Here is another one of the long exposures I took while down at Shell Beach last week.  I love how a long exposure gives a photo life and really brings a cool dynamic into a photo if used correctly.  I hung around on the beach for quite some time to find the right spot and wait for the light to be just right, it always pays off to be patient.

The downtown area of Kimberley is quite small, no tall sky scrapers or anything like that.  It does have something in common with most large downtown areas such as that of Johannesburg and Cape Town, Street Kids.  They walk the streets at night looking for a fix, whatever drugs they can find to help them through their lives.  No parents and no home to go to, they sleep pretty much where ever they can.  We came acoss this kid that asked the security guard at the Post Office is he could sleep right there on the stairs.  She said she felt sorry for him so she gave him a piece of bread which you can see in the photos.  I have no idea how old this kid is but he had Tattoos on his leg and another guard told us that this kid had been into some of the heaviest drugs the night before…  Apparently he ran away from home and then ran away from the ‘safe haven’ as well, left to lurk the streets of Kimberley, steeling stuff to sell for drugs.  Quite a sad story.

I just got back to Johannesburg after spending a fun long weekend in the town of Kimberley, South Africa.  It’s a strange little town with a very diverse population, including 1 lone American…  “Mike”, or as most people would call him, “Chinner”.  Mike has been living out there since early last year and runs the Maloof Money Cup skate park while seeking shade from that African sun.  If you ever get the time to head out there, you’ll find Mike at the Maloof Skate Plaza, towering over all the kids, and their parents for that matter!  If he’s not busy with some contest or hanging out with the kids, he’s probably on his board, his uber wide board, perfect for the 7 foot tall man.  Here are some photos I shot with Chinner enjoying his board.

I was driving out in the middle of nowhere, close to a town called Nigel here in South Africa…  I was actually trying to meet up with some people but got lost along the way and stumbled across this little scene.  Pulled my car up and spoke to the man and tried to understand his broken english…  He agreed to let me shoot some photos and even called his dog over to get involved!  I shot these photos, gave the man a candy treat and was on my way.  I love how Africa has these strange things goin on in the most un-suspecting places, all you gotta do is get off the main roads and get yourself lost.

I recently shot photos for the Maloof Money Cup which was held in Kimberley, South Africa.  It’s a huge event with skateboarders from all over the wolrd.  These are a few of the shots I took while up on the Mini Mega Ramp which, trust me, is not mini at all!  Witnessing the guys flying through the air blows my mind, no matter how many times I see it!

I heard on the radio a couple nights ago that there was a Blue Moon and that it wouldn’t be seen again for quite a long time!  Something like 15 years or something like that, I can’t quite remember now.  I grabbed my camera and ran outside to get a shot of this elusive ‘Blue Moon’.  The Moon itself wasn’t quite blue but, the sky all around was definitely reflecting a blueness.  This is my shot of the not so Blue Moon.

I recently camped at “Ihaha” camp in Chobe National Park, right on the banks of the Chobe River.  Early morning drives were always a success as the daytime animals started getting ready for whatever may lie ahead.  Troops of Chacma Baboons would come down from their tree-top sleeping places to get some sun and grooming time in before heading off to find food in the bush.  I always like to turn my car off and sit and watch them for a while, it can be quite comical to watch the young enteracting the the adults, the photographic oppertunities are actually endless.  These guys were just a few km’s from where we camped.

We came across these Jackals while driving through the Makgadikgadi National Park in Botswana.  The morning light was perfect so we spent quite some time watching them scuffle over some old Zebra bones.

Shooting photos of the stars isn’t something you get to do very often, especially when living in a big city where the sky is poluted with lights and smog.  You gotta get far away from it all, to a place where the nights are so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face.  I took these photos on a recent trip through Botswana’s Kalahari Wilderness where everynight was filled with the sounds of the bush and the Milkyway in the sky.  There are no fences in the campsites where we stayed so it was a little scary setting up the photos as I always knew I was being watched, I’m just glad the Hyena’s made off with our 25L water can and NOT my camera and tripod!

Shacks are a very common site in Johannesburg but unfortunately, stories of them burning to the ground are also very common, especially in winter.  On a recent trip back from the downtown area of Johannesburg, my friend and I spotted some dark smoke rising in the not too far distance.  We decided to get a closer look and see if there were any photo oppertunities to be had.  These are some of the photos I shot and which have been used on our facebook page to help get donations out to the families which have lost their homes and all their belongings.