What's in a look?

August 31, 2023

We all like hearing we look good. Especially when we’ve made an effort. The day that I’m wearing some lipstick or the day I’ve popped those heels on. Those are the days that I feel great, ready to take over the world. Or at least get through the day on top of the world. Why do we feel more attractive when wearing make-up? Is it because of what you saw when you looked at yourself in the mirror? Are we conditioned by compliments to think that you now look good? Is it society and marketing that has given us the idea that we as women, need make-up?

And when it comes to wearing heels: Why does these uncomfortable slightly dangerous shoes seem to awaken power and beauty in a woman. I have seen and felt the difference myself. I see how my subjects’ postures and attitude change when they hop into the heels. I myself know how invincible I feel when I’m opting for a heel-day. Is that also society or might there be something more primitive in this change? Does the way your muscles tense make you more alert and more switched on? Or does this slight change in height actually play on you mentally?

Personally, I do not wear heels often or make-up on a daily basis and to be honest I would like to change that a bit. As a portrait photographer you get to work with a lot of strangers, and I have come to realize that I appreciate it when people make an effort. When someone has gotten their hair done before a shoot or went to grab an extra jacket at the shop to wear. I believe that this bit of effort says a lot.

Firstly, in my mind, they’re taking this portrait shoot seriously but more importantly, they took time for themselves and in that sense shows that they value themselves. Think about it for a second, do you respect a person more when they looked groomed? Do you trust someone more when they are neatly dressed? I can say I do. But I also want to rebel against the idea of judging a book by its cover and making a person’s appearance part of the analysis.

And although I feel a little guilty by admitting this, I do not think it’s the looks that we’re associating our judgement with, I think it’s behind the look that we respect. The fact that that person has taken time this morning to make themselves look good. The fact that they value themselves enough to allow that time to be spent on them. I respect that.

We do experience extremes some woman spend an hour a day doing there make-up while some spend an hour every two months doing a hair treatment. I think we should be allowed to spend as much or as little time as you feel comfortable with, and this time should be from a space of self-love and self-care and not develop from insecurities or be guided by societies expectations. Just be you, and love it.

Life Righting Collective

August 31, 2023

Life Righting Collective has been delivering life-righting courses since 2010. LRC helps individuals and communities develop life skills through creative life writing courses and publishing. By sharing your own experiences and feelings, such as thoughts, memories, events, and stories, this not for profit membership organisation wanted to show how life can transform people's lives.Additionally, it facilitates building a relationship with your readers.Writing has a special ability to inform, persuade, and uplift people.However, writing is a sort of therapy that can help cure the soul.A piece of writing can help them live life more flexibly.

Dawn, Giles and Nina

People who deal with low self-esteem and trauma find it very difficult to express themselves; they dislike doing so because they worry about being judged.Moreover, the majority of us have experienced rejection at some point, which is why some people find it difficult to express themselves. However, some find comfort in writing about their struggles.

Learning more about a story allows us to interact with it and live it with curiosity and focus.Sharing that experience with others can increase acceptance and spark engagement. It also increases your self-assurance and knowledge. By reading about other writers’ experiences, you’ll understand that everyone faces difficulties in some way.

Terri, Nicole and Johan

LRC provides numerous short and long courses, as well as residential writing retreats.They provide reasonably priced live and online audio classes for anyone who wishes to use writing about their life experiences to find personal purpose, self-understanding, and self-recovery. LRC is combined with other self-discovery techniques like Family Constellations and meditation.

People can participate by volunteering, getting involved, and forming connections.However, encouraging others to share their thoughts and opinions so they can learn what others think can benefit a lot of individuals.

Please feel free to visit their website at https://www.liferighting.com if you want to stay informed and motivated.

Helmut Newton : Capturing the Provocative

May 31, 2023

A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to visit the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin. Located in the heart of Berlin’s vibrant cultural landscape, the foundation serves as a center for preserving, exhibiting and exploring Newton’s extraordinary body of work. Established in 2003, the foundation houses an extensive collection of Newton’s iconic photographs as well as hosting exhibitions that celebrate the art of photography and its intersection with fashion, society and identity.

Helmut Newton was born in Berlin, Germany in 1920. He developed an interest in photography at a young age when he bought his first camera at the age of 12. He also worked for German Photographer Yva before fleeing Germany due to the rise of the Nazi regime. He spend some time in Singapore where he briefly worked as a photographer for the Straits Times and then as a portrait photographer.

In 1940 Newton was sent to Australia where he got married June Browne and started a studio in partnership with Henry Talbot. He’s focus was fashion, theatre and industrial photography and his reputation as fashion photographer was rewarded when he was commissioned for Vogue Magazine, British as well as Australian.

He finally settled in Paris in 1961 and continued to work as a fashion photographer, featuring in magazines like French Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Newton's photographs were characterized by their boldness, sensuality, and meticulously composed scenes. He had an unparalleled ability to blend fashion, eroticism, and narrative elements into a single frame. Newton's work often featured strong, confident women in provocative poses, challenging traditional notions of femininity and power dynamics. His mastery of lighting and composition created images that were both alluring and thought-provoking.

I believe that the perfect fashion photo doesn´t look like a fashion photo; it looks more like a photo from a film, a portrait, or a photo taken to preserve a memory—somehow but not like a fashion photo. - Helmut Newton

Helmut Newton ironically described himself as a “Gun for Hire”, as someone commissioned by fashion labels, bathtub manufacturers, or hardware store chains to photograph their products. And although he was willing to work for a variety of clients and brands, he had the ability to adapt his distinctive style to each different context, keeping them unique but true.

