31.7.11

31.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
31.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Three Ostriches near Cape of good Hope (and Cape Point) in the famous golden light of the Africa version of the golden hour. And after the quick sunset (can anybody explain in simple words why it gets a lot faster dark than in Switzerland - post it in the comments please) it like someone switched it off - dark, very dark.

Light: AL

30.7.11

30.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
30.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Zuki Matamo - offers massage at her stall at the Hout Bay Indoor Market. Marc can recommend her head and neck massage. She is coached by Margie, who is helping her to manage an own little business. Zuki lives in the close by township Imizamo Yethu and was very kind to let me take her portraiture after finishing her lunch.
I also made a picture of her college Nontsi Sikhphe. Thank you both for modelling for me.
I hope these pictures can be of any use to push your business - good fortune.

For my part this was the first stranger portrait in Africa, after I decided to continue taking them here in Cape Town Area yesterday.

Light: SB26 in a lumiquest III, 24mm, 1/32 power, handheld left and above on a ETTL Cable, that doesen't work ETTL wise with the Nikon (of course).

29.7.11

29.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
29.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Seafood in Cape Towns Panama Jack's is great - we verified this fact tonight in this harbour workers shack - eating delishious tunafish.
After a day where we traveled with Minitaxi and train and visited Montebello we went out for dinner.

Light: AL, Tokina 11-16mm, f 2.8, 1/4sec handheld, lens resting on the table

28.07.11

28.07.11 by jenswinkler.ch
28.07.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Hi everybody. I am back online in South Africa. There is a Gap to be filled from the 19.7.11 when I get back home. So I will just continue writing from here on. I had a harddisk crash (probably from the flight) and some software problems with the Canon Software on this borrowed Computer of my brother in law, so Post is not top and no borders etc. but so what - I am on vecation.

Today we visited the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, ZA, because it was raining today. I just had my small G11 Camera with me to feel more relaxed, but in this was unnecessairy, because all the tourist were walking around with their DSLR in front of their stomach.
This is a Jelly Fish (do you know Lewis Armstrong...) and I like the contrast with the screens in the background.

Light: AL and Ultra-Violet

27.7.11

27.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
27.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Today I had a good idea that turned out to be a bad idea…
I decided after talking todays plans over with Marc, that I would take my Canonbaby with me hanging on the sun sniper strap, to free me from the backpack etc.
Sofar so well. But walking through the
Malay Quarter called Bo-Kaap (Capetown) Marc said, it would be better to hide it away. From their on I felt very unconfy, trying to cover it up with my raincoat. The next days I changed taktics and carried the G11 in a pocket, if I felt unsecure.
The children played here beeing the only ones, the grownup were standing around and kind of looking to all sides secretly.

Light: Overcast sky

26.7.11

26.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
26.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Our guest house in Joburg.
Behind some impressive fences we returned to the nice place we had left a few days ago. The scissors between rich and poor is very wide open in ZA and I can't ignore or forget it, but start to adpat and get used to it. I belong to the rich, others are poor. That is a fact. No cheating here.

Light: AL + oncamera Flash to backwall above me.

25.7.11

25.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
25.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Warthog child.
Well know from the lion king wee saw several - but be aware, they can attack you kamikaze sti head on and will defend their children that way against lions and lepards.
Our guide said, they have faces only a mother can love.

Light: ZA Morning sun

24.7.11

24.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
24.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Burchell’s zebra in Welgevonden (http://www.welgevonden.org) on a evening drive. A night in luxery accomodations and with guided safari.

Light: ZA golden hour

23.7.11

23.9.11 by jenswinkler.ch
23.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Marc as a ranger in South Africas golden hour.
We stayed at a game ranch and took a guided walk with the manager (who carried a gun…). You are closer to wildlife that way and even though we didn't see alot of animals it was exiting to know, that maybe a lepard is watching us.

