Readers’ Pics April 2012

Readers’ Pics March 2012

Back to the future in photographs

Melvin Humpel with the Noordhoek Ripper rapists.

Going through some old file photographs taken during the few years that I was freelancing for the local papers, I rediscovered the picture above. The case of the Noordhoek “Ripper rapists” who had viciously attacked and left a woman called Alison for dead in the mid-1990s had made headlines, as had her determination to survive against incredible odds.

I was working for the Evening Post that day and told I would need to photograph the two at their appearance at the North End Law Courts. It was one of many court appearances they would make during the shocking trial and even at this early stage of the case they were already the most reviled of men. Today they remain behind bars and serving out life sentences, although there were recent rumours one of them might be paroled.

Just before leaving Newspaper House I was given a roll of Ilford HP 5 black-and-white film with 12 exposures on it, as that is how Lizzie the darkroom assistant used to bulk-load the film in those days. Lizzie was adamant I had to be back by a certain time in order not to miss the Evening Post deadline around midday.

So off I went out to court and promptly spotted these two walking out accompanied by Melvin Humpel, the ace investigating officer who had helped to bring them to book besides also solving many other high-profile cases during the 1990s and earlier in his career.

There was no time to lose and so I took several shots as they were walking out accompanied by Humpel, who had recently suffered a bad accident to his leg that would later result in an amputation. I was shooting with a wide angle lens and so had to get a little too close for comfort. I took about five shots in all and the one above, with Humpel on the left, and rapists Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger in the centre and on the right respectively. Just before that final shot was taken Du Toit told me to “f*** off out of my face”.

I raced back to the darkroom and the film was processed just in time for print. In those days you didn’t have a screen at the back of the camera to check whether you’d got the shot or not. But intuition was a very important part of your arsenal as a photographer, and even though you couldn’t see it until you were in the darkroom, you somehow always knew whether you had got that shot or not, just as I had known that day.

As part of this “back to the future in photographs” project I was able to track down Melvin Humpel this week, thanks to his daughter. Humpel took early retirement from the Police and today works as a factory manager in Port Elizabeth.

I was pleased when Humpel agreed that I could photograph him for this project. In his office I asked him if there was anything specific he remembered about that day. All he said was that, as tough and scary Du Toit and Kruger had tried to seem, in reality they were just two cowards and all he felt like doing that day was “moering them”.

Melvin Humpel today, in his office in North End.

I shot the photograph of Humpel above using my iPhone, much to his surprise. We had a good laugh about how it would’ve gone down had I pulled out my phone that day outside court to photograph these two. To create the same black-and-white film look from more than 15 years before I used software called Silver Efex Pro which incredibly can simulate all the black-and-white films in use on the market in those days; you can even mimic the filters or the grades of paper used for black-and-white printing. I gave Humpel’s photo the Ilford HP 5 look as in the earlier one.

To view last week’s “back to the future in photographs” post, visit http://pixelweekend.com/2012/02/18/back-to-the-future-in-photographs/

Best reader’s pics of the week

Best readers’ pictures of the week , January and February 2012

Back to the future in photographs

Louise Liebenberg and Stanford Slabbert in 1996

While going through my old press pictures taken for the likes of The Herald, Weekend Post and Evening Post in the mid-1990s, I came across the faces of some of the people I had photographed during those years. Back then all the photographs had been taken with my Nikon FM2 and F5 film cameras… how things have changed in the last decade and a half!

Sometimes I ask myself what could have happened to all the people I had met and photographed during those years as a freelance press photographer. And so, with my iPhone 4 in hand I decided to track down some of these subjects and photograph them again – this time using a radically different medium.

This lot would have probably laughed at me 15 to 20 years ago, had I hauled out a cellphone (brick!) and said I was going to take their picture with this device. Now it’s the other way around. Many of the young people born after film had largely vanished would now look at me somewhat strangely if I told them to hang on a moment while I loaded a film in my camera with which to photograph them!

Photography is the most practised pastime in the world, whether you’re doing it professionally or for fun. Digital photography has opened up so many possibilities to the man in the street compared to the limitations that came with photography in the past.

I believe the reason why photography is so popular world wide is that it gives people a sense of immortality; images are a record of your doings and your history on this earth which will serve as a record for future generations. In a way photographs are one way in which we can all live forever.

