So if you’ve been putting off photographing it or riding on it, now is the time.

For details of operating hours and ticket prices, visit capewheel.co.za.

Thanks to Paul of the Cape Town Daily Photo photoblog for the reminder.

A number of prints were evaluated by Sean, Rosie (the first-timer) and Antenie – they are thanked for giving reasons for their various comments … this is the only way that we can experience another angle on our photographs. 

Paddy gave a short report on the outing to De Doorns, which apparently was looking its best.  At next month’s meeting Steve will show the Rally pictures, and Kobus Barnard will be ‘Getting his Feet Wet’.  That will be on July 14th – see you there!

Please keep a check on our program under the Tabs at the top of the webpage.

Steve will put up the winners in the various digital categories.

After tea we watched four educational videos on various aspects of Photoshop … always of interest, as much information covers questions we are too afraid to ask!

Our Audio Visual Meeting on 31st March will be hosting members of Hermanus Photograpic Society’s av section.  Even though you might not make audio-visuals, you are most welcome to attend these meetings, and I’m sure this one will prove to be most enjoyable.

An e-mail has been sent to everyone concerning our two outings in March, as well as other snippets regarding subs and the Cape Photographers Congress.  Please contact Nettie at nettie28@iafrica.com should you need more information.

The outing this month takes place at the Wijnland Auto Museum (entrance R50) which is situated next to the Cape Garden Centre (Exit 34 on the N1). Meet there at 9.30am and bring all your lenses, as well as a hat and a bottle of water!

With reference to the Rally which was to have taken place on Sat. 13th March  - please note that it has been moved to Saturday 27th March – meet at the parking area of the Taal Monument in Paarl at 9.30am.  Everyone will receive a list of clues/subjects to photograph (only one image per clue allowed!).  We are hoping to receive ‘throw-away’ cameras (with film and a certain number of pics), but please bring your normal camera anyway.

Another outing planned, for next  month, is the ‘Cape Carnival’ outing on Saturday 20th March – meet at the Adderley Street entrance to the Company Gardens (next to St. George’s Cathedral) at 2.30pm.

Our normal audio-visual evening will be held on Wed. 24th February – everyone is welcome.

The judges for the evening – Mary, Andre, Frank and Gail – had prints, slides and over 100 digital imgages to judge!  They moved it along at a good pace – results will be posted separately by Steve.

After tea, Roger Lee gave us a very well thought-out talk on the basics of understanding the technology of digital cameras – we thank him for being willing to give us this lecture, which, I am sure, helped many of us understand things we are too scared to ask!

Next month’s competition set subject is ‘Urban Decay’ … so let’s get clicking!

I’m sure that some of our members will be interested in attending, and photographing at this event.

The Franschhoek Motor Museum will host the FMM Concours and Time Trial, a glamorous celebration of classic cars, on the L’Ormarins wine farm on 27 & 28 February 2010. Showcasing the most coveted cars, all produced between 1900 and 1980, it’s a not-to-be-missed event on the social and motoring calendar.

Franschhoek Motor Museum: Concours & Time Trials

‘OLD CARS’ (Wijnland Auto Museum) next to the Cape Garden Centre on the N1 on the way to Paarl – take Exit 34.  Meet there at 9.30 am on Saturday 27th February.  R50 entrance fee payable at the museum. This is an ideal opportunity to do abstracts, graphics (set subject), macro.  Bring bottled water – it tends to get hot!

RALLY : Saturday 13th March meet at 9.30am in the parking area of the Afrikaans Taal Museum in Paarl.  Directions: once you turn off to enter Paarl (the Main Road exit) from the N1 (60kmh!), take care in looking for a road to the left (not really well signposted) which weaves through a residential area before getting to the parking area.  The rally takes the form of ‘clues’ which you have to photograph … in the good old days of slides we were allowed to make only one shot of the subject … these days, a digital camera allows you to surreptiously delete an image which you think is not successful, and take another one! But you are earnestly requested to not do this!  There is a possibility of particpants receiving a free ‘throw-away’ camera (with film!) which JJ will process – thereby allowing only one shot per subject!  You will be kept informed!

