Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first.

Is South Africa safe for photographers?

Well it depends. If you travel like a lot of tourists do in the US or Europe with expensive equipment on show then it is definitely not safe.  If you travel where you like with no thought of good or bad areas then again it is not safe.

However, with some care about being discreet about your equipment, travelling to areas that are recommended by locals and staying away from deserted and no go areas there is no reason why you should not have an amazing time without any incidents to mar your trip.

What side of the road do they drive on?

The right, so if you’re coming from the UK you’re sorted! Otherwise drive with care.

What plug sockets do you need?

SA uses a 3 round-pin for many but also have the usual European 2 round-pin ones and most places you visit have the adaptors for the European plugs.

Can you drink the water safely?

Yes – But the wine is better

Car Guards and other South African weird phenomena

Most parking places, will have a number of official, or self-appointed ‘car guards’.

The Newbie Guide to the “Car Guard”

• If you pay the guard after you get back then they are a car guard
• If they ask you for money upfront they are an extortion artist.
• Most people pay them between R2 and R10 if the car is in one piece when you get back to it.
• If they ask you for money but hold out a small transparent packet with something in it then they are a drug dealer.
• If the car guard doesn’t have a fluorescent bib then they are probably just a local trying their luck.

I have been invited to a braai?

Braai is to the South African, what a ‘barbie’ is to the Aussies and barbecue is to the Brit and American! This comes from the word ‘braaivleis’ which literally translated from the Afrikaans means ‘cooked meat’. Braais are normally dominated by men, known as the ‘tong-masters’ and women are rarely allowed! (Watch this hilarious video for your braai education!)

Someone said there’s a robot at the end of the street!!!

Don’t worry! This is just a traffic light!

What on earth is a traffic circle?

Roundabout!

Taxis

There are two types of taxi. One is the regular sort of pre-booked or Uber style (and Uber is available). The other is a minibus – normally white – and they can be flagged down, even from the motorway.

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So often when we photograph places of interest, we look solely at the aesthetics of the scene. How does the light make it feel? What interesting shapes appear in the final image to draw the eye in? Which details shall I leave out to create a stronger composition? These are usually the things going through a photographer’s head. Occasionally though, there is a subject that is so much more powerful and important than our everlasting search for spectacular and beautiful images. Nelson Mandela’s cell on Robben Island was just such a place.

Robben Island Maximum Security wing yard wall

Background for context

I, Tim, am a South African and British hybrid. I’ve spent half my life in South Africa and half in the United Kingdom near London. I had an English father and a South African mother. I grew up in the apartheid South Africa (Durban) as a typical privileged white male.

Apartheid

Nobody really spoke of apartheid issues at our (all white) school. Apartheid was deemed a good thing by most white adults as it meant prosperity for the few, cheap labour, and it kept people, who were made out to be ‘slightly less human than us’, at bay. It was only in my last years of schooling and starting college that I started to question the evil status quo.

I started hanging around with friends who were anti-apartheid and questioning the government’s policy and lack of human rights if you weren’t white.  During this time, I met a number of people who had been targeted by the apartheid government security police (BOSS – Bureau of State Security, later NIS). Some of them had been tortured, whilst some had lost loved ones who had been killed by the state. One friend had a bomb go off in her office and it killed a fellow worker. The parcel bomb was believed to have been sent by the government security services. Another friend’s boyfriend was murdered by the army when he fled to a neighbouring country. These friends were white but supported anti-apartheid organisations. It was even worse if you were black. I heard many accounts of pain and death at the hands of the state. This turned me into a highly cynical individual when it comes to government and corporate behaviour, as Ally will testify to.

South African Army

When I was called up to go into the South African army (all white male South Africans had to do 2 years in the army then) I had to make some choices. The army at that time had two main roles. To fight the ANC, who are now the government, and to keep black people in subservience with a strong military presence in the townships. (Townships were black only towns with few amenities and situated far away from the affluent white areas. Apartheid is an Afrikaans word meaning apartness. Whites lived in white areas, Black people in black zoned areas etc. Different races each had their own area. This was the law and severe punishments were metered out for breaking it.)

The Choice

I could not agree with any of those horrific policies so just before I was due to report for duty I hatched an exit plan. I wrote a letter to the army intake officer telling him that I was out of the country and was unable to get back to report for duty. Explaining that that I would let them know as soon as I returned, I posted the letter to a friend in London who then sent it on to the army so it arrived back in SA with a UK stamp. This bought me time. By time I mean a number of harrowing months of worrying that I would be arrested. I finally managed to leave the country almost 6 months later.

Why couldn’t I just be a political objector?

