Which Camera Do You Really Need?

Which Camera Do You Really Need?


Where to begin; the field is vast and full of land mines and what better place to start than right at the very beginning.

The advent of digital photography changed everything but the art itself. Those of us who were happy and comfortable in the knowledge that we had the finest lenses (and more of this in subsequent months) and camera bodies and that all we needed to do when we wanted to upgrade the image quality was to get hold of Fuji or Kodak’s latest film and voila new, bright, colourful, high resolution images! For most of us, we shot a pile of trannie film and then mounted the individual frames in little plastic mounts and captioned these using sticky labels that seemed to prefer sticking to the emulsion rather than to the slide mount. If someone needed to use a pic in a book or magazine or whatever you sent them a trannie, they did what was necessary with scanners and such like and it appeared in the publication, most of the time looking pretty good. Some times the results looked awful and then we would grumble amongst ourselves, moaning about #@#$*&^ repro houses, printers and paper…

Digital cameras changed that in no small way. And for the better I feel, although there will be a bunch of people out there who would disagree. Yes I know that when you need to upgrade image quality it involves a pleading and grovelling session with the bank manager, but you don’t have to buy film again. Ever! And when you head off on a 2 month trip through Africa you don’t attract attention to yourself by carrying around enough film to supply a small country. And no more messing about with tiny sticky labels, each one with a mind of its own. And, most importantly, I feel that we’ve reached a stage where the image quality is spectacular. (Again, I’m sure there are many that would disagree but …) Digital photography too, has made the photographic pastime much more accessible to the man in the street than it’s ever been. In the past one would need to spend hours in the dark fiddling with noxious chemicals and now you can do very similar things on your laptop during lunch time (or whenever). So, what camera? This decision is really critical now because of the prices of cameras and so you really need to get the purchase right the first time.

Here’s the question: “What do I want to do with it?”

Answer 1: “Do some pix of the family on holiday, the new baby, and gran when she pops in for a visit.” You need one of the small point and shoot cameras like the little Nikon S210, S18, or if you’d like to splash out a little, the S550. Canon does the Powershot A480, the A210 and the compact Ixus range. In terms of pricing, you should be able to get something very nice for under about R3 000 or under R2 000 if you are willing to settle for a camera a little less flashy. Forget about pixels here. All digital cameras that you buy today have more than enough in the way of pixels to cater for all your needs. I still sell images that I shot on my old 3mp digital SLR - some of them used full page in magazines. The cameras above (and there are many others available – not just the Nikons and Canons) will be more than adequate for general family photography, the images easily enlarging to A4 and larger.

Answer 2: “Similar to the above but we visit the game reserves and I do like to play with the images on my computer, doing a bit of “darkroom” work like changing the colour balance, cropping, masking and so on.”

The visit to the game reserve changes things a little. The 3 or 4 X zooms on the above entry level cameras simply won’t cut it and so you need to look at Nikon’s P80 and Canon’s SX10. These will do the job beautifully as that 18 or 20 power zoom will be the equivalent of about a 480 or 500mm lens on a 35mm camera – very useful in the game reserve and the 10 mp images will have more than enough “meat” to play around with the images in Photoshop. Pricing is around the R5 000 mark.

Answer 3: “I love photography and I am looking for the best in terms of quality but I really couldn’t be bothered with a DSLR. Henri Cartier Bresson is my hero.”

Both Nikon and Canon do little “pro” cameras that would fill this niche perfectly - the P6000 and the G10 respectively. You should be able to pick up either for under R7 000 and both shoot RAW images as well as the normal jpegs. We will delve into the “To RAW or not to RAW” debate at another stage but very briefly if you shoot RAW images it maximises the amount of control you have when manipulating them and results in the highest quality pix. The above cameras are light, small and best of all you do not look like a pro photographer when using them so no one notices you. We’ve had double page spreads in some of the country’s top magazines using this type of camera so image quality is superb. I cart one around with me wherever I go just in case…

Answer 4: “I’ve had a little point and shoot camera for a number of years now and I’d like to pursue the hobby, taking it up seriously. Budget is a little limited though.”

