Gone ...

Not every venture in the Midlands seems to be a resounding winner. I often wonder what it is that makes a business a success. Some years back I knew a restaurateur who had what I imagined was every ingredient for success, and yet his venture never did anything beyond modest trade. Forced by circumstances to move to less salubrious premises he set up again, same team, same menu less swish décor - and business boomed. Go figure! Here in the Lions River area I came across what appears to be a discontinued eatery. Not far from it are two others, directly across the road from one and other. The one is generally buzzing, the other not so much. This place looked as though it had great potential, and yet the image tells me otherwise. As we say locally - shame!

The premises with an eerie sense of emptiness and shadows makes both a fascinating monochrome study and a colour shot. I've chosen to post the colour version - which seems to hint more strongly of ghosts of hosts gone by.

Pushing Daisies ...

No it's not an announcement of early spring, and although the last few days have shown signs of warming, the forecast is for another cold snap over the coming (long) weekend. Amongst all the burned out and frosted grasslands there are still however bursts of colour such as these almost fluorescent indigenous daisy like bushes. I'm not certain of their variety or botanical identity but they certainly enliven the vast expanses of blackened and browned lands.

Once again the macro setting on my standard lens proves its prowess in close-up use, providing crisp clarity in the focus area, and great depth of field beyond it giving an almost 3D effect.

Firelight ...

How dramatically the views of the mountains can change!!! From the snows of  last week we had the sky glowing red with a massive fire on the very same mountain slopes to the west of Howick last night. In the space of a mere hour the flames flared, spread, and passed - but at their height they gave the dark night skyline an appearance I imagine akin to an erupting volcano. I hope there was no serious damage to forests or to life - the day's news reports will no doubt tell, but in the meantime here is the drama of it all. Midlands life is full of surprises.

I should have used a tripod to stabilise the camera for this shot, but as so often happens I was afraid that losing time in setting it up would have meant the moment may have passed. I did get one out and the fear proved to be true - by the time I was ready to shoot again the flames had mostly moved over the crest of the mountain, and the tepid images that followed are not worth sharing.

Snowberg ....

Yes - it's ANOTHER shot of iNhlosane, and even though the snows have almost melted (this was taken last week Wednesday) I'm sure you'll agree this is an image too good to not share. Taken on that road trip where I braved the muddy, icy roads of the Dargle / Impendle route, this shot reminds me of one I took of the Matterhorn near Zermat in Switzerland some years ago. Both mountains dominate their region, and although I could not claim that iNhlosane has anything like the scale of the Horn, and it certainly poses no equal challenge to mountaineers, I took both photos across a valley that helped to give them an exaggerated appearance of height. (I was a little underwhelmed by the appearance of the Matterhorn - which despite its reputation and altitude of 4478 metres I somehow imagined would be more impressive. iNhlosane in comparison comes in at a modest 1977 metres).

Some photographers would have wait twenty years to get a shot like this. How fortunate I am to have had the chance in my first year in the Midlands. Co-incidentally a rare Johannesburg snowfall occurred the year I moved there - in 1981.

Lumbering lumber ...

Continuing my fascination with the forests of the Midlands, I liked the patterns formed by the canopy foliage of these eucalyptus / blue gum trees. I'd been asked to scout for some locations by two contacts - one for some pre-wedding shots for a soon to be married couple, the other for a furniture location shoot where they don't want to use the usual boring room setting styling. I think both will shortly be here. I hope I get to see the results.

I often take several shots to get just one that I really like (of course that's a huge benefit with digital cameras - no wasted film), but with this shot I could see that I got just what I wanted first time.

Snow seen.....

I believe it is the heaviest snow to have fallen in the area in twenty years. This was the view of iNhlosane and her mountains I awakened to this morning - and it was magnificent. The weather has however wreaked havoc with the local roads this week with the main N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg having been closed since the heavy snow falls of Monday. We're simply not equipped to cope with this European type weather in these parts and the latest traffic reports spoke of a fifteen kilometre backlog of stationary traffic queued up at Van Reenen's Pass waiting for conditions to improve to continue on their journey. Stuck in sub zero temperatures, and totally unprepared for the enforced and unplanned stopover, my heart goes out to those poor drivers enduring this. I risked a drive out through the Dargle Valley closer to the mountains, and the iced over roads were treacherous - thank goodness for the quattro drive on my Audi - many other vehicles were slip-sliding across the slush and ice.

The rising sun reflected magically off the white of the snow capped hills, with the valley still sleeping in the early morning chill.

Lonely tree 2 ...

It's darned cold here today. All day it has rained. There's snow up at Nottingham Road. I'm going tomorrow to take some photos. With the dull misty grey of today I cannot believe that this past weekend delivered such crisp and glorious weather with such cloudless clear blue skies as seen here. But that's our winter, and by this weekend hopefully this latest cold front will have passed us by.
This could only be Africa. It's part of what I love about the place.

Ringing a bell ...

One of the more unusual attractions on the Midlands Meander is the fascinating  Culamoya Chimes. Found in the Lidgetton Valley area just off of the R103 the home of a thousand chime notes is also the home of delightful couple Frik and Lola Haupt who have turned an unusual interest into an equally unusual business venture. With small to giant wind chimes made from metals, glass, bamboo, woods and even sea shells the soothing sounds of chiming fills the air as notes from Big Ben, Westminster and a myriad other appropriately named instruments harmoniously fills the air. If you like the sounds you're certain to find a suitable model to take home and relive the music of the area long after your visit is over. Reached via a winding hill-climbing road the views across the valley are spectacular reward enough - even if the sound of chiming reminds you of the last bout of tinnitus you thought you'd cured.