Light: AL

22.7.11

22.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
22.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Another day on safari. The kids were amazing. After a very early milk we forgot about time driving through Pilansberg eagerly spotting lions, giraffes, antilopes, rhinos, etc.
Here you see an inside view of us approaching a very large male elephant. They can be aggressiv and you are supposed to turn of the motor and remain very quiet. But this guy here decided to walk on the dirtroad toward us and cross our car 1m away. He might have heard all our harts beating loudly…

Light: Ambient + 430EX in manual mode on a cable, lying between Simon and Tanja on the bench, poiniting upwards and slightly forward, with a ½ CTS

21.7.11

21.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
21.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Today we drove around Pilanesberg with our rented car. It is amazing to see all these zoo animals in their more or less natural environment. It takes a while for your eyes to get used to spot them. At the begining we often stopped for nice stones :-)) But then you start to see more and more (seeing 10% of all animals probably). I just like this picture and the light on this Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum - the most abundant subspecies of rhino in the world), standing in the evening sun. The 2x Extender really started to be my allways-on during safari, giving me a 640mm f5.6 lens on a 7D.

Light: Africas evening sun

20.7.11

20.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
20.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Our first day in Southafrica. After meeting Marc and Tanja, showering and eating, we drove to Pilanesberg. I walked around the bungalows and this bird picture was one of my first Afirca Animals pictures.
Grey Go-away-bird (Corythaixoides concolor), also known as Grey Lourie, Grey Loerie, or Kwêvoël.

Light: AL

19.7.11

19.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
19.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Day 200 - Myself and to anybody else who reached day 200 of 365: Bravo!

I am nervous, because tomorow I will be in Africa for the first time. Expect some delay in day by day blogging, I dont know how these things will work in Southafrica, specialy on game drives!!!!
And a upcoming Portrait Shoot is already booked for Capetown. I feel like a VIP. Here is my gear coming with me -so don't bather to try to rob my fotogear while I am away.

Click on the Photo to see all the detail notes in Flickr.

Light: AL + bounced 580EX of the wall left to me

18.7.11

18.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
18.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Travelling fever is catching up. Iphone histomatic foto of train passengers in Bern, Switzerland

17.7.11

17.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
17.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Her ram attacked me while I was trying to make some pictures. Serious!
We visited friends today and they have sheep. So the kids wanted to see them. I knew about the ram beeing a little bit dangerous. So I approached with respect to make some pictures of the lams. This sheep was curious and I snaped a picture of her - and the ram reacted jealously and tried to headbang my leg - gladly I saw him coming and resisted his blow and started a conter attack - so we now respect each other:-)
(No living beeing was injured - just saying - for anybody out there, who could feel sorry for the ram.)

Light: Rainy Sky

16.7.11

16.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
16.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Today I found a foot of a corpse in the garden. I worked a lot around the house this afternoon - mowed the lawn, cut some branches, picked some apricots, continued with the tree house, hung some laundry, painted the balcony handrail of my father in law and found this cut of foot of a Yeti or something under a bush.
Everything is true, except for one issue - the laundry ;-))

Ok, if you wish, you can replace the Yeti and the cut of part and ad <I stupidly hit my big toe against a rock, bent the nail up, bursed, hit it again later and lighted it to give it at least one purpose - as model of the day".

Light: SB26 with blackstrawgrid, 85mm, 1/16 power, a foot infront of my toe, standing on the ground and pointing down a little bit, Skyport, and a little post work too.

Making of here.
Original without post processing here.

15.7.11

15.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
15.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Looking for a pattern, the combination of artificial and organic woke my interest.

Light: 580EX on a ETTL Cable fro left, in a lumiquest III, from 8 o clock sideways.

This is a pullback shot of the dramatic scene: www.flickr.com/photos/32830690@N08/5941277899/

14.7.11

14.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
14.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Flavian - my workout buddy. He is one of the most I know, what makes him very interesting to talk to. I love our workouts fillied with philosophical discussions (and the surprised looks we get). He has been a mechanic, teacher, watchman, writer, artist, agency manager and so on and so on. Do you want to give him some work? Give it a try, he might be interested. If he does something, he does it more intensiv than others. Also working out - one of the only guys, who ate chicken legs (without the skin) for 500+ consequtive lunches or so. I hate that diet consequence he has - I just not compatible with my way of seizeing the day and family life.
Thank you for modeling, kick-ass college.