Now is the time to start having a look at the digital single lens reflex cameras and the range is huge, starting at Nikons D5000 and D60 and Canon’s 1000D and 500D. (Remember, other manufacturers do make some very nice equivalents but I cannot list them all here.) Pricing starts at about R7 000 and goes to about R12 000 or so for body only. Most of the cameras do come in kit form with a (usually adequate) standard zoom lens and you can easily add lenses (buy the very best you can – don’t skimp on lens quality) as you go along. The beauty of DSLR’s is that you can buy very good quality lenses and then upgrade the bodies as they and your budget improve. The quality produced by these cameras is astoundingly good, lacking a little of the dynamic range of the higher end cameras but very usable anyway. They have bigger sensors than all of the point and shoot cameras so noise levels (a little like film grain for those that don’t know) are generally very low even at higher ISO levels (still very usable at ISO 800 or so).

Answer 5: I’m serious!

You have to be looking at the Nikon D90, D300 or D700 or Canon 50D and 5D Mk II. All these cameras are capable of spectacular results. I use the D300 as my backup camera and for when I don’t want to lug the monster (D3x) along and with its 18-105 VR lens makes a wonderful “travel” camera. The D90, D300 and 50D are all “APS” sized sensors (as are the DSLR’s above) and as such are smaller than the D700 and the 5D which are what are called full frame cameras and have a sensor the same size as the 35mm format. In terms of out and out image quality the D700 and the much higher pixel count 5D Mk II are better but, because of that smaller sensor, there is an effective increase in focal length (by 1,5 times for the Nikons and 1,6 times for the Canon) when 35mm lenses are used on them. The way this works is that the smaller sensors use only the centre portion of the image circle projected by the lens and as a result the lens appears to be longer than it is. Obviously, a 300mm lens is just that and nothing can change it but if you are using one on a Nikon D300 it would be the same as using a 450mm lens on the full frame D700. This is really great if you are using long lenses often and can be a huge influence if you are trying to decide between the two cameras – just imagine, that 300mm f4 lens you have now effectively becomes as 450mm f4. What a bargain!

Answer 6. Even more serious!

Well, if you are that serious you probably know more than me so I won’t even go into it!

I haven’t been able to go into as much detail as I would have liked because of space but be careful of being influenced by the pixel race and by people analysing images to the nth degree. You will invariably find that you need fewer pixels than you think and that all those horror stories about excessive noise in images don’t translate into a visible difference when the image is printed. A little while back a camera was released amidst huge criticism that the noise levels in the images were unacceptably high. Just to get things into perspective in my own mind, I did some pix of flowers at ISO 100 and 1600 and then had them printed at about A4 size. I knew what to look for and yes I could see a bit of grain creeping in at ISO 1600 but a friend who is a reasonably experienced photographer couldn’t until I pointed it out to him and neither could the participants of the photographic workshop I held a few weeks later!

If you have any queries or comments or would like to see something discussed here please e-mail me at pix@africaimagery.com. Alas, I cannot promise to answer all e-mails (things do get really hectic here) but I will read them and take note.

Kruger National Park Photography Workshop

We've just got back from Rhino Post Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park where we held a 5-day Photography and Photoshop workshop. We based the workshop at Rhino Post but all the participants had the opportunity to spend at least one night at the delightful, Out of Africa styled Plains Camp just a few kilometres away. What fun we had!! Days were filled with photography: early morning shoots followed by image analysis and Photoshop instruction followed by afternoon game drives and sundowners. One of the highlights was a sleep out in the park, really to photograph the full moon, but alas, poor weather conditions resulted in only occasional sightings of it. Still, it was a great experience and we had wonderful chats around the lovely camp fire and the occasional very strange image (like this one by Kim Stevens).

We did get some lovely images, the best probably at the hide at Lake Panic just outside Skukuza. There were a number of hippos lying on the shore fairly close by and we were able to get some great images of these huge animals as they started to move into the water as sunset approached. There were also some very large crocodiles present and a whole bunch of birds, including a very cooperative Darter.

I must say that the participants did produce some really fine images. As one put it, "Many thanks for a great experience; I learnt so much from you both and as I worked through my photos over the five days there is clearly a marked improvement. Although I have shot some quite good photos in the past the "delete" button was hit far less over the last two days with you; so I must have learnt something!!!?. Have a look at some of the images that were shot over the 5 days here.

We are in the process of setting up another one - probably in early October so that we can have another attempt at the full moon in the bush. It never rains in Kruger in October does it?!

