Needle in a haystack

This shot we spotted from our Land Rover as we were traveling across Lesotho on our way to Semonkong. The rain had been beating down for the majority of the day, and as we came up to the top of this pass, the sun peaked out for a moment and illuminated the haystack piles on the crest of the hill. The moment was so fleeting as I only managed to get a single shot before the light passed over the spot, and all the climbing through fences almost seemed in vain. I love the look of the clouds descending on the hill, which we very soon learned the wrath of.

Image details:

Date: 25 April 2009

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 30
F-Stop: 22
Exposure: 1/50sec
ISO: 100
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Full cream

I took this shot in the late afternoon light, after the milking session from our dairy. The cows were grazing in the new kikuyu grass. I used a slight fill flash to compensate for the summer sun.

Image details:

Date: 28 December 2008

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 44
F-Stop: 5.6
Exposure: 1/250sec
ISO: 125
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: Yes
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Wind pump #1

I love wind pumps(aka windpomp), and South Africa has the second highest amount of them in the world (Australia has the most). This one is on the road between Riebeek Kasteel and Malmesbury, in a field that goes from dry desolate orange hues to lush bright green depending on what time of the year you pay it a visit.

Image details:

Date: 13 April 2009

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 25
F-Stop: 20
Exposure: 1/120sec
ISO: 100
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Lethal sighting

This shot was taken when we went to do some target practice on our farm. The shot was initially exposed correctly for the foreground, however when I saw the sun and clouds would be more dramatic I changed the exposure to be correct for the clouds. I love the way the clouds symbolise the permutations of the foreground.

Image details:

Date: 5 Feb 2008

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 17
F-Stop: 13
Exposure: 1/400sec
ISO: 200
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

A shining light

We went down to the Southern most tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. This is the lighthouse that protects the rocky shoreline. I love the texture that natural stone gives against soft textures of human skin and clothing, especially with the late afternoon light in this shot. The wide angle and low angle helps give the scene some grandeur.

Image details:

Date: 4 May 2008

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 17
F-Stop: 5
Exposure: 1/800sec
ISO: 100
Program mode: Program

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Beauty has a face

This image was taken of my lovely girlfriend. We were at a friends wedding and I was taking pictures of all and sundry as always. I took the shot with the sun directly behind me. In post I pushed the curves to accentuate the contrast between her skin and hair.

Image details:

Date: 29 March 2008

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 85
F-Stop: 5.6
Exposure: 1/15sec
ISO: 800
Program mode: Program

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Autumn leaves every year

I love early morning photography, its the hardest to rationalise to yourself when you are lying in bed, all nice and warm, but normally the most rewarding. I was walking around the rear of the main house on our farm, behind the line of plein trees that act as a barrier to the wind from the hills to the left of picture. I lowered the camera until it was resting on the ground, checked the exposure and focal length, and took a few snaps, making sure to keep focus of the detail in the leaves without losing the detail in the distance. I love the rich colours that you get from the fallen leaves.

Image details:

Date: 2 May 2008

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 64
F-Stop: 11
Exposure: 1/30sec
ISO: 100
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Smoky

This shot is of our cat Nicky (AKA Nicotine), who we found in our dairy and brought up to the house to become one of the menagerie of doted upon animals in the household. Kind of like winning the lottery in cat terms. She was soaking up the sun in a hanging basket as I rounded the corner, camera in hand. She sat staring at me as I framed up and fired off the shot.

Image details:

Date: 5 April 2008

Single image: No

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 85
F-Stop: 5.6
Exposure: 1/80sec
ISO: 200
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Fog on the water

We were just setting up for an ad shoot on the upper side of Fresnaye in Cape Town, ironically we had lugged in huge machines to create mist/steam for the commercial, only to find that the whole of Cape Town was submerged in a blanket of white fog, as if the machines had worked too well. The ships in the bay rudely breaking the serene and tranquil dawn with their mechanical conversations through fog horns. The shot was lucky, and only could be revealed in post, with tweaks to the levels, almost as fulfilling as one would imagine a dark room reveal.

Image details:

Date: 29 May 2008

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 85mm
F-Stop: 13
Exposure: 1/400sec
ISO: 100
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Make hay while the sun shines

This shot was one of the first I shot with my Canon 40D. I had noted the spot while driving past it a few times. I pulled over off the road between Wellington and Hermon and framed up, glad that the clouds were creating an interesting backdrop for the golden hay, and the rain had abated, but can still be seen dropping on the base of the hills. I somehow lost the raw files of this image and am therefore left with only the processed jpeg. I will return to redo the shot one day, but until then, this one will stand.

Image details:

Single image: No

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: ???
F-Stop: 16
Exposure: 1/300sec
ISO: 160
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Avenue of trees

This photo is of one of my favourite parts of our farm, the avenue of plein trees leading from our cottage to the dairy. Every part of the year, the avenue looks completely different.

Image details:

Single image: No

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 64mm
F-Stop: 11
Exposure: 1/30sec
ISO: 100
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: UV Filter

Perserval

I took this shot of our serval that my brother and folks helped raise after it was found abandoned. He was insanely hard to photograph as he was so inquisitive of the camera so always got too close. Luckily managed to get this shot with a wide lens.

Image details:

Single image: No

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 17mm
F-Stop: 11
Exposure: 1/200sec
ISO: 200
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: Kenko Polariser

Fire Walker

I took this shot by chance. We had been fighting a runaway forest fire on a neighbouring farm, and had just managed to get it under control. The sun was going down swiftly and I hadn't managed to get any good shots during the day. We were actually leaving the farm as I glanced in the review mirror and saw this guy emerge from the forest carrying a can of coke looking exasperated. I hopped out of the bakkie(truck), framed up and took a single shot. Still one of my favourites to date.

Image details:

Single image: Yes

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 85
F-Stop: 5.6
Exposure: 1/1000sec
ISO: 160
Program mode: Manual

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: No
Shutter Release: No
Filter: Kenko UV Filter

This photo was a set of shots that turned out much better than I thought. The weather was appalling as we went on a walk up the hill on our farm. Just as we got to the top, so the clouds eased a bit and the light improved enough to get a decent panoramic set off.


Image details:

Single image: No - 31 shot panoramic

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 17
F-Stop: 11
Exposure: 1/60sec

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: Yes
Shutter Release: No
Filter: Cokin ND8 Graduated

Riebeek Kasteel - Shiraz Country

This image was my first commissioned piece.

I was up at 5am, to get to the top of the pass and set up before the sun peeked over the mountain. A beautiful morning, with great clouds. Had to shoot on quite a slow shutter as didn't want noise from a high ISO.

A panoramic of 12 shots stitched together in Photoshop CS4.

Image details:

Single image: No

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: 17-85mm Canon USM
Focal Length: 22
F-Stop: 16
Exposure: 1/40sec

Extras -

Flash: No
Tripod: Yes
Shutter Release: Yes
Filter: Cokin ND8 Graduated

The best place to start - the begining!

Photo credit : © Sarah-Leigh Paul

I love photography, both taking photos, and seeing those of others.

This is a small collection of the pieces/photos that I myself like and am proud of. Nothing more, nothing less.

Comments are welcome.

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