Anré Uys Photography: 2020

Hessequa Harmonie Fees op Heidelberg Kaap

Kuns en Kultuur in die Kontrei

Wat 'n onbeskryflike ervaring om weer vir 'n slaggie 'n kaapse draai in die kontrei te kon gooi. Die gejaag na wind en vele verpligtinge in die moederstad weerhou my telkemale van 'n hartlike uitnodiging na die familieplaas ( 7de generasie tans) in die Heidelberg distrik.

Die Hessequa Harmonie fees is 'n kulterele fees wat jaarliks op Heidelberg Kaap aangebied word. Hierdie keer het ek besluit om nie die fees mis te loop nie en my perd opgesaal na die platteland. Neil Rademan, 'n inboorling van die omgewing is die grootkop agter die verfynde kulturele fees. Hy het die fees 3 jaar gelede gestig met die oog om weer kuns en kultuur in die platteland terug te ploeg. Wat 'n belewenis! Welbekende Suid Afrikaanse akteurs, skrywers, skilders en musici was aan die orde van die dag. Gaste het van heinde en verre saamgetrek om die fees by te woon en die Heidelberg Hotel (gebou in 1932) was stampvol bespreek!

Dit was hemels om die Rachmaninoff klavierkonsert no.2 'live' in die stadsaal te kon hoor om nie te praat van Breyten Breytenbach se liefdesgedigte voorgedra deur Ilzebet O in die Opstal (gebou in 1732).

'Poskaarte na Parys' was inderdaad 'n 'Le Chat Noir' opvoering vertolk deur ons eie 'Edith Piaf' van Pretoria, Jacobi de Villiers. Hierdie is maar net 'n paar van die uitmuntende vertonings, opvoerings en uitstallings wat plaasgevind het.

Die betowerende rit tussen garslande en canola velde oppad na die Dasjesdrift teater was 'n lus vir die oog. Hier het ek geluister na die vermaarde pianis Nina Schumann en haar uitverkose studente wat werke van Chopin en Scriabin vertolk het.

Die verfrissende vyfdag fees het inderdaad 'n 17de eeuse atmosfeer herroep van kamermusiek en teater wat die gees en siel kosteloos verryk.

Hessequa Harmonie is 'n unieke plattelandse kunstefees wat nie misgeloop moet word nie!

Heidelberg Hotel

Stadsaal

Opstal

About Anré Uys Photography

Photography is my passion and obsession – expressing emotions, color, composition, art, storytelling, memory and action with a mere click of my shutter! I am based in Cape Town and flexible regarding location and time.

The photography bug bit me after a safari to the Masai Mara in Kenya. I borrowed my mom’s Canon EOS 600D for the trip.

After my return to Cape Town and having had my pictures processed, I sent my image ‘ lions in the riverbed’ to the Argus Travel newspaper. To my great excitement it was published a few months later!

This was my kick start to photographing birds and wildlife. I soon started to venture out with different subject matter as I have been involved in fashion for more than 20 years. Fashion shoots followed naturally and then events and portraits.

Feel free to Contact Me for your perfect pictures captured unforgettably.

Photographic Services

Weddings
Events & Parties
Photo Books
Flowers & Gardens
Macro & Close-Up
Engagements
Bird life
Wildlife

Bride arriving in the wedding car

An unforgettable outing in the Overberg

An ecstatic escape to the Overberg countryside

In July a close friend of mine and I decided to exchange the frenetic pace of city life for the peaceful serenity of the Overberg countryside. The Bontebok National Park near Swellendam was on the agenda and we booked in at Jan Harmsgat Country House for the weekend.

Our accommodation at the luxurious historic Cape Dutch farmstead was astounding. The charming cottage overlooking the garden with luscious green lawns and orchards was exuberantly snug. In the mornings we were woken by birdsong and the arum lilies and roses were blooming in the flower beds beneath the window sills. The local ginger cat also made its appearance to greet the guests.

Dinner was served at the fine-dining restaurant 'Just Amy' where Josh the gourmet chef and his endearing wife Christelle assisted us in utmost style. The epic oxtail stew and palatable roasted pork belly were some of my favorite dishes, not to mention the indigenous home made pecan nut pie comprised of pecan nuts growing on the farm.

Francois, our extremely hospitable host took great care of us and ensured that we were permanently in a state of euphoria. He escorted us on a scenic drive of the farm and pointed out the golden wildebeest , pecan nut orchards, pomegranate orchards and olive tree plantations with the majestic Langeberg mountain range providing a picturesque backdrop.

Despite a rainy Saturday we proceeded to visit the Bontebok National Park, the smallest national park in South Africa. We spent some time at 'Die Stroom', a picnic site with catering facilities on the banks of the idyllic Breede River. Egyptian Geese, Raptures, Weavers, Sunbirds, Sugarbirds, Fiscal Flycatchers, Spotted thick-knees and Red-eyed pigeons were some of the over 200 bird species that we encountered.

We were fortunate to spot the famous Bontebok, Cape Mountain Zebra as well as Red Hartebeest. The park offers a variety of activities such as angling, canoeing, swimming, trails and birdwatching. It was a lovely scenic drive amongst fynbos and renosterbos with chirping birds fluttering above the lush vegetation. I highly recommend a visit to the Bontebok National Park and shall definately return during the summer months.

Entrance off the N1 to Jan Harmsgat Country House

Jan Harmsgat Country House Entrance

Arum lily sprinkled with rain drops

Local Ginger Cat

Palatable Pork Belly

Mouth-watering Pecan Nut Pie

Yummy Eggs Benedict

Dining Room at Jan Harmsgat Country House

Landscape at the foot of the Langeberg mountains

Scenic Landscape

Golden Gnu

Cattle Egret catching a juicy bollworm

Pecan Nut Orchards

Francois our amicable host with a guest

A rainy day at the Bontebok National Park

Die Stroom picnic site on the banks of the Breede River

Cape Weaver

Speckled Pigeons lovey dovey

Fiscal Flycatcher sitting in the rain

Spotted Thick-Knee in flight

Red Hartebeest at the Bontebok National Park

Bontebok at the Bontebok National Park

A Visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch National Garden - Paradise nestled against the slopes of Table Mountain.

I visited Kirstenbosch Botanical garden yesterday for the first time after 'LOCKDOWN' regulations have been relaxed. It was perfect weather for a garden stroll accompanied with my 7D canon! Flowers sprung up everywhere after the recent rains and the flower beds resembled tapestries of colour. Birdsong filled the crystal clear mountain acoustic and every so often a Sugerbird swooped passed me in full speed.

The Southern Double-Collared Sunbirds were in abundance and were calling full volume from various different perches. Cape Sugerbirds were also plentiful and did their usual diving down into the fynbos and suddenly swooping up in full flight with their long cascading tail- feathers painting their silhoettes against the skies. Cape Canaries, Forest Canaries, Cape Bulbul, Swee Waxbill, Malachite Sunbird and Cape White-Eye were a few of the bird species that I encountered.

Mountain streams were gushing over rocks and small cascades were prevalent upstream.

The magnificent garden with all its romantic footpaths leading to different vegetation and flowerbeds offered me a walk in nature at its best!