Malakite  & Spieelbeeld (Phillip Liebenberg )

Ek hou daarvan om voels af te neem maar ook diere en natuur in die algemeen. Ek het vroeg al besef dat my voorkeure my baie duur gaan kos of baie frustrasie gaan kos. Laasgenoemde was lank deel van my foto belewenis want al my bietjie skills met Lightroom (LR) kon glad nie my swak fotos,  weens ‘n gebrek aan reik afstand, oplos nie.

Ons was in Desember op San Lameer toe ek weer baie entoesiasties die Kroonarende, wat al jare daar broei, probeer afneem het met my Sigma 120-300 met ‘n 2xTC. Ek was gelukkig om die ma te kry met ‘n prooi waarvan sy stukkies afgeskeur het om die kuiken te voer. Ek kon nie wag om my fotos op LR af te laai nie. Wat ‘n teleurstelling! Daardie lelike word – noise – was baie prominent, nie een skerp foto nie! Dit was die keerpunt – 'n ander lens moes ek kry…

Ek kon nie glo toe ek ‘n paar dae later op ODP se classifieds ‘n 500mm Prime lens sien nie. Die lens was nie goedkoop nie maar nog steeds minder as ‘n derde van ‘n nuwe een en feitlik splintenuut. Toe begin die planne …na klomp onderhandelings kry ek toe nog ‘n paar duisend afgestry en kon my stiefseun, wat ook ‘n fotograaf is die lens in Kaapstad vir my gaan haal – ek wou nie ‘n koerier vertrou nie. Ek het die lens Donderdagaand gekry en die Sondagoggend was ons teen 4.00 gepak met al die lekker goed oppad Marievale toe...

Ons was ‘n vorige keer in die Winter daar met min aksie. Ons het wel die gesogte hide onthou en was eerste daar. Dit was amper ‘n uur voordat die Malakite die eerste keer sy opwagting kom maak het. Ek het letterlik al 2 jaar gedroom om een af te neem en ek het omtrent dit geniet en het meer as 100 fotos van die pragtige spesie geneem. Die eend het toevallig verbygeswem en ek het bloot gekyk of ek iets kan onthou van panning….

Dit was ‘n baie suksesvolle oggend want ons het baie foto geleenthede gehad. Toe ek egter die middag my fotos aflaai was ek sprakeloos…..ek kon nie glo wat ek sien nie! Hoe is dit moontlik dat ek so ‘n DOF kon kry? Is dit my fotos – het ek dit geneem? Toe weet ek – dit is hoekom mense bereid is om baie geld vir lense te betaal en dit het my 3 jaar geneem om eindelik te verstaan hoekom sekere tipes fotos verseker met prime lense afgeneem moet word en nie zoom lense nie. Ek kon amper nie besluit watter foto van die Malakite ek moes kies nie..

Die eend was ‘n groot verrassing want eers toe ek die foto crop besef ek hoe perfek die spieelbeeld uitgekom het. Die 2 COM’s was letterlik die kersie op die koek en total onverwags! My nuwe lens en my mees onlangse resultate het ‘n nuwe entoesiasme in my fotografie bedrywighede veroorsaak.  

Malakite :
Nikon D3s Sigma 500mm
Exposure 1/3200 sec F4.5
ISO 400

Spieelbeeld
Nikon D3s Sigma 500mm
Exposure 1/1000 sec F4.5
ISO 200

Being Chased (Evelyn Gibson)

This image was taken with the Nikon D4 with the 80-400 lens, F4.5 on focal length of 98.0 metres, settings 1/5 sec, F.14, ISO 400.

It was taken in the Pilansbergs. It was quite a dull day and nothing much happening so I saw these impalas running and I decided to do something different by panning them. I was shooting from the window of our car so it was handheld. I did nothing in Photoshop other than adjust the levels and the contrast slightly so there is no manipulation. I was keeping my fingers crossed that something would work and I feel it did to a certain extent in giving me what I would call a creative nature image.

