Carol Hamcke-Onstwedder
Be Daring...Be Different
Be Daring...Be Different
Carol Hamcke-Onstwedder
Light in the Atacama
Light in the Atacama

Tribal Kenya

Tribal Kenya: A Study of Infrared Portraits

Kenya, to me, was as much about the people as it was about the wildlife.  On this trip I wanted to capture tribal life.  While my standard Nikon Z7II body  could do 20+ colour settings  as well as black and white in camera--- it lacks tones you can only achieve with using an infrared filter.  Inspired by the outstanding infrared tribal portraits of Piper Mackay (our photography guide on our Kenya trip), we set out to have one of our camera bodies converted to have an infrared sensor, ready for out Kenya safari trip. 

 

Why infrared? 

 

CONTRAST……DETAIL….LIGHT….There is something about the contrast, the details, and the tones that take these images ‘pop’.  The infrared only lets certain bands of light through.  What we have found is that it allows incredible detail and contrast.  And it really works well with these portraits. 

 

In Kenya we visited with the Samburu, the Masai in the Mara and the Masai in Amboseli. Each tribe presented us with smiles, singing, food, and an insight into their daily life.  I was in awe of the bead work of the women and the high jumping of the men.  I was also impressed with their hospitality.

 

These images are presented in chronological order of our visit—Samburu, Masai in the Mara, and our final tribal visit to the Masai in Amboseli.  As with most people, street or portrait shoots, it takes time to find your way on how to approach the shot and to visualize what it is you really want to capture given the conditions. 

 

I hope these images capture your imagination.

 

 

Samburu

Our afternoon with the Samburu was very special. We were first invited to be with the women, They welcomed us with smiles, dance, and song. They danced for us...showing off their beautiful beadwork. Absolutely stunning. Smiles all around from these beautiful women. So welcoming…so special.

Welcome

The men showed us their warrior dress. We. actually saw them paint their warpaint. That, though, I left to the colour camera. These portraits, though, capture the majesty of the Samburu warrior.

Samburu warrior I

Samburu warrior II

 

The Masai in the Mara

The Masai in the Mara welcomed us into their camp, walking with them through their homes and their herds of cattle. This provided an opportunity for a few informal portraits. I like these more candid shots. I wish I had more!

Cattle herders

Mara Masai

 

Masia in Amboseli

This was one of the last shoots of our Safari trip. Throughout this trip I was constantly reminded of the fact that the quality of the guide is key to capturing the moments that you want. It’s about placing you in the place of opportunities. On this entire trip, both wildlife and the tribal shoots, every day brought on something absolutely amazing, always a surprise, never a dull moment.

Amboseli was a dream location for me for the wildlife. However, the Masai shoot will go down as one of my most memorable moments. Piper had the chief of the tribe and his council meet us at our lodge. I was able to chat with the chief in the jeep ride back to the village. l learned about medical care, marriage, and education. Since the chief and I were now friends, I really had to buy goods from his wife…but that’s another story. All for another blog.

When we arrived in the village we were led to an area where the chief and other tribe members were set up along the rocks for portrait opportunities. It was magic. In this shoot I went around to many of the Masai and had conversations while I was shooting.  They relaxed, they laughed, they chatted. Yes, one of the those wonderful moments where you think that the world is small, and that we always have so much to learn.  After each portrait shoot  I showed them the images.  Big smiles all around.  I must have been pretty intimidating as I had two camera bodies with me, shooting both in full-on colour and infrared. What I came away with that day were a series of stunning images, but more importantly, a treasure of memories.

Masai, Amboseli, A portrait

This last picture in this blog is one of my favourites from the entire trip.  To me it is like the Annie Liebowitz Oscars shot.  Yes, it is posed.  Yes, it is a portrait of the tribe.  Yes, it demonstrates the confidence and pride of this tribe as owners and guardians of their land.

magical moments, many memories…

BLUR....

“in the blur of the photograph, time leaves its gleaming, snail-like track”.

Wright Morris

 

A gallery of blur is what I have on offer today.  This is not a gallery of long exposure photographs that require a tripod to capture the flow of water.  This is a gallery of street photography, shooting on the run, trying to be creative through the lens.  It means shooting at  super slow shutter speeds with the aperture as high as possible and/or the ISO as low as it can get so the photo is not overexposed.  It’s about me moving the camera or letting the scene in front of me move through my lens. 

