[FEATURE] Zigzag Surfing Magazine - Elands Bay Grom Trip

A few weeks ago I had the awesome opportunity to accompany Llewellyn Whittaker & 6 of the Western Cape's top groms to Elands Bay to shoot their training camp. It was so much fun shooting the groms (Jordan Maree, Max Elkington, Jake Elkington, Adin Masencamp, Ethan Fletcher and Steff Burrows), they all completely rip. The feature is up on Zigzag Surfing Magazine's website. Click on the picture below to be taken to their website and view my shots from the day.

Friday Favourite - Keep it Real

For today's Friday Favourite, here's a pic I took a while back during a weekend away. Myself and a bunch of friends were sitting around having drinks in the early eve and I noticed the bottle cap from the Windhoek had a cool slogan on the inside. I asked the boyf to hold it up for me and took this shot. It was a cool moment and brings back awesome memories from a fantastic weekend away. I took this with my 50mm f1.8 prime lens set on a very low aperture.

Around The Corner

Tucked away in the corner of the picturesque Noordhoek beach is one of Cape Town's best right hand breaks, the Hoek. Lately we've been blessed with a huge amount of Summer swell, albeit ridiculously icy thanks to the Cape Doctor (that's our usual Summer wind). I actually tried some water photography over this weekend and lasted about 4 minutes in the sea. Just goes to show how much the Cape Town surfers love to surf, braving 10 degree water and blasting South Easters for a perfect Summer barrel. Now that's commitment.

Related Surfing Posts:

Long Beach
Kalk Bay Barrels
A Trip to Heaven (Part 1)
A Trip to Heaven (Part 2)
Gone with the Wind
Sundowners
Krazy Kalk Bay

Ultimate X

On Saturday I went down to the V&A Waterfront to check out this year's Ultimate X Extreme Sports Festival.  Riders from all over the country came to participate in various sports such as FMX, skateboarding, bmxing and wakeboarding. I was completely blown away by the talent we have in Extreme sports in this country. Really amped for the next event like this. Next time though I'm hoping someone will have a word with the weatherman and ask for cooler weather...it was a scorcher!

Thanks to the Expresso Show for the tickets, to Stacey Doubell for the media pass and to Cameron Doubell for a free pair of Lundun sunnies. Oh and also to the boyf for dealing with the insane heat while I took countless photographs.

Friday Favourite - At Roost

Friday Favourite: a once-off shot from my archives that I'll post and write about every Friday. 

A mentor once told me that sometimes the universe lends a helping hand in a photograph. I think this was one of those moments. Here's one of my favourite portraits, taken at Imhoff Farm in Kommetjie.

The story behind the shot: 

A while back the boyf took me (and my camera) for lunch at Blue Water Cafe in Kommetjie. After our lunch we took a walk down to the petting farm next to the restaurant. One of the staff members there was busy chasing some roosters out of the shop (where they obviously weren't supposed to be). One particular rooster took to flight and perched himself directly on the head of the guy doing the chasing. I reached for my camera and just took one quick snap. It was one of those moments where the universe just happened to lend a hand and all the elements came together perfectly - from the complementary colours, the glance he gave me and of course, the rooster sitting absurdly on his head. I absolutely love this shot. I often find some of my best photographs are the spontaneous ones. Taken with a Canon 1000D and a 50mm f1.8 prime lens.

Water Baby

I am completely in love with shooting surf (thank goodness the boyf loves the ocean as much as I do else we'd have a problem). I usually shoot from the land but on this particular day I decided to get amongst the action in the water. Here are my first attempts at some water-based surf photography. I have a new found respect for water photographers... they make it look so easy but it is seriously challenging (and kind of scary when you're new to it). Hoping to get back in the water and try round 2 soon. Thanks to all of these talented surfers (whose names I unfortunately don't yet know) for putting on an awesome display that made my time in the water so much fun.

Those that live amongst us

Those of you who know me personally will know that I'm quite a serious animal activist (to the point of being one of those apparently 'annoying' vegetarians who don't eat anything with a face). But each to their own. I am fascinated with the little creatures who live amongst us and who every now and then enter our urban environment. Lately I've been having a few interesting animal encounters and I've tried to photograph all of them. Here are the pics and a little description of each.

I caught a glimpse of this little guy hiding out on a rock in the sun while I was out hiking in Arniston. If he hadn't have moved I would never have seen him. Doing his best impression of a rock here, brilliantly camouflaged from sneaky predators. I have no idea what type of lizzard he is but I'd love it if someone could tell me?

Another angle on the lizzard.

A Black Oystercatcher on Noordhoek Beach being absolutely sandblasted by the South Easter.  And yet he still just stood there. I'm amazed at the elements these birds and other animals deal with.

This gorgeous Cape Fur Seal was sun-tanning on the rocks next to Long Beach in Kommetjie a while back. I walked along to sit on the rocks and shoot the surfers when I nearly walked right into him. He didn't seem too phased by my presence and I got some lovely shots of him.

More of the Cape Fur Seal having a nap on the rocks in Kommetjie. 

My boyfriend and I went for lunch at the Old Farmhouse just outside of Scarborough. This very fat and happy little field mouse hides out in the shrubbery and feasts on crumbs dropped from restaurant-goers. 

Another one of the field mouse at the Old Farmhouse near Cape Point Nature Reserve.