The magnificent candelabra like mountain cabbage tree at the garden's edge adds foreground interest to what must surely be one of the most beautiful outlooks you could awaken to each day.

Falls View Centre ...

Looking somewhat like a timber fortress from a frontier town the Falls  View Centre in Howick houses an eclectic collection of fascinating shops and galleries from woven rugs, through art collections to a bygones and collectables emporium certain to satisfy the cravings of seekers of shabby chic and mid twentieth century nostalgia. You know - the sort of thing your parents or grandparents discarded that is suddenly this year's retro rage. All part of the Midlands Meander route this is why the dusty little (though fast growing) town of Howick rightfully claims its place as the hub of the Midlands.

The vibrant colours of the place make a tantalising image, which certainly reflects the spirit and vibe of the often busy little centre

Water Falling ...

This area has an abundance of waterfalls. Perhaps that explains the good humour of Midlands folk, for I have heard that the falling of water creates negative ions, which are extremely therapeutic for man's soul. There is no question that I find a while spent listening to the splashing, roaring or even thundering of these wonders of nature very relaxing, and I have set myself a personal mission to visit as many of them as I can find. I have already made a good start having so far taken in the Howick, Woodhouse and Karkloof Falls, and I will become more serious in this quest when the next summer rains start in earnest. The Umgeni Valley alone is said to have some fifteen falls to see. In the meantime here is a fairly unknown cascade in the Dargle Valley area. Surprisingly it lies only a few hundred metres from the main road, but remains unsignposted, and is best viewed from a small path from a private residence. Having gained permission to hike down into the river gorge I was privileged to spend half an hour here exposing my stresses (what stresses?) to the negative ions of the Dargle waters.

Again challenged by the overhead lighting directly behind the falls, the shade cast by the overhead branches of a riverbank tree allowed a good shot of the twin cascades of these as yet unnamed falls.

St Pauls ...

Unlike the same named cathedral in London,the small church of St Paul's in Curry's Post has no claims to great architectural merit or grandeur. And yet built in 1876 by Sgt M Curry it has been a centre of Anglican Christian worship for over a century, continuing to hold regular monthly services for Midlands worshippers to this day. One of four churches under the wing of the central St Luke's church in Howick I have already featured St Andrew's in the Dargle Valley and St Mark's in the Karkloof/Shafton area. Like those two there is a graveyard alongside the church with many graves of the Curry family, and other notable dynasties of the Curry's Post area. There truly is much history recorded in the simple (and sometimes not so simple) tombstones. So, my recording of the Churches of Midlands county continues.

A simple image for the delightful simplicity of the red brick building was all that was needed.

Bless the blesbok ...

I became instantly  fonder of the fairly common blesbok during a visit to the FreeMe Foundation KZN near the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve where a young doe named Ella was being nursed back to health after having been savagely attacked by domestic dogs. She had been taken into captivity by a probably well meaning human, with tragic consequences that will hopefully have a positive outcome. FreeMe is a wildlife rehabilitation operation funded only by public donations and benefactors, and provides a wonderful service to our distressed and injured indigenous animals. In the neighbouring valley reserve handsome specimens roam freely - as nature intended. They are a beautiful breed.

Once again capturing a good shot of these animals in Umgeni Valley is quite a cinch, the animals being quite used to human visitors ogling them at close range. No telephoto zooming required. Magic.

Likin' lichen....

With parts of the Midlands being in what is known as the mistbelt of KwaZulu Natal conditions are evidently ideal for certain lichens to thrive. Many trees and rocks are covered by these fungal growths, and they can give an old trunk or rocky outcrop an amazing look of age. Actually lichens are extremely hardy and different varieties are found in even the most extreme conditions from arid desert landscapes to arctic tundra. A close look at their formation reveals a form and colour palette that is quite amazing, such as this example of a rock face in the Lidgetton Valley, almost entirely covered with growth. It could almost be an underwater scene. For an interesting foray into the world of lichens refer to this piece on Wikipedia - fascinating stuff!

Often the abstract simplicity of a single subject can make an interesting study in texture and depth,  which seems to go beyond the two dimensions of photography.

Country Kitchen ...

There are many delightful restaurants dotted around the area, and you’ll be certain to find one on any day trip along the routes of the Midlands Meander that will suit your dining needs. I have sampled around ten of them so far, and not one has been a disappointment,  with the personal host’s attention that one just does not find in franchised city eateries. To discover that the kitchen is as rustic and charm filled as the main dining area is a bonus, and this is the kitchen at the characterful Travellers’  Rest at New Hannover.

Taken with only the natural light of the room on an ISO setting of 200, the warmth of the kitchen and its copper accoutrements is well captured here. Delightful.

The trees for the wood ...

