Good morning Cape Town! (and Durban 
)!
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Canon South Africa G3X, F8, 1/100 sec. ISO 320. Fixed lens at 49 mm. Joby 30 cm tripod. 24-12-2016, 05:54.
“When a hundred men stand together, each of them loses his mind and gets another one” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Do you still have your own mind and freedom, or are desperately trying to fit in and keep everyone happy (except yourself)?
Canon South Africa 550D, 24-105mm, F9, 1/125 sec, ISO 400, hand-held — in Sani Pass, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.
On Tuesday morning, 24 March 2015 I woke up before sunrise and headed up the hill to the top of Mt. Thesiger at around this spot GPS: -31.603330, 29.527454 Port St John’s.
I set up my Canon South Africa camera from Orms (6D & 17-40mm L lens) and tripod in anticipation of the forthcoming sunrise. The river lodges were some 300 m or more below and could faintly see their lights through the mist or low clouds.
It was calm, peaceful and dead quiet except for the medium-size predatory birds that were circling the mountain and squawking at each other. Every so often they would fly fairly close and it was amazing to hear their wings “woof – woofing” through the air.
The view across to Mt Sullivan on the other side of the river was glorious to say the least for about three minutes or less at one point of the sunrise. The sun then “disappeared” but not completely, although there was no more golden light forcing through the somewhat thick clouds.
The accompanying photo is a panoramic-stitch of two separate photos, which takes one’s eyes in a westerly direction or so up the mighty Umzimvubu River, which I traced on a map all the way up to the Lesotho border.
The photo was originally going to be called Phillips’ View but was then changed to “Beyond the Gates of Port St John’s”. Settings F11, ISO 320 & 0.4 sec. Stitching done via LR export into PS. Outspan Inn
Where’s my backpack? Amapondo Backpackers Amapondo backpackers Port St Johns Cremorne Estate, Port St Johns, Port St Johns Spottedgrunterresort Port St Johns #landscape #canon #canonsouthafrica #transkei #nature #hills #valleys
Ever since I saw Carl Jason Smorenburg ‘s recent photo, I’ve been wanting to get my own photo of an aloe. I pulled over on the R34 outside Vryheid, hopped a fence and snapped this proud aloe. Next, I want a similar photo but with the sun coming up.
Canon 6D, 17/40mm, F9, 1/25 sec, ISO 320
The bitter aloe is most famous for its medicinal qualities, provided by the golden-brown sap of the leaves. The long, tapering leaves are green, sometimes with a slightly blue or reddish tinge, and bear sharp, brown teeth on the margins, and sometimes also on the surface of the leaf. Indeed, the scientific name of this species alludes to the prickly leaves, as ferox means ‘fierce’ in Latin. The leaves are arranged in a rosette, and as the leaves age and die, they remain attached to the plant, forming a ‘petticoat’ of dried leaves around the base of the stem. The flowers of the bitter aloe vary in colour from red to orange and yellow, and occasionally white, and are borne on spike-like heads.” ~ http://www.arkive.org/ — at Vryheid KZN
Andrew Harvard Photography 