Plunge (x2)

So, I took the plunge and I bought myself an Adobe Lightroom subscription. I’ve actually been using their free trial version to sort out the Shamwari photos, and I think it’s been going ok (and I’ve actually had some nice comments), so it seems to be worth it.

I took advice from (amongst others) this guy, who clearly knows what he is doing in the ‘togging game, and whose input is therefore to be acted upon.
UPDATE: Apparently that Flickr link will only work if you have a Flickr account.

Earlier, he dropped this little number*:

… which he took from his living room!

Yeah. Not many places you can do that from, so either he lives near the sea (he does) or he lives in Shropshire (the UK equivalent of the Free State) and just has some really good lenses.

Anyway, you might be wondering why I’m rambling on this way, even more annoyingly and pointlessly than usual, and it’s because when you buy Lightroom, you need to re-download it. No upgrading or simple activating of the free trial version here.

And have you seen how fast SA internet isn’t?

There’s time to fill before I can play with my new purchase…

 

* which is the second plunge, see? 

Quickie

“Actually,” as the old joke goes, “it’s pronounced ‘quiche'”.

But this really is a quickie, just to fill some space on the blog because today has been hectique. Mother’s Day celebrations went well (I think); there was a trip to a popular DIY store and a building site in Observatory before we had lunch at a steak place in Newlands (you know the one) and then all the other weekend jobs got done when we got home. Nearly.

It’s left very little time for blogging. I did put some more photos in the Shamwari Day 2 album yesterday though, so if this hasn’t sated your thirst for all things 6000, maybe head over here and have a look at them.

More? Tomorrow.

Day two, part one

A couple of very busy days coming up in the laboratory, so here’s something I prepared earlier.

It’s only… another lot of photos from our Eastern Cape trip.
[audience gasps]

We’re now about halfway through the photos and we’ve already seen lions, elephants, rhinos and a sunset. Who can even begin to guess what other delights await us if I manage to sort through another 250 images this evening?

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on these puppies*.

 

* not actual puppies.

Photo gemors

Gemors being Afrikaans for a mess. Because that’s what I can like to be in with my photos right now.

The photos from last weekend still aren’t done. I just haven’t had chance. When I did have chance, I was away taking more photos in a place with no computer. And now I’m all mixed up, because some of the photos from this weekend are done. That’s because there are far fewer of them, so I just grabbed a couple (well, five) of the shipwreck ones and did a quick tidy up on them.

I took these with the Mavic this morning – the wreck is the Meisho Maru 38, and it lies on the coast halfway between L’Agulhas and Suiderstrand.
We’ve mentioned it here before, and we’ve mentioned why it has some of the name it has… well… it had, here.

But now my (usually very orderly) photostream on Flickr is all messed up.
I will edit those photos from last weekend and the rest of them from this weekend in the very near future.

UPDATE: You can start here!

Day 1 pics

So, software downloaded and used (thanks CJW), photos polished up and uploaded.

You can see them here, but don’t forget that there are LOADS more to come!
This is just day 1! You lucky folks!

We’re just seven weeks away from midwinter here, and thus, the light (even in Africa) was rather washed out for a lot of the time.
Additionally, it’s not always possible to get the best angle for photography, despite the best efforts of Philip, our ranger. These are wild animals and if they want to stand between you and the sun, well, then they will. Moving around them or closer to them might, on some occasions, spook them and scare them away. And I’d rather have imperfect photos of them than none at all.

So, bear that in mind before you go in all guns blazing on my iffy ‘togging skills. Or I’ll set my rhino on you.
The big one.