Vernon Chalmers Photography

Portraits of Birds at Intaka Island, Kirstenbosch, and Woodbridge Island explore bird photography through close-up studies of species in natural habitats across Cape Town’s diverse ecosystems. Speckled Pigeon: Portraits of Birds in Flight Woodbridge Island Portraits of Birds / Birds in Flight Birds (in Flight) photography can be challenging at times. Its never a certainty that a 100% well-framed images are going to end up in your camera's memory card. Birds / Birds in Flight photographed at Intaka Island , Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and Woodbridge Island , Cape Town From time to time I also end up with birds that's either to fast, I see them too late or perhaps they are to close to my 400mm lens. I end up of what I refer to as portrait shots - although my intension was the complete bird in flight. If the images are in focus I will attempt to post-process them as Birds / Birds in Flight portraits. Birds / Birds In Flight Portraits Egyptian goose Cape shoveler duck Speckled p...

Flower Photography at Kirstenbosch Garden offers photographers the opportunity to capture vibrant botanical diversity, natural light, and seasonal blooms within one of the world’s most beautiful botanical gardens. Natal River Lily : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town " When I look at the beauty of a flower: there is a serene sense of becoming – a conscious frame of temporality that is etched as a consistent reminder of nature’s selfless offerings. Priceless perfection of subjective reflection removed from human-made vanity. Even if it is just for a moment – and that is Enough ." - Vernon Chalmers      Experimental / Training Session at Kirstenbosch Garden A few images while experimenting with a different camera / lens set-up during our Saturday visit to Kirstenbosch. I normally use the Canon EOS 70D / EOS 7D Mark II APS-C / crop bodies paired with my Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. For this outing I used the Canon EOS 6D (which I almost exclusive use landscape...

Using Intuition for Birds in Flight Photography Swift Tern After a Dive : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town "It is my intention to present – through the medium of photography – intuitive observations of the natural world which may have meaning to the spectators." - Ansel Adams Introduction It is well-document throughout the Vernon Chalmers Photography website that more attention on visual intuition and human behaviour is asserted than any Canon camera / lens in my hands at any given time. It took me more than ten years through existential motivation and onsite learning to anticipate birds in flight, flight movements at Woodbridge Island, Cape Town to understand their actions / reactions. During this time I made very little change to my Canon camera equipment, but spent long periods of time learning birds in flight behaviour and the various environmental variables / conditions in capturing many of the various bird species in action at Woodbridge Island. - Vernon Chalmers Pied Kin...

Wildflower - Diep River, Woodbridge Island Returning from my early morning hike on Thursday a man on a bicycle approach me, stopped next to me and introduced himself. His first words even before the formal introduction were “It must be tough when there are no birds around the river’. He had a point, but I’ve captured the birds (and a few flowers) earlier in the morning and was returning from the Table Bay Nature Reserve after stalking the black-crowned night heron. Anyway, we started talking and although he was not particularly interested in photography he had a thought-provoking philosophy about nature’s significant role in our daily lives. I found the 45-minutes or so conversation about this man’s fundamental beliefs and his interpretation of the role of nature quite fascinating. While processing this wildflower image this morning I realised our discussion was perhaps right next to the exact location where I captured this image earlier on my hike that morning. I’ve been thinking abo...