There is so much beauty to be found in our neck of the woods, with local photographers at the ready to capture it. From the beautiful views to food and wildlife, enjoy a visual feast of Midlands photography and get a glimpse into how three people behind the cameras envision our world.
We start with Lucky Cry. He is a lover of local landscapes and has found his path in life as a photographer. After he received an opportunity at CC Systems in Howick in 2012 and developed a knack for fixing gadgets, he bought a broken drone and fixed it up. Lucky saved up to buy a brand-new drone, and his passion for photography soared! His friends quickly noticed his keen eye for photography as he took beautiful images without any formal training.
“I’m not very good at expressing what I see through words, but when I take a photograph of what I see, the picture speaks more than a thousand words. Capturing the beauty of creation by a God whom I have a relationship with gives me the ability to glorify Him. God says that His Righteousness is shown in all He has made. That is why I called my photography business Picture Right.”
Lucky believes the Midlands is the best place to live as a landscape photographer because everything is on our doorstep. “We have forests, waterfalls, farms, the meander, mountains, villages, a city, dams, and rivers.” Lucky’s go-to cameras are his Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 Drone, Canon 90D EOS DSLR camera and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone.
https://www.instagram.com/luckycry1/?hl=en
We move from landscapes to what’s on the plate. Mike Bosse enjoys different genres of photography, but his love for capturing food was sparked after a weekend at Hartford House in 2016. He had the opportunity to shoot high-end dishes at the restaurant and really engaged with the process of post-plating and interacting with the chef. He has also shot for the esteemed Jackie Cameron based in Hilton.
“Food photography is a particular art form for me. It is all about being able to create a desire in the viewer, portraying taste through the medium of photography, or perhaps stir a memory.” Mike is inspired by the variety that is presented in every aspect of the Midlands, be it the weather, people or food. Our area is an escape to another world and away from the “rigours of daily life”. When capturing plates of mouth-watering food, Mike usually uses the Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera.
https://www.instagram.com/michael_stewart13/?hl=en
With the abundance of nature found in the Midlands, we can’t forget wildlife photography. Dave Macdonald has been fascinated with snapping shots of the world around him since the age of three years old, thanks to discovering his grandfather’s camera. He grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe which created a connection between him and the natural world, including regular outings to game areas. With the advent of digital cameras, Dave found a ‘watering hole’, so to say, with abundant opportunities to capture the wildlife around him, and which started his real passion for photography.
Dave retired here around 12 years ago and loves our countryside. He has taken a keen interest in bird life, which is currently his main area of photographic focus, using his trusty Sony α7R IV camera. “I’ve met a fellow retiree who had also taken up photography as a retirement pursuit. So, if you encounter two grey-haired gents carrying cameras sporting bazooka-like telephoto lenses in the hides of the Karkloof Conservancy, or on the shores of Midmar’s waters, the chances are it will be us!”
https://www.instagram.com/macdonald_dave/?hl=en
Words: Alicia du Plessis