I have mentioned previously that there are vast forest reserves in the Midlands, and they do provide much of the character of the area. Although some indigenous forestation remains intact (and conserved) most of the forests are either cultivated coniferous timber for the pulp and paper industry, or the harder woods of the eucalyptus or gum families. Planted in amazingly straight rows, a walk under the canopy of the trees provides an interesting view of the world with patterns of shadows falling on the ground, and cathedral like aisles between the trees often forming arch like apertures at the edges of the forests reinforcing that church like feeling.

A good shot in the forests is not difficult, once you are in amongst the trees you are spoiled for choice about which direction to aim and shoot.  

In the Glen ...

I guess if Hollywood (posted yesterday) is colloquially called an informal setlement, then the village of Amberglen (and the other Amber developments of Amber Valley and the original Amberfield) must be formal settlements. So just for the record here is a view from the north east looking back over Amberglen towards the town of Howick. A lot more uniform than its informal counterpart, unquestionably more comfortable, and almost (but arguably not quite) as great a setting. The Amber developments were started by Ian Taylor, then continued by his son Rob, and were one of the reasons for the recent dramatic growth in the population of Howick. Comprising of over a thousand units to date, two new phases are underway. Rob's  often controversial life ended off Table Mountain last year. The Ambers remain his memorial.

Once again I have cropped the image to a widescreen landscape aspect. Magnifique.

Hollywood ...

Perched on the edge of the Umgeni Valley, and in close proximity to Howick Falls is an informal settlement that the locals call either Hollywood or Beverly Hills. While these names are obviously intended to be as ironic as they sound and you can be certain that living conditions for the shack dwellers is far from ideal, there is a  definite sense of order about the layout of the housing when viewed across the valley. The rapid growth and development of the town of Howick has lured many employment seekers to the area, and many have been disillusioned as planned residential developments have slowed in the current economic climate - but the announcement of two new planned residential estates in the sprawling development of the area known as the Ambers just outside the town offer renewed hope that things are about to get better. Remembering that property is all about location, location, location this must be one of the more spectacularly sited shack settlements in the country.

A widescreen setting portrays the panorama of township life.

Umgeni Valley ...

On these cool and frosty days nothing beats a good vigorous hike through the hills and valleys of the Midlands. The snakes are hibernating (hopefully), and although many of the grasslands have been burned (under control - as a fire prevention measure) many others still offer pleasant and scenic rambles such as this area of the impressive Umgeni Valley. The hills are typical Midlands savannah, populated with a variety of acacias and the fascinating candelabra like Mountain Cabbage trees, whilst closer to the waterways you'll find riverine forests similar to those seen on the gorge walk below the Howick Falls. Game is plentiful (buck, zebra and giraffe along with many smaller animals) and there is still an abundance of colourful flowering flora if you keep your eyes open for them (and of course plentiful blackjacks). The grasslands first thing in the morning, before the frosts which settle overnight have melted, are something magic to see; just be sure to wear warm socks and good waterproof hiking boots!!! As you'll notice from a closer look at this image (click to enlarge) the Umgeni Valley is a feast for waterfall lovers, some more of which I will feature in later postings.

Back to the old framing technique for this image, and the low hanging meandering branches of acacias with the long foreground grasses serve this purpose well.

In bloom ...

A promise made .... a promise kept. I said on Friday I'd post this shot, so here it is. Did you expect the flower of the humble dandelion to hide so much beauty? (Click and enlarge to see the detail)
Me neither. And again I wonder - why is it that so many winter flowering plants have yellow flowers?
As for my camera settings - it's that zoom macro setting again.

Just dande ....

I've apologised before for posting some things that are not Midlands exclusives, and let's face it you could probably go out right now and find a dandelion growing within a few metres of your home. But the difference is you wouldn't. You probably wouldn't even notice one anyway (other than to mutter 'damned weeds') - and if you're a city dweller you'd likely not have the time to stop and look at just what  marvellous works of nature the delicate seed heads of the dandelion really are. Do yourself a favour and take that time - I've even noticed the incredible beauty of their vivid yellow flowers - I'll post one on Monday and you'll probably be as amazed as I was.
I have again used the zoom macro setting on my camera (a Ricoh Caplio - R3 for those interested) to capture the incredibly fine detail of this shot. Selecting a head which had partially dispersed its seeds allows the lace like tracery of the soft silky hairs of the seeds to show up clearly. Simple, but effective I thought - (definitely an image to click and enlarge to fully appreciate).

Laager Wall ....

Another small but significant piece of local history can be seen in the small town of Howick. Often overlooked by, or its existence unknown to visitors to the Howick Falls it is the remains of the town's laager wall. Built by Sir george Sutton and the villagers of the area its history is recorded thus:

In 1879 (subsequent to the overwhelming defeat of the British at Isandlwana) a laager wall was built behind the Howick Falls Hotel to protect Howick from imminent Zulu attack. The Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British commenced their invasion of Zululand in South Africa, a Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked a portion of the British main column consisting of about 1,800 British, colonial and native troops and perhaps 400 civilians.The battle was a decisive victory for the Zulus and caused the defeat of the first British invasion of Zululand. 

The pattern of the stonework would make an interesting abstract image. Including some of the plant life growing from the crevices, and the sign recording the wall's origins almost tells of the age and story.

Frosted Drops ...

