Ponta Do Ouro 2016

My brother and I

Mozambique is a colourful place. It is a developing country so you can expect ramshackled buildings and dirt roads along the outskirts. In the short time I was in Ponta Do Ouro I did not see a single asphalt road or a computer system. The house I stayed in had intermittent hot water or sometimes no water at all. I found out later that other places were more geared up and also had better facilities. However, with all that is lacking, there are a number of areas which Ponta Do Oura has in abundance: Freedom and safety. Regulation is a lot more 'relaxed' - I could walk around with a drink in my hand and some might say I would be looked on suspiciously if I didn't have a drink in my hand. No one hassled me because of all my camera gear and I was not checked by any agencies. Ponta Do Oura is also very safe. The only crime in Ponta Do Oura is petty so I always kept one eye on anything I left alone. The other good thing is the border post by Kosi Bay was a breeze to get in and out of. Mozambican border posts can have problems and hot ticket items like DSLR camera gear and laptops can be the cause of contention. The southern border post is welcoming and friendly. I was fortunate that the weather was cool - cooler than Durban. Usually, Mozambique is very hot so I dressed in vests, shorts and flip flops as seen below.

Ponta Do Oura

Usually, the Mozambicans who actively engaged me were hawkers but the individuals I actively engaged with were friendly and talkative. Many Mozambicans have been impacted by the civil war to some degree and each person has his or her story of the period.

Other highlights of my trip included riding a quad bike 10km north of Ponta Do Oura to Ponta Malongane and stopping along the way to drink R&Rs at each bar and then driving back.

The other unexpected highlight was swimming with dolphins. There is something special about being taken a kilometer out to sea and being dumped into the very warm, very clear and very deep Indian ocean to bob around next to a pod of dolphins. My family and friends enjoyed the experience as much as me but I was a bit more thrilled by the fact that we were swimming very far out at sea with 8 foot swell lurching around us like blue hills.

For a comprehensive history on Mozambique - see the WIKI on Mozambique.

NOTE: I did not go to Maptuo. After reading other accounts by travelers, it sounds as if I would not have had a great a time with my camera in Maputo as I did in Ponta Do Oura so read up on where you are going should you decide to go to Mozambique.Tensions between the 2 groups have also recently flared up: it is advised not head too far north. The South is safe and unaffected.

TIPS:
-If you are taking a DSLR or notebook - print or write all the lens and component serial numbers down on paper so that you can account for the items in the event you are asked to clear them at customs while leaving or entering the country. I did not have to do this even when I insisted, but I have read stories where if you cannot provide the serials, you may have to buy your items back when returning to your country of origin.

-Don't drink the water - buy bottled water,  the bigger ones if you're staying for long

-Keep mosquito repellent on you as malaria can kill you, which brings me to

-Check the area you're visiting for mosquitoes and malaria - take anti malaria pills a few weeks before you travel. Ponto Do Oura is a low risk area, I used a mosquito net and repellent - I took no pills.

-There are no cell phone provider for South African networks - you will either need to buy a Mozambican sim card or put your phone into roaming mode if you plan to be a DBA on call in a foreign country.

-Drink 2 or 3 R&R's if you want a good time, drink more if you want to black out and forget the previous evening. These fuchsia drinks are sweet, but they can put you on the ground quite quickly.

-If you are going to Mozambique on your own without securing passage, make sure you have a vehicle that can handle sand dunes.

Pictures below

Mozambique - Ponta Do Oura - The Bay

5 minutes North of Kosi Bay Border Post

The Main Road

The Main Corner - early morning

Jack's Barefoot Bar

The Melting Pot Cafe and Chalet

Fernandos

Residential Road

A SAN disk server that has slowly degraded

Homes

What camera do you use?

Here is a response image to a question I've often been asked in the past: what camera do you use or which is the best camera for taking pictures?

All my camera equipment is second hand and totals to around R20,000 - including a R1500 11-18mm wide angle not shown here - all purchased over 5 years.

On all accounts, I am a "weekend warrior" and try to stay invisible while out and about but individuals find me and approach me quite often asking the aforementioned question.

The lengthier answer is: the DSLR camera body has little to do with the images and the quality of image is more dependent on opportunity (and how you make use of it), light conditions and, to a degree, the quality of the glass on the end on the body which help realize a decent image.

For instance: the lens seen on the body in the picture above is a lens that is older than me. It is a Nikon 400 mm f/5.6 IF-ED MF and purchased for R4000 or $500 in 2013. This lightweight manual focusing lens delivers sharp images, but it does take practice considering its a manual focus lens. The image below was captured in 2013 at a national surfing competition here in South Africa and printed in the national papers. This is not bad considering a modern 400mm lens with stabilization will cost between R150-200K (~$12000). What this all means is that using old cheap equipment, hand me down lenses and a very old prosumer camera body, I've been able to take images that are decent. It is years of enjoyment, experience and with an intention to improve that have helped produce better images.



So, assuming the real question underneath the the original question is : how do I take better pictures?

The answer is: Immerse yourself in what you do for long enough to create a critical mass of experience to build upon. Part of learning is taking terrible shots, so take 10,000 terrible shots sooner rather than later. Reading helps too so google up or buy some books. If you're serious, follow a photographer online or listen to podcasts like Gavin Seim of Seim Studios. Read up on Ansel Adams and other famous photographers. Social media helps you find your style or niche so join an online group.