Bluemarine, Anna Molinari, Monaco, Nice, 199-99

I was specifically drawn to the work in his collaboration with Blumnainer and it’s founder Anna Molinari shot in Monaco and Nice between 1993 and 1999. Newton captured the sensuality, femininity, and playfulness that defined Blumarine's designs. His photographs for the brand exuded a bold and confident energy, often featuring strong women in luxurious settings, adorned with delicate fabrics and intricate details.

I also loved the boldness and use of light and composition in the work done for Mario Valentino in Monaco in 1998. And again I have a great admiration at seeing how his work develops through the years, becoming unique with every client but keeping true to his style through the years.

You also see further collaborations, such as with the fashion jewelry manufacturer Swarovski, Volkswagen, the luxury emporium Asprey, and Chanel. In the mid-1970s, Newton even directed two television commercials for the famous perfume Chanel No 5, starring Catherine Deneuve.

Newton died on 23 January after suffering a serious heart attach while driving his car down Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. His ashes are buried in the Städtischer Friedhof in Berlin.

Newton's provocative and controversial work made an indelible impact on the world of photography. His photographs captured the attention of viewers with their unapologetic exploration of power dynamics, gender, and sexuality.

Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation

May 31, 2023

Founded in 2017, the Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation is a non-profit organization in South Africa that is dedicated to improving mental health access and support in underprivileged communities. With a specific focus on ADHD and other mental health conditions, the foundation strives to address the inequalities and limited resources that hinder proper care for children and families in need.

The Challenge: Mental Health Inequality in South Africa

In a country marked by high levels of inequality and poverty, mental health conditions often go untreated due to limited access to healthcare services. Shockingly, approximately 1 in 6 children in South Africa grapple with a mental health condition, but only a mere 25% receive the necessary treatment. The Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation acknowledges these challenges and endeavors to bridge the gap by providing essential services and spreading awareness.

The Team: Marguerette, Joanne, Ronel, Claire, Miche

The Foundation's Approach: Education, Screening, and Intervention

Through their commitment to under-resourced communities, the foundation offers educational programs and awareness campaigns to promote understanding and destigmatize mental health issues. They conduct free screenings for ADHD and other mental health conditions, identifying children in need of intervention and ensuring they receive appropriate support. By partnering with government departments, volunteers, students, and community organizations, the foundation provides comprehensive assessments and interventions, facilitating a holistic approach to mental health care.

The Impact: Removing Barriers, Enhancing Lives

The Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation aims to remove mental health barriers to education, unlocking the potential of children and families. By addressing mental health challenges, they improve the overall quality of life for individuals, allowing them to thrive and reach their full potential. The foundation also understands the significance of early intervention, as untreated mental health conditions can lead to various secondary issues, including academic struggles, substance abuse, and physical health problems.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Reach and Equal Opportunity

While the foundation initially focused on ADHD, it has since expanded its scope to encompass all mental health difficulties. Their screening center in Parow, Western Cape serves as a hub for providing free screenings, but they also reach underprivileged schools and community organizations to ensure accessibility for all. With a vision for nationwide screening services, the Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation aspires to continue providing equal opportunities for children in underprivileged communities, creating a future where mental health care is readily available to all who need it.

The Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation stands as a beacon of hope for underprivileged communities in South Africa, addressing the mental health needs of children and families. Through their dedication to education, screening, and intervention, they make a lasting impact by removing barriers and empowering individuals to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. With a commitment to expanding their reach and ensuring equal opportunity, the foundation paves the way for a brighter future where mental health care is accessible to all.

Artificial Intelligence and Photography

April 28, 2023

We live in a world where we are surrounded with artificial intelligence. From using Google to plan our trip home, to listening to music on Apple or Spotify, it’s present in many aspects of our lives. In addition to banking, shopping and flying, it has also worked its way into the more creative fields, where we always thought a human mind is essential. So, let’s explore one of those, photography, specifically portrait photography.

As a old school photographer that trained in film and still struggle to make the transition to a mirrorless camera this is a scary subject. But as scary as it is, so exciting is it as well. In the last couple of months I’ve been introduced to a couple of ways that AI can support and enhance my photography as well as a couple that it tries to challenge my own future in photography so I thought interesting to share with you.

Let’s quickly look at the basics, what is AI? AI is the process of machine learning. It is the simulation of human intelligence in a computer. Programs learn and keep information as they progress and uses that in future tasks.

Ai has been integrated in photography for a couple of years. If you have a smartphone you’ll be familiar with features like Facial Recognition. Where your phone will scan the scene in real-time and identify faces which is will prioritize for focusing. Also Environment Recognition as you’ll find in Apple’s Portrait Mode where it will identify a subject in the foreground and blur the background to simulate a shallow depth of field.

We can also now find software that does a decent job at taking low quality images and refining them into higher quality images. You’ll see this in crime shows and spy movies and the technology is advancing so fast that it has now become a real option in photography software as well. There is an abundance of software and hardware options available, some good some not so much, but the options and capabilities are are growing faster than we think. From hardware that helps you take better pictures to programs that helps you to generate images, the list is long!

Photo Editing with AI has been a time saver for most photographers and has been incorporated in programs like photoshop for spot removal and sharpening but it has now advanced in software like Asylum Luminar AI which can create composite edits for you. It also includes automatic face and skin editing. Adobe is not left behind though and they’ve developed editing tools called Neural Filters where you can adjust a person’s age and even facial expressions. Topaz Labs Photo AI has done groundbreaking work at Noise reduction, Sharpening as well as being able to enhance image quality.

Now AI has also been put towards creation and not just using what we supply. Dall-E 2 is an AI software program that will create whatever your heart desired from just a couple of words. It’s an AI image generator using your text and turning them into photo realistic images while Midjouney uses similar technology to create art. ChatGPT take it further where you can suggest the style, focal length and aperture. I don’t think it will take over traditional photography yet but it can create accurate stock images and the results are pretty realistic!

