Venice

Venice known as the floating city, the city of bridges, city of canals, city of masks

 and to be honest a city you will get lost in.

Built on muddy sediment and salt marshes this city is a maze of narrow alleyways and little bridges crossing canals that weave throughout the buildings that are crumpling and dipping lower in the sea every year. But luckily for us getting lost is just another excuse to have an adventure and Venice is the perfect city to explore.  

A city held up by alder wood pylons that have been driven down into some 100ft of silt is of course always going to be a magical place. Yet with a population of roughly 60 000 people it is today a city whose population is outnumbered by tourists on almost a daily basis in summer, some may argue that it's magical allure is fading. I personally felt very overwhelmed by Venice and its crowds the first time that I visited it, but what Venice needs is a second chance. A chance for it to show people its quieter more normal side. Now after having been to Venice more than thirteen times with a group I was finally able at the end of my summer season to go back to the islands on my own holiday to explore more and I discovered that the magic is not fading at all, changing yes perhaps but Venice will always have its allure. And if you take a chance and a few wrong turns you will find parts of Venice that are quietly beautiful in their serene state of ruin with water lapping at its door.

The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed bridge connecting the Doge's Palace (Venetian Duke's and the rulers) and the prisons. Lord Byron named the bridge after he imagined the sigh prisoners would no doubt give as they crossed the bridge for the last time on the way to be put to death. These stone lace windows on the bridge would be their last look at freedom and their beloved Venice. 

San Marco (St Mark's Square) is the most famous square in Venice and is crowned with St Mark's Basicilia and the campanile (bell tower). 

A view of Santa Della Maria across the grande canal. 

Graffiti art protesting against the amount of tourists and the use of automatic boats on the canals can be found throughout the city. 

Act like a local and go buy some fresh produce at the markets where all the locals buy their fresh fish. 

The contrast of old and new in Venice is everywhere.

The area for exploration is so wide with its 118 islands to go and visit. 

Always changing, Venice even floods during high tide and walk ways need to be put down to try and keep people dry in  the popular areas. 

Transformation and the River Don

There is just something about large bodies of moving water that becomes even more magical when the light around you is changing. For me they are magical places that speak in poetry and motion. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said that 'my soul is full of longing, for the secret of the sea' and that in speaking the truth about the sea we can't leave out the poetry. And seeing as I am not much of a poet I thought I would give photographing the River Don as it began transforming a try.  

Extreme Sport

Sports photography has always been an area of interest for me ever since I first flipped through the pages of an Olympic Games photography book and saw how you can capture moments that are so fluid and expressive using the human body as your tool. There is just something about sports and the people that participate especially on a professional level that humbles and impresses me immensely. 

So as you can then imagine I am always on the look out for a different sport to try my hand at photographing. Thanks to the amazing Kyle Robinson and Brad Janssen I got to take my first ever kitesurfing photos a few weeks ago. Now these two young gentlemen are both studying for a BJourn with me but they are also very (and I do stress the very) keen kitesurfers. Escaping Grahamstown on a regular basis for the beach is a popular hobby for the two of them and let's just says that for their degrees' sake it is good that Grahamstown isn't right on the coast. 

But I will say that they have opened my eyes to this awesome sport! It is an adventure surface water sport that many describe as a combination of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing and para-gliding all in one adrenalin packed extreme sport. Not only is it a spectacular photographic opportunity as the kitesufers are able to come very close to the shore but it which looks like so much fun!! And this is coming from someone who is not a huge fan of swimming far out in the sea ever since the release of Jaws . 

So without further delay here are some of my favourite photos from the kitesurfing session at Cannon Rocks in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Thanks again to all the kitesurfers especially Kyle and Brad! Next time I will get even better photos! And of course a big thanks to Chwayitisa Nandisa Futshane for keeping me company on the beach.

Kitesurfers prepare there kites for a session at Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011, © Tarryn Liddell.  

Kyle Robinson holds the control bar with one hand during this move at Cannon Rocks at popular spot for Kitesufers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011, © Tarryn Liddell. 

A local kite surfer shows off his tricks at Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011 © Tarryn Liddell. 

Brad Janssen propels forward at Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011, © Tarryn Liddell .

Brad Janssen rests on the beach at Cannon Rocks after a three hour kitesurfing session, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011, © Tarryn Liddell

Brad Janssen stabilises himself on the sand in order to maintain control of his kite at Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011, © Tarryn Liddell.  

Kyle Robinson takes off on a jump at Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 24 March 2011, © Tarryn Liddell .