Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal

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2. May 2013 07:16
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu food

2. May 2013 07:16 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

You would think that a country with access to some of the best seafood and freshest produce would have fantastic food.

Although the food was Ok, we didn't find it fantastic and generally very over prised.

There was plenty of restaurant in and around Port Vila and some of them serving specialties such as coconut crabs and flying foxes.

We tried the coconut crab...but it was overcooked and dry and had surprising little meat on it (no meat in the body itself).

So we stuck to more traditional seafood which most often was battered and deep fried.

And as usual Aiden got into the free kids menu desserts

2. May 2013 05:26
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Lake Macquarie 2013

2. May 2013 05:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend we went up to Lake Macquarie with the family to stay for a couple of night at a resort. I didn't take a lot of photos because we either didn't do much or were too busy with the family.

I did however take this one photo one evening at Katherine Hill Bay.

1. May 2013 12:38
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Vanuatu - Star fish

1. May 2013 12:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The beach at the hotel was full of really big and colourful star fish....couldn't help but take a few snapshots.

26. April 2013 10:46
by Rene Pallesen
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Lucas 7 Months

26. April 2013 10:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas is now 7 Months and for this month we decided to take his Monthly photos while he was on his first overseas trip to Vanuatu.

This series of photos was taken at Eton Beach on the east side of the island of Efate in Vanuatu...he loved the water and had a hard time to understand that it is unpleasant to eat the sand and drink the salt water.

He is now almost able to crawl...he just needs to figure out that it is not enough to just move the legs...you also have to move your hands.

3. April 2013 07:20
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Another old Lucas 4 months photo

3. April 2013 07:20 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I know it was a couple of months ago, but I only now got around to processing it.

Here is another photo that I took of Lucas when he was 4 Months.

27. March 2013 11:15
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Axolotls

27. March 2013 11:15 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other night we went for dinner at Marks place. He asked us if we could help him take some photos of the kids Axolotls...our response was 'Their WHAT??'.

Anyway, it turns out to be some sort of Mexican Salamander and he'd attempted to get some photos using his point and shoot camera, but wanted something better that he could print and hang on the kids wall.

Here are some of my efforts:

27. March 2013 11:12
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Sucking feet

27. March 2013 11:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

When Lucas doesn't have any toys to play with then his favourit pass time is to suck his feet. Here is a quick snapshot from the other day when he was at it again.

He's now got two teeth, so hopefully he wont chomp off his toes.

12. March 2013 09:27
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Lucas 6 Months - Pictured and Framed

12. March 2013 09:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas is now 6 months and is enjoying the easy life...

On the weekend we went down to La Perouse to do these creative shots of him at sunset.

I always said that I would take a photo of him and put it in a frame...but not sure if this is what everyone had in mind.

It was pretty good fun trying to set it all up. A lot of other walkers on the beach were wondering what we were doing.

I have been planning this photo for a while.

The frame I had picked up from a garbage collection day last month outside a block of units with this particular photo in mind.

The chair and table are bath aids and foot stools from home.

It was really cool to see everything come together in the end. Unfortunately we missed just the end of the sunset as there were a few clouds on the horizon.

A lot of lessons learnt came out of it. Even though the photos came out almost as I had envisioned...I still had a few things that I could have done better....just small things such as two flashes to light frame and Lucas independently, CTO gelling the flash to match the ambient, using an umbrella to avoid hard shadows, bringing a mid range zoom to have more composition options and be able to get a bit closer, use black string to hold up the frame instead of white, bring a pillow to keep his head up and then stripping his clothes and then bring my light meter to check the setting to start with instead of chimping.

It was the first time I've used the D800 for this (in the past I've been using my D50 with a different shutter system) and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to balance out the ambient with the flash and still stay below the sync speed...but it worked out like a charm...or maybe I was just lucky!

12. March 2013 09:16
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Kims Kitchen - Raspberries Creme Brulee

12. March 2013 09:16 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last night Kim made a very nice Creme Brulee...Yummiiiii!!!!

She asked me to take a couple of photos which I think turned out quite nicely.

12. March 2013 09:15
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Sydney Wildlife Park 2013

12. March 2013 09:15 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend we went to the Sydney Wildlife Park at Darling Harbour.

