Dirt Roads To Karwyderskraal

The early bird catches the worm.   On a Saturday morning, I like to wake up without the alarm’s 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 tripod and camera set up, making iconic photographs while I reclined at leisure. I hope this inspires you to enjoy the quiet beauty of early mornings and notice the world waking up around you.

On a day promising to be near perfect, my photographs will tell a story of what is going on around me in our beautiful valley. I want you to see the stories unfolding around us, fostering a sense of wonder and appreciation for the everyday scenes we often overlook.

I pack two cameras: one set up with a 100- 400 mm lens. I’d like to try my luck at capturing some Blue Cranes performing their mating dances.

On my second camera I’ve got my 24mm-105mm lens.  Perfect on a day like this when I plan to do some street photography (in the countryside) to see how the other half live and to capture images of athletes competing in various races.

We head off to the Hemel and Aarde Valley (Heaven and Earth Valley) and Tesselaarsdam, and decide to stick to dirt roads, which makes sudden stops tricky, so running back and forth will be the order of the day.

I find rustic dwellings fascinating and always try to take a closer look to see what’s lurking around the corner, encouraging you to notice similar details in your environment and find stories worth capturing.

This is wheat, cattle, and sheep country.  Farmers are preparing the soil for planting spring crops, herds of sheep are grazing, and there’s an opportunity to photograph my favourite cattle, the Nguni, and, as a bonus, a boy- he could be the herder,  keeping himself entertained playing while his cattle graze.

A tiring but fulfilling day.

“It’s about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. Start by noticing small details around you-rustic dwellings, animals, or people-and organize them into compelling images. Care about your surroundings and connect with the human stories they hold,”  Elliot Erwit advises, inspiring beginners to develop their observational skills.

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