PHOTO GR A PH Y
compatibility is also a welcome bonus as a number of my lenses date back to the 80’s (my wildlife big glass is actually a manual focus lens dating back to 1983). I’m also not averse to using my large format Linhof camera though. However this is becoming increasingly more difficult as large format film is becoming harder to obtain and process. If it’s tools in trade I’d probably say that it’s wide angle lenses and a good tripod that are my most important pieces of equipment and are used in about 60% of my images. Are there any other professional photographers in your family? Nope. I’m the only one, but my entire family has an interest in photography right from my mother – who is a professional artist – through to my in-laws who have taken up the pastime passionately. Who in the industry’s work do you admire the most, and why? There are a lot of photographers whose work I admire. Frans Lanting stands out though as I started following his work when I was still in my early teens. His images are works of art in their own right, but it’s in the dedication to obtaining images that capture an intimacy between the photographer and the subject that so fascinates me. Where can the public purchase your work? My fine art prints can be purchased directly from me (www.limephoto.co.za), or alternatively a number of them are available through Glowing Images (www.saglowingimages. com). A number of my commercial images are licensed through Gallo Images (www.galloimages.co.za), Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com) and soon Oxford Scientific Images (www.osf.co.uk). Can you please share some advice on “painting with light”? Painting with light is actually deceptively easy thanks to the
advent of digital photography. With film one had to worry about the rules of reciprocity, requiring some mental gymnastics in calculating exposure and colour shifts. With digital it’s a matter of keeping the shutter open and playing with light sources. Some previsualisation is essential though. Come with an idea for the image and then ‘paint’ using a torch (LED torches are great because of the fantastic colour that they introduce to the image) or an off the camera flash. For bright lines move in close to the subject (centimeters) and for illuminating large areas move away so that the torch’s beam is like a large brush. The best painting with light images mix ambient light with the painted light, so think about exposures where there is still some dusk light, or else light from the moon, or even streaks of the stars above. If anyone would like more detailed information there is a tutorial on my website and I also dedicate a portion of some of my workshops to teaching this technique. Who played key roles in assisting you to reach your goals? It sounds clichéd, but really it’s my family. My parents have always told me to follow my heart, something you have to do to walk into a career that is absolutely saturated with amazing photographers. My wife has been incredible in supporting me in making the decision to turn my passion into a career. Are there any personal favourite destinations, people or animals you’d still like to photograph in the world, given an opportunity in your hectic schedule? What isn’t there to photograph! I love mountains, so I’d really love to be able to photograph the mountains in Africa, in particular the Ruwenzoris or Mountains of the Moon. •
Issue 5 / 2010
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