I was concerned with access, it has always been a major issue for any of the projects i’d chosen before, and this wasn’t anything different. Thankfully, the ER24 team went out of their way to make me feel welcome. It must be hard for anyone to do their job when you are chaperoning someone like me, but to their credit, they really made me feel at home and ensured my constant barrage of questions were answered. Shooting in situations like this was tough – from a mental perspective to a technical perspective. On a mental note, you are witnessing someones most vulnerable moment. Sure you can go all gung-ho, paparazzi style and get in their face, but that’s just not the way I work. I’m a firm believer in respect and having a camera in my face whilst I was being attended to, isn’t something i’d like. Also, privacy is a key part of todays life, so whilst I had a number of strong images, there are some I just couldn’t use.

From a personal perspective, I’ve learned so much about the work that paramedics perform. At a time when greed seems to be the flavour of the day, especially in todays financial climate, here is a group of people who just want to save lives and make a difference. Whilst they did work shifts, we rarely clocked off when that shift was over, often going into the night and helping other paramedics out when help was needed. For me, this was just an amazing environment to be in. Here is a group that is obsessed with saving lives and making a difference. Honestly, as cliched and cheesy as it sounds, I felt so privileged to spend time with them, a humbling wake-up call.

It is a tough job, there is no doubt in that, and if there’s one thing I wish people of South Africa would take away from this project is how lucky they are to have these paramedics patrolling the roads. Sure, South African’s have great medical facilities on hand, but it’s the job of the paramedic to ensure you are stable, alive and able to get from the scene of the accident to that facility. They aren’t, as many do think, glorified taxi drivers.

So next time you are tutting under your breath about being asked to move out of the way of an advanced life support response car, or ambulance, remember it could be you in the back of that van next time.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Bang Bang Club, for those not familiar, was a name given to Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek and João Silva during the Apartheid years here in South Africa. The name itself was a result from an article in Living magazine, with residents of the squatter camps referring to the violence in the townships as bang-bang.

When it came to being in the thick of the action, this lot couldn’t have gotten any closer. The guys weren’t your usual pretend conflict photographers and often the violence and suffering was aimed at them. On April 18th ’94, Ken Oosterbroek was sadly killed by cross-fire and Marinovich was seriously wounded. In July 1994, Kevin Carter committed suicide and more recently, João Silva was seriously injured in Afghanistan whilst on patrol.

As with any story like this, Hollywood came knocking and a movie about their lives has been made, aptly named The Bang Bang Club

Whilst Greg has been busy supporting João’s recovery, he did take time out to answer a few questions I had about him and the rest of the chaps.
As one of the members of the Bang Bang Club, how does it feel to have Hollywood woo you and produce a movie about your lives?
It is odd, at times nice for the ego, but mostly uncomfortable

Talking about the movie, what’s it like seeing actors play you and your friends on screen? Did the director rely on your input as to how certain
scenes were, or did they apply their own creative view to your lives?
very much a creative view, based on some facts. mix of accurate and fiction

You’ve spent the past 18 years documenting conflict, has that had a long lasting effect on you in any way?
no why?  joke, of course, it has both hardened and sensitized me

The early 90′s in South Africa were a turbulent time, what was it like working as a photographer during that period?
extremely difficult, exciting, scary

When yourself and Ken were shot in Tokoza, ultimately ending in Ken loosing his life, did this change your view of your chosen career or did it have the opposite effect?

no changes at all. we all expected that something like Ken’s death that might happen. as for Kevin, that is not related

What do you feel are some of the struggles faced by photographers in Southern Africa today?
lack of decent work opps.

I highly recommend you purchase the Bang Bang Club book and see the film when it comes out.

Thanks to Greg for taking time out to answer a few questions.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Basic human rights have been taken away from communities. No longer allowed to roam freely on land that was traditionally theirs, the modern-day Bushman has had to adopt a new way of life. They are excluded from mainstream – forced to rely on state hand-outs, and with their survival threatened by social breakdown.

Images and knowledge of the Bushman are known worldwide. Portrayed in books, films and many anthropological studies, they are – however – frequently romanticised as a gentle people who live off the land and live a peaceful way of life.

The stark reality of the situation today is in total contrast to what has been depicted in the past.

