Deep Impact

The Vredefort crater is approximately 300km in diameter and is thought to be the largest impact site on earth. The photographs taken by us, in Vredefort and Parys, lie within the crater.  No, we did not take this photograph! Hey... wait a minute... Merle did wander off for a short while...

Credit:  Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, 
NASA Johnson Space Center (Image STS51I-33-56AA)

Mielie fields and cosmos

Mielie fields, cosmos and little else at the roadside near Vredefort (in the largest meteorite crater on earth!). Canon EOS 1Ds, 17-40 f4 L. Blue graduated filter.

Always only seconds after six

As you read this, the time is still 6pm in a forgotten corner of Parys (in the Vredefort impact crater). A timeless clock, spotted on the balcony of a little restaurant.  Merle will post a few more pictures, taken in the area.  Parys, Orange Free State. Canon EOS 1Ds. Slight bleach.

Witch's Broom

With the storm fast approaching and lightning beginning to flash around us, I was using my 28-80 f2.8-4L lens, so opened it to it's widest to get as much sky in as possible, focused, depressed the shutter button half way, took my face away from the back of the camera and rested it on my cheek bone, and waited.  Luckily the lightning was 'worming' across the sky tonight and I saw it coming from the left and started firing away!

Shooting Lightning

Merle waiting for lightning. Canon 5D Mk2, 28-80mm f2.8-4 L

Contact

Merle and I were late for a dinner appointment after seeing the sky tonight! This is one of approximately 200 shots on my 1Ds and Merle's 17-40 f4L.  She also took a huge amount of shots including some hand-held lightning flashes.  Shutter speed: 1/40, Aperture: f4, ISO: 100

Merged Moons

The problem with photographing the moon, as we all know, you either get it completely burnt out trying to get the wonderful cloud formation around it, or, to get the moon's definition, you get everything else totally blacked out!

I was not really impressed with what I shot that evening owing to the above, but once downloaded decided to combine two images that I thought were great for very different reasons.  Both images were hand held as Derrick loves using a tripod and we had only brought one.

Derrick took over from here and merged the two images in faithful Photoshop!  The colour of the moons were different in both shots, so I desaturated and added my own 'sepia' to give a more normal effect.

Chinese New Year

All it took was a twenty minute drive from Sandton to the heart of China! This time a different camera - Merle's little Fuji F70 EXR at 1600 ISO

Dreamworks Moon

HDR (two images/4 stop difference). Taken by Derrick with Canon 1Ds, 300mm f4

Two Hours to Sunrise

Time exposure by Derrick with Canon 5D (Mk1)