A Trip of a Lifetime

This story originally appeared in Getaway Magazine. Have a look at the images "> here

Isn’t it odd the way things happen sometimes? One sets off on a course of action only to discover midway through that what you thought was the goal isn’t any more and the change in focus results in such an incredible experience that you wonder why you did not make it your objective in the first place.

The other day, for example, whilst sitting in my office, numbed by the constant sound of traffic and the endless digital images from various recent shoots, I received a call from his lordship - the Getaway editor. Would I, he asked (speaking quickly and obviously on deadline), like to pop up to Kariba for a few days to spend some time on the Zambezi Trader – a steamer that plies the waters of Lake Kariba dropping off and picking up passengers and supplies as it goes along. “Get in touch with Brett McDonald of Flame of Africa”, he said, “and he’ll set up the trip for you. Enjoy. Bye” Always eager to oblige I duly gave McDonald a call. “No problem”, said Brett, “let me set something up and I’ll e-mail you an itinerary”. A few days later a document arrived in my inbox and not much arm wrestling was needed to change the couple of days on Lake Kariba into a 4-week adventure through Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia!

“Are you nuts”, friends exclaimed when they heard we were not only going to Zimbabwe, but flying on that country’s national carrier as well. As intrepid explorers however we cast caution to the wind, boarded the plane and found the flight from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls superb, the service excellent, the food great and the landing gentle. We were met by Ranjisi Nakusengwa, Brett’s resident houseboat captain/right-hand man and were whisked off in grand style (huddled around a stocked cooler-box on the back seat) towards the Zimbabwe/Botswana border post at Kazangula. There we were deftly passed on to Frank Chikosi of Safari and Guide Services (based in the town of Kasane), who was to be our guide for the next 10 days on what was an unforgettable adventure through Chobe, Savuti and Moremi.

Our trip was everything a camping experience in the African bush should be – simple but comfortable - without the hassles of packing and unpacking, pitching tents, erecting showers, digging toilets, making fires or preparing food. All this was done for us, while we got on with the business of relaxing, going on a game drive or sipping a sundowner.

Our first campsite was pitched on the banks of the Chobe River. It was late June and the floodwaters caused by the summer rains in Angola had reached the Kasane region, pushed back up the Chobe River and flooded the low-lying land. The arrival of all this water attracted large elephant herds and there were times during our stay when it seemed that every elephant on the planet was down at the Chobe River slacking its thirst!

After several days in the area, we headed south to Savuti, where we were treated to marvellous sightings of lion, as they eyed the zebra, wildebeest and antelope grazing the plains of the Savuti Marsh. The pans had started to dry out, which meant that any waterhole artificially fed by a borehole made for great game viewing. The rather aptly named ‘Pump Pan’ proved to be a magnate for thirsty elephant and such was the clamour for water that even the doves had to wait their turn in case they got trampled beneath impatient feet.

We moved on to Moremi with some reluctance, as this was to be our last port of call before returning to Kasane. Moremi looked particularly beautiful and we were spoilt for choice as we roamed between Khwai, Xakaxana and Third Bridge looking for game. We saw large numbers of hippos and crocodiles in various pans and herds of elephant and zebra in the mopane woodlands. Our campsite at Hippo Pools was visited at night by lion, elephant and hyena and it was great, though at times unnerving, to hear their sounds through the thin canvas walls of our tent.

All too soon it was time for the 350km trip back. As always when something good comes to an end, going home is the awful part and this time the road seemed interminable as our heavy 4X4 and off-road trailer made slow, ponderous progress through the thick sand. Some 10 hours later we pulled into Kasane, tired and tetchy, with the indomitable Frank the only bright and breezy one left amongst us.

Next morning, suitably refreshed, we headed back into Zimbabwe to Victoria Falls where we were due to get involved in Shearwater’s incredible adrenaline program. So what is Zimbabwe like? Well we arrived just prior to President Mugabe’s rather innovative fiscal reforms and things were just fine. Everyone, from the immigration officials down to the man in the street, was friendly and helpful and only too pleased to welcome tourists and their precious foreign exchange. Obviously Zimbabweans have over the years learnt to make contingency plans, as the various hotels and guest-houses we stayed at, and more especially the houseboat on Kariba, somehow managed to put some really good food (and great wine) on the table in spite of the shortages experienced in the supermarkets. Would we go back? In an instant! Were we safe? I really believe we were, though going through a dependable travel company with loads of local knowledge was invaluable.

