Frustrating Friday
When there’s a knock on the door at 6h45 in the morning you can be sure the day isn’t going to turn out the way you thought. I was still in my pyjamas when our neighbour banged on the back door. One of two things, someone’s popped his clogs or, yes, it was no 2, someone had broken into...
Hip-Hopping
The days of tutus and pirouettes are long gone, little girls don't stand on pointe and think Margot Fontaine is cool, they're into baggy pants, loose long sleeves and their pumps are Nike, they stomp and jump, jiggle and gyrate and they shake their tiny shoulders to the beat of Reggae as...
Being Contemporary At Dance
It always surprises me how accommodating people are, especially when they’re passionate about what they do. Today was a first for me. Photographing Contemporary Dance. Exhilarating. Energetic. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a class of Grade 12 pupils. ‘Never try to paint...
Just Horsing About
I doubt my English teacher would believe that I still remember the famous poem Horses of the Camargue, strangely every autumn when the wind blows cold I think of the poem and in my minds’ eye I can see those white horses. The early morning pink clouds were the first sign of the weather turning,...
Changing Seasons
Not much to report today, it’s Sunday. A reflective day. Coffee filtering through a beard is what I saw, one was ginger and the other nicotine stained, both looked impressive and give the wearer a certain air and character which is out of the ordinary. “I have a beard of fog that I wear...
Sports Days Bringing Back Memories
We had cravings for fresh produce from the morning market. En route we noticed a more than usual sighting of Worcester motor cars, one and one made two and we realised it was the annual Inter-School winter sports day at the Hermanus High school. Worcester Gymnasium was in town For 22...
Inter-School Sports Day Worcester Gymnasium vs Hermanus High School
A continuation of just photographs of the U19A Rugby game held on Saturday in Hermanus ...
Hex River Valley Celebrating Autumn
“Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.” ― Ansel Adams. Today God was on my side. Continuing with a family tradition the South African flag was raised on another perfect day. It’s only when I stand surrounded by the ever present mountains that...
If Not Cabbages Then It's A Landscape
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky.” ― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds. Our blue mountains are ringing out tonight. Of cabbages and kings I know nothing but I have pored over black and white photographs made by...
Light Shining On White
“Women think of all colours except the absence of colour. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.” ― Coco Chanel, Chanel Today is a WHITE day. I know I have the right theme for a day when I get butterflies in my tummy. That’s...
Complimenting Colour
“I am always hoping to make a discovery here, to express the feelings of two lovers by a marriage of two complementary colours, their minglings and their oppositions, the mysterious vibrations of kindred tones.” (Vincent van Gogh) Minimalism. Complementary and primary colours. Cool colours...
Having Bedroom Eyes
90 Minutes, that’s the time it takes for a make-up artist to do Kim Kardashian’s make-up! EVERY DAY! Preposterous you might think, it takes us, mere mortals, one minute? Two? That’s what it takes to get my face out of the drawer each morning. What do they do? Not much, one would think,...
Lemons Lavender and Limoncello
Lemons are abundant now. Juicy, tart and full of goodness only knows how many Vitamins (I know C) to ward off winter coughs and colds. I’ll squeeze them, cut them, peel them, store them, preserve them and our house will be filled with that fresh, lemony sweetness. No garden should be without...
Soothing Saturdays
We slept in. And it’s only someone as depressed as Edgar Allan Poe who dare say ““Sleep, those little slices of death — how I loathe them." I love my Saturday morning sleep in. During all the excitement I too sympathised with Dr Seuss who says when you’re in love sleeping is a waste as reality...
Rainy Days In A Kitchen
If you’re given lemons make lemonade, that’s what some clever person said. I’ve got 60 lemons and I’m going to make lemonade and Limoncello and a whole lot more. With that in mind I reckon it could be another fabulous Friday in my kitchen. My story today is twofold, one to produce products...
Pimping Up Pumpkins
We love food in this country, and not surprisingly as we produce such a diverse range of products, not to mention the most delicious too. On most highways or byways one’s sure to find a roadside stall selling local produce. We have many in our district, and today I showcase one of the very...
Neighing In Nuy
I decided to return to the Nuy Valley today, yesterday it was the mountain today it’s life at the foot of the mountain. Families have been living here for centuries, if you’re born here there’s really no reason to leave, so it’s more or less from the cradle to the grave! Once again the...
Announcing The Birth Of A Grandbaby - From Glama
FIRST OFF THE BAT: You look like me! We’re two peas in a pod and don’t let anyone tell you differently! That sweet button nose, those clear, big eyes and those pianists fingers, exactly. I know someone will try to mention liver spots, crow's feet, laughter lines, fallen arches and grey hair...
Our Majestic Mountains
Some people live their lives in a fishbowl. We live in a basin, a beautiful valley surrounded by majestic mountains. No matter which window we look out of we can see a mountain, albeit it’s tip or the cloud covering. When we travel to foreign places or upcountry the first thing I notice is...
Afterglow
I have important business to attend to tonight so it’s vital that I stay awake and alert. After a busy Monday mopping, dusting and polishing furniture my time is limited so I set up my camera during the blue hour (1 hour after sunset). The only cluster of lights in sleepy hollow is across...
