Page 6 - Cape-Camera-September-2022

September 2022 Cape Camera

Member Profile

DETLEF BASEL – HONOURED BY PSSA

Guests at the “main table” responding to the Toast to PSSA by Guest of Honour Detlef Basel. From left Martin Barber, Barbara Basel,
Detlef, PSSA President Jill Sneesby, 1st Vice-president Simon Fletcher and Joyce Fletcher. Photo by Sydney Truter.

Nicol du Toit had the following to say: “The Lifetime Dedication
Award is for any member of PSSA who dedicated him - or herself
to photography throughout a lifetime. This dedication will include
participation in club and PSSA events and Detlef Basel was the
worthy recipient of this unique award.
In September this year, when Detlef decided not to make himself
available for re-election to the CTPS council, he had served pho-
tography for 54 years on the Pretoria Photographic Society and
CTPS councils. On both clubs he served multiple terms as president
and was elected honorary member of both clubs. He also served a
stint of 26 years on the PSSA board. He was awarded an honorary
APSSA and holds a normal APSSA. He accumulated more than 300
salon acceptances.
Detlef has touched the hearts of thousands of school children,
whom he taught to love photography, both in Pretoria where he
was a science teacher for more than 40 years and in Cape Town
Guest of Honour Detlef Basel was presented with a Lifetime after he presented the school’s program for the Cape Town Science
Achievement Award by Jill Sneesby, assisted by Francois Roux. Centre.
Photo by Sydney Truter
The PSSA asked me to hand over this award to Detlef at our year
Detlef attended the recent PSSA Congress in Greyton as guest end-function, but also requested me to make sure that he attends
of honour of PSSA where he received a Lifetime Achievement the next PSSA congress in Greyton in August next year, where they
Award for his extensive and continued Service to photography want to bestow a special honour on him.
and PSSA. Below is an informative interview written by Trudi Du Toit
for the book “Celebrating 125 years of the Cape Town Pho-
tographic Society”. The book by Trudi du Toit was published
in 2016.
Detlef Basel, former president
Detlef Basel has been serving South African amateur photo-
graphic societies for close to fifty years. When his term of office
as CTPS president came to an end at the AGM in September
2015, he had been serving on photographic association com-
mittees, boards and councils for 48 years. He was re-elected an
ordinary council member until 2017, when he will hit the half
century mark.
Detlef was elected CTPS president at the AGM in 2007 and
during the following eight years steered the society back to a
vibrant, active organisation with more than 140 paid up mem-
Detlef Basil receiving his Lifetime Dedication Award from Nicol bers – after membership had dwindled to 40 paid members
du Toit (as PSSA Regional Director) at the CTPS Year-end Funtion with meeting attendance sometimes as low as ten in the early
2021. Photo by Trudi du Toit. 2000’s.

6 Cape Town Photographic Society