Nelis' Photo Blog

Photos with reflections are often appealing or striking.  Experts recommend using reflections to change a straightforward photo into a much richer image. Are reflections so appealing because our minds are immediately fascinated by the similarity (or the incomplete similarity) between the subject(s) and the reflection? But then again, the subject that is reflected can be absent. Maybe it is our subconscious attraction to water - which is often the reflecting medium - that makes reflections appealing? Click on the images to view them in full. Previous posts with photos with reflections: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/flowers-of-sacred-bamboo.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/paternoster-beach.html SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

Sunflowers seem to be popular in art for a very long time and also in various cultures. The flower represents many positive motives (happiness, hope, love, etc) and evokes positive feelings. That is not surprising, for sunflowers are such beautiful flowers! Sunflowers - with their wide open faces - remind me of people: gorgeous in their youth, charming adults and captivating with a life fully lived. Click on the images to view them in full. SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

People with normal eyesight see the world around them in 3 dimensions. This helps us to play with a ball and drive safely. It makes the world we see so beautiful! A camera "sees" the world in 2 dimensions - as if on a flat surface. Fortunately there are many ways to create the perception of depth in a photo.  Looking back, I notice that in recent months I have posted many photos that lack a perception of depth.  The photos of this post bring some correction. Click on the images to view them in full.  SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

These old woodwork screws remind me that one of my high school subjects was woodwork. It was about theory, drawing, but mostly about making something with wood. Maybe one can still buy these classical woodwork screws?  The last time I bought screws in a hardware store I did not see any. The look and feel of the screws on the store shelf were so uninteresting. It inspired me to search for these old screws I still have - and enjoy their almost artful design. Click on the images to view them in full.  SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that photos of single flowers are quite popular on the Internet. Focussing on a single flower will often reveal beauty that you might not be aware of when you enjoy the beauty of many flowers together. A single flower is so vastly different from a rock that has been formed over aeons (view my previous blog post). A flower's timeline may be measured in days. They are similarly fascinating to look at. Maybe their fragility makes them even more attractive. Nymphaea nouchali caerulea Gazania pectinata Probably: Euryops speciosissimus Click on the images to view them in full.  Previous blog posts with photos of flowers: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/12/backlight.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/wildflowers-at-hermanus.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/triptych.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/tankwa-2016.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/wildflowers-at-elandsbaai.html https://ndt-p...

An aeon is a very, very long period of time. I cannot comprehend it.  When I look at rocks that show signs of weathering and erosion, the idea of processes that happened over very, very long periods of time begins to form in  my mind.  What I do know is that rocks that have been weathered and eroded can be fascinating to look at. Click on the images to view them in full.  View a previous blogpost related to this one:  https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/stones.html SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

In the weeks leading up to Christmas we see so many beautiful decorations and wonderful displays. Colourful lights and nativity scenes enchant us. Sometimes it seems as if it escalates every year. Is it possible to convey something of the wonder of the birth of Jesus in a modest way? John used the symbol of the true light that came into our world. Click on the images to view them in full.  View previous blogposts that referred to Christmas:  https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/christmastime.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-candle.html SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

When I started to take photos, I received the advice to keep the sun at my back. I later learned that aiming the camera into the light source can give interesting results. Backlight photos (Contre-jour in French) can create dramatic and also dreamy or translucent effects. Click on the images to view them in full.  View a previous blogpost with backlight photos: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/autumn-2012.html To comment, follow the link, "Continue Reading", to open the blog. You are welcome to share this with someone. The best would be to share the address:  https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   You can also use this link to view previous blogposts / photos.

Although I've read about the nutritional and health benefits of Dandelions, I still look at them in our garden as weeds. When their yellow flowers appear you cannot miss them. In groups they can be charming.  Then the flowers turn into puff balls - and suddenly the puffs are gone!? The small seeds or clocks have been carried away by the wind. Click on the images to view them in full.  View macro photos of Dandelion clocks in this post:  https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/dandelion-clocks-dance.html SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

Following on the previous blog post here are a few more photos of what I found while walking on a beach.  To me they look like artworks. Click on the images to view them in full.  SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/   FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

One of my favorite places to walk is on a beach at low-tide. It can be so interesting to find what the previous high-tide left behind. There is often something new to discover. Click on the images to view them in full.  View a previous blogpost about walking:  https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/going-for-walk.html To comment, follow the link, "Continue Reading", to open the blog. You are welcome to share this with someone. The best would be to share the address: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/  You can also use this link to view previous blogposts / photos.

I tend to think that trees have their trunks, branches, leaves and fruit above the ground while their roots are hidden underground. There are many trees and other plants who grow aerial roots. These roots are fascinating and can be beautiful. Click on the images to view them in full.  SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/  FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

A little past halfway from Ceres on the gravel road (R567) toward Sutherland there is a turnoff to the farm Jakkalshok. This part of the Karoo does not receive enough rain to sustain permanent farming. It is in a winter rainfall area and summers can be long, dry and hot. In winter it can be very cold, but beautiful, quiet and serene. A place to walk the open spaces and pay attention to the beauty of nature at your feet. Click on the images to view them in full.  The bush with flowers is probably Sarcocaulon crassicaule and the lichen is probably Xanthoparmelia. SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/  FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

The 2024 Food Lover's Market Tekkie Challenge took place on Saturday, 7 September 2024, at the Jan Kriel School in Kuilsriver, Western Cape. Three races - 16km, 10km and 5km - started 15 minutes apart. The "challenge" was the 10km race where the women had a head start before the men to set up an "even" race. This year the winner was a woman.  This is an annual charity event in aid of children with special educational needs. Due to a cold I could not participate, but my second prize was the opportunity to take photos. Click on the images to view them in full.  SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/  FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

For many, a picture of a winding road can be an invitation. The question, where is this road going?, opens possibilities of discovery, exploration and adventure. Even if it is a familiar road, it may stimulate a craving for travel and freedom.  For those not planning their next journey, such pictures may stimulate journeys of a more inward nature. Click on the images to view them in full. SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/  FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]

Stones can tell stories of change that happened over eons of time.  When were they scattered to form a landscape of stones?  How long did they roll and roll and roll to become big marbles?  How long did it take to grind their surfaces so smooth?  When we compare our daily changes - the first rays of the sun or the tides and waves of the sea - stones seem to be unchanging. Click on the images to view them in full.  SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/  FOLLOW this blog through the subscription widget on the sidebar.  [Click on the "3 lines" on the top left of the home page to open the sidebar.]