The impact of the white settler in the 1800s affected the Bushman community in many ways. The San were exposed to the introduction of livestock, the migration of people from the north and colonisation. Some colonisers viewed them as savages, gatherers and hunters and colonial governments viewed the San as an inferior society. As the white colonists overran homelands, they were evicted from their ancestral lands.

Facing oppression and murderous attacks, the Bushman population soon dwindled from several million to less than 100,000. Many of the Bushman people today have not only lost rights to land, they have lost their rights as a people.

In 1978, the Botswana government declared the San to be nomadic and therefore without land rights. The San were warned that if they did not leave the Kgalagadi National Park – which the government wanted to restrict to wildlife only – military action would be used against them. The withholding of water from the community was another government tactic – one that was recently upheld as legal in a Botswana court.

As a result, only a handful of Bushmen live today within the Kgalagadi National Park. While hunting has been made illegal, many say they continue to live the way they have done for thousands of years and defy efforts by the government to eradicate their nomadic lifestyle.

Today’s Bushmen mostly live in camps, like the one in South Africa depicted in this documentary. They have no opportunity to work, the housing situation is dire, a people that once roamed the vast savannahs, idles in neglect awaiting modern integration. What was once one of the most self-sufficient communities on earth is now surviving on hand-outs from charities.

In 1999, ten years after they had been living in a camp, then-president Nelson Mandela handed the South African Bushmen the deeds to a farm called Platfontein, in the Northern Cape. However, Platfontein is not the utopia promised and suffers from a lack of investment and support from the government. With no running water, a lack of electricity and few job prospects, the community is suffering a rise in HIV, crime and substance abuse.

This project’s aim is to showcase how the modern Bushmen of southern Africa are adapting to their new way of life.

It concentrates on the larger Khwe/!Xho community in Platfontein, in the Northern Cape and the Kalahari San Bushman, who live near the borders of Namibia and Botswana.

A hi-res PDF can be downloaded from here or can be viewed here

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

So who the hell is Lebogang Nkoane?

lebogang nkoane is a computer scientist. That is the best description I have. I am fascinated mostly by how humans use computers (Human computer interaction), but being that I am a visual person: interactive media is what fascinates me, hence research and development in it (interactive media). I suppose then photography can be inferred too.

You’ve created an African flickr, which contains fresh photography from those living on this continent. What made you wake up one day and go “hey, we need this?”

An Afrikan Flickr? tjo! I wouldn’t be bold to enough to say that — but I do think 75 will grow into its own; being compared to Flickr is a complement, alas, my (afrikan) arrogance tells me, 75 should be its own, but it would take time and resources to achieve.  Why did I start it? Well it all goes down to Sinah Ntholi Nkoane ; Sinah is my photo-journal, through that, I realised that every morning I would visit close to 30 photo-blogs but few from South/Africa; So 75 was created on quite a selfish want to see more photography from South/Africa.  I am not sure if “we” need 75 — I know dam well that I need it — photography feeds my visual cravings.

The community has grown since I was last a member, is this a sign of coming of age for the site or just a natural progression for photography in Southern Africa?

Wow, dude, you asking me questions I am not in a position of authority to answer. Southern Africa? tjo! But hey, it has grown not in leaps and bounds, but gradually of which I like, because then we could say its a “natural progression”, I like people to interact with rather than random figments of Avatars.  I’d say the progression of photography is probably fueled by the lowered barrier of access to “good-enough” photographic equipment, and the minute those who have a keen interest in photography stop “taking pictures” and try to engage through their imagery, then photography starts getting appreciated even more.  (I hope I make sense).

I’ve been muttering on about the perception of Africa for a while now, is this something you feel is changing with the likes of 75.co.za pushing for a new direction?

I think so — I suppose 75 to some extent does show the world that Africa is not what is perceived by mainstream media (cue Chris Rock)— this can also be inferred from my previous answer about: barrier to entry; so the minute the people that capture their own reality and thus telling their own stories, then that will affect what is being told about Africa.  But, this not to say africa is all glossy capetown-johannessburg-nightlife, there realities are still true: poverty, crime, etc; but my state of mind is: with all these “negative” things that exist in Africa, people ARE still alive and living in those environments, with some good to it;  and these good things too need to exposed and shared to the world.

Who are some of your favorite African photographers currently?

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

In recent times, since the first democratic elections in 1994, the Afrikaner has become an anachronism in South Africa – rejected by the black majority – a tribe produced by Africa, but with nowhere else to go.

