A Picture is worth a Thousand Words

Fotografiska is the red building on the other side of the water

On my last day in Sweden, friends invited me to visit the new photographic museum, Fotografiska, with them. Since I have an interest in photography this seemed like an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon. A very packed tube journey later (Labour Day was being celebrated all over the city with marches and rallies) we arrived at the building on the edge of the water. Three photographers were being exhibited – Albert Watson, Edward Burtynsky and Jonathan Torgovnik.

We started on the lower level with the Scotsman, Watson. He has made a name for himself as a fashion photographer, having photographed the likes of models, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, as well as famous sportspeople and singers. The variety in his work is so huge that it is hard to believe that all the photos were taken by the same person. On display were some unusual variations like the headshot of Mike Tyson taken from the back. He also had and interesting sequence of photographs of Michael Jackson taken in the 1990’s. The photos seem to have been cut into strips and then put together again.

Moving up a floor, we found the environmental photography of Canadian Burtynsky . He has done a series of photographs of our relationship with oil and depicts the destruction of the land and sea through drilling. There are also photographs which show the waste related to the industry like piles of discarded tyres and graveyards of rusted cars and planes.

The final section was the heartbreaking account of the Rwandan women and the children who were born from their rape during the genocide. I think I managed to read three of the stories which accompanied the photographs before I was so overcome with sadness that I had to leave. After the very emotional few days I had with the World's Children’s Prize, this was just too much to bear.

Jonathan Torgovnik has systematically recorded the stories of some of the thousands of Tutsi women who were raped in 1994 and “the children of bad memories” as they are called. In one of the stories a woman who tells of her ordeal makes it so clear that there was no way that she was able to love this child she had borne. On one level I could understand that, but on another I felt such pain for this child who has been condemned to grow up without love.

Many people were visibly moved by the exhibition and I was hyper-sensitive to the tension in the room. I moved off into the area where a video interview with the photographer was being shown. He was making the point that many of the men who committed such horrible crimes have simply moved over the border and are probably doing exactly the same thing in the Congo or somewhere else. I am constantly amazed by the pain we as humans can inflict on one another, and especially on the children who we have been entrusted to take care of.

View from Fotografiska

We retreated to the restaurant to compose ourselves with a cup of tea. The huge windows look out over Stockholm, light years away from the worlds we had just been exposed to. The museum is worth a visit. 

For more on the photographers and their work visit:

Edward Burtynsky

Albert Watson and

Jonathan Torgovnik

Jonathan Torgovnik has also started a foundation to help the mothers and children.

A Photographic Morning

I have had a good week, photographically speaking. This week our 10-week photography course came to an end with the last lesson a session in Kalk Bay harbour. I was looking forward to having a guided photo shoot - a little bit of help with setting up and experimenting with shots in the real situation would be very helpful. Of course, after all these glorious sunny days we have been having, Tuesday morning dawned heavy with mist. The 30-minute drive was punctuated with us peering nervously at the sky, willing the mist to lift.

A grey Tuesday morning in Kalk Bay harbour

On our arrival, our lecturer and two classmates were stomping around to get to warm, but raring to go. We  were disappointed with the weather, but Max felt that the show must go on! (or something like that). He said that these were the moments that the best photos were taken, when others were put off by the weather. We listened to the voice of experience... 

local school outing

There was a wealth of subject matter - boats, sea, people, fish and, of course the resident seals.

lobster boat

I was surprised at the number of people out on a weekday morning. There were three elderly women out for a stroll who we later spotted at Kalky's - a popular institution which serves generous helpings of perfectly-battered hake and chips. There were fishermen out to catch "the big one" and a group of children on a school outing. As well as some people having quiet moments and I picked up a few foreign accents, too.

lobster coming in - ready for inspection

All in all, quite a productive morning - a fitting end to a very informative course. Now it is time to start practising! And the sun made an appearance as we were leaving!