There are programs that can create product images for you, generate backgrounds and create art. I’ve even seen software that can create realistic wedding images from your engagement shoot!!

Now this is not too close to home but I have become aware of software that can generate headshots. Examples like PhotoAI and Hotpot needs a couple of high res images of you to create a selection of headshots in different styles and locations. That’s my job;). So you have to take a look at the competition so herewith some headshots.

Not bad from far! If you zoom look a a bigger version you can see where the technology still lacks. I’m pretty impressed with the way they used light. Some doesn’t look like be and some I’m having an amazing hair day! Not bad at all though.

I still think it’s missing a bit of a connection. Where I think a good headshot has it’s power is in the connection between the photographer and the subject. That I don’t think you’ll be able to get in this kind of headshot generation, so I think my job is still very safe;)

In conclusion, it excites me to see these advances in technology. In photography I don’t think we should shy away from this technology but embrace it, to be able to create a better product faster and to challenge our own abilities and dissolve our own weaknesses.

Little Lions Child Coaching

April 28, 2023

Again I had the privilege to meet and work with a very special NGO that as passionate about the mental health of children in poor communities. Little Lions Child coaching is a non profit based in Cape Town and their goal is to help children from under-resourced communities to become mentally stronger by creating an ‘army’ of mental health coaches.

The idea is not only to step in as an outsider and give advice but to train local role models in the community so that every child can enter adulthood with an understanding of their own mental health and a resilient mind. And this education by someone who has walked through life in their shoes has the biggest impact on these young people.

Little Lions was founded in 2018 by Stijn de Leeuw who relocated from Amsterdam to start his PhD in child psychology at the University of Cape Town. In his research it became evident that mental support was lacking in townships and was seen as something that was not needed or essential.

Communication was one of the struggles, in a community where the spoken language (isiXhosa) does not have words for emotions, how do you start the conversation. This is where Nicko stepped in, a local role model from Langa. He showed the children the importance about metal health and within a year there was more children on the waiting list than there was space for in the workshops.

In 2021 the Little Lions launched the Academy and stated education local role models who in turn are employed as metal health coaches. Currently Little Lions have a team of 8 mental health coaches, is active in 4 townships and have given over 1100 free workshops.

In my opinion the work they’re doing is invaluable. The children is the future of our country and we have to help to set them up for success.

If you want to find out more about this amazing NGO or if you would like to donate your resources, time or skills, please get into contact:

https://littlelionschildcoaching.com

iza@littlelionschildcoaching.com
+27 73 7719607

Courage

November 30, 2022

Usually, there is a bit of discomfort when you have to be in front of the camera. It might be because you do not like being the centre of attention or that you are insecure about your nose or your weight. Whatever it is, it’s hard to be completely comfortable with the idea of getting your picture taken and it takes courage to step into the studio. As a portrait photographer, this is something I see on a regular basis with my clients, and just as often I am in the fortunate position to witness them find their bravery and daring to be in front of the lens. This is the reason I wanted to write about courage: to voice my admiration for all my customers who take the leap and have the courage to step in front of the camera.

Carmen Granger - Life and Business Coach

“Courage” is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “the ability to do something that frightens one” or “strength in the face of pain or grief.”

Two different definitions of courage are common in psychological literature: courage as approach despite fear and courage as noble action taken voluntarily and despite risk. While these are just a few definitions of courage, you will rarely find courage being defined as the complete absence of fear or not being scared at all, no matter which dictionary or other resource you consult - it is always explained as acting in spite of your fear and not letting fear hold you back from doing what you want to do. I find this inspiring, especially when seeing my clients embody the very definition of courage during our sessions. The author Ambrose Hollingworth Redmoon shared this sentiment in his famous quote: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”

The word “courage” comes from the the Latin word “cor,” meaning “heart” and from the Old French word “corage,” meaning "heart, innermost feelings; temper."

Many psychologists and researchers see courage as “the first of all virtues: the one that makes all others possible.” In other words, being courageous first allows all your other good qualities and strengths to shine through, just as having the bravery to step in front of the camera allows your smile to be captured at its best. Having the courage to take that first step, whatever it may be, thus opens doors to personal growth and new opportunities in many different aspects of life. There is also a consensus that courage is a skill that can be practised and learned. In this way, you can think of courage as a muscle that can be improved through training and practice.This a helpful reminder that, even when we aren’t feeling particularly courageous on a given day, that doesn’t always have to be the case.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Nelson Mandela that perfectly encapsulates my view on courage and how I see it in the brave clients whose portraits I get to capture:

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Steps Clubfoot Care

November 30, 2022

STEPS Clubfoot Care is a non-profit support organisation that improves the lives of children born with clubfoot in southern and east Africa. The organisation works with partners, donors, doctors and parents towards a clear vision of a sustainable and effective solution to the disability caused by untreated clubfoot. Their four-pillar impact model provides a clear pathway of patient-centred clubfoot support and care:

Training Health professionals

Clubfoot Clinic Support

Clubfoot Advocacy

Clubfoot Braces

This dedicated team works tirelessly to improve the lives of children born with clubfoot and to remove clubfoot as a source of disability. They strive to ensure that every child born with clubfoot in southern Africa has access to early and effective treatment and care by a provider trained in the Ponseti Method at a dedicated and well-equipped clubfoot clinic