It was good fun to show Aiden all the different animals (Although he was pretty tired by the end).

The highlight of the exhibition is the 4.5 meter long Saltie (Saltwater Crocodile). He is such a darling and he loved his girlfriends so much that he had them over for dinner (Ha Ha).

Aiden wasn't sure about the crocodiles and definitely wasn't happy with the big mouth and all the sharp teeth...

...Daddy came to the rescue and threw himself at the monster.

He was a bit more happy with the smaller cuddlier animals...

Such as the wombats...

...the Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies...

...or even the Tasmanian Devil.

The start of the exhibition is pretty amazing as you wank through a large enclosure with lots of butterflies flying around.

And besides from that there is of cause a lot of lizards, frogs and snakes on display.

21. February 2017 19:02
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South Africa - Table Mountain

21. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

After Kruger we flew to Capetown.

The first day we went to Table Mountain. The mountain is often covered in clouds, and with a beautiful hot day we though we'd make the most of it and head up there when we had the opportunity.

The queue getting up there with the cable car was massive, several hundred metres. We quickly learned that the queue for people who had pre-purchased tickets was shorter and also moved faster than the other queue. We quickly jumped across to the other queue and using my mobile I purchased tickets while we were still waiting.

The view from up there is amazing and the top is actually a lot flatter than I though it would be.

20. February 2017 20:02
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South Africa - Moholoholo car museum

20. February 2017 20:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

At one of the private game reserved the owner maintains a little car museum with some very cool cars.

Especially this Ferrari 335S is interesting. If it is the real thing then it is one of only five ever made where the last one sold at an auction was sold for more that 30 million pounds.

20. February 2017 20:02
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South Africa - Shangana Village

20. February 2017 20:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One evening at Hazyview we went to a local cultural village of the Shangana Tribe.

First we went to the village itself and were introduced to local food and customs.

The local witch doctor showed us some of the local medicines they used for stomach pains etc.

Afterwards we were entertained by local drumming and dancing in a large hut. Beforehand they had to warm up the drum skins to make them the right tune.

But first we were greeted by the chief of the village.

One of the dances was the boot dance which they danced in the mines of South Africa during the Apartheid.

After the show we had a very traditional and yummy communal dinner as guest of the chief.

20. February 2017 19:02
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South Africa - Hazyview Reptile park

20. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One morning when it was raining at Hazyview we went to the local Reptile Park.

They had a large display of snakes and other reptiles, and also some interesting talks such as about Poisonous snakes.

One of the snakes they showed us was the African Puff Adder, which I remember as a really vicious snake from my days in Kenya. The snake handler certainly convinced me that it is not as aggressive as I thought by walking bare feet past it when it was all curled up really to attack.

19. February 2017 17:02
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South Africa - Moholoholo wildlife rehabilitation

19. February 2017 17:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Towards the northern end of Kruger there is a wildlife rehabilitation centre where injured animals are cared for before returned to the wild.

Some are unfortunately in a condition where they can never be returned and these are used for educating visitors on wildlife issues.

The guide on our tour around the centre was truly amazing, very funny and very knowledgeable.

Angry Lioness:

Leopard:

Cheetah:

Chevel Cat:

Lion:

Lion with Snack:

Painted Dogs:

Hyena:

Southern Ground Hornbill:

Eagles:

Voltures:

Honey Badger:

18. February 2017 15:02
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South Africa - Kruger National Park

18. February 2017 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In South Africa we did two days in the Kruger National Park.

The first day we hired a private guide to take us around in a 4WD and the second day we did a self drive.

With the guide we were lucky enough to spot all the Big 5 (Elephants, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino). The advantage of a guide is that they are in constant radio communications with all the other cars and therefore can track the animals. On this day it was very hot and a lot of the animals were hiding in the bush and it seemed that we spotted all the animals and called it in to the other cars.

Having the private guide was a massive advantage as we could spend the time as we wanted, so we didn't spend much time on say elephants, but we did spend 45 minutes stalking a lion hoping it would get too hot under a bush and get out into the clear.

The second day we went it was raining and a lot more challenging, but we still spotted some that we didn't see the first day.