The price for political objection was 6 years prison and as I was only in my mid-twenties I didn’t consider that as a viable option. This is always something that has always left me feeling guilty, as I was fortunate enough to leave, while millions of South Africans had to stay and endure.

Before anybody thinks that I am just anti-authority (well… maybe I am a bit) I must point out that I was in the London Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) as a forensic specialist photographer for 7 years.

It is through this lens that I viewed Robben Island, the maximum-security prison island for political prisoners.

Trip to Robben Island

It was a beautiful Cape Town summer’s day, but Ally and my hopes to visit Robben Island had been dashed the night before. It turns out that you have to book weeks or sometimes months in advance. We decided to go down to the booking office in case there were any cancellations. As we arrived one of the booking staff had just got a few cancelled tickets so we were on our way.

A half an hour boat trip across the sea with spectacular views of Table Mountain in the background does not prepare one for the heart-breaking yet inspiring visit to come.

Prisoners were forced to dig rocks in this quarry. The cave is where they sheltered from the harsh sun during breaks

Arrival and the bus trip

Whilst you are not allowed to wander around by yourself you do get a very knowledgeable guide on the bus tour. Very often this is a former prisoner from the island. On the tour you visit the quarry where the prisoners broke rocks, see the light house and staff village and find out interesting facts like that Robben Island was once a leper colony amongst other things.

Here is also where there is now a significant pile of rocks. This was started by Nelson Mandela, who after being elected President, attended a reunion on Robben Island. He walked off to the side dropped a rock onto the ground. He was followed by many of the former prisoners who added their own rock to the pile. This formed a rock memorial to their time on the island.

It is because of the bright sun off the rocks, the alkalinity of rocks and constant exposure that Nelson Mandela’s tear ducts were damaged. Press photographers were asked not to use flash when taking photographs of him.

Once into the maximum security cell area we had a new guide who was once an inmate with Nelson Mandela.

Robben Island ex-prisoner guide

Maximum security wing

From a purely photographic point of view, the maximum security wing, with its grey cells, barbed wire and sparse vegetation is nothing to write home about. Then you hear the stories about how Africa National Congress activist Nelson Mandela with help from Ahmed Kathrada and Walter Sisulu wrote the book ‘Long walk to freedom’ under the noses of the guards and hid pages in the garden in tins, the whole place comes alive. Stories from somebody who was there, about how they hid secret messages in a tennis ball and threw it over the wall ‘by mistake’ so they could communicate with other inmates, just leave you in awe of these men who were beaten but not broken. What impressed me most about these heroic individuals was their overriding hope in even the darkest times of their lives.

Nelson Mandela’s cell

Whilst the tiny cell no 5 that was Nelson Mandela’s (Madiba’s) home for so long initially leaves an impression of sadness. That a man can be caged for such a large part of his life because he fought for human rights is no small thing.  This feeling however soon evaporates. It is replaced by the incredible hope that if a man imprisoned and mis-treated for 27 years can forgive his captors, and then become one of the worlds greatest leaders and Nobel Peace Prize winner, then anything is possible.

Nelson Mandela’s cell on Robben Island

Cells on Robben Island Maximum security wing

I would have loved to go into the cell to photograph from Nelson’s point of view but unfortunately the cells are locked. So, I had to hang back until the crowd had gone,  then photograph the corridor to try to show the loneliness of it all.

Nelson Mandela’s cell and lock with plate and toilet bucket

The prison yard and garden

Outside Nelson Mandela’s cell in the prison yard are a few bushes that seem to survive in waterless environments. This area is where, later in his incarceration, Nelson tended the garden and hid the manuscript pages for his book. I often try to hang back during any guided tour to get images of the place without tourists. This didn’t work this time so I had to settle for the close up view rather than the large expanse of the yard I was hoping for.

The bright light against the walls, calls for creative exposure. You can’t rely on your camera’s internal light meter for this.

Robben Island Maximum Security Wing garden and exercise yard where manuscript for “Long walk to freedom’ was hidden

Why Black and White?

I have converted many of the images from Robben Island and Nelson Mandela’s cell into Black and White. I feel that the lack of colour helps to reflect the stark and colourless living conditions these South African heroes endured. The high contrast also reflects the intense brightness of the sun beating down onto that little island. Although we photographed with digital cameras we would really like to return with film cameras, with black and white film. See here if you want to see how to convert colour to black and white.

Photograph from the soul

This trip was a very different and special one for me. I am usually very excited about shapes and contrast and textures, but during our visit to Robben Island and Nelson Mandela’s cell my creative photography took a back seat.

Most of the time I photograph subjects from the creative part of my brain. There comes a time occasionally however, when I’m so overwhelmed by the subject. Here, the only thing to do is to look at the scene in wonder, and hope that my photographic auto-pilot will take care of the technical side. This is so my soul can do justice to the final image. Robben Island and Nelson Mandela’s cell was that place for me.