The recent murder of Eugene Terreblanche, a well-known right-wing Afrikaner leader of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) – an Afrikaner nationalist movement – has pushed the plight of the Afrikaner back onto the front pages of newspapers. Terreblanche had recently started calling for a “free Afrikaner Republic”, exploiting perhaps, a simmering resentment in a minority of Afrikaners following the advent of democracy in 1994.

In 2008, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) awarded the Afrikaner people membership during its IX General Assembly in Belgium. This award recognises indigenous peoples, occupied nations, minorities and independent states or territories, which lack representation internationally. For some, the Afrikaner people have become a stateless nation, a people whose self-determination is under threat.

In December 1990, Carel Boshoff, the son-in-law of former apartheid Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, purchased a town in the Northern Cape from the Department of Water Affairs. The aim was to create a “volkstaat” where the Afrikaner way of life, culture and identity was preserved. The Afrikaner “selfwerksaamheid” (“self reliance”) approach to life is strictly observed and followed in Orania. Afrikaners fill all jobs from management to labour, and man all services such as schools and shops. Emphasis is placed upon a communal way of living – everyone helps out where needed. This way of living has often given outsiders the impression that Orania and its people are living in the past, and are clinging to an untenable, race-based heritage.

These images represent Orania as it is today. Numerous press reports suggest that Orania is a town of racist extremists entrenched in the past. However, I feel that Orania and the Afrikaners who call it home, merely have the desire to have a place where they can continue to live their way of life on their own terms and ensure a culture and heritage isn’t forgotten amongst the new generation of Afrikaner in Southern Africa.

The PDF of work can be downloaded from here, and the project can be viewed on my portfolio site.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Abraham Onoriode Oghobase’s quest for a purpose of existence has led him to a unique form of art, whereby he explores issues relating to human emotions such as loneliness, hope, enthusiasm and fear. His work has been featured in his home country of Nigeria and in Europe.

I discovered the work of Abraham through the Bamako Encounters, which is a Biennial of African Photography held every two years. Abraham kindly tool time out to answer a few questions about his work and current projects.

What’s your photographic background and where are you currently based?

I have been an apprentice with Deji Ajose,  a painter and Photographer, and with Uche James Iroha, a sculptor and photographer. I studied at the Yaba College of Technology,  School of Art Design and Printing. Eventually majoring in photography.

I live and work in Lagos, Nigeria.

Your ‘The People‘ project looks at the young men in Ghana who call the Katamantu Train Station home. How did you go about choosing this project?

The People was simply inspired by a workshop I’ve been doing for some years working with a friend and a photographer. A French Algerian by the name of Bruno Boudjelal, the facilitator of both workshops.

Firstly in Botswana producing a body of work titled ‘The Tunnel’ inspired by nostalgic feeling away from Lagos.

I was shocked culturally because of the low population in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, compared to my home town of Lagos, which has a population of approximately 17 Million.

As a result I could only react and connect to the tide of people found at a certain time of the day in the tunnel.

A year later I found my self working with Bruno in Ghana. After a week of of thinking what to do. I believe the Tunnel was a transition for me to work in a train station. Only this time I needed to find what spoke to me that I could hear, and the people who live and find the train station as there own transition became an attraction to me as we connected on various levels.

Was it hard to get the guys to open up to you?

There was tension though initially but this was put down to trust.. Who are you?  What are your doing here?  Why are you with a camera?  You want to make money out of us right?  Be careful because I never want to see my self been photographed you hear!

These are some of the questions I was confronted with by these young men. Sometimes I would think I should go back home thinking if this is worth it?,what if I’m hurt?   eventually we shared something. And the people was born.

In your ‘Ecstatics‘ project, what was the inspiration behind this?

Ecstatic is a work in progress, inspired by the overwhelming nature of Lagos, It is a work in progress. Majorly has to do with my position to the complexity of the space.

Are you working on any new project at the moment? Can you share with us details about it?

Presently I am reading about the history of Lagos which will majorly influence upcoming work. It is untitled for now. In mean time  I’m collecting ephemera on the street which will add some sparks for what is yet to be put together. Not just aesthetically but with asocial and political relevance.

What are some of the difficulties experienced by you as a photographer from Africa in Africa?

The problem for me is the population for those that consume the arts in a region like West Africa is relatively too low compared to South African and Europe.

It is a complex situation my brother.

