Tag Archives: Hogsback

Starry nights at Hogsback

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We’ve been staying in Helen’s house at Wild Fox Hill, Hogsback, this past week. There’s been her three dogs and four cats to look after whilst she’s in Sweden visiting Jeannie. We’ve also taken care of her Eco-Cabin and the Air BnB guests. I’ve brought along my Olympus OMD I mark 2 along with the big M-Zuiko 7-14 mm wide angle lens hoping to get some good night shots and Hogsback hasn’t disappointed!

Wild Fox Hill, Hogsback, Astrophotography, Eastern Cape

Wild Fox Hill Eco-Cabin, Hogsback

Here’s a picture of the Eco-Cabin taken on our first night. There was a very small new moon, no light pollution and no wind – so ideal conditions for night photography. If you’re familiar with southern hemisphere stars you’ll recognise the two pointers and Southern Cross – the picture’s taken looking almost due south. This second picture was taken looking vertically upwards to capture the full extent of the Milky Way. The two pointers and Southern Cross are now at the right hand end of the Milky Way. Mars is very clear to the left of the Milky Way and Jupiter is up at the top right.

Hogsback, Eastern Cape, Astrophotography

Milky Way, Mars and Jupiter over Wild Fox Hill, Hogsback

In this last picture the crescent new moon was shining behind me so there’s a blue tint to the sky. It’s the first time I’ve managed to successfully merge two wide angle lens images together to make a vertical panorama. I really like the effect of the Milky Way arching across the sky above the Hogsback mountains.

Wild Fox Hill, Hogsback, Eastern Cape, Astrophotography

Wild Fox Hill, Hogsback, Under the Milky Way

That’s Mars in the centre of the picture. I was lucky to have some of the foreground lit up by a car’s headlights on Winding Lane. When we get back to Grahamstown I will upload these images into my on-line store – they’ll make a nice addition to the Hogsback Series.

Into the Dream Forest at #NAF18

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Forests are hard to photograph. They’ve got all the light and shade, shapes and textures you could want – but trying to get that in a picture and capture the feel of a forest is another story. On Christmas Day last year I took a very wet and slippery walk to Hogsback’s Big Tree. On the way down I paused and took a misty shot looking back up the pathway. That’s the picture which led to this set of six images that will be in my #NAF18 exhibition ‘Metamorphosis’. They’re the Dream Forest series. I realised that if I used a Fine Art Filter in post processing then I could give the misty wetness a dreamlike, evanescent quality.

Dream Forest 1, Hogsback
Dream Forest 2, Hogsback
Dream Forest 3, Hogsback
Dream Forest 4, Hogsback
Big Tree Pathway, Hogsback
Dream Forest Reprise, Hogsback

The picture I’d set out for was of an individual tree – The Big Tree. It towers high over your head and it has got a massive girth. These three wide angle lens pictures of individual Hogsback trees are taken from ground level and that gives them a different quality and scale to the Dream Forest pictures.

The Big Tree, Hogsback
Arboretum Redwood, Hogsback
Twining Trees, Hogsback

All of these pictures, and more, will be in sale at the Johan Carinus Art Centre, Grahamstown throughout the National Arts Festival from June 28 to July 8.

The Hogsback Series: viewing at Wild Fox Hill Eco-Cabin

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This last weekend we hung 14 of the pictures from my Hogsback Series at the Wild Fox Hill Eco-Cabin.  You can see the full series of 17 images (with prices and full descriptions) beneath the slideshow. They are printed on brushed aluminium Dibond by Orms Print Room which gives them great impact. At the end of June they’ll move down to Grahamstown for the duration of the National Arts Festival 2018 where they’ll be showcased in my exhibition ‘Metamorphosis’ at the Johan Carinus Art Centre.  Contact roddyfox@mac.com if you are interested in buying (the prices here don’t include postage) or come and enjoy them during your stay at the cabin (it’s on Airbnb) whilst you are in Hogsback.

