Travels in Djibouti, Africa

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  • cupiccupic Registered Users Posts: 32 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2011
    I love the fish eye lens ,really gives it to you,in widescreen no less TFS
    Some very good shots
    cheers
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited November 14, 2011
    Off to the Cheetah Refuge today. Here's a few of the photos I took:

    Our taxi river, Alex:
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    We're taking a right:
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    Alex with his taxi, We also paid for him to join us on Refuge. He had a pretty good time:
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    My travel buddy vs an Ostrich:
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    My travel buddy posing in a little hut:
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  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited November 16, 2011
    Walking the streets of Djibouti:
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    We didn't get a chance to try his food, but it looked great:
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    Fruit stand:
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    Me:
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    Dinner for one:
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    A side street:
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    With the Arabic and French influences you see some neat buildings here:
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    We stopped in "Planet Hollywood" for a few. This waitress asked if we were tourists, (nope) or journalists (nope again). So then she asked "what are you then?" "Photographers" I told her. So she had me take her photo:

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  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited November 17, 2011
    cupic wrote: »
    I love the fish eye lens ,really gives it to you,in widescreen no less TFS
    Some very good shots
    cheers
    Thanks Cupic,

    The fisheye has been far more usefull then I expected. I got to ask, what's "TFS"?
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited November 21, 2011
    Well that's enough fun for the deployment, back to work:

    leaving the HMS Ocean. We had to pick up some gear for the Brits, but I don't think they were understanding how big our helos are until we got there.They tried to park us at the end of the ship, but then saw that they could not load us up because our loading ramp at the back of our helo hung over the edge of the ship. So the had to move us up a parking spot:
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    Picking up some guys after a training mission:

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    Our shadow as we fly over the cost:

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    Moving some dust as we come in to land in the middle of nowhere:
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  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    Ok Spooky night for me last night and a lesson learned too: When you are sitting on the ramp of a C-130 cargo plane while it is flying you need to not sit on the side of it. The wind will snatch you up and try to toss you out of the bird. Hooray for harnesses! And I'm glad I did not drop the camera. I think that was caused by my death grip on at due to thinking I was going out of the back of the bird and I want to hold on to something.So once I pulled myself safely back onto the ramp I started snapping photos and shooting some video. These were with a taken with night vision device (NVD Click Me) under starlight. I was not planning on flying that night, but took it as a chance to learn what works best with the NVD because I will be using it later. The thing is when our pilots fly using night vision goggles this is what they see. We are flying in a very tight formation. And in order for our helos to refuel our helo has to fly about as fast as it can, and the tanker aircraft as to fly about as slow as it can. Sorry for how grainy these photos are, but that's what it looks like through our eyes.


    Coming in for the basket:

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    Got it and taking fuel (BTW the blob at the top of the photo is the tail of the tanker I am on. We are that close together) shot at 18mm to try and get everything in frame:
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    Shot with my nifty fifty while they were trying to get more gas.:
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  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited December 8, 2011
    Lots of work to keep these things in the air:
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    After missing a ton of shots I wish I could have gotten I have decided to just bring my camera with me when I walk back to my room from now on. And on the first night I do that I find this tiny guy.:
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  • jasonstonejasonstone Registered Users Posts: 735 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2011
    the perspective of the fish eye in some of the interior heli shots is incredible!!!
    nice work thumb.gif and thanks for sharing :D
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited December 13, 2011
    A Secret Santa was beyond good to me:

    So the mail shows up for the squadron and we get to sorting...

    Well what do you know? I got a box! Super sweet!!

    So I crack it open to find this:
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    One the Marines that works for me says just what I was thinking. "You got a satchel." And I was like HELL yes, I could totally use one of these. So I pick it up and it's heavy... Hummm.... What's inside?...

    So I figure I should start checking the pockets to see if I can get a hint as to what is in side...
    First I find this in a side pocket:
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    That's a film back for what looks to be... Na, it couldn't be...

    So I dig around some more and find this:
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    Hummmm... Some 120 film...

    I look around and find a manual (but I do not look at it. I figure it's for what may or may not be inside.)

    So I crack open the lid and see this:
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    NO WAY!!!! THAT IS NOT WHAT I THINK IT IS!!!!

    So I pull it out, and sure as **** it's:

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    It's a Friggan Hasselblad! Holy Cow!
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited December 14, 2011
    Finally got some film from my Graflex back. I'm going through them to figure out what I want to get prints of. But a few I already got done just to see what they look like.


    Taken with Kodak Porta 400, and no light meter. 4x5 contact print, It looks so much better in person though:
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  • KinkajouKinkajou Registered Users Posts: 1,240 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2011
    These are awesome. Really amazing point of view here... most of us don't ever see this kind of stuff first hand. Thanks for sharing and cograts on the new toy!
    Webpage

    Spread the love! Go comment on something!
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited December 22, 2011
    Thanks, I'm glad you like them. We have a fun, but crazy job. And sadly most people don't ever get to see any of it. So I'm trying to do my part to share it with you all.

    Hanging out before a flight:
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  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited December 23, 2011
    One of our Marines reenlisted today at Lake Assal, I'm not going to post the photos of the reenlistment until after he gets his copy of them to share with his family, but I'd be happy to share these from today:

    4 more years for this guy:
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    A bit of a hike to get to the water:
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    Riddin' in the back:
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    Leavin' out the back. I wonder how the shot I took with the Speed Graphic is going to come out? The look on their faces when the flash bulb went off was priceless...
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    I couldn't figure out why with a fill flash this was so washed out. After I got back I realized I should have done spot metering for the center of the frame. That would have helped to get this to look right. I would still have used the flash to fill in the shadows.

