Full Moon over Noordhoek Beach

While we are used to a beautiful Full Moon over Noordhoek Beach – I was amazed at the ‘super moon’ photos posted officially on BBC and elsewhere on 6 and 7 May 2012 … pictures that seemed incredulous and left me wondering. I did take some photos as well and thought the moon was definitely more brilliant than usual… but nothing like I had expected, at least not on our side of the… globe and mountain.

Full Moon over Noordhoek Beach

Well, meanwhile I know most if not all of those pictures were illusions… and that we can all achieve with some good original photo material and a little bit of Photoshop! Ha!

What you see here is definitely the full moon I photographed in that night – around 11: 45 pm – and it stood like that in the pitchblack sky. No halo, no softness – like cut out.

And this was Noordhoek Beach in the very early morning where the full moon was hardly visible – now it is!I mean it was !

The fact is, I photographed the ‘real thing’ on 24 July 2010 and wrote about it HERE. And there was no manipulation involved whatsoever – it was huge, red and definitely super and extraordinary in many ways!

Fine Homes Websites

For owners of real estate the wish may arise at some stage to document their precious property – either for their own pleasure or if they plan to sell in the future. While the Internet abounds with Fine Homes websites, there are really different ways of presenting one’s most treasured private space.

Look at an example of a truly outstanding architectural masterpiece nestled in the beautiful surroundings of Cape Town, South Africa, which I included in my brand-new Web Design Showcase.

Fine Homes Websites

Besides giving a truthful image of what really exists and makes the charme of the property – be it big or small – , the real art in developing Fine Homes Websites is to feel into the inner space of the building or house and express it within its natural setting, thus creating an atmosphere of the whole. I adore those masters of architectural photography who go beyond horizontals and verticals and find ways of reflecting the soul – be it in colours or black and white. What an inspiration and source for learning…

As such, captivating images in form of digital photography are the essence of all web design for real estate and property.

Semiomantics Evolution 2012

However, if it comes to sales, visibility on Google Top 10 is what counts… and as my new Showcase is designed on the brand-new WP based Semiomantics Evolution 2012 – I do the daily test of how my posts actually perform on search engines.

Again, I am amazed to see my brief post popping up as Number 11 of 38,500 000 search returns on Google! WOW… not yet on page 1… but if you consider the competition on “Fine Homes” and the fact that this is my very first little post on a new website – it’s truly astonishing and perfectly convincing- yes?

If you wish to document or present your home online, and you like my style HERE, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

We stand for “Web Design with Passion”!

Gorgeous Gardens Website

Gorgeous Gardens is an important category on my new SHOWCASE under development featuring some of my web design, media design and digital photography over the past year. If you have a nursery, run a flower shop, grow plants or you just love gardening as much as I do and wish to share your passion, art and photography with the world, then consider working with me on your own, fully personalized and optimized Gorgeous Gardens Website. It won’t cost you an arm and a leg – but the joy and satisfaction it will bring you and anyone visiting your beautiful website is simply priceless!

Gorgeous Gardens Website

Creating a Gorgeous Gardens Website is about beauty – meaning captivating photography and why not drawings, sketches, paintings – art in brief. It strongly appeals to our fantasy and our senses – especially the visual sense… and if we all know how intense and exhilarating the fragrances can be!

Imagine a field of lavender buzzing with bees… a wild star jasmine snaking up its way in an old tree… not to mention a rose…!

Picking a wild berry and eating it straight from the twig while hearing the wind rustling through leaves, the cheerful songs of birds and the graceful sound of chimes projects us into a fairy world where we can release and let go… feel One with all that is and refuel on energy.

Gorgeous Gardens on Google

Sorry for pulling you out of the picture for a moment here – but as we are talking websites and web design: the fact is that what we see is only one part of the story.

The important tuning happens behind the scenes with the right script – I use WP based Semiomantics Scripts only – plus the right way of editing and publishing. It’s a Science by itself, but essential to reach top rankings on search engines.

Here is a screenshot of my first little post on that brand-new website yesterday and look how it performed on Google! “Gorgeous Gardens” on Google Top 10! Ahead of 16,6 million search entries!!!

Nursery or Flower Shop Owner?

What does this mean to you as a Nursery or Flower Shop owner?

It means that your website would be visible where you want it to be seen by your visitors, readers and potential customers. At the end of the day you are running a business and your online investment into a pulling website should serve its purpose: bringing you customers that enable you to continue living your passion while giving them the best service!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime and let me assist you in expressing yourself in an attractive and efficient way online.

