Just another day in Africa?
Yes and no…
Why do I say that…
Because I was about to embark on a photo workshop,
with to of South Africa’s best known photographers and writers.
Pat and Roger de la Harpe.
As storm clouds gathered in Howick, it was time for the”fun” to begin.
Luckily the rain held off, and we were able to complete all
the outdoor assignments.
Roger in full flight.
He is VERY passionate about his subject.
“P” is not a professional setting.
Neither is “A” for amateur.
But WHATEVER you do,
DO NOT ask him about the “green button”!
Although it is Roger that perents the course,it is his wife Pat
who keeps her hand on the tiller…
Making sure that he answers questions AND keeps to time.
Her quiet input was invaluable.
A novice photographer,could get caught up in the technicalities,
however, unlike with film, digital gives you the freedom to experiment.
We were let loose to try out our skills
and then we had to submit images for critique…
Not easy to have your images “picked to pieces”.
Roger and Pat both contribute their expertise in such a way
that everyone walks away a winner.
The images in this posting are the ones that I submitted.
I tend to look for parts rather than the whole.
And different is what I was trying to capture.
There are images everywhere,
you just have to look for them.
A drop of rain water caught my eye.
Probably my favourite image of the weekend.
Not quite technically correct, it “spoke” to me.
I have decided after years of refusing to “fix” images,
that I will do the Lightroom course next!
Moving water is a technique that has previously eluded me.
No more.
An afternoon at Karkloof Falls and a couple of hundred images
sorted that out
I liked the fact that this fern was surviving in the torrent.
Shows tenacity!
The somber Falls in mono.
Another technique that I learned…
Movement!
Who says every image has to be pin sharp?
Sometimes motion tells a story…
This could be a sequence from The Blair Witch Project
Our group spent a morning at Angels Care,
a local feeding scheme run by volunteers.
It was an emotional morning for all of us.
The children were as interested in us as we were in them…
Gary showing off his skills
Just to prove that I was busy as well.
Thanks to Roger de la Harpe for this picture.
Always difficult fro a photographer to get a picture of themselves.
Yes, Monopoly money is worth more than the Rand…
One of my favourite images from my morning.
I am not quite certain what the youngster in the background is doing
Don seemed to be the centre of attention for a long while
Every face tells a story…
I liked that I could only see the eye of the last youngster.
Back at Yellowwood Restaurant,
our base for the course
And finally,
Frankie, one of the course participants,
who posed for our “portrait” session.
This was an area that I needed to concentrate on.
I got good feedback on the images I submitted for this module.
Rachel took a turn in front of our lenses.
I certainly learned from my time on this course.
Now, to quote one of my photographic mentors…
“Time to shut up and shoot”…
Roger making a point.
I am not actually sure what he was saying,
but this like it could be part of a driving story…
“I had to keep both hands on the wheel,
so I let Pat take the pictures”…
To find out more about the courses on offer,
visit their website and subscribe to the newsletter.
www.rogerandpatdelaharpe.com
To marvel at the work they produce,
www.africanimagery.com
To see the guest posting that I wrote:
http://rogerandpatdelaharpe.com/blog/guest-blog-david-batzofin/#sthash.nLmrD7oK.WT1dEQQd.dpbs
These encapsulate what I learned at the workshop
This is where the course was held.
A wonderful venue that has a lot to offer visitors.
www.yellowwood.co.za
and may not be used without permission