It has been cold these past few days. Many locals have commented how this is the first midyear in recent times that we have really had a winter, so mild have been the winter months for some number of years. And so it was quite something for me to brave the early morning to get out to photograph some nearby falls. Having tried in the afternoon, it was evident that to get the right lighting for a particular waterfall I’d need to be there in the early morning – and with my not really being a morning kind of person it took some doing and willpower. I made it, but it did mean braving the early morning frosts which in places leave the open grasslands looking almost as if snow has fallen. Amongst all the frost burned leaves and plants the beauty of some specimens is all the more noticeable such as these strikingly beautiful pea flowers. I’m no botanical authority but suspect they are examples of the polygala family. As the morning sun battled to warm the cold morning air the frozen dewdrops settled on the flora had started to thaw, resulting in jewelled highlights on the colourful blooms. It made my braving the winter chills (some two degrees) worthwhile.

Again using the zoom macro scene setting on the camera, the detail I needed was possible with a great field depth effect defocusing the background. I’m pleased with the result.

I'm a Gnu ...

Meet one of my neighbours - a blue wildebeest or gnu (Connochaetes taurinus). The estate I live in borders onto the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, an Eden of landscapes, rivers, waterfalls, forests, plants … and animals. Managed by WESSA (the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) – a non-government organisation caring for the earth since 1926, I have enjoyed a number of hikes through the area – and plan to undertake many more. Having grown up on a southern African farm, I enjoy returning to nature where one can feel relaxed and free with only the great outdoors and its natural inhabitants for company. I have at home a splendid woodcut of zebras and wildebeest by local artist John Moore, and always felt the striping on the wildebeest was a little exaggerated. Of course I’d seen wildebeest in the wild, but never so closely and as clearly as this, and as you can see the striping is very distinct. The artist got it right, and favouring the same grassland habitat as the zebra, they are natural companions in the wild. The gnu is a beautifully ugly animal, here’s how comic songsters Flanders and Swann immortalised the beast:

I'm a Gnu,

I'm a Gnu

The g-nicest work of g-nature in the zoo

I'm a Gnu,

How do you do

You really ought to k-now w-ho's w-ho's

I'm a Gnu,

Spelt G-N-U

I'm g-not a Camel or a Kangaroo

So let me introduce, 

I'm g-neither man nor moose

Oh g-no g-no g-no I'm a Gnu

Wildlife photography can be something of a challenge and often the best results are obtained with strong telephoto lenses. The subject here is used to close human presences, and with a standard lens I was able to capture this beautiful specimen.

A Captured Past ...

On the 5^th August 1962 an event occurred in the Midlands that was to become a part of South Africa’s convoluted political history. At an otherwise uninspiring point on the R103 between Durban and Johannesburg, our most famous political prisoner was arrested. His given name on being taken into custody - David Motsamayi.

Today the site, although still modest in its acknowledgement of that event is clearly marked for passing travellers – these often being contented tourists experiencing the magic that is the Midlands Meander. Signs displaying the familiar symbol of National Monuments and placed a few metres either side of a poorly maintained brick memorial wall read Mandela Capture Site. Already crumbling, being slowly covered in weeds and uncollected litter - obviously paid little attention by the ineffectual local regional council - it was here that Nelson Mandela was to begin the most arduous part of that Long Walk to Freedom. Both he and our history surely deserve better treatment.

There is hope that things may change, for the significance of the place has been acknowledged by the ‘curator’ of much of our cultural and artistic heritage the director of the apartheid museum, Christopher Till. More about this and Christopher’s plans for the area can be read on the sagoodnews website.

The word tsiamelo (a place of goodness) found on the granite plaque of the monument interestingly strengthens the links of the site to the Meander route on which it is located – the Meander’s by-line being ‘a good place.’ That it is!

In much the way that I admire the stark simplicity of the Deportation Martyrs Monument in Paris, I like the simplicity of the design of this memorial – it suits the historical context. (If only its upkeep was the former’s equal). I did some weeding, removed the litter, and with the overhead cables of the train lines in the background, the light and dark of the two wings of the wall, I think the spirit of the site and significance of its history can somehow be sensed here.

The best I could do.....

Rather like the earlier old barn images of last week, the shack at Lions River had plenty of scope for interesting detail shots. The small neighbouring turquoise residence, where there were signs of life including colourful washing on the laundry lines, offered attractive potential but I felt that would have been a real invasion of privacy, and decided to keep to the washed out pastels and shadows of the seemingly abandoned building's verandah. All the time the words of the Mike Batt song about the Railway Hotel echoed through my mind ....

I had wanted much more for the first night with you, 

But the railway hotel was the best I could do. 
I knew the Savoy would have suited you well, 
But the best I could do was the railway hotel

Shadows and light can make or break a study like this, and I did try a couple of angles and heights to get the effect I wanted. Only back home did I notice I had made one common beginner's bloop - can you spot it? Nothing a bit of cropping couldn't fix, and I'm not telling - but I know it's there.

The Railway Hotel ...

There is a tradition that seems to apply internationally that there is always an hotel across the road from most railway stations, and for this reason I always jokingly refer to this delightful rural shack dwelling across the road from the Lions River railway station as the Railway Hotel. Looking quite abandoned, I am reliably informed that it is occupied by a local Indian family, so I hope they don’t mind the intrusion of my taking a couple of shots of their home. Situated almost on the road (the old Durban to Johannesburg main road – now known as the R103) the occupants must have been delighted when the new national highway was opened and the incessant flow of traffic between cities moved away from their front door. The shack is typical of many early twentieth century wood and iron buildings in the country, with its traditional front veranda. I pass it most days now, and always wonder about its age and history. Obviously the inhabitants have little wealth, but the faded pastel colourings of the long unpainted corrugated iron walls and the sun bleached wooden flooring give it an appeal that I found impossible to pass by without recording its presence.

