Agenda (In Colour)
On the 28th of March a convoy carrying artists, friends, fans and myself left Cape Town for Oudtshoorn in the Karoo. Each year around Easter time, this dusty town hosts one of the biggest art festivals in the country. Agenda represented.
A white canvas was paraded through the crowd as Agenda played. It was stained with paint, food colouring, red wine, lipstick, cigarettes and basically anything the fans could find to make their mark.
Photos by Armand Hough
My Bafana Bafana
South Africa took a step closer to booking their place in the 2014 Fifa World Cup with an impressive 2-0 victory over the Central African Republic at Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium.
Welldone the boys. Siyaya e Brazil kana mini kana mini( no matter what).
Comment Submitted by: Madredz. Date: 24 March 2013, Time: 04:56:35
Ndizani Bafana Bafana sekuseduze phambili.. Make us proud guys we ar behind u Mr G I
Comment Submitted by: phiso10. Date: 23 March 2013, Time: 08:51:07
Win Win Win Win
Comment Submitted by: mawemune. Date: 23 March 2013, Time: 12:32:11
We love u Bafana
Comment Submitted by: masevhe85. Date: 24 March 2013, Time: 07:04:18
Prove to yourselves you can do better.
Comment Submitted by: TrevorvanWyk. Date: 23 March 2013, Time: 09:35:50
Gudluck boys do us (nation) proud….
Comment Submitted by: ZolaGuluva. Date: 23 March 2013, Time: 09:06:57
I won’t waste my tym go watch Bafana Bazebra running like headless chicken with no goals
Comment Submitted by: sangomase2. Date: 23 March 2013, Time: 06:04:54
I am still bitter as to why GI keeps overlooking our Jali,but I still support the national team with passion,by the end of the day it’s about mzansi & I’m proud to be part of it..
Comment Submitted by: Kingwillie. Date: 23 March 2013, Time: 07:07:11
As the Bafana fans sings Shosholoza, I realised what I have missed out on in nine years of working and studying abroad. I am very proudly South African today.
All comments were taken from the Bafana Bafana message board on http://www.soccerladuma.co.za (Photos by Armand Hough)
Welcome to Paradise
Khayelitsha is an informal township in the Western Cape, South Africa, located on the Cape Flats in the City of Cape Town.
It has a view with Table Mountain in the background that you don’t regularly see in postcards.
The name is Xhosa for New Home and it is reputed to be the largest and fastest growing township in South Africa.
Khayelitsha is notorious to some Capetonians as a dangerous place that should be avoided at all cost but for an estimated 504 729 people, it is home.
Living in a society where taxi organizations are fighting violently for territory and where Cape Flats gangs are in a constant dispute for drug terrains does not portray a safe environment for anyone who is trying to make an honest living.
My reason for visiting Khayelitsha was to go to a school for deaf people in the heart of the township named Noluthando. Noluthando School is a special school situated in Site B of Khayelitsha, serving more than 360 learners with barriers to learning.
Previously the school only catered for Deaf learners, but with the need for skills training in the community they opened their doors for learners with various disabilities.
This school for disabled learners is truly a sanctuary within the harsh conditions of the townships but they are in desperate need of support.
On this occasion I was accompanied by a member of the South African Bible Society who was distributing educational books for 6 to 10 year olds.
The children’s smiling faces reflected the safe environment that the school and its staff are able to give them. Noluthando is a paradise of hope for these learners and I am inviting everyone who wants to, to join me on my next visit.
Agenda has landed
A few nights ago I hooked up with three old friends that finally decided to unite their flair. From knowing then, I can only portray their bond as “The Soul Brothers” meets “The Soul Surfer”.
Rupert Nel, Regardt Nel and Marnus Louw are Agenda. They are a contemporary Afrikaans rock movement with fresh and meaningful lyrics.
I took these images of Agenda when they were playing at Bohemia in Stellenbosch. The atmosphere was electric and it looked as if they attracted everyone from the northern suburbs. Especially the girls…
I will be following them around SA this year as they play the festival circuit so expect more photos soon.
Absolutely Portraits
I have recently started working with a fantastic boutique publisher named “Zest Media”, taking environmental portraits for an editorial series titled “In their own words”.