Cape Town from Robben Island

Whilst you’re in Cape Town, don’t forget to take a trip up Table Mountain and the best coffee shop in the world, Truth Coffee.

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Who doesn’t hanker after photographing crocodiles, snakes and a traditional Zulu shields maker, not to mention Zulu dancing?  If you do then you need to visit PheZulu.  Forty minutes drive inland from the City of Durban, South Africa in the green KwaZulu-Natal hills, lies an extraordinary experience. There are traditional Zulu shields makers, a crocodile farm, game park with private guided tours, a restaurant and a traditional Zulu dancing show. All in one small area.

Traditional Zulu shields made by Joseph at PheZulu

When we went in, Joseph kindly let us take some photographs of him working. We had to up the ISO slightly whilst indoors, but we got some great depth-of-field by shooting wide open with some close-ups of the parts used in the shields, and some with shields in the foreground and Joseph working out of focus in the background.

Joseph hard at work making Zulu Shields – see our post on what makes a good b&w photo

Zulu spears ready to go with the shields

The restaurant overlooks another absolutely phenomenal view and there’s a small curio shop which used to be in a beautiful rondavel – (a traditional circular African dwelling with a conical thatched roof) – near the entrance but sadly, only recently, burned down completely after being struck by lightning. This is another place where we love to do pans.

They also do Segway tours including a tour where you ride around the game park right up next to giraffes and other wild South African animals. We did the short one first and Nicole introduced us to the segways and how they work. What we didn’t expect was going up and down steep banks that would be a real effort to climb up. It was brilliant fun and she was very patient as I was a bit wobbly in places.

Valley of 1000 Hills

Valley of 1000 Hills. It sounds so gentle and not like anything that would be photography-worthy but that is not the case. In the right light it’s beautiful. The small restaurant / café is a regular haunt for us whilst we’re in Durban as it’s a short drive from Tim’s mom’s. You can have your coffee and food (at ridiculously low prices) whilst enjoying a view that never gets tiring. It  was previously called HillBillys but has changed hands and become Fern Gulley. We don’t know what happened to the last people but they used to have a restaurant training programme, a variety of animals, including pigs, birds, and a talking parakeet who only used to talk to Rachel the previous owner.

The new owners have done wonderful things with the café and it is more inviting with a small gift shop. The views is one of our favourites – I (Ally) took one of my first digital pans with our old Kodak DCS – one of our first digital SLRs and a print of it still has pride of place on our lounge wall.

Valley of 1000 hills South Africa, made up of multiple images and put together in Adobe Photoshop

Before you get to the cafe there are small rondavels which are rented by small businesses. There’s a mixture of jewellery, beadwork, leather goods, trinkets, clothing and bags, as well as the Puzzle Place which has been there for years – think wooden puzzles that drive you crazy! Amazing stuff!

Bracketing and Pans

We sat in the restaurant one evening towards sunset with tea and our cameras poised. Whilst we were admiring the view and in-between Tim’s swearing at his scratchy eye as he’s getting used to contact lenses (don’t get me started on how long it takes to put them in!), we were noticing how the light and the shadows were changing. We knew the haze over the top of the hills would be quite heavy although the way the light models the closer hills, fantastic, but with the fabulous dehaze filter in Photoshop we knew this wouldn’t be a problem. There were cattle grazing in the foreground so we made sure we got those in some of the images to add to the rural feel. I tend to bracket more when shooting skies, but Tim doesn’t, or if he does, he does it manually. I prefer the bracketing function as it means you are more likely to shoot exactly the same image, rather than move the camera a bit whilst you adjust the exposure settings. This showed up when we got back and Tim had only 3gb to download and I had 6gb!! See our top 10 favourite Photoshop Shortcuts.

Wait for the landscape to reveal itself

There is so much to photograph in Natal, not just Zulu shields, and so easy to miss when driving around seeing green hill after green hill, but sit down at a coffee shop, watch the world go by and wait for the sun to get lower and the beautiful landscape will come to life in front of your eyes as the hills reveal themselves.

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Embocraft are the the local South African heroes who are empowering local entrepreneurs with skills training. Making portraits of these amazing people was a bit difficult due to the low and very extreme lighting conditions involved and required low light photography techniques.

What is Embocraft

Situated just up the road from the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust / Woza Moya. Embocraft was started in 1986 to alleviate poverty in the surrounding areas. They do this by conducting skills training to help local entrepreneurs develop and launch their own craft businesses. Training offered there is in sewing, basic computer skills and the internet, welding and screen printing. Work is assessed as they go and feedback given to help improve where appropriate. They are the local heroes who are empowering local entrepreneurs.