Camera wise I knew it would be a challenge to get good photos with a normal lens and didn't have the budget or justification to spend on a fast long lens. Instead all the photos in this post were taken with my 80-200 f2.8 with a 2x teleconverter. I used my tripod as a monopod and the guide was great at moving the car into spots where I had a clear line of sight (another advantage of not having to consider other passengers).

Here are the Big 5 we spotted.

Leopard:

Lion:

Rhinos:

Elephants:

African Buffalos:

And here are some of the others such as Zebras:

Hyenas:

Giraffes:

Impalas:

Kudu:

Waterbucks:

Wothhogs:

Baboons:

Monkeys:

Guinea Fowl:

African Fishing Eagles:

Storks:

Marabous:

Turtles (These ones are predators):

Weaver birds:

Chameleons:

17. February 2017 16:02
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South Africa - Panorama Route

17. February 2017 16:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the first day in northern South Africa we drove the Panorama route. This is a beautiful drive up through the mountains and is full of scenic views of the Blyde River Canyon and waterfalls.

The most famous place is Bourkes Potholes.

And the Pinacle

But everywhere is full of beautiful scenery

3. February 2017 08:02
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Zimbabwe - Flying out

3. February 2017 08:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Leaving Zimbabwe we had the experience of the aircraft (an old B737) breaking down with engine problems prior to our departure. Although this is not uncommon, most international airports would have a team of aircraft mechanics along with spare parts to fix problems.

Victoria Falls do not have all the same facilities due to the low volume of aircraft, so in our case the pilot and co-pilot stepped up and went out to fix the problem themselves. With just a two hour delay we were back underway.

I doubt a pilot from a big international airline would step up and get his hands dirty or even have the skills to fix basic and common problems....credit go to bush pilots!

1. February 2017 15:02
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Zimbabwe - Victoria Falls

1. February 2017 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The main reason why we made the trip up to Zimbabwe was that our trip to South Africa would be our best opportunity to see and experience the Victoria Falls (and also give Kim and the boys to opportunity to visit another African country).

It is an amazing sight as the entire area around the falls is completely flat. The Zambezi river is at the point of the fall over a kilometer wide and the entire river suddenly drops into this narrow gorge.

The falls themselves are on the Zambian side of the border, and most of the lookouts are on the Zimbabwe side.

The effect is that the water spray gets pushed several hundred meters into the air above the gorge and creates a perpetual plume of rain clouds and spray making it impossible to stay dry.

This also meant that it was a challenge to keep my camera gear dry. I did bring a waterproof case for my camera, but after a few minutes a stopped using it because I couldn't mount the camera on a tripod at the same time. Instead I opted for covering the camera with a microfibre towel that somewhat helped, but otherwise I had to rely on the weather sealing on the Nikon camera and lenses.

To make it easier to dry we had dressed the boys ourselves in rash and sports shirts. This dried very quickly after getting wet unlike cotton clothing. We did bring some disposable ponchos but only Kim used hers a little.

31. January 2017 13:01
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Zimbabwe - Big (Baobab) Tree

31. January 2017 13:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Just outside Victoria Falls there is this Baobab tree that they keep showing to tourists (behind fencing so tourists don't vandalise it). We were brought there on the way to the Boma restaurant because the other people in the bus wanted to see it.

They all went Ooooh and Ahhh by seeing it, but I must say that it is neither big or beautiful as far as Baobab trees go...even the fig trees here in Australia are bigger (and better looking).

7. March 2011 09:44
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Barber of Seville

7. March 2011 09:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Friday night Kim and I went to the Opera to watch "The barber of Seville". We had left Aiden with his grandad for the night hoping that either of them would be able to get some sleep (Aiden is a little chatterbox once he gets started).

The play is not one of the usual tragic Operas but more of a playful one with a more happy ending. During the play there is a lot of different things happening on different parts of the stage. Most of the play is taking place in a house and there are different things happening in different rooms of the house.

It was a good play but I think Kim and I agree that we prefer the more tragic operas although I think I have now seen all the major Operas.

2. March 2011 09:31
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Aiden 9 Months

2. March 2011 09:31 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden is now nine months young. He is finally able to start sitting by himself without falling over (...too often). Another milestone reached and another opportunity to take some more photos of him.