Shearwater’s action activities are legendry, from their white water rafting to their famed bungee jump and everything in between. ‘The Flight of Angels’ over the Victoria Falls was, as always, breathtaking, the birds-eye view of over a million litres of water thundering over a 100 metre drop every second, quite awesome. ‘Walking with Lions’ was next on the agenda and the thrill as we got up close and personal with three sub- adult lions in the bush took us completely by surprise. They did their lion thing, interacting with each other and us and at one stage when we were allowed to touch and stroke them, no-one in the group needed much convincing to do just that.

Come late afternoon the booze cruise boats on the Zambezi are the place to be. While the large boats (and there are many) are popular, we opted for the much smaller and more intimate River Safari. Wow! Our fellow passengers were 3 university professors from the USA who proved to be inveterate birders and we could only hang our heads in shame at the speed at which they identified many of the species we spotted. We saw some marvellous birds (a melanistic goshawk and an African finfoot amongst them), got really close to several large bull elephants as they fought the current to cross the river, had great sightings of hippos and crocodiles and stopped on an island for drinks and snacks – definitely the way to go.

Talking about sundowners, the veranda of the majestic Victoria Falls Hotel is an absolute must. While even the house wine is pricey at USD 10 a glass, the hotel, view and ambiance are incomparable. Overlooking the falls and the Batoka Gorge, it was totally sublime sitting there, sipping wine and taking in the atmosphere and I almost regretted not packing my blazer and flannels! ;-)

We flew to Harare, to join up with Brett and his wife, Jackie, prior to driving to Lake Kariba to board the luxurious Salon Privé for a 4-day cruise around the lake. (We were of course supposed to be spending time on the Zambezi Trader and although it wasn’t quite ready yet, it already had great atmosphere). We stopped en route at the Chinhoyi Caves and if you’re heading up that way they are certainly worth a look. The cobalt blue of the ‘Sleeping Pool’, hidden deep inside the darkness of the caves is a dramatically eerie sight.

The sixty-foot, 4 double-cabin Salon Privé is best described as pure decadence. The fixtures and fittings are fabulous and we revelled in the luxury. Time slipped by as we indulged ourselves, sipping Bombay Sapphires in the Jacuzzi, watching game from the decks and fishing for bream off one of the two tenders that we towed along. And we ate some of the finest food - ever. The dinners especially were splendid affairs, held on the aft deck, lit by a billion stars with air-conditioning provided by the cool evening breezes. We interrupted our lazy routine to pop onto Spurwing Island one afternoon for a beer and a snack. Understated and relaxed, the accommodation looked comfortable, but the focal point was surely the swimming pool, which must have one of the finest views of Africa.

The final leg of our journey took us across the dam wall into Zambia and on to the Lower Zambezi Park; where we were due to spend several nights at first Kasaka Lodge and then some 40 minutes by boat further down the Zambezi River at Mwambashi Lodge. Both are tented safari camps and are superbly located on the banks of the river, with marvellous food, great service and friendly staff. Our mission? Tigers! No not cats – fish! And as neither of us had ever caught anything more exciting than a single shad on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast before, it was great to have tiger-addicts Brett and Jackie on board to show us the ropes as it were. We both caught (and landed) our first tigers, the fish fighting like things possessed. It was real adrenalin stuff and we went on to catch several more, one reaching some 13.5 lbs, which grew larger in size with every sip of wine at dinner that evening.

We did squeeze in some time for game viewing and loved it. While both lodges take game drives into the Lower Zambezi Park we elected to game view from the river and it was a good choice. We saw incredible bird life, elephant, buffalo, zebra, a variety of antelope and of course hippo and crocodile, all of which appeared particularly unconcerned by our proximity on the water. It really is a gentler option than doing the 4X4 thing through the bush, with the added bonus of no dust or tsetse flies. What bliss! Also of course there’s the fishing and if the mood takes one, the rods are right there.

