The Red Dragon: Apr-Jun 2016
Theme: The Red Dragon
Photos must feature the classic feature that Red grass (Themeda Triandra, Rooigras) is known for, i.e. that it can be red in colour.
Please take note of the general criteria .
The following scenes are envisaged:
- The striking, red or bright brown coloured grassy landscapes where Red grass is dominant. If the Red grass is on flattish terrain, then some form of mountainous scenery must also be evident in the shot.
- Landscapes where the red colour is not necessarily dominant, but where it is clearly contrasted with other colours such as green. Some form of mountainous scenery must also be evident in the shot, though the grass need not be on the mountains terrain.
- Close-ups of the grass which show either the red spikelets, or the red leaves, which is dependent on the time of year. It must be obvious that the close-up is of Red grass. Mountainous scenery which is characteristic of the Maloti-Drakensberg should be included in the shot, which may for example be the above grass or behind it. The scenery may be blury provided it is still discernible and that the grass in the foreground is in focus.
Though the classic red landscapes formed by the Red grass are seen more in winter, the photos need not be taken during that time of year. They can be from any time of the year provided the photo shows some form of the characteristic red colour. It is a very dominant grass in the Berg and very easy to find. A good entry could be as simple as finding a red spikelet, and holding it up against the backdrop of a peak or other suitable scenery. Good luck!
Background info:
The striking green colours on the grassy slopes of the Berg that we see in spring and summer are often attributed to Red grass. The spikelets are red more in the summer months, and the red in autumn and winter are the aging leaves. Red grass is an indicator of veld being in a good condition. It is also known to be resistant to fire, the resistance increasing when burnt regularly, but only if rested after fire and if overgrazing does not occur. The long awns of the spikelet twirl when wet, and drive the seed into the ground. This is a very important and well-known grazing grass that is palatable especially when young. In some parts of Africa it is used for thatching but the forms found in southern Africa tend to be flimsy and not durable enough. In Lesotho and bordering areas it is used sometimes for thatching and some basketry.
Album for submissions: www.vertical-endeavour.com/gallery/drakensberg/featured-images/the-red-dragon-apr-jun-2016.html
Start date: 01 April 2016
Last submission date: 30 June 2016
Last voting date: 10 July 2016
Prize: Outdoor Elements self-inflating mattress
A mattress which can be used for hiking, camping, biking and the likes.
Weight: 750g (+/-5%)
Size: 183 x 51 x 3.5cm
Pack Size: 20 x 12cm
Colour: Lime
Retail value: R750.00
www.outdoorelements.co.za/selfinflatingmattress.shtml
Fore more information on the Essence of the Dragon competition, please follow this link:
www.vertical-endeavour.com/blog/23-general/this-site/237-essence-of-the-dragon.html
Before participating in this round, please read through all the rules governing the competition, and ensure that you fulfill all criteria (both for you as an entrant, and for your entry):
www.vertical-endeavour.com/blog/23-general/this-site/236-governing-rules-for-essence-of-the-dragon.html
The overview and progress for Essence of the Dragon 2016 can be viewed here:
www.vertical-endeavour.com/blog/23-general/this-site/238-essence-of-the-dragon-2016.html
Examples of the kind of images we are looking for in this round:
66squarefeet.blogspot.ca/
haliburton.photoshelter.com/image/I00000cBxZ6v19Lc
The close-up below but with a backdrop of a Drakensberg peak or the escarpment:
redlist.sanbi.org
Prize sponsored by Adventure Works Africa
Adventure Works Africa is an adventure guiding and registered training and facilitation provider. The whole team shares a passion for people, mountains and the outdoors in general. Together with our international partners we focus on providing you with a memorable experience. Adventure Works Africa is about the love of mountains and adventure. We lead and facilitate expeditions and treks and provide adventure based training and assessment in Africa. Adventure Works Africa was founded on the back of many years of outdoor leadership, responsible guiding, adventure participation and skills training. We have a particular interest in unique adventure projects and developed the skills to facilitate and manage the safety and logistics of such projects.
Please visit our website and connect with us on our social channels.
Web: www.adventureworksafrica.co.za/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdventureWorksAfrica/
Twitter: twitter.com/works_adventure
Instagram:
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!”
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- Richard Hunt
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Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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- Serious tribe
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"The three rules of mountaineering: It’s always further, taller and harder than it looks."
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There should be two options available to you. In the detail view of the photo there will be a bunch of icons directly below the photo. One of them will be a photo icon with a smaller no-entry sign on it. That is the delete button. There is also en edit button which you can use to simply unpublish the image without deleting it. The other way is to go into your User Panel, the link to which should be visible near the top of the page when you are in the Gallery. This presents you with a list of your own images with options to either unpublish or delete them.AdrianT wrote: I have a potential photo but it's not wide enough according to your rules. So I cannot find how to delete my photo off the galleries, surely I should be able to do this? Then I can upload it inline with the rules
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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Maybe my account still has training wheels on

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Taken from the ridge of the Northern High Approach to Corner Pass
www.vertical-endeavour.com/gallery/drakensberg/featured-images/the-red-dragon-apr-jun-2016/injisuthi-skyline-1434.html
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- tonymarshall
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