The Shutternut

Seaside

2009-08-28T08:09:00.005+02:00

PhotoFriday's word for the week is 'Seaside'. Recently my family and I have taken to going to the beachfront early on a Sunday morning, parking the car and taking a long walk along the promenade. It's something I really enjoy doing and I find it's a great way to relax and de-stress. It doesn't help that we stop along the way for a huge breakfast, but then isn't that what Sunday mornings are for? Hope you like today's pic.

My Favourite Spot

2009-07-17T07:22:00.003+02:00

One of my favourite spots in the world has to be a place called Fairways. It's a group of chalets situated on the golf course of the Drakensberg Gardens resort in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. We go there for a week every year at roughly the same time, and it's a holiday I really look forward to. This pic is taken from the Glen Gary Country Club dam at about 5:30 in the morning, when the temperature was only 1°C!!

Dandelion

2009-07-13T08:01:00.004+02:00

The other day I decided to try a lens reversal technique I'd read about, basically reversing a 55mm lens and mounting it in front of a 200mm lens. It works pretty well but depth of field is practically non-existant. Vigetting is also a bit of a problem but I think the pro's far out-weigh the cons. This kind of photography seems to open up a whole new world that we never see, and I find that fascinating!

Eye Spy!

2009-07-10T07:30:00.002+02:00

I spied a new website the other day called 'PhotoFriday'. I used to try a daily photo challenge at another site but with family, work, social life and other commitments, I found it hard to achieve a good shot every single day. PhotoFriday is similar but they give you a challenge word every Friday and you've got the rest of the week to submit your pic. Today's word is 'Eyes', so I hope you like my first entry.

Such a poser!

2008-11-16T14:04:00.003+02:00

I have a small water feature in my garden which I bought to encourage nature and wildlife. It's also great for the kids as there's often a frog or crab, or a few hundred tadpoles swimming about. Usually as soon as you approach the pond, the frogs and crabs scatter, so you have to be really quiet and not make any sudden moves. Yesterday however, when I got out my camera to take a few shots, this little chap didn't budge. On the contrary, he seemed to enjoy every moment. Me too actually.

Brushing up my skills

2008-11-07T07:30:00.003+02:00

We are SO busy at work at the moment as we've been invited to tender for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. It's a HUGE honour involving only 11 design houses in the whole world, but there's a lot to do. Basically I get to run into the office in the morning, read the daily prompt, shoot my pic and upload, all in about ten minutes. So you'll have to forgive me if it looks at though not much thought has gone into my pics, because it's true!!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

2008-11-06T07:44:00.002+02:00

So often in life, it’s the simple things that get out of hand and become a real mission. Like trying to untangle a pile of wire clothes hangers, or undoing a knot in my sons shoelace. This morning I thought I’d shoot a roll of tape for today’s HS:MS:HS prompt, which is ‘cling’. Before I knew it everything was stuck to everything else, and somthing simple had become a mission. Lots of fun though, and I’m pleased with the result.

I went for a walk

2008-11-04T13:03:00.002+02:00

I went for a walk today. It's been such a rough day at the office today that by lunchtime I'd had enough and decided to go for a walk. I've been working for this company for over a year now and still don't know the area at all. Basically I drive to work and drive home, so it was quite interesting seeing sights I've never seen before, one of which was today's 'shimmering' gate.

And your point is?

2008-11-04T07:19:00.002+02:00

Today's HS:MS:HS word is 'broken' and do you think I can find something broken? The brakes on my car need fixing, but I can't photograph that, my airconditioner is making a funny rattling noise, but I can't shoot that either. It seems everything that's broken can't be photographed. So I thought about a pencil, and can you believe it, not a broken pencil anywhere. Oh well, there is now!! Now where did I put the sharpener...?

Passage of time...

2008-10-31T07:59:00.003+02:00

I wish I'd bought my new camera years ago. A lot of my photos were taken a while ago with my old camera which was a cheap point and shoot digital camera that came free with the video camera we bought, and it's that little cheapie that got me hooked on photography. When I look back at old pics knowing what I know now, I often think I could have done better had I done this or that. But I suppose that's what it's all about, getting better all the time.

light@night

2008-10-29T07:54:00.003+02:00

I feel bad for using today's pic because I took it a while ago. For me, the whole purpose of HS:MS:HS is to challenge me to think daily about how I'm going to shoot something so that my photography improves. It's shouldn't be a case of pulling out something I shot a while ago. But I couldn't resist using today's pic because it's so appropriate and it's one I really like so you'll have to forgive me today. That being said, here's today's 'Light'.

Glossing over things

2008-10-28T07:36:00.002+02:00

Boy am I thrilled with this pic. I had actually given up on today's prompt and was getting ready to leave for work this morning. I was moving the car out of the garage when I noticed the 'glossy' part of the gear lever. Needless to say I ran back into the house and grabbed my camera, got as low as possible in the car, and snapped off four or five good shots. I'll admit I played with the contrast a little to get the shadows a bit darker, but overall, I'm very happy.

An Apple a Day...

2008-10-24T10:08:00.000+02:00

I really enjoyed shooting today’s pic. As soon as I saw the prompt I thought of photographing my computer, which has the Apple logo on the side. It’s not exactly colourful but I still think it makes a great subject. It was either this or a can of Appletiser in the fridge, but I thought this one would be a little more original. Usually I snap a few pics and choose the best one to upload, this time however I took the first pic and was happy with it straight away.

Letting off Steam!

2008-10-23T07:17:00.003+02:00

You'll have to forgive me for today's boring pic, but because I was stuck at the office all day, I really didn't get a chance to invest any thought into today's HSMSHS word of the day. And because we're an ad agency where everything is industrial and mechanical, there's nothing 'moist' to shoot, except for our very loyal and somewhat abused kettle, our faithful caffiene provider!! This shot is a close-up of the top of the kettle where a bit of steam seems to escape and condense on the lid.

