Photography: Super Bike Racing

South African Superbike racer, Adam Wright burns rubber at the final race day, Killarney, Cape Town.

Photography: Dance/stage

Photoshoot: La Rosa Dance School, Cape Town.
For: Big Issue Magazine
Camera: Canon EOS 350D (Digital) & Tripod

Taking photos of flamenco dancers twirling and swaying under smoky multi-coloured strobe lights is about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
It is also very tricky and unpredictable - especially when it is rehearsal day. The light technician continuously fiddled with the light sequence, speed and strength, making it near impossible to plan a good shot - near impossible. The most charming feature of this shoot lay exactly in that unpredictability. The shot that I carefully framed and timed came out lame. Nearly two hours later, I finally relaxed and resigned myself to a disaster. I stopped being intimidated by the fluctuating light conditions and fiddling with my camera settings, and simply concentrated on capturing the motion and essence of the dancers.

Keep an extra battery and memory card handy as it takes some time to find your own rhythm within the dancers. You are going to want to take a lot of pics. I'd also recommend shooting during rehearsals as your camera's flash, and yourself jumping up and down on the stage, is sure to irritate paying patrons.

"Sometimes we have to let go of all we think we know in order to absorb the authenticity of the moment" - Gonzo files.

Keep an extra battery and memory card handy as it takes some time to find your own rhythm with the dancers, and you are going to want to take a lot of pics. I'd also recommend shooting during rehearsals as your camera's flash, and you jumping up and down on the stage, is sure to iritate paying patrons.

Photography is for the birds

Photoshoot: World of Birds, Houtbay.
Published by www.reporter.co.za

It is a tragic reality that in order for most humans to interact closely with wild animals we have to lock them up in cages.

As a photographer there are few things as frustrating as observing animals wrapped in wire. By playing around with your sport settings and manual focus, you can make those sad cages all but disappear - even if just for a moment.

Studio Photography - Glass

It took three people, two hours, several broken glasses and a completely soaked studio to print this photo. I set the glass on a white sheet and ruffled it somewhat to add texture. The background is a cream wall with a very slight grain which was enhanced by the angled lighting. The light technician Juan Davy (who doubles as the owner of his own signage company) originally controlled the four lights, which included, hovering one light above the glass for extended periods while we drain the glass and soak up the mess. The second assistant, Murdock Macdonald, whose day job is owning an international automotive protection company, his duty included repeatedly tossing two litres of water from up high into the glass, without toppling the glass, electrocuting us, or killing my camera. And all I had to do was press the button.

Article - Rocking the Daisies Festival Review

Published by: The Event, SA’s leading business and tourism industry newspaper.

Please double click on the article to enlarge it for easy reading.

Photography: Magical Western Cape

Photography: Sushi Sushi

Photoshoot for Sushi Zone Restaurant

I was commissioned by Sushi Zone, a chain of Asian style restaurants, to shoot a range of photos for their menus, flyers, brochures and website. The photos were taken in the restaurant using only natural light and a slow shutter speed. The best part was eating platters & platters of gorgeous sushi afterwards.

Article: Rocking the Daisies - Unrated

Published by: www.reporter.co.za

On a Saturday morning in spring we loaded two tents, every blanket, duvet and pillow in the house, two cooler boxes full of beer, wine, sausages, two headlamps and three good friends into our van. Our Destination was the Rocking the Daisies festival in darling. We arrived around noon to the sound of rock and the sight of hundreds of tents scattered across fields of green. Colourful crowds were lazily strolling, laughing and swigging at plastic containers filled with toxic looking liquid. A dam of blue water glistened invitingly in the sweltering afternoon sunshine. A few pale bodies bobbed on makeshift inflatables. We popped up our tents in record time just to discover that we had left the fly sheet at home, and sent up a quick prayer for no rain. Then it was off to mainstage and entertainment area. Foodstalls (empty at this stage), a wine tasting area with the sweet hippy dippy staff from Darling, a tented hotel , Daycare facilities for kids, and bars (full at this stage) awaited us. We missed Goldfish and Max Normal that played on Friday night but Rastame and the warriors belted out chilling Reggae, and the lazy, mostly white, crowd managed to get to its feet and shuffle about in ragga style. This was followed by the Comedy hour filled with the usual load of toilet humour which did not go down well with most of the crowd. A lot of South Africans actually don't find jokes about body fluids, bad sexual experiences and abusive relationships funny. Now if only the stand ups would catch up. The all girl JacSharp stood out like a fresh Daisy in the searing heat with great vocals and tons of passion. Things started getting fuzzy at around seven-ish - I think. We had imbibed all our beer and wine and were aimlessly stumbling around making friends and influencing people. Striking was that most people at the festival were really on the upper end of the attractive scale: perfect bodies in nano shorts with life long legs ending with pretty daisy wellingtons, sculpted torsos and suspiciously white teeth covered by plum lips. Also present where the usual tie-dyed hippies blowing soap bubbles with blond children on their hips and scruffy dogs at their bare feet. As I said, things got a little blurry from here on. After a dodgy chicken burger we started a spot of spontaneous arm wrestling in the straw, followed by more beers, dancing wildly, making more friends and eventually the big stumble back to the tent that took hours because there were just so many people along the way to get along with. The following morning a twisted girl scout next us woke before dawn’s crack and chirped away like a Bulbul on acid. The contrast between her and about 3000 people or so is too vast and far too ugly to describe here. It did not rain but our tent mysteriously sagged and I woke in a sauna with half the tent stuck to my face and arms. After a cold shower and visit to probably the most horrific toilets I have encountered in Africa, it was back to our spot in the hay for Chinese noodles and yes, more beer. The popular Flat Stanley ended the Festival at two with a brilliant performance. Despite the heat, sore heads and sleep deprivation, the crowd actually managed to get back up on its feet and rock - hard. I noticed the gorgeous blond girl in the orange bikini with the pink plastic flower wreath around her head, and purple sash around her bottom. She was dancing on a bale of hay when we arrived Saturday morning and by the time we left she was still in the same spot – grooving to her own beat.