Kasaka is one of the few safari lodges around that accommodates children and their large thatched chalet called the ‘Hippo Pod’ sleeps 6 and is ideal for mom, dad and kids. Their ‘Bush Kids at Kasaka’ program includes a range of interactive conservation and cultural experiences and even extends to story telling while mom and dad enjoy a quiet dinner. Certainly the parents we met around the table at night raved about the whole concept.

On our arrival at Mwambashi, the manager took one look at us and sent us off to stay in the Honeymoon Suite. Why, we’re not too sure but we seized the moment and hurried off to sumptuous luxury. A beautiful open oval room with it’s own swimming pool and deck overlooking the Zambezi awaited us, but if truth be told all we saw at first was the bath. And what a bath! And with a view of the bush! We’d had showers (and in some instances no showers) over the last few weeks, but this was the first bath and boy did it look good! And so we wallowed amongst the bubbles, drank sherry and wallowed some more. Sublime!

Our trip was not cheap and there are certainly a lot less expensive options out there, but Flame of Africa are masters at travel in the region and can structure things accordingly. It occurred to us (perhaps on the occasion of our second Tiger) that when one talks about a trip of a lifetime so often one thinks of touring Europe or the Far East or doing the Bering Straits. But here’s the thing: we have been on many safaris and several overseas trips but none have come close to this for excitement, adventure and relaxation. The Trip of a Lifetime is here. Right on our doorstep!

Advisor.

Visa Requirements:

South African passport holders do not require visas to enter Botswana, Zambia or Zimbabwe. As regards other passport holders it is advisable to contact visa authorities to check for entry requirements.

Precautions:

Anti-malaria tablets are recommended year round, although malaria is less prevalent during the dry winter months. Wear long sleeves and trousers in the early morning and evenings to prevent mosquito bites and use insect repellent copiously. Consult your doctor regarding prophylactics.

Money Matters:

Spending money should be in smaller denominations (whether cash or travellers cheques). Credit cards can be used in Kasane, Livingstone and Victoria Falls, but should not be relied upon as your main source of funds. Please note that MasterCard no longer operates in Zimbabwe.

How to Get There:

SA Airways and British Airways operate daily flights from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Air Zimbabwe does the route 4 times a week and SA Express 3 times a week. Nationwide, SA Airways and British Airways operate daily flights from Johannesburg to Livingstone. Charter flights are available daily from Lusaka to the Lower Zambezi Valley. (There is a 12-kilogram luggage limit and soft bags are preferred). Both Kasaka and Mwambashi lodges undertake transfers to and from the airstrip.

If you are travelling by vehicle do not forget to take your vehicle logbook with you as well as a police clearance certificate. The traffic police in Zimbabwe enforce speed and other traffic regulations with enthusiasm. Stick religiously to the speed limits (rather go too slowly) and wear your seatbelt at all times when you are in the car - you will get fined for seatbelt violations.

When to go:

The dry winter months from May to August are best for game viewing.

What to wear and take:

Lightweight clothing with rainwear is recommended for November to March. NB: September and especially October can get incredibly hot with temperatures soaring to over 45°C. During the winter months from May to August it can be sunny and warm during the day but cold in the early morning and evening, so warm clothing with jackets is a must for camping and game viewing on open 4X4 vehicles and boats. Neutral colours are best for safaris.

Don’t forget to take sun block, sunglasses and hats, as well as binoculars, cameras and comfortable walking shoes. A small torch is useful while camping.

What to do:

Chobe, Savuti and Moremi/Botswana: Game viewing, bird watching camping, boat rides and sunset cruises on the Chobe River.

Victoria Falls/Zimbabwe: Visit the falls, do the Shearwater action program that includes ‘Flight of Angels’ helicopter ride, elephant bank safari, walking with lions, white water rafting, canoeing on the Zambezi, river safari, booze cruise, guided trails, bungee jump, zip line and swing.

Lake Kariba: Boat cruises, houseboats, fishing, game viewing, bird watching and guided walks.

Lower Zambezi area/Zambia: Game drives, boat safaris, general angling, tiger fishing, fly fishing, guided walks, bird watching, canoeing on the Zambezi and cultural visits.

Where to Book:

Flame of Africa can tailor-make your safari, with an eye on your budget, requirements and time constraints. Contact:

Tel: +27 861 312 312 or +27 (31) 762 2424.

Fax. No +27 (31) 762 2402.