Reflections on life...

2008-10-21T08:08:00.002+02:00

As I'm sure you're aware, we recently returned from a week away in the Drakensberg, which is a beautiful mountain range here in South Africa. While we were there it snowed which was totally out of charater for this time of the year, and it was the first time ever that my kids got to play snow. There's a small lake in the resort which is the subject of today's pic. I would have loved the water to be still so that the reflections could have been more visible, but sadly it wasn't the case. I'm still pretty pleased with the resluts.

Dump the whole lot!

2008-10-21T07:40:00.002+02:00

I often worry about whether or not to compose a shot to make it look as natural as possible, or to leave it as I found it, which is probably more natural, although sometimes it doesn't look natural, make sense? No! Today's HSMSHS word is 'set' and last nigh I thought about some tools, either a set of spanners or a socket set. The problem was how to spread them on the kitchen counter to shoot them. After much fiddling about I eventually just dumped the whole lot and shot them where they lay.

Serendipity

2008-10-20T07:21:00.003+02:00

I don't usually take part in SOS prompts, not because I don't want to, but because weekends usually consist of soccer in the mornings, shopping before lunch, working in the garden after lunch and church in the evening, ie not much time for practicing photography. However while working in the garden this time, I saw this HUGE drogonfly, easily the largest I've ever seen, and he was quite happy to let me take a few shots.

Baked (not fried)

2008-10-17T07:49:00.002+02:00

On a recent trip to see family in Johannesburg (about 5 hours by car) we decided to take the kids to the zoo. If there's one thing South Africa has that we're really proud of, it's our wildlife. We have what we call the Big 5: Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, as well as many others like giraffe, hippo, cheetah, etc. But the one I'm not that fond of is the crocodile, and even though I don't like them much, I couldn't help shooting these two 'baking' in the sun.

To have and to hold...

2008-10-16T07:28:00.002+02:00

If there's one thing I'm learning through photography, it's that I'm beginning to see beautiful things in everyday life that ordinarily I would have missed. In the past I would have seen my son pick a flower and I would have thought 'how sweet' and carried on doing what I was doing. These days I'm constantly thinking what a beautiful shot it would make. Again, I can't claim the credit for today's pic, thanks go to my ever alert wife (who's already claimed my old camera. This hobby could get rather expensive).

Sorry Stripes

2008-10-15T13:51:00.003+02:00

The HMSHS word for today is 'Stripes'and I've been battling to find something different. I'd love to spend some time on today's prompt in order to come up with something good, but with this week's workload, that's not going to happen. So after giving it a bit of thought I finally thought of shooting a barcode. Colourless... I know. Boring... yes, but sadly, this is all I have. Sorry.

Taking a Dip

2008-10-14T07:36:00.003+02:00

Boy, has life been hectic!! I've really missed taking part in our daily prompts these last few days, but I'm making a conserted effort to keep up to date. The new HSMSHS site looks great by the way, it's nice to have a male reference in the title too! Anyway... on to today's prompt. The word for the day is 'Dip' and I couldn't help thinking about this pic my wife took while we were away (I can't claim the credit here). I think she did a great job catching me 'dipping' my fingers in the water, just before taking a dip in the stream! Needless to say there was still a little snow around and the water was FREEZING, but tons of fun nevertheless.

I'm Back!!

2008-10-06T07:44:00.002+02:00

I was so excited to be able to take some awesome pics while I was away to show all the non-South Africans how beautiful our country is. The sun always shines and it's always perfect beach weather. How ironic then that while we're away South Africa has freak, once in a lifetime weather including six inches of SNOW!! This NEVER happens!! At least today's prompt fits my holiday perfectly. And what's with this secretive surprise in a few days?!? Maybe one site where we all upload our pics? Perhaps taking turns to provide prompts? Will have to wait and see...

Big, really BIG!

2008-09-19T07:52:00.002+02:00

Today's HS:MS pic is a cheat from our overseas holiday, and the reason I had to use it was because I was packing all night for our week away at the Drakensberg. There was a traffic jam this morning and I happened to be on the bottom level of a four level interchange. Had I stuck my head out the window and photographed straight up showing all four levels, it would have made the perfect 'big' photo. BUT MY CAMERA WAS PACKED LAST NIGHT FOR OUR HOLIDAY!!! That'll teach me to leave home without it. Oh well... NO MORE SLEEPS!!

Tender, Sweet and Juicy

2008-09-18T07:41:00.003+02:00

Yesterdays HS:MS word was juicy and I really wanted to try something other than fruit. When I first saw what the word was I thought there would be so many different things to try, but when it got down to the actual shooting, I was stumped. So fruit it is. Tomorrow my family and I are going to the Drakensberg for a well-deserved 7 day break, so this blog may be pretty quiet for a few days, but hopefully when I get back I'll have tons of pics to show you. I can't wait to show all the non-South Africans out there just how beautiful our country is. ONE MORE SLEEP!!

Time floating by...

2008-09-17T09:22:00.001+02:00

I was packing the car the other morning, school bags, lunch boxes, etc, while my son was really taking his time about getting ready. There seems to be some sort of law of physics where the speed of the child in the morning is inversely proportional to how late you’re running, in layman’s terms, the later you are, the slower the kid. But if he hadn’t commented on the beautiful sunrise, I’d never have noticed it. I keep harping on about how everything is such a rush these days, and yet don’t seem to slow down myself. Sometimes us adults needs to stop and smell the proverbial roses once in a while.

All in a Row

2008-09-16T07:23:00.003+02:00

Today's HS:MS word is 'Row' which actually has three different meanings. The one means objects or people in a straight line, the second means to propel a boat, and the third is an arguement. In order to clear up any confusion, the HS:MS girls give us the definition they want us to shoot which today is the first one, things in a straight line. I'm at the office at the moment (where it's always organised chaos), and the only things in a row here are the keys on my keyboard and the CDs in a rack. So here's my row...