Photography also introduced me to Louise Liebenberg, who is now my wife, and so I decided to start off this little project with a picture I took of her towards the end of 1996, possibly even in early 1997, when she and Stanford Slabbert were both still working for Tourism PE; Louise as the media liaison officer and Stanford as the events and watersports guru. Stanford today is a city councillor while Louise is assistant editor of Weekend Post.

This week I took the two of them back to the historic Donkin Reserve where Tourism PE’s offices had been based and where I had photographed them all those years ago. But this time, to Stanford’s amazement, I captured the image on my iPhone. I even processed it there and then using the apps available on the phone.

Louise and Stanford in 2012

No longer did I have to rush back to the darkroom, trying to beat the deadline and hoping  the film had been exposed properly and that nothing would have gone awry in the chemical process.

Over the next few months I invite you to join me as I track down some of the personalities in PE that I had the privilege to photograph over the years while freelancing at the papers.

Featured Photographer: Mark West

Mark West

How many times in life are we given an opportunity – but we don’t realise the value of it until we really try it? For me, it was my first camera.

My opportunity came when the family moved from Port Elizabeth to the small town of Stutterheim. I was given a small, fixed-lens manual only camera for my 13^th birthday. At first, I must admit, I was not overly impressed – it had the makings of a missed opportunity.

Fortunately, at the time my father was an amateur cinematographer and he gave me pointers about shutterspeed, aperture and the other technical aspects that need to be mastered if you are going to take good photographs under all conditions.

I tried it out, and got some fascinating results. It was quite amazing to me to discover the potential that the camera has of revealing and recording the world through a different perspective.

Our local café owner Rey Bresler was a retired photographer, and taught me many technical concepts such as characteristic curves, tonal range, latitude, contrast, the flash inverse square law and so on.

By then I had “upgraded” to a Nikon FG, and was photographing school sports events and local weddings.

Fresh out of school, I moved back to Port Elizabeth to study photography. During my June holidays I would go to Johannesburg to work with the top professionals. My early mentors include Michael Meyersfeld, Pieter de Ras and “Dook”. While studying I started to freelance for the Eastern Province Herald.

Since then, my career has given me the privilege of meeting many amazing people and travelling to any number of interesting places.

Clients have included Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, the Sunday Times, Associated Press, Miss PE, Miss South Africa EC, and Faces for the Future, some really beautiful game farms, many weddings, family photo shoots and modelling portfolios.

Because some of my favourite subjects are people and animals, I have now branched out into pet photography, which is a new genre for South Africa.

Wanting to share my experience and passion, I now present photographic short courses for beginners to keen amateurs. It is always rewarding to see the “lights go on” for many people, who have been frustrated in their photography. Today’s automatic cameras are not nearly as clever as the makers would have us believe.

All that in just 20 years as a professional photographer. I am really looking forward to the next 20, and the challenges and opportunities the rapidly changing photographic technology will bring. The people, the scenes, the light and the mood stay the same – what changes is the ability to exploit the latest technology to the full.

1. Who are your heroes or role models in photography and why do you admire them?

People whom I have admired over time for their character and integrity have been people like Ken Oosterbroek and Hungarian combat photographer Robert Capa. They both put their lives at risk in order to capture images of war and violence that the world would otherwise not have believed or known about.

More recently I have been studying the work of Paul Walker, a specialist pet photographer based in Ayershire, Britain. I have been so inspired by his work that I have started to offer pet photography as one of my specialities. My experience and passion in photographing both people and wildlife are uniquely combined in the field of pet photography.

“Mark West – pet photographer” – has a nice ring to it.

2. Where does your inspiration come from?

The subject matter itself often speaks to me – the challenge is to capture the life and story of the person, scene or artifact I am photographing. Being a photographer is often challenging, humbling and inspirational all at the same time.

3. If you were given the opportunity to photograph something you haven’t done yet, what would it be?

You never really photograph something twice – there is always some change in the light, the subject itself, the mood, and the circumstances. So, you have to approach every shoot as though it is something you haven’t done yet.

Having said that, it would be great to do close-ups of the moon – from the moon.

4. What is your favourite subject?

People – all types, shapes, sizes and moods. Photographers of people are a bit like amateur social anthropologists – we are capturing and preserving  people, cultures and styles for posterity.

Here in the Eastern Cape we also have the privilege of being able to capture wildlife in its natural habitat – all on our doorstep. I really enjoy it.