Light: 430EX + 2EV, 35mm, handheld on a ETTL wire with 1/2 CTS from 10 o'clock, manual ambient exposure

Here a ambient workout shot.

13.7.11

13.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
13.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Rainy day. So I played with some lights.

Light: SB26 1/2 power, 50mm, 1 CTB from straight below the window, 580EX 1/2 power, 50mm with red Lee gel from above the window (both shooting parallel to the window-plane), Skyport and optic trigger

See making of

12.7.11

12.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
12.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

My birthday - 43!.
I suffered for art tonight by dripping some hot wax on my hand - instead of my head - and have blisters now. The mean thing is, that it was useless, I had to help myself with modeling clay, the wax basis woudn't stick to my head, event after heating it.

Light: SB26 in Mini DIY beautydish boomed just over my head, 1/2 power, skyport

11.7.11

11.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
11.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

After editing till late yesterday I decided, that today a quick shot with my Hipstamatic iphone app will be all for today.
I just started to use it and find it interesting.

Light: AL...

10.7.11

10.7.11 A by jenswinkler.ch
10.7.11 A, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Sirin and Céline - If you aint 8bar, your not 8bar! (Ger: Bist du nicht 8bar, bist du nicht 8bar!). They work in a bar called 8bar in Basel (http://www.8bar.ch/).
As I understood, they were having their Girls Sunday Night Out as usual.
You see my resoults of another Street Photography Stranger Shooting with Peter and Martin. This time we setup infront of the holy Minster of Basel. You see a side door as Background. Everybody setup their lights and for some time we had like 5 flashes and lightmodifyers standing around, looking quit impressing. It was harder to find a model today, but finally Sirin and Céline were cool enough to model - thank you. Send me a Email, if you want your pictures.

10.7.11 B by jenswinkler.ch
10.7.11 B, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Light: 580EX 3 o'clock in a 60cm softbox, shoulder high, 1/1 -0,7, SB600 at 9 o'clock 1/2 power through umbrella, SB 26 at 1/16, 24mm behind subject pointing at the door, skyports.

9.7.11

9.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
9.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Ping Pong.
Sometimes you have something when you have to have something - just saying.
I went out tonight and took my DSLR with me - and diden't shoot, but I waited for models to cross after drinking some beer. I diden't feel like asking somebody, although lots of people where neetly dressed up for Saturday night. So I stood there and had this background in mind.
I drove home and looked for an other subject, but couldn't find anything.
Quitting tonight? Not. So I looked at the pictures I took and decided, that it can't be a topshot everey day -
so for tonight, the background is all you get - and a little bit of phantasie - Ping Pong lights.

8.7.11

8.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
8.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
We went to a concert today - Patent Ochsner - a Swiss Band. Taking pictures was vorbidden, so I just had my Iphone with me - and saw this on the way to the toilet... I guess, these are the leftovers of the guys who took pictures without permission.

Iphone foto.

Light: AL

7.7.11

7.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
7.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Christian - his main gaol was to look nicer than Franz in 17.3.11 - we all work out at the same place.
I saw this holes in the roof and new, I had to include them.

Light: 430EX on a ETTL cable from 10 o'clock, breasthigh, +0.6EV

6.7.11

6.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
6.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Monika - smiling sun. We haven't seen each other for a while and her familiy came over for a barbecue. So they where not aware that someone had to volunteer as a model :-) I pressed Monika a bit and
her husband immediately gave advice how to pose, I guess he knows the beautiful sides of Monika better than anybody else.
Monika likes to take pictures herself and said, that she always laughs on photographs. That seems to be quit true - and that makes it nice to be around you, because a sympathetic laugh is like a little sunshine. Thank you for stepping in.