He is still a happy and hungry little boy. He is such as daddy's boy and loves being carried around on my shoulder. Sometimes he cries when he sees me after I return from work in the afternoon because he is happy to see me.

We are hoping that he will be able to crawl around soon now that he is sitting...but could take a while.

3. February 2011 12:52
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Chinese Zodiac Story

3. February 2011 12:52 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There are several legends about how the animals were chosen for the Chinese zodiac. This is one of them. The Jade Emperor is the name of the Emperor of Heaven.

Long ago, in China, the Jade Emperor decided there should be a way of measuring time. On his birthday he told the animals that there was to be a swimming race. The first twelve animals across the fast flowing river would be the winners and they would each have a year of the zodiac named after them.

All the animals lined up along the river bank. The rat and the cat, who were good friends, were worried because they were poor swimmers. Being clever they asked the strong ox if he would carry them across the river.

'Of course' said the kind ox. 'Just climb on my back and I will take you across.'

The rat and the cat quickly jumped up and were very excited when the ox soon took the lead in the race. They had almost reached the other bank when the rat pushed the cat into the river leaving him to struggle in the water. Then just before the ox was about to win the race the rat leapt on his head and on to the bank to finish first.

'Well done,' said the Jade Emperor to the proud rat. 'The first year of the zodiac will be named after you.'

The poor ox had been tricked into second place and the second year of the zodiac was named after him. Shortly after the exhausted tiger clawed his way to the river bank to claim third place. Swimming across the river had been an enormous struggle for him against the strong currents. The Emperor was so delighted with his efforts that he named the third year after him.

Next to arrive was the rabbit, who hadn't swum across at all. He hopped across on some stepping stones and then found a floating log which carried him to the shore.

'I shall be very happy to call the fourth year after you,' the surprised Jade Emperor explained.

Just then a kind dragon swooped down to take fifth place.

'Why didn’t you win the race, as you can fly as well as swim?' the Jade Emperor asked.

'I was held up because some people and animals needed water to drink. I needed to make some rain,' the dragon explained. 'Then when I was nearly here I saw a poor little rabbit on a log in the water and I blew a puff of wind so that the log would float to the river bank.'

'Well that was very kind of you and now you are here you will have the fifth year of the zodiac named after you.' The next thing the Jade Emperor heard was the sound of the horse’s hooves. Just as he was thinking the horse would be the next animal to arrive, a sneaky snake wriggled out from around one of the horse’s hooves. The horse was so surprised that he jumped backwards giving the snake a chance to take the sixth place in the race. The poor horse had to be satisfied with seventh place.

Not long afterwards a raft arrived carrying the goat, the monkey and the rooster. They explained to the Emperor how they had shared the raft that the rooster had found. The goat and monkey had cleared weeds and pushed the raft to the shore. The Emperor was very pleased that the animals had worked together. He said the goat would be the eighth zodiac animal, the monkey the ninth and the rooster the tenth.

The next animal to finish was the dog.

'Why are you so late when you are one of the best swimmers?' asked the Jade Emperor.

'The water in the river was so clean that I had to have a bath on the way,' explained the dog.

His reward was to have the eleventh year named after him. Now there was one place left in the zodiac and the Emperor wondered when the last winner would come. He had nearly given up when he heard a grunt from the boar.

'You took a long time to cross the river,' said the Emperor to the boar.

'I was hungry and stopped to eat,' explained the boar. 'After the meal I felt so tired that I fell asleep.'

'You have still done well,' said the Jade Emperor. 'The last year of the zodiac will be named after you.'

As for the cat who had been pushed into the water by the rat, he finally crawled out of the water but was too late to have a year named after him. He felt very cross with the rat and since then cats have never been friends with rats.

From that day to this the Chinese Zodiac has followed this cycle of years named after these twelve animals.

29. January 2011 04:58
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Aiden on a swing

29. January 2011 04:58 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day Kim and I went for a walk down to the local park with Aiden.

It was a good opportunity for us to give him a ride on one of the swings as they have some bucket seats that makes it impossible for him to fall out (he is still not able to quite sit by himself yet).