5. What camera do you use?

Nikon …. as a system, it is simply the best.

6. What are your most preferred lenses?

24 mm, 35 mm, 85 mm, 300 mm

7. What do you pack into your camera bag and can’t do without on assignment?

My chocolates and a tripod.

8. What would you consider a gimmick in photography?

Photoshop in the hands of an amateur. Make sure the image in the camera is the one you want – don’t try and panel beat with the help of a computer.

9. Do you think digital photography has given you more creative freedom?

Yes it has – it has removed many of the constraints of film. But, I still think film is awesome. There is more depth and mystery to an image captured on film.

10. Does it bother you that photography is not as specialised as it was a decade ago, and what advice do you have to make your images stand out amongst the millions floating around cyberspace?

It has, in fact, become more specialised in certain fields. With the camera doing much of the work in determining exposure and focus, the art lies in the framing of the picture and the relationship the photographer has with the subject. Good cameras do not by default take good pictures.

My approach is to be true to myself, and shoot what I believe to be important or of value. That is the difference – a picture that tells a story, as opposed to the millions of bland images on the web.

11. Which part of the Eastern or Southern Cape / Garden Route do you most enjoy shooting in?

Haven’t a clue – every part has its own story to tell. You get sea people, mountain people, Karoo people – I like them all.

12. What assignment was most memorable to you and why?

Meeting and photographing Nelson Mandela soon after he was released from prison. It was a personal epiphany, as I had been influenced by all the propaganda the government of the day had spread about him. Once I heard him speak, and saw the way he treated us photographers with dignity, my mind was changed.

13. Do you have a favourite image that you have taken?

There is no one favourite. Some are special for historic reasons, others because of the experience of getting the shot, others because of the story they tell.

14. What is the most important lesson you have learnt in your photography?

To be true to yourself and tell the story that you want to tell, while at the same time meeting the expectations and needs of the client.

If necessary, I will do a shot the way my training and experience say it should be done – and another as directed by the client.

They can then choose which one works best for them.

Mark West 083 7713118

Featured Photographer: Pine Grove Pienaar

Pine in the heart of Spain. Light streams through an open door in a small tavern in Salvatierra.

1. Who are your heroes or role models in photography and why do you admire them?

Irvin Penn and Albert Watson. But tomorrow there might be others. Penn especially understands light to a degree that allowed him to communicate beyond content. I find this a rare and beautiful thing. Too many photographers photograph mere content – pretty pictures that have no depth, with appeal that last as long as it takes for the next pretty picture to arrive. Penn’s work has an enduring quality. His images are never pretty. They are sublimely beautiful.

2. Where does your inspiration come from?

Light and words – I love ideas that are expressed beautifully. I love it more than chocolate. I love it even more than my mother’s rhubarb pie with fresh cream.
I find myself suspicious of people who do not relate to words and good light. I avoid eating in ugly restaurants, irrespective of the quality of the food.

3. If you were given the opportunity to photograph something you haven’t done yet, what would it be?

Earth from space, and scenes from my past. I would like to time travel into my past for a single day – with a camera. I would love to see the old town where I grew up, and to hear my mother’s voice when she calls us to the table for a Sunday meal. I would love to see my childhood dog sleeping on the stoep in the winter sun, and to see the pleasure on his face when I feed him a snack. I am reminded of Walt Whitman longingly reminiscing about his past: “ …that unforgettable, unforgotten, rotten river smell…” It is not possible for me to talk about my photography without talking about my life. Everything I photograph becomes explicitly entwined in my life – textures, shapes, light, faces, sounds and ideas.

Lagoon Nebula. Hydrogen cloud floating in space at a distance of 5500 light years.

4. What is your favorite subject?

Anything that is bathed in beautiful light, and that concerns people, but never graphical madness. War is madness. The maltreatment of people and animals is madness. I can photograph the pain of war portrayed in a face, but not the graphical depiction of it. I am not a blood and gore person. I understand that a lion killing its prey is part of the life cycle, but I do not enjoy watching it.

