White-throated Swallow

Just another "LBJ". Not that brown though. I tend to see swallows without really seeing them. I will be visiting the coast during the next month or so hoping to take a few pictures to convert to salt prints, See www.coismeyer.com for samples.

Three Banded Plover

The Tree Banded Plover is described as a "frequent visitor". This was however the first time that I have been able to photograph one from this close. I may have overlooked them because of their size, they are about 20cm tall when standing up straight.

Coot and Chicks

All humans think our kids are the most beautiful in the world. I suppose the same to be true for animals. I photographed this Coot feeding her two young. She must think them to be the most beautiful in the world. An independent, casual observer may however differ. The two young are ugly to the point of being beautiful.

Lesser Striped Swallow

This little Lesser Striped Swallow came by and posed for a photo. It sat close to the hide almost as if asking: "So why don't you photograph me?" I duly obliged.

Spur-winged Goose

Photographed at the Rondebult bird sanctuary near Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa. The sanctuary receives water from the Rondebult Sewerage Works. Unfortunately the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is not maintaining the sewerage works as well as one might wish for. From time to time raw sewerage ends up in the sanctuary.

Melrose Arch

Another picture taken at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.

Melrose Arch

This is a picture of a section of Melrose Arch an upmarket shopping centre near Johannesburg, South Africa. This is probably the best known part of the centre.

Burnt out taxi

I photographed this wreck of a burnt out taxi in Rosebank, Gauteng. I have seen taxis almost as bad still in use. Looking at what is left, it is almost scary to see what proportion of a vehicle is combustible. One is literally cocooned by combustible materials - seats, roof lining, carpets etc. etc.

Ponte Building

I believe in limited editing, enhancing rather than changing the picture. For once I pushed the limits of my editing tools and liked the result.

Edenglen High School Play

Another scene from Edenglen High School's rendition of "Aladdin"

I have updated my website http://www.coismeyer.com/ to make it a bit friendlier.

Edenglen High School Play 2011

This is a scene from the play "Aladdin" performed by Edenglen High School. It is an adaption of "Aladdin" - Aladdin with an African twist. Feel free to visit www.coismeyer.com to view some of my salt prints.

Rhino eating sand

Rhinos sometimes eat sand as part of their diet due to minerals present in the sand.

Volcanic crater at Pilanesberg

My daughter overlooking the main dam at the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve. This used to be the main vent of a volcano that existed here millions of years ago.

Rhino

I photographed this rhino at a waterhole in the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve. It is sad that animals like these are killed to "harvest" their horns to be used in eastern medicine.

Lions Mating

My daughter photographed these two lions during a recent visit to the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve. Lions mating is something to observe. He would get aggressive and bite her on the head. She would then bite back or jump out from under him. At one stage she slapped him in a way that only a lion can slap. We came across the same two lions two days later and they were still at it.

Ponte Building

This is the Ponte building in Johannesburg, South Africa. At 173 metre (54 floors) it is the tallest residential building in South Africa. It is cylindrical to allow air and light into the residential units from the inside. It was completed during 1976 but was infested by a number of gangs during the 1980’s. This situation worsened during the 1990’s. There were even rumors of plans to turn the building into a prison. From the 2000’s attempts were made to reclaim and revamp the building. Rumors are sometimes worse than reality. There were many rumors that the first three to five floors were filled with garbage from the top floors.

There were various news papers speculating on the sale of the building and plans to convert the living units to up-market apartments. As can be seen from the picture it will be technically possible to construct an entrance into the parking garage directly from the main roads passing the building. The economic downturn apparently scuttled these plans.

I would like to see the building restored to its formal glory. The expected return on the cost to acquire and revamp the building would however send most financiers running for cover. It is a well known and integral part of the Johannesburg skyline. The Vodacom advert at the top of the building would probably add +/- R 18 000 000 to the value of the building. (My calculation based on the capitalized value of the potential income derived from the advertising rights.)

It is as a pity that bean counters (I am one myself) can sometimes scuttle the most beautiful dreams. Currently the building belongs to the Kemtston group. Apparently penthouse apartments are still available at a reasonable rate.

Reed Cormorant

This Reed Cormorant was photographed at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve near Pretoria, South Africa. It is a fairly common fresh water bird. It is a quiet bird that cackles when in breeding colonies but is quiet the rest of the time.

It is about 1/2 a metre tall. What attracted me to this scene is the bird's red eyes, here clearly visible. I did not edit these pictures. These birds' eyes are really this red.

I will soon be adding some of my color pictured to my website, www.coismeyer.com.

Cape Shoveler Duck

I photographed this Cape Shoveler Duck swimming on a lake near Sedgefield, South Africa. Seeing it from this angle was the first time that I really appreciated the name "Shoveler" duck. Visit www.coismeyer.com for more of my pictures. I appreciate your comments.

Graffiti

Graffiti next to Malibongwe Road, Randburg, South Africa. I enjoyed the humor in the concept of an old lady running away from a wall with her purse full of paint cans.

The Cross

I Photographed this rock warn away by wind and sand erosion from a beach near Sedgefield, South Africa.

The rock was worn away exposing what I presume to be the tunnels of creatures that lived there before the rock solidified many, many years ago.

What caught my eye was the scene that was created. Look carefully and you will see a cross to the left hand side of the image. To the right hand side is a figure facing the cross.

The scene was difficult to photograph due to being monochromatic with high contrast between the sunlit and shadow areas. Visit www.coismeyer.com for more of my pictures.