He absolutely loved the experience and wasn't scared at all (we will make a real boy out of him in no time).

He is now seven and a half months and is learning how to control his parents and he is starting to know what he wants and don't want...ie doesn't want to sleep if he is in a playful mood.

28. January 2011 01:26
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Photoshop fun

28. January 2011 01:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Over the weekend I had a play with creating a more interesting profile photo for my Facebook profile. The idea was to use photoshop to create something a bit out of the ordinary (and a bit spooky).

Anyway here it is...and you can either love it or hate it!

For those interested in the details...it is 3 composite photos (Face, left eye and mouth). I could have done it with two composites, but I wasn't happy with the mouth. It was originally shot on a red background but I desaturated the background and darkened it a bit because I though this looks better. It has also been ultra sharpened to add some effect.

27. January 2011 09:43
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Madame butterfly - again

27. January 2011 09:43 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This Tuesday Kim and I went to the Opera to see Madame butterfly with one on Kims friends. I have already seen Madame butterfly some years ago so this was a bit of a repeat for me.

It was the same stage setup as last time, most of the cast were the same as well, but despite that it was an really good experience. It is a good story despite the tragic ending...and yes the american sailor is both a dog and a coward.

Kim was sitting next to me crying for much of the performance...so sad!!!

31. December 2010 10:43
by Rene Pallesen
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New Caledonia - New Years Eve

31. December 2010 10:43 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

When we arrived to New Caledonia we started to find a good place/party to celebrate New Years eve.

As far as we could tell it sounded like the hotel we were staying at was the place to be, but when we tried to book we were told that it was fully booked and that we were number twenty-six on the waiting list. Fortunately we received confirmation a couple of days later that we now had a confirmed booking at the party.

On new years eve we were greeted by musicians playing local music and girls putting a Lei around our necks. Kim and I was going to bring Aiden along to the party (fortunately there was other kids there as well).

Aiden wasn't sure what to think of the Lei...I think he would prefer not to have one as it tickled.

There was about 3-400 guests at the party and the food was absolutely fantastic. It was a buffet of 25-30 dishes of mainly seafood ranging from fresh oysters (still moving in their shell), lobster salads, sushi to fresh Sashimi cut straight from a massive tuna.

This was followed by entertainment from dancers and musicians.

After the entertainment the dance floor was open and pretty much everyone (including Kim and I) was dancing. Aiden got his first dance with mummy (all the other guest were laughing).

At midnight everyone celebrated the new year with a toast.

After midnight we headed up to our hotel room to see if there was any fireworks (there was a little so Aiden got to experience his first fireworks).

29. December 2010 09:37
by Rene Pallesen
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New Caledonia - The Cultural Centre

29. December 2010 09:37 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day we went to the cultural centre in Noumea. This is a short drive on the outskirts of the city (Noumea the capital isn't much more than a little suburb consisting of only 76,000 people).

I have seen photos of this place and I also vaguely remember seeing it in a movie or two without ever realising where it is. The architecture of the Cultural centre is absolutely stunning. It cost France more that 50 million Euros to build the centre and it has got a unique local style that fits in very well with the surroundings.

The centre is surrounded by some gardens huts, and as you walk around there is various art work and totem poles symbolising various aspects of the Kanak culture.

There is also the story of the creation...amazing how similar it is to Darwinism. Maybe Darwin heard these stories on some of his travels and based his story "Origin of the Species" on some of these.

One thing that is a real pity is the usage of the cultural centre. We happened to walk in through the back entrance and discovered that half the building (which is actually quite large) s totally empty. The other half is displaying modern indigenous art where most of the artwork is from the Torres Strait, Vanuatu or Fiji. There is hardly any display of any local artwork and your certainly don't get an insight into the local Kanak culture as intended. The result is that it is not getting a lot of visitors.

What Kim and I was expecting was a display of what the local life was before the colonisation through to how the colonisation changed the way of living. They could have a display of local clothing, tools and weapons before colonisation and tell show how people lived of the land. They could also have 'actors' telling the local dream stories.

The modern display old be showing how the french settlers and the local Kanks are trying to mend their historical legacy and leave peacefully together.