Some like this work.  They find it artsy and creative.  Others find it gimmicky.  Is this a photograph?  Really? They complain it is not sharp.  Well??? Exactly!

I am not going to say much on this blog.  I am going to let  the pictures speak for themselves. 

Do you get a sense of energy?  Do you find the photograph impressionistic? Do you find it creative?  These are the challenges I set.  In these photographs I am trying to create something new, something different, something no one else will capture.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

on blur…….

Blur can add a sense of nostalgia to the photo…

Embankment Encounter

From Here to There, Joo Chiat

Light Play

 

Blur can add a sense of chaos

Killer Corner

 

Blur captures the essence of movement and change

Go!

Sari on the Run

Frolick

 

blur creates a sense of motion and energy

 

Blur represents the fleeting nature of life

 

sometimes the blur can be more beautiful than the focus

Gathering

Pink In Flight

 

creative…..abstract…the power of blur

360° Photo Awards

WOW!

Today I am going to talk to you about the photographs I submitted to the 360° photo award competition,  that were then recognized as award winning photographs. 

 

You can probably imagine the surprise and delight I experienced having received this email in December 2022. 

 

360 Degrees Photo Awards - Winners Announced 

I have the pleasure to announce the 360 photography awards International and Australian photographers of the year.

International Photographer of the Year: Hamcke-Onstwedder 
Carol’s love  of photography began as she was given her first Instamatic camera at age 6.   Mentored by her father, using a hand-held light meter along with her father’s Argus, the passion for taking photos began.  Her first proper camera was  Nikon FM.  Her first real photography project was a documentary piece of work on the  displacement of a local community because of building expansion plans.  Then life got in the way…work…family, etc.  Fast forward to 2016 where she joined three world-class photographers on a photo tour in the Atacama and Altiplano. Now her  photographic journey was about to begin in earnest. Carol is self-taught with the guidance of masters in the field, who have helped her hone her skills and encouraged her to approach her work with energy and creativity. 

Focussing on light, textures, patterns, she has continually tried to push her own boundaries to create innovative and interesting natural and urban landscape photographs.  Her people shots incorporate both her public policy background in a rather documentary approach and a travel/street  photography approach which has been developing over time to creatively capture the moment.  Whether it is abstract architecture, photographing in the rainforest,  trying to capture the beauty of big views, or getting that amazing wildlife moment, Carol is always challenging herself to produce something different.  Carol is currently based in Singapore where she leads photo walks around the island, sharing with others her passion for exploring Singapore through the lens.  Carol currently shoots with a Nikon Z7II, Nikon FM, and a Nikon FC converted to infrared.

 

four photographs were recognised:

·       Landscape:        2022 Gold Award Winner 1st Place

·       People:             2022 Silver Award Winner Runner-up and 5th Place

·       Wildlife:            2022 Gold Award Winner 2nd Place

 

 Landscape: GOLD - 1st Place

“Layers”

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Nikon Z7II, Nikkor 24 - 200 f/4-6.3

Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s south island, within Fiordland National Park.  This park is a huge rainforest, with an average rainfall of 252 inches each year, the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand.  It was no surprise to have cloud, mist, and rain on our visit here.

 

Mountains drop precipitously directly into the sound.  Sheer rockfaces line the fjord, rising 1,200 meters or more on either side.  The combination of the mist with the many rock faces that line the fiord provided the  superb conditions to capture the ‘layers’ of the peaks in Milford Sound. 

 

This is a classic view looking down the fjord from the  small village of Milford Sound.  When it rains, it is a place of hundreds of waterfalls.  When there is cloud or mist, it is a place of layers appearing and disappearing.  This is a classic view looking towards Mitre Peak, and The Elephant, and the Lion—all high peaks at the innermost sections of the fiord. 

 

We had mist…we had cloud…we had the mountains…we had all the conditions  to capture this moody moment at Milford Sound.