Cape Town School of Photography

Sensual Salad

Do yourself a favour and experience this salad:

• Squash cherry tomatoes into a beautiful bowl until they pop
• Tear a mozzarella ball into shreds
• Bruise basil leaves to release the taste and smell
• Season with a couple of twists of coarse salt and pepper
• Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (I used mango and green chili balsamic vinegar)

Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (or preferably leave overnight)
Serve with ciabatta to mop up  the sauce or toast bread and top with salad
Enjoy! (you are allowed to lick your fingers)

Variations - add chopped garlic clove, or chili or use red wine vinegar instead of balsamic.

Being safe

Carrying this camera around makes me feel very vulnerable. It does not seem implausible to imagine that while I have my eye screwed up to the viewfinder someone can come behind me, knock me over the head and steal my camera. I hate that I feel like this. I want to be excited by capturing special moments that occur in the normal course of the day (like the two women on the mattress in the bus shelter). Instead I have to think about safety. Of course the reality of the situation is that the camera can very easily feed a family for a couple of months (or someone's drug habit).

I love South Africa. We have travelled the world and I am always happy to come home. I love the physical beauty, the spirit of the people, the road we have travelled and the transformation we have been part of. I love all the ordinary people who strive every day to make this a better place for us to live in - the gogo in the township, the projects like Project Playground and the musician who gives his time to teach children in the townships.

Every time I return home, though, the news of crime on the television and in the newspapers feels like a physical onslaught. I think that when I am home I develop a certain immunity which is necessary for survival. And of course an automatic vigilance which makes sure that the car doors are locked or that my bag is slung across my body when I walk out in public, and so on.

Moving away is not the answer. I don't know what is. But I do think we need to make more of an effort to  be part of a community that looks out for each other, that takes back the park or the street. A community where we can call on our neighbours. A community that cares. A community where I can feel safe enough to take a photograph. 

Photography and Yoga

I am still smarting from my less than perfect matric dance photo session. I now have new respect for wedding photographers. It cannot be an easy task to deal with family and friends brandishing cellphones and cameras, telling your subject to look this way and that. I was completely overwhelmed and suddenly had ten thumbs when it came to operating my camera and deciding on lighting, apertures and shutter speeds!

However, I had such fun taking photos for the course last week that I thought I would post a few. The subject was willing, the serene environment conducive and I could combine two interests. The dappled, late afternoon light was a bit of a challenge but I think I managed to get some good results. 

  

           


Many of the students on the course seem to have a passion (architecture, child portraits, food, shoes or nightclub photography, and so on) and I think I may have found mine. Melissa patiently posed for me. You can learn more about her yoga studio by clicking here yogaway.

All Grown Up

In spite of me bearing witness (with my camera in tow) to the transformation of the past few days (hair, make up and so on) when she put on that dress, the young woman in front of me took me by surprise. 

Of course we were running late and when she came down the stairs all the family and friends who had come to wish her well, swarmed around with camera lights flashing. She looked as overwhelmed as I felt. All I wanted to do was to freeze the moment and allow flashbacks of her taking her first tentative steps or her first day at school or even that picture after she lost her front teeth, to roll before my eyes. All too soon she was off to the pre-party and from there to school, where the dance was being held.

True to the unpretentious school tradition, the matriculants arrived to cheering and clapping on bikes with sidecars, vintage cars, on boats (yes, being skilfully steered by a jeep from behind) and in our yellow beetle decorated to look like a bug, complete with black spots and eyes. The parents were allowed a peek into the "Night in Venice" hall and then it was time to say goodbye. Time to hand her over to her partner, time to let go for the first all-nighter to come, time to trust that she would have fun and be safe.

sneak preview

So here we are the day after - we have survived the matric dance, the pre- and post-parties and life can go back to normal. We have moved onto a new stage, the 18th birthday looms as does the driving test and then, before we know it, final exams. I am steadfast in my resolve that it would be best to send me a "Just Married" postcard.

Celebrating the Ordinary

I feel like the camera has given me a new set of eyes. Suddenly I notice so many details in photographs and also have become more critical of elements like composition and lighting. The ordinary has become more photograph-able. Unfortunately, I don't always have the camera on hand.