Restaurant Reviews: V&A Waterfront Restaurant Awards & Guide 2007/2008

Restaurant Reviews: V&A Waterfront Restaurant Awards & Guide 2007/2008

Please double click on article for easy reading.

In 2007 I was , for the second year running, part of the team, under direction of Lannice Snyman and Donald Paul, that reviewed the Restaurants for the annual V&A Waterfront Restaurant Guide. The pocket-sized guide lists all the venues serving food and beverages at the Waterfront. Lannice Snyman is an internationally published, award-winning publisher, author and journalist. She has also been the editor of SA’s national restaurant guide, Eat Out for 18 years and runs her own culinary consultancy and publishing company. Donald Paul has more than 25 years experience in newspaper, magazine and book publishing. He is also a judge for the world’s 50 Best Restaurants. Six professional reviewers evaluated all Restaurants, Cafés, Fast foods and Bars & Taverns, anonymously. Attractive, full-colour photographs captures something of the essence of every venue – no small challenge. The guide offers a small write-up of the venues and includes opening hours, average cost per meal, and the full address and contact details. Basically it is the definitive guide to eating out at the Waterfront.

Below are just some of my photographs of the winners that were published by the V&Waterfront Restaurants and Public Relations.

Emily's Restaurant

Cape Grace Team

V&A Waterfront Guide MC Anna

Photography & Design

This is a brochure that I designed for an automotive company, PermagardSA. Most of the photos and all the design work are mine. What a nightmare this was.

Photography: Flowers in Spring

Studio photography - Roots

Photography: World of Birds

My Favourite old man...I captured this Maribou Stork's image at the World of Bird's in Hout Bay - Western Cape. He posed and strutted for me like a supermodel blissfully unaware that most humans might find his grisly head far from attractive. I instantly fell in love with his confidence and individuality. That was until the keeper started feeding him prematurely born chicken heads. The smell! The World of Birds is the largest Bird Park in Africa, with a serious collection of birds of Prey,owls, monkeys, porcupines - you name it. One of the biggest attractions is the Monkey petting enclosure where you can interact with the tiniest little monkeys that steal your credit card from your pocket and the elastic from your ponytail. Oh and the tame crow with the human ear fetish was pretty interesting too...

Photography: Cape Town's miracle mayor Helen Zille

Published: www.reporter.co.za


After four months of cycling across Africa, riders of the 2007 Tour d'Afrique Bicycle Race/Expedition crossed the official finish line at the V&A Waterfront on Saturday, 12th May. Crazy maniacs from across the world cycle from Cairo to Cape Town (12500 km's). And to make themselves feel better about this completely self-indulgent trip of a lifetime - they donate bicycles to HIV workers along the route to help provide the workers provide better health care to the desperately ill in their villages. Worldwide, 70% of adults and 80% of children living with HIV/Aids are in Africa, so these bikes play a vital role. During the expedition I managed to cycle 140km's in one day through Botswana - dodging elephants. What a trip.
Check out the website for this cycling event: http://www.tourdafrique.com/


One thing I truly appreciate is someone who gives me love through the lens. Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille is one such person. At the arrival ceremony for the Tour d'Afrique she not only made a passionate speech about the importance of finding less harmful transportation alternatives, but she just blossomed in front of the camera.
Cycling in on a tandem with the gifappeltjie in front, she brandished our flag high and proud. She posed and strutted and hugged everybody giving us angles and options. She received a branded T-shirt and immediately pulled it over her own shirt. Great sport, fabulous energy and passionate being. We love her work!

Photography: In & out of studio for products

Travel piece: Bushman, Shaman, Rock Star - Priest

A hidden treasure about 40kms outside Clanwilliam in the Western Cape (South Africa).

These Bushman cave paintings are well preserved and largely undiscovered. Some claim that the Shaman painted animals on rock to capture their essence and open a portal to the spirit word. As Jim Morrison used whisky to open his Doors of Perception, the will and desire to reach out into the unknow and to know thyself remains untempered. It is just the poison that varies.
www.bushmanscave.co.za/

Stinky's holiday in Sutherland

My brother Stinky went on a road trip to Sutherland.

On Christmas Eve he had a little too much to drink.

He fell in love with wind-me- up Sandy Claws

and after a night of sordid fun

Sandy Claws said to Stinky:

Thanks for the ride, babe.

Stinky cried all the way back to Cape Town


Poor Stinky

Article: Ride Magazine

Published in Ride Magazine August '05

This piece on the type of bike needed for the Tour d'frique I wrote for Ride Magazine, Shortly after returning from the incredible journey.