Guggenheim - Bilbao

 Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20mm, 1/100, f7.1, ISO80

  

 Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20mm, 1/50, f7.1, ISO80

We recently spent a few weeks in the south of France on the Atlantic coast, St. Jean de Luz to be precise, and what a wonderful holiday it was.  Situated on the French & Spanish border, we were only 15 minutes away from Spain.  So we made a day trip of Bilbao and I finally had an amazing opportunity to photograph the acclaimed Guggenheim Museum.  Built in the 90's, and covered with a skin of titanium, this is claimed to be one of the finest structures on the planet and I don't believe many would dispute that. I was in my element and spent hours photographing while our hosts' good humour slowly dwindled with each shutter release.  I don't blame them since I did get carried away, but it was a dream come true and I'm very grateful.  Now I just need to print them onto canvas.......

Nosy Parker

 

Pentax K5, Tamron 90mm Macro, 1/200, f9, ISO800 

 

Pentax K5, Tamron 90mm Macro, 1/100, f10, ISO400

 

Pentax K5, Tamron 90mm Macro, 1/200, f8, ISO800

Found this Nosy Parker in the office this morning, somehow he fell into the dustbin and couldn't get out.  I grabbed the bin, grabbed my K5 and headed into the garden for a macro photoshoot.  (No shrews were harmed in the posting of this blog)

The elephant shrew is native to Africa, and lives on a strict diet of insects which it sniffs out with its elephant like nose and then devours ferociously.  Apparently this is one of the fiercest creatures on the continent, attacking at the slightest provocation and preferring to fight than flee.  Luckily for us it is only a tiny little mammal otherwise we'd live in constant fear :) 

French Sunflowers

PENTAX K5, TAMRON 18-250, F11, 1/180, ISO 160

We just returned from a few amazing weeks holiday in the south of France, and had the luxury of also visiting two top Bordeaux chateaus where strangely enough I photographed these sunflowers amongst all the vineyards.

Hadeda Ibis

 PENTAX K5, TAMRON 18-250, F8, 1/200, ISO 800

Often mummified and found in ancient tombs, the Sacred Ibis (family of the Hadeda Ibis photographed here) was much venerated & honoured by the Egyptians as they believed these birds resembled the god Thoth.  In ancient times the Ibis was sacrificed to prevent flies from spreading pestilence across the land, and to repel serpents.
I rather fittingly photographed this Hadeda Ibis (I previously incorrectly said it was a Sacred Ibis, but thanks to Hilton for pointing out my hasty error) in a cemetery in Knysna ... not a fly or snake was in sight.

Visitor

I haven't posted anything in quite sometime now due to various reasons, one of them probably being that I'm a new father :)  I never wanted this to be a family blog either, so I'm not sure this is the right site for photographs of my baby son & wife (that is pretty much all I have been photographing the last few months anyway). 

I did sssssnap this visitor recently though, sadly it wasn't taken with my Pentax K7 but with a Ixus instead.  This deadly Cape Cobra came through our house, through the passage and slithered right passed us while we sat on the couch watching telly one fine afternoon.  Our saviour Sable (our little adopted street dog) spotted the Cobra while we were completely oblivious to the deadly danger not 2m away.  The minute Sable stood up we knew something was wrong, she has a way about her when danger is near.  My wife grabbed our baby boy, and headed into another room while I cornered the cobra in our dining room.  Luckily the house was cool, so she wasn't too aggressive and I managed to drop an empty Kitchen Aid carton (what else?) over her without too much hassle.  Then I slid a board underneath and Hey Presto! - one upset Cobra in a box.  I carried her outside & let her go in the vineyard safe & sound.  Here is a photo of her in the Kitchen Aid box, ready to stand & mix it up!