Sand Sculpture Marine Parade, Durban, South Africa

Sand sculptures are very common on the beaches of Durban and the surrounding areas and Marine Parade in Durban is no exception. Great works of art by the locals! Durban, South Africa is in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. KwaZulu means "Place of the Zulu". The province is home to the Zulu monarchy, and the majority population and language of the province is Zulu.

Vasco da Gama of Portugal saw the coast of Natal on Christmas Day 1497. Want to know more about my first trip to South Africa? Click on this link.

[mapsmarker marker="31"]

Lisbon Falls South Africa

There is something about waterfalls that always fascinated me and Lisbon Falls in South Africa is no exception. I remember seeing waterfalls on TV when I was a child and wondering where all the water was coming from. Fortunately I have seen a lot of waterfalls since I was a kid and all of them still have plenty of water still pouring over them. I visited the Lisbon Falls in 2009 and took a few pictures. The height of the falls is about 295 feet (90 meters). It is located in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Get out and see the world!

Want to know more about my first trip to South Africa? Click on this link.

---

Mapped location of Lisbon Falls can be found below.

 

Hiking To The Top of Golconda Fort - Part 2

This is a continuation of the Part 1 post where we had just started climbing to the top of the fort and stopped a few times along the way to show you the sights. In part 2 we have made it to the top of the fort, and all we need to do is go to the top of the building on top of the hill! From the top you might certainly think of yourself as king! One of the most important features of the fort is its acoustics. The construction of the fort is such that any sound made at the entrance can be heard throughout the hill on which the fort stands. No sneak attacks! In the first post I mentioned the outer wall and moat. However, after the outer wall it has also a double wall that runs around the foot of the hill where the citadel stands.

Looking at the top most left area of the map above is where we have arrived, Darbar Hall. I took a few videos of the view from the top of Darbar Hall. From here you could also see the entire layout of the fort and where the cannons had been placed for the protection of the fort.

Golconda Fort - At the Top from Bhaga Video on Vimeo.

A few more scenes from the top before we head back down to ground level. Darbar Hall was actually very cool inside compared to outside.

Golconda Fort - Enjoying the View from Bhaga Video on Vimeo.

If you are in Hyderabad then Golconda Fort is definitely a stop you should make. There are a lot of steps to climb-up and then climb-down, so you will need to able to handle that.  You will also want to have some bottled water with you before starting the trip, you can get pretty thirsty climbing all those stairs in the sun. If you go later in the afternoon there is a light show that takes place after dark, you might want to consider that when planning your visit. Look for Part 3 with a few videos and pictures that I took as we headed back down to the grounds below. Get out and see the world!

 

Hiking To The Top of Golconda Fort - Part 1

My wife and I visited India for the first time in 2010. Our first stop was Hyderabad. On Saturday January 23rd we drove to Golconda Fort (a few miles west of Hyderabad). The city of Golconda was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Golconda. The city at one time was the center of the diamond trade. The fort dates back to the 12th century and was ruled by various kings throughout the centuries. There are actually 4 forts that make up Golconda. The forts are built on a granite hill and is 400 feet high. It was a three tiered fortification, protected by a moat, had eight entrance gates and a water supply system. I spent an 87 degree Saturday afternoon climbing the stairs to the various levels, stopping along the way to admire the architecture and imagine what it must have been like 500 years ago. On the way up to the top of the fort I shot all HD video, and on the way down I used my wife's Kodak Z1485IS to capture some still shots. The Nikon D90 stayed at the hotel for this jaunt. Just too much to carry, considering the climbing I was going to do.

In this video we have just entered into Golconda Fort through the main gate and we are following the pathway through the courtyard headed for the climb to the top of the fort. My friend and colleague Mohan was our guide for the day, but my wife kept worrying about me, so no matter  how many times I said not to keep looking back for me, she kept doing it. Kind of ruins the effect!

Golkonda Fort - Getting Started from Bhaga Video on Vimeo.

In this next video you can see the long climb we had to do, and we aren't at the top yet! You can also see more of the fort structures and outer walls. I would like to have spent an entire day there. Next time I will have someone drop me off and pick me up after dark, and most important be there by myself.

