Makaranga Garden = first photo outing

  Enchanté and Welcome. 

Enchanté and welcome.  Be prepared to be enchanted and ready yourself to experience a whole new world of magic delivered with impeccability.  In the rolling hills of Kwa Zulu Natal, 15 minutes from the bustling city of Durban you will find the lush green village of Kloof, and at its heart, Makaranga Garden Lodge complete with hotel, restaurant and conference facilities.  No other place in South Africa can boast a more wonderful setting for work and leisure guests, young and old, mobile and immobile, day visitors or long term stays. Rest assured you will be changed for the better for having experienced Makaranga.

Here at Makaranga was the location of the Hillcrest Camera Club outing for the beginner photographers.

Children playing leap frog

Dancer

wheelbarrow / mother and child

My mentor suggested this angle, but I don't like it.  It's a lovely sculpture of a mother with 4 children.

30 Acres of indigenous and exotic botanical gardens, 18 ponds, meandering streams and a waterfall await your discovery and offer you their joy and healing. Experience the largest collection of Zimbabwean stone art in Southern Africa as well as hand selected Italian sculptures.  

Orchids

The object of this outing was for the experienced photographers of the group to teach those of us who know so little.  Todays lesson was on aperture. 

We were to take a shot setting our f-stop on its lowest (2.5); midrange (5.6); high (8).   Then compare the results.  The background should be blurry while the object which was focused on should stand out. Unfortunately, my camera wouldn't allow me a very wide range and the results didn't show much difference in my three shots.

This daisy picture had the effect we were working for. See the difference between the two?

 So we were broken up into groups.  My mentor was Allen and the only other person in my group was Lynn. Lynn didn't have a spare battery and her's had died early in the outing.  Here I allowed her to play with my camera.

 People are always telling me that I look happy here serving the Lord in South Africa.  I AM!  Joining the Hillcrest Camera Club has added a another dimension to my happy life.  I needed new friends, needed to get out the flat, needed to be thinking and learning new things.  I was thinking about when Jesus went over to visit Mary, Martha and Lazarus - did He need new friends - bet those 12 disciples got on his last nerve a time or two - did Jesus need a new place to chill?  Jesus could do ministry 24/7; I'm not Jesus, I need a break from being a missionary to being a budding photographer.

 We were walking back to the meeting spot when we walked past this labyrinth.  I have no words to describe how much I love praying through labyrinths.  Very powerful for me and I wanted to throw off my camera and start praying!

lab·y·rinth

  

noun

1.

an intricate combination of paths or passages

I don't like the exposure of this one... the center tree is blown out.

I learned a lot about aperture, made more new, best friends and enjoyed a beautiful day in this beautiful country.