Embocraft Sewing Class

As well as these, there is a conference room for hire and a shop where Woza Moya / Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust also have their products for sale.

Making Images

We had the privilege of Goodness showing us around and we were free to make our own images. There was a sewing class and a welding class going on at the time. The lighting conditions in the welding class particularly called for low light photography techniques.

The classes are product based and the entrepreneurs learn how to make clothing, bags and kitchen accessories. As they go along, they receive feedback from their tutors. There was an excitement amongst those where they were able to learn something that would really benefit them and bring in an income.

Thandi inspecting some work – Embocraft Sewing Class

Welding Woes

The main issue we had with photographing was with the welding. It was very dark in that area and then we had the problem of the bright light of the ‘sparks’ in contrast necessitating us to pump up the ISO and using other low light photography techniques. Once finished though, it can give a very striking image. If we exposed for the welder before he started welding, then the image would be totally overexposed when the bright welding sparks kicked in.

One way around this is to set your camera to Auto and then compensate using the exposure compensation buttons. What we did though, was to shoot manually. We took a reading from the scene and then stopped down a few stops to compensate for the light from the welding. We then did a test to see how much we needed to change it. The final resulting images look very dark, but with some Raw adjustments, we were able to pull back a lot of the details whilst still keeping and showing details in the welding sparks. See our tutorial on exposure compensation and how you can do all this in Raw.

Welding class at Embocraft

Welding class at Embocraft – necessitated low light photography techniques

Embocraft is another model example of the way that South Africans have found to help one another in tough times. It is staffed by people who care deeply about what they do and although money is always needed to make these organisations run, it is secondary to the well-being of everyone involved.

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Woza Moya Upcycling is a key part of Woza Moya and the Hillcrest AIDS Centre trust and not only brings in well needed funds for the centre but is also playing a huge role in the recycling of unwanted waste that would otherwise go to landfill. Have a look at the amazing products these recycling masters create!

Woza Moya & Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust

In case you haven’t seen Part 1 of our Woza Moya post, here’s a quick rundown. Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust and Woza Moya are a lifeline of support and hope to hundreds, (thousands if you include their dependents), of otherwise desperate people. All whilst masquerading as a beautiful little craft shop. Although specialising in traditional beadwork, they also sell all types of African art and craft. This includes  painting, sewing, wirework, crochet, pottery, fabric painting and woodwork. As well as this, repurposing and upcycling waste to make beautiful products.

The Masters of Woza Moya Upcycling

During our visit, we met Francis in the Upcycling Centre at Woza Moya / Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust. Now Francis has the most amazing job for which he is perfect. He upcycles stuff! And when I say stuff, I mean all those random things that we think are useless and throw away.

Francis – Upcycling King

He is so incredibly creative he makes all sorts of beautiful house accessories, and bags out of anything – plastic, glass bottles, even old teabag packets are just a few examples. These are made into a variety of bags of different sizes, light fittings and lamp stands which then go up for sale in the shop! There was even a large box of bottle tops, awaiting such inspiration from Francis!

Glass Cutting Supremo Frank

We also met Frank, who painstakingly ‘cuts’ down old donated wine bottles with a hot and cold water process. The edges are filed down so they’re safe and these are then sold as drinking glasses and lights! Ingenious!

Frank – supremo glass upcycler

Entering Verna’s Magical Haberdashery Grotto!

Textiles are donated which are then painstakingly sorted by Verna and her team into colours and types. These are then sold on to those who can make items that then also go up for sale in the craft shop. To buy these textiles, are to us pennies and cents, but to a rural South African, it can still be a large amount.

Verna – Haberdashery and Textiles Queen

Supporting the Gogos (aka Granny Support Group)

Very sadly, much of the older generation have outlived their children and there are just under 2 million orphans due to the AIDS crisis in South Africa. Grandparents are left to look after their grandchildren, and understandably are ill-equipped to cope with the emotional, physical and financial issues that come with looking after children. Not only that, they could have as many as 20 grandchildren to support. So, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust gives lessons to the grannies, (or gogos) in their local area, to empower, educate and uplift them in caring for their grandchildren.

In addition to all of this, the grounds are set in a garden nursery. The nursery features some of Francis’ upcycling shoes with great shrubs and flowers.

Upcycled shoes for sale in the nursery

Respite Unit

There is a 24-bed respite and care unit for those affected by the disease which is free – something that’s uncommon in South Africa. The number of patients who came out of there in the early days, was very limited. This was when HIV and AIDS were taboo and there was neither the understanding of the disease, nor the drugs to help. Now, it’s about 75% who come out and can go on leading a ‘normal’ life.