Verwelk (Michelle van Niekerk )

 Winner-Senior Winner-Best of Event

Ek het besluit om hierdie jaar bietjie te fokus op die afneem van blomme en hierdie foto  is een van my pogings.

Die blom kom van ‘n plantjie wat ek al verlede seisoen gekoop het en in my tuin geplant het juis met die idée om dit een of ander tyd af te neem.

Dit is geneem op ‘n bank in my tuin een middag laat toe die lig al mooi sag was.  Ek is mal oor my Canon 50mm F1.8 lens, een van Canon se goedkoopste lense. 

Ek het ‘n paer fotos geneem en geeksperimenteer met die diepte van veld.  Ek hou baie van die feit dat die agtergrond so uit fokus is en op F1.8 is daar slegs ‘n klein area in fokus.

Die tekstuur en kleur  van die hout  bank dra ook by tot die foto. 

Die foto is geneem op 50mm F1.8, ISO 400, 1/500sec, met ‘n Canon 7D. Geen flash is gebruik nie,  maar ek het wel ‘n driepoot gebruik.

2014

Sabbath by Ruby Braumann

Recently, Jessie and I spent a month in Tel-Aviv-Jaffa house-sitting for a friend. While there, we visited Jerusalem several times since it is only a one-hour bus journey from where we were staying. One evening we decided to do some night photography in the old city, and since it was Friday night, there were a large number of Orthodox Jews walking on the pathway next to the walls towards Jaffa Gate. We thought some slow shutter speed photography would best capture the sense of timelessness one gets in such an ancient city. So we spent some time photographing people coming and going using the light shining up onto the walls to give the ambience, and capturing the movement of the people going by through a slow shutter speed. During the day we’d walked through the Jewish quarter and had fun trying to photograph the Orthodox Jews in their long black coats and wide-brimmed hats without causing offense to them. There are so many wonderful architectural features in the old city and at one stage we’d photographed two Jewish men walking through an archway, with backlighting.

Back home, I just loved the photos I’d taken that evening, with my most favourite being this one:

(Nikon D80, Nikkor 18-200mm lens, ISO 100, focal length 56mm, 1 sec exposure at f10, and tweaked using Lightroom)

I loved the 2 men in the middle with their hats and coats walking away from us, and the 3 men walking towards us just beyond them. Also the ghostly image of the person about to disappear completely on the right hand side. I felt I’d captured that sense of the ‘eternal city’ enclosed by high walls, and it is enhanced by the double ‘leading line’ that runs from the right hand corner and then converges with the walls in the distance on the left. This lends a wonderful perspective of depth to the photograph. I remember Dave Wimpey saying that the colour green never works in a photograph, but to me that’s one of the things that makes this photo – it breaks the neutral colours of the paving and the walls and complements the glow of the lights.

I felt that this photo needed something focussed, so I used the photo I’d taken earlier in the day :

(Nikon D80, Nikkor 18-200mm lens, ISO 200, focal length 120, 1/60^th of a second at f8)

This time I used Photoshop elements to select the 2 men, then I had to add another ringlet to the man on the right as here he is looking to the left and so his ringlet is hidden from view, but it looked unbalanced to me. I then pasted them onto the first photo, deliberately cutting off their feet so that they were ‘walking out of the photo’ as it were. They stand out so well against the light on the wall and their silhouettes are so distinctive and unique – there can be no doubt that these are Orthodox Jews. With their being in focus yet silhouettes they fitted into the photo perfectly, and they draw the eye and create a point of focus and interest. At the same time, the shadowy figures behind them add to the story and breathe life into the photo.

I was pleased with the printing of this picture onto canvas as it maintains it’s ‘other-wordly’ atmosphere, and thrilled to bits when it won first prize in our print exhibition last month.

REPORT TO ALL CLUBS – GAUTENG NORTH FROM CONGRESS 2014.

