Yolanda Saayman Photography

Stellenbosch
07 Februarie 2010

Stef Bos is nie meer ‘n vreemdeling in Suid-Afrika nie en van sy musiek videos verskyn reeds op Jukebox en MK89. Inteendeel, sedert sy begin dae, is hy ‘n kunstenaar wat al diep in die harte van die Suid-Afrikaanse volk gekruip het. Hy is ook onlangs met ‘n “Afrikaanse nooi”, sy Suikerbossie, Varenka Paschke, getroud.

Sy musiek het my begin interreseer in 1991 met sy eerste treffer Papa wat op die album “Is dit nu later” verskyn het. Hy sou daarna (1993) Awuwa saam met Johannes Kerkorrel (Ralph Rabie) en Thandie Klaasen opneem.

In daardie jare was “world music” nog nie vrylik in Suid-Afrika beskikbaar nie en dit was voor Stef ‘n paadjie na die Suide begin deurloop het dat ek genoodsaak was om sy musiek in te voer. Ek het dadelik aanklank gevind by sy musiek. Ek was verwonderd met die gedagte dat ek nie die enigste diepsiel in die wêreld is nie – daar was iemand wat soos ek dink en voel en dit nog boonop so goed en poëties kon verwoord!

Die heel eerste vertoning wat ek van Stef Bos gesien het was by die Oude Libertas Amfiteater in Stellenbosch in Desember 1994. Dit sou die eerste van vele konserte wees.

Ek het dadelik ‘n kaartjie gekoop vir Stef Bos se show toe die Oude Libertas se 2009/2010 somerseisoen program bekend gemaak is. My kaartjies vir Sondag se konsert het vir die eerste keer in 3 maande lug ge-asem toe ek hulle uit die kluis haal, want deesdae is Stef Bos kaartjies so waardevol soos goud!

As fotograaf en ‘n fan van Stef Bos, het ek nou die geleentheid gehad om hom op “digitale film” vas te vang. Ek het ‘n puik sitplek gehad vir hierdie taak. Die groot uitdaging was om natuurlike lig te gebruik vir die fotos aangesien flits fotografie nie toelaatbaar is nie. My Canon 5D Mark II het ‘n ISO kapasiteit van 6400 en sou dus maklik die toets deurstaan. Ek het ‘n mega lens (Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM) geleen sodat ek die beste van die geleentheid kon maak om die vertoning af te neem. Die truuk is om die shutter speed vinnig genoeg te hou om die beweging te stil, maar ook om die ISO nie te hoog te stoot nie om ‘n sagte gryn op die fotos te behou. Die ander uitdaging is om die fokuspunte en die lig vir elke foto in te stel, want alhoewel die verhoog beligting dieselfde bly, verswak die eksterne lig en omdat my f-stop alreeds so laag is, moet my fokuspunt doodreg wees anders is my beeld uit fokus.

Almal is nou al bekend met Stef Bos, maar wie is Petr Luckhoff?

Petr Luckhoff is ‘n 5-jarige seuntjie met ‘n groot passie vir musiek en meer spesifiek Stef Bos se musiek. Hy het homself reeds tydens die klanktoets op die verhoog gevind! Uit die bloute uit en teen die 11de uur word hy toe sommer Stef se gaskunstenaar!

Petr het geen inhibisies nie, net baie passie en entoesiasme. Mense het seker gedink dat dit vooraf beplan was, maar sy ma, Liesl, beskryf die “voorval” as priceless! Sy sê Petr skryf die hele tyd liedjies en dat hy ewe veel tyd op sy fiets as met sy kitaar spandeer. Hy het onlangs ‘n liedjie geskryf oor hoe dit is om sy tand te laat trek: “daar was pyn, daar was opwinding, daar was vreugde!”

Toe Stef hom op die verhoog roep tydens die hoof vertoning, toe spring hy sommer dadelik weg met sy eie komposisie wat soos Stef dit opgesom het, handel oor “hy is ‘n great ou en die wêreld is sommer k@k!”

Die gehoor was histeries van die lag toe hy vir Stef beduie om op te hou speel, want die liedjie waarmee hy besig was, Tydbom, is “boring” en hy verkies om “Ik hebt jou lief” te sing. Ek het self so gelag dat ek skaars kon fotos neem. Dit is natuurlik wanneer ‘n mens dankbaar is vir image stabilizers. Petr het glad nie teruggehou nie en uit volle bors “ek het jou lief” geskree…soos ‘n rock ster!

Ek voel bevoorreg dat ek Petr se debuut met die legendariese Stef Bos kon vir ewig en ek sien die outjie nog groot hoogtes bereik. Wat ‘n voorreg om op so ‘n jong ouderdom ‘n verhoog te deel met jou held en dan nog sommer so ‘n komposisie van jou eie ook tussenin te kan vleg!