 

People: Silver Award - 2nd place

“Monk Portrait I”

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Nikon Z7II; Nikkor 24-200 f/4.0-6.3

Siem Reap, Cambodia…a land of ancient ruins…a land of Buddhist culture.  Quiet.. Meditative…This monk at Chuen Srey Vibol encapsulated all of this for me.  The incense burning, his eyes closed—deep in thought.  This is an image that I visualized and I wanted to get on my photo journey in Cambodia.  I love the perspective of looking up.  I love the seriousness of the monk.  I love the atmosphere that the burning incense fills the photo with.  I had many photos from this morning, but this is the one that captured the essence of the moment, at least for me.

 

People: Silver Award - 5th Place

“Fisherman, Tonle Sap”

Tonle Sap, Cambodia

Nikon Z7II; Nikkor 24-200f/4.0-6.3

This photo is part of a larger series where I explore the impact of the upper Mekong dams, primarily in China, on the livelihoods of these fishermen and the biodiversity in this unique biodiversity hotspot.  The ebb and flow of the Mekong is crucial to this body of water as a breeding ground for thousands of species of fish.  When I was here I wanted to explore Tonle Sap with this “sustainability” hat on.  I will be doing a dedicated blog about life on Tonle Sap in the future.

 

I was delighted with this photograph of this fishermen.  I went out with a local Cambodian photographer early in the morning.  While most tourists come for the sunset cruise, I wanted to see the village as a working village.  I arrived as the sun was rising and work was already beginning in the village. As we floated down one of the inlets on this huge body of water we came upon this fisherman...standing in the water as he is checking his nets…cigarette and all.…hard work…. Captured.

 

Wildlife: Gold Award - 2nd place

“Shake”

The Mara, Kenya

Nikon Z7II; Nikkor 100-400 f/4.5-5.6

We were in the Mara, looking for big cats.  Led by Piper Mackay, we were not disappointed.  On this day in particular I got one of my best shots of the trip.

 

We followed this leopard for quite some time as it walked  through the bush in the rain.  At one point it climbed up on a mound.  I overheard Piper say something like—"I wonder if he will do the shake”…I thought if this animal did a ‘shake’ then I needed to slow my shutter speed down as I really wanted to water to flow—not be pin sharp.  I quickly put the shutter way down—from 1/1000 where I normally shoot to get sharp wildlife photos, down to 1/80.  I knew I  had only one chance.  It was a split-second decision to move the shutter speed to this level.  And in the next split second there was the SHAKE!  I was ecstatic to capture this moment.

 

 

All of these photos have a story…

 

And with this award I can add to my story as cho-photography.

 

Singapore Green

Canopy

Canopy

Singapore is modern.  Singapore has architecture that could rival any other city.  But what I love about Singapore, is that Singapore has GREEN.

 

Whether I am walking locally in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, or in the newly planted Gardens by the Bay, or the numerous parks and reserves and protected green spaces, I cannot help but be in awe of the beauty of its trees, flowers and the “wild” of its wildlife.

Monitor lizards….

They lumber along in parks near the developed city and in the mangroves of the protected spaces.  They hide in trees and are so quiet as they walk that sometimes you could miss them as you wander through the woods.  They are the elders of the rainforest here.

Birds…

I am not a bird photographer… I dabble in bird pictures very opportunistically.  I wanted to share a few shots as all these species are unknown to me, having lived primarily in the northern hemisphere in temperate climates with temperate forests, where the primary bird is usually a LBJ (little brown job).  But here in Singapore we can see some beauties, some of which are endangered because of declining habitats and forests where they can forage for food.  The Oriental-Pied hornbill is probably the most unusual species here in Singapore.  I have spotted them in the wild and on the nearby balconies.  I should start a Balcony Birds series!!!

Monkeys…

Monkeys…found in many of the green areas in the water catchment areas and even in the Botanic Gardens.  While they might be used to people walking around, I still am not used to them.  Playful…always in packs…really fun to watch.

 And then there is the GREEN…

There are the tall trees that form the canopy of the rainforest.  There are the mangroves that weave a tangled web of roots to secure the edges of the shores.  There are the vines that hang from the trees which create curtains throughout the forests. There are the roots that cover the forest floor.   There is a  rich colour green that can only be found in these tropical places.  There are palm leaves that cast shadows and create nature’s own art.  Some of these leaves so large that they are nearly as large as me!   They shine in the sun and glisten in the rain.  

