Kite-Surfing ~ Cape Town

Kite Surfing is big in South Africa. I mean, on a good day, you could find in excess of 50-100 surfers occupying the waters of Blouberg, Sunset Beach and Big Bay  in Cape Town, South AFrica. Ther are other parts of the Cape like, Langebaan and more around the other side too, but this seems to be the better area to hit the waters.

 

What an exhilirating experience it must be to put on your wetsuit, inflate your kite and fit the harness. Once the preparation is done, you've had your training and feel brave enough to head out, it can only be amazing.

 

Well, since I don't have the kite-surfing equipment, I still love watching these guys head out with their wind-filled kites to venture the cold waters of the Atlantic ocean. To feel the strength of the South-Wester that bellows accross the beach and sea allowing then to almost fly, in a sense. I can imagine myself, one day, splashing accorss these waters, tearing through the crests of the waves, soaring to new heights and landing again as graceful as possible back on the water's surface.

 

Most Saturdays, there's even a school that will help you to get out there, safely and confidently.

Below are some of the images from a recent day at the beach, watching, shooting, enjoying.

 

Some, do lose it, a little.

The remains of the shipwreck that is an attraction in Blouberg, slowly dissapearing into the sea.

Always such a great spectacle to watch these guys getting out and having this much fun.

Tearing a wave, getting a little air.

There's always a few learners amidst the more experience.

It's even great for couples!

Looks like a business man, yet, he's loving the thrill and the ride.

Getting some really big air!

Sometimes, taking a breather, isn't a bad thing...

On-lookers aren't plenty for some reason, but there are a few.

Trying new things, once you've mastered the basics.

Travel Part One

 

I’ve been thinking about life among other things and have come to the conclusion that I am not a person who likes to sit in an office and pound away on a keyboard…

 

Me, I love the outdoors, I love to see country sides, landscapes and seascapes. I love to meet interesting people on their travels around our beautiful country. Why can I not do it then? I think I should! I came to this realisation on my recent trip with my best friend to Mossel Bay.

We had no choice but to stay at a backpackers due to budget constraints and found it to be quite enjoyable. I mean, accommodation is cheap, people are relaxed and friendly and there’s always something interesting happening somewhere that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg to do. So, that is the best way to get around South Africa, or any country for that matter. Sure, there’s that little thing of communal bathrooms and kitchen and if the budget is really tight, you share a room too! Come on, don’t be anti-social now…  

Rock pool, created from the beating of the waves and rough tides, Dana Bay didn't present much for me, but then again, I wasn't really feeling up to doing any deep searching.

Some colourful holiday homes for the fortunate few. Great l ittle spot just minutes outside Mossel Bay

2nd Beach, Dana Bay, 20 minutes from Mossel Bay.



Holiday spot just a few minutes outside Mossel Bay





Nature Reserve outside Calvinia



Old derelict roadside stall.

You know, it’s not always about getting to point B as quickly as possible, there’s also that thing of taking in the country side around you. Stopping to stretch the legs every so often is not a bad thing at all… 

A "road works" stop-n-go presented this goled gem in the late afternoon.

The sense of freedom as you drive, wondering what lies ahead.

The spectacular view of driving through the mountain passes of Western Cape.

A barn we spotted thanks to "road works". I loved the contrasting colours of the storm clouds in the distance with the warm sun shining onto the barn and surrounding fields.



 

Beauty In The Storm... This was spotted whilst returning to Cape Town, as taken without any editing, besides to resize for web purposes. Words cannot describe the sense of space, seeing the light in the storm. I risked getting my camera wet for this shot, but I think it was worth it.





Hotel in Hermanus has a great sea view with access to a rocky beach below.

The view from the rocky side of Hermanus Beach looking up to the tourist spots.
 



The beauty of Hermanus

  

These images are just a small part of what South Africa has to offer…

Spotted this whale swimming at The Point, Mossel Bay.



 

Calvinia, a town of neglect as this image shows. This old building doesn't seem like it trades anymore. Been there on two seperate occasions and it was still closed.
 