All the fundraising that Woza Moya and the HACT raise, goes towards the running of this.

Photography: Francis the king of the Upcycling Container and Glass Cutting Supremo Frank

In the Woza Moya upcycling centre, there was bright light streaming into the container that Francis is king of! This makes photographing quite difficult because of the extreme exposure values. Therefore, we had to position ourselves in a way that we weren’t picking up the super bright sunlit areas we knew would just blow out. In contrast, in the room of glass bottle supremo Frank, it was quite dark and small. To overcome this, we had to up the ISO on our cameras, as we were handholding and he was moving. Thankfully, the low light ability of digital SLRs now is exceptionally good. The little bit of grain you do get is easily removable in a Camera Raw converter or Photoshop. We both actually find, that a little bit of grain adds to the organic-ness, look and feel of an image.

Cut bottles to upcycle at Hillcrest AIDS Centre

We spent quite a while being shown around Woza Moya and photographing, but no images can do justice to the incredible work that the Woza Moya team are doing. As you can see, all the wonderful people involved in HACT and Woza Moya have a passion: a passion to empower and uplift those who have been affected in many ways by HIV / AIDS.

The post Woza Moya – A Beacon in South Africa’s HIV / AIDS Pandemic – Part 2 appeared first on ImageExplorers.

Woza Moya. It just rolls sweetly off the tongue and means “Come spirt of change” in isiZulu. (IsiZulu is the language of the Zulu South Africans usually living on the East side of South Africa).

So what is Woza Moya?

It is lifeline of support and hope to hundreds, (thousands if you include their dependents), of otherwise desperate people whilst masquerading as a beautiful little craft shop. Although specialising in traditional beadwork they also sell all types of African art and craft from painting, sewing, wirework, crochet, pottery, fabric painting and woodwork through to repurposing and upcycling waste to make beautiful products.

Ally browsing in the Craft Shop

A few of the many hand-made products

Dark Times in Modern South Africa

Why is it so important to so many people? Well at the end of the last century HIV/AIDS was rife in South Africa. It was a taboo subject that nobody would talk about and there was almost no access to anti-viral drugs. People were dying in their thousands. Children were left without parents and only a few lucky ones had grandparents to look after them. A very dark time for all modern South Africa.

Woza Moya creates jobs and income for so many HIV/AIDS sufferers as well as fundraising for the AIDS Centre, and brings hope to them and their dependents. The beaders work from home, buying supplies at cost from Woza Moya, and create beautiful beaded craft items. They then bring these products to the Hillcrest AIDS Centre once a week to be sold on in the Woza Moya craft shops, with a small mark-up. It empowers them to earn a living from crafts they make.

Paula and Zandi – always really helpful and friendly

Colourful Zulu Skills and Photography

In this post we’re going to concentrate on the craft shops. Not far from Durban there are three – Hillcrest, Botha’s Hill and Kloof. We met Paula who is the manager of the centre and she allowed us to take photographs throughout our visit. Lungile took the time to show us around and explain it all to us. The indoor photography was very simple from a technical point of view. The only issues that you might come across in these situations is the bright sunlight streaming through windows. The easiest thing to do is to avoid it or shoot multiple exposures and comp them together. See our post on Exposure Compensation for more details. But back to the more important part of this post. The people, their skills and passion, and desire for a better future.

Lungile – who showed us around

We’d like to tell you more about the incredible beading. Beading is a traditional Zulu skill passed down through generations. It’s normally threaded onto cotton or wire to make the most amazing products from tiny little badges through to Africa’s first fully beaded suit! In Cape Town last year, we even saw a fully covered beaded military vehicle!!

Beautiful beaded bracelets

The Dream Chair

In 2009 the Woza Moya crafters attended a body mapping workshop where it was found that due to having lived in poverty for so long, very few of them had dreams. They were encouraged to ‘bead their dreams’. With the pieces that were received, the ‘Dream Chair’ came to life. The dream chair journeyed around the world and a book was made of people dreaming their dreams, which is for sale by the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust.

Dreams for Africa Chair – Image courtesy of Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust

Paula Thomson – Executive Manager and Craft Co-ordinator of Woza Moya

Little Travellers

The trademark item of Woza Moya is the Little Traveller. They were the brainchild of Thandiwe, one of the original patients from the Hillcrest AIDS centre. These tiny people can magically attach themselves to people’s clothing and travel across the world! Well maybe not magically attach, but you can pin them on but that doesn’t sound so cool! They come with their own passport (that you can log journeys on via the Facebook page), and a charm that is irresistible. Each crafter who makes the Little Traveller, gives each doll its own character. Ally wears hers with pride.

