Old railway stations
There are many railway stops and old stations with a jaw dropping history. Almost all have their own stories if you sit still and use your imagination. Some are more aesthetic then others but each one intrigues.
Karoo landcapes
The landscapes of the Karoo are its number one attraction without a doubt. People from all over the world are fascinated by its uniqueness, beauty and serenity. It also has more landscape opportunities for one photographer to cover in one life time. General landscapes along the routes are the most visible but very few photographers make an effort to explore a specific area over a few days, mainly due to access as the farms are huge and public is not allowed to climb fences without permission for obvious reasons. There is without a doubt a whole new world waiting to be photographed.
Karoo- Old town charm
Some Karoo towns appear almost frozen in time upon entering. The overwhelming late 1700's early 1800's architecture has been retained mostly not due to choice, but due to lack of sustainability since then as it was a hard life and as South Africa developed rather fast at that time period, people migrated to larger cities. In some towns however there has been a concerted effort to retain the architecture and ambience within the new tourism development strategy. For the travelling photographer it is good news as the towns charming accommodation and food, provide great opportunities to explore the areas.
Karoo churches
Although there are many beautiful churches across the Karoo and the buildings itself are splendid and vary in styles, it is very few that can be captured within a specific landscape or historic period without major distractions from a photographic point of view.
Old buildings
A fascination of the Karoo is without a doubt its dilapidated buildings ranging from railway stops to massive farm houses and worn out windmills. And here in the Karoo the simple minimalist almost nothings come to life and speak to people. Stopping ,staring and walking around them make them come to life and the camera almost come alive. It is difficult not to photograph them but difficult to bring across the feeling one gets when you stand next to them. And this is the challenge.
Farm buildings and structures
Like old buildings the farm buildings or structures can merge with the landscapes in some instances aesthetically. It undoubtedly becomes part of the landscapes one witnesses without any sense of intrusion of the natural world. It could be because the people that live here and that's generations survived this harsh land must be part of the nature of the Karoo. This like many other of the beauty spots of the Karoo cannot be appreciated at fast pace. Racing around or through the Karoo will hide this from the naked eye. Only the spirit at peace can spot these patches of heaven or appreciate and wait for the right light to accentuate them in the right seasons.
Category
Farm tourism is blooming throughout the Karoo and provides farm holiday opportunity for photographers to access and explore beyond the main routes