Category Archives: Photo 101

Namibia, Photo 101, Photography, Swakopmund

A lullaby for my senses

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WordPress Photo 101 Day 3 – Water and Orientation

“You must like the sea very much,” the man said to me as I stepped off the pier onto the sand, “I’ve been observing you and you’ve been following the waves with your eyes for a long time.”

I looked at his work clothes and suntanned face and reasoned that he had stopped by the beach during his lunch hour. I did not feel creeped out in any way. He looked like a good honest man and sounded sincere and curious.

I decided to take the opening and continue the conversation. When I travel, it’s the unexpected conversations with strangers that anchor a lasting memory to the place.

“Oh I love the sea. It is a part of me. I love watching the ebb and the flow. The force of the waves makes me feel like a part of something bigger than me. It washes through me and makes feel alive. It’s like a lullaby for my senses,” I responded.

“You’re not from here are you?” he remarked.

“I’m visiting my friend, I live in South Africa. I come to Swakopmund as often as I can – the desert grounds me to the earth and the sea restores the flow to my frazzled lifestyle in Joburg.” I smiled.

He smiled too and we parted ways.

These photos were taken on a cloudy day with my iPhone 4S camera.

Which orientation works better -landscape or portrait?

Swakopmund Pier, Namibia Swakopmund Pier, Namibia

India, Photo 101

The bustle of Indian streets

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This is a photo from my archives, of a bustling street scene in New Delhi. When traveling in India it is important to suspend disbelief and place complete trust in your driver. Otherwise you’ll be having mini heart attacks several times a day.

The drivers are good and know how to navigate the crazy chaotic traffic. In only a small section of road be prepared to see cars, trucks, bicycles, motorbikes, a camel, an elephant and a cow sitting nonchalantly in the middle of the road. All other vehicles just ride around it. I witnessed this scene with all these vehicles and animals in a Jaipur street. And off course, masses of people on foot.

All road users use their hooters continuously. Below is an extract from my post Hooter Tooter:

An Indian driver hooting is something completely different. A hooter is used in the way a hooter should be used – well… almost maybe! It is used as often as one changes gears. Rather than an alert for danger, its meaning varies from “ready or not, here I come” to “you can slow down if you like but I am not” to “I am turning here you will need to slow down.” It’s the motoring equivalent of “excuse me please.” 

The hooter in India is not seen as an offensive, rude or display of annoyance. And these are some of the busiest roads in the world. With so many cars travelling 24 hours a day, the gentle souls of India don’t waste precious time on aggression on the road, they just get on with living in the now!

New Delhi street, India
New Delhi street