#539. The Monday Post (19 December 2016)

Not bad is it? The Monday Post (MP) that is.

Recent research has shown that most would-be bloggers give up at post no. 4. Admittedly, there are three of us here at DearSusan, but MP is already on post no. 4, so I’m signing-off on a round of pats-on-the back to all of us.

Actually, I like my co-bloggers a lot and if they weren’t in the back end of the Universe (instead of down here on the Southern Tip), I’d certainly be standing them several glasses of excellent local pinot noir, or perhaps some of our equally excellent shiraz, or maybe even a finely wooded chardonnay.

I digress (nothing new there).

It’s a quickie this week, though. Christmas is at hand and almost everyone’s attentions are largely elsewhere.

Down here, the summer is upon us and I’m raring to be out and about with camera.

But, the places I like to shoot are rapidly filling up with holidaymakers, most from up-country. Industry and commerce in South Africa has traditionally closed up over Xmas, predictably leaving retail as the sole working sector in the country’s economy. With a currency having high expectations of itself, but little real value, overseas holidays are closed to most, so the annual trek to the coast starts around now.

So, early morning outings need to be to places where there is no accommodation and little chance of joggers, or early morning meanderers, wandering through my viewfinder. The other option is to stay home and watch the arrival of morning and head out – usually on foot to somewhere nearby. It gets light fast down here and a last minute drive to get anywhere will ensure you miss a spectacular dawn completely.

Thursday was such a day. At 03:30, the sky was crystal clear and my plan to venture out for an 04:30 sunrise went into the bin. While supping a cup of essential Java, I decided to keep an eye on the sky, just in case.

Just as well I did. By 06:00 some cloud cover had appeared and the powers that be put on a spectacular light show.

Cape Hangklip – Nikon D800, Nikkor 50mm f1.4

Sunrise over the southern end of the Kogelberg – Nikon D800, Nikkor 28mm f2.8

These were shot with my D800 and forty year old 28mm f2.8 AI-s Nikkor,* or it’s sibling, the 50mm f1.4. Why Nikon, now? Having used my Fujis so much recently, I’d forgotten how comforting familiarity can be – everything was where I expected it to be and despite the D800 lacking an EVF, I wandered back to the house in the firm knowledge that I had a couple of re-assuringly good images.

Sunrise clouds – Nikon D800, Nikkor 50mm f1.4

This time of year is also my annual check up time with the medical men. Wednesday was the day and en route, X-Pro2 on the seat next to me, I spotted this gauzy smoke high up in the Kogelberg. No doubt the result of a bush fire somewhere, it illustrates the air movement in the morning mountain light perfectly.

It also got a morning of interrogation, lifestyle lecturing, poking, prodding and blood-letting off to an otherwise perfect start.

* Why this lens? Ken knows

Smoke in the Kogelberg – Fuji XPro2, Fuji 23mm f1.4