Hogsback Landscapes
Hogsback Trees
39 Steps Waterfall
Star Trails over Wild Fox Hill
SwallowTail Falls
The Military Path

 

Madonna and Child Waterfall (297 x 420 mm) R1250

Madonna and Child

39 Steps Waterfall (400 x 400 mm) R1500

39 Steps Waterfall

Swallow Tail Falls (297 x 420 mm) R1250

SwallowTail Falls

The Big Tree (297 x 420 mm) R1250

The Big Tree

Redwood Trees (297 x 420 mm) R1250

Redwoods

Twining Trees (297 x 420 mm) R1250

Twining Trees

Misty Morning View (297 x 420 mm) R1250

Misty Morning View

The Military Path (297 x 420 mm) R1250

The Military Path

Dawn Light over Hogsback (400 x 400 mm) R1500

Dawn Light

Star Trails over Wild Fox Hill (400 x 400 mm) R1500

Star Trails over Wild Fox Hill

Moonrise over the Three Hogs (420 x 297) R1250

Moonrise over the Three Hogs

Tor Doone in the Mist (420 x 297 mm) R1250

Tor Doone in the Mist

Red Hot Pokers (420 x 297 mm) R1250

Red Hot Pokers

Three Hogs and Three Dogs (420 x 297 mm) R1250

Three Hogs and Three Dogs

Dream Forest (420 x 297 mm) R1250

Dream Forest

Misty Road (420 x 297 mm) R1250

Misty Road

Elandsberg Panorama (1000 x 374 mm) R3500

Elandsberg Panorama

 

Trees – a picture and two poems

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We will be missing two Poetry at Reddits occasions whilst we are away in Sweden: my contributions are here though.  There are two of WS Merwin’s poems and one of my pictures of Hogback’s trees.  All inspired by Beth Moon’s special book Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time – thank you Kate for the wonderful gift.

Twining Trees at Hogsback

Trees

I am looking at trees

they may be one of the things I will miss

most from the earth

though many of the ones I have seen

already I cannot remember

and though I seldom embrace the ones I see

and have never been able to speak

with one

I listen to them tenderly

their names have never touched them

they have stood round my sleep

and when it was forbidden to climb them

they have carried me in their branches

 

The picture I’ve chosen also reminds me of another of his poems, I think because of the way the trees twine around each other.

 

Separation

Your absence has gone through me

Like thread through a needle.

Everything I do is stitched with its color.

 

Looking forward to our next Reddits in October!

Landscape and family pictures: Hogsback weekend

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Last weekend’s trip to Hogsback was a good time for photography: the light was excellent, landscape compositions were everywhere and, of course, there’s my daughters and grandchildren.  I’ve already posted my antique picture panorama but here’s a selection of the other pictures I took.

This composition was right outside Helen’s house: the building poles were stacked above the fire pit with Tor Doone looming behind them.  I couldn’t resist taking another, with completely different clouds, the following morning when we set off for one of our walks.

Family walks with small children and an even smaller puppy can be slow affairs.  Here’s Helen holding hands with Luke and her new puppy, Rain, trotting along beside them  This was taken in poor light with my telephoto lens looking down the long hill beside Helen’s house.  The next day we had another walk – to Luke’s ‘Niagara’ waterfall – and here is Sophie being carried in her backpack by Jeannie.

RFOX1055 - Version 2 - 2015-06-14 at 12-22-17

Helen gave me a great guided tour around the property before we left for a Sunday meal: she ended it by showing me where she plans to build the new main house.  Driving home to Grahamstown on Sunday the light was lovely and the clouds were dramatic so I stopped at the Pluto’s Vale turnoff to take some last pictures before sunset.

Hogsback panorama, antique painting?

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Last weekend was spent at my daughter Helen’s place high in the Hogback mountains.  On Saturday evening we took the three dogs and Jeannie with the two little grandchildren up the hill for a sunset walk. It was quite a dark scene with soft light playing on the clouds above the mountains.

RFOX991-997 - 2015-06-13 at 17-30-01

The light and composition reminded me of a nineteenth century colonial painting.  I took seven images to piece together. This evening, once the power outage was over, I corrected them for brightness and then stitched them into one scene using Double Take.  Then I imported the panorama into Aperture and removed blemishes (dirt on the lens) before exporting it again and finally importing it into FX Photo Studio Pro.  The last step was to mask the photo with the ancient canvas filter and add a suitable frame so as to give the picture the antique feel I had experienced on the hillside.  You can see the result above.