Passion

2008-09-14T17:46:00.005+02:00

There are lots of things I’m really passionate about, the first being my family, with photo- graphy, gardening, my job, diy, and many others after them. But to choose one is pretty difficult, especially when you have to photograph it somehow. I’ll always have tons of pics of my family, as well as my DIY projects and my gardening exploits. But the one passion I don’t have many pics of is Springbok rugby, so I took out my shirt, camera and tripod and captured my passion!

Over the top!!

2008-09-11T13:05:00.003+02:00

For those of you that follow rugby, you may have heard of the Absa Stadium, home of the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks, and a stadium favourite of the South African Springbok Rugby Team (current World Cup champions). I recently got to do an aerial photoshoot from the roof of the stadium, which was AMAZING!! The fact that we had no harnesses, rigging or any other safety gear made it even more of an adrenalin rush, and to top it off, the wind was blowing gales. Talk about over the top!

Bag Lady/Man?!?

2008-09-11T07:50:00.003+02:00

The girls at HS:MS are making things so hard for me!! The prompt yesterday was for something purple, which ended up being a flower, and today's word is 'baglady' (and I'm niether a lady, nor do I carry a bag). Anita and Kirsty, if you're reading this, how about once a month or so we have a REALLY masculine word like 'Rugby' or perhaps 'Powertool'. Just kidding, if anything, it get's me to really think about what I'm shooting, which is a good thing I suppose. That being said, today's pic is of my camera bag.

The Colour Purple

2008-09-09T13:13:00.003+02:00

I really tried hard to do something other than a flower for today's HS:MS challenge. The word today is 'purple' and boy did I search. There's a Steers takeaway up the road which has some perforated sheet metal signage with purple strip lighting behind it, looks stunning but in the noonday sun photographs terribly. There's another shop further down actually called Purple Fantasy, but they wouldn't let me photograph their shop 'for security reasons'. Oh well, a flower it is...

Sweets for my sweet.

2008-09-09T08:29:00.001+02:00

Moms are SO good. Whenever my kids and I crave something sweet we rush to the emergency sweet container, which is usually crammed to capacity with the most tartrazine loaded, sugar embedded rubbish on the planet. Some of the stuff even I won’t eat, like the sour worms or the jelly brains, but the kids love it, and we as parents have to monitor their junk intake. Moms, on the other hand are amazing when it comes to self control. Their weekly sugar intake is a breath mint or a chewing gum, sugar free mind you, and recommended by two out of three dentists. I just don’t get it...

Someone’s Portrait Saturday

2008-09-06T16:50:00.002+02:00

My son has to be one of the most camera-shy people I know, and yet today when I caught him singing with his sister’s microphone he didn’t seem to mind at all when I whipped out the camera. He’ll never forgive me when one day he realises that I’ve photographed him using a ‘Barbie’ branded microphone to sing along to Hannah Montana, and then published it on the net for the whole world to see. Oh well, isn’t that a parent’s job, to embarrass their children?

Peter Pointer...

2008-09-06T16:44:00.001+02:00

I didn’t get a chance to do yesterday’s prompt which was the word ‘point’, but fortunately today we decided to have a braai (barbeque for all you other nationalities) and I managed to catch the kids pointing at the flames. I’m quite proud of my built-in barbeque because I built it myself and have just recently completed it. I’ve never done any bricklaying before, so this is quite an accomplishment for me. Perhaps this pic should have been used for “Show off Sunday”...

Enter (if you dare)

2008-09-04T16:44:00.003+02:00

Now this HS:MS prompt was fun!! Firstly I had to find a website that had a 'click to enter' page, and believe me there are some really, REALLY weird sites out there. Secondly, I'm so used to uploading from a camera to the internet, not the other way round, shooting from the net onto my camera. Her Space:My Space is constantly challenging us to think differently and I'm loving it!

Hedge Hog?

2008-09-04T07:47:00.002+02:00

When my wife and I first moved into our home, the garden (if you could even call it a garden) was shocking. The grass was knee high, with almost no other plants, and a rickety old fence that was standing against all odds. We've since managed to rescue the grass, rebuild the fence and fill the garden with all sorts of wonderfull green foliage. Unfortunately it's winter at the moment which means everything is dry and half dead so today's HS:MS pic isn't that impressive, but at least it's here!

A Romantic Getaway...

2008-09-02T13:06:00.002+02:00

Today's HS:MS prompt is the word 'Romantic' and as I'm stuck at the office all day I can't really shoot a spontaneous shot of something romantic, so I'm having to resort to sifting through holiday pics. I love a romantic fireplace every now and then, and sadly, in South Africa where it's always warm, we don't get to enjoy them often enough. We'll be going to the Drakensberg in a couple of weeks, where the nights are always cold, so who knows. A romantic getaway?

Gate

2008-09-02T07:44:00.004+02:00

We recently went on our first ever overseas holiday! We've had to save for a really long time to be able to afford it as the exchange rate between us in South Africa and England is 16 to 1. Basically buying a beer at home would cost about 12 Rand, whereas in England it would cost me about 190 Rand for the same beer. Scary! But the one thing I loved about England was their castles which provided amazing photographic opportunities. Today's HS:MS word is 'gate' and this particular gate was at Carrisbrook Castle. It's a awesome gate, hundreds of years old, beautifully weathered and easily over 20 feet tall.

