Nettie28's Weblog

SA Off-Road Championships, Darling

nettie28 — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:09:04 +0000

Last weekend I joined Jo and Arlene in Darling to watch the SA Off-road Championships … something I had never done before. I hoped to improve my panning skills, but realise now that perhaps I should have taken the images at 1/60th instead of 1/30th … these cars are quick!

Naturally it was incredibly dusty (and noisy) and I had trouble protecting my camera from the elements! I look forward to going again, one day!

On the Beach at The Strand

nettie28 — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:13:29 +0000

I made a little trip to The Strand yesterday afternoon, and met up with a few HPS members – we had hoped for a good sunset, but this was not forthcoming due to low, grey clouds. Had to make the best of what we had, and got some fun shots of feet and two-legged dogs!

Mountainbikers

nettie28 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:05:51 +0000

On Sunday 15th February, a group of about 10 HPS members met up in Paarl to take pics of a group of mountainbikers who regularly use ‘The Playground’ below the Taal Monument. I mostly used the continuous shooting mode on my camera – thereby increasing my chances of a good pic here and there! Here are a few of them …

Stellenbosch Botanical Garden

nettie28 — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:55:09 +0000

The Garden re-opened on Monday, and the lotuses are in bloom! The heat plays havoc with the tender flowers though, and it is a case of ’see what you will find’ once you get there. The lotus plants have been moved to a small side pond (the one next to the little bridge), where they seem to be very happy. Take a hat and water! The outdoor restaurant provides wonderful fare under a magnificent tree which is host to huge staghorn ferns. Take your time for this visit – it’s well worth it!

Sushi for Dinner!

nettie28 — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:33:57 +0000

Last night a friend and I made sushi for dinner … we are (still) quite amateurish at the making of it, but not the eating of it! Delicious! Needless to say, between three of us we could not ‘clean the plates’ last night – the rest will be enjoyed this evening! hey ho …

Accidental Photography

nettie28 — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:37:11 +0000

‘What are we given today?’ – one of Paddy Howes’s homegrown homilies -turned out to be close to the bone when Ilse Andrag and I ventured into the countryside … some mist, some rain, places closed for the holidays …I made the following pics on a serendipitous journey on 2 January, in the Wellington district.

An Artichoke in Flower

nettie28 — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:02:41 +0000

Artichokes usually are eaten before they flower. I have a plant in my garden, and, resisting the temptation to cut it off and eat it, I leave the plant to flower, resulting in the most beautiful blue fronds erupting from the globe.

Volmoed, Hemel en Aarde Valley, Hermanus

nettie28 — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:41:10 +0000

In October this year, I took part in a photographic workshop, offered by well-known photographers Wicus Leeuwner and JJ van Heerden. Participants are accommodated in lovely cottages on this beautiful property, where there are many opportunities which lend to some great photography. Here are a few images I made whilst I was there …

Macro shots of Arums

nettie28 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:47:38 +0000

Arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) are indigenous to the South Western Cape region of South Africa, and flower in the winter (June-Sept). Because of their clean lines, they have always attracted me to the making of macro shots. Here are a few results …

‘Garden of the Gods’, Namaqualand, South Africa

nettie28 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:25:01 +0000

Freeman Patterson, renowned Canadian photographer (www.freemanpatterson.com) called Namaqualand the ‘Garden of the Gods’ in one of his books. Each Spring the dry, arid land bursts into life with carpets of wild flowers erupting on rocky soil, mountainsides and along seldom-flowing streams. The colours range from white to cream, yellows, oranges, blues and purples – and the best way to photograph them is whilst lying down on your tummy a few centimeters away from them, using a macro lens!

The Kamieskroon Hotel (www.kamieskroonhotel.com) is home to photographic workshops in the Spring – a comfortable country hotel whose owners are incredibly knowlegeable about local conditions, where the flowers are, when it will rain (!) and how long the flower season will last (usually August/September). Namaqualand in the Spring is a ‘must’ for any photographer …!