Turquoise coast

The Turquoise coast, commonly known as the Turkish Riviera, is located on the coast of south west Turkey and lives up to its name. The waters are varying shades of blue and crystal clear. The coastline around Oludeniz is extremely dramatic where tall cliffs plunge into the Aegean Sea. It is very popular with para-gliders who start their journey from Babadağ (a mountain nearly 2000m above sea level) and end it on the beaches of Oludeniz. Oludeniz is also the perfect launch pad for day trips to the neighbouring islands and nearby beaches. Below are just a selection of the many photos taken during a week on the Turquoise coast.

Intense Istanbul

From the architectural beauty of the Blue Mosque to the sound of the calls to prayer and the smell of the narghile (hubbly bubbly, hookah) being smoked, Istanbul is an assault on the senses. The highlights of our visit to Istanbul would have to be the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Spice Bazaar.  The Grand Bazaar is an endless maze of crockery, lamps, jewellery, leather and carpets whereas the Spice Bazaar sells anything from pistachio nougat to Iranian saffron.  Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 AD and has gone from being a church to a mosque to a museum.  The interior is vast and it is humbling to stand inside a building that is nearly 1,500 years old. Topkapi Palace used to be the home of the Ottoman Sultans and is now a museum, of which the harem is the most interesting part.

 The Blue Mosque

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed:1/125

 Carpets and Cushions

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/3.55

Shutter Speed:1/125

 

Teas and Spices

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed:1/60

 

 Shoes for Sale

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 500

Aperture: f/2.8

Shutter Speed:1/60

Lamps in the Grand Bazaar

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/100

 Colourful bowls

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/100 

 Fresh fish in Karakoy Fish Market

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/200

 View of Beyoğlu

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/500

Interior of Hagia Sophia

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 800

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/40

Hagia Sophia at Dusk

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 2 s

Wildlife of Africa

As mentioned in my previous post I went back to South Africa for a two week break and during that time I spent a wonderful week with my folks on the northern coast of Kwazulu-Natal.  We stayed at Cape Vidal which is situated in the southern part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly known as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).  It was somewhere we used to visit when I was younger and has a special place in my heart.  I hadn't been there in about 8 years, so quite a lot has changed.  All the horrible exotic plantations have been removed and the natural vegetation is slowly but surely reclaiming the land.  The animal numbers have increased exponentially and we saw so much on the drives we took through the park.  Below are some of the big and scary's that we saw.

 

Buffalo

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 320

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/400

Waterbuck

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 500

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/250

Vervet Monkeys

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/100

Burchell's Zebra

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed:1/500

 

Greater Crested Terns

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed:1/500

Kudu Cow

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/400

Nile Crocodile

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/250

Samango Monkey

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/50

Ghost Crab

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.0

Shutter Speed:1/250

Grooming Vervet

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/160

Sunrise Sunset

Sunrise or sunset?  I can never decide which is my favourite.  Getting up to watch the sunrise can be a bit of a challenge, but more often than not, very rewarding.  It also means that you are making the most of the day (unless you crawl back into bed that is).  Sunsets are often appreciated more on holiday and usually signify the end of a day full of sightseeing or lazing on the beach.  Do I really have to choose?  Well no matter.  Looking at these pictures takes me straight back there.

Sunrise from Mission Beach, Australia

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5

Shutter Speed:1/60

Sunrise from Mission Beach, Australia

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5

Shutter Speed:1/50

Sunset from Little Venice, Mykonos

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/9

Shutter Speed:1/400

Sunset on La Palma, Canary Islands

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/8

Shutter Speed:1/320

Working at sunset, Mykonos

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/6.3

Shutter Speed:1/320

The Windmills, Mykonos

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed:1/800

Sunset over the Elaphite Islands, Croatia

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/500

Highveld sunset, South Africa

Canon EOS30D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8

Shutter Speed:1/125

Montreal

Begging raccoons and foraging groundhogs are not exactly what I expected to find in Montreal, but I guess I didn't know what to expect.  Our main reason for going to Montreal was to visit our good friend Mayssam, who I must add (apart from being the most wonderful host of course), has two of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen, Moody and Spike.  Spike was pretty shy, but Moody was a true model and I probably took more photos of her than I took during the rest of our stay.

Montreal is an island city (I never knew that) and consists of many different neighbourhoods, each with their own distinct flavour.  Among these is Old Montreal which has a European flair, Downtown feels very North American and the Plateau I would say is a mix between the two (very Montrealian in fact).  And everything is in French (don't worry most of it is in English too) which took a bit of getting used to seeing that we were in a predominantly English speaking country.  I liked it though, and feel that it gives Montreal a uniqueness that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. 

Aside from attractions such as the Olympic Stadium, the Notre-Dame Basilica and Mayssam's cats I would have to say the food markets were the highlight, particularly Jean-Talon.  I saw things there I had never seen before: purple peppers, white peppers, yellow cauliflower, purple cauliflower and white aubergines!  And the produce was ultra-fresh, with peaches so full of flavour they sent me right back to when as a child I used to eat them straight from the tree.  The sheer size of the market was pretty overwhelming, as was the selection of goodies, a true foodie and photographers heaven.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the begging raccoons as we saw them at night on Mont-Royal harassing people coming to enjoy the view.  Below however are a few of the pictures I did manage to take during our stay (and yes there is one of Moody there too).

 

Notre-Dame Basilica

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 1000

Aperture: f/4

Shutter Speed: 1/5

The Aldred building on Place d'Armes

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/250

The dome of Marché Bonsecours

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed: 1/640

 Artichokes at Marché Atwater

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/50

  Reds and greens at Marché Jean-Talon

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/60

 Marché Bonsecours at twlight

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 30 s

 Graffiti

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed: 1/125

  Watchdog

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/80

  Getting ready for winter

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/60

 Moody the model

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 500

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed: 1/40

 Stade Olympique at twilight

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/13.0

Shutter Speed: 30 s

The magic of lanterns at the Jardin botanique de Montréal

Canon EOS7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10.0

Shutter Speed: 5 s