Mandevu Cottage | Falls Fish Farm | Destination Photography

For some reason I love to do indoor and destination photography. Maybe it’s the fact that travel is involved or that I have more time to get the shot right than for instance at a wedding. Either way, after my first visit to Falls Fish Farm in Schoemanskloof earlier this year Dee, the owner, invited me once more to take some photos for her. This time it was of Mandevu Cottage.

Of the two cottages Mandevu is lower down on the farm and consequently closer to the Crocodile River. Mandevu features a lovely free standing dam literally on the door step. I’m told it’s a good spot for fishing and there’s even a canoe next to the water’s edge. I asked her about tubing down the Crocodile River. She warned: “Due to the close proximity of Croc Grove crocodile farm I’d stay well clear of the river if I was you.” It’s a pity as it seems that the Crocodile River always have strong flows in the Schoemanskloof area.

How to do it

The biggest challenge with indoor photography is light. There is massive contrast between the indoor lighting and harsh outdoor light. Flash is not an option unless used expertly by the photographer. The only other alternative therefore is HDR or High Dynamic Range photography. This technique involves taking at least three photos with different exposures of the same subject. A tripod is thus essential as the camera should stay still between the different exposures. The exposures should range from underexposed (to get detail on the outside of the windows) to overexposed (to get adequate detail in the dark interior). Lightroom is then used to blend the seperate images together. This creates a pleasing picture that showcases the details in the well lit as well as dark areas.

I’m looking forward to my stay at Mandevu cottage a bit later this year. Hiking, fishing, landscape photography and sipping wine next to the fireplace will be the order of the day at this wonderful and relaxing destination. Thank you for the opportunity Dee.

Dam

Dam

Mandevu-3

Kitchen

Kitchen

Veranda

Veranda

View

Destination

Veranda

Bedroom

Light

Indoor

Living room

Living room

Living room

Indoor

Indoor

Indoor

Destination.

 

A walk to the edge of darkness | Part 1

Driving out to Falls Fish Farm in Schoemanskloof on a late Friday afternoon it amazes me how many amazing outdoor spots there are close to White River, the town I live in. All along the Crocodile River valley you can tube raft, fish, cave, hike, mountain bike and scramble to your heart’s content. Just keep an eye out for those sneaky crocodiles and don’t go over the edge.

You’ll remember from my previous post the photos I took of “The Mountain Pandokkie” for their website and online brochure. This past weekend’s excursion there was for pleasure. Rain spit intermittently on the windshield as my travel buddy, Heinrich and I turn in at the farm. We don’t have any set plans for the weekend apart from some fishing, the odd hike and having a good time. My car doesn’t have high clearance for the road up the hill and Dee, the owner, is kind enough to drive us the three kilometers up to the cottage.

On arrival we meet Mia, the resident cat whose duty it is to keep the cottage clear of rats, mice and snakes. She clearly takes her job serious as I didn’t see any of the unwanted house guests during our stay. She was also kind enough to keep my feet warm while sleeping. Thanks Mia.

Cat

 

The rain abated soon after our arrival which opened the door for a braai, good music and some silly talk. We woke up in the morning to light rain. Two cups of steaming hot coffee and rusks sorted out the after effects of the previous evening’s escapades. We learned though that the dam next to the house was bone dry. As it was the only dam close to the cottage it meant no fishing but to his credit Heinrich took it in his stride and suggested a hike. A quick scan of the area’s hand drawn map and we were on our way into the bush. Objective: Find the two waterfalls.

Slip sliding down a steep hill we quickly stumbled upon the first waterfall. Due to the drought it was also dry but nonetheless a spectacular spot. Heinrich introduced me to art of rock tower building by stacking them in single file. His work leaves little to the imagination.

 

Heinrich

Imminent rain forced us back to the cottage where operation “Dry Trainers” commenced in earnest next to the fire. The party continued during mid day with Fokofpolisiekar and Marilyn Manson featuring heavily in the music playlist. Dutch courage started to run low so we decided to trek to the other waterfall. This spot on the farm is definitely worth visiting as there is a stunning vista of the kloof down below, covered in dense vegetation.

 

Edge

There is also a fun little five metre scramble down from the plateau into the waterfall.

Chimney

Careful not to slip on the slick surface we threw a few rocks over the waterfall’s edge to ascertain how high it is as we couldn’t see the bottom. Not a place at which I’d like to go over.

Edge

It was nice to be in a place not spoilt yet by man. Peculiar stone ruins are scattered all over the farm. There seems to be no consensus yet on how old they are but estimates range from 2000 to a hundred years.

I can highly recommend this retreat for an easy and relaxing weekend getaway. For bookings contact Dee at (+27) 82 789 8407.

In Part 2 we travel the next day to Sudwala Caves.

EJ