28. December 2010 08:33
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New Caledonia - The Aquarium

28. December 2010 08:33 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One of the days we walked to the Aquarium in Noumea (just down the street from the hotel). We didn't expect too much, but we were very pleasantly surprised.

Although the aquarium isn't all that big it is extremely well set up with a very interesting display of everything from mangrove plants and fish (including the missing link ones with legs that made Darwin conclude that life must have started in the oceans) to huge displays with corals, sharks and barracudas.

It was Aiden's first time in an aquarium and we could tell that he had a good time (even though it was extelemy hot in there) looking at all those colourful objects (U.F.O's) swimming around.

Here some more photos from the visit...enjoy:

27. December 2010 10:10
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New Caledonia Beaches and Islands

27. December 2010 10:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The water was really nice and warm in New Caledonia, my guess is that it would have been close to 30 degrees close to the shore and in protected bays and probably around 27 elsewhere.

Although we were staying at the beach we decided to have a look around the island to see what other beaches were in the area.

In the first day we drove to Kuendu Bay which is about ten minutes from the city centre and is a really nice little protected bay mainly used by locals. The water here was really calm so this was a good opportunity to give Aiden his first swimming lesson.

As you can tell he wasn't completely at ease initially, but after a couple of minutes he started enjoying it.

Aiden also really enjoyed lying on the beach in the shade of a tree and talk to mummy.

On one of the following days we drove up the north coast to a place called Poe Beach and by this time he was a lot more into it (maybe because he was wearing pants this time).

Just after we left this beach we found an ever more beautiful stretch just a couple of minutes away, but less protected by the reef.

This area was absolutely stunning with the pine trees that are so unique to New Caledonia.

On another day we took the boat to one of the islands of the coast (Ilot Maitre) and spend the whole day there.

I wasn't feeling 100% this day. Before we went away the whole of Kims family came down with a 24 hour bug...I think I got the same bug and ended up sleeping most of the afternoon under a tree in the shade (fortunately I was ok again next day).

I also got a chance to take some more beach photos of the family, here one of Aiden and Mummy.

And I spent a couple of minutes taking some sexy model photos of Kim on the beach down from our hotel. I wish we'd had more time to do some more photos, but it was hard to get her to do it in the first place (and once we did it I was hurrying up so much that a lot of them got fumbled up unfortunately).

...and of cause when we didn't go to the beach there was also the massive pool at the hotel.

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8. March 2017 14:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa and Zimbabwe - Travelling with the boys

8. March 2017 14:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Traveling with the two boys can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but this time it actually went very will. They behaved well on the flights watching movies, playing, drawing and looking out the windows.

They were even lucky enough to be invited into the cockpit while at the terminal and were allowed to press the big red button on the flight stick (transfers the flight control).

During the trip the boys were sleeping in the same bed (and sometimes in the same room as us), and they were usually so tired after a days of activities that they would sleep rather than muck around.

The accommodation was a combination hotels, lodges, cottages and apartment. (useful to have two toilets sometimes).

They also loved seeing large beetles and grasshoppers - but refused to touch them.

Some of their highlights were the unusual playgrounds they got to play in and the large lollipops at the airport.

And some of my highlights were the local toys such as the cars/tractors made from wires and the homemade slingshots.

3. March 2017 22:03
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South Africa - West Coast National Park

3. March 2017 22:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The West Coast National Park north of Cape Town is something special. During the spring all the South Africans go there to see the spring flowers, but it is equally beautiful other times of the year with its remote beaches and azure blue water inside the lagoon.

It was a beautiful spot to have Kim do a bit of modelling.

The boys absolutely loved playing in the water.

Even though it is a long drive (on easy roads) there were some interesting creatures along the way.

Such as Eland

And lots of Ostrich.

And lots of scenit spots in the small villages along the Atlantic coast.

2. March 2017 13:03
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South Africa - Hout Bay

2. March 2017 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Hout Bay is just south of Cape Town - Besides from being a nice little fishing village it is also famous for its boat tours out to Seal Island. This is an island with a large colony of predominantly male seals.

From the harbour it is a short 45 minute round trip out to see the seals.

Back at the harbour there was one of the locals who had managed to train one of the wild seals to come and get food from him. It would jump out of the water and grab the food from his hand or from his mouth.

