Page 17 - Cape-Camera-July-2023

Cape Camera July 2023

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John Alexander: From sea to Studio

I have always had an in- battling currents, monitoring air supply and nitrogen uptake.
terest in photography, Sometimes, when you are so comfortable with your diving,
but other outdoor pur- while busy taking the photography, you do not realise that you
suit interests took prece- are underwater.
dence. I am an adventure When I started taking pictures again, I was exposed to various
seeker, in that all my life genres and settled on portraiture as a preferred style. I attend-
I have done rock climb- ed a few workshops and realised that I enjoyed studio lighting.
ing, diving, and cycling I then slowly equipped a home studio. My favourite places for
of some sort. My main photography include the Karoo, ocean waves and my studio.
sport is still climbing so While shooting a subject in a studio with a tethered screen,
I try to keep myself as fit shooting mirrorless, I realized after the shot that it was a winner.
as possible. This was confirmed milliseconds later when the shot was shown
Having done SCUBA div- on the attached screen and the model exclaimed their appre-
ing for many years I be- ciation for the shot. I realized that to capture the personality and
gan to dive with mixed story of a person is so rewarding.
gases to allow for greater My biggest portraiture challenge is finding willing subjects.
depth and time at deep- People are by nature reserved and I have had to work hard at
er levels. From reefs to wrecks, it allowed one to explore a dif- a successful approach to someone who should have their pic-
ferent world. I was also privileged to travel to many interesting ture taken as they do have a story to tell from their image. The
destinations to dive and experience other cultures. image of someone must reflect their story or personality. Too
About 7 years ago, I noted that mirrorless cameras were now often these days in the world of selfies, people are taking pic-
available and that in particular, the Fuji range, appeared “retro” tures which are flattering but, in most cases, lack depth. A por-
in the style and look of my original film camera. The mirrorless trait should convey or evoke some emotion. To obtain this emo-
experience then really impressed me, and I made the jump back tional impact, it is necessary for you as photographer to make a
into photography. This was then expanded to underwater pho- connection to the subject. This can be developed through clear
tography. communication and taking time to hear their story before even
While mountain biking, I had a GoPro and used this to record reaching for a camera. Always share the image with the subject
trails and experiences and found that it came with an under- as you go along with the shoot. The subject will then have feed-
water housing, so I took it along on a routine dive. On the dive, back and will gain trust in you as the photographer and may
I simply held the basic GoPro in my hand and started recording. even provide advice on what they like or dislike about the shot
It changed the whole dive experience in that I could now dive and you can then adjust accordingly.
and share the experiences. This started the idea to look for light- As a member of the Cape Town Photographic Society (and the
ing to support the underwater video quality which in turn led to Port Elizabeth Camera Club) I want to continue to be encour-
a dedicated underwater camera and lighting. In South African aged and stimulated by opportunities and feedback that such
waters, we are privileged to have a diversity of life, reefs, and clubs provide.
wrecks. I found that underwater photography allowed me to Having lived in Cape Town most of my life and a school teacher
capture these special moments and memories. In murky water, all my working career, I have worked in both the private and
I would focus on macro photography, while in clear visibility, I state school system and taught a variety of different curricula.
would do more video. In both video and still photography, it is Recent schools include Michaelhouse in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Theo-
essential to have a good lighting system to bring out the col- dor Herzl School in the Eastern Cape, and Hout Bay Schools. I
ours of life at depth. To be a good underwater photographer have been Executive Principal at 2 schools.
it is also imperative that you are very comfortable underwater My wife Lea-Anne is also a keen photographer, and we have no
and experienced. You can then focus on camera work and know children but serve our 2 cats. As you may know, cats do not have
that your diving is well within your comfort zone. Quite often, I owners they have staff.
would be intensively trying to obtain a special shot, this while

All photos by John Alexander

Cape Town Photographic Society 17