Nicola Ann Art
Apr 04
by Nicola in Beach, Black & White, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Broadstairs, Joss Bay, Kent, Margate

To The Sea… Broadstairs, Kent

‘Fancy doing anything special, as special as possible, this coming weekend while still in lockdown?’ ‘I know…’ I said, and then broke out in song… …We’ve got to get to the seaDon’t you touch the waterDon’t you barely breathe And if you see yourselfLooking back at youYou’re gonna have to leaveYou’re gona have to leave I don’t want you to goBut you’ve got to leaveDreams to drainPut them in a cage… Jack Johnson (lyrics) An easy day trip from London, we headed to Kent, the south-eastern county stippled with medieval towns, diverse countryside and interesting beaches with its chalk cliffs. From Joss Bay, Broadstairs to Margate and Sandwich.  A pity about the biting wind…
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Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath Let it snow London, Hampstead Heath
Mar 20
by Nicola in Back2Blighty, Black & White, Hiking, London, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Back2Blighty, BeanOn Photography, blizzard, England, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead Village, ice, nature, snow, Sunset

Let it snow London 

Let it snow London; blizzards of heavy snow hit London three times this past winter, from December 2017 until end of March 2018, almost springtime.   The last time I experienced snow settling in London was during January / February 2011.   What a pleasure trudging through Hampstead Heath, up towards Kenwood House and around the ponds and the village during all three snow-dumps.    
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Rickshaws, Durban promenade Scalloped hammerhead shark, the canal side, Durban The canal side, Durban South Beach, Durban South Beach, Durban South beaches from Moyo Pier, Durban
Jul 23
by Nicola in Beach, Black & White, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, People, Street Photography, Sunrise 2 comments tags: bathers, beaches, BeanOn Photography, Durban, Durban beachfront, Early morning, hammerhead sharks, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, Moyo Pier, people, rickshaws, South Africa, Sunrise, surfing, the beachfront, uShaka

Durban is the warmest place to be

Unequivocally, Durban is the warmest place to be – it is practically summer all year round with its sub-tropical climate and laid-back, friendly people.   Most mornings (when I am home, of course), at first light, I spend at Durban’s vibrant beachfront: running along the soft, golden beach sand; cycling up to thirty kilometres along the promenade, up and down the piers, around Moses Mabhida Stadium, across the Umgeni River and back again; surfing even in winter, mostly with a spring wetsuit; and recently, my new found addiction, yoga with Lauren from SurfSup Yoga. At dawn this morning I warmed up with an hour’s run along the beach sand before enjoying a soothingly stimulating session of yoga at Snake Park Lawns, on the promenade. Exercising alongside the ocean, while watching the sun rise and sharing it with others that were clearly health conscious, was an experience to behold.   A few hours later, mid afternoon, I returned to the beachfront with my camera where I experienced a completely different world compared to the world at dawn. A promenade teeming with people, from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, exultant and savouring everything the beachfront had to offer from rickshaw rides to Zulu dancing, […]
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Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa
Jul 14
by Nicola in 4x4, Black & White, KwaZulu-Natal, Nature, Off-Road, Sugarcane 4 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa, hot stone massage, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Off-road, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Spa treatments

Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa – a sea of tranquility

Whenever I visit Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa it’s as though I’m floating on a sea of tranquillity. One of my favourite little pieces of heaven just over an hour’s drive from Durban. Usually, I am either exploring the reserve by 4×4 or huffing and puffing along the 4×4 track on a mountain bike; however, this time I decide to self-indulge (actually, a friend treated me) in luxurious beauty treatments at the four-star (plus, in my opinion) spa. A decadent treat. As someone once said, resistance is futile…   Before even reaching the main gate to the reserve, I stop a few times to photograph the rolling mountains with the sugar cane fields in the foreground blushing a vibrant green. The light haze from the sun enveloping the peaks make them appear too perfect for this world. Nature at it’s five-star best!   At the main reception, where I announce my arrival, I help myself to a mug of Rooibos tea and take it down with me to the spa, overlooking more perfect peaks now with balls of cloud hovering above them, the sun almost disappearing for good.   My favourite treatment without doubt is the hot stone massage. A […]
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Sunrise over Jerusalem's Old City Sunrise over Jerusalem's Old City Sunrise over Jerusalem's Old City A view of Jerusalem's Old City A group of religious men Fresh bread handing on a shop door View while on the Ramparts Walk Ramparts Walk
Dec 12
by Nicola in Architecture, Black & White, Cities, Sunrise 0 comments tags: Architecture, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Exploring, Israel, Jerusalem, Jerusalem’s German Colony, Middle East, Ramparts Walk, Sunrise, The Old City, Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center

Israel, Jerusalem

At first light, 5:30am, we drove sixty-five kilometres from Jaffa to Jerusalem. With only a few maniacs on the road then, we arrived, without incident, in time for Friday’s sunrise over Jerusalem’s Old City. What a difference it made being able to explore without the masses of tourists vying for the same vista.   Ramparts Walk With the Old City waking – people setting up shop, the smells of bread baking, fresh loaves of bread dangling from shop doors, and minimal tourists around – we surrounded ourselves with the religious. Strolling through the Christian quarter, along the Via Dolorosa, Way of Grief, the apparent path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion, lead us to the Ramparts Walk.   With Lions’ Gate closed, we scaled the wall, over the fence and made it to the top near the Western Wall Plaza and the Jewish Quarter. Before setting off, we munched on fruit while absorbing the peace and unique views of rooftops, Mount Zion, Mount of Olives and the Dome of the Rock, its gold-plated roof so vivid. Hiking up and down stairs along the wall, overlooking the city on the other side, we arrived at Herod’s Gate, adjoining the […]
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Feb 14
by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Black & White, Nature, Off-Road 2 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Gwahumbe Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Off-road, Rhino, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Wildlife

Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa

Resistance is definitely futile when it comes to spending the day at Gwahumbe. Just over an hour’s drive from Durban, Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa is a favourite of mine to enjoy 4x4ing, game viewing and lunch all in a day.   As I’ve previously published a couple of blogs on the reserve, the last fourteen months ago, I’ll limit my words this time and allow the images to speak louder.   We only managed a distant sighting of the young male rhino, now grown in to an expert vehicle mock-charger. Bring it on! I secretly wished to experience such, but he didn’t even notice us with his head buried in the veld about twenty meters away from the vehicle, munching away on the lush grass.   Never in my entire life have I tasted a more succulent and perfectly cooked piece of kingklip fish. This is no exaggeration. Compliments to the chef!    
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Nov 30
by Nicola in Black & White, Nature 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Black & White Photography, Exploring, Flowers, Garden, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Plants, South Africa

Colour-less

I enjoyed a stroll through a garden with my camera in hand, poised, ready for action; inspired by everything around me, I couldn’t resist shooting black and white – a colour-less world – to capture the dull, wet day… ANON: These are beautiful images, I have always personally thought that “Black and White” photography shows the true character and nature of things. Somehow light and shadow seem to intensify and define themselves much better. I enjoy these images, and hope to see more on your website soon. BeanOn: Thank you for enjoying these images. Some things definitely demand to be captured in black and white, as you mentioned, highlight (excuse the pun) shadows and definition and turn something ordinary into something that’s worth appreciating.
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