The story of STEPS started in 2003 with the birth of a boy with clubfoot here in South Africa. After her son’s successful treatment by Dr Ponseti in Iowa, founder Karen Moss returned home and told the story to local doctors. Karen founded STEPS in July 2005 to introduce and promote the Ponseti Method of clubfoot treatment in southern Africa and support families going through treatment. Just a year later in July 2006, Karen organised a pioneering medical seminar, the first in southern Africa, to introduce the Ponseti method for clubfoot to Paediatric Orthopaedic surgeons. Since then she has organised Ponseti training for over 600 medical professionals in four countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and the Seychelles. Karen’s groundbreaking work has revolutionised the medical outlook for clubfoot care. As a direct result of Karen’s work in introducing the Ponseti method for clubfoot to southern Africa, the number of babies successfully treated is now in the thousands

The Ponseti Method is now part of the South African medical school curriculum for doctors. It is the gold-standard of treatment for clubfoot in South Africa, having been officially endorsed by South African Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (SAPOS) in 2012 as best practice. STEPS partners with SAPOS on all their training workshops and the STEPS medical director is a Ponseti faculty trainer.

As STEPS grew their scope of work in South Africa, they gained recognition as an innovative and sustainable organisation, as their many accolades prove: in 2017, STEPS won Gold in the Impumelelo Social Innovation Awards and in 2018 won second prize and audience choice award in the SAB Foundation Social Enterprise Impact awards.

They mentor and support many African clubfoot treatment providers, supporting and partnering with 38 clubfoot clinics in the South African state health sector.

STEPS truly does important and impactful work that has inspired and uplifted thousands of children and their families. I highly encourage you to look into and possibly support this worthy cause.

https://steps.org.za/home/

The do’s and don'ts for your next headshot session

October 27, 2022

It’s understandable that the idea of showing up to a studio and having professional portraits taken can be daunting for many of us, as a lot of people aren’t at their most comfortable in front of a camera. That being said, your headshots help tell your story, as well as the story of your brand and your business. It can tell potential clients more about your personality, what you value and projects your image better than any amount of copy ever could. Getting your shoot right can thus go a long way in helping you get the best results and have the best possible experience. As with many things in life and in business, preparation is key. To aid your preparation for your upcoming headshot session, I am sharing my most valuable Do’s and Don’ts for your next portrait shoot.

Do:

Keep your headshots updated. You want potential clients to be able to recognise you easily, so it is advisable that you update your headshots annually or after making significant changes to your appearance,
Being prepared will help you feel more confident and relaxed, as well as save time on the day of the shoot. Practise your smiles and poses, plan your outfits and come with a preconceived idea of what images you are hoping to get and where you want to use them.
Opt for recognizable clothing that fits well. Again, you want yourself and your brand to be recognized by potential clients who looked you up before meeting in person. Wear what you would usually wear in a work setting and opt for a simple, classic outfit that makes you feel confident.
For team portraits, brand consistency and consistency between headshots can go a long way in helping build and strengthen your brand. Establish some guidelines on outfits, similar poses and photo composition to help establish your image.
A real smile that reaches your eyes will help you seem approachable, dependable and more comfortable in front of the camera. Think of something you find funny or that makes you happy to ensure a genuine smile and an added boost of serotonin.
Trust your photographer and inform them of your expectations and of any insecurities you would prefer not to have captured on camera. They have similar requests from almost all their clients and there will certainly be no judgement. Having this information will also help your photographer find the most flattering lighting and poses to make you look your very best.
Find poses that help you feel confident and pay attention to your body language to ensure that you are sending the desired message. Avoid “closed-off” and stiff poses that can make you seem unapproachable and rather opt for good posture and an open demeanour.
Some variety in poses, angles and outfits will give you more to work with when using your professional portraits to build your brand. Bring a change of clothes, accessories or tweak your hairstyle to expand your options when choosing your portraits
Come well-rested and hydrated, as this will greatly help improve the outcome of your photos and your overall shoot experience.
Relax and enjoy the experience - it should be a fun one after all. Remember to breathe and avoid tension in your face and body, as it will certainly show in your photos.

Don'ts:

Keep backgrounds simple to avoid distracting from your face, which should be the focus of your portrait. Anything that takes away from you is doing you a disservice.
Similarly, very heavy makeup, bright colours and busy patterns will also distract from your face and crowd the portrait. A little bit of drama around the eyes or a pop of colour in your outfit can add interest and personality to your portrait, but less is more.
Photoshop can only go so far, so it is best to ensure that you are well-groomed and putting your best foot forward to avoid too much having to be corrected and your portrait ending up looking unnatural.
While good posture can help you look confident and self-assured, overdoing it can cause you to be overly rigid and uncomfortable. Find a comfortable balance you can easily maintain for a few minutes at a time.
Avoid making big changes to your appearance very close to your shoot, as you won’t yet be used to your new look and thus won’t feel completely like yourself (even if you love the results). If you just changed your hair colour, certain shades of freshly dyed hair can look too vibrant and fresh haircuts haven’t had time to settle in yet.

Jabez Foundation

October 27, 2022

For the Jabez Foundation, it’s the little ones that matter. For eighteen years, this dedicated team has served 20 creches in some of Cape Town’s most vulnerable areas by providing food, educational toys, and support to the families. You can find their footprint in communities such as Elsies River, Uitsig, Ravensmead, West Bank, Malibu to name a few.

The team behind the Jabez Foundation is lead by Jo-Anne Jenneker, Managing Director and a humanitarian at heart. A graduate of UWC, she worked in the travel and tourism industry for seventeen years, during which she headed up many corporate social initiatives. Behind Jo-Anne's passion for Early Childhood Development is a love for nurturing children and the development of the communities they work in. This passion and her desire to care for those members of society who need it most encouraged her to establish the foundation.