Singapore Green.  These are just a few images that I have curated here to present boundless beauty in the green spaces of Singapore.  

 

Just launched is the newly curated Singapore Nature Gallery…highlighting just a few of the many images I have of this GREEN on the Red Dot of Singapore. Feast your eyes on the natural beauty that can be found here.

On the Street in Singapore

These past few months I have been out and about here in Singapore, exploring neighbourhoods to capture daily life in Singapore. I have barely scratched the surface in this pursuit.

Singapore, despite its small population size of approximately 5.8m, is surprisingly diverse with so many cultural traditions and holidays celebrated throughout the year. Singapore’s neighbourhoods reflect its cultural heritage, such as Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam (the Arab quarter), Geylang, Balestier Rd, and Joo Chiat…. they are all colourful…they all are filled with local shops, hawker markets, temples, and community centres…they all have their own histories.

I would like to share a few images of daily life in Singapore with you today.

Hawker Markets are bursting with colour and action… a photographer’s dream. Local cuisines, fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, and lastly—the special peanut pancake only to be found at Tanglin Halt.

Despite the Covid lockdowns and reduced social activities, there is still a lot of street life…businesses like the flower stalls in Little India, a wedding in Joo Chiat, men playing traditional Chinese checkers in Chinatown, people visiting temples in Little India, tending to one’s birds at the Kebun Baru Birdsong club, and jaywalking in Geylang because it’s the only way to cross the street. Tradition, culture, heritage…all here…on the streets.

Even on rainy days people are out and about. Another photographer’s dream as you capture the glistening streets and reflections.

Singapore’s religious diversity through photographs is another route a photographer could take to portray daily life in Singapore. There are small temples set up even in offices and hawker markets where people leave offerings. There is so much to learn here.

And lastly, there is Old Singapore…My last photograph in this series is about nostalgia. This photo was taken from a 40-year old Nikon FE film camera. The location is on one of Singapore’s surrounding islands. It is here where you can still get a taste for life in the kampong….slower…simpler. This picture is of the taxi drivers waiting for fares under the cover of shade as the bumboats from the big island come over. There are not many chances to view what the large island of Singapore was like before its development of high-rise living and a super charged architectural scene in its central business district. But on Pulau Ubin one can get a glimpse.

“Waiting for Fares”

“Waiting for Fares”

Throughout the first six months of 2021 I have been building up my Singapore portfolio…. exploring areas not in my neighbourhood. I am discovering Singapore...learning….and appreciating life on the ‘Red Dot’. I hope to be sharing more with you soon.

Abstract Achitecture


“Architecture is inhabited sculpture”

Constantin Brancusi



Having arrived in Singapore just a year ago, I cannot fail to be amazed at the abundance of interesting and audacious architecture that has been built during the past few decades. Not only is the architecture stunning taken in its whole, but the detail work embedded in the design is art in and of itself. 

I have undertaken in my walks in the CBD (central business district) to capture the lines, patterns, and colours that relentlessly are put before you. It is with these structures that I have created what I call my ‘abstract architecture’ collection…a gallery that is beginning to take shape as I continue to explore.

 

I thought I would preview some of my work here.  Have a look at what I am seeing through my lens…

 

THE ESPLANADE

Architects:  DP Architects of Singapore and Michael Wilford & Partners

Esplanade at night

The first building that captured my interest was the Esplanade - Theatres by the Bay, or simply, The Esplanade. The building was officially opened October 2002 

The unique architectural design of the roof has been likened to a durian—a tropical fruit found across southeast Asia.  The structure was not meant to look like a durian, but the glass roof had to be altered to provide some shade from the equatorial heat/sun, otherwise we would have had a very large greenhouse!   As a result we have a very interesting roof structure from a photographic point of view.

For a photographer, the more than 7,000 triangular sunshades provide endless abstract photo compositions. In every kind of light the roof is a different colour.   At night it sparkles, during the day it looks gold, and the blue hour light creates an almost purple hue.  

 

My collection is only beginning…. 

