Monday, March 21, 2011

Moonlight Surfing

Lesedi Williams and Raisa Meiswinkel  scope out the waves at East Beach, Port Alfred, South Africa, 19 March 2011. East Beach is a popular surfing spot for locals in the area. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Raisa Meiswinkel  and Lesedi Williams pose on Port Alfred's East Beach lit by the light of a Perigee (also called Super) Moon, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 19 March 2011. The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1983. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The dancers continued

Claire Martin poses in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. Claire is a fourth year design and communication journalism student and an avid dancer. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Claire Martin and Meg Ross pose together in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Meg Ross poses with a chair in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Claire Martin poses in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Claire Martin poses in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011.
© Tarryn Liddell 2010

Marcelle Liron poses in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011.
© Tarryn Liddell 2010

Meg Ross poses in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011.
 © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Meg Ross and Claire Martin pose in studio at the African Media Matrix, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

The studio is taken over by dancers

As promised here are some more of my dancer portraits. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Claire Martin stares into the camera, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. Claire did drama as her second major at Rhodes University.  © Tarryn Liddell 2010.

Shameez Joubert demonstrates a plea stares in studio, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011.
  © Tarryn Liddell 2010.

Marcelle Liron demonstrates a pose that the dancers can try, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011.
© Tarryn Liddell 2010.

Claire Martin stands en pointe in studio, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010.

Some moves work and others don't but at least the girls can laugh at themselves, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011.  © Tarryn Liddell 2010. 

Welcome to the world of the Studio

After three long years and technically completing a Bachelor of Arts degree I am finally in my fourth and finally year of the coveted Rhodes University Bachelor of Journalism degree. This not only means that I am in my last year at university for now but it also means that I'm officially allowed in the STUDIO!! Now you have to understand that in the journalism department at Rhodes there is a hierarchy - only third and fourth years are allowed in the specialization labs like photography, design and TV.  And only fourth years are allowed in the TV suites, the new media lab and the photography studio. I hope this helps you to understand my absolute delight in finally reaching the top of the student hierarchy and gaining access to the (drum roll......) studio.

Ok, so I am in the studio now what? Well let me just say that the studio is a totally different kind of monster than the world outside. It is in the words of David Campany in the book Art and Photography

"... a space to explore the interrelationship of control and experimentation. It stands apart from the social world but is indirectly connected to it.”

It is this strange blend between being part of the world but also not being a part of it. The isolation of the studio does in fact not isolate at all but allows the photographer a space where creativity can flow and almost have no bounds. I have found that since working in the studio my ideas for photo shoots are getting bigger and more out there as I realise that in the studio these ideas actually stand a chance of working out. This is because the studio is a space that can been seen as a mixture of a stage and a confessional as it is an area where you can feel protected and free to express and act our desires and fantasies. 


 Lighting in the studio is controlled you as the photographer are the director and this opens up more possibilities as you can setup situations instead of just stumbling upon them or waiting for them to naturally occur as you have to do outside. But this is also one of the hardest parts of the studio .... getting the lighting just right.

Well I have been working in our studio at the journalism department for about three weeks now and last week Wednesday I finally felt ready to more on from shooting just one person sitting in studio. So I arranged my first photo shoot with more than one person. As one of our assignments for this term is to shoot studio portraits I decided to invite three dancers into the studio to photograph 'a dancers portrait'. The dancers varied from ballet to tap and contemporary.

I would actually like to take a moment to thank the lovely Shameez Joubert, Meg Ross and Claire Martin for their time, patience with my lack of dancing knowledge and constant light changing and asking you to move a little this way and that and for your just being fabulous in general! These ladies put up with me in studio for three hours, which says so much in it's own so thank you so much. Last but definitely not least I must say a huge thank you to Stephane Meintjes, Jane van Doorene and Marcelle Liron for being my assistants and helping with the lighting and stage directing. All of you made my first BIG shoot an absolute blast that I would repeat with you anytime.

So I am sure that you are all dying to see the results of the shoot so here we go.........are you ready?


Claire Martin stretches and warms up for the photo shoot in the Africa Media Matrix studio at the Rhodes University Journalism Department, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Claire Martin stretches and warms up for the photo shoot in the Africa Media Matrix studio at the Rhodes University Journalism Department, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Meg Ross is both a ballet and tap dancer. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Shameez Joubert extends her legs and arms outwards while balancing on her neck and shoulders, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Shameez Joubert is caught mid-jump in studio, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Meg Ross acts surprised, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010


Meg Ross stands on point in her tap shoes and strikes a pose in studio, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Claire Martin lies on the studio floor to pose for a photo from above, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Meg Ross and Claire Martin practice some physical theatre moves in studio, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

Marcelle Liron, one of my helpful hands on deck during the shoot, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 9 March 2011. © Tarryn Liddell 2010

As you can see I still have a fair bit to learn in the studio but so far I am quite happy with how the shoot turned out and look forward to having another one soon - This time with a HIGH FASHION theme - so watch this space! Also I will be putting more photos from this shoot up as I have plenty more where these came from!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Grahamstown

Grahamstown is a little old town in the middle of 'almost nowhere' but it is also a very special place that exists in a universe unto itself - especially when it comes to things like the weather. Have you ever heard of the play a Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt about the life of Sir Thomas More? Well Grahamstown is the home of 'Students of All Seasons' and I do mean this in a very literal way. You see in Bolt's play Sir Thomas More clashes with King Henry VIII while in Grahamstown we clash with the almighty weather. 
Please believe that I am not kidding when I say that it is very possible to in one day in Grahamstown experience at least three out of the four seasons. If you are really lucky you can even manage to get all four! But if you brave the weather, the early morning cold and darkness then you might find yourself stumbling above amazing lighting situations like this. 

A street lamp still shines brightly as the sun begins to light up the morning sky, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, 28 April 2010.
 © Tarryn Liddell