Now that is what I call an awesome Monday surprise

I just had to share my awesome surprise this morning. I logged onto Facebook to check my news feed (ie. stalk my friends, haha) and clicked on a link that Guy Buttery (an amazing South African folk musician that I photographed in studio at the National Arts Festival) had put up and....................what do you know there were two of my studio photos of him! haha awesome!!
Check it out here and give our local artists some support!

The below two photos are the ones that I took.

A Different Cinderella Story

Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball until she heard the first stroke of midnight! She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince's arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her slippers, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up! If the last stroke of midnight were to sound... oh... what a disaster that would be! 

Out she fled and vanished into the night....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so my fellow photographer Dianne Jordan for her help and the beautiful models Anele Ngwenya and Cacha Johnson.

A Tale of Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest.  Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One morning, Little Red Riding Hood asked her mother if she could go to visit her grandmother as it had been awhile since they'd seen each other.

"That's a good idea," her mother said.

"Remember, go straight to Grandma's house," her mother cautioned.  "Don't dawdle along the way and please don't talk to strangers!  The woods are dangerous."

"Don't worry, mommy," said Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll be careful."

But when Little Red Riding Hood noticed some lovely flowers in the woods, she forgot her promise to her mother.  She picked a few, watched the butterflies flit about for awhile, listened to the frogs croaking and then picked a few more.   Little Red Riding Hood was enjoying the warm summer day so much, that she didn't notice a dark shadow approaching out of the forest behind her...

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first of my fairy tale re-creations. Dianne Jordan and I decided to see if we could photograph our own versions of a couple well known fairy tales. Little Red Riding Hood was our first attempt and despite the rain I think that they came out very well. 

Thanks to my fellow photojournalism classmate Dianne Jordan and models Tracey Turner and Martin Bleazard for standing in the rain and being so patient through all the "Okay, now just one more". 

Cinderella and the Princess and the Pea (or in our case the Pear) are to follo

Down Time

One of the best things about studying something like photography is that I actually enjoying doing it. Hence when I have down time you are more than likely to find me in one of three places.

1. In the journalism department editing my photos 
2. Out taking more photos
3. At the Rat and Parrot (our local pub) hanging out with friends who, you guessed it, are mostly all journalism students

So in staying true to my nature here are some photos from two different photo shoots that I recently did in some down time. A big thanks to Caeri Dunnell, Kate Brook-Hart, Meg Ross, Claire Martin and Stephane Meintjes for helping with the shoots and allowing me to photograph you again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Life of Riley

The Life of Riley describes themselves as being "A cold beer for your ears, abab couplets for your heart'

They are a two-piece folk-pop band consisting of Terri-Lee Adendorff and Nick Mulgrew. The band was formed in Grahamstown, yes that big city in which I currently reside.  And I may be a little bit biased as I did do journalism with both Terri and Nick but I think that they are FABULOUS!! They have such a quirky and different sound that you can't help but be attracted to it! 

I enjoyed photographing them in studio so much as their enthusiasm and humour just shone through as you can see by the photos. I doubt there was even one serious photo taken at the shoot. So I have to thank both Terri and Nick for being superstars and making photographing them look easy! You two both ROCK!!

The Life of Riley have just independently released their first album which is called 'The Golden Age of Us'. So I urge you all to check them out on facebook and you can order their album by emailing thegoldenageofus@gmail.com 

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 

Joza Indoor Sports Centre

The Joza Indoor Sports Centre

You would be forgiven for not believing that an unassuming building that looks like a run-down and neglected factory could be the answer to one of the main problems in the ward 5 and 6 Makana Municipality district. After hosting a community meeting at the Extension 9 Community Hall in August this year, it became apparent to outsiders that there is a problem of the youth getting involved in drugs and crime in this area. Residents of wards 5 and 6 stressed the importance of having safe places for their children to play and stay out of trouble or temptation. One brave youth stood up at the meeting and shared his idea that if there were more places for the youth to hang out then there would be less crime in the area.

And that is where the Joza Indoor Sports Centre in ward 6 comes in. Despite being under equipped and short staffed the sports centre is filled with children laughing, playing and training every day. When you first enter the sports centre you are taken aback by the lively atmosphere as the exterior, especially on a rainy day when there are no children playing outside, does well to hide the potential of the facility. The inside is basically a huge hall that is divided into two courts that are used for netball and basketball. There are a few hoops and recently also an old make-shift boxing rink. There is also a small gym enclosed by a wire fence in the corner.

The office which is situated near the front door is the work space of Lennox Habana, the sports centre’s caretaker. Habana has been working at the sports centre for nine years and has therefore witnessed both its up and downs. He reminisces over when the sports centre was flourishing in 2002. It has in the past hosted sports days as well as training clinics but in recent years funding and the number of coaches have been lacking, which has restricted what the sports centre can do. Yet he is hopeful and believes that the centre is a haven for the youth and that together with the community and municipality the sports centre can be improved upon and that other centres like it can be opened. 

Currently the sports centre is understaffed as it can only afford to pay a few permanent coaches and volunteers have been scarce. Yet people like Habana and the coaches that are there remain positive and try to do as much as they can. Coaches teach the children how to play a wide variety of sports such as netball, volleyball, soccer, basketball, aerobics, Tae Bo and boxing. Boxing in particular seems to be a favourite amongst the children young and old, male and female. There are even quite a few young girls who have joined the boxing training course and spar against each other in the rink, to the cheers of the other children. Up and coming boxers from the community also train at the centre as there is a small gym area, but this weights area needs to be expanded and new equipment received as the little equipment they do have is old and worn through.

Former American professional basketball player and the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson once said:

"Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we.’"

This is what the sports centre represents and is striving to achieve. It is trying to show how with the help of the Makana Municipality, the community and Grahamstown residents sport can act against crime and provide a safe environment for children to grow and learn essential life skills while having fun.



Wards 5 and 6 are filled with children and young adults who have nothing to do and nowhere to go play. Many resort to playing on the dirt roads which are littered with rubbish and are not a safe environment. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 17 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell





The Joza Indoor Sports Centre in ward 6 provides a safe environment for the children in the area. Children come from far to play the many sports on offer or even just to train or hang out with friends. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 14 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell







Lennox Habana, the caretaker, reminisces over when the sports centre was flourishing in 2002. The sports centre used to host sports days as well as training clinics but in recent years funding and the number of coaches have been lacking, which has restricted what the sports centre can do. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 20 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell

Boxing is one of the most popular activities at the sports centre for all ages. A young boy spars against one of the older coaches. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 21 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell



While netball and basketball games are played indoors some children start their own games of soccer outside the sports centre in the nets provided. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 14 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell

Young adults also visit the sports centre to train with the weights and attend boxing training. Opening more centres like this one in the local communities has the potential to help stop children and young adults from getting involved in drugs and crime. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 27 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell

The Joza Indoor Sports Centre is a haven for the youth in the community and has great potential to provide entertainment, skills and opportunities for the youth in the area.  Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 14 September 2010.
© Tarryn Liddell