 

The ArtScience Building

Architect: Moshe Safdi

Moonrise I

The lotus-shaped ArtScience was opened in 2011- - a museum which features major exhibitions that blend art, science, culture, and technology.    It has also been referred to  as “The Welcoming Hand of Singapore”. 

The design is anchored by a round base with 10 extensions referred to as fingers, sporting skylights at the ‘fingertips”—providing sustainable lighting for the curved interior walls.  

This building often features in the lights shows around the Marina Bay area.  These night shots were taken in the lead up to the holiday season, Dec 2020. 

Walking along, under the ‘fingertips” I was mesmerized by the colour and shapes.  Playful photography … abstract ... creative …. Look through my lens….

 

MARINA ONE RESIDENCE  

Architect: ingenhoven architects

Green Curves

Marina One Residence is something special indeed.  Upon entering you cannot fail to be amazed at the lines and shapes and geometry of the structure with its centrepiece  “Green Heart”, the largest public landscaped area in the Marina Bay Central Business District of Singapore.  While it comprises four-high rise buildings, it is hard to distinguish as they sit behind a series of louvers and what could be mistaken for something like a roller coaster track. The colour scheme is earthy  and calm and its organic shape is inspired by Asian paddy field terraces.  The gardens create a green sustainable feel in this urban landscape.   As soon as you walk into the centre of the complex, you can feel the calm of the design.   

It is here that “architecture is inhabited sculpture” - - Constantin Brancusi

I have already been here 5 times to photograph, and I ALWAYS come away with something new.  In my mind this building is outstanding, architecturally and from a sustainability point of view.  And as a photographer…I will never be bored here.  

 

Through my lens….

Horizontal

“The earth is art; the photographer is only a witness.”
— Yann Arthus

As one walks through a forest, one usually looks up at the trees. Trees are vertical. We look up, rarely ever do we look down through a forest.

However, as we walked in the New Forest this late November day, the forest was transformed. Only a few colourful leaves clung to the branches of the trees. And what we witnessed was the ‘horizontal’ nature of trees….the delicate horizontal structure of trees.

So, take a moment and just wonder with me.

Horizontal Colours I

Walking though this forest was like walking in a Seurat or Klimt painting. Just look at the delicate leaves as they just barely remain on the trees . The next windy or rainy day will tear these leaves off the trees, and autumn will then yield to winter.

Horizontal. Colours II

Today I understood that trees are also horizontal.

Just wonder. Appreciate the beauty that our forests hold.

Namibia Night Sky

“The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night”
— Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance

Deadvlei Night Sky

Deadvlei Night Sky. This was just an amazing evening. A group of photographers, including me, were huddled under the starry sky here in Deadvlei Namibia. We were with Marsel van Oosten and Daniella Sibbing. Here I learned about the importance of foreground in astrophotography pictures. Here I also learned about lighting the foreground. Here I also learned about the importance of focussing. I learned not to move my focus once astronomical darkness was upon us. It is more difficult to get a sharp shot if you have moved anything. especially as we were now on manual focus. I learned, but I also just marvelled at what was before me. And I was so excited to be able to capture such a majesty in the night sky.

Remnants of the Milky Way

Astrophotography is not for the fain-hearted. It requires preparation and stamina. Here in Spitskoppe I was up way before sunrise to capture this panorama. Though I was primarily getting ready for the sunrise, I found myself mesmerised by the ‘blue hour’ light of the early morning and the fading night sky. And I also loved the spread of the Milky Way across the rocky desert landscape. So I quickly took a series of images that I hoped could be put together for a panorama Milky Way shot. This image is comprised of 10 shots that were then were stitched together post processing. I love the colour, the sweep of the stars, and the planet shining bright—all making this just a lovely image.

Worth the 4:30am alarm. Worth carrying the gear and the tripod.

The Namibia night sky…something special indeed

Portrait: Tibet

““It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.”
— Paul Caponigro”

Strong Woman

“Strong Woman”. Everest Base Camp, 5200m, Tibet.