Show Off Sunday

2008-08-31T15:30:00.004+02:00

Yesterday we had an awesome evening. We met our friends (three other couples) at a place called T-rifik which is an amazing kids adventure venue complete with water cannons, treasure caves and mini theatre productions that take place every 30 minutes. But the best part is the adults get their own section, so while our kids are all getting it out of their systems, all us adults are enjoying each other’s company over a few cocktails and some snacks. Afterwards, once the sun had set, we took a walk along the promenade, where of course I had my camera ready! Enjoy today’s ‘show-off’ pic.

Y is for Yoyo

2008-08-29T20:07:00.002+02:00

I was going to give today’s HS:MS prompt a miss today due to time constraints. As I mentioned yesterday (and probably the day before too) work this week has been chaotic. So when I got home this evening I opened a bottle of wine for my wife and I and prepared to settle down on the couch and hopefully catch a good movie. It was while I was opening the wine that I spotted the perfect letter Y for today’s prompt. Needless to say, before I sat down I was up again to take a photo and later I’ll get to settle down. Up down up down, just like a yoyo!

I for Indigo

2008-08-28T07:59:00.004+02:00

Today's HS:MS prompt is the letter 'i' and my pic is a cheat from a few weeks ago. Things have been a bit hectic lately so I've had to resort to digging up something from the past. Which is a bit sad actually because every day I look forward to the challenge of looking around my world to find something appropriate, and I'm really missing that today. Oh well, as soon as my work life calms down, I'll be back!!

E is for echo echo echo...

2008-08-27T13:09:00.002+02:00

Today's pic, for me, was a no brainer (probably because I have 'no brain'). As soon as I saw that today's HS:MS prompt was the letter 'E' I immediately thought of a traffic light. I believe first world countries refer to them as traffic lights, but here in good old South Africa they're called 'Robots'. I'll admit this one could use a coat of paint, but I actually prefer the battered, rusty look.

O is for Mosaic?

2008-08-26T13:08:00.003+02:00

I have a LOT of respect for people that do mosaic work. To slowly, painstakingly break tiles into tiny little pieces, only to put it all back together in a different pattern, baffles me. I suppose there's some sort of therapeutic release, an unwinding or relaxing process for some people, but I'm not one of them. I prefer instant gratification ie: I want it, and I want it NOW! I suppose that's why I like photography. Click, here's my 'O', finished.

The perfect Double You

2008-08-25T20:32:00.002+02:00

This last week at the office has been chaos, and today was no exception. It’s frustrating wanting to spend time searching for the right ‘W’ to photograph only to have to shoot whatever you can because of time constraints. But shooting today’s pic was great, because it’s a shot of a wooden bowl of ‘Monkey Balls’ in my living room that was right in front of me. And I think the bird’s legs make the perfect ‘Double You’!!

Someone's Portrait Saturday

2008-08-25T07:28:00.003+02:00

I'm learning (very quickly) that some of the best photos are taken when the subject doesn't know it's been taken. Today's pic for example was shot at the beach while sitting under a cliff type overhanging rock thingy (don't know what you'd call it). I noticed my son looking out to sea, totally mesmerised by the waves, and thought it would make a great pic. I think I was right...

The Elusive Boobs

2008-08-22T20:29:00.003+02:00

I’ve been looking for ‘the letter B’ all day and it’s only now, towards the end of the day that I’ve found one. It’s not the best and I’ve used a bit of creative licence, but I’m sure if you look carefully you’ll see the two curves on the car’s dashboard as the curves from the elusive ‘letter B’. It was frustrating to shoot because I couldn’t fit a tripod on the driver’s seat, so in trying to hold the camera still I kept moving and blurring the shot. It turned out pretty well though.

Q for Quebec

2008-08-21T07:49:00.002+02:00

This was an easy one! I can't start my day without a cup of coffee, not even the daily HS:MS challenge comes first. As I was making my first cup I looked down at the cup and thought it would make a great 'Q'. (I seem to be doing that a lot lately, I'm seeing letters of the alphabet EVERYWHERE). Anyway, after my morning caffienne intake I logged on and hey presto, today's challenge was the letter 'Q'. So here's mine!

'Jay' walking is not a crime

2008-08-20T12:52:00.003+02:00

I've been wracking my brain trying to find a 'J' pic!! I finally found a right turn arrow while driving and had to pull over quickly and 'jay' walk across the road. I must have looked like such a fool waiting for a gap in the traffic, dodging cars and buses, only to photograph the ground and then run back. The things we do for our hobbies...

V is for Victory

2008-08-19T07:49:00.003+02:00

You're gonna have to excuse me from yesterday's HS:MS challenge but I worked a 14 hour shift and couldn't get a chance to shoot an "S". So this morning I made sure I got to the office a little earlier so that I could find a "V". I looked EVERYWHERE, and just when I was about to give up, there was a "V" right in front of me. V is for Victory! BTW, these 'letter' challenges are harder than they sound.

SOS and SPS?

2008-08-18T10:41:00.005+02:00

It was my daughter's eighth birthday this weekend, feel's like she only recently turned three!! She's a total High School Musical ADDICT so the party had to have HSM invites, decorations, posters, etc. So with showing off in mind, today's pic is the poster I created for the party. I've Photoshopped her into the pic so it looks as though she's standing in the pic along with the cast members. She LOVED it!! Don't know how I'm gonna top this next year.

Brace(let) yourself!

2008-08-14T20:57:00.003+02:00

I’m not one for jewellery, I wear my wedding band and that’s about it. However my wife and kids saw a bracelet once and thought it would suit me, and I have to say I really REALLY like it. It also seems to be a lucky charm of sorts because I’ve lost it twice and managed to find it both times. Once the clasp opened and it fell off my arm and straight into my jacket pocket. Talk about lucky.

Chew on this...

2008-08-13T21:02:00.005+02:00

Now this prompt was LOTS of fun, lots of bright colours, plenty of fun shapes, and something to chew on while I'm typing out the post. And my typing speed sucks so I can probably get through another three or four cherry-flavoured chews before I finish this. This is the one prompt where I was offered SO much help from my daughter, she offered to sort through our secret stash to find the sweets she thought to be the right colours. I think while you take a look at today's pic, I'll finish off these chews.