The subjects in these portraits are luxury estate agents and the photos gives an insight into their personality.
Embedded with a Band
The dream of stardom lies in all of us; to be recognised for doing something so good that it creates interest from others is an emotion that is deeply rooted in our evolutionary heritage. To outrival our competitors in sport, bravery, art or even intellectually, can give us a social status of fame and public admiration.
A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to document the rise to fame of an electronic music twosome named The Japanese Popstars. I followed the two musicians and their management team, as they played their foot-stomping electro beats at the biggest outdoor festivals the British Isles has to offer.
The Japanese Popstars was nominated for “Best House DJs” at the 2006 World Urban Music Awards, “Best Live Performance” at the 2007 Northern Ireland Music Awards and won “Best Live Act” at the 2008 Irish Music Awards and then every year since (4 years in a row). They were also voted “Best Breakthrough Producers” at the DJ Mag “Best Of British Awards 2008”, awarded “No.1 Dance Album” by Hotpress magazine, and won “Best Live Act” and “Best Album” at the 2009 Irish Music Awards.
My interests were to capture the nervous moment before facing thousands of fans as they stepped out on stage and the ecstasy after leading the crowds with their rhythms. Experiencing life on the road with musicians is not what I expected; the celebrated glamour is swamped with financial responsibilities and pressure from investors. I therefore wanted to show how modern day musicians deal with the complications of an overcrowded music industry.
I find musicians interesting company, and for the most part very talented in many areas apart from music. Gary Curran and Gareth Donoghue are two very passionate musicians from Derry in Northern Ireland. The images from this project were taken whiles on tour with the Japanese Popstars through the UK.
Tasteography
I have never specialised in photographing food, but I had plenty of opportunities to shoot restaurant menus, bio’s for chefs and brochures for various hotels in the past. Here are some of the photos I like the most.
The most important thing with food photography is to keep your camera stable. In most situations it will be best to use as much natural light as possible. Include props that adds to the mood that you are trying to create. I always like to show as much culture as I can in my photographs. Try to tell the story rather than just showing the product.
The Kingstones
Last weekend I had the honour of telling a story about two of my very dear friends, Ashley and Kate. The wedding took place in the beautiful town of Wokingham. Thank you guys for a wonderful weekend!
If family or friends would like to see and download more photos from the wedding, please go to thekingstones.wordpress.com
Shooting Popstars
We left London Early that Friday morning for Liverpool. It would be my first introduction to The Japanese Popstars. When we arrived at the hotel there was a quick exchange of handshakes with the duo Gary and Gareth. It took my untrained South African ear a while to fully get use to their Northern Irish accents. We had a briefing that literally lasted a couple of seconds and then we left for Creamfield’s silent disco. The concert would be something that none of us has experienced before to such a large scale.
Early the next morning we left Liverpool for Reading where the guys played at Reading festival that after noon. It was a performance that will not be forgotten. To see two people take control of a crowd that size with their musical creations was nothing else but exhilarating.
We took on the road again for The Leeds Festival straight after the Reading show. The journey to the north was filled with spontaneous singing of 80’s hits and laughter that made my stomach muscles want to cramp up. Early the next morning they played Leeds fest that left me with the same amount of adrenalin as the previous shows.
This was a weekend filled with thrill and excitement but it also gave me an insight to life behind the scenes of stardom. This life is far away from being glamorous. Thrilling yes, but these guys are professionals. They are damn good at what they do, but it’s still their job.
I thank them for this opportunity.
On Tour with The Japanese Popstars
It’s on days like this that I feel rewarded for what I do. Today I hit the road with The Japanese Popstars to document one of their UK tours. The Japanese Popstars is a DJ duo from Ireland that has taken the club scene by storm for the past couple of years. Tonight we will stop off at Creamfields in Daresbury, Cheshire, Reading and Leeds after that. From there onwards I’m not sure but I will give updates as we go. Don’t really know what the story angle will be yet, but I’m definitely keeping an open mind. What I do know is that I’m all packed and ready to experience life on the road with modern musicians.
Updates to follow…