You will simply love it…

Website Development 2011

Finally, I could dedicate some time to working on my Showcase featuring my Web Design and Website Development 2011 – on the brand-new Semiomantics Evolution Script 2012.

Website Development 2011

While most of the Website Development 2011 is now presented, it will still take some time until I can set up the Photography category featuring some of my digital photography taken over the last year up till now.

While I’m quite familiar with the script as I designed the comprehensive Wedding Website on it, I am always amazed at its versatility and how it allows us to present in different shapes and forms according to our personal taste and priorities, with the visitor just having to get his clicking finger into action and discover what’s where!

Autumn in South Africa

As it’s autumn in South Africa now – with some good rainfall over the past 10 days – it means we are spending many hours in our gardens preparing everything for winter, but also doing some planting and seeding.

Having bought a bootfull of plants and shrubs in Kirstebosch Gardens on Saturday, I have a lot of work ahead of me… and the birds have already spotted the protea “Pink Ice” with its stunning light pink flowers waiting for its final location just outside my studio door! I will plant it out later today, once it’s a bit cooler… and after my round in the forest to see whether I can find some mushrooms for dinner! Two days ago there was absolutely nothing on this side of the mountain, while a friend sent me decadent pictures of what he had found in the forest on the other side! Let’s see what I will discover after today’s sunshine… and get some decadent images back to him!

Nothing beats a good pasta with fresh Cape mushrooms – especially ‘cepes’!

Attractive Semiomantics EVO 2012

My article on the new and highly attractive Semiomantics EVO 2012 yesterday was written on “image” format, meaning it displayed the image larger than normal. This had a for me unexpected effect on the Blog page that normally shows only thumbnails and excerpts. This post is a test to see whether an article – back to normal settings – triggers the same or a different result, given the fact that we had a smart hack yesterday night at 9:11 pm.

Attractive Semiomantics EVO 2012

The attractive Semiomantics EVO 2012 theme is ideal for photographers and media designers – or anyone wanting to display visuals in a captivating and generous way.

On the screenshot above you see the 3-column image gallery on a rotating background. Clicking on any image in the gallery will have that particular image open in an elegant 1:1 slider overlay.

Good Morning from Noordhoek

You may recognize my images from the series of photographs taken daily – every single day – over a one month’s period and prepared as a joyful daily greeting to special friends and family with the title “Good Morning from Noordhoek”. While this looked simple and was in general very much appreciated and even collected (!) as a loving gesture to brighten one’s day, there was quite some work that went into firstly finding the daily shot – come rain or high water – then choose the picture that really reflected that morning, and then prepare it in Photoshop before sending it out and posting it on my website.

Here’s an example of “Good Morning from Noordhoek“.

The above gallery offers me the possibility to feature all 30 or 31 Noordhoek Greetings… which I will do – time-permitting!

Video Dimensions

Once again, video dimensions and aspect ratios are becoming an issue for me in the editing process on Adobe Premiere Pro… and I am searching for solutions.

Here’s an original image in 1600 x 900 px (16:9) – in fact, for the first time I am not working in frame aspect ratio 3 : 4 but 16 : 9 ! Therefor, all images of the movie have been edited in that aspect ratio (original size attached) to prepare for optimal HD format – at least so I thought:

Video Dimensions

I set the video dimensions to 720p (aspect 1280 x 720 = 16 x 9) – but this is the ‘excerpt’ I get (measured dimension 1298 x 730) – yet significantly cut-off on all sides:

In some pictures – like close-ups – I have no problems…

In others like this one with a carefully designed logo – it really matters. And besides… it’s something I need to understand and know … even without being a numbers’ person.

But it gets even better… I copied/pasted the whole movie (pictures and music) to a new sequence after changing the settings to 1080 (instead of 720… )… and ticking that Default issue in General Settings as was suggested in a forum and related to in yesterday’s post. Perhaps, now I have to untick it again… but one really starts stopping to tick with all these ratios and dimensions none of which giving the desired results. Of course, knowing would help – so perhaps someone out there ‘knows’?

First, however, I noticed that I lost all transitions and video effects within the copy/paste process (… not cool at all!…yet eventually solved by switching between the sequences from the timeline and nowhere else) … and then: while I now see the entire image, it has a rather large black frame (within the set frame) which I find is totally unnecessary IF my thought in terms of the chosen video dimension is correct. Which may well not be the case…but which one is?

As so much work is involved and I already assume that I would have to redo all video effects and transitions, I will ahve to find the answers before continuing. How to do it the right way from the start, and with slides and images in 1600 x 900.

This SHOULD be possible – or?

