they are in a public place unless there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
e.g. private homes, restrooms, dressing rooms, medical facilities, and phone booths.
5. Despite common misconceptions, the following subjects are almost always permissible:
* accidents, fire scenes, criminal activities
* children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
* bridges, infrastructure, transportation facilities
* residential, commercial, and industrial buildings
6. Security is rarely an acceptable reason for restricting photography. Photographing from a public place cannot infringe on trade secrets, nor is it terrorist activity.
7. Private parties cannot detain you against your will unless a serious crime was committed in their presence. Those that do so may be subject to criminal and civil charges.
8. It is a crime for someone to threaten injury, detention, confiscation, or arrest because you are making photographs.
9. You are not obligated to provide your identity or reason for photographing unless questioned by a law enforcement officer and state law requires it.
10. Private parties have no right to confiscate your equipment without a court order. Even law enforcement officers must obtain one unless making an arrest. No one can force you to delete photos you have made.
These are general guidelines regarding the right to make photos and should not be interpreted as legal advice. If you need legal help, please contact a lawyer.
----OTHER RESOURCES----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_place#Restrictions_on_state_action_in_public_spaces_in_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nomorefreephotos/discuss/72157604655395007/
http://www.krages.com/bpkphoto.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2006-08-11-photography-rights_x.htm