Since coming back from Congress I have been asked by some members and clubs in this Region how Congress went plus various aspects on certain other matters of concern. I decided to give you a summary to date. There will be images and a report in the next edition of “Image” as well as being kept up to date with all changes on our Web site which is always kept up to date on a regular basis.

Congress went very well with very exciting speakers and presentations both from our local people and from overseas presenters. I was privileged to be in charge for part of the time of Praveen and Prakuti Kumar (father and daughter) from Indian. They really enjoyed the Kruger Park, so much so that I had, in the way into the Park to stop for every Impala on the way (ha ha), we get so blasé about our Impalas and we know they do produce some lovely images when captured at the right moment and in the beautiful light.

There were two interesting speakers from SanParks, the one especially on the Rhino Poaching which is a huge problem in SA and it is not getting any better unfortunately so we must all do what we can in the efforts to “Save the Rhino”. One event happened the day I chose to take myself off and sit at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie. The SanParks helicopter flew overhead quickly, then the police drove past very quickly in their vehicle and when we all looked over to the right, the vultures were flying around in abundance. This was confirmed later to me that an incident had actually happened that day.

The Exhibitions of the various prints were really superb and Hein Washchefort’s needs a very special mention – it was something completely different but was presented very professionally and please if you get a chance to see it, please make an effort to do so as Hein will be exhibiting in various places around the country.

The Workshops presented were as always very informative and interactive and practical.

The tributes paid to Barrie Wilkens by various members and presenters was special and I am sure meant a lot to his family and close friends at Congress. For me I really enjoyed some of his Avs which many of us have never seen before. As we know his Wildlife Avs have always been great but the ones that stood out for me were his ones “A Tribute to Diana” and of his Granddaughters which he called “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” – maybe I am a bit biased as I was a great fan of Diana and I have two lovely granddaughters.

The food, the camaraderie and the meeting of old and new friends is always very special about Congresses and in many ways makes Congresses gel so much.

I am sure the Organising Committee and those heavily involved in the organising of the whole Congress have enjoyed this past week just chilling out and trying to get back to normal. They certainly did a great job.

HONOURS CERTIFICATES AND BADGES

All outstanding certificates and badges for my Region will be couriered to me by Helen Wilkins ASAP and I will make sure that you all receive them.

The Inter Club – results will be coming out soon where you will see where you as a Club came overall plus the individual results per image. Bloemfontein won overall.

Web site – AFO was the winner – well done to AFO

E-Newsletter – was won by Vanderbylpark.

Hard Copy – was won by Boksburg.

Anne d’Oliveira is working hard on getting them all together and I am sure they will be published in this coming week.

Salons – 2016 – there will be less salons in the year as it was felt that there are too many salons scheduled per year. Also you are now only allowed to have 5 acceptances of an image both in colour and mono entered into salons. Once you have had 5 acceptances per image you must not enter it again into another salon in that year. (These matters came out from the AGM and Forum at Congress) All info in this regard was posted on PSSA’s FB page recently. Francois Rousseau is still the coordinator for Salons. Outstanding medal winners who are still waiting on medals from the various Salons over the years due to them having gone lost in the post etc., must contact Laeticia Kenny as she is preparing a list to get this matter solved as soon as possible. As she is our FB coordinator, this notice was also put on PSSA’s FB page recently.

JAP will be going forward very soon – Francois Roux ia now heading up this Committee, I also will be serving on this Committee.

Many of the delegates really felt that Wildlife Congresses should be considered more often which was certainly noted.

This was PSSA’ 60^th Congress so the 61^st Congress will be held in Swellendam from 10-15 August which is the canola season in that part of SA. Put these dates in your diary now but as always updates will be continually updated on our web site..

That is as much as I can give you at this time on some of the Congress feedback, we certainly got a lot of positiveness about the Congress from the delegates who attended.

With regard Regional News – we will be sorting out Gauteng North Inter Club very soon – this will be AFO’s responsibility as they won it last year.

