“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
In the early days of peak summer in January 2023, we took a trip to Moon River Bush camp for a few nights. The Cederberg is a fairly vast area in the Western Cape; this particular camp lies east of the Winterhoek Mountain Catchment Area and south east of the Cederberg Mountain Catchment area. To get there required a 4×4, and our last stop for any food or supplies was at “Op Die Berg” Dorp on the R303. After fixing up a forty seven year old Minolta SRT-100b, this was my first attempt at shooting film again after seventeen years of shooting digital. I had two rolls of Kodak Ektar 100 with me, revered for its fine grain, high contrast and high saturation. I knew this film was the perfect choice for nature and landscape photography. I downloaded a light meter app, brought a 3 stop ND filter, along with a tripod and shutter release cable (I wanted to attempt star trails and long exposure water shots).
Pictured above: The Old Herder’s Cottage, late afternoon – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Fynbos study – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Open landscape on a cloudy day – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Metalasia muricata fynbos photographed at sunset – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
A large part of the Cederberg is quite rugged and dry, however, it’s a raw kind of beauty like no other. Interesting subject matter is sometimes challenging to find, but this film made easy work of it. Fortunately, excellent weather made the process relatively smooth. I shot quite a few of the images in the middle of the day, resulting in the promised bold, crisp lines and strong contrast. One day of overcast weather didn’t take away from the gorgeous sunset hues and cerulean skies.
Pictured above: Dirt road, R303 looking South – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Apple tree outside the Old Herders Cottage – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
For the most part, I relied on the internal light meter which did a fantastic job, but there were some exposure blunders here and there on my part, reminding me of the necessity to slow down. However, with a 9 stop dynamic range, the film handled over exposure fairly well.
Pictured above: Aankoms Farm shop – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Rock formations – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Athanasia dentata fynbos – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Metalasia muricata fynbos – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Chacma baboon skull and bones, found on a hike in the area – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
Pictured above: Rock formations – shot on Kodak Ektar 100
After getting back from the trip, I excitedly had the film scanned at Cape Film Supply and began post-processing. I openly advocate for editing film images, especially for creative effect or to enhance highlights or shadows, but I do my best to keep it to a minimum and preserve the feel of the original shot. (Un)fortunately, my attempt at star trails failed as I overexposed the image too much, and I didn’t shoot any long exposure waterfalls as I’d hoped – but this motivated me to make another attempt and get it right next time. As the story goes with most film shooters, the film bug had bitten and the rest is history. After many years of shooting digital, this trip was exactly what I needed to get back in touch with my creative self. I found the freedom to create on my own terms again, while naturally drawn to whatever subject matter presented itself. I will leave you with this sunset – raw and unedited.