Can you see it...?

2008-08-12T16:23:00.005+02:00

I love this pic. I had absolutely NO intention of making my daughter's outline a perfect triangular shape, but obviously that's what happened. For those of you that can't see it there's a triangle from the top of her head, to the tip of her toes, to the seat of her pants and back to the top of her head. (I had to point it out to some friends at work, that's why I feel obliged to explain). It's a cheat from a recent holiday, but it's the perfect opportunity to show it off.

African lightning protection?!?

2008-08-11T12:56:00.003+02:00

I've been living in South Africa almost my whole life and I'm only now beginning to recognise her beauty. Today's HS:MS prompt is 'leaves' and my pic is of an Aloe Aristata (Guinea-Fowl Aloe). Africa is full of superstition, and as a result this aloe is grown in a pot to protect the African homestead from lightning strikes and is also sometimes ingested as a medicine to induce pregnancy. Unfortunately it's now on the endangered list but nevertheless has a beautiful set of leaves.

Stealing Love Jones

2008-08-11T07:31:00.002+02:00

Today the company I work for hosted a 7km fun walk to raise funds for a safe haven used to house abused women and their children. We called the event "Tarts with Hearts" and encouraged all the walkers to dress up like a tart, fishnet stockings, feather boas, the works (All the guys too!!). After the walk we were entertained by one of South Africa's top rock bands "Stealing Love Jones" who were AWESOME. Today's pic is Esjay's portrait.

I’m just a little rusty

2008-08-07T20:43:00.001+02:00

Today’s rusty pic is of an old ‘block & tackle’ pulley I found at the harbour while fishing a long time ago. Today a typical pulley would be made of cast iron not wood, so it was quite a find. I vowed I would polish it up and get rid of the rust, basically get it back into top condition, but as we all know, there are too many other priorities in life. And so the rusty pulley, like us all, slowly gets older and more rusty adding to it’s already unique character.

To have and to hold

2008-08-07T07:31:00.002+02:00

One of the things I don't like is posed photographs, however yesterday I was racking my brain for something to shoot and I eventually gave up and got my wife to sit on the couch and hold my son's hand while they watched TV. That gave me a few minutes to move around taking a few shots. So while it's a typical child/parent hand-holding pic, I think it's come out okay.

In the 'swing' of things

2008-08-06T07:43:00.002+02:00

I ran around last night trying to find a 'swing' to photograph, until my wife suggested I shoot our parrot. His name is Buttons and he's about 12 years old. Sometimes he can be a right pain (like immitating a telephone ring as you're leaving the house, causing you to run back inside) and other times he can be very sweet (like barking at our dogs!) Either way he is definitely a VERY big part of the family.

Nice set of pipes...

2008-08-05T07:35:00.004+02:00

This HS:MS daily challenge gets you to look around and see the world a little differently every day, and I'm loving it. Today's challenge was interesting: trying to find something unique and perhaps even beautiful in something as ordinary as a pipe. Last night saw me crawling around the house trying to find a pipe that's at least a little interesting, and I eventually shot these that are in my garage.

Such a show off!!

2008-08-04T07:32:00.002+02:00

One of the things I'm truly blessed with is the townhouse complex we stay in. My kids have tons of friends and can safely play whenever and wherever they wish. All the neighbours get along well and the complex is well maintained and always looks good. They've recently installed night lighting in our gardens and I think the results are spectactular.

SPS (Someone’s Portrait Saturday)

2008-08-03T16:33:00.003+02:00

One of my family’s favourite holiday destinations is a guest farm in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands area. It’s an actual working farm where the kids get to ride horses, milk cows, etc, and at the moment we try to get away to the farm at least once a year. This is a portrait I took of my son while we were there and is a firm favourite of mine. One thing I NEVER do is pass up an opportunity to show off when it comes to my kids. So here is today’s SPS.

What a 'knot' I got!

2008-08-01T13:17:00.002+02:00

Today's HS:MS word is 'knot' and what a lot of fun this one's been. I've been paging through books looking for just the right phrase to shoot, one that has a word ending in K before the word NOT. I think the result was well worth the effort. (I'm really enjoying this HS:MS daily challenge)

Hayfever season

2008-08-01T07:34:00.002+02:00

Sorry it's late but I only managed to get aroung to shooting late last night. It's hayfever season here in South Africa. It's our winter at the moment (not that we actually have winters) and everything is dry and brittle. The air gets full off dry African dust which can lead to terrible hayfever and runny noses. Today's pic is of my son's nasal spray, which at the moment is always close at hand.

It's pouring!!

2008-07-30T12:39:00.005+02:00

This is my nephew's Christening a few weeks ago, and I've been dieing for a chance to use this shot. So when HS:MS used the word 'Pour' for today's prompt I jumped at the chance of uploading it. What a pleasant surprise. Thanks Anita and Kirsty. (PS: No children were harmed in the taking of this photograph, in fact he had a blast)

Please forgive me

2008-07-30T10:47:00.003+02:00

Okay so today's post is a bit of a cheat! I've posted this image before but I really like it and because today's HS:MS prompt is 'wave' it's really appropriate. My problem is that by the time I get home from work in the evening, it's dark so I don't have any natural light to shoot in. Hope you'll all forgive me for using this!!

Weathered

2008-07-29T07:36:00.002+02:00

Yesterday I joined an amazing blog called 'Her Space: My Space'. Basically they give you a daily prompt, you could call it the word of the day, and the trick is to shoot the word, whichever way you want. You could take it literally or you could view the word in a real abstract way. Either way, it looks like lots of fun, and it's great to see all the different members' interpretations of the daily word. That being said, today's word is 'weathered' and here's my attempt.

