Gaudi Portal–Pieter van der Merwe

Ek het hierdie foto geneem tydens ‘n toer wat ek en my vrou (Wilhelma) onderneem het om ons 30ste huweliksherdenking te vier (Junie 2011).  ‘n 10 Dae meditereense bootvaart (van die 18 verdieping soort met te veel kos, baie swembaddens en nog meer mense).  En o ja, ‘n groot krediet kaart. 

Ons het begin met drie dae in Barcelona, enige fotograaf se droom.  Veral die waarde heer Gaudi se geboue en argitektuur.

Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) word beskou as een van die grootste argitekte van alle tye.  Hy het revolusionêre idees toegepas in elkeen van sy strukture/geboue, wat gelei het tot formele and strukturele innovasie gedurende die 20ste eeu.  Ek dink hy moes enige bouer se grootste nagmerrie gewees het.  Niks is reguit of haaks nie, maar werklik besonders.

Tydens hierdie toer was ek nog ‘n geen ster fotograaf, met ‘n Canon EOS 450D.  Die sluiterspoed was 1/60 sek, f/5.0, ISO 400.  Ek het so pas vir my ‘n Sigma 18 – 250 mm lens gekoop waarmee ek 99% van my foto’s tydens die toer geneem het.  Ek was ‘n 2 ster toe ek die foto ingeskryf het.  Dit foto het my gehelp om ‘n 3de ster by te kry.

Die uitdaging tydens ‘n toer soos hierdie, is om nie jou vrou te irriteer nie.  Maar tog op die uitkyk te wees vir besonderse fotos.  Daarom is dit belangrik dat ‘n mens ‘n foto vining moet neem as jy hom sien.  Daar is nie tyd om te wag vir ideale lig toestande nie.  Uit die hand uit.  Nog ‘n uitdaging is om al die ander toeriste uit die foto uit te hou.  Die eintlike rede hoekom ek vir my die Sigma 18 – 250 mm lens aangeskaf.  Dit verhoog net ‘n mens se opsies om die regte foto betyds te kan neem.

‘n Mens moet dus jou kamera baie goed ken.  Daar is nie baie tyd om die kamera en die lens reg te kry vir ‘n foto nie.

Op hierdie foto was daar genoeg lig in die gebou om teen ISO 400 en 1/60 sek ‘n goeie foto te kry.  Baie keer stabiliseer ek maar die kamera teen ‘n muur of pilaar.  Kan nie onthou of ek dit hier gedoen het nie. 

Die enigste toeris wat ek nie uit die foto kon (wou) kry nie was die slanke meisie met die swart nommertjie.  Mens moet maar jou geleenthede benut as hulle verby kom!

Ek het net die basiese verwerking na die tyd gedoen met Photoshop Elements (ek dink dit was nog 9 op daardie stadium).  As ek reg onthou, so bietjie kontras, sharpening en so van die geraas agv van ISO 400.

Ek sou beslis Barcelona aanbeveel as ‘n ideale klub uitstappie!

Pieter van der Merwe

 

Villa Amor

Ons klub se Makro werksessie is die maand weer by Villa Amor.  Hierdie is ‘n bymekaarkom plek ideaal vir so ‘n geleentheid en ek dink min ander klubs is so bevoorreg om soos CCC toegang te hê tot so ‘n fassiliteit.  Ons wil daarom die vrymoedigheid neem om ons lede aan te moedig om Villa Amor te ondersteun en op die manier ook vir hulle te help.  So as jy slaapplek soek of kuierplek soek, kontak gerus vir Barry!

“Black Hmong Lady” Sapa, Northern Vietnam

This photo was taken on our recent trip to Vietnam & Thailand, an amazing experience.  I fell in love with Vietnam…….

We left OR Tambo on 17 April and Arrived in Bangkok the following morning and got onto a flight for Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.  After ‘n quick trip to the Tam Cốc channels we got on the overnight train to Lao Cai.  In the morning when we arrived we were transported by bus to Sapa.  Sapa, is a frontier town and capital of Sa Pa District in the Lao Cai province in northwest Vietnam. It is one of the main market towns in the area, where several ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao, Giay, Pho Lu, and Tay live.

The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.  Hmong are rich in culture, art and family and are distinguished by costume/dress (fabric patterns represent fruit, vegetables, farming, chickens, eggs, etc.)  Vietnamese Hmong women continuing to wear 'traditional' clothing tend to source much of their clothing as 'ready to wear' cotton (as against traditional hemp) from markets, though some add embroidery as a personal touch. In Sapa, now with a 'standardised' clothing look, Black Hmong sub-groups have differentiated themselves by adopting different headwear; those with a large comb embedded in their long hair (but without a hat) call themselves Tao, those with a pillbox hat name themselves Giay, and those with a headscarf are Yao. For many, such as Flower Hmong, the heavily beaded skirts and jackets are manufactured in China.

The lady in the picture are one of the many “vendors” in town.  They are less “aggressive’ than the lady vendors you find in the rural villages.  I think the reason is that they do more sales in the towns and thus “less desperate”.  The picture was taken just after we arrived and unpacked at the hotel in Sapa.  I was mid-morning and quite misty with the sun just breaking through every now and then.  I knew then I was in for one amazing trip.

Camera	Canon EOS 7D
Focal Length	300 mm (Canon 70-300 L IS lens)
Shutter speed	1/200 sec
Aperture	F 5.6
ISO	100
Club Competition	Gold, May 2013, 5* Winner, Senior winner

Andre Norris 5*

Discounted tours available

We have been informed that the two tours mentioned below are now available at discounted prices to those interested.

John Hosten will offer a R 500.00 pp discount on the tours detailed below, visit the web site for detailed information.  You must contact Johan by Wednesday for the Waterval Boven tour and by Monday for the Kaapsehoop tour.  Johan can be contacted at:

• cell:        082 887 5501
• tel:         012 361 9283
• fax:        012 361 9283
• e-mail:  info@landshapes.co.za
• web:      http://www.lensafricasafaris.co.za/

June 7-9 : Waterval Boven
2 nights. Very good value package.

This is another amazing venue for landscape and special photographic opportunities. Just over 2 hours from Gauteng. At this time of the year one can capture the misty mornings. We plan unique mountain climbing shoots (not the photographers!), trout dams and Elands River scenery, special township visit and a quaint old cemetery and the most picturesque steam train graveyard in the country. Stay over at Zongororo Lodge and enjoy quality accommodation and good food.
Meals and tuition included. No single supplement. Own transport.

July 18-21 : Kaapsehoop
3 nights (or 2 night option).

Delightful mountain retreat village about 3 hours from Gauteng, near Nelspruit. Mist, forests, stunning escarpment views, streams and amazing rock foundations, wild horses and flowering aloes. Stay over in Kaapschehoop Guest House.
Breakfast, dinner and guiding included. Own transport.