Sardine Run 2009

Author	Sophia van Coller
Added at	21 July 2009 02:00:57 PM
Introduction	This year, Sardine Run 2009, delivered some great action and amazing images! Mark, based out of East London, took most of the images on the first day, as they really hit the road running, with enough baitballs to make any photographer happy...and wife at home green with envy!
This year Mark chose to pick mid june to photograph the Sardine Run, based out of East London, which was a nice gentle launch through the harbor mouth, compared to last year's rough surf launch from Port Edward. He decided to join our friend Paul Wildman who was filming for Carte Blanche. Well, from the moment go, it was action and everyone came to the party: whales, dolphins, sharks, seals and gannets, all there to feast on the sardines. So needless to say, the more predators, the faster the action, and the photographers had to have their wits about them if they wanted to get good shots. Not knowing how long the action would last, you have to grab the moment and indeed, the rest of the week was spent trying to find more baitballs and dreaming of the perfect conditions on the first day. But as always, working with nature is a gamble and you just never know when it will all come together and work in your favour. So we persist, and with patience and a whole lot of luck, we hope to get that perfect shot! My favourite picture of Mark this year is of their boat skipper, Steve Benjamin, freediving through the baitball. Wow! That must be the ultimate freedive!