Old buildings make immensely photogenic subjects, and I think this one shows that it’s not only the grand design of exceptional architecture that deserves photo recording. Tomorrow I’ll post a close up of the veranda.

Stationary …

For most of the twentieth century SA had a brilliant railway transport infrastructure. Popular and safe for both freight and passenger transport most who lived through the nineteen thirties (even earlier) to the late eighties will have some fond memory of at least one trip on a locomotive run by the SA Spoorweg. Sadly, as in many other countries efficiency declined and road-freight took over, with commuter services suffering a similar fate as the need for speed and safety were no longer met by passenger services. There is a still robust, privately operated luxury train service, as well as the legendary state run Blue Train, but they are more tourist attraction than mainstream service today. It also means that many of the quaint old railway stations have fallen into a state of neglect and decline – especially those in the small country towns and villages that once demanded at least a postal stop if not one for a passenger embarking or disembarking. I was pleased to find that the small station at Lions River stands more or less intact, still in use by Rovos Rail – that private preservation tour company I mentioned earlier. Visitors to the area will know this stop where they are taken for a day’s touring to local Midlands attractions.

Not quite Victorian, and certainly not an historical building, this reminder of those bygone days still makes a charming record, where you can imagine there may once have been a queue for tickets. Or maybe not.

One Tree ...

I like this composition – just another of those occasions where a single tree against the skyline stopped me in my tracks. It has before, and will again. 

What can I say – it’s incurable ;-)

I used the scene to check once more how well the rule of thirds really does create eye pleasing images from minimal subject matter. Take two thirds of the portrait as sky, and simply placing the tree at the intersection of the right third and lower one third dividing lines – voila, a balanced interesting image emerges, don’t you think? And yet again the Midlands clouds behaved just right.

Cover shot …

I do sometimes feel as though I’m living in a series of Country Life magazine covers – and there’s nothing wrong with that! Increasingly the dry grasses in the farmlands are being cut and baled, and the resultant stubble burned – a precaution necessary in the heavily forested hills. The memories of some horrific blazes a short four years ago remain in the minds of many locals – and the words ‘never again’ are uttered each time two or more woodsmen meet. I still find the expanses of green rye-grass fields amazingly at odds with the otherwise decidedly wintry landscapes, and the winter this year – so many tell me – is the coldest in recent memory. There is snow on the Drakensberg mountains just beyond Nottingham Road – I must try and get myself there while it lasts.

Although not totally obvious here, the air is frequently thick with a haze of smoke, that rather like the mists that will soon return, create a soft grey light filter which fades the mountain skylines into the sky, creating an almost water colour painting like effect in landscape images. 

Wild Dagga …

Is there something about warm fire coloured blossoms that makes them such prolific winter flowering plants? As the usually green, green hills of Natal take on the golden hues of their frost deadened grasses, the mostly vibrant yellows and oranges of seasonal shrubs now in bloom contrast beautifully against the brown, enlivening many a local landscape. They give a feeling of warmth, not always in keeping with the cool daytime air temperatures, although in fairness I’m finding this, my first winter in the Midlands, delightfully mild. Many of the species flowering presently are aloes (in fact next month Creighton in the south Midlands hosts an aloe festival) but equally prevalent right now are the unmistakable spiky bracts of Leonotis Leonorus commonly known as Wild Dagga (although it has none of the narcotic properties of its cannabis namesake). Popular in domestic gardens, spreads of this plant in nature are easily found.

It is almost impossible at the moment to find a flowering Dagga plant not being harvested by honey bees, an obvious subject for a close-up study and a macro lens but with a backdrop as magnificent as the uMngeni Valley looking towards Albert Falls dam, this is the image I have chosen to share.

And, yes, I did take the close ups too.

Skeleton Trees …

I have remarked before on how I am attracted by the relationship of trees to their landscape, and how I marvel at the survival of many seemingly long dead trunks that stand through time against the odds of winds and weather, and those local plundering firewood consumers often seen scavenging far less attractive supplies of fuel to keep the winter cold at bay. Perhaps struck by lightning, or perhaps just the unfortunate victim of a long dry season, many of these skeletal forms are towering eucalyptus or blue gum carcasses. One day they’ll surely fall, but I do know of at least one example in Gauteng that over the seven years I travelled a particular route held on fast to its self-proclaimed territorial rights. Marvellous!

As an abstract composition these two adjacent specimens in the Tweedie area show just the presence I have spoken of. A tempting monochrome study, their simple silvered forms against a blazing blue winter sky is somewhat more dramatic.

At Stud …

In SA the favoured Sport Of Kings is largely supplied by stock from the Midlands’ many stud farms, the most notable of them being the famous Summerhill, producer of champions since the 1930’s and probably the only stud to have produced a winner of every major feature race on the SA calendar. Of course for breeding champions conditions must be ideal and both the climate and facilities of the Midlands seem to fit the bill.

