South Africa Impressions
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Pictures of South Africa, made during the last three weeks of year 2000.
All pictures are made with PENTAX Super A and different lenses. I only brought four lenses to keep weight down.
A Tokina ATX PRO 2.8/28-70mm, a SMC A 1.4/50mm, a SMC A 2.8/20mm and a SMC F4.5-5.6/70-210mm.
I brought my 2x Kenko Macro converter too. All the pictures are made with slide film (Kodak Elite II and Agfa.
I had some of the shots scanned to CD's.
I have edited the pictures in Micrografx Picture Publisher.
I'll comment on the pictures as well as technical stuff as I go along.
Please note that the pictures may not be copied or used in any way without my written permission: Jens Bladt, 4600 Koege, Denmark.

The sunsets at Signal Hill in Cape Town are beautiful.
A lot of people go to Signal Hill during the Christmas holidays to have "sundowners" and enjoy the beautiful sunset and views of Cape Town and Table Mountain.
I used my F 4.5-5.6/70-210mm and a very small tripod for this shot. Shadows of gras got between the lens and the trees, due the the one foot tripod.
As my two daughters and a boyfriend enjoy their sundowners, the table cloth is quietly sliding across Table Mountain.
I like the Pentax A 2.8/20mm Pentax rectilinear wideangle very much. It has an angle of view of more than 90 degrees - almost as much as the human eyes. You can crop the pictures like panorama shots.
Table Mountain and Cape Town look real nice from Robben Island.
Robben Island is where Mr. Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for many years during "Apartheid".
I doubt he was ever allowed to enjoy this veiw at that time!
This one was taken with my favorite Pentax lens - the A2.8/20mm.
A closer look at Cape Town from Table Mountain
On a sunny day at Christmas time you almost forget the feeding frenzy of this big city; the busy harbour, the hectic life in the penthouse offices and the rather dangerous street life.
This shot was probably made with the SMC F 4.5-5.6/70-210mm.
The view from Table Mountain is very impressing! Not may cities in the world can compete, I was told!?
You get there by cable car. As it slides slowly up hill, it is slowly spinning to make the best of the view. As you walk about at the top of the mountain, enjoying the view, the table cloth (clouds) suddenly comes sliding in. It gets cold and humid and you can't see anything. Try to go there before noon!
Don't miss the small animals rock hyrax, called Dassies, that lives there. The story is that they were originally elepfants, that had a very hard time trying to climb the mountain. When they finally reached the top, they had become small animals, no bigger than rats!
This one was taken with my Tokina ProII 2.8/28-70mm, my "standard" zoom.
This black beauty is painting masks with huge lips - not unlike her own.
The Green Market is situated in the central part of Cape Town. The "shop owners" have made small tents out of colourfull fabrics. You can buy all kinds of souveniers, handcrafted art objects or just enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere.
Again my favorite Pentax lens, the A2.8/20mm.
The people who work at the Green Market are friendly and enjoying themselves.
To pass time while waiting for customers this woman was playing a drum, when a friend suddenly came by. In the background a young girl is getting extensions in her hair. This one (also) came through my Pentax SMC A 2.8/20mm wideangle. I cropped the original shot a lot to get close enough.