Fabulous Friday at Kirstenbosch Garden

Bird Life Photography at Kirstenbosch

A morning of Small Birds and Flowers at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Swee Waxbill Kirstenbosch Garden Cape Town

Friday Morning at Kirstenbosch: Small perched birds and a Garden full of Peace

I expected a lot from this morning. I did not get it in the form of many small birds, but a peaceful walkabout around Kirstenbosch on a fabulous Friday morning.

Again, after quite a few rainy days in Cape Town, I returned to Kirstenbosch with my Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens to fine-tune this new genre of small perched birds.

What I am learning is the shutter speed relationship between the small perched birds and when some of them take flight during one continuous burst. Working with a non-IS lens, I shoot with a shutter speed of 1/1250s at Kirstenbosch which is fast enough for this purpose, but not fast enough for their incredible fast in-flight action. For this I will have to increase the shutter speed to a minimum of 1/2500s - 1/3200s - and find a balance between perched and in-flight action.

My photo of the morning was the swee waxbill touching down close to me - so small and I'm happy to get this semi in-flight image at a shutter speed of 1/1250.

Kirstenbosch birds photographed during the morning:

• Swee waxbill
• Southern Double-Collared Sunbird
• Swee waxbill
• Upside down Sunbird portrait
• Dusky flycatcher
• Cape bulbul

Canon Camera / Lens: Birds and Flowers Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
• Manual Mode: 400mm @ f/5.6 / Auto- ISO (Various) / 1/1000s - 1/1250s shutter speeds
• No Lens IS / Handheld

Post-Processing: Adobe Lightroom

Perched Small Birds at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Southern Double-Collared Sunbird Singing Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Swee Waxbill Landing Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Upside Down Sunbird Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

African Dusky Flycatcher on Rock Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Perched Cape Bulbul Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Brave Boubou Shrike Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Plants / Flowers at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

King Protea Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) Flower Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Bird / Flower Photography Training Kirstenbosch More

Glorious Morning at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden View

Vernon Chalmers 'Kirstenbosch Bird Species Index' View

From Darkness into Light... Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Butterflies and Sunbird at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Images © Vernon Chalmers Photography Copyright Policy

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Map & Directions Kirstenbosch Google Map

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Website

Canon Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch Cape Town

The Splendour of Hout Bay Harbour

Canon Photography Quick Walkabout Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Yachts moored in Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Fresh Fish available Hout Bay Harbour
While purchasing some fresh fish at the Hout Bay Harbour I took the opportunity for taking a few photographs of the immediate surroundings...

Cape Town Coastal Location
Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town (a 20 kilometer drive from the Cape Town city center)

Canon Full-Frame Wide-Angle Lens Experimentation on Crop Body
Today was the first time I tried out the Canon EOS 70D and EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Ultra-Wide Angle (Full Frame) lens. Usually the lens is paired with my Canon EOS 6D, but at the time of the walkabout the EOS 6D was paired with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM lens.

The field of view of the Canon EF 16-35mm lens on the crop body EOS 70D is more / less the same as the Canon EF 24-70mm lens on the Full-Frame 6D.

Canon Equipment

• Canon EOS 70D SLR camera body
• Canon EF-S 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens

Av Mode - Aperture Priority Settings

• Aperture: f/8 - f/11
• Auto ISO 100
• Shutter speed: various
• Image Stabilization
• Auto focus (lens)

Post-Processing
RAW to JPG conversion on Acer notebook / Lightroom CC 9.0

Colourful Fishing Boats Moored in the Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Yachts moored in Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Fishing Boats moored in Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Sightseeing Vessel, NAUTICAT, moored in Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Fishing Boats Moored in the Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Boland & Boesmanland Fishing Boats Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Submerged Fishing Boat Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Lady Cleaning Fish Hout Bay Harbour, Cape Town

Angelfish / Butterfish / Kingklip Fish / Yellowtail Fish Hout Bay Harbour

Seal Island Cruises Hout Bay Drumbeat Charters, Cape Town

More About Hout Bay Cape Town African Art & Textiles

"Hout Bay Harbour in Cape Town is a vibrant hub for African art and textiles.

Here are a few highlights you might find interesting:

• Fine Art Africa Gallery: Located at 31 Harbour Road, this gallery showcases a diverse collection of contemporary African art, featuring both emerging and established artists from Southern Africa. They also have a unique collection of artworks by Nelson Mandela 1.

• Hout Bay Gallery: Situated at 71 Victoria Avenue, this gallery focuses on paintings, sculptures, and fine art prints by South African artists. It’s known for its friendly atmosphere and a wide range of artworks 2.

• Bay Harbour Market: This market is a must-visit for art lovers. It offers a variety of local crafts, textiles, and artworks, making it a great place to explore and purchase unique pieces 3.

These spots are perfect for immersing yourself in the local art scene and discovering beautiful African art and textiles." (Microsoft Copilot 2024)

Canon Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch