Tag Archives: umhlanga

Don’t SAY rather DO

May 2, 2017 Andrew Harvard 1 Comment

In recent days a few friends and I were chatting about going / getting out there and doing / trying instead of just saying “I want to.. I’m thinking of..”.

The weather report last night indicated there would be little to no cloud this morning. Even when I got up at 04:30 all I could see was stars and no cloud.

Surprise! It was one of those magical mornings when the clouds suddenly appeared on Umhlanga Beach as I sat doing a long exposure of The Beverly Hills Hotel.

The clouds turned that lovely pink and the sky was a pretty blue for a while.

After shooting The Pearls Mall apartments I went onto the rocks and shot the sun popping the horizon before turning around to take a snap of my other favourite hotel: The Oyster Box (I really should have a standing invite to visit here or at The Beverly Hills Hotel Umhlanga Rocks after every early morning shoot 😉 for freshly ground filter coffee).

It was another shoot involving my Sigma South Africa 10-20 lens, which on the Canon South Africa 550D is the equivalent of 16 mm.

Holding thumbs that the Sigma 12-24 mm arrives soon for me to test on my 6D body. I thinks it’s going to be a cracker!

IMG_3290-Edit-Edit copy (Large)

Canon 550D 4 sec. ISO 100 F16

Photography

Believe in yourself

November 18, 2016 Andrew Harvard Leave a comment

I went to the Canon Roadshow in Durban on Saturday gone and each of the speakers spoke to at least one of my internal “feeders / triggers”.

Powerful thought provoking stuff!

Earlier today I viewed a Facebook post for a short while about someone whinging about what they believe others should not be doing (which I highly suspect they are not capable of doing themselves).

If you believe this negativity (limiting tunnel-vision nonsense) you might as well dig a hole and stay in it forever!

The upshot is that ALL of this motivated me to go and play on my 30″ monitor for a few hours to try and create some magic.

Like my good mate Jason says: “Don’t forget to remember”: – Don’t limit yourself by the whining of others, go out and get what you want; believe in yourself even if others don’t!

3-large

Canon G3X, 4 sec. F11, ISO 125 for the base image shot RAW on tripod. Composite to enhance the sky & other PP.

Photography

Andrew Harvard Photography

October 15, 2016 Andrew Harvard 2 Comments

The time has come for “www.snapflycook.wordpress.com” and “Andy the Traveller, Cook and Photographer” to simply be Andrew Harvard the Photographer.

Of course I still travel whenever and wherever possible, and love cooking, but the force of my photography passion is overpowering; hence the birth, finally, of “Andrew Harvard Photography”

This site is being upgraded bit by bit so remnants of the “old” site will still be found.

If you or anyone you know is looking to make that bland wall at your house or office look bright and beautiful then please click here immediately.

Some of my photos in black & white currently line the office and boardroom walls of a company in Springfield Park, with colour ones in a hotel on Durban Beachfront, all the bedrooms of an 56 room establishment North of Durban, Colour Domain Durban North’s counter and one was even the Signature Image of a 5 star hotel a year or so back. In fact, they are all over the place, even cruising in Hillcrest.

Don’t miss your chance. A price increase will take place early in December 2016 prompted by my favourite local top quality printers.

Sunrise at Durban Harbour, South Africa

Photography, Travel

Beverly Hills 2016

May 27, 2016 Andrew Harvard Leave a comment

So what did you do with your morning before work today?

Start your weekend before the weekend and maximise your happy time doing something you enjoy.

I took this photo on Thursday morning before work. There were loads of people walking on the promenade and a few fishing or just sitting / walking and contemplating.

All that was needed was for me to pack my camera, breakfast, lunch and work equipment the night before. In the morning I woke up at 05:00 and had a quick shave & shower. I was then off to Umhlanga to take photos.

I left Umhlanga before 08:00 for my work trip up the coast.

F18, 4 sec, ISO 50 – Canon South Africa 6D fromOrms, 17-40mm lens.

At Umhlanga – The FunShine Coast with a view of Beverly Hills Hotel Umhlanga Rocks.

Photography

Beach Yogis

October 26, 2015 Andrew Harvard 2 Comments

“Most of us are in touch with our intuition whether we know it or not, but we’re usually in the habit of doubting or contradicting it so automatically that we don’t even know it has spoken.” – Shakti Gawain

Canon South Africa 6D, 24-105mm, ISO 250, F9, 1/160 sec

Photography, Travel

The Watchtower

Image September 24, 2015 Andrew Harvard 2 Comments

Photography, Travel

Beverly Hills Hotel – Umhlanga

September 16, 2015 Andrew Harvard Leave a comment

My photo, the signature image on the front of The Beverly Hills 2015 brochure.

A really happy moment for me: goal set and then achieved

The Beverly Hills.

Photography, Travel

Playing with Raya

August 29, 2015 Andrew Harvard 5 Comments

“Your heart knows the way to Heng Mountain. You are not afraid; few people go there. Inside the boat, you still hear birds and temple chimes. At the river’s source, you dry your monk’s robe in the sun. You had a family, but left it when young; Now there is no temple that would not welcome you. Managing to find a shelter in the cold, You do your usual zazen as snow fills up your door” ~ Chia Tao (779-843)

Last night (7-7-2015) I did my “virgin” run at luminosity masks using the Raya Pro Panel (test) by Jimmy Mcintyre. It’s being released in less than 11 hours (http://www.shutterevolve.com/raya-pro-the-ultimate-digital…/) and only costs R 375.54.

I tried LM’s once before via another platform some months back and couldn’t fathom it. However, I was able fairly easily understand Jimmy’s video and use the panel quite easily.

Yes, I have a long way to go and the accompanying photo is not a good example of the potential of the panel. It was more my experimental photo to work on while I tested all the other features of the panel – there are so many other features; LM’s is just one!

The upshot: I got my varying selections as needed, the ants were marching as asked and I painted in shadows / highlights with ease – in most cases just the push of a button – no big technical stuff.

Canon South Africa 6D, Canon EF 17–40mm lens, F14, 1 sec, ISO 320

5 Star Durban Celebrate Durban! I Love Durban
Durban2022

— at Thompson’s Bay

Photography, Travel

Durban: sun, fun & sport 4 final

August 27, 2015 Andrew Harvard Leave a comment

“Durban is a natural paradise known for its gorgeous coastline of sun-kissed beaches and subtropical climate, situated on the eastern seaboard of Africa. The City is built around one of the busiest ports in Africa and our people are our pride. The city focuses on providing visitors with a unique set of experiences that go beyond the beach and into the realm of Durban’s diverse culture, urban lifestyle and scenic diversity. The City of Durban is an elegant, mature and ambitious city. It is a trendsetter in offering great lifestyle, speckled with adventure activities, blessed with natural beauty and is an astonishingly liveable city. Whether you here as a business delegate or a leisure traveler there is a warm African flavor that will capture your heart forever” ~ Durban Experience.