Quite by fluke

2008-07-28T14:50:00.003+02:00

Shooting a photo at lunchtime (the only chance I get these days) is proving to be terrible. The light is too harsh and the shadows are a real problem. So when I popped out the other day to see what I could get, I didn't get my hopes up. But just when I think I know what I'm doing, I get a great pic when I think I won't. Make sense? No. Me neither. Actually I think it's all the shadows that make this shot. If I hadn't taken it, I would swear this was shot early morning or late afternoon, not harsh midday sun.

This was such a hoot!

2008-07-22T08:21:00.001+02:00

This is the other stadium pic I mentioned a couple of days ago. It’s one I’m submitting to the Institute of Civil Engineering’s annual photo competition. I just hope it’s in time because the competition closes on Friday and today’s Tuesday! That only gives me a couple of days to get the photos to Johannesburg, and with South Africa’s notoriously slow postal service, I’ll be thrilled if they even get there, late or otherwise. This pic was tons of fun to shoot, standing on the side of the road at night with a tripod. I swear every single car that passed me hooted and waved!!

The beauty all around us

2008-07-21T07:45:00.001+02:00

As I said the other day, I'm always looking for interesting and unusual things to shoot, in the hope that I'll create a really unique photo. And I usually have to look hard. But perhaps now that I'm seriously getting into photography I'm learning to see beauty in my immediate surroundings instead of being blasé about it, or taking these beautiful things for granted. Yesterday while washing the car I couldn't help notice how stunning this pot plant looks, a pot plant that's been standing there for years now. I hope you find it stunning too.

2010 Soccer World Cup

2008-07-18T08:41:00.001+02:00

South Africa is in the process of getting ready for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, and one of the many things needed are new stadiums. So when the South African Institute of Civil Engineers started a photographic competition involving construction, I leapt at the chance to shoot down to the new stadium in the hope of being able to shoot something worthy of being entered. I hope I've succeeded. I have another pic taken from the other side of the stadium and a little later in the evening when it's darker, but I'll keep that for another post.

My competitive streak

2008-07-15T16:40:00.003+02:00

The other day someone told me about a competition run by Canon which involves using their logo. As I’m always looking for fun, interesting things to shoot, I've never thought much about creatively shooting something as boring as a logo, so I thought I’d give it a bash. Today’s pic was literally a point and shoot as I only had about ten minutes but I think it’s come out quite well. I suppose I could do better with a bit of time, but sadly that wasn’t the case. Now I need to find out about how to enter the competition.

What a happy colour!

2008-07-14T13:40:00.000+02:00

In Durban we have a park called Mitchell Park. It’s been here forever and is really beautiful. The gardens are immaculate and there’s an animal section too, almost like a small zoo, with everything from pelicans to meerkats, and even a 100 year old tortoise! The walkway leading to the animal enclosures is always in full bloom, and today I couldn’t help but notice the most amazing yellow flowers. I couldn’t tell you what they are, but I can show you!

When opportunity knocks

2008-07-11T16:39:00.000+02:00

Today was loads of fun. One of the advertising execs at the office needed a photographer to go with him to the naval base in Durban to shoot a few generic pics. What a fantastic opportunity! It was great getting into high security areas where cameras aren’t normally allowed. Later on in the day we ended up on the roof of the Rugby stadium for an aerial shoot, but that’s a story for another time.

It's a piece of cake(fork)!

2008-07-09T11:49:00.001+02:00

At roughly the same time I bought a camera and started enjoying photography, my wife started a hobby of her own. Basically she wires beadwork onto cutlery, keyrings, and anything else that can be adorned with beads. She is really very good at it, and the finished products make beautiful gifts for birthdays, engagements, etc. Yesterday I photographed them for her in the hope she would start marketing them. I think they came out quite nicely!

She's still beautiful

2008-07-08T07:53:00.000+02:00

Our tickets for the Durban July were amazing. We were seated upstairs in the Royal Golf Course view room where fourteen of us shared a huge table with a long verandah overlooking the race course. The tickets also included an all-day buffet too, which kept us well fed. As the sun started setting and it began getting darker, Durban began switching the city light on, and even though Durban has a bit of decay creeping in, she is still a beautiful city.

And they're off!!

2008-07-07T08:14:00.000+02:00

This weekend saw the Durban July Horseracing event take place. It's a HUGE annual race meeting and a definite must on any social calendar. My wife and I were fortunate enough to be able to get tickets and had an amazing time, with good friends, good food and great atmosphere. Although I never gamble (because I never win) I was encourage to place a small bet on the main race if the day and actually won!!

You’ll never work again

2008-07-04T15:39:00.000+02:00

I’m a huge fan of Richard Branson. He has this philosophy which goes something along the lines of following your heart, and doing what you’re passionate about. People will recognise your passion and business will come naturally. One of the many benefits is that you’ll be having fun instead of feeling like you’re working, which means you’ll never work another day in your life. I’m busy with a project at the office at the moment and have taken a photo of the beadwork that’s involved. Although I’ve been involved in this project for weeks now, I haven’t ‘worked’ a single day. It’s wonderful!

Spellunking – the recreational sport of exploring caves

2008-07-03T08:02:00.000+02:00

Sometimes you can't tell what the subject of a photo is until it's explained to you, and I think that's the case for today, so I'll explain. While we were overseas we visited the town of Cheddar (where the cheese comes from, duh!) and one of their tourist traps is a geological wonder called Whookey Caves, a beatifully lit set of caves through which you can walk. This shot isn't bad considering I had no tripod and had to use a long exposure time.

