Nelis' Photo Blog

"Texture" can refer to the appearance and feel (for example rough, smooth, hard or soft) of a surface. We see many textures, but some are more noticeable: A lawn neatly mowed; the surface of a road; the surface of a tabletop; the floor of a room; the materials of the clothes we wear. Textures may have interesting patterns, but they are more about the surface appearance than the patterns. I've mentioned in a previous post that textures often appeal to me. They "ask" to be photographed. Not only as a component of a photo, but as a photo's focus or subject. Here are more examples: Click on the images to view them in full.  View a previous post with photos of textures: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/textures.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 previou...

Maybe my neglect of monochrome photos is simply a preference for colour. It seems that our brains prefer colour. In low light we may think we see colour while the actual perception of our eyes is colourless. Our brains then use memory, context and expectation to give us a subjective experience of seeing in colour. (Many applications we use on our cellphones and computers automatically enrich the colours of images.) Since my previous post I've observed colours around me. My impressions were that most colours in nature seem to be pastel-like. Then there are stunning sunsets, bright flowers, colourful fruit, some autumn leaves and some days and times of day when colours seem brighter (the first photo below was such a moment). 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 ...

I am not sure why I do not use monochrome more often?  That was my introduction to photography - helping my elder brother in the darkroom.  I can still remember watching the photos appear in the developing tray.  After receiving a camera from him as a birthday gift, the first years were all about black and white photos. Somewhere along my journey with photography colour became more attractive and later it was the default.  Monochrome photos have their own attractiveness. The absence of colour emphasises elements of the picture that might be missed when in colour. Click on the images to view them in full.  Previous posts with monochrome photos: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/going-for-walk.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/friends.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/attractive-faces.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/playing-music.html SHARE this page OR share the blog's link: https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/ ...

Seashells are being used in some lamp shades. Light bulbs are also placed inside big seashells. In this way seashells' colours, which we see differently when light shines through them, can be enjoyed. The seashells used in these ways are beautiful and without obvious flaws.   It is fascinating to look at seashells more closely with light shining through them. Those seashells that have been exposed to waves and sand for a long time and are worn down (in other words, seashells with flaws), show delightful and beautiful detail.  Click on the images to view them in full.  Previous posts with photos with similar technique:  https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2024/12/backlight.html https://ndt-photoblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/last-leaves-of-autumn.html (first photo) 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 hom...

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.]