Golkonda Fort - The Climb from Bhaga Video on Vimeo.

Well, we aren't done yet, but we decided to take a break and enjoy the view from half way up. As you can see the city has crept up right to the fort walls edge. To take the video and pictures at Golconda Fort you have to pay an extra admission fee. Well worth the small price.

Golkonda Fort - Continuing The Climb from Bhaga Video on Vimeo.

We had just started to climb the stairs and trails again when we arrived at the Sri Jagadamba Mahakali Temple. Geeta went into the temple while I took a few videos of the temple and surrounding area. The Hyderabad Bonalu folk festival begins here at the Mahakali Temple inside the fort. On the festival day, women ware silk sarees and jewellery, and some of the women carry pots filled with flowers on their heads. This is done in a procession.

Golkonda Fort - Mahakali Temple from Bhaga Video on Vimeo.

If you found this post enjoyable look for part 2 soon. The view from the top of the fort is spectacular, and as you can see it is a play ground for a photographer. The fort and surrounding area is rich with history. You could do an entire photo shoot on just one section of the fort. If on the other hand pictures really aren't your bag but you love travel, then I highly recommend Hyderabad. Everyday is an adventure with thousands of things to see. You will be in an area of the world where it's people, traditions and religion date back thousands of years.

 

Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

 

The next time you are in Las Vegas, Nevada take time out to visit Red Rock Canyon. Just 17 miles away, it is a quick drive to the canyon, and you will get to see some great sites. We visited the canyon in July 2006 and really enjoyed the scenery. There are lots of things to do including hiking, rock climbing and horseback riding. If you want to see the opposite of man made mountains in Las Vegas, check out the Red Rock Canyon and see what the Mojave Desert has to offer.

Scenic Drive The scenic loop is open every day of the year with times changing slightly according to the season. It features a one-way 13-mile scenic drive.

[dropshadowbox align="center" effect="lifted-both" width="autopx" height="" background_color="#e8b31c" border_width="1" border_color="#dddddd" ]White-tailed antelope squirrels are active year-round, and are most active during the day.[/dropshadowbox]

[dropshadowbox align="center" effect="lifted-both" width="autopx" height="" background_color="#e8b31c" border_width="1" border_color="#dddddd" ] Note the vivid colors of the rocks[/dropshadowbox]

If you would like to see a few more of my pictures from the Red Rock Canyon follow this link. Hopefully these pictures will inspire you to get out and see the world.

[color-box color=yellow]Click on your favorite social media icons below, or leave a comment and let me know what you think.[/color-box]

[mapsmarker marker="35"]

Nikon D90 Side by Side Edit Comparison

A clip shot with a Nikon D90. On the left is the raw footage. On the right is the Vegas Pro 10 version. NewBlue Gradient "Bluer Skies" and Split Screen were used for the comparison shot. Mercalli V2 Pro SAL was used to stabilize the shot and the output was imported into the Vegas project. I shot this at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India on January 26, 2010.

Nikon D90 Side by Side Edit Comparison

A hand held clip shot with a Nikon D90 at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India on January 26, 2010. I stabilized the clip using Mercalli V2 Pro SAL and then imported that into my NLE. If you have read any of the comments on my other pages you know I like blue skies. The sky wasn't blue enough for me so I decided that I would try out NewBlue V3 "Gradient Tint Bluer Skies". On the left is the raw footage. On the right is the Bluer Skies version. It isn't as simple as drag and drop and it takes some experimenting to achieve the results you see. While I was at it I decided to punch up the saturation a little bit and sharpen the image. You could make the sky bluer using saturation, but the amount of blue I wanted would have impacted the other blues in the scene, and made for a very unnatural look. To achieve the bluer sky I needed to use the gradient.  The D90 doesn't auto focus and my eyes aren't so good anymore. It looked in perfect focus when I shot it!

Here is an earlier version of the video without split screen or stabilization applied.

Ramoji Film City Main Ticket Gate - Hyderabad, India