 These two chaps are just two of the people that still reside in Calvinia. On the left, an ex-convict who spent enough years (as he put it) in a cell on Robben Island, right, just a friendly chap who travelled the Cape with "the whites" until they left him behind in Calvinia.

 

 

 

The view from a look-out at VanRhyn's Pass that borders Western and Northern Cape.

In Black And White.

Greayscale, as it is also known, is sometimes a great way to express mood or just enhance an image. Other times, it's just a way to better handle an image that was maybe shot with the wrong settings... Best part of only seeing the B&W image is, you'll never know... 

I would take my camera for a walk around the neighbourhood to see what would catch my eye.

Spotted this little car parked so perfectly on the side of the road, couldn't resist but to spend a few minutes to best compose the image and still grab all that I want from the shot.

I did do some post processing to enhance the mood and atmosphere.

This was just a pop of thought, I spotted this leaf wedged in between two planks and it immediately planted a thought into my head. A thought of being trapped, waiting for that one thing that would free it. Sometimes, all of us can relate...

This kid, watched him for quite a while, spends his days outside a local KFC in hopes of some food, or money. Always happy, even when he is ignored by passers by, he still enjoys himself and his dog.

Here, sportsmen practice, even though they don't have the best facilities, they make do with what they have and overlook the things that could bring them down.

Sometimes, the road can lead one's mind astray...

Sometimes, it's what's on the side of the road that catches the eye, we should not be too hasty o get to our destination, but to rather enjoy the journey.

Out on the beach, the weather can play a major role in your image, in this case the wind blowing the clouds over the peak of Signal Hill, Cape Town, made for a great, dramatic image.

My 74-300mm kit lens working hard to get the best capture it can from Blouberg Beach.

Technically, this image is wrong, technically (referring to rule-of-thirds etc.). But, as art, it's perfect... do like the scale though of the ship, the stadium and the mountain.

Ah yes, this one caught my eye... I liked the shape of the rock, that near foot-like shape intrigued me. I noticed all the tiny shells lying around there, that could easily end up underfoot. I neatly placed a few on the rock and worked around the sunlight to get a great image. This is the result...

Close-ups can also create great pieces of art. In this case, a bee collecting pollen was readily captured. Of course, it came down to flipping the camera from landscape to portrait until the composition was right. This was the final result of many shots while chasing the bee around the flowers.

On the beach again, I managed to cach this gull just after snatching up a mussel shell. He'd fly up, and then drop it from a height to try and get it to crack open. He succeeded and enjoyed a great lunch.

Well, that's it for this episode, will follow up with some more soon again. Still trying to pick out some good ones and share a little secret with you guys.

Cheers for now.

Roadsides of South Africa

~o0o~

You know, travelling a lot can get quite tedious, boring and tiring… very tiring. But, if you have camera at hand, it changes everything just that little bit. Well, for me it does...

You see, I take some of the most boring roads in South Africa and seem to find beauty in them. It is finding the exceptional in the ordinary that makes the many hours in the car so worthwhile.

My secret? I challenge myself, if I can put it that way. What I do is look ahead, still watching the road, but also the sun’s position, time of day, and the scenery. If I spot something up ahead, I start to plan what’s around it, where can I stop, how is the lighting etc… if It all seems okay, I’ll slow down, double check my surroundings and the safety of the stop. If all plays out, stop, hazards on, get out and walk around to find the best composition.

Then I take a few shots, different angles etc because I still don’t get it right the first time and one take is never enough.

I have travelled quite a few roads and have impressed many people with my images.

Look, sometimes, I do the quick runaround thing because I do have timelines and thus get the images either under or over exposed but usually nothing that a little Photoshop can’t uh, fix.

So, next time you’re planning a short drive of more than an hour or between two cities with open countryside, look around, then look some more. Pull over, take a breather, sometimes you see things you wouldn’t usually see when you’re next to the car stretching your legs…

Bear in mind, these images are all shot with a compact camera.