A new bird count begins. As always it’s early days and we don’t see all that much. But a pair of these Levaillant’s Cisticolas did appear in front of the holes meant to entice broody kingfishers we were watching. I don’t know if I’ve photographed one before. Quite a crop though. I need to bring the teleconverter with me.
I am an absolute novice on - but a great admirer of - traditional South African pottery. I’ve been wanting to make a start in getting a few examples that are long since out of use. This is clearly a beer pot and supposedly Zulu. It might well be but I associate Zulu beer pots with those wonderful squat numbers - often with the little warts or nipples you could call them that stud the upper half for decoration. I’m hoping this kind of little mystery will help me learn more about my compatriots’ beautiful ceramic traditions. ...
A Little Grebe gliding across the still water at Rondevlei yesterday with my old man. Not much success with photography but an absolutely perfect winter’s day in Cape Town. Warm and sunny.
I’ve been looking for a lightweight 1980s steel road bike in my size. I’m quite pleased with this. It’s a Peugeot “Super Competition” with a Super Vitus 980 frame. Size 58. It’s in good condition with no rust on the frame. An absolute spitfire after riding a mountain bike for a few years. This is kind of the before pic. I’ll change the bar tape and the saddle for starters and who knows where I’ll wind up taking it. Being into “obsolete” tech is such fun because you can get really excited about stuff like this that costs very little.
I’m just still amazed at how sharp the #ttartisan50mmf12 is wide open at f1.2 even though I paid a chunk less than US$100 for it brand new. It’s such a great little all metal, all manual lens. And yet it’s not a modern ultra sharp lens at the same time. You can see some weird little flares. It’s got real personality. This is the most elegant Rolls Royce but, to be honest they were never the most beautiful cars. You only have to compare it to a Hispano-Suiza from the same era. The modern RR bricks are perfect for demonstrating that you’re an oaf with no passion for anything but power.
Classic Cape Dutch farmhouse at Hazendal. Netherlanders really loved stretching out in the land they grabbed here after the limited space in Holland.
I’ve been following @leonkluge on insta for a while now and he’s becoming a botanical David Attenborough of South African plants with his gentle, informative explanations. He also puts together these whizz bang international flower show winning displays so we decided to meet a young couple who were honeymooning in Cape Town at this display at Hazendal wine estate. The couple were fascinating and lovely themselves - both physics PHDs at one of the most famous scientific institutes in the world. But also with the refreshing kind of left politics that can get you arrested many countries 🏴🚩 ...
I’ve been hit by two infections in a row that have messed up my exercise. This was a long walk between them that I took my camera on. The corner of Rondebosch Common on a misty autumn morning. I remember taking my dog Jess here early one morning which was unheard of for me as a teenager. The common is an essential reserve for rare Cape plants and a wonderful public site for exercise.
I’m still playing with close up photography with flash. Off the camera this time. This little running cactus on our front stoop - placed there by @cara.stacey - didn’t flower at all the first few years we were here but now is running colours up the mast it seems like every two or three months.
And here she is: the African Honey Bee. Known in the USA as the African Killer Bee (they’re a lot more venomous than European or American honey bees. You do not want to piss off a swarm of them). I came so close to nailing focus on this one. Insect photography is hard.