Reflecting on Married Life

2008-07-02T07:42:00.000+02:00

My sister-in-law recently got married and booked the reception at a beautiful out-of-the-way resort. The reception was a huge success and provided quite a few photographic opportunities. I would love to have taken tons of typical 'wedding' photos to see if I would be any good at starting a little sideline business, but as the happy newly-weds had asked me to be the MC for the day, I was far too busy. I did however manage to snap a few pics around the resort the next day, one of which is today's upload!

Thank goodness for ZOOM

2008-06-26T07:45:00.000+02:00

I love pics that are slightly different from the usual happy snaps we so often see, so when taking a photo I often asked myself how I could make it different. A few days ago I posted a pic of some flames, centered nicely, capturing the whole image... a standard pic. But by getting in REALLY close to the fire, todays pic becomes different as it's not often I see tight shots of fire. I like it. Thank goodness we're able to zoom on a camera, otherwise I'd have no eyebrows left!

I'll have the same again, please.

2008-06-25T07:37:00.000+02:00

I'm really battling at the moment. Every time I take a photo it comes out looking like every other person's holiday snaps, something I know often bores the viewer. Out of every fifty or so pics I take maybe one or two are worth keeping, which means if I want to upload an image a day I need to be shooting a helluva lot!! Needless to say with work and family responsibilities I don't get to shoot as often as I need to, so I have to rely on archives of some of the better shoots to fill my daily post. Therefore today's pic is another beach morning scene from our recent holiday. Sorry.

Yeah, but is it art?

2008-06-24T07:28:00.000+02:00

In a way I think it is. What fascinates me the most is that graffiti is never seen being created, but is always noticed the next day, which means someone's doing it at night. And because it's always in an unlit area, they're doing it in the dark too. I think it takes a real talent to produce something like this at night, in the dark, and general quickly to avoid being caught. So irrespective of it's abstract concept, yes, I think it's art.

Playing with Fire

2008-06-23T09:49:00.000+02:00

One of the things you just HAVE to do while camping is to toast marshmellows and make ‘smores’. Inevitably one of my kids will lose their marshmellow in the fire and/or set their stick alight. Needless to say that photographing someone waving a flaming stick around at night always produces fun pics, especially when they start writing their names with the flames. At least, for once in our lives, we’ll get to see our names in lights! It’s wickedly delicious playing with fire!

Early to bed, early to rise...

2008-06-20T07:30:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday's post I loaded a pic of a wave crashing on the rocks, one I really like. After shooting that particular shot I waited until the sun actually started rising, and that's where it got a bit tricky. As the sun was rising so the lighting conditions were constantly changing. It was a case of take a shot, change an ISO setting, alter the exposure slightly, but still maintain shutter speed so that the water didn't blur, and take the next shot. Then do it all over again to take the shot after that. And I had to do it all quite quickly to get in as many shots as I could before the sun was fully risen. The things we do for our hobbies...

Campfires Burning

2008-06-19T07:27:00.000+02:00

There's nothing like a good campfire to bring out good times, good friends and good stories. Everyone seems to pull their chairs in a little closer and hug the blanket a little tighter. I love a good campfire, so relished in the idea of having one every evening while we were away. Of course I had my camera with me (I think it's becoming another apendage) and enjoyed photographing the flames. There's not much to today's pic, but I like it and hope you do too!

Smile at the sea, it'll wave back!

2008-06-18T07:30:00.000+02:00

It's great to be back!! We had an awesome time and enjoyed a well-deserved break. Four days of nothing but playing on the beach with my kids all day, braaing (barbequeing) in the afternoons, and enjoying a few drinks around the campfire in the evenings. This is the life. One of the other things I did was take a tripod down to the beach at dawn and managed to shoot a few nice pics of the sea while the sun was rising. I wanted to try it every day but I was there to relax remember, and relaxing involves sleeping in! I won't bore you with all the beach shots at once, so look out for more in the future.

Overdone, boring and tiresome!

2008-06-12T07:29:00.000+02:00

You've all heard the expression "Take a long walk on a short pier!". Well due to my lunchtime time constraints (1 hour minus driving and eating time) I only managed a short walk on a very long pier, and so I apologise for today's pic. I think it's boring and overdone. I've seen SO many of these they've become tiresome. I will however, let you know that Monday is a public holiday and my family and I are going away for a long weekend break so hopefully I'll be back with lots of great shots to upload. I'm hoping the annual Sardine Run will be here while we're at the coast so hold thumbs for me!

What looks right & what feels right

2008-06-11T07:30:00.000+02:00

I really like today's pic, although everything I'm reading about composition at the moment tells me this pic is wrong. According to the "rule of thirds" the tree should be over to the left or to the right. Also, I suppose more of the branches and less of the trunk would have been more appropriate. What I did was to shoot this shot the way the rulebooks say, and also this way, and I must admit, I think this way is better. Sometimes I feel it's better to go with your gut feel rather than what the pro's have written. I dunno, hmmm.

Arrivals & Departures

2008-06-10T13:26:00.000+02:00

I’ve often seen beautiful pics of birds in flight, or landing/taking off, and have always wanted to try it, but sitting waiting for birds to arrive can be a bit of a pain I suppose. So this morning I thought “What if I went to the beach front promenade where people feed the birds, then I wouldn’t have to wait at all. So needless to say I shot down at lunchtime and finally got to try it out. Not too bad for a first attempt.

Quiet Thanks...

2008-06-09T08:52:00.000+02:00

There’s something about shooting flora, especially flowers, that appeals to me. Perhaps it’s because when I worked for a gardening magazine as a Graphic Designer, I was always fascinated with the shots produced by two talented photographers who also worked there. Somehow they could take a plain looking flower or garden, and produce some stunning images. Perhaps it boils down re-affirming my faith in my Creator. How can anyone look at the amazing intricacies of the beauties nature has to offer and still doubt the existence of God? I always say a quiet ‘thank you’ when shooting a beautiful flower.

