Page 14 - Cape-Camera-January-February-2021

January/February 2021 Cape Camera

So from when I married Joyce in 1979 until 2010, my photo-
graphic journey consisted of family holidays and kids events.
Our holidays to Turkey, France, the UK and America all have
colour negatives neatly arranged and meticulously labeled,
together with their photobooks – created by my librarian wife.
From 2001 on I purchased a few early Sony digital cameras and
took them and the family off to Australia, New Zealand, China,
skiing and to various European countries on a number of occa-
sions. Looking at the shots now in the albums, they are terrible!
My very first digital Sony was taken brand new out of the box
and immediately dropped on the kitchen floor, smashing the
rear screen! It had been ‘smuggled’ into SA by a friend who was
able to buy it in Dubai for me, as they were not available here
yet. Eventually I upgraded to a Sony DSC-H7 bridge camera
with a massive zoom.
When I now look at all those digital images stored, once again My first club entry in 2010
meticulously catalogued by Joyce on our back-up hard drive, I
am horrified by their poor quality – partly due also to the pho- rector from London, Keith Bull, who by now was a great friend
tographer no doubt. Digital cameras have improved a lot since and a swallow with a house in Hout Bay, persuaded me to come
then. I, however, had little appreciation of what made a good along to a CTPS meeting at St Stephens.
photograph! One month after joining CTPS, we attended a weekend away
I must admit to taking many photographs in connection with in Tulbach, where we were the only English speaking members
my business. I joined a five-member consulting engineering present, which was quite scary. Fortunately, Nellian Bekker took
firm straight out of university and retired from the same firm me under her wing and four months later we were on our first
after 38 years. I had for 20 years managed the Cape Town office outing to the Hex River Valley, and I met a few more members
of 80 technical staff by then and been a part owner. The firm like Jeanette du Toit at dawn on the edge of a cold farm dam
was now global with thousands of staff members. Staff func- - armed with multiple cameras, lenses and tripods. This was a
tions and the very many buildings we had designed electrical new world for both Joyce and I. Everyone was so friendly and
and mechanical systems for, were subjects of my photographs. helpful.
My personal iconic projects were the V & A Waterfront Shopping Three months later we spent the night in a luxurious cave at
Centre, the Cape Town Airport, the 21-story hotel at the Con- Kagga Kamma with the scary President Detlef Basel in the next
vention Centre and the soccer stadiums in Green Point and Port door cave.
Elizabeth. And so my journey with CTPS began, almost never having
Going back a bit, when I was in my early twenties a friend and I missed entering in the monthly competitions and attending
decided to learn more about photography and so we went to a many of the countless outings over the past ten years. I now
meeting of the Cape Town Photographic Club in the Cathedral see my surroundings with different eyes, always looking for a
Hall in Queen Victoria Street. We saw a hall full of elderly peo- photograph. What a photographic learning experience CTPS
ple and a voice calling out in the darkness ‘Green Award’, ‘Red has been for me - and with regard to the new Photoshop and
Award’, whilst slides where being projected onto the screen. processing, it seems to be never ending.
There was no welcome or anybody talking to us! Nevertheless A year later in 2011 and through Nellian’s doing, I found my-
we went again the following month - the same thing - and that self sitting on the Council, with President Detlef Basel ruling
was the end of CTPS back then. the roost. Because of my experience in the building industry,
In preparation for my retirement, with photography playing a I was given the task of looking after the difficult tenant and the
part, Father Christmas brought me a Nikon D90 with a 28 - 200 crumbling building we owned in Jarvis Street. I guess I can be
mm lens a month before. When I finally retired from my business blamed for selling the building in 2015 and now have the task
just before the 2010 Soccer World Cup and my International Di- of investing and growing the proceeds for future members of

Recording the building progress at the V & A Shopping Centre

13 Cape Town Photographic Society