It was also tame enough for the boys to touch.

2. March 2017 13:03
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South Africa - Cape Town

2. March 2017 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Cape town is a nice place and fairly small by Sydney standards. Although very modern it still has an African feel to it.

It is possible to walk through the city and get a pretty good overview of most things in a single day.

In the centre of the city is the Company Gardens which is where the Dutch East India Company used to grow supplies for their ships. This is now a big park full surrounded by old buildings, souvenir stalls and full of squirrels.

On the squares there are people entertaining with dance, music and entertainers everywhere.

At the waterfront it is full a bustling environment of museums and restaurants.

2. March 2017 08:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Wine lands

2. March 2017 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We spent a day driving out through the wine lands around Cape Town, namely Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

As everywhere else it is a beautiful area surrounded by mountain ranges.

Kim had been recommended a nice restaurant in Franschhoek, but when we got there it was fully booked (or invitation only - not sure), so we ended up at an equally nice french restaurant down the road.

The vineyards there are massive compared to Australia - they are proper estates on massive lands.

One of the estates had this nice McLaran parked outside.

We didn't do much tasting though - the way they do it (you order a sit down wine tasting or a wine package for a fee) didn't really fit with me driving and traveling with kids.

The Boys were as usual more interested in playing.

1. March 2017 20:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Cheetah Outreach

1. March 2017 20:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One morning we went to the Cheetah Outreach centre outside Cape Town.

Here they train dogs to keep wild cats away from cattle and sheep so that these don't get eaten. The idea is that if the farmers keep dogs to keep their animals safe then they don't have to set traps to kill the wild cats. Interesting idea, but I would think that it would take a lot of dogs, and the farmers would probably still shoot or trap the wild cats anyhow.

The centre also keeps some cheetahs that visitors are allowed to pat (for a fee).

1. March 2017 20:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Cape Peninsula

1. March 2017 20:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The Cape Peninsula is a beautiful area with nice views and little isolated beaches where ever you look. We spent a whole day exploring along the coast...breathtaking.

22. February 2017 19:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Penguins at Boulders Beach

22. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Going to Boulders Beach with all the penguins was a fun experience for the boys.

There were lots of nesting penguins and they are more agile than you think, jumping between the rocks on the beach (notice how the penguin below is airborne).

They sit on their nests until the eggs hatch.

and they stay with the young ones after they hatch too.

And once in a while a seagull gets lucky and steals one of the eggs.

There are hundreds of them on the beach.

And they are right next to the path.

The whole area was covered in smoke from a massive bush fire up in the hills, so our eyes were watering and hurting by the end of it.

Despite the smoke I still managed to get a good photo of this beautiful flightless bird.

21. February 2017 20:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Cafe Africa Cape town

21. February 2017 20:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In the evening we went to Cafe Africa. This is a nice little cafe serving authentic African cuisine in the middle of Capetown. The menu was a 16 course degustation type menu with all you can eat of food from all over Africa.

They came around to do a bit of face painting and later there was drumming and dancing from the staff.

21. February 2017 19:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Bo Kaap

21. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the way down from Table Mountain we visited Bo Kaap.

This is a predominantly muslim neighbourhood with some very colourful houses.

Great as a backdrop for photographing the most beautiful girl I know.

And also the most handsome boys.

4. June 2010 09:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Grandma passed away

4. June 2010 09:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the 4th of June 2010 my grandmother (on my dads side) passed away being 90 years old. She had a stroke about a months ago and was unconscious for a long time.

Photo from june/July 2009

She did regain a bit of conscious to the point where she could nod and recognise people.

After this her condition deteriorated but her being such a tough woman she was hanging on in there.

Eventually she couldn't hand on any longer and passed away. She was the last one of my grandparents and she was burried on the 10th June, 3 days after my son was born, so unfortunately they never got a chance to meet.

25. May 2010 10:45
by Rene Pallesen
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Wine Glass

25. May 2010 10:45 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Tonight is my GCC break day (Only 11,000 steps today compared to over 20,000 yesterday). I celebrated this with a glass of wine...and then I though why stop there.I could take a cool photo as I was pouring the glass (my second).

