10 Underwater Photography Tips

Posted in South Africa, South African Photography, South African Travel on 07/10/2011 08:50 pm by Jerrib

Ten photo tips to help turn your underwater images from snapshots into works of art.

1. Swim like a fish

To be a good underwater photographer, you need to be a good diver. The underwater environment is often unforgiving and excellent buoyancy control is essential. It allows you to get into better positions faster, minimise camera shake and not disturb the surrounding marine life while shooting.

2. Know before you go

Be familiar with what your camera is capable of and how to access these functions quickly. Spend a couple of dives experimenting with different settings.

3. What to look for

Get to know what your subject does, where it lives, what it feeds on, its mating behaviour, defence techniques and symbiotic relationships. This information is critical to fi nding different creatures and being able to highlight their characteristics for the viewer.

4. Stay shallow

As divers, we understand that light is absorbed as it fi lters down through the water column. The colours of the light spectrum, ROYGBIV, are absorbed unequally, with red disappearing fi rst at a depth of about 10 metres. Staying shallow results in more colourful pictures and allows you longer dive time.

5. Going deeper

Using a built-in flash, external strobe, white-balance or a colour correction filter compensates for this loss of colour. A strobe allows higher shutter speeds, which is crucial to photographing fast-moving fish.

6. Get in close

Even artificial light gets absorbed, so move in as close as you can to your subject. This also reduces backscatter or ‘spots’ on the image, created by light reflecting off tiny particles in the water. The subject should fill the frame for greater visual impact.

7. Background

Be attentive to the background to make the subject stand out. Negative space (anything other than the subject) can be just as important in an image as the subject.

8. Use the sun

When shooting without an external light, position the sun behind you to illuminate the subject. Alternatively, if you want to create a silhouette shot, have the sun behind the subject.

9. All in the eyes

The subject’s eyes should always be in focus. This engages the viewer’s attention and creates an interaction. Ideally, the subject should be positioned so there’s still space for it to move into the frame. The face is more important than the tail.

10. Angles

Always look for the best angle of view. As a general rule: never shoot down. Try to shoot at the same level or upward. You could move around your subject to get different perspectives.

Photo courtesy of Jean Tresfon.

 

Rooibos-smoked Ostrich Carpaccio

Posted in South Africa, South African Food on 06/10/2011 03:11 pm by Jerrib
This sounded just way to good not to share
 
 

This carpaccio is not your run-of-the-mill starter – it’s one to make if you seriously want to impress your guests.

Serves 6

You’ll need:

  • 500 g ostrich fillet
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 3 bay leaves, finely chopped
  • Bunch of fresh coriander, freshly chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
  • Coarse black pepper
  • 100 ml loose rooibos tea
  • 1 ½ tbs brown sugar
  • Half a cup of rice

In a large oven tray, mix together the herbs, garlic and black pepper. Cut the fillet into strips about 10 cm thick. Roll each piece in the herb mixture and then roll tightly in plastic wrap to form a fat cigar shape. Put them in the fridge for a minimum of eight hours or overnight. Unwrap the fillets and scrape off the herbs and pepper. Line the base of a large saucepan with foil and sprinkle over tea, sugar and half a cup of uncooked rice. Heat at a high temperature. When the mixture starts smoking, place the fillets on a round cooling rack and position it over the saucepan. Cover with a lid and take the pan off the heat. Let it stand for three to five minutes, remove the fillets and allow to cool.

 

Cecil’s Lamb Sosaties

Posted in South African Food on 04/26/2011 04:25 pm by jebs

CECIL’S LAMB SOSATIES (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients

500g boned leg of lamb, cut into 2.5cm cubes

75 g of mutton fat (optional – keeps meat moist and adds flavour at cooking stage)

3 tablespoons of smooth apricot jam

15 ml wine vinegar

2 large onions, both sliced into broad rings

50ml olive or cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

125g dried apricots

One green pepper cut into approx 2.5cm squares

1 Tbsp curry powder (mild korma to hot madras – the choice is yours)

1 tsp turmeric

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 crushed bay leaves

½ Tbsp salt

½ tsp of pepper

a knob of butter

Wooden or bamboo skewers

 

Method

Heat the oil in a frying-pan and saute the onion rings (and green pepper blocks, if using) until very lightly cooked – make sure the onion rings remain intact. Drain them on absorbent paper.

Combine the apricot jam, vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder in a ceramic or glass bowl and add the onion rings (and green pepper, if using).

Add the meat and fat to the mixture and marinate for 24 hours in the fridge, stirring 2 or 3 times.

If the apricots are not soft, soak them in a little water until plump.  You might also want to soak the skewers so that the exposed ends do not burn to charcoal during the cooking process!

When you are ready to cook, thread the cubes of meat, apricots, mutton fat and onion rings onto the skewers.

Pour the marinade into a saucepan, bring to the boil and keep warm to serve with the sosaties.

The sosaties should ideally be braaied (barbacued) over hot coals for about 10 minutes, turning frequently.  Alternatively, you can grill them in the oven under a very hot grill, again turning frequently and basting as necessary.