The Little Travellers

Volunteers and Paid Workers sorting the Little Travellers for export

Thandiwe – Mother of the Little Travellers, who sadly passed away but whose legacy lives on

Don’t Miss the Love

Although we had travelled past the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust / Woza Moya several times, it’s easily missed, despite the huge giraffes who are a bit hidden by trees, but once we went into the grounds we were hit with the enormity of the incredible industriousness, love and passion that this project holds, that’s hidden behind an unassuming entrance.

Where to find Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust / Woza Moya

See our Woza Moya part 2 post.

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No, because absolutely everything is very cool! Let’s start with at the place God designed purely for wave lovers … Muizenberg! Muizenberg sits in False Bay, so called because the early sailors used to often mistake it for what is now the Cape Town harbour area. It is a small bohemian seaside town that is spectacularly laid back.

Surfers and kite boarders flock to the beautiful beaches and one of our most enduring memories is sitting in a fish and chip shop on the front watching surfers vie for waves while the gentle ocean breeze took the edge off the heat. Lucky Fish & Chips is wonderful, absolutely fresh, and caters for gluten-free – yay!

Muizenberg Beach – Lucky Fish and Chips

Right in the heart of Muizenberg is the area called Surfers’ Corner, dominated by surf shops, surf board hire shops, surf schools, or restaurants and cafes where you can sit and watch surfing! Further along the beach (out of sight of the real purpose of Muizenberg) you can find the swimming area and then further along from that is an area designated for kite-boarding and wind surfing.

The Shark flag system

When in Muizenberg the first-time visitor will be very surprised to see flags with pictures of sharks on. Due to the abundance of sharks, in particular Great Whites, Muizenberg beach has a shark warning system. This starts with a green flag for All Clear, black flag – spotting conditions poor, red flag – high shark alert and white flag – get out, get out!

Apparently, surfers paddling on a surf board, look exactly the same as a juicy seal to a hungry shark.

Apart from the flags, there is another way of telling of the presence of a shark – a bloody loud siren goes off, scaring the living daylights out of you, quite possibly more than a shark would. Because Muizenberg is overlooked by a mountain, there are shark spotters who sit at various points up the mountain with binoculars watching the bay for shark shapes and alert the beach when one comes too close to the surfers. At the siren, almost everybody gets out of the water and waits for the all clear flag to reappear before continuing where they left off. The all clear flag doesn’t actually mean there are no sharks. It just means that they are not near the surfing area.

Sharkspotters have an amazing free app for your phone that shows the ‘shark conditions’ around Muizenberg and surrounding bays. This organisation does an amazing job of protecting both humans and sharks and deserve a lot of support.

Fishing

Fisherman at dusk – Muizenberg Beach

What many people don’t know about Surfers’ Corner is that the locals bring in their netted catch. On our first evening back in Muizenberg, a huge crowd gathered as the fishermen hauled in masses of yellow-tails. We grabbed our cameras and ran over as fast as possible as there were so many photo opportunities to be had. As it was dusk we were working at reasonably high ISOs and slower shutter speeds however as we were also photographing at the wider end of the lenses we could still hand hold ok. My rule of thumb is to never shoot slower than the focal length of the lens I’m using therefore at 24mm I wouldn’t hand hold slower than 1/25 th of a second – unless I’d had a strong Truth coffee of course!

There was a lot of excitement around the haul as some of the less salubrious members of the crowd tried to steal the fish. This is not terribly easy as the fish are almost two-thirds of a metre in length. One old fellow grabbed a fish and wandered back up the beach past us, muttering “This one’s mine”. It didn’t take long for him to be spotted, and he was promptly chased by about 5 men, he was stopped in the car park and relieved of his ill-gotten “fish”.

Such amazing photo opportunities even with the crowds

Crowd with haul of fish on Muizenberg Beach

Not a paradise to all

Muizenberg however, is not paradise on earth for everybody. There is a lot of poverty and some locals have to sleep rough. They do so mainly outside the government offices where they feel safest. A lot of people also sleep on the mountainside in sheltered areas or caves.

Muizenberg has many neighbours ranging from the super wealthy Constantia wine producing area to the north, to the large more deprived Mitchell’s Plain area on the east.  The township (Mitchell’s Plain) is home to many victims of forced removal, due to the implementation of the Group Areas Act dating back to apartheid days and has quite a big gang and drug problem. The road in and out of Muizenberg (Prince George’s Drive) is often used for street racing as well as the heart of taxi wars where burning tyres can litter the road. The police take care of this very quickly and warn the residents living nearby not to venture out for a while.

Having said all that, Muizenberg is just the most chilled area dominated by old hippies, younger surfers and hipsters with people of all colours and languages to be seen.