Email: getaway@flameofafrica.com

Website: www.flameofafrica.com

Other Contacts:

Safari & Guide Services (Pty) Ltd/Botswana:

Tel: +267 625 1754 / 625 0259 / 625 0029

Fax: +267 625 0259

Email: travel@botsnet.bw

Website: www.untamed-africa.com

Kasaka River Lodge/Zambia:

Tel: +260 (1) 268 145.

Fax: +260 (1) 260 012

Website: www.kasakariverlodge.com

Email: kasaka@coppernet.zm

Mwambashi River Lodge/Zambia:

Central Reservations: Tel: +27 (0) 86 111 2485.

Central Reservation: Fax: +27 (0) 41 581 0901.

Email: thepride@lionroars.com

Website: www.lionroars.com

Spurwing Island/Zimbabwe:

Tel: +263 (61) 2466/2269 I phoned Mwambashi lodge and they now prefer that potential clients go through the group’s central reservations. Details are: I phoned Mwambashi lodge and they now prefer that potential clients go through the group’s central reservations.

Details are:

Fax: + 263 (61) 2301

Email: spurwingisland@zambezi.net

Website: www.spurwing.co.zw

Nkwazi Safaris (Operating houseboats the Salon Privé and the Lady May)/Zimbabwe:

Tel: +263 (4) 757398/751298.

Fax:+263 (4) 756930.

Email: info@nkwazi.co.zw. www.epnet.co.za/kariba www.epnet.co.za/kariba

Shearwater/Zimbabwe:

Tel: +263 (13) 4 4471.

Email: reservations@shearwater.co.zw.

Website: www.shearwater.co.zw

New Loaction for Workshops

We've discovered the most amazing little spot in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands. Three Tree Hill Lodge is situated on a small koppie overlooking the world famous Spioenkop, site of heavy fighting between Boer and British forces on 23 January 1900 - the height of the Angle Boer War.

The lodge is small, consisting of just 6 standard luxury twin suites (four star rating) and also a 2-bedroomed family suite, but very exclusive and intimate and just perfect for our workshops and safaris. Initially it was our idea to base ourselves here for our San or Bushman Rock Art excursion in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park but, having been hosted by owners Simon and Cheryl Blackburn (previously with Singita Private Game Reserve and Kwando Safari Experience) it became very clear that it would be an ideal spot for out photographic, birding and art expeditions as well. We are still in the process of structuring the actual safaris but keep an eye on the Old Canvas Expeditions we site for details.

I have uploaded some images that we did on the summit of Spioenkop to our Flickr site that you may like to have a look at.

And for those history buffs out there here's some info on the Battle of Spioenkop: Lt-Gen Sir Charles Warren, placed by Buller in charge of the assault across the Tugela River, assembled 1 700 men at the foot of Spioenkop on the evening of 23 January 1900. If he could take and hold Spioenkop, the way to Ladysmith along the Fairview Road would be open. The column reached the summit of Spioenkop by dawn the next day and, having driven off a Boer piquet, the British soldiers set to work to secure the summit and to await developments.

Under cover of the mist and the early half-light, Louis Botha, in command of the Boer forces, rapidly deployed his guns and men onto the hills on either side of Spioenkop – Thabanyama Hills, Green Hill, Conical Hill, Aloe Knoll and Twin Peaks. Thus, when the mist dispersed, a veritable curtain of shell and rifle fire descended upon the British soldiers, atop Spioenkop, sheltering in inadequate trenches. The battle raged all day, both sides taking a heavy toll, neither line giving an inch, when the Boer, demoralised by their dead and wounded, began to slip away into the gathering dusk and the British commander, sickened by the carnage amongst his own men, ordered a retreat.

And so, in the early hours of the following morning, when several Boers returned to the mountain to search out relatives, they were utterly amazed to discover the summit deserted except for the dead and the dying and the British column, in the plains below, winding its way back across the Tugela River. Spioenkop, once more, was theirs.

Friend and Business partner Gerald Davie has a wonderful Geology Safari happening in June. We did the recce a few weeks back and it looks as though it will be an amazing experiance.