Pixel Aspect Ratio

Studying the pixel aspect ratio HERE does help, yet as you will see… these are different dimensions again: “Footage has a 1440 x 1080 or 960 x 720 frame size, and the desired result is a 16:9 frame aspect ratio.”

When reducing my original image to 1440, I get  811 height (instead of 900) – which may be part of the error… but WHY? And HOW?

Duuuuhhh…

Time to get some air in the garden… this is getting a bit mucho… but the good news is: sooner or later, it will be resolved!

Experimenting with Photoshop Filters

While there’s nothing better than a good picture or photo to start out with, we should regularly be experimenting with Photoshop Filters and Tools to know what they do and to see the effects we can achieve. It’s just like playing the piano every day… so here’s my original lavender and acacia photo with just a little reflecting frame added as I like to do :)

Experimenting with Photoshop Filters

When experimenting with Photoshop Filters and observing sometimes astonishing results, we do this for the following objectives:

1. To understand what these filters can do.

2. To know which effects can be achieved how, meaning to learn Experimenting with Photoshop Filters.

3. To be able to apply the desired effects if and when we need them.

4. To possibly find a style we like and build our visual reputation and recognition value on.

We can either change a picture very clearly and openly into something different, abstract and possibly more interesting than what we started off with – or we apply a certain effect in a very reduced and subtle way to enhance our photo, giving it a touch that just makes it different and stand out from the rest.

A number of these effects remind me of some big Masters in Art History… it’s sometimes what they built their whole oeuvre on: a specific effect. What was unique and hard labour at the time, can now be achieved with our brilliant tools in Photoshop and/or other programs, some of them developed for imitating certain masters, think of Pissaro with all those little ‘dots’ or Andy Warhol – to name a more modern one.

Lavender and Acacia Photo

For today’s exercise, I selected a lavender and acacia photo I shot a few weeks ago when both were in full flower in my garden in Noordhoek, South Africa. As I was born in Namibia, I love acacias… and I love to combine them with palms, which always reminds me of ‘home’. The fragrance of lavender and acacia combined is incredible… no wonder all the bees of the area hang out in my garden and have a feast!

And here a very reduced and delicate one… one of my favorites…

Brave Green Kids Book Launch

Parenting today… and how to bring up children to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world – this is the topic of  “Brave Green Kids”, the first book written by Judy Sole and presented at yesterday’s Book Launch at the “Crowned Eagle” of Monkey Valley Resort. A golden sunset marked the event and the leader of the Green Party of South Africa asked for moments of silence to mentally embrace the world with one’s wish for peace and compassion while the sun dipped into the Atlantic Ocean and… disappeared.

Brave Green Kids Book Launch

While the “Brave Green Kids” Book Launch was directed at environmentally conscious people and especially parents… the only kid around was the young girl you see on my photo here.

She sat all by herself looking at the distant horizon, her gaze swimming above the adult buzz around her. The pure and yet knowing expression on her face that I have seen in so many children today, and her sweet smile when our eyes briefly met, seemed to represent each child today that’s facing an undefined future. And yet – besides this being the challenge of the young generation… couldn’t it just be the promise as well…? A future to which only the younger generations hold the key – and this with the help of the Universe?

Time to trust that any change can happen if we are ready to embrace it.

Website Development

The website development for Monkey Valley Resort is constantly advancing. I added a category “Photos” where we can add photos following specific events, where guests and visitors can see what’s up at Monkey Valley Resort; I invite you to go there and have a look at some photo impressions I took at the event yesterday. Unfortunately there was almost no light during the talk itself, so no ways to capture it with my digital camera.

I designed all photos to fit into a 800×600 px format, but have a little coding problem to solve – therefore the pictures are currently visible in a smaller size (6o%). Yet – here they are, straight after the event and inviting you to visit Monkey Valley Resort. By the way: kids are most welcome and you can watch over them while they have ample room to play, swim and run!

Visit Thorfynn’s Restaurant

Why not visit Thorfynn’s Restaurant for a delicious Sunday roast with Life music?

Good Evening from Noordhoek

Good Evening from Noordhoek is an inspiring greeting showing Life in a Day, each day, in Noordhoek, South Africa.

Good Evening from Noordhoek

It has been a rather dark and rainy day with sudden gusts of sunshine inbetween – but not at times where I could just dash out and capture them! Therefore, I am sending you a “Good Evening from Noordhoek” today with my NIKON Coolpix P90 fully zoomed out towards the distant horizon above the Atlantic Ocean, where a huge cargo ship ploughed away through calm waters glittering in the evening sun towards the safe harbour of the Mother City Cape Town.