Click here to see larger photo

I did do a bit of playing around but I found that it worked best if the flash was able to burn out some of the details and illuminate the wine from behind.

Flash was positioned on the floor (glass on a chopping board on a chair) @ 1/4 power...the background is a white wall.

The wine is a Southern Sisters 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot...not a bad drop for an everyday wine.

25. May 2010 01:33
by Rene Pallesen
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Week 36

25. May 2010 01:33 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I did another photo session with little bob. He was going "More, More...." and Mummy was going "Not again!".

Anyway, had the chance for a couple more creative shots.

Not sure if I like the reflection in this shot...so I may have to re-do it.

23. May 2010 12:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Lavender

23. May 2010 12:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is another GCC photo

22. May 2010 11:57
by Rene Pallesen
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Tilt Shifting

22. May 2010 11:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I am currently participating in the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge). This is a team event where each participant has to do more than 10,000 steps per day using a pedometer (step counter) for the next 16 weeks. I will when convenient take my camera with me an try and do something creative.

This was day one where I walked to a meeting in North Sydney over the Sydney harbour bridge. When I got home I did some tilt shift effect to it so make it more toy like:

16. May 2010 10:45
by Rene Pallesen
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Week 35

16. May 2010 10:45 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It is now week 35 and the baby is expected within the next 5 weeks (hopefully at week 40). Kim is getting pretty big and yesterday I used the opportunity to take a couple of photos of her belly (and a worried dad)...evidence below.

I alto tried to take a couple of nice ones as well as some artistic ones.

I would have taken a lot more, but even though the baby was saying "More, More..." the mummy ran out of patience...maybe I'll get another chance during the week to take some more.

16. May 2010 10:28
by Rene Pallesen
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Kiwifruit

16. May 2010 10:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Some time ago I saw a photo of a kiwifruit and wanted to see if I could do something similar. It took a bit of experimenting, but eventually I got there. First a thin slice of kiwifruit (I chose to keep the skin on for effect), a couple of toothpicks to lift it off the surface and then one toothpick to hold it upright.

20 cm behind the flice I positioned a flash (SB600) firing at 1/64 power. Camera is set at 1/250th sec, f13, ISO 200 @42mm (on Nikon D50)....viola:

13. May 2010 10:54
by Rene Pallesen
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Coppelia

13. May 2010 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last night we went to the Sydney Opera House to see the ballet Coppelia with The Australian Ballet.

It may be the last time for a while that Kim and I get the chance to go and see a performance together for a while.

It was a great show and I can highly recommend it...the story is nicer and easier to follow than The Nutcracker. Coppelia herself doesn't dance much (she is a doll), the story line if mainly centered around the other characters in the story...no one dies (come on...it is not an opera). It is just a nice love story where the right people get eachother in the end.

3. May 2010 09:52
by Rene Pallesen
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Chris & Yvonne's wedding

3. May 2010 09:52 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Yesterday we went to Chris and Yvonnes wedding. The wedding itself was a traditional catholic wedding held in one of the churches in North Sydney.

Kim was having a bit of a cold so to save herself (and the baby) we decided that I'd go to the wedding ceremony alone representing both of us. Chris asked me if I'd video the ceremony using his new camera...I hope it turned out alright as I'm not all that familiar with taking video. I did manage to take a couple of photos (using my spare hand) during the ceremony.

Later in the evening the reception was held at Wolfies at Circular Quay at the Rocks in Sydney. After resting in the morning Kim was fortunately able to join me at the reception. It was a really nice evening and we got a change to meet some of their friends who'd flown in from the US.

During the evening the photographers did a slideshow with some of the highlights from the wedding.

Needless to say that I was pretty hung over the next morning. I didn't take a lot of photos, but above you see a couple of the ones I did take.

27. April 2010 11:17
by Rene Pallesen
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Car Fun - Take 2

27. April 2010 11:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I borrowed some more toy cars from my nephews (A bit more willing this time). This time I wanted to do the shoot entirely using light painting. All the following photos are created using a single LED torch with CTO and blue flash gels in front of it. No photoshopping has been done to any of the photos.

They have all been shot at 15 seconds @ f22. The base is a glass chopping board (the writing on the board shines through in a couple of places).

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