Light: 530EX in a 60cm softbox on axis from above the head, 1/2 power, 24mm, 1/2 CTS, SB26 on axis through a white shootthrough umbrella from waisthigh, 1/4 power, 35mm, SB 26 from 11 o'clock as hairlight, 85mm, 1/8 power,
all Skyported

5.7.11

5.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
5.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.
Where is everybody? I saw alot of interesting models at the riverside today, but there was no time for me to take a picture. At night when I had time, there was no more Rhine nearby and I went looking for a model in my small village - nobody out there at all - I drove around and maybe I saw a couple walking far away - that was all: Summervacation...
Not even children on the playground. So I portraid this sad little horse feeling lonely.
Joan Baez: Where have all the children gone...

LIght: 430EX at 1/2 Power, 105mm Zoom, handheld and triggerd by me because I had no lightstand and tripod with me.
I think I flashed it 2 times after the Camera went of with a selftimer - look at the heads shadow

4.7.11

4.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
4.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Wow, funny day today. Can't get a decission made, no matter what. Not during work, nor creativ wise. I was sitting on my office stairs waiting for a vicitm - and nobody useable passed:-) So I took this shot out fooling araound with my camera and thought, there would be more to come later at night - and then things turned out different and this was more or less what i had. So I made it a challenge to make something out of it - and therefor got to dig into Niks Color Effex pro more than before. So this is the shot of a day, boring street with BMW.

Light: AL

3.7.11

3.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
3.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

I crossed the middle of 365 days a half a day ago. Proud of myself? Yep!
I hat alot of nice stranger and nonstranger models, fun, stress and nights beeing tired but with a goal in my head. And the feeling, that I am getting more and mor confi with my gear, dealing with it day after day. There is more to come, of which you might get a hint out of todays model: Dynamic fotodundee climping over every obstacle.
There is africa to come soon (see the shirt - I don't know if what will happen to the blog / flickrstream during my trip), craftmans work (the shoes), weather (the hat), gear (the backpack and the tripd case), movement (the jump) and lights (3 Strobes and the sun) - and don't forget million of details, like the remote controle in my left hand (which sets of a 2 sec delay picture and made me jump 25 times or so...) - lol - lots of fun and learning opportunities to come. I learnt, that creativ cluelessness turns around, if you embrace it.

Light: Don't ask where they are...
SB26 bare at 1/4 from behind, 50mm, to enlight the Backpack, SB26 at 1/2 power, 24mm through umbrella, 580EX in Flash2softbox 50x70cm at 24mm, 1/1power -0.7ev, skyports, sun from left upper corner

2.7.11

2.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
2.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Zoo at night - we just returned, everybody tired, alot of people and freaks with big lenses and tripods and stuff.
Actutally I wanted to make a shot McNally once did - crocodile eyes glowing in the dark - but flashes where not allowed. So I'll take this rhino for today - sometimes it helps to have thick skin, specially if you are a parent and the children have to get used to vacation.

LIght: Sunset / dawn (AL)

1.7.11

1.7.11 by jenswinkler.ch
1.7.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Call with SUNSET - not only for teens and twens.
There is a telecom company here called sunrise (www.sunrise.ch) - and I tryed to pic up their look - but including the often excluded - elderly people. This is my mother in law Vera, who spontaniously jumped in as a model while beeing disturbed gardening by me. "I have never modelled in my life" she said and then posed like she had done this her entire life. Thank you, Vera.

AL: Sun behind her head in the evening

30.6.11

30.6.11 by jenswinkler.ch
30.6.11, a photo by jenswinkler.ch on Flickr.

Water - pooring in. This picture was not converted to b/w, this is the colored picture. The bowl is black. I was rather surprised by the whitness of the main stream.

Light: Two Sb26, 1/64 power optical triggered by 7D flash (down at 1/128), comming in from 9 and 1 o'clock.