SK8

2008-06-06T12:55:00.001+02:00

While I was down at the beach yesterday I happened to walk past the skate park, and thought this had the potential for some awesome shots. I thought it best to ask the guys for permission to photograph them as I didn’t want a gang of thugs attacking me. Most of them didn’t have a problem with it, but two of them sneaked off and waited around the back until I had finished, before re-joining their friends. Not sure if they’re camera shy or guilty of something, but I didn’t really want to hang around and ask why.

The Waterboys

2008-06-06T07:42:00.000+02:00

I just HAD to get out of the office yesterday!! So instead of having lunch at the office like I usually do I grabbed my camera and headed for the beach. Fortunately it’s only 5 minutes away, so between driving and having something to eat, I had about half an hour to find a nice shot. There wasn’t much happening, probably because it was a work day, but I still managed to shoot today’s pic. I’m happy with it, but feel I really, really need to invest in a decent lens. Hope my wife's not reading this!!

Which do you prefer?

2008-06-05T08:03:00.000+02:00

I know I said look out for more “Trees at Night” in the future, I just didn’t think it would be so soon. I was going through the night shots I had taken and uploaded the one I liked the best (yesterday’s pic) but I’ve received quite a few comments about today’s shot. And although it’s not a personal favourite it seems to be with quite a few other people, so I guess it qualifies for an upload. I need some feedback from visitors to this blog, so click on ‘comment’ and let me know which one you prefer.

The Light at Night...

2008-06-04T13:02:00.000+02:00

Last night when I got home from work I noticed we’d had some lighting installed on the property of the complex in which I live. It’s something the Corporate Body have been discussing for a while now to strengthen the security of the common property, and they’ve FINALLY gotten around to doing it. And as usual, yours truly here (who needn’t be asked twice to whip out his camera) leapt at the opportunity to do a night shoot. It’s something I’ve been dieing to try, and I’m thrilled with the outcome. There are quite a few successful shots, so look out for more in the future!

Full speed ahead!

2008-06-02T12:58:00.000+02:00

Boy am I ever lovin' my new camera. Today's pic would never have been possible with el Cheapo! Being able to adjust shutter speed and exposure is amazing. Sometimes though the finished photo looks totally fake, not at all real, but I think photographers have a certain amount of creative licence that allows them to shoot however they wish, irrespective of how surreal the photo looks. I suppose all artists should have at least one abstract piece in their portfolio, and this is one of mine. I say one, because I'm sure there will be many, many more to come.

Nautical Nostalgia

2008-05-29T16:19:00.000+02:00

My sisters and I grew up around sailing boats. They both sailed for their high school team, and my friends and I always tagged along to meet girls from their school!! It was always tons of fun and a lot of my fondest teenage memories stem from that period of my life. So it goes without saying that I love anything to do with sailing. (Some years ago I was invited to take part in the Vasgo da Gama race from Durban to East London on a 40ft yacht, and it was truly amazing.) I happened to be at the harbour today and managed to snap a few shots of some of the yachts there. I particularly liked the symmetry of all the masts and had to really concentrate to apply the "Rule of Thirds". It's not much but I hope you like it.

Not always Black 'n White

2008-05-28T07:57:00.000+02:00

It's not often I try something in black and white. I love the look of it but feel one needs to be REALLY good or else it just looks like a newspaper pic. Today's pic was taken at a guest farm in the Natal Midlands and I was just taking a chance I suppose. I've never read up about shooting in black and white, something I really should do a bit a of research on. So with that being said, I'll add it to my 'to do' list and carry on happy-snapping! Enjoy today's newspaper pic.

"Shootin' Fish"

2008-05-27T07:37:00.000+02:00

Another hobby I've recently acquired is that of aquarium keeping. As I mentioned earlier we went to the UK on holiday and stayed with my sister and brother-in-law. He has four tanks in their home and I fell in love straight away. I vowed to get a tank as soon as we got home, and needless to say we now have two!! When I bought the tank it came with a few fish, one of which is today's subject. I never realised that shooting fish could be so tricky, the damn things never stay still. Something I'm learning VERY quickly with photography though, is that if I take fifty shots, I can walk away with at least 3 good ones!

New life for old...

2008-05-26T08:10:00.001+02:00

There's something about cemetaries that gets to me. Not too sure what it is, whether it's the amount of history held in one little field, or the calming serenity that causes me to thank God for my awesome wife and amazing kids. I suppose it makes me think about the things that are really important in life, not my job, or my car, but the really important things like loved-ones. Anyway, enough of the dramatics... I loved the moss growing on this gravestone, not only the shape and positioning, but also the vibrant green/yellow colour. It looked so fresh, young and new, and really contradicted the age and colour of the rock. Hope you like it too!

Catch 'em while you can

2008-05-23T07:45:00.000+02:00

Today's caption is "catch 'em while you can" and it's actually two fold. I'll explain, firstly I seem to take my camera wherever I go these days (hope I don't look too much like a tourist?!!) basically with a fear that I'm going to miss an awesome opportunity for a truly great shot. I want to be able to sieze the opportunity should it arise, ie "catch it while I can". The second part is that my kids are growing SO fast it's scary. I need to catch them while I can as well. This pic was lots of fun trying to shoot, I had to climb on the roundabout with the kids and really balance, needless to say the kids were killing themselves laughing which just added to the mood of the shot. Caught them while I could!!

Timing is everything!

2008-05-22T07:33:00.001+02:00

One of the problem's I had with 'el Cheapo' was not being able to adjust shutterspeed. It would frustrate me no end to have a great shot in mind, and not be able to achieve it. To get a long shutter time I'd have to use a night setting which in turn would overexpose my pic, unless of course the natural light was pretty low. I was, however, able to capture today's pic by waiting until late in the afternoon and getting down low in the valley where it's slightly darker. Despite the muddy tripod and soggy socks I think it was well worth the effort.