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Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: Martin Kellermann on June 22, 2017, 15:58:13

Title: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Martin Kellermann on June 22, 2017, 15:58:13
In my younger days I spent many a weekend in the Drakensberg of Natal. The scenery in the Berg (as it is known colloquially) inspired my photography in no small way. I bought a Leica M4 and a few lenses to take on these hikes. The Leica M4 was later swopped for a M6.

The first image has iced grass in the foreground and the vast range of the Drakensberg in the distance. It was freezing cold, a strong wind swept water droplets up the cliffs and these froze on contact with the grasses. I have never seen anything like this again.

The second image is one of the Tugela Waterfalls just below Mount-aux-Sources. It drops 948m in five leaps. Many consider it the second highest waterfall after the Angel Falls in Venezuela. The picture was taken in summer, in winter it usually freezes if still running.
 
The third image is a Brocken Spectre of myself in the clouds below the escarpment. It was somehow quite an emotional experience to see the sunlight diffracted around my body create the halo around my shadow in the clouds which were probably about 700m below where we were standing. This was after a tremendous rainstorm, the clouds of which were still very much in evidence.

The originals are Kodachrome 64 slides which kept their colours nicely over the years. The pictures were taken with 35mm and 50mm Summicron lenses.
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: armando_m on June 22, 2017, 16:04:49
What an impressive location

Each image is great on it's own

Love the shadow in to the mist on the last image

I had to search on internet where Drakensberg actually is located
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Akira on June 22, 2017, 16:41:50
Amazing landscapes!  The peculiar shapes of the iced grasses make the image other-worldly.

Thanks for sharing, Martin, and welcome to NG!
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Randy Stout on June 22, 2017, 17:31:11
Martin:

Wonderful images, great location, and a good reminder that older technology took some fine pictures!

Thanks for sharing.

Randy
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: CS on June 22, 2017, 18:52:00
Great, Martin!  :)
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Martin Kellermann on June 24, 2017, 13:25:06
Many thanks for all the comments and welcome. Much appreciated. Martin
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: elsa hoffmann on June 25, 2017, 17:43:02
The many faces of beautiful South Africa - the first image is by far my favourite!
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on June 26, 2017, 05:33:49
Nice photos first is also my favorite
Martin thank you for seen us such an amazing place, I check it on the net with some panoramas seems to be the place with 1000 views
Welcome
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Peter Connan on June 26, 2017, 05:54:59
Beautiful!

Being up there in such cold conditions could not have been fun!
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 26, 2017, 13:13:12
very effective shots, I got high anxiety looking at these!
Title: Re: Down memory lane in the Drakensberg
Post by: David H. Hartman on June 26, 2017, 20:25:50
Love the back lit ice on the grass.

Dave