Yolanda Saayman

The eternal student and teacher in me, convinced me to become a “friend” of the Cape Town School of Photography. Membership entails staying involved with quarterly projects. I believe that: “when growth stops, decay sets in”. This was therefore something I decided to do in order to keep my creative juices flowing and avoid stagnation.

This quarter’s assignment involves celebrating women photographers around the world. Diane Arbus was the luck of the draw for me and ironically, I actually think that we have a lot in common, well sort of…

She was well known for capturing freaks.

“Freaks was a thing I photographed a lot. It was one of the first things I photographed and it had a terrific kind of excitement for me. I just used to adore them. Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.” – Diane Arbus

Other Diane Arbus quotes I can relate to:
“I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.”
“My favourite thing is to go where I’ve never been.”
“You see someone on the street, and essentially what you notice about them is the flaw.”

I like photographing people in their most simplistic form, as they are. Goya described it very well: “Madam, in your ugliness, I see my beauty.” That’s the similarity I guess. It is amazing to be able to look beyond the obvious, the flaw if you will.

Since I need images for this exhibition, images which captures/resembles something of Diane’s work, I decided to use a couple of images of previous shoots and to try something new. I lined up an informal shoot with a colleague. Although I initially had something different in mind, I was sold on Paul’s idea. Paul is very creative and a good sport, so there was definitely fun to be had.

We met in Kloof Street at Vida E. I was there approximately 30min before Paul arrived, to check out the light and scope the scene. Vida E was already packed at 07h45 with people getting their morning coffee fix. Paul had no inhibitions and posed for me outside, ordered his coffee and sat at one of the pavement tables while I merrily snapped away.

According to him, people were more in stitches about me lying on my back in Kloof Street getting that “one shot” than him being cross-dressed! I’m not sure if I believe him though, but assured him that it was all about getting the right shot. The couple of images I’m really hooked on were taken with my Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II lens. I absolutely love working with this lens and I really like the depth of field I get when working with stills and portraits. Within 20min I new I had the images I envisioned. Paul and I finished our coffee and life on Kloof Street went on as usual.

Although the images are very colorful, I consciously decided to change some of them into black and white since most of Diane’s work was in black and white. I am very happy with the final results and the black and white works to create an archive, surrealistic feel.

Conflict within
Vergane Glorie
The Red Beret

Yolanda Saayman

I have been wanting to take aerial photographs of the Cape Peninsula… forever.

Since last year, I came closer to making this dream come true. I had my helicopter flight lined up, but every time I was ready for take off, the vicious Cape Doctor alias Black Southeaster wind would blow gale force and put a spanner in the works.

Patience is a virtue though and so, on the 16th of January (which just happened to be my birthday), all the planning with nature’s help, came together.
Thanks to 360 Aviation and Exec Heli, there was lift off at 08h30.

The very competent and informed pilot, Stefan, took us on an amazing flight around the Cape Peninsula. From a photographer’s point of view, the light was not perfect though, a bit hazy and not what I would have wanted it to be anyway. However, we learn to use what we’ve been dealt with and nothing was to spoil this opportunity for me. With my camera in hand and polarizer attached, I was ready for action.
We flew out to sea, Robben Island direction and then did a u-turn to fly over the newly built Cape Town Stadium. Seeing this amazing structure was one thing, but the excitement naturally followed, knowing that Cape Town will host some of the FIFA 2010 World Cup matches.

Stefan circled a couple of times until I was happy with the shots and then we started heading towards Cape Point. We passed the Sea Point Promenade, Camps Bay, Hout Bay, Scarborough, Noordhoek, Kommetjie and eventually reached Cape Point.

The wind picked up to approximately 35 knots at Cape Point. Since we expected this, we did not take the doors off for the shoot. The wind was still “moderate” enough to allow us to fly out to sea and make a U-turn to capture some of the shots facing the Cape Peninsula and Cape Point. I had a couple of factors to bear in mind though, one being the back glare of the helicopter window and reflections in the glass. My “wannabe Michael Poliza” moves were not going to materialise, but that did not deter me in any way. I was busy living a childhood dream and I was given an amazing opportunity to capture one of the most beautiful cities in the world from a bird’s eye view.
WE flew back north via Smitswinkel, Simonstown, Kalkbay, Muizenberg, Newlands and eventually Cape Town.

The one question everyone asks me is if I saw any sharks. Unfortunately the water was too murky to see any sharks. I did see the splendor of our magnificent city though and I know now why I’m like a jealous lover when it comes to Cape Town. I don’t mind sharing her beauty with anyone, but she owns my heart and she is my home and the one place I always come back to after my travels.
Tavern of the Seas – Haven and Retreat for the Restless.

Needless to say that I was on a natural high for the rest of the day.

Yolanda Saayman