I will be visiting the relatively new club at Hartebeesport Dam on 7 October as I have been invited to judge there and Bosveld on 2 December for their AGM and hopefully will get visits in to all the other clubs in the not too distant furture all circumstances permitting.

Please also diarise 30 Oct-2 Nov – Photo and Film Expo at the Coca Cola Dome as PSSA is having a stand there again as always when many of the images that were on exhibit at Congress plus the winners of the various competitions will also be displayed.

On a more serious note from me, I would like all you guys to start identifying and looking for someone who could take over my job from next year when nominations for the Regional Directors come into play which I think is around May/June as I wont be standing for re-nomination in this position. I will serve you to the best of my ability to the end of my term of office which is next year but feel it is time for a much younger person with new approaches and new ideas to take over this job. Please feel free to discuss this with me at any time.

Thank you as always for your support and help – I do think this is a great Region with great photographers in it and I certainly would love to see it continue in that vain and going forward even further for the benefit of photography in all aspects.

Please do not hesitate to call me, send me a mail if you need assistance in anyway but hopefully we will see you all or as many as possible at our Region’s Inter Club evening which will be communicated to you soon.

Regards

EVELYN

REGIONAL DIRECTOR – GAUTENG NORTH.

Sabbath by Ruby Braumann

Recently, Jessie and I spent a month in Tel-Aviv-Jaffa house-sitting for a friend. While there, we visited Jerusalem several times since it is only a one-hour bus journey from where we were staying. One evening we decided to do some night photography in the old city, and since it was Friday night, there were a large number of Orthodox Jews walking on the pathway next to the walls towards Jaffa Gate. We thought some slow shutter speed photography would best capture the sense of timelessness one gets in such an ancient city. So we spent some time photographing people coming and going using the light shining up onto the walls to give the ambience, and capturing the movement of the people going by through a slow shutter speed. During the day we’d walked through the Jewish quarter and had fun trying to photograph the Orthodox Jews in their long black coats and wide-brimmed hats without causing offense to them. There are so many wonderful architectural features in the old city and at one stage we’d photographed two Jewish men walking through an archway, with backlighting.

Back home, I just loved the photos I’d taken that evening, with my most favourite being this one:

(Nikon D80, Nikkor 18-200mm lens, ISO 100, focal length 56mm, 1 sec exposure at f10, and tweaked using Lightroom)

I loved the 2 men in the middle with their hats and coats walking away from us, and the 3 men walking towards us just beyond them. Also the ghostly image of the person about to disappear completely on the right hand side. I felt I’d captured that sense of the ‘eternal city’ enclosed by high walls, and it is enhanced by the double ‘leading line’ that runs from the right hand corner and then converges with the walls in the distance on the left. This lends a wonderful perspective of depth to the photograph. I remember Dave Wimpey saying that the colour green never works in a photograph, but to me that’s one of the things that makes this photo – it breaks the neutral colours of the paving and the walls and complements the glow of the lights.

I felt that this photo needed something focussed, so I used the photo I’d taken earlier in the day :

(Nikon D80, Nikkor 18-200mm lens, ISO 200, focal length 120, 1/60^th of a second at f8)

This time I used Photoshop elements to select the 2 men, then I had to add another ringlet to the man on the right as here he is looking to the left and so his ringlet is hidden from view, but it looked unbalanced to me. I then pasted them onto the first photo, deliberately cutting off their feet so that they were ‘walking out of the photo’ as it were. They stand out so well against the light on the wall and their silhouettes are so distinctive and unique – there can be no doubt that these are Orthodox Jews. With their being in focus yet silhouettes they fitted into the photo perfectly, and they draw the eye and create a point of focus and interest. At the same time, the shadowy figures behind them add to the story and breathe life into the photo.

I was pleased with the printing of this picture onto canvas as it maintains it’s ‘other-wordly’ atmosphere, and thrilled to bits when it won first prize in our print exhibition last month.