Categories
Astro-photography Astronomy Photography Table Mountain

Scorpio Setting

I went out to try out a new lens for my camera and got this image of Lion’s Head with Scorpio setting head first.
Click the image for best viewing.

The photo is a night image
Lions head and high peak is in the centre of the image.
The peak has bare rock on top of vegetation covered slopes
City lights are visible in the bottom half of the image.
Stars surround the peak with Scorpio nearly set to the left of the peak
Categories
Astro-photography Eclipse Moon Photography Western Cape

Eclipse over Lion’s Head

A lunar eclipse happened some time back. The images show Lion’s Head and the night hikers lamps. Lions Head is part of the Table Mountain National Park. Lion’s head is a popular hike and is done regularly at night especially when there is an interesting astronomical event happening as in the images below.

A red/orange moon sets over the shoulder of a mountain. Hikers head lamps can be seen on the mountain.
City lights are also visible
The moon and palm trees. LIon's head not visible.
Lions head, a red/orange moon and in this case Scorpio is faintly visible.
More city lights and a crane is visible.
Hikers lights are visible on the mountain
Categories
Astro-photography Birding Photography Travel

Tankwa National Park

We went to the Tankwa National Park for a birding outing. The Tankwa is in what is called the Arid Succulent Karoo. With an average of 15 cm (6″) rainfall per annum the area is dry and water is scarce but the animals, birds, reptiles and plants survive in surprising numbers.
This is the second time we have been to Tankwa. Our previous visit is documented here.

This is the view from the front of the chalet looking out towards Sutherland where the South African Large Telescope is housed.

Because of the dust, sunrises are colourful.

The stars are beautiful but light pollution is ubiquitous. That is Cape Town in the distance – about 200 km as the crow flies.

There having been a very wet winter, the only major dam in the reserve was overflowing. We never did identify that bird.

Birds tend to be small and really difficult to photograph.

A mouse warming itself in the early morning sun.

A Spiny Agama suns itself on a rock.

A Black Backed Jackal surveys the world.

Gazanias grow where there is a little more water available.

Where there was once water. A few centimetres of rain causes wash aways an pools like this one.

This is a Sutherlandia commonly called a Cancer Bush, supposedly helps treat cancer. No basis for this claim that I know of.

This plant is still unidentified, it just grows out of the thin soil and produces these beautiful flowers.

Categories
Astro-photography Astronomy Flowers Photography Renonvations Riviersonderend Travel

Portfolio

Recently I found that most creative people have a portfolio so I decided it was time I created a brag page so here we go.
I am a generalist or less politely a jack of all trades. Whichever title you want to use it means I am curious about practically anything so to save you from browsing through the entire website, I will provide a short summary. So here goes

Painting – oil, acrylics and pastels. Acrylic first

Oil

Pastels

Charcoal

Photography – photograph anything that takes my fancy, flowers, sunsets, stars, landscapes and birds.

A glacial pavement just outside Nieuwoudtville when we were part of Pangea.

And then there are the other things

Baking

Croissants

Bee keeping. Bees Bearding a hive to keep it cool

Hiking

Renovating a house in Riviersonderend

Categories
Astro-photography Flowers Photography

Citrusdal Baths

We went to the Citrusdal Baths in September 2023 and we got some lovely photographs.

Sunset on our first evening there – the Cederberg Mountains in their evening finery

I was all set up to take photos of the stars at 10 PM. And the clouds rolled in. In disgust I went to bed. At 2 AM answering a call of nature I looked outside and found that the clouds had cleared and this was the view. In a pair or shorts and an open tee shirt I braved the 5 degree cold to take a series of photos, this one being the best.

Coral trees are just so photogenic

And not forgetting the nastutians

And a bit of macro photography to finish up.

Categories
Astronomy

Atmospheric Images

I found this folder with all sorts of great storm and astrophotography pictures so I decided to add them. Just for fun.

And some more

Categories
Astro-photography Astronomy

Whipstock Farm Astrophotography

High up above McGregor in the Breede River Winelands is a dark sky site par excellence – Whipstop Farm. The skies are dark and the horizons are low enough not to become intrusive.

Orion setting into the light pollution of Worcestor

The only down side of the site is the light pollution from Worcester but it is far enough away to be minimally intrusive. The rest of the horizons are pretty much clear of light pollution. Even Cape Town doesn’t really feature.

Facing south. The Milky Way dominates

The light in the trees is from a nearby chalet. There are areas away from the chalets, but the management were happy to kill the lights for me.

Satellite photo bomb
Scorpio rising with the Milky Way in attendance.

I liked the effect of the lights on the trees so I left the lights of my chalet on for effect.

The famous alignment with Jupiter and Venus very close together

I was fortunate enough to be there during the great alignment with Jupiter and Venus almost touching. Such a beautiful sight.

Venus and Jupiter, plus Jovian moons

Separated by a long telephoto lens accompanied by much swearing. The two planets were incredibly bright in the morning sky.

If you fancy some good dark skies, this is the place Whipstock Farm

Categories
Astro-photography Astronomy

Jupiter and Venus

On 1st February 2008 Jupiter and Venus were very closely aligned to one another. These pictures, taken with a digital camera show that event. And some other stars as a bonus.

The Moon in Scorpio
Categories
Astro-photography Astronomy Photography

Partial Solar Eclipse 2020

I have never photographed a solar eclipse for so when the December 2020 eclipse happened I was thoroughly unprepared. Despite this, I managed to get some sensible picture. Not crisp and clear cut, but the eclipse is visible. Note that these pictures were taken as and when the sun popped out from behind clouds. The sun had set before total which was a disappointment though not unexpected.

Categories
Astro-photography Photography

Full Moon

Recently I bought an attachment that would allow me to take photographs with my cell phone mounted on my 8″ Newtonian reflector. After much cursing and swearing, I captured some great pictures. These two photos were possibly the best.