Like, driving down the main road last week, I wished I could have stopped and taken a picture. There, filling the bus shelter, was a double mattress- and bed-set with two African mamas having a relaxing chat while they waited for the bus. One of them had even taken her shoes off. It reminded me of the time, a few years back, when we were doing some renovations in our previous house. The bathroom door we removed was not standard and we were not going to use it again. Mavis, who was our domestic worker at the time, jumped at the offer of a door for her house. "Don't worry," she assured us. "I bring someone on Saturday." Saturday Mavis arrived with a friend. I looked around in vain for the bakkie I had assumed they would be coming in. "No," Mavis replied to my query, "we take on train. She is going to help me with the door onto the train!" Now there would have been another good picture.

On another occasion, I pulled up at the robots next to an enclosed bakkie, at a busy suburban intersection. Eyes right, and right again! I didn't imagine the cheetah giving us what I hope was not a hungry eye! On closer inspection, I discovered it was the bakkie of the Spier rehabilitation centre for cheetahs. They had probably been to one of the schools in the area as part of the education program they offer. Only in Africa.

I am sure there is much material for many books on uniquely South African scenes. Here is one website I had discovered recently:

 http://www.photographersgalleryza.co.za/obie-oberholzer/

Send me a Postcard

Having survived a traditional wedding, I have always joked with my daughter that perhaps she should get married in Paris and send me a "Just Married" postcard! Right now, I am feeling even more convinced that that is the way to go. We have just had the make-up trial, yesterday was the visit to the hairdresser to discuss the style for the day and the dress, shoes and accessories have been shopped for. We have made the appointments for facial, manicure and pedicure and just now discussed who should be invited for tea. She keeps checking how my photography course is going, with, I suspect, less than pure motives.

No, this is not the wedding we are planning, but the matric dance. It seems that there is nothing else to talk or think about. All I can say is, thank goodness that it is happening now and not towards the end of the year when exams which will determine futures, have to be written. During the holidays she went out for a bite to eat with two girlfriends. They couldn't decide where to go. It turned out that the dilemma was that one of the girls was on a pre-matric-dance juice diet. Then there is setting up friends with partners for the night - and this is more than a "bring-your-brother-or-cousin" affair. A number of coffee dates have been organised for a friend who has still not decided. 

These days it is common to have the family and friends round for drinks to see the belle off to the ball. Seems we are having tea at 15h00 pm fit in with the pre-pre-dance routine. That plus the after-parties and recovery time, seems to be adding up to a weekend of it. I have been reminded that this is a once in a lifetime occasion - I am glad. Elopement still seems very attractive. 

Painting with Light

The fountain in the front has been photographed. So has the sprinkler, some flowerpots and my son's profile, his face and various other body parts. I love taking pictures, normally. This time I have to do homework,  and it is proving to be a little more demanding. I started the photography course at the Cape Town School of Photography this week. I was keen but a little nervous after blowing a few brain cells the last time I did a four-hour workshop. Glutton for punishment that I am, I signed up for a 10-week course.

The first session this week, although three hours long, felt more at my pace. Our lecturer explained apertures, shutter speed and light sensitivity to our motley group which ranged from those who had just finished school to those who were seeking a new career direction and those who were keen to simply learn how to use their fancy cameras. There were locals, foreigners, arty types, budding wild-life photographers and proud moms wanting to capture moments for posterity. 

I took many pictures of my children as they were growing up. I saw myself as the family record-keeper and we have pictures up all over our house. But as they got older and they each had a camera, I stopped taking pictures. It seemed like over-kill to have all of us brandishing cameras when we went anywhere. Hundreds of photos have been taken and are still on the computer. I missed taking pictures and having them developed though and last year I got a camera for my birthday.

I have taken some good pics with this camera but it somehow seems like cheating to be using it on the AUTO setting. It's more like the camera is taking the picture, rather than any great effort on my part. And, anyway this is my year of becoming more techno-savvy. I loved the definition of photography from the Greek - "painting with light" - that our lecturer used. I could feel the creative juices starting to flow. 

So now we have to produce three pictures as our first project, and I can't think of what to photograph. We also have to write down the details behind each photo (f-stop, shutter speed and ISO) - and it is really cool to know what that all means....now if I can just find the subject...