Sometimes it is sad that there is a routine in the art shows, where you end up seeing the same people year round. I end up thinking why is this gap between the work and the public?.

Finally, you can not give what you don’t have, the process is the work and my duty is to produce what I feel from my soul. Problems could be solved in Africa. We have no excuse despite the need and pace of digital  and technological advancement, perhaps working with what you have no matter where you are would do with critical approach.

Who are the other unheard of Nigerian photographers who the world should know about?

In Africa we have some exceptional artist working in different and unique media e.g Adeagbo from Republic of Benin, Jonkman of Africa from Nigeria and Berry Bickle originally from Zimbabwe but now lives and works in Mozambique.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tell us more about Myriam Abdelaziz, who are you and what is your photographic background?

I am a French photographer of Egyptian origins based in New York.I received a BA in Political Science, a Master in Journalism and a MBA. After 7 years of work in the Marketing field, I left the corporate world to fully dedicate myself to photography. I graduated from the International Center of Photography and have been based in New York since 2005.

My work was published in The National, Raw Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Eyemazing, Adbusters, Courrier International, La Republica del Donne, La Dominica di Republica, Tecknicart, The British Journal of Photography, American Photography and was  featured in solo and group exhibitions  in  Europe, the Middle East and the USA.

Your ‘Dafuris in Cairo’ project looks at the situation faced by many Dafuris in Egypt, can you explain more about how this project came about?

I started photographing Darfuris in Cairo in February 2008. They are illegal refugees living in the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, in lower-class apartment complexes near factories. The lives of Darfur refugees in Egypt are harsh and they feel at once grateful and guilty just to be alive.

Millions in Egypt and the world over watched as heart-rending images of the horrors taking place in Darfur were broadcast. But perhaps those who are most keen to follow events are the refugees who managed to escape from Darfur, thousands of whom are now in Egypt. For them, what continues to happen in Sudan is a reality experienced first hand, one, which will be forever, engrave in their minds and hearts. One would tend to believe that the Darfuris who managed to escape the war zone are able to start a new and better life with the help of the international community and the United Nations. The reality in Egypt is very different and the International Community needs to be aware of the dramatic conditions the Darfuris are living in after having lost all they had in Sudan.

Abdel Salam, interviewed in Cairo describes his situation as hopeless:

I am 21 years old. After both my parents were killed in Darfur I decided to come to Cairo to start a new life. I quickly realized that the situation for Darfuris in Egypt was in fact worse than in Sudan. As we are not allowed to legally work here, we sneak in polluted industrial dumps, rummaging in trash for steel to sell. We make around 15 Pounds a day when rent is over 400 Pounds per month.

It is considered an illegal activity: some of us got caught and sent to jail, accused of stealing public Egyptian property. We inhale chemicals while digging in this trash, we get sick but canít afford medical support. I have been waiting for the refugee status for three years, but the UNHCR doesn’t help Darfuris in Egypt with nothing. If I had money I would try to escape to Israel to get a real job; Bedouin smugglers take $400 dollars per person to help you cross the border, it is a matter of finding the money and also of not being killed by the Egyptian police at the frontier. I am worried for our children, with no money to send them to school, I wonder which kind of future they will have?î

Some Darfuris try to reach out to Egyptians by writing reports about the crisis in Sudan and posting them on Web sites, hoping to raise awareness.

In ‘Portrait of a Genocide’, you’ve shown those who have survived, are they all in a single location or was this taken all over Africa?

These are all survivor of Rwanda Genocide and they have all been photographed in Rwanda.

What were some of the challenges faced by yourself when working in Egypt and indeed Africa as a photographer?

The challenges are multiple, from accessing and gaining the subjects trust to getting official authorizations as in some area of Cairo for example it is illegal to take pictures on the streets. On a technical side, it is almost impossible to find good film, process it or even make a good quality print.  All type of professional material is just inaccessible.

Are you working on any projects currently?

Yes, am starting a new project in Cairo.

Images used with kind permission and retain the copyright of Myriam Abdelaziz ©.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ok in a few words, I was born in Niamey, Niger, in 1974. i spent my youthness in Niger and in Ivory-Cost until my parents came back to Réunion island. I graduated with a Masters in Photography and Multimedia from Paris VIII University in 1997 and has since I ve been working as a freelance photographer, primarily based in Paris, for now…

My current projects include the erosion of collective memory in a western world where the essential values seem to be speed, progress and technology. I seeks to capture the fantastic in what he sees, bringing my own interpretation to night-time photography and the use of light and dark/chiaroscuro. Searching something between the sense of wonder and anxiety, between contemplation and critical thinking.

