Destination : Italy 2013

On the 7th of February 2013 i shall embark on a little trip to Italy. Leaving the sunny shores of Durban, South Africa.

My most important travel luggage - my camera gear! Hopefully i get a few good shots to share when i return.

A little taste of some of the images I hope to stumble upon;

Dream Shoot(s)

I was recently thinking if I could shoot any 3 people in the world today. Who would they be? 

3. Nelson Mandela

I think shooting a man such as this at this current stage of his life would be an unforgettable life experience. The shots would be iconic and spending time with this legendary world figure would be priceless.

2. Lana Del Rey

My favourite female vocalist at the moment.  Not only for her good lyrics but also her unique look and feel. She is fresh and unusual. She would be used to produce images of timeless beauty. 

1. Candice Swanepoel

South African model best known for her Victoria Secret work embodies the commercial beauty appeal. Her strongest work has her in lingerie and swimwear. Last year she came in at 10th place on Forbes Top earning model list. Not bad for this KZN lady.  

Who would make your list and why? 

Location vs. Studio Shooting

“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer.”

-       Ansel Adams

Once upon a time, only the elite few made it into the realm of professional photography, and these professionals almost always had a studio. However in the digital age we currently live in, you can find a photographer on practically every street corner. But not all these photographers have their own studio. Some people question the professionalism of those photographers known as “on-location” photographers. But here are just a few ways on-location photography can be more powerful than studio shots.

A studio setting often creates a bit more anxiety, tension and a feeling of being trapped. It doesn’t matter if the session is for kids or adults, getting your photo taken can be stressful. There’s the worry of how you look, a new place, a person you don’t really know, whether your kids are going to behave, and so on. But for some reason meeting at a location you choose and often outdoors seems a lot more relaxed and a lot less intimidating.

This reduction in stress makes an on-location session much more fun than a studio session. Another benefit of on-location photography is that it gives you a chance to pick a location that holds meaning for you. It puts you in a picturesque location that will trigger an emotional connection every time you look at your photos.

Of course there’s also the benefit of natural props. In a studio you’re most likely sitting on stools or standing on boxes to create this perfectly organized group of people. But in an on-location session you’ll be utilizing the things that are present at your location. It may a tree, a bench, a little cafe table, or maybe it’s just the ground. Using these natural pieces makes your photos seem more like they framed a moment in your life. They weren’t posed; they were a spontaneous capture of your life.

While studio photography will always be a beneficial option, and sometimes a far better option than an on-location shoot, for those who prefer to maintain complete control of their session, on-location photography is becoming a much greater factor in professional photography sessions. Whether it’s for family photos, senior sessions, or portraits, you just can’t beat the natural beauty and simplicity of the great outdoors.

The Concert

Anything that can bring people together, heal wounds, lift spirits, is magic. Music has that magic. It is a universal language; the words might be in a language that you cannot even understand, but you can still feel the music and experience its power. But there is nothing like experiencing live the music you love – where music truly comes alive is at the concert.

In that stadium or arena, all those thousands of fans are united for those few hours and they all feel the same thing – that they are not alone anymore and the music is all that matters. It can be felt in the air; it drifts with the sound and pulses through your body, through your very being. In that moment we are all in love and we all have something to believe in again.

The recent Linkin Park concert in South Africa saw 80 000 fans gather at Soccer City in Johannesburg – 80 000 people all in one place to live in the moment of loving the music together of a band they feel like they’ve grown to know through their music – a band who seems to understand their feelings without ever having met them. Music has that power.

You look around and everyone is mouthing the same lyrics but the words mean something different to everyone; they’ve all heard that song at some point in their own lives and remember it for different reasons, fell in love with it for different reasons, but they all find themselves together in that transcendent moment singing the same song, loving the same thing.

Pedro Almodovar

Pedro Almodovar is perhaps the best and most well-known Spanish filmmakers of his generation. His films have come to be incredibly important and valuable in the world of art cinema and are marked by their complex narratives that are at times extremely witty and hilariously amusing. He is a fan of employing melodrama and elements of pop culture and glossy décor with his films being a feast for the eyes.

Growing up in an impoverished family in a small town in Spain, he was turned into a part-time teacher of literacy by his mother and when he was sent to a religious boarding school he was introduced to cinema and a world that seemed full of possibility to a young boy with dreams. His career began by making short hand-held films that he showed at a cinema theatre he bought with his first pay check. That was only the beginning and from showing his films at bars and parties, he gained not only the finances but the recognition as a filmmaker to pursue his career.

The key, Pedro says, to the success of his films is that he makes them to be entertaining as filmmakers often forget that that is the purpose of what a film should be – to entertain. Some of his greatest works include Volver, Broken Embraces, and All About My Mother.