sunset Archives - Chris de Blank Photography

Oh wow, where is this year going?? Half way through March already and this is only my first blog post for the year. Such neglect of my website. I will have to try and rectify that over coming months. I’ve a few ideas for topics rolling around in my head but getting them out is another issue. But for now I’d just like to talk about my results at the Wagin Woolorama Photography Competition last weekend and to give this Agricultural Show a plug as it is a really enjoyable day out.

Photo Comp

Firstly I’d like to thank the organisers of the Photography Competition that runs as part of Wagin Woolorama. Glenys and her team do a great job every year putting together this competition.

1st Place ‘A Half of Anything’ – Repeating Doorways

This year, they introduced two new special categories, each with great prize money for the winner. I was fortunate enough to take out the Portrait category with this image of the Namibian man starting a fire the tradition way, which most of you have possibly seen before. If you’d like to see the winning landscape image by my friend Richard Hall please click here.

1st Place Portrait – Fire Starter

Here’s my other entries that did well this year.

2nd Place Open Colour – KT The Cockatoo

Highly Commended Mono – Moses Rock

Two Trees - Highly Commended Landscape 2019 Wagin Woolorama

Highly Commended Landscape – Two Trees

Evening Rodeo

After the day events have finished, like the shearing, sheep dog trials and judging of the animals, there’s the evening rodeo. I love to watch the action and also the fashions. The checked shirts, bright colours, fancy jeans and those hand made leather saddles. Love it!

The dust, setting sun and cowboy hats

Bright coloured clothing

Cowgirl clothing

Bronc riding

And so it begins, a two week landscape photography tour with a couple of my favourite photographers, Christian Fletcher and Nick Rains, and twelve other wonderful photographers who helped make this a very special journey for me. Stunning scenery, wildlife, more stunning scenery, more wildlife and one on one time with Christian and Nick plus the never ending supply of food.

Fish River Canyon

The second largest canyon in the world (the Grand Canyon in Arizona is the largest) is pretty spectacular but I found it rather difficult to photograph. The enormity of it was overwhelming, so a little help from Nick and Christian was appreciated to get me started. Individual cottages lined up along the rim of the canyon was our accommodation for the next few nights.

Our accommodation at Fish River Canyon was in individual cottages lined up along the rim of the canyon. The cottages branched out either side of the restaurant, reception, deck and pool area. As the front of the cottages were glass fronted the view was incredible. A brilliant coloured sunset greeted us on our first evening. After that night the wind picked up to a howling gale and we quickly found out why there were no internal doors in the room. They also provided earplugs with the room key for those that had trouble sleeping with wind noise.

Our days here here at the canyon filled with landscape photography, editing and a game drive for those that wished to. We went looking for the Mountain Zebra. Unfortunately the Zebra were not to be found but we did come across Springbok and Oryx. Here’s a couple of pics from this location.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoy seeing some of my trip to Namibia.