My nocturnal studies have already provided the material for several exhibitions, including the lanternes sourdes, a study of shuttered dark lanterns, in 2004. This ongoing project already gave rise to a preliminary exhibition entitled Outre-mer at the Espace Khiasma, Paris, in June 2008. Im also involved in a number of multimedia projects, both in schools and hospitals. Im currently artist in residence at St Exupery middle school near Paris, working on the ‘La Peau de la lune‘ project on the theme of space exploration.

A large amount of your inspiration seems to stem from your countries colonial past, can you explain how this has shaped you as a photographer?

I’m also interested in the remnants of France’s colonial past, investigating the friction between history and memory, collective memories and personal. Of course it came from my own hystory, a vietnamese grandmother, an aother from madagascar and the mens from France and Réunion ! so i know few things about colonisation, from inside.

I photograph mostly landscapes and objects, with the aim of building an accurate, because they allow me to trigger a recall and to develop an imagination at the same time, while me based on real traces of the past. This last point is very important for me because I am a protographer of reality and experience of my journey in the real world is essential. I do not retouch my images, they are the result of a physico chemical optical and « argentique » .

It is a true light imprint. It is important because our eyes naturally need relief, variations and nuances of shading, I do not like digital, it’s too cold and too smooth despite the possibility of great clarity, without relief!

Are you currently working on a project, if so, can you tell us more about it?
I’m working on a humble portrait of my vision of manking in a serie called : la peau de la lune, something like the skin of the moon…and others talking about the sens of wonder, comtemplation, …

What makes you get up and go out and take images?
It not only images for me, it’s a way, in fact i dont have the choice, i believe « art » is the only thing who can save humans from falling in bestiality…

To the viewer of your work what feeling or impression would you like to leave?

delicate and quiet, wonderful and scary at the same time, attracted and repulsed, , this work ( the nigths works) make me think about John Coltrane ! or Ali Farka Toure or Danyel Waro, I wish people believe that one day ! but I still have work before that !

Does Reunion have a large artistic community?
Sure but it is an island and there is a big diaspora erupted around the world… there is huge potential, but it is very difficult because a few isolated anyway …

What is the hardest challenge faced by you as a photographer in Reunion and indeed Africa?

He must move and travel lot to come back stronger to work for his people, and to propose questions about how to fight for what is good and beautiful in human.

All images used with kind permission from Yo-Yo Gonthier ©

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ilan Godfrey’s projects about life in South Africa took my interest recently, partly due to how close to home they were for me.

His ‘Living With Crime‘ project looked at victims of crime in South Africa, who have suffered a horrendous ordeal or lost a loved one  due to violent crime.

Ilan took time out of his schedule to talk more about his approach and projects.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your photographic background?

I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1980, I started exploring the fine arts from a young age, while using my photographic images as reference material for painting and drawing. I began to develop and print my images in the school darkroom. A desire to photograph daily life soon ignited my interest for photography.

I moved to the United Kingdom after finishing my schooling in 1999 and got my first break as a photojournalist working for The Times Chronicle Series in London. During this time I studied towards gaining a first class BA (hons) degree in Photography, 2006. I was awarded The David Faddy Scholarship to continue my studies, towards an MA (hons) degree in Photojournalism in 2007 from The University of Westminster.

I am currently based in London and travel between South Africa and the United Kingdom, working on long – term projects. Focusing on issues that reflect South Africa’s constantly changing landscape. Documenting the country with an intimate and personal conscience. I have built up over a period of four years, an in-depth study of urbanisation in Johannesburg, ranging from urban development, economic structure and stability, living with crime and security, illegal immigration, amongst other facets of daily life within Post – Apartheid South Africa.

I am the recipient of the Ivan Kyncl Memorial Photography Placement. I was selected as the UK student representative in Angola with CARE International photographing the ‘I am powerful’ campaign. My work is held in several private collections and has been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions in the U.K and abroad. Recently I participated in the Focus on Monferrato Master class in Italy. Publications include, The Sunday Times Magazine (UK), Flux Magazine, Foto 8 – The Photography Biannual, The British Journal of Photography and The Magenta Flash Forward book for Emerging Photographers 2007 and 2008.