With verdant pasturing even in the thick of winter, this stud farm makes an interesting photographic composition - the immaculately maintained post and rail fencing of the paddocks contrasting darkly against the almost fluorescent green of the grass in the warmth of the mid-afternoon June sun.

Oh, that  .... and the horses.

Merry Meandering …

There are a number of craft routes around the country, and claiming to be the oldest of them is the Midlands Meander – now in its twenty sixth year. I have not given enough coverage to the Meander in my ramblings to date, something I’ll put to rights starting from today. To my mind too many establishments on the route  are accommodation and hospitality providers, diluting somewhat the focus on the artists and craftsfolk who were its foundation. True, these do provide the necessary sustenance and accommodation for long-distance visitors, but it is mainly the creative concerns that I’ll be visiting. Fittingly I have chosen an image of ceramics for today – taken at Hillfold Pottery – the studio of Lindsay Scott – fittingly, as one of the founders of the Meander was ceramicist David Walters, now resident in Franschoek, in the Western Cape. I have never tried throwing a pot (in the craft sense at least), and hope one day to rectify that omission. I admire the skill of the potter in that ability to shape a soggy lump of clay into a durable utile object and the distinctive beauty of the glazed decorative finishes many achieve is a bonus. Years ago I attended an exhibition of the work of Ian Glenny in Durban and I will get to his studio in the Dargle Valley soon. Sadly Ian is no longer producing due to declining health.

Of the shots I took at Hillfold I like the structure and order of the display shown here, somewhat at odds with the general surrounds of what I imagine is the typical chaos of a working potter’s studio.

Back o’ the Barn …

It is amazing how we humans collect, mostly junk. Having recently moved house I was astounded how much clutter I had squirrelled away in niches and cupboards ‘in case I ever needed it.’ Of course the stuff I decided to keep now lies in the new house mostly unused, and much of the stuff I decided I could do without I’ve spent hours looking for – just in case I didn’t actually throw it away. Such is life. I’m sure this phenomenon is ‘somebody’s’ law. Having a load of cupboard space in a house (with garden shed) is one thing, having a whole smallholding, or better yet a farm on which to accumulate things you may use one day is entirely another. The legendary capability of ma-plotters* to do this is well known and a quick walk around the old barn of Friday’s posting confirms the reputation is well deserved.

I do occasionally try to get a bit artsy with my camera and the scene at the barn certainly provided images to do so. Here’s my pick of them – it's just so much an image of what I think of as rural life - charming in the country, yet something that would drive me nuts if my city neighbour chose to live with it.

*plot or smallholding owners and dwellers

Old Barn ...

One of my TV favourites is Kevin McCloud’s Grand Designs, and some of the episodes I have most enjoyed have been those covering barn conversions, preservations and restorations. Sadly in SA we don’t have a countryside littered with barns dating back to mediaeval times with their splendid oak timber frames, which give these old buildings the charm and preservation worthiness they have. Nonetheless I have been noticing more and more charming old timber and iron farm buildings around the Midlands, and I daresay that if I had access to many more of the farms in the area I may even find one that would start shouting out “Save Me.”  This characterful old example is alongside the road from Dargle to Boston and still being in use, the farm road and open gate leading up to the building was too tempting to pass by. With no-one around on a quiet Sunday to ask permission, I took the liberty of taking a few shots before returning to the main district road and going on my way. The rusted iron roof, dilapidated state and silvery weathered gum tree planks attest to the many seasons this building has provided shelter to its contents – may it see many more – and: Thanks Mr Farmer.

This was one of those fortunate occasions where nature fully played her part in providing a dramatic lighting effect to add interest and focal depth to the image. Right place – right time!!

The Moon In June....

OK, so this is not exactly a Midlands exclusive, but the longest running lunar eclipse in about eleven years is worth noting, isn't it? From around eight fifteen in the evening until shortly before midnight, the full moon above home was slowly shaded from the sun by our own little planet, disappearing almost completely except for a ghostly reddish glow in the sky at about nine fifty three pm. Not being one to enjoy watching paint dry, a close runner would be watching every slow second of a total eclipse of the moon. And so I set my camera up on a tripod, switched the auto timer on to five minute intervals and went inside to watch Al Sugar candy coating his current lot of imbecilic apprentices. Ad breaks were conveniently spaced to pop outside into the chilled night air to do camera position adjustments compensating for the arcing track of my subject.

I really don’t have the right kit to produce high resolution images of celestial subjects, but by stitching together three of those timed exposures as a triptych, the story of the eclipse is told. (You may want to click on the image to enlarge it and clearly see all three shots). I quite like this result.

How now ...

Taking a round trip from Howick through the Dargle Valley and then onwards via Boston and back along the R617, takes one very close (again) to the omnipresent iNhlosane. I had no intention of capturing yet another shot of the mountain, but my eye was caught by this herd of cattle – mostly young Angus stock I’m guessing from their reddish brown coats. In their number was a solitary white specimen – an obvious subject to try and capture. At first, as I got out of my car, he managed to get himself lost in the deep midst of his russet coloured brethren, but after my patiently waiting and calling in my best imitation of bovine lowing he slowly made his way to the front ranks of the herd for literally a minute before disappearing shyly back into the background. Patience (again) rewarded!

