Little Friends One morning I was busy photographing some dead trees when I felt a gentle tap. It was the little girl on the right of this shot. She was curious as to what I was doing. Her mother was a short distance away waiting for the fishermen to come in with the days catch. The children wanted to have their photograph taken and were soon lined up for the big event! I spoke to the mother and saw her buy a few small fish. These would be cooked and sold. That was how the woman made her living. It was heartbreaking to see how difficult life was for her. There was no money to send the children to school. Day after day they play on the beach, the bigger daughter looking after the baby. They looked carefree and happy but where does their future lie? Kenya has 'free' primary school education. There are upwards of 50 in a class so most families scrimp and save to send their children to private schools where they get a better chance to learn. Children who manage to pass primary exams can go to secondary school but this has to be paid for.

A collection of monochromatic shots

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Baby You Can Drive My Car 1

One of the things I like to do when planning a road trip is to look for interesting locations which may offer photographic possibilities. Storms River was on our itinerary and besides the must-see Tsitsikamma Forest; I discovered a quirky restaurant-diner called Marilyn’s. A tribute to the American diner of the 50’s and 60’s. This neon lit location plays host to the annual ‘Elvis Festival’ and the décor and juke box music is a trip into the world of early ‘rock and roll’. Pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley line the walls, period cars and motorbikes are an integral part of the décor. An unlikely place in a sleepy village!

Little Friends

One morning I was busy photographing some dead trees when I felt a gentle tap. It was the little girl on the right of this shot. She was curious as to what I was doing. Her mother was a short distance away waiting for the fishermen to come in with the days catch. The children wanted to have their photograph taken and were soon lined up for the big event!

I spoke to the mother and saw her buy a few small fish. These would be cooked and sold. That was how the woman made her living. It was heartbreaking to see how difficult life was for her. There was no money to send the children to school. Day after day they play on the beach, the bigger daughter looking after the baby. They looked carefree and happy but where does their future lie?

Kenya has 'free' primary school education. There are upwards of 50 in a class so most families scrimp and save to send their children to private schools where they get a better chance to learn. Children who manage to pass primary exams can go to secondary school but this has to be paid for.

Headman

The man pictured here is the headman of the small OvaHimba village we visited. The men are quite plainly dressed in comparison to the highly decorative style of the women. You can see that he is married as his hair is covered by a type of turban; this is only removed at times of mourning. The brass spoon-like item is multi functional; it is used as adornment, as a ‘sweat-scraper’ and as a snuff spoon.
The headman (usually the oldest male in the village), of the clan, sits by the sacred fire during the day and talks to the ancestors about problems facing the family. He is responsible for residence, religious aspects of life embodied by the sacred fire and ensuring that the rules of tradition and the specific rules of the clan are obeyed. His authority is identified by an erenge bracelet. He oversees births, marriages and coming of age ceremonies. He performs the various ceremonies at the sacred fire, involving the spirits of the ancestors in the daily life of the village. He is also responsible for the rules of the tribe. If a crime is committed or a property dispute arises, he will be called to give judgement. If his judgement is not accepted, a number of headmen will meet to discuss the matter.

Avenue

A tree lined track photographed in Tulbach, Western Cape, South Africa

Victor

This shot is perhaps a little clichéd but the graphic nature of the black and white markings on a zebra tend to drive one into seeing the animal in a stylised way.

Why the title ‘Victor’? - Victor Vasarely, a Hungarian-French artist created what is considered to be the first piece of ‘Op Art’ in the 1930’s entitled ‘Zebras’

Op Art is usually geometrical art that plays tricks on the eyes. Once dismissed as simply optical illusions, it is now understood that Op Art uses complex colour theory and line principals. Op art is created in black and white but certain colour combinations are used because of their relationship to one another which produces a certain effect on the eye. These colour relationships are simultaneous contrast, successive contrast, and reverse contrast (or assimilation). Using certain colour relationships will create the optical illusions such as movement, gyration, hidden images and juxtaposition. You will often hear someone say "That makes me dizzy" when they look at Op Art.

During the 1960’s Op Art and its creators became popularised by commercial use of its images. Suddenly Op Art patterns started appearing on everything from clothes to advertisements, stationery, furnishing fabrics. Bridget Riley, one of the foremost British Op Artists, and Victor Vasarely had polar opposite views on the commercialisation of their work. While Vasarely thought that art should be for everyone and even collaborated with textile firms, Riley was dismayed at seeing her original work co-opted for commercial use without her permission.

Prieska

A small Northern Cape town (South Africa) where time stands still

Little Friends

One morning I was busy photographing some dead trees when I felt a gentle tap. It was the little girl on the right of this shot. She was curious as to what I was doing. Her mother was a short distance away waiting for the fishermen to come in with the days catch. The children wanted to have their photograph taken and were soon lined up for the big event!

I spoke to the mother and saw her buy a few small fish. These would be cooked and sold. That was how the woman made her living. It was heartbreaking to see how difficult life was for her. There was no money to send the children to school. Day after day they play on the beach, the bigger daughter looking after the baby. They looked carefree and happy but where does their future lie?

Kenya has 'free' primary school education. There are upwards of 50 in a class so most families scrimp and save to send their children to private schools where they get a better chance to learn. Children who manage to pass primary exams can go to secondary school but this has to be paid for.