I live with my wife in London and plan to return to settle permanently in South Africa at the end of 2010/11.

Why did you choose to tell the story about living with crime in South Africa?

When considering how I would approach this project, I knew I wanted to bring across to the viewer, a sense of what it feels like to live in South Africa with this constant threat. Since arriving in the United Kingdom nine years ago and with my regular visits to South Africa to see my family, I began to realize how different life is there. The people are almost desensitized to the way they live and from what I have learned is that communities have adapted to this way of living on a daily basis, this was no different for me growing up in Johannesburg. I have seen friends and family affected by crime. I have personally been affected by crime, so I understood to an extent what it feels like and how you adapt and continue with your life.

Even though I have made my home between London and Johannesburg for now. I still worry about my family and friends safety and with my close emotional attachment to South Africa as a South African. I am very concerned about what is really being done to prevent this crime epidemic.

In doing this Photo – Documentary, I hope to achieve an accurate, un – bias project using the image and sound recordings of victims experiences to give the viewer a truthful understanding of what South Africans live with on a daily basis.

This project is certainly not a campaign against the government, but rather a voice from the people, to say, “Enough is Enough”.

How did you go about planning/executing it all?

This was my biggest challenge; initially I thought the best way to approach this project would be through word of mouth. I found people to be very cautious and  uncomfortable with talking about tragic events that have happened in their lives. I decided the best possible approach was to contact the local newspaper and try to  arrange an interview with a journalist who could publish my idea. I have inserted a section of the text from the interview.

“TELL YOUR STORY THROUGH PHOTOS” by Amanda Watson

Norwood: Ilan Godfrey, a freelance photographer, is looking for people to help him in his latest project.

“I want to tell the stories, through photography of people who have been affected by crime,” said Godfrey.

His biggest problem has been persuading people to break the veil of secrecy around them. “No – one wants to talk and I think perhaps people are scared. After spending time overseas, I can definitely see how differently people live here, behind high walls and electric fences.

“I would like to do a series of portraits, perhaps at home, with a short story of their experience.”

As a result of this article I was fortunate enough to start making contact with people that felt comfortable to speak out. The project quickly gained  momentum
and I began to receive emails and phone calls daily.

Crime is a big problem still in South Africa, did you get a feeling that many had given up hope of ever seeing it resolved or was there a  glimmer of hope?

South African’s have been through a lot, the Apartheid of course has left a tragic stain on South African society and now we face  different challenges as a  community. Crime, Aids, high unemployment and poverty are only some of the major challenges faced  in South Africa today.

I have received mixed views, some people feel there is no future in South Africa and some believe that in time things will improve. It is difficult when you live in a society where you have been a victim of a particularly traumatic experience, to think, “yes there is hope”. Sadly as a result of people being affected by crime many families have left South Africa. Large South African communities now exist all over the world, whether it is Australia or the United Kingdom.

My family for now won’t leave South Africa it is still one of the best places in the world to live and I plan to return next year with my wife. Yes the topic of crime has always been a concern but we love South Africa very much its where our family and friends are and in many ways that’s more important than anything else.

I was reading recently that Jacob Zuma is taking new measures to deal with violent crime. He aims to give police more flexibility in their approach in dealing with criminal situations by allowing them to shoot to kill. At present they need to fire a warning shot, which puts them at greater risk. There is a lot of controversy around these new measures.

Should visitors to South Africa, for the World Cup, be worried about their personal safety?

Definitely not, I have a lot of faith in South Africa to make the most out of this wonderful opportunity. The last thing the country needs is visitor’s to be affected by crime. I think in many ways its like any large city, stick to the touristy parts and don’t walk alone at night. I would expect reliable transport facilities will be put in place and there won’t be a need for people to put themselves at risk by going into to particularly dangerous areas. Jacob Zuma is also under a lot of pressure to increase security and have a significantly higher police presence while the World Cup is underway.

To the viewer of your work what feeling or impression would you like to leave?

I want to express in the most accurate and truthful way possible the reality of life for people living in South Africa. Emotionally speaking this is always going to be a challenge and you don’t fully understand the level of anxiety and fear these people live with through the image. The captions are essential in bringing across this reality and I very quickly realized that I couldn’t truly express the emotional pain that was being felt through my writing. I therefore decided at that point to introduce voice recordings for the first time in my work.

