Canon's Back-Button Auto Focus

Andy Schleck
Originally uploaded by annick vanderschelden

Canon's Back-Button Auto Focus
This link explains this feature very well.

In this picture you notice cyclist Andy Schleck. Back-button allows you to turn off the AF momentarily if something interferes with the subject you're tracking. For instance in this case there could be another cyclist, a colleague photographer and so forth between the lens and the cyclist.

Brazilian Samba Dancer

From wikipedia
In addition to rhythm and bar set musically, historically brings in itself a whole culture of food (dishes for specific occasions), dances varied ((miudinho, coco, samba de roda, pernada), parties, clothes (shoe nozzle fine, linen shirt, etc), and the NAIF painting of established names such as Nelson Sargento, Guilherme de Brito and Heitor dos Prazeres, and anonymous artists community (painters, sculptors, designers and stylists) that makes the clothes, costumes, carnival floats and cars opens the wings of schools of samba.

Samba versus Bossa Nova

Samba and...Bossa Nova
From wikipedia...

The musical style evolved from samba but is more complex harmonically and less percussive. Additionally, Bossa Nova emerged primarily from the upscale beachside neighborhoods of Rio De Janeiro vs. Samba's origins in favelas of Rio. Certain similar elements were already evident, even influencing Western classical music like Gershwin's Cuban Overture which has the characteristic 'Latin' clave rhythm. The influence on bossa nova of jazz styles such as cool jazz is often debated by historians and fans, but a similar "cool sensibility" is apparent. Bossa nova was developed in Brazil in 1958 by João Gilberto, with Elizete Cardoso's recording of Chega de Saudade on the Canção do Amor Demais LP, composed by Vinícius de Moraes (lyrics) and Antonio Carlos Jobim (music). The song was soon after released by Gilberto.

You Tube video.
Luciana Souza-The new Bossa Nova

Brazilian Samba Dancer

Zomercarnaval edition 2009 Kortrijk, Belgium.
Brazilian samba dancer.

Bomba Estéreo

Photo captured at same concert as here
Bomba Estéreo
Originally uploaded by annick vanderschelden

Sindicato Sonico

Picture taken at the Antilliaanse Feesten in Houthalen Belgium.
Info on their site


Sindicato Sonico
Originally uploaded by annick vanderschelden

Aimelia Lias

Kinshasa, Congo.










In the foreground you notice one of the female dancers.
Aimelia Lias's music is soukous which is African music. Origin is the Congolese Rumba and Congolese Rumba was influenced by Cuban music back in sixties.

Photo location: Antilliaanse Feesten in Houthalen.

Bomba Estéreo

Bogotà, Colombia.













Female singer Li Saumet photographed at the Antilliaanse Feesten in Houthalen.
Cumbia music is a typical Colombian music style.
you tube

sunrise Namib Naukluft Park

These are mountains in sunrise light photographed in Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia.
I captured this at 06:15 or so in the morning just after leaving the Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa.
Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa is located 21 km from Sesriem the entrance gate to the Namib Naukluft Park and Sossusvlei.
Sesriem/Sossusvlei region
Itinerary selfdrive that can be viewed on the map:
Stage 2 Rehoboth-Sesriem
Stage 3 Sesriem-Solitaire
Stage 4 Solitaire-Swakopmund
So this is captured at the beginning of Stage 3 Sesriem-Solitaire. More detailed: Le Mirage-Sesriem-Sossusvlei-Dead vlei-Sesriem-Solitaire.




I applied a new Photoshop sharpening technique here. At least for me. It's the Smart sharpening command explained by Deke McClelland. Video link.
Normally I do the sharpening either in Adobe Camera Raw or within Photoshop using the Unsharp mask command situated just below the above mentioned Smart sharpening command within the Photoshop CS4's Filter menu.

The other corrections were done in Adobe Camera raw within Lightroom and Photoshop CS4. Notice that sky was blurred through Gaussian blur.

This young male is one of three brothers. Farmers found them after they killed their mother in an attempt to protect their cattle. They were brought into the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.
They were very young when captured and thus were unable to learn their hunting skills from their mother. These Cheetahs will have to stay their whole life into the CCF and cannot be introduced into their habitat again 'cause they have no survival chances.



From wikipedia
Males are very sociable and will group together for life, usually with their brothers in the same litter; although if a cub is the only male in the litter then two or three lone males may group up, or a lone male may join an existing group. These groups are called coalitions.