CAPE TOWN FESTIVAL/CARNIVAL takes place over the weekend of 20th March.  We plan to meet at the Adderley Street entrance to the Company Gardens, between St. George’s Cathedral and the Cultural History Museum,  at 2.30pm, on Saturday 20th March.  Remember one of our set subjects is ‘Carnival’.

Please diarise these dates!  See you there!

After tea Steve Crane gave a short talk on two aspects of Photoshop – changing digital images into Black and White; and changing a particular part of a B&W image into colour.  Links to these techniques can be found here.

Details of the outings on 23rd January (US ‘Jool’) and 30th January (Full Moon) will be sent to members by e-mail.

Next month’s set subject is ‘Candy/Sweets’ – give it a try – you’ll be amazed at how creative you can be!

From Left to Right;

And so it came to be that the fictitious board of the “Jacobsbaai Players” was established within the first few hours of us getting to know one another.  We would like to “shout out” a special, thank you to Graham, Paddy’s husband that unwittingly became our “head chef” after we tasted his “braaivleis” the very first night whilst celebrating “Heritage Day”.  Peter, we would also like to thank you for assisting and keeping our all important CEO Irmel happy.  As per usual, she went the extra mile to arrange everything with her typical German proficiency.

Most of us were quite perplexed upon viewing this monstrosity (see below) from afar as we approached Jacobsbaai and several, including “moi” thought it was an indecorous building.

This shipwreck was photographed by all, and Denver did a beautiful high definition version of this (not seen here) at sunset, a must see image.

Friday morning after breakfast, we left for Paternoster because… (read sign)

Harley Davidson from every part of South Africa conglomerated and we scattered all over town, in search of the best biker images.  Andre Du Toit’s “biker chicks” produced some of the best laughs at our “dailies” viewing that evening in the conference room.  Italian style dinner was served, compliments of Paulette and Irmel (Graham had the night off).   He had a lot on his mind after Paddy took off with the “leader of the pack”.

Thank God, it’s only Saturday and we had another day to roam the Wild West Coast.  There were 3 cars and it’s difficult, for the author here, to know what went on in each vehicles.  However it’s safe to say we all visited the same noteworthy places, because we kept running into each other.

The horses were one of our first stops and here Denver snapped this image of a lovesick horse with Andre, how can you blame the horse?

Andre also known as “bird man” led an expedition team of photographers into the salt pans.  We enjoyed, not the smell, but the bird life and proceeded to work our shutters overtime. Caroline, a dead-ringer decided that sitting on the roof of Irmel’s vehicle was just the optimum viewing pleasure and that in the bitter cold.  If there was an award for player of the day, it would have been a toss-up between her and Andre.  Who gallantly re-landscaped around the hideout at the nature reserve later that day, so a less experienced photographer, like yours truly had a better chance, at a birds eye view (no pun intended) and finally caught that all allusive pupil (image next page) Thank you, Andre.

Let’s not forget to thank sweet Paulette for being our chief of security, always making sure our cottages were locked-up and whose hands never seem to stop creating wonderful dishes to go with Peter’s entrees.  On-top of that she still had the wherewithal to create a spreadsheet and assisted our all important CEO Irmel in tallying each individuals accounting at the end of our stay.

The award for the most used name, during our three day weekend, goes to Denver. 
He always graciously answered to each and every call with his expert advice and knowledge and simultaneously took some of the best images of the weekend. 
Way to go Denver!!

Saturday night Graham made his famous “potjiekos” and it was accompanied by one of Paulette’s delicious salads.  Irmel and Peter hauled out heir projector and we had a viewing of each photographer’s personal 10 best images taken over the course of our trip.  I’m sure you’ll be seeing some of these pretty soon.

Thanks to each and everyone for making this a most memorable weekend.