Colleen Aspeling handles all the Foundation’s financial needs in her role as Finance Director. It is in this role that she uses her gifts of serving and generosity, both of which enthuse her to uplift those in need She has over twenty years of experience in finance and currently heads the Finance Department at the Fair Cape Group of Companies.

Anthea Michaels serves as the Governance Director for the Foundation and is an advocate by profession. She is employed as a Senior Manager at the Western Cape Provincial Government, a position she has held for the past twenty-four years. Additionally, she is an advisor to the Department of Community Safety, has been appointed as Chairperson for the Defence Reserves Council for the Western Cape Province and is a board member for Rainbow of Hope, a home for abused and abandoned children based in Goodwood. Anthea's involvement in community safety and development is a reflection of her ambition to build a society that flourishes.

The foundation of the meaningful work they do is the three main projects through which they aim to implement change in the lives of the children they work with:

Food parcels

In an effort to fill the tummies of children whose household might not be able to provide a meal after a long day at school, the foundation partners with local food suppliers to put together and distribute food parcels. These parcels contain different numbers of food items and can be purchased by donors, who can select which beneficiary they would like to donate the food parcel to. Purchases can vary from a single smaller parcel to bulk orders, which has enabled this project to truly thrive.

Fund-a-learner

The aim of this project is to help children whose circumstances don't allow them to attend a crèche get the benefit of an early childhood education and help further their development. This program allows donors to finance a child's crèche fees, ensuring the child is given a solid educational foundation, setting them up for a bright future ahead. They have built a database of crèche profiles, each with various pricing structures per month, which allow donors to decide how they would like to support and fund the cost of a learner’s education for an agreed period of time.

Internship

While the foundation’s launch had them focused on the youngest children in their community, the team have since developed aspirations to support them throughout each phase of their education and development.

Throughout their initial Research & Development phase, an exciting opportunity arose for them to assist aspiring educators with internship opportunities by partnering with Northlink College, affording their Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase students the opportunity to gain practical training at the various ECD centres on their database.

I would highly encourage everyone to look into, and possibly donate to, this more than worthy cause. As one of Jo-Anne’s favourite quotes from Mother Teresa reads: “If you can’t feed 100 children, fee just one.”

https://jabezfoundation.org.za/

Viva Con Agua

September 30, 2022

Based on the guiding principle that clean water is a human right, Viva con Agua promotes access to clean drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene facilities. This inspirational community and network of people is committed to their goal of “Water for All, All for Water” which underlies the impressive number of projects they run both here in South Africa and abroad.

While the organization originally started in Germany, they have since grown into an international family with Ajay Paul at the helm as the director and co-founder of the South African team. He hasn’t lost a bit of his passion for the valuable work he and his team do in the over 25 years he has been with the organization and continues to steer their various projects with care and drive.

These projects aim to help as many people as possible, from school children in rural areas to the homeless in inner-city Cape Town, gain access to clean water, sanitation sand hygiene (WASH) services. Through their project WASH in Schools (WINS), they build toilets and rehabilitate sanitation infrastructure while also enriching learner’s health and improving educational outcomes by creating a safe and clean learning environment. Another of their flagship projects, Nina Manzi, provides mobile sanitation facilities to the homeless in Cape Town and offers an immediate and empathetic solution to the shortage of such facilities in urban areas. Providing more than just a hot shower, those involved share the vision to enable transformation in the lives of the homeless by giving back some dignity and forging connections. They also involve the community while raising awareness and funds through Art for WASH, Sport for WASH and Music for WASH, just to name a few more of their impactful projects.

I couldn’t help being moved by how the amazing team behind Viva con Aqua truly live up to their motto and strive for their goals while having an undeniable impact on the people their projects reach. Living in a water-scarce country, it isn’t hard to see just how necessary the work they do is.

If you were similarly inspired, please visit their website and find out how you can get involved.

https://vivaconaqua.org.za

Smile with your eyes!

September 30, 2022

If you’ve had a session with me before, I would’ve asked you to smile with your eyes. Why with your eyes? And how do you do that?! This is the one part that doesn’t lie. You can’t fake a smile if you’re smiling with your eyes, and that portrays true happiness.

But let’s go back - where does that smile come from? It starts with sensory stimulation. You see, hear or feel something that makes you happy. You see your partner walking over to you, or you hear your favorite song on the radio. This emotional data gets funnelled into the brain and gets processed, resulting in the zygomatic major, a muscle which resides in the cheek, to tug the lips upwards and the orbicularis oculi, which encircles the eye socket, to squeeze the outside corners into the shape of a crow’s foot. You smile… This involuntary action is short and sweet, but carries more power that you can imagine.

Other muscles can be used to simulate the smile, but only the combination of the zygomatic major and the orbicularis oculi produces a genuine expression of positive emotion. Psychologists calls this the “Duchenne smile” after French anatomist Guillaume Duchenne, who studied emotional expression by stimulating various facial muscles with electrical currents. In his study he found that the zygomatic major can be stimulated into action, but not the orbicularis oculi, making this the one dead giveaway of a fake smile. This muscle can only be actioned by the brain, i.e. your thoughts and memories. This is why “Smile with your eyes” will usually be followed by “Think of something that makes you happy.”

But smiling doesn’t only have the power to give you a good portrait, but many studies have shown the health benefits of smiling. It also has social benefits, like making you more likable, more competent and trustworthy. Smiling is contagious, so you’re bound to boost your own mood as well as someone else’s in the room.

So next time '“… you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours” - Dolly Parton.

