Derek... Not creative, huh?

Derek, a lover of all things living in the sky, raised a eyebrow or two when my trusty bottle of bubbles appeared during Sunday's class.

He soon learned just how challenging it can be, taking photos of moving objects. Motion blur and stopping motion was the focus of this class, a useful lesson for Derek's future in bird photography.

 His claims of not being very creative were also quickly disproved, as he came out with a few interesting shots.

The principle behind motion is very simple - Use a faster shutter speed to 'stop' motion - like the photo of Derek's son - the flying ninja. If you want some motion blur in your shot, use a slower shutter speed, but make sure that at least a part of the subject of your photo is still in focus.

Shooting in manual does take some practice, and patience as you learn how to set your camera correctly. A great way to keep tack of which settings work for a certain situation is to keep a notebook in your camera bag, jotting down shutter speeds and apertures that work.

Happy snapping everyone!

Geoff gets serious with his camera

Geoff Havenga was surprised by his wife, Cheryl with a photography class last Saturday.

Not very familiar with all of the buttons on his camera, we spent some time going through the different settings before joining Midnight the cat out in the garden. 

With Autumn in the air, there was no shortage of inspiration. From the different shades of red and orange to the old VW beetle parked in the bottom of the garden, Geoff wasted no time in getting in all sorts of strange positions to snap that perfect shot.

The highlight of the class was definitely Geoff running around, chasing bubbles around the garden. While the exercise did serve as an important lesson, it turned out to be a lot of fun too.

Here are a few of Geoff's pictures, as well as a few of my own. Can you tell the difference?

Wildlife photography 101

Wildlife photography doesn't come without it's challenges. Many times I've sworn under my breath, "mother nature is not co-operating!".

Patience is key, and it's not easy when the hot African sun is beating down on you and there's not an animal in sight. And when you do spot an animal, its either too far away, hiding behind a bush, or it magically disappears the second you bring your camera up, ready to snap that perfect shot.

Taking great photos of animals in their natural habitat takes a lot of time and effort, and often it's by pure chance that you capture that special moment.

A great place to practice your wildlife photography is a wildlife rehabilitation centre. These pics were snapped at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Hoedspruit.

You might argue that the animals are in captivity, and that it's not really same. And well, it's not. You have to battle the fences with your lens before hitting that shutter button, and the fences alone can cause havoc with your focus. 

But don't be fooled into thinking that the animals here are any less wild than the ones you'd find in the Kruger Park (this isn't a zoo) and, they are just as beautiful. By visiting centres like this one, not only are you making a contribution to conservation, but you are also getting a rare opportunity to see these animals up close.

Before visiting a rehabilitation centre, do your research. Not all rehabilitation centres are what they claim to be.

This is a great way to practice, especially when it comes to close ups of the animals and their facial expressions. For more info on Moholoholo, click here: http://www.moholoholo.co.za/

Where to go... What to do?

In need of inspiration? Got cabin fever? Grab your camera, some water, and maybe a friend and hit the road... Jo'burg is full of interesting places and people, you just have to know where to look.

I snapped these pics one afternoon after a random trip out into the big city led us to Constitution Hill. Apart from the spectacular 180 degree views, the court house, women's jail and fort provide a number of very different photo opportunities.

Who knows, you may even learn a thing or two about our history while you're there!