Kitesurfing on False Bay, Muizenberg

We spent a very enjoyable evening watching talented kite-surfers tearing up and down the surf, whilst performing the occasional trick and jump as the sun was setting. Some of the kite-surfers noticed us photographing them and performed beautifully for us with the mountains and the setting sun as a perfect backdrop. We met some of them afterwards. Claire, a spectacular kite-surfer, turned out to be a French business student who’d been there for 2 months, doing an internship at the local surf shop working in the morning and kite-surfing in the afternoons.

Kite Surfing Muizenberg

Zandvlei

Just inland from from Surfers’ Corner is the 200ha Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve. It is a wetland, river system and estuary lake. On the one side of Zandvlei is the beautiful Marina da Gama housing estate. A lot of the houses back right onto the water so that the residents can visit one another by wind-surfer or kayak! Our friend Suzi lives here, who having been in the UK for 16 years had just returned to S Africa. Having been anglicised for all those years, she needed to be refreshed in the art of braaing. (South African for barbeque.) We thought our visit would aid that need.

Marina De Gama

Durban or Muizenberg waves?

There are so many amazing surfing areas around South Africa. We also spent a lot of time in Durban waters and they are very different experiences but both amazing. Durban waters are much warmer but for a total seaside chilled experience, you need to visit Muizenberg. It doesn’t matter if you are a surfer or even like waves. It is an experience not to be missed and shows a different side to the Mother City. If you’re in Cape Town and want to see a different view of Table Mountain, check out our Table Mountain sunset post and a trip to Robben Island is a must.

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Sand, sand, sea, surfer, sand, surfer, sun, sea, sand, surfers, surfers …. and sharks?
Known as the Golden Mile, Durban beach front stretches for what seems like miles of golden sands with experienced lifeguards, in front of a vibrant esplanade of hotels, restaurants and market traders.

Firstly, the water is warm – really warm! Result! Secondly the waves are superb! Double result! And we spent many days along the seafront either in the water, on the beach or sitting in our favourite café or restaurant, watching the waves and the many surfers.

So what can you do there?

We were mainly on Addington beach, South Beach and UShaka beach. It is a hub of activity with cyclists, runners, joggers, skaters, of all ages and a mix of nationalities.

We had surfing lessons from the fabulous Xpressions Durban, who come highly recommended. Garry and Josh were amazing instructors. Josh is one of the premier South African swimmers and we hope to see him in the next Olympics.

Josh is an excellent and knowledgeable instructor

Due to the exchange rate of £ or $ to South African Rand everything was so very affordable. Surfing lessons for example are about £14.50 / $21.00 an hour (depending on exchange rate at the time) for private 1 to 1. Plus they do a buy 4 get the 5^th free. Where else can you get that?

Just downstairs from Xpressions is our favourite place for coffee, Surf Riders Café, where you can sit and watch the world go by.

Then there is UShaka. It’s like being 6 years old again. Water slides, tube rides and our favourite – the lazy river. Float down this man-made river for 10 mins on a tube passing rocks, trees and huge windows onto various tanks housing anything from penguins to sharks all whilst enjoying the 20-30 degree Durban beach front heat. Bliss!

It’s all about being a kid again

Awesome rides at UShaka

The Elephants

Now let’s address the elephant … I mean the shark … in the room! Are you going to meet one while swimming or surfing on Durban beach? Well, statistics say that you’re more likely to get struck by lightning, killed by a falling coconut or fall off a cliff whilst taking a selfie than to get attacked by a shark. The real fact is that shark attacks are exceptionally rare and because of their rarity they hit the headlines when they do occur, which makes them seem more commonplace than they really are.

Now, that’s not to say that we didn’t look out for fins whilst on our surfing lessons. The film ‘Jaws’ and subsequent movies, have done a lot of damage to the reputation of these beautiful animals although the work of conservationists, especially someone we know (Dan aka Sharkman Dan instagram: @Sharkman_Dan) has helped abate that fear.

The real threat to watch out for are from muggers. In Durban 99.9% of the people are lovely. However, there is a small criminal element who like to take advantage, so just be careful and watch your stuff. As one of our surf coaches told us, they’re often very well dressed and look very respectable. So, don’t walk about with expensive equipment, keep your purses and wallets well-hidden and never leave valuables on the beach.

Enough of the bad … back to the exceptionally amazing.

For an amazing sundowners drink or coffee try Moyo – this is a restaurant on the very end of the pier (in the photo below in the distance) with spectacular views of the entire Durban sea front. The pic below is at Piatto.

A really cool restaurant with very good food, and with stunning views of the ocean.

So what is the link with Durban beach and photography?

