Bryan Habana – 50 th Test – 1 August 2009

Tomorrow Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers will play their 50 th test match for South Africa. They going to play in specially made shoes for them with their name and everything written on it. A pitty the guy who organise it made a mess up when it came to the dates. On the shoes are embroided 2 August 2009 and it is suppose to be 1 August 2009.

Here a photo of the shoes of Bryan Habana taken at the Team Photo session on 31 July at the Beverley Hills Hotel in Umchlanga. The photo were taken with a Nikon D3 and a 24-70mm F2.8 lens.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Cameron vd Burgh – 26,67 sec.

Cameron vd Burgh won the 50m Breastroke in a World Record time of 26,67 sec today at the 13th Fina World Swimming Champs in Rome Italy. Cameron described the moment as the greatest of his life and said that he new he had the gold from moment he dived from the starting blocks.

Here a photo of Cameron that i took in Durban three weeks ago during the Speedo Prestige Gala. I used a Nikon D3 and a 400mm F2.8 VR lens.

More images of Cameron on www.supermedia.co.za

Gerhard

The All Black Haka

To see the All Blacks perform the Haka is a amazing experience. As Victor Matfield last week said at a press conference ,”just thinking about it i get goose bumps”. The meaning of the haka is also very interesting. Johan Jonck from Arrive Allive got the words from somewhere. Here the link, Roadsafety

Here a photo i took on 25 July 2009 in Bloemfontein South Africa when the All Blacks played the Springboks in a Tri Nations clash.

More images on www.supermedia.co.za

Gerhard

Springboks vs All Blacks – 25 July 2009

The first clash in the 2009 Tri Nations Rugby Tournament between South Africa and New Zealand took place on 25 July in Bloemfontein South Africa. The Springboks clinch a win over the All Blacks with a 28-19 score. Heinrich Brussow once again showed that he is world class when it come to stealing the opponents ball. For his effort he got the Man of the Match award.  

The Loose trio of the boks consisting of Brussow, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies really working at the moment with them playing totally different type of games which compliment each other. The try in the second half of Jacque Fourie started with a forward kick by Spies and then a pass by Juan Smith to Fourie who ran in a 40m try.

This image of Heinrich Brussow tackling the All Black lock Isaac Ross. Taken with a Nikon D3 and a 400mm F2.8 Lens.

Gerhard

More images on www.supermedia.co.za

Tendai (Beast) Mtawarira

I took some photos at the Springbok Press Conference today and one guy that stood out for me was Beast Mtawarira. His not only popular on the field but by the way he was surrounded by journalists showed that he is just as popular off the field as well. He is a very well spoken friendly guy and answer every question the guys asked him in a honest humble way.

One must never try to capture a players personality by the way you see him playing and behaving on the field. Around eighth years ago i had to take some photos of Percy Montgomery For Sports Illustrated in my Studio in Bloemfontein. In that time there were a lot of stories about Percy and what kind of person he was. I can tell you he is one of the nicest persons i have ever met in my life and since that day i had the greatest respect for him as player and as person. I think after today Beast has started to fall in the same category as Percy in my books.

Here a photo of Beast during the Press conference taken with a Nikon D3 and a Nikon 70 – 200mm F2.8 lens.

More photos on www.supermedia.co.za

Gerhard

Griekwas vs Leopards – 18 July

Griekwas played the Leopards in Kimberley in a ABSA Currie Cup rugby match on 18 July and won by 36 – 11. This put them on top of the log with 10 points after two games. They also won the Cheetahs last week and got bonus points in both games. Griekwas strenght is in their front row and of course their scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and Flyhalf Naas Olivier. The way they play at the moment ensure a very interested season for them and i think they going to win a lot of the big names this year.