I hope that to the viewer, it gives a true sense of what it feels like to live with the constant fear of crime but also an uneasiness, this is brought about in the compositions, light and expressions of the subjects and the surroundings they live in. I want to be considerate and respectful of the subjects, always distancing myself in many ways to allow for a calmness to come over the images during the time spent in the privacy of their homes.

I often felt this burden on my shoulders as if the victims of these horrific crimes were sharing with me their most intimate and most tragic experiences in the hope that through these images there would be change. What is essentially important here is, not the images themselves but rather the people within them.

Right now are you working on a specific subject? If yes can you tell us more about?

I am currently working on several projects; I don’t tend to work on one specific subject at a time as it all depends on funding and when I am in South Africa. Yes there are a few ideas in the pipe – line, a project based around immigration on the coast of South Africa, an environmentally based project around agriculture and a project on social inequality. I have begun researching these areas in more detail and have already started working on the narratives I want to achieve. I find that patience and understanding is essential, I am in no rush, these things take time and I look forward to when I am back in South Africa so I can carefully mould these ideas visually one – step at a time.

What are your main inspirations?

I am inspired by everyday experiences, inspiration for me is not necessarily something I am aware of it could simply be a piece of music, a film or someone I randomly meet. The news plays an integral part in my relationship with the world as well as South Africa. In many ways a lot of my inspiration comes from my time spent reading books on South Africa’s history, South African authors who write on various subject matter whether it is fiction or non – fiction. I find that when I am in South Africa by simply driving around, randomly parking and going for a walk and speaking with local people, project ideas and new ways of working develop.

I am fortunate to have family that support my interest in South African issues, they gather newspaper and magazine clippings as well as recorded radio and T.V reports that might be of interest to me.

Which South African photographers do you admire?

• David Goldblatt
• George Hallett
• Eric Miller
• Cedric Nunn
• Guy Tillim
• Graeme Williams
• Paul Weinberg
• Jodi Bieber
• Gesele Wulfsohn
• Santu Mofokeng
• Alfred Kumalo
• Ernest Cole
• Peter Magubane
• Andrew Tshabangu

What’s the hardest challenge faced by photographers in South Africa?

I personally do not feel there are significant challenges to photographers in South Africa. At the moment I have commitments in London but I long to be back in South Africa concentrating on my personal projects. Especially at this time great change is happening and there is so much opportunity for young up and coming photographers to document these exciting times. There is a wealth of artistic talent in South Africa and with the support from art-based institutions both locally and internationally, photographers can be encouraged to create new and arresting projects. There is a handful of South African Photographers that are making waves internationally and there is definitely room for more.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

In my continued effort to showcase the work being produced by fellow Africans, I was alerted to the work of Lebohang Mashiloane by Thato Mogotsi of The Times (thanks!). He’s spent a considerable amount of time looking at the some of the social issues being faced by those trying to find a new life in South Africa. The one that really made me notice was his work with a group of  blind people in Johannesburg, entitled ‘Living In the Dark‘

Lebohang took time out to answer a few questions about himself and his work.

Who is Lebohang Mashiloane?

I am a 28 year old photographer born in Bloemfontein, Free State but living and working in Johannesburg.

What is your photographic background?

I studied for Fine Art Photography Diploma at the Vaal University of Technology (formerly known as Vaal Technikon) from 1999-2001. I then received a bursary through YFM to study for Advanced Photojournalism and Documentary course at the Marketphoto Workshop, probably one of the most important photographic institutions in the country. Upon finishing I worked on a program with the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at Wits University documenting evictions in the Johannesburg inner city for six months in 2003, the work was published in their research journal.

I then moved to PictureNet Africa, for the remaining six months where I got introduced to the inner workings of a prominent photo agency.  In 2004 I got employed by The Star Daily Newspaper as a news photographer. I continued working on personal projects and in the same year my work on Johannesburg inner city was exhibited as part of a collective at Johannesburg Art Gallery, the exhibition was titled Joburg Circa Now and later resulted in a book by the same name.  In 2005 I participated in the now defunct Joburg Encounters for the exhibition and book. I was also selected for an exhibition titled WOMEN at the Market Theatre Gallery in the same year. In 2006 I was invited by the International Institute of Journalism in Berlin, Germany where I covered the 2006 FIFA SOCCER WORLD CUP for The Star newspaper. Later in the same year I covered the first democratic elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I was also part of photographers selected to produce a book focusing on 30 years after June 16 1976, titled YOUTH TO YOUTH.