Samaritan's Feet

August 31, 2022

In March I had the pleasure to meet the South African team of Samaritan’s Feet and I was truly inspired by their approach. Hermien explained to me that although their aim is to get shoes onto every child’s feet in South Africa, the aim is to inspire and to add value. It’s not just a handout, every child will first get their feet washed. During this ritual there is time for the person washing the child’s feet to engage. To see where this young child may need advice, guidance or support. The idea is to firstly show the child it’s value. Most of these kids have not experienced anything like this, where they are valued, singled out, special and this one act has the power to change the child’s view of him or herself.

Secondly the new shoes is a symbol of starting a new journey, the ability and the power to move in the direction that you want to go. Also this act of service is not done by someone that this child does not know or will not see again. The aim is to find someone in his or her community like a teacher that will remind the child of the experience and the commitment.

Samaritan's Feet was founded in 2003 by Manny Ohonme and his wife, Tracie. They begun this organisation with the mission to serve and inspire, to encourage hope in the children of the community by providing them with shoes as the foundation to the rest of their lives.

Samaritan's Feet has provided shoes for over 8.6 million induvials in over 108 countries.

This South African based team consists of 4 inspiring women, Hermien Louw, Madri Schuch, Mariette Hopley and Ivy Witbooi.

Hermien Louw, CEO and Chairman of the Board of SA and an audiologist. Since 2018 Hermien has focused on Social Impact Projects at the Carel du Toit Centre for deaf children along with the SFSA.

Madri Schuch, is responsible for the school distributions and Good Samaritan's training. She has managed the #JourneyOfHope in the year of 2021 and Youth4Life has been a part of the SFSA for the passed 4 years.

Mariette Hopley is our fundraiser. Mariette is an experienced business woman with a very successful career who wants to give back to the children of SA.

Ivy Witbooi, the administrator and managing logistics person with packing of shoes for the community distributions. Ivy also assists in different NGO distributions.

If this inspires you, please visit their website and see how you can get involved.

https://samaritansfeet.co.za/

Lindokuhle Sobekwa on exhibition at Huis Marseiles, Amsterdam

August 31, 2022

Earlier this year I was visiting Amsterdam and walked into a beautiful photography gallery, Huis Marseiles, Museum for Photography. A beautiful old house converted into a spacious well lit gallery.

I just knew I wanted to visit this particular gallery but I had no idea what was on show. To my absolute surprise, South African photographer Lindokuhle Sobekwa was the main event. With pride and admiration I walked through a beautifully curated exhibition of old and recent bodies of work.

I was particularly touched and intrigued by one of his recent series I carry her photo with me, a scrapbook story of Sobekwa’s mourning of his sister Ziyanda’s disappearance. She passed away after becoming estranged from her family. He began the project after finding the only picture of her, a family portrait with her face cut out. This series was displayed in a slideshow in a dark room which made this sensitive series of looking for answers even more poignant.

Another favourite of mine was upstairs, the series Daleside. Here Sobekwa captures the predominantly white community living in this small industrial town on the outskirts of Johannesburg. He spent 5 years exploring this personal story of fascination and frustration with the place his mother worked as a domestic worker. He wanted to understand Daleside himself and in turn also explored the deep-rooted racial divide in South Africa. The distance can be felt in every stare in every portrait which illustrate the complexity of Sobekwa’s relationship with this area.

Lindokuhle Sobekwa was born in Katlehong, Johannesberg in 1995. He was introduced to photography in 2012 through an educational programme, Of Soul and Joy Project that ran in the township, Thokoza. He started his career by photographing birthday parties and weddings and later realized that photography as a medium could be a very important tool to tell stories that concern and interest him.

“My education in photography was not only based in school, where they teach you, but also in the people I photograph.”
- Lindokuhle Sobekwa

Sobekwa joined Live Magazine as part-time photographer in 2013. He’s early projects dealt with poverty and unemployment in the townships of South Africa as well as the growing nyaope drug crises with them. In 2014 his first break out photo series Nyaope was published in the Mail and Guardian and his work feature in Vice Magazine as well as the De Standaard.

Sobekwa became a Magnum Nominee in 2018 and a Member in 2022. He participates in a variety of photographic activities including assignments to Kenya and South Africa as well as lectures on his work and photography in South Africa in Europe and America.

The exhibition closes in 4 days and in my opinion a must see. What a treat to be spoiled with the best of local, just shows that South Africa has world class artists!

Celebrating Female Portrait Photographers of our time

August 03, 2021

ANNIE LEIBOVITS John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1980 — *ANNIE LEIBOVITS John Lennon and Yoko Ono*, 1980

It’s woman’s month and I would like to take this blog to celebrate the female portrait photographers that inspire me. From the groundbreaking in their time to the current hot and happening, woman bring to the table something that is unique and powerful.

My biggest inspiration since I was a student in photographer has been Annie Leibovitz. Her intimacy and creativity in each portrait has been something I still aspire to. Annie is an American portrait photographerprobably the world’s best-known photographer of the famous, with a portfolio that stretches from presidents to pop stars, from a Vanity Fair cover of a naked, pregnant Demi Moore to an anniversary portrait of the Queen.

ZANELE MUHOLI Ntozakhe II, Parktown, 2016

Secondly let’s celebrate local! Zanele Muholi is a visual activist working in photography, and I was totally blown away by his powerful female portraits, and the way in which he brought them to life. Many of his works dive deep into emotional and personal experiences, and I always think that makes the image result that more authentic. The world started recognising Zanele in 2012 and she is currently on exhibition at the Tate modern, such an amazing achievement for this South African photographer.

Another female photographer with a long list of celebrities under her belt is American photographer and fine-artist Jill Greenberg. Greenberg is known for her known for her distinct and stylized portraits of animals children and celebrities. Her clients include Rolling Stone, Time, GQ and Dreamworks amongst many.