Here a image of Naas Olivier passing the ball. Maybe the South African selectors must take a closer look at this guy. In every team he plays that team just seems to accelerate.  Remember how well the Cheetahs did at the end of the super 14. That was when they got Naas Olivier at flyhalf! Oh yes and remember how well the Royal Xv did against the British Lions in Rustenburg. Naas Olivier also played flyhalf that day. Thinking of this game just another thing. Jonathan Mokuena played eightman for the RoyalXV against the Lions this year and showed what a class player he is. At the moment Griekwas is playing him at nr 6 Flank Forward. What a waist!!!. This guy is no Flank Forward and i think it is very unfair towards him as player that the Griekwas selectors is playing him in totally a wrong position.

Bit off the point there. Here the image of Naas taken with a Nikon D3 and 400 mm F2.8 Lens.

More images of this game on www.supermedia.co.za

Gerhard

Lyndon Ferns – 51,69 sec.

On 12 July Lyndon Ferns set up a new SA record in the 100m Butterfly event at the Speedo Prestige Gala in Durban in time of 51,69 sec. I got a few shot during the race at different settings.

The first image is shot just after the 50 m turn which show a classic Fly photo. Taken with a Nikon D3 and 400mm F2.8 lens set on aperture priority an the settings were as follow.

1/800 sec.

F5

ISO; 5600

After this i switched to Shutter priority to get the next pan shot as he passes me. The settings were as follow;

1/40

F6.3

ISO: 400

Then i switched back to Aperture Priority get some celebration shots after the race. The settings were the same as the first photo. Just one tip. Set the shutter speed at which you want to shoot at when you Switch to Shutter Priority before the race because there won’t be time during the race for that.

You can use this technique in any sport to get free zed images and panned photos in the same race or movement. On the D3 it’s very easy. When you’re in aperture priority just press in the mode button and turn the main command dial one step to the right or anti-clockwise. It will then be in Shutter Priority. If you press in the mode button and turn the command dial one step to the left or clockwise it will be back in aperture priority.

Then i made this layout in photoshop to add a bit of flavour.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Speedo Prestige 2009

The Annual Speedo Prestige Swimming Gala started today. All the big names in South African Swim like, Gerhard Zandberg,Cameron vd Burgh,Kathryn Meaklin,George du Randt, Chad Ho and all the rest are here putting in some last preperations for the World Champs in August in Rome.

Here a image of Gerhard Zandberg during his warmup. I went up to him and ask him if i can take a couple of shots. He took two starts and i came away with this image taken with a Nikon D3 and a 10,5 mm F2.8 Lens.

This image of Mike performing with his Air Guitar during the opening ceremony. Mike is the owner of the Tuck Shop at the Kings Park Swimming pool and a real legend in swimming circles. Air Guitar by the way is a massive art/sport over seas and they also got a world champs being held every year. Photo taken with a Nikon D80 and a 17-55 mm F2.8 Lens.

Swimming galas not only produce nice action shots but there are also opportunity’s for great portraits.  Here a image taken before a race when the swimmers waiting for the race to start.

The next photo i took after a race. When a event got overhead starts the swimmers that finished the previous race have to hang on the lane ropes till the next race have started before they may get out of the pool.

Even lane ropes with the right lighting can make nice photos.

At the Kings Park Swimming Arena in Durban there are a lot of glass windows which let in some available light. At certain times of the day one can get some special effects from this by using it as a spot light or even as backlighting. Here such an photo taken at the start of a race.

Another image taken with some available light coming through a window. Legendary Sports photographer Walter Looss Junior once said that his best photos he didn’t took at the Olympic games and at World Cups, but rather at small events or even in Mexico taken pictures of kids playing soccer and softball in the streets.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za

Star Spangled Banner

The Star Spangled Banner Oh, say! can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming; Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there: Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream: ‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution! No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”: And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Well the USA didn’t won the 2009 Confederations Cup but certainly got a lot of pride out of the tournament and probably the best win in the history of the USA soccer.

Here a image of the USA team singing the well known national anthem of America, the Star Spangled Banner, before the start of the semi final between them and Spain. Photo taken with a Nikon D3 and 14-24 mm F2.8 Lens.

Gerhard

www.supermedia.co.za