Old Canvas Expedition's flagship geology workshop is out of the town of Clarens in the Eastern Free State -at 1800 metres it is the second highest town in the country. The beautiful sandstone cliffs which surround the town and provide the magnificent backdrops for which it is famous are fossilised sand dunes, harking back to a time 180 million years ago when the area was a desert, the realm of dinosaurs and small mammals. Gondwana was stilled joined; a vast supercontinent including Africa, India, Australia, Antarctica and South America Incontestable forces began to play out at the end of Gondwana times, and the supercontinent began to tear itself apart. As these ruptures took place, thousands of metres of red hot, incandescent lavas flooded out onto the Gondwana landscape, burying all in a fiery embrace.

Walking through the town of Clarens gives no inkling of this cataclysmic history, but looking south one can see the blue range of the Maluti Mountains - a remnant of those thousands of metres of lava which burned everything before it. Dinosaur bones protrude out of rocky road cuttings, the ancient desert dunes lie preserved in the cliff faces, faults form large dislocations in Earth’s crust and dykes traverse the landscape for tens of kilometres, once feeder pipes to the overlying basaltic outpourings.

Read more here

Photographic Workshops in Zululand with Roger and Pat de la Harpe

We've got a photography and photographic workshop happen in May at a spectacular destination - Bonamanzi.

Located in the heart of Zululand is Bonamanzi, a privately owned, 4000ha game reserve. Bordered by a World Heritage site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in the east and with Hluhluwe Game Reserve a short drive to the west, it's easy to see why we've selected Bonamanzi for our Zululand Photographic Safaris. It also happens to be widely recognised as one of the best birding destinations in Southern Africa.

Accommodation is in delightful air-conditioned thatched chalets, all with en suite bathrooms, set in stunning gardens that warthogs, nyala, impala and other animals consider their home. Image evaluations and Photoshop work are done in their fully equipped conference facility adjacent to a large open air dining area. Dinners are both splendid and varied – inside during inclement weather or el fresco otherwise, sometimes in the bush sometimes in camp.

These 3-day workshops take place over a weekend, with registration and an introductory talk (including a slide show) on the Thursday evening and then a full day on Friday and Saturday and a half-day on Sunday.

Have a look here for more information or e-mail us for details: http://www.oldcanvasexpeditions.com/bonamanzi.htm

Old Canvas Expeditions Recce

We've spent the better part of this past week away with friends and business partners, Gerald and Andre Davie, looking at some locations for holding our Art, Photography, Birding and Geology workshops. On Tuesday we drove up to Bonamanzi near Hluhluwe in Zululand. What a stunning place! It's ideal for our workshops and we are intending to run parallel art and photographic workshops where Andre will do the art and Pat and I the photography. The idea is to have the photographers learn a little art and the artists a little photography - not too much though - the workshops will be run separately with perhaps one or two sessions integrated.

We has scheduled the trip at full moon and after our meetings with Bonamanzi and Thompsons Indaba (who will be handling the land arrangements for the safaris and workshops) we headed out to False Bay Park, part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage site. What a spectacular spot! We arrived just before sunset and very quickly attacked the beverages and snack that Bonamanzi had thoughtfully provided while we waited for the moon.

I was once again using My D3x but this time with the 70 - 200mm f2.8 VR lens attached. It is a really useful combination that, with the help of a bean bag on the bonnet of the car, easily produced some rather delightful images of the moon rise. I had the ISO cranked up to 800 and the low noise capabilities of these cameras once again became very clear. It was just a few years ago when i very rarely used anything but 50 or at the most 100 ISO film. And now we glibly talk about 800 as if it were nothing spectacular at all!

We left for Clarens in the Free State early the next morning. We had timed the trip perfectly. The cosmos flowers were out on their millions and we had great fun shooting them. Here Nikon's 14 - 24 mm f2.8 came into it's own and enabled one to get right in amongst the flowers.

Gerald was in his element and stumbled around muttering things like cross bedding, (cross bedding? Come on the workshop to find out) intrusions, dykes, sills and many other very odd sounding things. In reality though, Clarens is simply the perfect spot for a workshop on earth science or geology.

One of the highlights was a look at a dinosaur fossil that had been exposed by recent heavy rains. What a privilege and how humbling. It had been buried for millions and millions of years and we were able to see it. Make one think doesn't it...?

Keep an eye on the blog and also on www.oldcanvasecpeditions.com for details about the workshops - there'll be some very exciting things available.