Page 13 - Cape-Camera-March-April-2021

March/April 2021 Cape Camera

These workshops During this time she has won medal upon medal in salons,
were just the start including two medals, three Certificates of Merit and eight ac-
of many courses she ceptances in the recent Western Cape Photographic Forum In-
attended: she men- ternational PDI and Print Salon. She won the PSSA Impala Print
tions a couple with Trophy for the year 2019/20, in addition to winning just about
Willem Oets and every available prize at the CTPS 2020 year-end award ceremo-
Nicole Palmer. “Go- ny with her distinctive dream-like style of photography. This
ing to De Hoop with included the award for the CTPS photographer of the year with
Nicole was an incred- the most PDI and print points in monthly competitions and the
ible learning curve,” overall winner of
she says. There were the Annual Com-
One of the prints from her FPSSA panel. a couple of workshops petition, which
presented by Wikus earned her two
Leeuwner and JJ van Heerden she attended at Volmoed, courses gold medals, plus
at the Cape Town School of Photography by Vanessa Cowling the President’s
and others, a course by Martin Osner, workshops with Hougaard Award for her ser-
Malan … and the list continues. vices on council.
And then there were the overseas courses she attended after She also earned
she was so inspired by the Icelandic photographs of the British a PSSA Infinity
photographer and workshop leader Lee Frost that she decided One of Kim’s New York images. badge for being
“I’ve got to go!” This was followed by attending several more awarded a FPSSA
workshops by this photographer, whom Kim says tries his best for her colour
to keep the costs of the workshops reasonable by, for example, prints panel.
booking into affordable hotels. Kim confesses that she always strives for perfection when pho-
“He takes you to the places where it is good to photograph at tographing. “I don’t just go somewhere and start taking photos.
the right time of day, because he knows what the light will be I have to really get into the space and feel it – and that takes
like. If you had to go there on your own, you would have had to time. Often when I get back I wonder why I didn’t take more
spend twice the time to find the right spots. In the end you find pictures, but it is not easy for me to just snap away. I’m always
it is not terribly expensive to go with Lee.” dissatisfied with my work. “
If she had gone to New York on her own, for example, she says She looks a lot at online images and download the one’s she
she would have had to stay for two weeks at huge cost to find like into her in-
those places to photograph that have won her numerous spiration folder.
awards. “Whereas Lee knows the places and did research about “Now and again
it and will take you straight there.” something just
Kim also attended workshops by other international photogra- jumps out at me
phers, for example, with the well-known street photographer, and I think, oh! I
Valérie Jardin, in Paris. must take that,
and it goes into
For the past 18 years she has been attending multi-day cours- the inspiration
es about three to four times a year. And in between, she reads folder. You get to
about photography and photographers just about every day – know what turns
as the members of the Cape Town Photographic Society (CTPS) One of Kim’s latest award winning images you on and what
can testify who benefit from the links to interesting articles and speaks to you and
websites Kim so regularly posts to the clubs Facebook page. try and analyse what it is about the images that you like.”
A course she attended at the School of Photography about 12- She enjoys all genres of photography. “I have been lucky that I
13 years ago indirectly resulted in Kim becoming part of the could have the freedom to explore the different genres and did
photographic club system. She met Pat Scott, who was attend- not have to rely on making money from photography. If it be-
ing the same course, and through her got to know Lesley Parolis, comes something that I have to do as a profession, I would lose
Kathy Priday and Anna Engelhardt who were all members of an my passion for it.” She does, however, do professional shoots, as
informal group of women photographers called Full Spectrum. can be seen on her website, Limelight Photography.
They invited Kim and Joan Ward to join the group, who would Kim confesses to a special passion for photographing archi-
invite expert photographers to address them, or take them on tecture and abstract forms, and in that respect “New York is a
outings, or longer workshops. fantastic place to go to. The lines and forms resonated with me.
Pat then joined CTPS and about 12 years ago also encouraged Some speak more to me - for example, I love long exposures
the others to join the club. Although the Stevens’ lived in Simon’s and old buildings.”
Town, Kim found it worthwhile to drive all the way to the meet- In February last year Canon magazine, Click, did a feature on
ings in Pinelands. In 2015 Kim was elected to the CTPS council, Kim as Pro photographer and used one of her iconic New York
where her familiarity with many of the experts provided valu- images on the cover. The article also provides insight into her
able background for her Education and Development portfolio, photographic philosophy and explains how and why she took
which she still manages for the club.
some images.

12 Cape Town Photographic Society