Well it’s the camera. We use a Nikon underwater camera but this is our 3rd underwater camera. The first was a Fujifilm XP that stopped working 2 days into our Egypt Red Sea trip (spectacularly annoying as we’d gone there for the snorkeling). Our second was a Canon Powershot D10 . That worked for a year or 2 but stopped working on our second trip to the Red Sea. Spectacularly annoying doesn’t even come close!

We bought the Nikon second hand on Ebay as we weren’t sure how long it would last but it’s been amazing so far.

We just throw it in our bag and it gets really beaten up and keeps working. You are not going to create amazing landscapes with it but for fun images it can’t be beaten. Most of the images on this page were taken with it.

Whatever underwater camera you buy, do make sure it has some form of manual override or exposure compensation, otherwise you might end up with the exposure problems we mentioned in our “Why your camera lies to you” blog post.

To fit in you need 3 things. A tan (or in Ally’s case, a few million freckles), to call the city “Durbs”, and a very laid back approach to life.

How can you not love it!

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Everybody ‘does’ Table Mountain. However, for one of the best experiences available in Cape Town, the sunset trip is second to none. As the sun went down, the clouds descended below and next to us onto the top of the mountain, cascading down the sheer cliffs whilst being highlighted by touches of sunset orange.

During our time there, a function was happening, so we were serenaded by a live band. We highly recommend the Amarula coffee, especially as it can get a bit cool up there when the sun goes down.

Ally on Table Mountain at Sunset

Photographing Sunsets

• When photographing sunsets, double check your lens is clean as the bright sun will pick up any marks and cause flare.
• If you have a sturdy tripod, this will help, or as we did, use rocks to balance – although the clouds move quite fast so try not to use too long exposures, as this will give blurry clouds.
• If you have the Raw option on your camera this will help as the bright sun and clouds will cause your light meter to do cartwheels – see our blog post on “why your camera lies to you”. Alternatively, bracket to ensure you’re getting a good range of detail in the shadows and highlights (also covered in that blog post).

Wildlife

On Table Mountain, you may also get to meet some of the locals, such as the dassies (pronounced dussies). A cross between a large squirrel and rat they’re quite friendly (but don’t touch or feed them).

Dassie

We could have spent hours photographing there, in our elements with the sunset, clouds and views. Totally breath-taking.

Sunset over Table Mountain

Sunset over Table Mountain showing the “Tablecloth” clouds

Hiking

You can walk up (and down) Table Mountain, (only recommended for the fit and only in daylight) but there is also the cable car. Either way you pay to go in – check the website for prices for entry, cable car and tips on hiking.

Table Mountain Cable Car showing the city and Lions Head and Signal Hill

Whilst in Cape Town, if you like coffee, a trip to the best coffee shop in the world, Truth Coffee is a must. And, Robben Island and Nelson Mandela’s Cell is a very thought-provoking and moving trip to be taken.

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On the surface, this doesn’t sound terribly interesting but Woodstock Market in Cape Town, South Africa really is one of the coolest markets. It is also one of the most exciting places for the two f’s – foodies and ‘fotographers’! … oh and music lovers! It runs every Saturday from early until 3 pm. (On the website for the Woodstock Market is listed as the “Neighbourgoods Market“).

All in one place at the Old Biscuit Mill in the heart of Woodstock, this is where crafts of varying genres come together. Woodstock is a hub of creative industries. These are slowly gentrifying from the slightly scary place it was in the past, to a potentially haves and have-nots future.

Woodstock Market – Ally sampling food and drink in the food hall

How to find it

Turn off the Salt River road onto the R102 and you can’t fail to be accosted by a number of ‘Car Guards’ helping to find you a parking space. (We’ll be doing a post on Car Guards and other S African phenomena soon!)  There are internal shops that are there 6 days a week, but the Woodstock market is just Saturdays. Music-wise we witnessed a fab guy on a didgeridoo who also played some keyboards at the same time, and another guy who we believe is there every week, playing solo saxophone.

Sax player at Woodstock Market

Food Heaven

There’s a food section which is Heaven for foodies who can eat until their heart’s content with an array of different foods, much of which is cooked in front of you. There are those that cater for food issues – the brownies for the gluten free brigade are ‘to-die-for’!

Woodstock Market – Paella

Again there are stalls with food from all over the world. Around the corner from the food section is another area with mostly clothing and leather goods. It can be a little dark in the food hall, so check out our post on photographing in low light.

When you go to Woodstock market, don’t forget to go up to the top floor to get a view of the market with Table mountain in the background – see our gallery for our images of Table Mountain  and to photograph it differently to usual check out our Table Mountain at sunset post. A trip to Cape Town (and if you’re a coffee and food lover) wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the best coffee shop in the world, as well as Robben Island to remind you of South Africa’s history.

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