JILL GREENBERG, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 2017

Then from the well know to the you should know… Lisa Kristine is an American humanitarian photographer, activist, and speaker. Her photography has documented indigenous cultures and social causes, such as modern slavery, in more than 100 countries. Through her work, Kristine has supported numerous charities and humanitarian organizations.

Another inspiring celebrity photographer is Cass Bird. I just love her relaxed style as if capturing people in an exciting yet flattering way is as easy as breathing to her. Bird is a artist photographer and director living and working in New York City and a contributor to Vogue magazine. She photographer former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in such a tender honest why that I had to include her in my selection.

RINEKE DIJKSTRA, Kolobrzeg, Poland July 1992 — RINEKE DIJKSTRA, *Kolobrzeg, Poland July 1992*

I want to finish with one more of my ultimate favourites and show you the subtlety of Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra. Her portraits of adolescents on the brink of adulthood captured on beaches from Hilton Head, South Carolina to Poland and Ukraine captured my attention. She had a way to capture these young adults in this confusing transition, where confidence is mixed with insecurity. I always found an honesty in her portraits, from the Israeli solders to young adults of Portugal.

In an industry that was dominated by men it is so welcoming to see these power house photographers making waves, creating art and connecting.

Neck retouching. Image credit: Complete self-instructing library of practical photography via Archive.org // Public Domain — Neck retouching. Image credit: *Complete self-instructing library of practical photography* via Archive.org // Public Domain

Retouching Before Photoshop

February 22, 2021

“You’re going to 'Photoshop' that double chin, right?”

“Will you Photoshop me 10 years younger?”

Many of my clients' joke, but I find it astonishing how Photoshop has become a verb and a household concept. And how it has become so accepted in modern-day society. Although celebrities clearly ask not to be retouched, you can be sure that most images you see online and in magazines have had some work done.

But Photoshop has not been around forever. You might think that retouching and photo manipulation became part of our lives only when digital photography arrived on the scene. However, analogue photographers have been retouching for years before there was even thought of digital. From simple dodging and burning to actual removing blemishes and even a few extra kilos! How!? I’ll take you through a brief journey of retouching before Photoshop.

cms.Te05WvQ-mFnYQ1xOgS5g-hd.png — Ansel Adams

Many conversations or debates on retouching and photo manipulation will include the work of the famous Ansel Adams. Adams is known for his striking black and white landscapes with excellence in tone variety. He used dodging and burning while printing from negatives in the darkroom. While exposing the photo paper, he would dodge certain areas by usually using cardboard to shade an area and protect it from being exposed. This would result in a lighter section than the original. Or, he would burn by using cardboard with a small hole that let a ray of light through, which would expose the certain area to more light and make that section darker.

With purists, this was more acceptable than manipulating the negative as he was only creating what he saw with his own eyes while capturing the landscape. Our eyes are more sensitive and can differentiate between so many more shades than a negative or a digital camera, for that matter. Think about a scene you’re trying to photograph that might have an intense highlight as well as a deep shadow. Your eye can see the detail in both, but the highlight is too bright and or the shadow too dark when you take the picture.

Retouching didn’t stop with correcting tonal inaccuracies, though. In 1846 the first known act of retouching was performed by Calvert Richard Jones when he removed the fifth figure from an image of five friars on a rooftop in Malta. Four were clustered together, but a fifth was standing separately and interrupted the scene in Jones’s view. He blotted out the negative paper figure by using India ink, which, in the positive print, added white sky where the fifth friar stood.

Since then, photographers and retouching specialists would scrape their film with knives, draw or paint on top of it and even paste multiple negatives together to create a single desired print.

This form of etching became especially popular with portrait photographers for producing perfect images for their clients, from reducing waste lines to removing freckles and wrinkles. They could even correct squint eyes, fix crooked noses and remove stray hairs and wrinkles in dresses.

"Reducing size of stout subjects." Image credit: Complete self-instructing library of practical photography via Archive.org // Public Domain — "Reducing size of stout subjects." Image credit: *Complete self-instructing library of practical photography* via Archive.org // Public Domain

There was and still is arguments about the ethics and appropriateness of extensive retouching in the modern-day. My take on it? I would remove everything that is not permanent, like pimples and sores, and then soften things that are, like wrinkles and scars. I believe that a person’s wrinkles, scars and blemishes tell their story, and if you take that away, you start taking away bits of that person, and you will be left with an empty shell.

Langa for Men

December 17, 2020

Gender-based violence showed it's ugly head again during the lockdown. It seems like a problem with no solution but there are people that are taking matters into their own hands and turning their attention towards men.

Women should not have to be told, "Don't wear provocative clothes" "Don't go out at night".

Their bodies should be respected and protected, and Langa for Men plans to start with the men -

THEIR VISION?

To create a safe space for every gender and also involve everyone in the fight for women and young girls. We are all affected by gender-based violence.

We want to reprogramme the minds of men and invest in a young boy child using different methods; such as Boys to Men, Youth Empowerment sessions, Educational Camps, Hiking’s, Healing sessions, Boys Workshops.

We visited and captured the essence of this forward-thinking initiative.

Find out more here and help them be heard.

http://langaformen.co.za

https://www.instagram.com/langaformen/

https://www.facebook.com/LANGAFORMEN/

An Artistic Businesswoman

November 30, 2020

This month I celebrated 6 years of business. Or let’s rather say 6 years since I made the first important and terrifying step by saying goodbye to a salary. I won’t call what I did back then running a business or being a businesswoman. Still, I managed to survive and learned as I built my business from scratch, developing from an artist to an artistic businesswoman.

Big steps

In business, I’ve learned that you have to make tough choices that can be uncomfortable now, but you know they will be for the best in the future. If I look back, I can clearly remember the challenging steps that I had to make to get to where I am now.