I just came back from town driving down Silvermine Road as the incredible colours struck me: the exact dark greys and a little yellow you see here.

Seeing these ships pass around the Cape of Good Hope and parading past Noordhoek is very typical and a comforting and peaceful picture I grew up with as a child… and that’s what I wish you: a peaceful and relaxed evening wherever you are!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek is an inspiring greeting showing Life in a Day, each day, in Noordhoek, South Africa!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

My chances of taking a sexy “Good Morning from Noordhoek” Photo didn’t look that promising today as the sky was dark and dripping. However, as I had to go out anyway, I grabbed my digital camera… and came across the most amazing – and amusing – items right down the road at the Noordhoek Farmhouse Village! So here’s today’s Go Green Greeting for you – and you understand why I’m always sending you flowers: it seems endemic to our region!

As you may notice, I slightly changed the branded pagecurl as the distorsion on the car just didn’t look good, however, here’s a good compromise I think!

Noordhoek is always full of surprises and as I am looking into renewable energies right now for a totally different project,  this rare find just made my day! I will be on the lookout for the solar panelled RR or a Harley on wind turbines – whatever our multi-talented rainbow people may come up with! For sure worth a chuckle and a smile!

Have a brilliant day!

Good Evening from Noordhoek

Good Evening from Noordhoek is an inspiring greeting showing Life in a Day, each day, in Noordhoek, South Africa… and as it rained heavily here this morning and the digital photos I did take for “Good morning from Noordhoek” didn’t satisfy me – especially as I could not evade the streaming rain drops of course – I shot this photo as the sun had just broken through the dark clouds … reflecting like flaming candles in the strelitzia reginae.

Good Evening from Noordhoek

As spring slowly turns into summer and the evenings become longer… and with Noordhoek being famous for its dramatic sunsets attracting people from all over to just silently sit and watch, walk their dogs, have a quick gallop, meditate on the warm rocks or simply have drinks on the beach or on famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, “Good Evening from Noordhoek” gives me the possibility to add these sometimes smashing impressions for your delight!

Here’s wishing you all a great Saturday!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek is an inspiring greeting showing Life in a Day, each day, in Noordhoek, South Africa!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Today seems to be a little on the edge, without a clear decision… sunny or overcast? In any case, it’s warm and beautiful here in Noordhoek, South Africa – although there are already first signs of the heat and occasional strong Southeasterly winds ripping the clouds of yellow blossoms of my huge acacias apart and painting shades of golden brown…

The fragrance is intoxicating… bringing up memories of one of my favourite books by Emile Zola… when I was a student in Paris…

Although I went for the huge and stunning “Cup of Gold” – I was suddenly surprised by a tortoise, pushing its way fast and furiously through the groundcover! Down on my knees and here’s what I could capture as my “Good Morning from Noordhoek” picture for you today! Inquisitive, not at all intimidated – and clearly focused on something much more important!

The little bugger wouldn’t stop… so let this be a sign for getting things done and enjoying a terrific journey today!

Make it a great day!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek – an inspiring greeting showing Life in a Day, each day, in Noordhoek, South Africa… and wishing to put a smile on your face and see the world positive!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Heavy storms this night and even now, as I went out into my garden in Noordhoek, South Africa, to capture the picture for “Good Morning in Noordhoek” the wind was still howling and enveloping Chapman’s Peak in dark and dreary clouds! Nevertheless… my orange pincushions stand up fiercely against the dark sky bringing the promise of sunshine…and yet another beautiful day!

Wishing you a splendid week!

UCT Dinner 2011 Video

When Darren Byrne, dynamic Manager of Thorfynn’s Restaurant at Monkey Valley Resort, Noordhoek, South Africa, invited me up to the “Crowned Eagle” to show me all the preparations for the UCT Dinner 2011 that was to start just a few minutes later, I was so impressed by the way he and his Team had transformed the renowned retreat into a fantastic venue for an event, that I spontaneously grabbed the moment and captured some impressions with my simple NIKON Coolpix P90…

It had been a splendid day with a spectacular sunset… and if you didn’t see the digital photos I took go to my post from this morning HERE… which were followed by some video clips that I promised to edit into a little video and publish on YouTube.

There’s nothing like some LIVE memories like that…  even though I only had an hour which covered only the starters… I didn’t even get to the main course… and I don’t know what else I missed? Will have to rely on the grape vine for that :)

UCT Dinner 2011 Video

Here’s to the cool boys and gals who attended yesterday’s Fun event : the promised UCT Dinner 2011 Video!