 

Braai Time- Tomato Breidie and Krummelpap

Posted in South African Food, Uncategorized on 04/26/2011 04:18 pm by jebs

Seeing as it’s “summer”, here is a recipe that will make your tastebuds water for a good old home braai :)

Ingredients 1 tbsp Oil 3 Onions, chopped 3 Tomatoes, chopped 240ml/8fl.oz.Tomato Sauce 120ml/4fl.oz. Water 5 tbsp Vinegar 5 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 2 tbsp Sugar ½ teasp dry Mustard Powder Salt and Pepper 1 teasp Cornflour

Method 1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions and tomatoes and sauté gently until softened.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to form a paste then add to the saucepan and continue to cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Serve as a sauce with meats, fish or pap.

Ingredients (to serve 6) 750 ml water 2 tsp. salt 1 kg fine white corn meal, in place of maize meal

Method Bring water to boil. Pour meal into centre of water to form a pile, add salt, but do not stir. Reduce heat by removing from stove. Put lid on and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with fork or wooden spoon until pap is fine-grained and crumbly. Replace lid and let simmer for 45 minutes until done. If you prefer something firmer, try this recipe for stywepap (translated from the Afrikaans version on funkymunky):

Ingredients (to serve 4-6) 1 litre water (4 cups) 5ml salt (1tspl) 500ml Maize meal or cornmeal (2 cups or 320g)

Method Use a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring the salted water to the boil. Add the maize meal. Stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon and close the pot lid. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 125ml (1/2 cup) cold water to the pap. Simmer over a low heat for a further 30 minutes before serving.

Source: cooksister.com

 

New Music in store

Posted in South Africa, South African Music on 04/26/2011 04:08 pm by jebs

So, there has been an explosion in SA of awesome music, and you’ll be glad to hear that some of it is arriving in the Jabula store soon. Music from the likes of :

Jack Parow

 

Jax Panik

 

Freshly Ground and thier new album

The ever popular Die Antwoord

and Goldfish, who i have mentioned before, many many times. Happy listening and I hope you enjoy.

 

The new Goldfish Single [Video]

Posted in South Africa, South African Film, South African Music on 04/26/2011 03:25 pm by jebs

For those of you who haven’t heard of the fantastic Goldfish- i bring you the latest video from the Cape Town duo. This really really puts me in my happy place :) The intro is a bit long, but well worth the wait through it. Enjoy

 

 

South Africa to host the largest golf purse in the world

Posted in South African Sport, Uncategorized on 04/26/2011 03:18 pm by jebs

This is quite interesting news and honestly was bound to happen at some point.

The largest winning purse in modern golf is going to be competed for right here in Sunny SA.

Here’s a bit of info:

The Sunshine Tour will make leading golfers choose between the world’s richest tournament in South Africa and Tiger Woods’ charity event in California from next year.

A new $10 million World Golf Championships event to be hosted by the tour was heralded by Sunshine commissioner Gareth Tindall on Tuesday as the launch of “a world tour” and “the most significant thing that has happened to South African golf in its history.”

Tindall, emboldened by Charl Schwartzel’s Masters victory on the 50th anniversary of Gary Player’s first green jacket, said the Tournament of Hope underlined the shift in player power away from the United States.

“The significance of what we’ve done is potential, and the U.S. tour might slag me for this, but essentially we are starting the world tour,” Tindall said. “It’s been a matter of time.

“I think what we’ve done could potentially create the impetus to start a world tour because Australia are certainly going to do what we’ve done, and Europe are going to have to do what we’ve done.”

The date and venue for the new WGC event — just the second outside the U.S. after Shanghai’s HSBC Champions — had not been finalized, Tindall said, but organizers were looking at the first week of December.

Source: sarocks.co.za

 

Hello Bloggers :)

Posted in Uncategorized on 04/26/2011 03:17 pm by jebs

Hello Blog Readers

So after a super long extended leave of absence I am back, and funnily enough living in Ireland :) So before i start a rant about how cold it is (even though i’ve been promised that this is summer) i’ll get down to giving you all some long awaited news from home.

 

Meteor in Gauteng

Posted in South Africa, South African Events on 11/26/2009 05:28 am by jebs

 

Johannesburg and Pretoria residents have come forward, claiming they spotted a meteor in the skies on Saturday night.

People in Gauteng saw the bright light at around 11pm on Saturday night, heading towards the north of Pretoria.

“We saw this big green ball of fire. it kind of came out of the sky, out of the blue,” one resident said.

“There was sudden flash. Like an orange stripe in the sky, followed by a very bright explosion where the sky lit up as if it was daytime,” another explained.

Astronomers and scientists are still trying to find out where the meteor landed.

 

Ronnie McKenzie collects meteorites and said something like this is very rare.

“I would say it probably happens around two or three times a year around the world,” he said.

 

Goldfish- Fort Knox

Posted in South Africa, South African Music on 11/23/2009 07:34 am by jebs

Well well well, yet anothers superbly talented South African band- just how blessed is this country- This video was created by the incredibly talented Mike Scott. Yehhhhaaaa- if this doesn’t get you off your chair- the well i give up- happy booty shakin

Another rocking production by Goldfish and colab with Mike. Fantastic work.

 

 

 

 
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