PUBLIC BLOG — NDPS | Norwich & District Photographic Society

Rome - In Pictures and Words by Chris Ceaser

On Tuesday evening Chris Caesar led us through the streets of Rome and treated us to a potted history of the Eternal City beginning from the 9th century BCE up to today. He talked of the seven hills of Rome, the myths surrounding the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, their falling out and Romulus' victory. Chris mentioned the Sabine women from the next door hill and the arrival of the Eutruscans.

We saw pictures of the Circus Maximus, the chariot racing arena, and Chris explained the meaning of the ubiquitous logo 'SPQR' (Senatus Populusque Romanus) the Senate and People of Rome, to be seen on so many structures in the city.

Julius Caesar made an entrance and his well known sound bites explained - 'The die is cast!', 'Crossing The Rubicon', 'I came, I saw, I conquered'.

Then on to The Appian Way, its construction and its bloody history of punishment of the slaves of the Spartacus rebellion, 6,000 prisoners nailed to crosses every 60 yards!

The emperor Trajan his column, a carved history of war and invasion, his building of what is believed to be the first supermarket and the first use of concrete in construction.

After the break we saw some beautiful pictures of the Pantheon and its oculus, its eye in the roof open to the sky. In the 1400's Piazza Navona was constructed and this breath-taking open area still retains the shape and dimensions of the original circus on which it was built.

Piazza del Campidoglio, beautifully designed by Michelangelo, is the masterpiece of the Capitoline hill and beautifully photographed my Chris. More excellent views of the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and Piazza del Popolo.

We walked along the banks of the Tiber on Lungo Tevere and admired the bridges, the Ponte Rotto and the Vatican church and state.

Chris ended his Roman Holiday with a brief tour of the fountains, the 'typewriter' monument and the 'bocca della verita'. You know, the drain cover which bites your hand off if you don't tell the truth!

Great photos, great explanations and an evening to remember. Our thanks to Chris.

The Carnivores of the Serengeti by Bob Johnson ARPS

In February, after his first visit to NDPS, he 'Exit(ed) pursued by a bear'! An ice bear, at the end of his Svalbard presentation!

This evening his presentation suited the arrival of English summer! We were transported to much warmer climes, the Serengeti, Tanzania, home of the great migration.

Bob began by explaining his love affair with Africa which followed a family trip where he became hooked on wildlife photography and has resulted in fourteen subsequent visits!

On to the Serengeti (Serengeti means 'endless plains') and is a huge national park in Tanzania. Bob changed his cameras from Canon to Olympus before the trip so there was something of a learning curve, but he began with pictures of a cheetah, up in a tree, with a dead sheep she had caught.

Next was a cheetah and her cub on a hunting trip in woodland! Very, very unusual situation to see a cub helping and in woodland. Then they caught an impala, another rarity! This sequence of photos showed all the action, including the kill, and Bob suggested that even though this was fast moving it is still worthwhile changing settings during the action, to improve the shutter speed and reduce noise - something of a conundrum.

Then, with a non-photography group, they saw a pack of 16 wild dogs, again, never seen before. Then a cheetah, nicknamed 'Patch' by the visitors with her four cubs only three months old and very vulnerable to attack. This means that mum was very busy indeed looking for food. All the animals looked in good condition and, indeed all four reached adulthood. A tribute to Patch because this was her first family and such success has rarely been achieved.

Bob began the second half with some astonishing statistics about lions - the numbers have dropped from 200 thousand to 20 thousand, of which 4 thousand are males and of these only ten percent will mate in their lifetime!

Bob then showed four lions killing a young hippo and a lioness killing a young giraffe for her sister and their eight cubs! Those cubs hadn't eaten for two weeks and they were very hungry.

Bob rounded off his presentation by recommending 'Remembering Wildlife' to us, a series of books published to help in the conservation of species.

Another exciting presentation from Bob Johnson with not too much blood but some good examples of the law of self-preservation and the law of the bush.

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