Some of the action that took place at an uptown neighborhood playground:

Qualifiers for the “outlaw” free-style, downhill skate sessions started at dawn, on steep, open-traffic, Fort George Hill. The rider’s self-judged, open contest moved then to the Cloisters at Fort Tryon for the finals. The free format allows as many runs as possible until the law shows up! Anything goes: slides, carving or bombing…but Style is the name of the game. More at  freshpaved.com.

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

Another longboarding contest that wasn’t… Those guys found shelter in the woods and rode the steep  trails there. Away from sunday’s road rage, above on the park main road.

More pix at freshpaved.com.

Cloisters, NYC

Cloisters, NYC

Cloisters, NYC

Sunday, I went to Jersey, just across the Hudson River at Palissades park for the Major Stock Em’ outlaw DH and slide competition! The NJ longboard crew had to switch to this location after someone reported their planned site to the local police! That wasn’t enough to ground them… At awards time, a hawk circled in approval by the Palissades cliffs above us. More images at frehpaved.com

Major Stock Em' outlaw

Major Stock Em' outlaw

Ascent from the Côa River Valley to Castelo Mendo

The Grande Rota links the medieval Historic Villages of Portugal. The region including Serra da Estrela, the territories of Beira Interior and the border with Spain is loaded with history’s remains: roman roads and bridges, medieval fortresses and prehistoric rock art in the Côa River Valley.

Grey skyline, november sky, I must be home!

Time to reajust to the city buzz, time for editing and reflexions!

And the Thabazimbi gecko reminds us that “birds are just reptiles with feathers!”

The digital Gecko in Thabazimbi

A selection of the ballon drop in the Namib Desert for the December 2008 issue of Flamingo (Air Namibia’s in-flight) and a sequence of Karel Koster in the Namibian sky.

Karel Koster high above the Namib Desert

The keys for a successful photo travel are solid contacts abroad, in the fields you are involved! People with connections and knowledge of the country! My friends, hosts and guides were more than helpful for planning the different stages of the adventure and providing supports.

The Academic:

Adam Welz (my base in Cape Town) is a writer, photographer and film maker, he spend three month each year researching and studying  African Fish Eagles in the western Cape region

Adam on the African Fish Eagle mission

The Pilot:

Paraglider pilot, climber and world traveler Walter Neser splits these passions with nature and action photography/video. He is also working on raptors research programs.

Walter on the reptiles trail

It is very easy to travel within South Africa, car rentals everywhere and cheap internal flights and e-booking!  The problem with these low-fares are the restrictions on chek-ins and sometime carry-ons as well. I had to fight hard to keep my photo-backpack with me on a flight from Jburg to CPT! This time it worked out but who knows what restrictions we’ll face on the next air travel!

The big flyers:

The Vultures were the motivation behind this project! I wanted to see these birds on their daily routines: shredding carcasses, feeding the youngs and mostly on the wing! Gliding through the skies on their endless quest for thermals.

Cape Griffon on the wing at the Kransberg colony

Unfortunately all Vulture species are in precarious situations; poisoning, loss of habitats and folk customs to name just a few. In South Africa and Namibia they are on the endangered species list!