Sabrina love ocean challenge

SUMMER LOVIN’ Triathlon

Story and Photographs by Jacques Marais

“The SABRINA

LOVE Ocean

Challenge this year celebrated a decade-long commitment to raising funds for disabled children”.

Pretty in Pink The Shot: A young swimmer applauds the competitors during the 900m Lake Swim at the Kurland Polo Estate. This grab shot with my telephoto zoom shows how image stabilisation in modern lenses has advanced, making it possible to shoot sans a tripod to capture the action.

The Specifications: 1/400th sec @ 6.3; SONY SLT-A99 + 70-400mm zoom lens; ISO 400; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0 EV); no flash; Lightroom levels More Information: www.sabrinalove.co.za

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S

ummer

in South Africa is pretty tough to beat, especially if it is happening on the beautiful Garden Route. Add a full menu of family fun and edge

sporting events – based in and around the scenic Plettenberg Bay region - and you can bargain on the one super-sized summer fest of the year you dare not miss ‌

Think Blue Flag beaches, ocean swells, scintillating views and tranquil forests. Add a few trails meandering along gravel roads, across mountain streams and onto sweet single-track.

www.jaquesmarais.co.za / SONY 2

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Ocean Motion The Shot: Safety paddlers regroup on the water just before the start of the 6km openwater ocean swim. Again, the extra reach of a 400mm lens allowed me to capture this moment from the shore, and in sharp detail.

The Specifications: 1/1500th sec @ f5.6; SONY SLT-A99 + 70-400mm lens; ISO 800; WB Setting (Auto); No flash used; AE Setting (0 EV); Adobe Lightroom Polaroid Blue filter More Information: www.sony.co.za

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Plus, of course,

Originally conceptualised by Tony and Suzy Lubner in memory of their of legendary athletes in a numdaughter Sabrina (who died after comber of adventure sporting disciplines, plications brought on by a rare bone and what you have is the SABRINA marrow disease), all the proceeds from LOVE Ocean Challenge, comprising this feel-good fest directly support a two days of non-stop action sponsored number of charities supporting disaby Discovery SA and the Stonehage bled children within the Plettenberg Group.

Bay region.

a bunch

Love is All Around The Shot: Clambering onto some rocks allowed me to grab this image of Gabi Lubner waving the Sabrina flag as athletes gathered on the beach below her. The extreme wide angle view and horizon distortion of the 16mm fish-eye lens adds to the sense of drama of the photo.

The Specifications: 1/200th sec @ f9; SONY SLT-A99 + 16mm fish-eye lens; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); On-camera flash; AE Setting (-1 EV); Levels in Adobe Lightroom More Information: www.magneticsouth.net

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All Heart The Shot: Sometimes, that ‘moment’ can happen in an instant, and you have to be ready to grab it when it does. A long lens allows you to isolate the moment, and also enhance it with the shallow DOF (depth of field) it creates.

The Specifications: 1/2000th sec @ f6.3; SONY SLT-A99 + 70-400mm lens; ISO 400; WB Setting (Auto); No flash; AE Setting (0 EV); Adobe Lightroom More Information: www.jacquesmarais. co.za

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1/500th sec @ f5.6; SONY 99 Body + 70-400mm lens; ISO 400; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0 EV); No flash; Contrast Filter applied in Adobe Lightroom

never miss the moment

full detail

99 with 300mm F2.8 G SSM II

Photograph by Jacques Marais Global shooter and author; National newspaper columnist; author of 11 outdoor books and guides.

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Capture any moment with a wide array of lenses for high contrast, rich gradation, and high resolution images.

www.jacquesmarais.co.za Proud Sony Ambassador

*The world’s first AF system in a 35mm full-frame interchangeable lens digital camera to feature two phase detection sensors as of September 12, 2012, according to Sony’s internal survey.

Respected magazine journalist;

‘Sony’, ‘make.believe’, ‘ ’, ‘Exmor’, ‘BIONZ’ and their logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Corporation 2012.

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A number of legendary athletes support the Sabrina Love Foundation, including Bruce Fordyce, Chad Ho, Michele Eray and, of course, the unrivalled Natalie du Toit .

Over the past decade, they have become an intrinsic part of the SABRINA LOVE Ocean Challenge, and now return every year to add impetus to the fund raising process.

DAY 1 takes place in and around the event hub created by organisers Magnetic South near the Plett Main Beach, with competitors going head to head on a 10km run, a 15km surfski paddle, and a gruelling 6km ocean swim. The latter event went ahead, despite a 3m shark spotted from the air; apparently it was trailing the swimmers, but fortunately in a non-aggressive way!

True Grit The Shot: Natalie du Toit is greeted by Tony Lubner as they both exit the ocean after the 6km swim. A low vantage point and water flowing across the lens (I was using an OUTEX Housing to protect my camera) create an artistic vision of what to me signified a very special moment.

The Specifications: 1/800th sec @ f4.5; SONY SLT-A99 + 16-35mm wide-angle zoom; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0 EV); No flash utilised; Lightroom monochrome filter More Information: www.facebook.co.za/outexSA

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On Day two the SABRINA LOVE Ocean Challenge traditionally moves away from the ‘ocean’, embracing the dramatic terra firma playground extending inland from Plettenberg Bay. Once again, the owners of the spectacular Kurland Hotel and Polo Estate opened their hearts and arms to welcome the crew, competitors and kids associated with the event.

Proceedings kicked off with a 10km and 6km trail run, followed by t a 25km mountain bike race and then a 900m lake swim. The day finally culminated in a ‘Kids of Steel’ mini-triathlon, where the youngsters could prove their mettle (and receive their own medal)!

For full results of all events, please visit www.sabrinalove. co.za or www.wetime.it

www.jaquesmarais.co.za / SONY 10

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Sun Runners The Shot: Sometimes you need to break the rules to get a ‘different’ feel to your shot, and shooting against the sun is one way of doing so. Limited flash meant I had to reclaim a lot of shadow detail during post-processing, but fortunately the early morning light meant the SONY dynamic range wasn’t really tested too much.

The Specifications: 1/250th sec @ f10; SONY SLT-A99 + 16mm fish-eye lens; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); On-camera flash; AE Setting (-1 EV); Post-production in Adobe Lightroom.

More Information: www.kurland.co.za

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Walking on Water The Shot: This floating bridge across a lily pond lake makes for a fantastic vantage point from which to shoot. Once again, my OUTEX Housing came in very handy.

The Specifications: 1/750th sec @ f11; SONY SLT-A99 + 16-35mm lens; ISO 250; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0 EV); No flash; Postproduction in Adobe Lightroom More Information: www.extremedia.co.za

www.jaquesmarais.co.za / SONY XTREMEDIA 12

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