I increasingly understand the time and effort which goes into capturing those seemingly “in the right place at the right time” images we all find so amazing and appealing. A bit like overnight success – it takes a lot of waiting, patience and effort, but when you get the shot you hoped for it’s all worth the while.

End of the day ...

On the way out to an evening appointment yesterday I was side-tracked by the most spectacular setting sun. I hate to confess it, but the image does not do justice to the sky – the light caught at centre screen was actually the most amazing sight with great rays of light radiating out into the skies above the hill on the horizon. Unfortunately I only had my trusty and usually more than adequate compact digital camera on hand – and the automatic (no override) shutter speed just could not capture what the human eye could see. The camera never lies – it just doesn’t always tell the whole story!!!

If you read yesterday’s post you’ll recall my mention of hay bales along with winter’s very green rye-grass fields, and here we see the two together. Something I had not seen before was that bales are now protection wrapped and left in-situ until needed – I guess I’m just not that aware of modern farming practice advances – but I’m learning.

Green Scene ...

There is a song, often performed by the Durban Men's Choir, about the green, green hills of Natal, and I’m certain that it must have been written after passing through these parts of the Midlands. In spite of the prevalent golden grasslands of Natal’s winter there are tracts of land under cultivated rye grass – courtesy of local livestock farmers - which remain the most verdant green despite the recent frosts which have hit the countryside. Combined with the baled hay from fields harvested over the past few months, local cattle are assured of a varied and healthy winter diet.
I have cropped this shot to assume a widescreen ratio aspect – which works well for panoramic landscapes. With the foreground green of the pine tree saplings only the outlined winter deciduous trees on the horizon give any inkling of the time of year.

Aloe, Aloe ...

The onset of winter brings with it the flowering season of one of the area’s most beautiful natural resources – the aloe. All over the countryside colourful specimens with their varying shades of reds, oranges and yellows brighten the landscape of browning or golden grasses. These flame like examples, profiled against one of the deep river gorges in the area provide also a subtle reminder that winter is fire season, and with the late rains of the year the danger level is high. Caution must be exercised when crossing drying Midlands grasslands as, unlike the Cape fynbos, local flora does not require the heat of annual burning to begin germination of the seeds of next year’s plants.

Some scenes simply dictate how they should be photographed, and this is one. I’m certain any photographer would have instinctively framed and positioned the bright orange aloe flowers just like this.

Art In The Park …

Last weekend was a busy one in Pietermaritzburg, for not only was there the Royal Show, but also one of the highlights on the South African fine arts calendar - the annual Art In the Park event held beneath the London plane trees of the city’s Alexandra Park. Now in its forty-eighth year and featuring some fifty-five artists the standard of work was exceptionally high with artists from around the country - and beyond our borders. Annual turnover at this al-fresco gallery understandably runs into the couple of million rands, and despite the continuing depressed economic times trade again seemed to be brisk. Some years back in Johannesburg I acquired two well-loved pastel works by local artist David Johnson and for me a highlight was finding David and his wife there in person at the show. It felt like meeting Leonardo at the Louvre. With great live music, artists on hand to discuss their work and sherry served as the fires are lit to warm attendees in the early evening the ambience is wonderful – just another reason to say again – I love life in the Midlands. Same time next year then!!!!

Stringent acceptance criteria ensure that the public gets to see the cream of local talent and I was pleased to see the inclusion also of slumped glass and photographic work. It is a fine art ;-) .....

A Winter's Tale ...

A week or two back the night winds blew - they really blew - and they delivered the onset of winter. Many trees, valiantly still holding on to their remaining autumn colours shed the remnants of their tattering coats and stood proudly - their stark skeletal forms awaiting the promise of the spring they know will come. Up until then we had enjoyed blissfully warm days, pleasant nights and late autumn rains. The weather forecast for today is possible snow and heavy rain - and single digit temperatures. That’s quite unusual seasonal weather for these parts, but where on earth is weather normal anymore? Out near the Lidgetton Valley is an area called Happy Hills. And this is how the approach road looks today.

In the years when I first owned a camera, colour photography was an expensive luxury. I was so naïve and inexperienced that the first roll of Kodakolor I splashed out on I ruined by using the yellow polarising filter that my old Brownie Box had built in – giving those first attempted Technicolor trials a sickly greenish pallor. How much things have changed, how much I have learned, sometimes through bitter experience. Having threatened to experiment once more with monochrome imaging – this time by choice, I felt this scene was appropriate to try. And, this time I think I was right.

Fun of the Fair …

The Royal Show has long been a family affair, and this year was no exception. One of the more active areas of entertainment, and certainly one of the more colourful, was the funfair. Reminding me of the travelling Luna Park of my youth I fully understand the reason why. With many of the rides providing the adrenaline rush of some of today’s popular extreme sports it was one of the noisiest too. While Dad was off eying the car displays, and Mom did the culinary hall, where better for the kids to have a great time of their own than on the Breakdancer of Free Fall – and then all to head home to catch the rugby.

With all the colour and action of the rides, and a bright cloudless day - I simply set the saturation level on the camera to vivid and the scene setting to sport (for recording objects in motion according to the live guide) and presto!