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    So the mission of the CH-53E is troop transport and heavy lift. We do a lot of the formar, and little of the latter here. Today we did the latter. :D

    Getting lined up:
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    See that guy with the poll? his job is to use that to ground us. Otherwise when they try to hook the load up they are going to get zapped. All of those blades whipping around in the dry sandy air makes for a hell of a lot of static electricity:
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    Getting hooked up:
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    Easy pick:
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    Watching to make sure the load plays nice, otherwise we'd have to drop it:
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    And we're out of here:
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  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,680 moderator
    edited December 24, 2011
    Wow, now there's a job. Terrific pictures! thumb.gifthumb.gif
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited January 2, 2012
    Thanks! We have a pretty good time here.


    On New Years Day I knocked out my open water SCUBA qual, and of course we had to sail up the cost:
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    Shot at 14mm


    The coast:
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    My guys heading off on a training mission:
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    And knowing what boat I was on, they stopped on by for a quick air show on the way back to base:
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    Now this shot I really like, I normally do not like having blurry photos, but for me this one works:
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    And back into the port.

    The waving crane:
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    #8
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    Going home for the day:
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    Like wise:
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    I did goof in what I thought was a cool way on that photo:

    I had my white balance set wrong. It took me some time to figure out why my shots seemed so blue. This is the same shot right out of the camera:

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    Not sure what one I like better...


    Random portrait:
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    There are so many ship wrecks in the harbor, it's just insane.
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    Back in the marina:
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    And my favorite shot of the day. Came out just how I wanted it too.
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  • dave6253dave6253 Registered Users Posts: 229 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2012
    Wow! Makes me wish I took better pictures when in the military.
  • FingtamFingtam Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited January 12, 2012
    Wow, when I saw this thread I couldn't believe it. I'm an airframer in HMH-461, and I'm going be right there in Djibouti at Camp Lemonier this month. Crazy.
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited January 15, 2012
    Small world, I'll see you later in the month.

    Some from today:

    Two CH-46's take off from Lake Assal in Djibouti, Africa. We are a little less then 500 feet below sea level here:
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    Some of the terain here is um... Colorful:
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    Terfing:
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    Looking out of a volcano:
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    Looks like I still have to clean my sensor. :(

    Tearing ass through one of the small canyons:
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  • FlyNavyFlyNavy Registered Users Posts: 1,350 Major grins
    edited January 31, 2012
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    Glad you liked them.

    That pretty much wraps up my trip here. Till next time!
  • davemj98davemj98 Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited February 13, 2012
    clap.gifclapclap.gif Thanks
    Kav wrote: »
    Glad you liked them.

    That pretty much wraps up my trip here. Till next time!
    davidsdigitalphotography.com
    Alpha 99 & VG, 900x2 & VG; 50mm1.4, CZ135 1.8; CZ16-35 2.8, CZ24-70 2.8, G70-200 2.8, G70-400, Sony TC 1.4, F20, F58, F60.
  • kentwallerkentwaller Registered Users Posts: 158 Major grins
    edited February 18, 2012
    awesome shots
    been to CLDJ a couple times, just overnight stays, but very impressed you were able to bring that much color out of CLDJ. very well done!
  • FishEyeJohnFishEyeJohn Registered Users Posts: 40 Big grins
    edited February 20, 2012
    My Trip To Kenya, Africa
    These are a few of my favourite photos from a recent trip to visit a friend in Kenya, Africa who had relocated there 2 months ago.
    “ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

    “ You don’t take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel Adams
  • Stella7dStella7d Registered Users Posts: 201 Major grins
    edited February 25, 2012
    Amazing photos! I thoroughly enjoyed viewing every single shot!
  • KavKav Registered Users Posts: 80 Big grins
    edited March 12, 2012
    Finally made it back to the states and have internet again.

    The hippo is ready to go:
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    Back in the states:
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    And freezing our asses off:
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    Family reunions for some:
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    And getting to hold their child for the first time for others:
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    I got a few days off and took off the the western tip of NC. So I grabbed the cameras and drove about 420 miles.

    First off, the road to get there was nuts. I'm bringing my motorcycle out here in the summer to play:
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    After setting up camp this is what I found:

    Lots of neat little water falls:
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    Setting up:
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    I was using the digital camera to proof my film shots. When I was working with the press camera people would stop dead in their tracks (cars) to ask if I was a "professional" photographer, or to ask who I was working for. They all seemed very confused when they found out I was up there just for the fun of it.


    A bridge over frigid waters:
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    I was hiking up the Chattooga River and with as slick as the rocks are I decided to just step into the water to get to where I wanted to go. As soon as I stepped into the river I came to the sudden realization that I was wearing my summer boots. They have vents in the side of them unlike my winter boots that are totally waterproof. At least the water flows out as fast as it flows in. So I get out of the water and whip off the boots and socks, hike up my jeans and go trudging up the river barefooted. It's freezing cold. But I had a good time.

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  • hamsterhamster Registered Users Posts: 361 Major grins
    edited March 13, 2012
    Amazing stuff! So glad I clicked this thread!
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