Year 1 – Say Goodbye to a Salary

Year 2 – Say No to non-photographic work that is very temping when the bank account is running on empty

Year 3 – Say No work that does not line up with the vision of your business

Year 4 – Say No to clients that pushes your price down – I keep saying to myself when the price is too low, “It’s not my client”

Year 5 – Say Yes to calculated risks that will grow your business, don’t wait for the boat, but swim to it instead.

Year 6 – Get out of your comfort zone and evolve to survive

Keep learning

I’ve come to notice that you’ll NEVER know it all. There is always something to learn, and if you can add something to your knowledge every day, even if it’s the smallest thing, the successes of the day will be multiplied.

Herewith some silly and thoughtful things I’ve learned in the last 6 years:

1. You always get your best shots at the end, when your subject has gotten used to you and your camera. So, keep the best for last … lighting, wardrobe, location, etc.;

2. Most people don’t like photos of themselves because they’re used to the inverse (what they see in the mirror);

3. Women in heels have a better posture and exude more confidence;

4. All businesses are the same. It’s just the icing that differs;

5. Compliments have tremendous power and can have a significant effect, so use them honestly;

6. Challenge your usual ways - in discomfort; there is growth.

Thank you

It has definitely not been easy, and it’s still tough (this year especially), but the people that support me, the clients that trust me, carry me through the difficult days. I can honestly say that I love what I do. Every person I meet and get to capture, every team I get to engage with, makes all the hard work worth it.

I would also like to take this moment to thank my previous employer and mentor, Dimitri. I would not be the photographer I am now if it wasn’t for you. My friends for you patience and support. Ben, for being my business coach and a rock for me. And for my mom and my sister, my biggest fans, always supporting and believing in me.

Ladles of Love

November 17, 2020

"If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” Mother Teresa

Ladles of Love is a charity dedicated to feeding the hungry of Cape Town.

Their mission?

To feed a million a month during the pandemic, and forever change the COVID-19 story into one of compassion, hope and love!

LADLES OF LOVE - THEIR STORY AS TOLD BY THEM

Ladles of Love began when Danny Diliberto was inspired to create a project to give back to society, as the result of attending a course through the Art of Living Foundation (AOL).

As part of the course, attendees were encouraged to head out into the streets of Cape Town to offer hot tea to homeless people. As a restaurateur, Danny decided instead to make use of his kitchen and cooked up a fresh pot of soup instead.

Walking the streets of Cape Town on his mission, he spotted a homeless individual walking along – the man was wrapped in a dirty duvet and was shouting and swearing as he went.

Danny approached him to offer the soup, and in that instant, he saw that such a simple gesture had great power. The man stopped his shouting, accepted the soup and thanked Danny before continuing on his way.

At this moment Danny realised that he had the power to restore dignity, even for just a moment, to people who have lost their way – and so the soup kitchen was born.

With little knowledge of how to start a soup kitchen, he decided just to go for it and at the first soup kitchen on a chilly July evening in 2014 a small team of volunteers served 70 hot meals. That same kitchen now happens every single week, serving over 200 meals each time.

Recently, we had the pleasure of taking amazing photos of the angels who work at Ladles of Love. What was very clear from the get-go was the unconditional love that these amazing people give.

Should you wish to get involved, please get in touch here. - https://www.ladlesoflove.org.za/

You can:

VOLUNTEER AT THEIR SOUP KITCHEN

Details here - https://www.ladlesoflove.org.za/soup-kitchens/

DONATE

http://ladlesoflove.payfast.co.za/

OR SIMPLY FOLLOW AND SHARE THEIR SOCIAL POSTS

https://www.facebook.com/ladlesoflovect

https://www.instagram.com/ladlesoflove/

In Memory of Jürgen Schadeberg

October 05, 2020

image_manager__hc_resize_220w_interview-juergen-schadeberg.jpg

It felt impossible and unfair that a legend in photography from South Africa had passed away. Jürgen Schadeberg was a phenomenal person and photographer that I had the pleasure to meet and assist when I was still young and full of different kind of dreams.

I was working at The Photographers Gallery ZA under the guidance of curator, Heidi Erdmann. Jürgen was one of the photographers she represented. At one time, when he came to Cape Town to shoot, he needed an assistant, and Heidi recommended me. I was beyond excited and made a complete fool of myself. This was me fresh out of Photography School, the time of film when you tested your light with a light meter or a polaroid. At that stage, I had only assisted a couple of fashion photographers so when Jurgen had his lights set up and ready to shoot, I asked him if he was not going to take a polaroid to see if he was happy with the light. The biggest insult to a photographer and a photojournalist in that matter. I decided to keep quiet from that moment on.

ABOUT HIS LIFE

He was a German-born South African photographer and artist. He photographed key moments in South African history, including iconic photographs such as Nelson Mandela at Robben Island prison. He also lived, worked and taught in London and Spain, and photographed in many African countries. You can find his work at the UK Arts Council, National Portrait Gallery, Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Schadeberg died from a stroke at his home in La Drova, Valencia, Spain, on 29 August 2020, aged the ripe age of 89.

Nelson Mandela in his office (Mandela Tambo Attorneys, 1951

LESSONS LEARNT

The one thing that he taught me which I will remember to this day had nothing to do with photography, but about life. He said, "Always be early." If you arrive before your guest, you have time to get comfortable in a space which will give you the advantage. This is so true when it comes to photography as well. If you don't know a space, be early so you can get a feel for the light and background and then when your subject arrives you have got the whole shoot planned before you even get up to shake their hand.

Jürgen made a massive impact on what I understood about photography, printing, art and journalism, and he is missed by the photography community and all South Africans.