A Right Royal Occasion …

The Midlands, apart from being forestry territory, is also the heartland of the province’s commercial farming community, and it is not surprising to learn that the annual Royal Show is the oldest in the country. This year marks the 160^th anniversary of the founding of the hosting Royal Agricultural Society of Natal, and its inaugural Pietermaritzburg Fair – the forerunner of today’s well known event. The show has run every year since, interrupted only during the war years and the 1906 Bambatha Rebellion. I recall last visiting the RAS in around 1974, and the format is little changed. Many of the traders’ stands today give parts of the show a more flea market like ambience, and of course in this new South Africa the demographic profile of visitors is considerably different, but the competition for Best on Show remains as fierce as ever whether your field is livestock, produce, jam making, or one of the many crafts traditionally displayed in the atmospheric Hall Two. And the prestige of seeing one’s name engraved on one of the many floating trophies awarded annually still ensures that many will put in their best endeavours to secure that little piece of immortality that the engravers of the silverware will afford them.
With the local press having well covered the livestock, choosing a subject that conveys what this event is all about came quite easily as I flicked through the images I had captured during my weekend visit to “the show”. The gleam of glass and silverware in display cases that must have housed such entries for many of the show’s 160 years, the coveted prize certificates and judges comment cards and glimpses of the impressive hall all combine to tell of a tradition that seems to set to continue for another century and more.

Light & Shade ...

Looking back from the Karkloof Falls view site yet another small stream wends its way through from the forests to plunge down into the Karkloof Stream which itself becomes a tributary of the uMngeni River close to the Howick Falls Gorge. Visible in profile from the extreme edges of the picnic site this horse tail falls really needs to be seen from the south east face - I must make a plan to get there somehow, sometime.  I first saw this stream when the cyclists participating in the Karkloof Classic MTB event rode past this station, a cyclists’ see-saw having been set up to add a bit of fun and variety to the event. They would then cycle across the slatted wooden bridge before heading back into the forests and hills to return to the country club. Could a mountain biking venue get much better than this? Trails are open to the public most all year round, by courtesy of Sappi forests, permits being obtainable from cycle shops in Howick.

It is fairly clear from this shot why the lighting on the opposite facing falls was so challenging. Being winter the sun arcs across the southern sky making it almost perpetually overhead above the falls. But it does work well for the stream, creating interesting contrasts of light and shade, and millions of tiny reflections in the clear stream waters.

Karkloof Falls …

I must go back to the Karkloof Falls. Apart from the fact that it is an idyllic and peaceful spot, I really don’t yet have the shot that I want to get. Tumbling down some ninety seven metres, and directly below the Woodhouse Falls from the viewing site these two falls tend to look like a single drop, but I am reliably informed that when a cascade has its own pool and then continues to fall to another reservoir it is quite correct to separate them, nominally at least. As I have mentioned earlier many visitors find this sight preferable to the nearby, better-known and more visited Howick Falls. I think it’s probably a question of accessibility – the Howick Falls being in the centre of the town of that name, reachable by tar road, and easy entry to the gorge below allowing viewing from much closer quarters. There’s little between them in my opinion.

One of the most critical aspects of photographing nature is to get the lighting right, and that means not only being around at the right time of day and the right time of the year, but with waterfalls also in the right season – not too much water, and not too little. There’s no chance of using fill in flash techniques, and water is a reflector, and refractor of light. On the two occasions I have been to the Karkloof Falls light conditions have not been ideal with the falls too shaded – and so like Arnie I will be back!!! And I’ll let you know when I get that perfect shot.

Woodhouse Falls ...

A close look at the Karkloof Falls reveals that there are actually two falls making up the view, the upper cascades being known as the Woodhouse Falls. Named after a local farmer William Woodhouse it is said that his ghost still haunts this Midlands area, for the unfortunate William was thrown from his horse fording the stream above the falls in the 1880’s. The horse survived, but William’s body was discovered in the pool below the falls, as local lore would have it - exactly where an apparition of the deceased farmer had told his wife it would be found on the night he died. To get to the Woodhouse Falls proceed along the dirt road beyond the picnic sites to the left of the Karkloof Falls outlook site. The views you will get of the stream and the gorge below certainly justify the few extra minutes it will take you after having come this far, just beware of vehicles coming back in the opposite direction for there are not many parts of the track where two vehicles may pass and most certainly one of you will need to do some careful long distance reversing to reach one of the few such areas. Fortunately the road is not usually very busy.

There are not too many vantage points to photograph the Woodhouse Falls, and you’ll find that most images available resemble any other. I’ve resorted to using a couple of digital filters here to achieve a vintage photograph effect – something I usually try to avoid, but I thought it might honour William’s ghost. Here is the original. How would you differentiate your version?

Down streaming ...

A little further downstream from yesterday’s post and the view across the Karkloof Stream down towards the falls gorge becomes less pastoral and somewhat more dramatic. With lichen covered rocks casually strewn by nature forming small pools and islands and the natural wild African grasses contrasting with the man-made forests of pine and gum the colour palette is subtle and appealing. On one of the small rocky islands were the ashen remains of a small impromptu braai-pit, and I can only imagine how atmospheric the event must have been on a clear summer evening – Midlands life at its most relaxing.

I did take an alternative shot to this using yesterday’s framing suggestion, but I feel that there are occasions and views, such as this one, where not using that technique better conveys the open vistas and vastness of the great outdoors, especially when using a portrait image orientation. The pool and grasses in the foreground create enough visual interest to allow the framing rule to be broken.