Hope you enjoy it!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek – bringing you Joy and a Smile every day!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Shooting my “Good morning from Noordhoek” photo today was an instant reflex as I saw the little female peeping down at me from her nest just 50 cm from our terrace wall – she actually looks right at us and we at her :) After accompanying the exciting journey of the little sunbird born on the opposite side… hidden in the shadows… now we have new joy in this huge strelitzia that has always attracted so many birds and in particular the emerald sunbirds.

I have been blessed to capture so many endearing moments that I want to share with you one day! Being grounded and breathing in Nature’s glory and energy just keeps us all going through murky times… which must also be seen as times for growth, change and trust in the unknown.

Photo Gift

I’ve been asked by some friends in Noordhoek (and elsewhere)  if they may share the photos… and my answer is YES! With plasure! To whoever you want to pass on this Photo Gift: you are most welcome! Just do it! It comes from the heart and carries no other energy.

Have a splendid day and to our Canadians: Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek… with the first rays of a glorious sun gently touching Chapman’s Peak and gliding down the slopes of the majestic mountain… my garden still enveloped in shadows and awakening! May this be the promise of yet another day filled with joy and laughter for you!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

This very early “Good Morning from Noordhoek” greeting was taken when I did some sound recordings in my garden capturing the spectacular concerto of birds, hadidas, Egyptian geese, a crow, guinea fowel, jubilant roosters, even a wild peacock and more… besides a very loud surf reverberating all the way up the mountain from the Atlantic Ocean.

Yet the sea was calm… and it still is as I write these lines.

Here’s to a splendid Saturday … and wishing our Canadian friends “Happy Thanksgiving”! In a way, my daily little cheer message is jsut that: a daily Thanksgiving!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek right from the top – wishing you all a splendid day and the perfect joy of being!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Skies are blue and the vision is perfect! The garden exploding in spectacular colors – an absolute joy of living and sharing all over!

Wishing everybody an extraordinary day – Good Morning from Noordhoek!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek will try to bring you one photo a day from Noordhoek, South Africa!

Good Morning from Noordhoek

Good Morning from Noordhoek is a n inspired greeting to the world – right from the tip of sunny South Africa. It’s a beginning, an experiment…. a sort of joyful  “Life in a Day” series taken with my NIKON Coolpix P90.

Spring in South Africa

Right now it’s spring in Cape Town, South Africa – the garden is in full flower and this frantically busy little chap is building a sophisticated nest right next to me on the terrace… too beautiful!

I encourage anyone who’s also passionate about their environment to share their personal view with the world!

Enjoy!

Seagull with Fish Photo

To add to our digital photo collection featuring birds from all over the world, here’s a Seagull with Fish Photo I shot yesterday when enjoying “Fish & Chips” myself in picturesque Kalk Bay Harbour. This is a detail showing the bloody bits on her beak…

Seagull with Fish Photo

This is the view of the Seagull with Fish Photo as a whole… shot with my simple NIKON Coolpix P90…

… and while she’s looking carefully at me, not too sure whether I was after her or the fish head, she ferociously defends her prey against other feathery intruders – and while there is a tiny bit of a blur on the lower part of the beak due to the screaming movement, it’s a much more dramatic… in other words: ‘talking’ picture: “Don’t touch my food!”

More on my Kalk Bay hangout on a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon to follow!

Dietes Bicolor Flower Photo

Photographed in the early morning hours in my garden in Noordhoek, South Africa, this white Dietes Bicolor Flower Photo came to me like a tender morning kiss!

Dietes Bicolor Flower Photo

On the above Dietes Bicolor Flower Photo – which is rather a white blossom unfolding with many tiny droplets covering the fine white flower petals like an acqueous network that fashion designers would dream of as an exquisite material – just think of wedding gowns – it was this fine texture that fascinated me as it was giving the flower an absolutely magic texture.

Today, with the sun up already, the same dietes bicolor is a light yellow and standing strong on its long stem turned into the full sun. No good time to take a picture…

Best WP Photo Blog Theme

If you wonder how to present your photos online in a personalized way (without building content for social networks) and in an optimized way – meaning that you can gain visibility on search engines like Google, then I recommend the Best WP Photo Blog Theme as I set up recently HERE, just as an example.

As mentioned earlier, my pictures are resized to small formats and reduced in weight for faster loading times. The best originals will be available as Stock Photography in due time. It’s mainly a matter of loading time, as my connections here are so pathetically slow now that it even takes many attempts covering often as much as 5 minutes with many time outs and spinning browsers to upload a simple under 100 kb photo as the one I am showing here on my blog.