The Himalayas are very special to me. It is spiritual in a way that is indescribable; it also is a place where I recalibrate every time. I am humbled by the locals with their basic accommodations and many time meager means of livelihood compared to a western standard. Yet..they seem to be thankful and grateful for what they have. So I recalibrate…I don’t get mad when my internet goes down…because I have internet. I don’t get frustrated when our boiler breaks, because mostly I have central heating. When I am here I realise I should just be grateful for all that I have….so I recalibrate…

This picture is taken at North Base Camp in Tibet. We were not there at a time of year when the expeditions were underway. But this woman is there. She is there and her job is to sell prayer flags throughout the year. If it is not expedition time, then she sells the flags to tourists like me. And I buy them as I believe it is a way to support her livelihood. She is there and there is NOTHING else around. She is there because she needs to be able to earn money to support her family. They live in shacks or tents by the side of the road. No plumbing. No internet. No indoor heating. No running water. But she is there, because this is how she can survive. Hence, the image is entitled “Strong Woman”.

I love this photo. I love the leading lines of the prayer flags. I love that she is all bundled up to protect herself from the weather. I love that the background so nicely frames her. I like that she is looking at me. Her character shines in this photo. She is STRONG.

Be Daring...Be Different

““Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slave of the ordinary”. Cecil Beaton”

 

YES, YES, and YES!    It is in these pictures especially that I am looking at colour, shapes, texture, patterns…trying to create something extraordinary.  I “go in tight”, flip the image around, move the camera, open the lens wide open, layer, overexpose … the list goes on.  

All the photographers that I have travelled with see things that others don’t, and this makes them special.  I am trying to see things that others don’t and produce images that evoke emotion or are graphic.  Some call it abstract, but then some don’t like the word abstract.  Some call it creative, but I think all the work I do is creative in its own way.   I am constantly reminded by Art Wolfe’s mantra “art in nature”.

Water Fall

Water Fall

This first image was taken on the northern Cornwall Coast where my husband and I were having a one-on-one with Ross Hoddinnott, a local professional photographer. We arrived at Sandymouth Bay. The tide was out. The views magnificent with different light from passing clouds and showers in the distance. But up close there was also much to be had. Just at the entrance to the beach was a rocky outcrop. And from that outcrop was a small ‘waterfall’. I took many full frame pictures including the waterfall and the surrounding rock. But the image that I loved was this detail of nature—the water racing down over the multi-coloured rocks. To me this was the ‘art in nature’ that I was looking for.

 

Tsingy Shadows

This second image was taken in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Madagascar. The landscape in Tsingy is characterized by needle-shaped and needle-sharp karst limestone formations. To get here we had to trek in and embark on technical climbs up various ladders and rocks and through caves that required a bit of slithering. We were on steel cables as safety measures to enable a rescue if we slipped. So, not only was this well beyond my comfort zone, I had very little time to think about the photograph when we got to the top of the Grand Tsingy. Some of this was because it was very hot… no lunch…no room for water in the camera bag …. shattered upon arrival. And to really add to the exhausting atmosphere, the platform had a railing on only one side—with these razor sharp tsingy beckoning from below. Most uncomfortable. On the platform a group of photographers were clamouring to get “the shot”. So, I embarked on a different path. This is my most creative image of the day from this site. I went in tight I captured the golden light of the sun, and the shadows of the tsingy needles.…’art in nature’.

 

Snow Texture

Detail…in nature this can be so beautiful. This last image on the “go-in-tight’ genre, or rather focusing on the details, was taken in Lofoten, Norway. I was on a photo trip with Art Wolf, Ignacio Palacios, and Kevin Raber. We walked to the end of the road on the archipelago. We came upon snow covered rocks on the shore of one of the inlets. The sun was glistening and the snow was fresh, as it had just stopped a few minutes earlier. Who would have thought that such a simple view of snow-covered rocks could result in such an artistic image! Texture…patterns…and just so soft and beautiful…but again this is not your typical landscape picture of the large view. You would be hard pressed to figure out where it is taken. But for me, all you need to see is the beauty that nature offers up to us all the time. Sometimes …it really is in the details.

I have many more types of ‘experimental’ or creative takes on our natural and built environment.  And over the course of my blog, Galleries, and ProjectS, I will hope to share with you my enthusiasm and wonder about our world and how there are so many ways each of us can see it.