5. What camera do you use?

If you must know, Canon, but it really does not matter. The best camera is one that becomes an extension of one’s vision, regardless of make. A friend of mine recently photographed night scenes with his grandfather’s Kodak Box camera. Although the images were not sharp or detailed they were stunningly beautiful and stirring. My all-time favourite cameras are a flat bed Horsman with Nikor lenses (this is a bellows type camera), and a Hasselblad (the preferred camera used for space exploration). I stopped using them when film became scarce. When I look at the results obtained with these cameras combined with black-and-white hand printing, I fail to understand the significance of the ongoing Nikon-Canon which-is-the-best debate. I find arguments like that boring, unproductive and bordering on the absurd. My advice to the Nikon-Canon brigade is: GET A LIFE.

6. What are your most preferred lenses?

The ones that work – creatively. Generally, wide angle and medium long.

7. What do you pack in your camera bag and can’t do without on assignment?

If I tell, it won’t help anyone take better photographs. Suffice to say is that I pack my lover, my iPod, a good book and some photographic stuff.

8. What do you consider a gimmick in photography?

Isolated colour on monochrome backgrounds. Steven Spielberg was one of the first to use this effect in Shindler’s List. I thought it was gimmicky then, but at least Spielberg used it purposefully to support the storyline. If one can claim the same, the technique is legitimate. If not, it is a mere gimmick. Equally puzzling are wheelbarrows and railway tracks in wedding photographs. I find it strange that we live in a visual world filled with visually illiterate people.

9. Do you think digital photography has given you more creative freedom?

It depends on what one regards as creative freedom. Digital has made a higher level of creativity accessible to more people. As regards to creative freedom – that has always been available to all who were willing to apply themselves. However if one regards red roses on a black-and-white wedding dress as creative freedom, the answer is yes.

10. Does it bother you that photography is not as specialised as it was a decade ago, and what advice do you have to make your images stand out amongst the millions floating around cyberspace?

I doesn’t bother me at all. I specialise and so do most of the photographers that I know. Concerning the second part of the question the following: Photography is a singular activity. If you copy other photographers, or rely too heavily on effects such as high-dynamic-range rather than message you will never rise above mediocrity. You have to sing your own song, and then embrace it like a lover. But always (and this is vital) listen to the songs of other creative souls – photographers, painters, writers and composers. Never live in a vacuum. Lastly, if you are not hungry, rather do something else.

11. Which part of Eastern or Southern Cape/Garden Route do you most enjoy shooting in?

I do not understand the question. I enjoy nature, but I do not enjoy photographing her. Someone from my past referred to me as a set builder. I need to have a measure of control over the subject matter. Like painters I need to create rather that record. I am simply not area bound when it comes to photography.

12. What assignment was most memorable to you and why?

Photographing the birth of my son, and photographing star nurseries, and neighboring galaxies with the 52-inch big telescope (currently the third largest telescope in South Africa) at the Boyden Observatory. Telescopes like that are portals into the heavens. Photographing through them is a religious experience.

Alvin Clarck telescope at Boyden Observitry. The exposure on this image was 1 and a half hours.

13. Do you have a favourite image that you have taken?

I have many favourite images, but find it difficult to single out one. I believe that photographers who cling to one favourite image lack growth. I suppose that as I get older I might veer to a handful of images that stir the emotions, that makes me relive something from my past – a line that follows the curve of a lover’s breast; shadow patterns from a street lamp on a textured wall in old Spain; an image that brings back the sound of a scarlet racing car that disappears into the distance on a gray rainy day.

A tranquil fountain at El Escorial near Madrid.

14. What is the most important lesson you have learned in your photography?

After returning from a three-year stay in Mozambique I moved to Hillbrow. One day I was photographing rusted water pipes in an ally behind my flat when my eye caught something in a dustbin. It was a newspaper photograph of Brigitte Bardot in a tutu. I took it home and framed it. It is now 40 years later. I still have it and will probably keep it till my death. I love that photograph. I love it because of the unlikely relationship between Bardot and ballet. I love it because it taught me that something as mundane as a newspaper photograph from a trash can can have significant aesthetic value. I love it because it taught me that one does not have to rely on the voice of authority to approve what we find beautiful. It reminds me that it is possible to live in one’s head as much as in the “real” world.

Sheep shearers from Ganora near Nieu Bethesda.

Pine can be contacted at: pinegrovestudios@gmail.com

Best readers’ pics of the week

Best readers’ pictures of the week , January 2012

Happy Holidays

Best readers’ pics of the week

Best readers’ pictures of the week , 23 December 2011