Celebrating Mothers' Day
“When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.” Erma Bombeck. Tell me about it! I’m a Mother too so I took the day off to enjoy all the phone calls, messages and chats with...
Mothers' Day Musings
Now let’s be honest not everyone is in a celebratory mood. Not all women can be honoured and there are many who aren’t fit to be called Mother. Biblically Eve is “Mother” and she is revered, she’s honourable, above reproach, a person called by God to build a nation. Many African...
Just Freezing Moments
It’s the day before Mother’s day and the shops are abuzz with last minute shoppers buying gifts and cards. I had my first cuppa at about 9h45 this morning, it was a chill-out day for us as we only had to make an appearance at 12h30 for a luncheon appointment. Yesterday I devoured my new...
Autumn De Doorns
At eight o’clock this morning I was on the road to De Doorns, the weekend traffic on the N1 was already hectic with huge trucks from the North making haste to get to Cape Town before the weekend. At first I thought the valley was under a blanket of mist, which would make interesting pictures...
Autumn Happens In April
“Aprils have never meant much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” ― Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's I wish there were 36 hours in a day, then I might go to bed at night with a sigh and know I’ve done everything I had on my list. Someone’s untitled photograph...
Pooling Resources Right On Cue
Today was a highlight, who would’ve thought the South African Pool Championships is being held here, of all places, and has been so for a number of years. I almost lost my nerve, but I manned up, grabbed my camera and headed for the Pietman Hugo Hall at the Showgrounds. I was going cold...
Autumn Afternoon On Lorraine
Multi-tasking isn’t all it makes out to be. To concentrate on a single task should always be the order of the day, ask anyone with ADD. Like a faded rose of days gone by my Menopause makes me forgetful. No! I do believe it’s an over stimulated brain on the run that allows one to do more than...
First Milestone
Whoop-Whoop it’s a milestone, it’s a milestone, 30 continuous days of taking photographs! One 12th done and dusted! That deserves a Noddy badge. With only myself to blame for this I’ll have to pat my own shoulder! Now this is exactly where the problem starts. I have guests who are...
Fernkloof Farmers Market
One would think weekends would be ideal for a project such as mine, loads of time, relaxed, good photographic opportunities etc,. Today it's not for me, we’re just too busy and I’m in the mood for a lazy morning lolling around in my PJ's, a fragrant steamy coffee in bed with my book. Lifting...
Orange
No time to pontificate today. It’s a go, go, go day. Sun is shining; seas are calm and everyone’s in Lycra on a bicycle pumping those legs. It's Worker's day in our neck of the woods, a nice free day of relaxation, fun and sun. We’re heading into the village to see...
Just Another Day
Self-portraiture is something one should never get involved in, since it is wrong to lie even though one endeavours to tell the truth. (Ingmar Bergman) There are two things I’m really scared of No. 1 is a snake and No. 2 being photographed. And I’m not only talking “selfie” here. Selfie...
Dawn
This is it, the long weekend’s a thing of the past, we’re heading home. The sun rises a little later each morning and I can’t resist the red sky, it must be a shepherds warning. Fires have been raging all weekend, I can’t see the flames as they’re on the other side of a mountain range, but...
Seeing The Sunrise At Grotto Beach
I shot out of bed at 6h15 this morning, but, it wasn’t the alarm clock it was the house alarm and it shrieks like a banshee. Fortunately the untimely visitor was a spider spinning his web over the “eye” in the sitting room. Our call to arms and to make a dash down to Grotto beach for...
Sunset At Onrus Beach
“We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.” Marilyn Monroe. So it’s a new day and a new challenge. Sundays are family days and I had to be creative in the kitchen for a change. It may seem that I’m married to my trusty Canon but I have another...
Dirt Roads To Karwyderskraal
Early bird catches the worm. On a Saturday morning I like to wake up without the alarms’ clanging. The sky was a tomato red this morning, that must’ve been at about 6h30 and every time I opened my eyes it got better. Ansel Adams would’ve been out there with his tri-pod and camera set up...
A Dash Of Autumn
Three weeks done and dusted! Ok! so it’s not so great considering I have another 49 to go. Eish, it is a tall order and today’s not my best day, considering it’s Fabulous Friday, my favourite day. I’ve overdosed on Anti-histamine and I would rather sleep than do anything else. What I need...
Looking To See
Often what I have in my head just doesn’t materialise. White, that’s what I had in mind, but all I could see, was ORANGE. “Love is a blue balloon that wants to be orange. Go Gators!” ― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not FOR SALE. So sometimes white is orange too. Not what I’d planned,...
Time Pieces
“The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh”. Edward Weston This one excites me! Time is of the essence and it keeps ticking. I had the opportunity to...
Capturing Light - Karoo National Botanical Gardens
My camera has taught me to see and today my photography is about capturing light. That’s what happened in the very beginning when Alhazen invented the first pin-hole camera, light would enter the tiny hole, turn itself upside down and the image would be captured and projected onto the other...
Lean Pickings
Lean pickings today. More haste less speed. I met a girl who uses the dark as her backdrop, she shoots at night using a very slow shutter speed of 20 seconds, allowing her to add and remove elements creating magical scenes. I didn’t try that today, but tried the very opposite in...