Rev Life 2012 Killarney - Cape Town

This was one insane day at the Killarney track. An eager crowd of 20 000 was looking forward to displays of tyres, smoke and entertainment and the drivers definitely didnt disappoint! Rows of cars lined up early to enter the stadium and fires were going for braais the whole day.  The cars were roaring and gave the crowds something to cheer about. All in all it was a fabulous high energy event which gave us photographers a chance to capture some awesome shots of energy in motion. Overall winner was Chase Audagnotti and he promised to be back for more drifting events in Cape Town.

Motorbike stuntman Brian Capper drew cheers from the crowd with his insane stunts and tricks on his KTM super motard bike.  This guy has no fear and seems like he was riding bikes before he could even walk.  An aboslute pro and a fantastic stuntman to see in performance. 

I bumped into fellow photographer Jason BoostSA Williams and ended up doing the photo coverage of the Rev Life event while he took the videos.  For more awesome footage of the day go check out the videos at www.boostsa.co.za and hope to see you at the next big drifting event.

 

 

Drakenstein Lion Park

Today I decided to do a post on something completely different.  I've spent some time at the Drakenstein Lion Park in Paarl, Cape Town to see first hand the incredible work those guys do for the distressed and rescued lions.   The park is situated on 50 hectares of beautiful scenic land surrounded with the mountains of Stellenbosch and Franschoek in the background. 

All the lions rescued are from either a circus or private owners that hand reared them in captivity.  Therefore they can never be released into the wild.  The lions are assured a chance of living out there natural lives in a safe environment where they are showered with love and food.  To see some of the abuse the lions have endured is heart breaking.  My mother's favourite lion is Brutus who was rescued from a French circus.  He was declawed and suffered a broken jaw due to severe beatings.  Sickening! The staff at the Drakenstein Lion Park have a huge task on thier hands to ensure the animals have a safe and happy life.

Entrance is minimal and if you are in the Cape Town area, take a drive to the beautiful area of Suider Paarl and pay them a visit or check out there site on www.lionrescue.org.za on how you can adopt an animal or make a donation. The park is NOT involved in commercial breeding or trade.  Pop in and see the rare white lions roam happily in their camps.

The beautiful Brutus.

This is the life! Sun and sleep ...

 

 

Smoking Tyres at Killarney Cape Town

Saturday 8 September '12 I got my gear and decided to check out the JHB versus Cape Town Drivers Search Competition at the Killarney track.  It was a thrilling experience as these drivers really know how to push the limits of their cars.  Jason Webb from the JHB team represented and sponsored by Monster Energy was a definite crowd pleaser and gave a sick performance!!!

Lazy in Langebaan

Spending time on the tracks around Cape Town is what fuels my passion for speed and wheels but every so often I take a break to enjoy the tranquility of nature.  Last week Thursday was such a day when I took a slow drive to Langebaan and it was most rewarding in terms of photographic opportunities.

The gorgeous wild flowers greeted my presence with a huge smile as I cruised past them.  Making time to rest and relax in nature gives us that important break we need to recharge our batteries and also to enjoy what is freely available in terms of nature if we stop and see what is around us.  The Langebaan lagoon is only an hour's drive from Cape Town and the most stunning place to spend a weekend away or simply spend the day. 

Lunch was fresh prawns at Lekka by die See restaurant right on the beach at the lagoon.  With hungry seagulls waiting for their share and sparrows looking for table scraps, I sat back and took in all that this beautiful little seaside town offered me.  Take a break guys and take a slow drive to Langebaan for endless views of wild flowers and island-like scenery.

Blast From The Past

Would'nt it be great if we could all follow our passions as a career? I have always been playing around with cameras even as a small boy and at the age of 17 started hanging out at "Sick Nick's" FMX park in Muldersdrift / Gauteng.  Armed with my 'special offer" Fujifilm digital camera I would record the many riders showing their freestyle skills to the public. 

Some of the riders that I photographed then have become professionals and made quite a name for themselves.  One such rider is Brendan Potter who is the youngest freestyle pro in South Africa. Below is a photo of Brendan I took in 2008 at an open FMX day at the park.

After seeing the freestyle riders flaunt their skills I was hooked.  Not only did I want to also do FMX but I wanted to photograph more.  Unfortunately my camera was really only for recording day to day or holiday snaps but I dutifully snapped away when possible. Today I have a Canon 600D and numerous lenses which enables me to do photography of a higher quality in order to do justice to the rider's skills.  And i realised my dream of doing motocross and try my hand at some FMX
which aged my mother rapidly haha. Here are also more photos of way back in the past.  For all aspiring photographers out there I would say never give up on your dreams and follow your passion guys!

Zone 7 Womens Day - Cape Town

These riders gave me a good run for my money and I made sure to capture some great shots.  For these shots I mainly used a 55mm - 250mm lens but some aras required the use of the 18mm - 55mm lens.  For close up shots of motocross photography I could easily just use the 18mm - 55mm as it gives great clarity, quality and clear .facial expressions.

I love close up photography as it gives me the chance to be up to a metre away from the motocross riders where I can hear them grunting or giving a shout out to me.  But at the end of the day I love any photography!

Womens Day 2012 at Zone 7 Cape Town

While the rest of the country was indoors in front of heaters due to snow falls, I was out photographing riders on their family fun day.  A huge high five to a few female riders representing all the ladies out there on Womens Day!  The talent and commitment is visible in the photographs and those guys and girls are sure to make their mark in the motocross world.  Regional races are taking place across South Africa at this stage so make sure you get to your local track to support these riders.  If any of you riders out there need to capture your skills on film, be sure to give me a call.