In 2007 a section of my portfolio was published in CAMERA AUSTRIA, one of the leading photography magazines.  I resigned from The Star in the same year and moved to The Times newspaper where I ‘m still employed. In 2008 a project titled LIVING IN THE DARK, about a blind Zimbabwean community living in run down buildings in Joburg was Highly Commended at the Mondi Shanduka Awards in the Feature Photography category.  This year (2009) I have been selected to exhibit and be part of a book in the 8th edition of Bamako Encounters in Mali for a series I did on Somali nationalities during xenophobic outbreaks in South Africa.  The exhibition is due to tour different countries in Africa, Europe and the US.  The same series will also be exhibited at The Wedge Gallery in Toronto, Canada and will form part of the French Development Agency catalogue.

Tell us more about your ‘Living in the dark’ series.

I was intrigued firstly by the numbers, there’s a huge community of blind Zimbabweans seen at almost every traffic light on Joburg roads. Secondly the journey itself, it’s hard enough for someone who can see fleeing from Zimbabwe and the obstacles they face, crocodile infested revers, the SA army and a hostile reception awaiting them in SA. What more if you are blind?  I wanted to tap into their level of faith.

My approach was to photograph them in the environment they live in once they get to Joburg, not at the robots. I discovered tiny rooms in derelict buildings in Joburg that house up to 8 families per room.  During my research process I encountered a lot of theories like how some of them make themselves blind as it’s easier to get help, I would still like to explore these theories and also document the journey from Zim into SA traveling with them. It’s a project with many layers and it will probably take me years to do.

You’ve also spent a considerable amount of time looking at the effects of Xenophobic violence here in South Africa. In your opinion, has the media concentrated too much on the violence and not the story behind the violence?

I think that’s the nature of the media, the surface always gets scratched after the damage has already been done.  The problem becomes when violence is the ONLY story.  Amidst the chaos of what was happening there were still positive situations unfolding and these were largely ignored.  Interestingly when the violence ceased the level of interest from the media waned.  Understandably though because negativity sells,  we are still to arrive in a place where our media can have a positive influence. It’s a cut throat industry and targets have to be met.  I guess it’s only when one works independently that you can somehow dictate how the story is portrayed.

What’s been some of the difficulties you’ve experienced documenting the current situation surrounding refugees inside South Africa?

Trust has been a big issue.  I am South African and they felt betrayed by all South Africans so I had to earn their trust before I could get access.  There were instances where I was threatened with violence. I took interest in them as people with experiences to share and not victims, a man still has his pride even in that situation.  Eventually they opened up and understood what I was trying to do.  I still remain in touch with some of them.

The other thing that troubled me greatly was seeing how detached people in the affected communities were to what was going on. There were instances where police would be fetching dead bodies and a couple of feet away people would be playing cards as if nothing had happened.  A lot of South Africans still think of this country as separate from the rest of the continent and that’s a huge problem.  If they saw what these people are running away from it would go a long way in easing the hatred.  For all this country’s shortcomings we are very fortunate here.

Are you working on a project at the moment?

I am researching a project I will be doing in rural Free State next year on gay marriages there. I am also doing a photographic study on crime for a French publication Le Monde which I hope to finish in January next year.  I’ve teamed up with a couple of friends and we’ve set up a skills based NGO, which we fund ourselves where we travel to different neighbourhoods hoping to unearth future storytellers.

What are some of the challenges faced by photographers in Africa today?

One of them has to be that it’s so hard to work in some parts of the continent.  If it’s not the political dynamics, it’s bribing your way into a story, which I find hard to do.  Having said that though I think any difficult situation a photographer faces presents an opportunity, it makes your pictures more valuable that way and adds meaning. My experience in Mali has taught me that photography can only be as difficult/easy as you allow it to be.  Another  challenge is photographers not expanding on what they already know. We’ll never be able to tell the stories we want if we accept things for what they are and not probe further. We allow ourselves to be okay with what we know and that can kill one’s hunger, I’ve been there.  You have to constantly explore and reinvent yourself, source new forms of inspiration.

All images © Lebohang Mashiloane and used with kind permission.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.