The Photo That Changed My Career: Part One

This year we will be asking photographers to share an image that changed them, the trajectory of their careers or the way they see things.

As a career, photographers have to interpret what the clients needs, so it is interesting to hear from commercial photographers as to what personally made a difference to their lives, and to see how different everyones “moment “ turns out to be.

Sean Furlonger

The reason this image changed my life was because I was in the Bo Kaap in 2015 and suddenly noticed this marching band H.S.M.B coming towards us whilst I was assisting on a shoot. I happened to have my camera with me and quickly turned to them and changed my settings with hopes that it was the right exposure and in focus and snapped away. It all took about 20 seconds and this was the result. This made me realize that I should carry a camera around with me everywhere I go because you never know when something may pop up that you could never have planned. I have many images like that now because I was always "ready" for an image moment to present itself. I am currently an advertising photographer because of that realization.  

Ashley- Marie Miles

Flower Portrait of Janet that I made a few years back was meant to be part of my Flower Portrait series was inspired by the paintings of Tretchikoff in colour and tone, and with a lot more insects in the form of bees as opposed to my signature single bug planted somewhere on my model. It was created more freely and was purely experimental. This piece is one of those unplanned works that lie close to my heart. In 2018 Photo Vogue Italia were hosting their annual photo festival, A New Renaissance, and I entered this piece in. It made the Top 50, was shared by Vogue Italia on their socials, and exhibited in Italy during the festival as well as printed in their exhibition catalogue alongside a favourite artist of mine who also made the Top 50. It was the closest I've ever gotten to being in Vogue Italia (so far). It was also my first group exhibition with one of my Flower Portraits, and I felt so honored to be among such amazing works that were so in line with my own vision. In some way, she's like my own, personal Mona Lisa in that I carry her with me always, and strive to create more work that may garner the same positive attention and traction again. She's the milestone I chase. 

Anita Van Zyl Reed

The image of the refugee girl might not be a turning point but it affected me with regards the huge impact Covid was having on people. This particular image had the power to bring donations in, toys, food and clothes. This image was of a girl in 2020 in a refugee tent, the refugees were moved off the street at St George’s church as it was illegal to be living on the street. At the time they were living on the street they could still get piece work, beg or get donations and since moving to the tent that had all dried up.

Their situation was very desperate. It made the issues my family was going through pale in comparison.

I still to this day check up on some of the refugees who I was in contact with and their situation and future look so much better.

Barry Downard

I was working on a self-generated project… a storyline dealing with self-knowledge, identity and "sense of being”. Deep.

It was the story of a character named, “Voxhall Viva”. She was a young woman who had lost her memory, and had embarked on a journey of discovery. Her journey was to lead to meetings with strange strangers, in strange situations.

Working on another project, I was visiting the Natural History Museum in Pietermaritzburg. Whilst scouting the exhibits there, I noticed a narrow passageway lined on both sides with an assortment of fibreglass display animals… as if they were all standing in two single-file lines, leading down the passage. It was bizarre, but I was intrigued, and asked the Museum manager if I could walk down the passage. He agreed, and told me that theu were involved in an annual house-clean. Walking down the strange corridor, I came to a room to be presented with an even stranger sight. There was a large collection of taxidermy animal heads on plaques… all placed in quite a jumble all around the walls of the room. There was a (seemingly) cleared space in the centre of the room… and in the centre of that cleared space, was an old school/government office chair. Thirty-odd years later, I ocassionally still think… “Why?”.

I shot it in BW film, probably Kodak 100 ASA. Nikon F4.

Bernard Brand

In short; I wrote a letter around September/October of 2013 to Zack Arias, an Atlanta based commercial photographer asking if I could come and intern with him for a few months the following year.

In January his then wife, Meghan - tagged me in a tweet with a photo of that letter saying they'd be in touch.
And in February of 2014 even before I'd received any definitive answer from them I decided to quit the job I had at that time and pursue photography whatever may come and almost 10 years later here I still am making photos.

To see these photographer’s work go to dossierphoto.net

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