CORNEL VAN HEERDEN | PHOTOGRAPHER | VIDEOGRAPHER | MULTIMEDIA | CONTENT CREATOR | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Marcel (13), Elna (40) en Tinus (38) Pretorius sit broken after they lost, Devon Pretorius (9), their son and brother in a freak accident with a slingshot.
First time in years that I cried on a story…
Bill Clinton, former President of United States of America and his daughter, Chelsea, visited South Africa last week.
Pictures: Cornél van Heerden
Doreen Kutsedi, a blind lady, who faces various challenges as a Johannesburg citizen, which is not friendly to blind people. One issue is that she for instance cannot cross traffic lights on her own, because the traffic lights do not give audio clues of what colour the traffic light it.
Rhino poaching is a horrible real
ity in South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PRESS CLUB:
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2012
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR 2012
South Africa’s National Press Club on 12 April held its annual Journalist of the Year Awards ceremony at the CSIR in Pretoria. What an honour to have been named the “Photographer of the Year” for my work done in 2012. But it wasn’t over yet: By the end of the evening, the overall “Journalist of the Year” (chosen out of the winners in the print and broadcast) was announced. I was in utter shock when my name was called out – the first time a photojournalist was named the overall winner!
For the “Photographer of the Year” award, we had to enter a portfolio of 5 images, taken during 2012.
After I won, many people requested to see my portfolio – so here it is:
In 2012 young burn victim Pippie Kruger captured the hearts of many South Africans and hers was one of the major news stories of the year.
Pippie got third degree burn wounds over 80% of her body after a bottle of fire lighting-gel exploded next to a braai/barbeque. She was the first South African ever to receive a revolutionary skin graft transplant, in which her skin was cloned in Boston in the USA.
I covered Pippie’s whole story, from the operation to where she is now at home busy with rehabilitation. This picture was taken as she was rolled into the operating theatre before the skin graft.
I waited for little Pippie to be exactly under one of the lights so that I can have her perfectly lit and everyone else a little darker – I captured both her parents, surgeons and then that haunting look of fear in her little eyes. As one can expect I had to do a lot to get this image – Hospitals are difficult place to shoot and we had to scrub in to be able to get in theatre.
***
Professor Philip Tobias was an internationally known paleoanthropologist with a long and prosperous career. His funeral was attended by people like former South African president Thabo Mbeki and Minister Naledi Pandor.
It is always difficult to cover a funeral. I try to approach it with utmost respect and I try not to intrude. To me, this picture told the whole story of respect, somberness and this beautiful Jewish Cemetery.
I used my wide angle lens to get most of the mourners and stood at the back as to not intrude. I also used a silent-shutter feature on the camera. I just knew I had to get this shot to honor Prof. Tobias and tell his story.
***
The National Hot Air Balloon Championship was held in Parys, Free State.
Hot Air balloons usually take off before the sun rises when it is cold and there is not a lot of wind. We were there very early to get them while they were getting prepared.
For this shot, I used a fish eye lens. I wanted to get a different kind of shot and waited for the balloon to take off. As soon as it did, I ran under it and shot straight up to get the whole horizon in while still having the balloon – big and colorful. Also an added bonus was the flames in the balloon as the pilot used it to take off. I have never seen an image like this before and it has great impact as it immediately pulls the reader in with the interesting effects and colors. It was very hard work getting this shot.
***
In South Africa service delivery protests are very common and it is always a challenge to photograph it in a way that is original and new. I was in Ratanda the whole day and the protesters were very anti-media.
It took quite a while to gain the acceptance of the crowd. At dusk, things were heating up again and the tension was rising. I was busy talking to the protesters when the police starting spraying us with a water cannon and shooting teargas. Everybody was running away, but I ducked behind a dustbin and photographed the people with the water spraying on them.
Minutes earlier I decided that I want this kind of shot – it was dark and this way I can drop my shutter a little to get some nice movement. It is very difficult to do this shot, as your subject needs to be sharp (like the guy in the middle) you have to match his speed and movement exactly.
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“Before Sunrise” is a group of adult dancers, traceurs and photographers that collaborate to have photos and videos taken before dawn at different spots in and around Pretoria.
It is mostly well-known locations such as monuments etc. and in this case they went to the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria.
It was extremely cold as it was in August and we needed to be there before sunrise, so up early and very cold… but it was totally worth it. What a great experience.
In this photo I wanted to capture the beauty and grace of the dancer and contrast it to the stately, rough, old monument. I used an off-camera flash on a stand to the right of the camera to balance the light of the sun rising on the left of the dancer. I also used a wide angle lens to play with perspective.
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Dakota a Great Dane was rescued by Codie Fernin from the SPCA in Vereeniging, South Africa after they found him underweight and malnourished.
It took them two months to rehabilitate Dakota. They tried finding a suitable home for Dakota, but Dakota adopted his hero, Codie. So eventually Codie had to adopt Dakota as his own.
http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Dakota-blom-na-redding-20130301
Johannesburg – A fire that destroyed around 25 cars in Woodmead on Friday was extinguished by 14:00, emergency services said.
“The fire is completely out and the exact cause of the fire is unknown at this stage,” Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Nana Radebe said.
“There are a lot of stories including that the fire was caused by two children playing with fireworks and the grass caught fire. At this stage it can’t be confirmed and we will investigate the incident.”
She said people at the scene had alleged that children were playing with fireworks on the grass parking area and the grass caught fire and “quickly spread” to the vehicles.
ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said there were no injuries.
“Paramedics and rescue personnel are on the scene. No injuries have been reported and I can confirm that the fire is out. The cars were parked on a grass parking,” he said.
Vermaak said they first received a call about the fire at 11.45am.
Most of the cars belonged to Muslim men who had gathered at Mia’s Farm for a weekend of spiritual rejuvenation.
The event had been arranged by the Waterval Islamic Institute.
Police could not immediately comment.
Shot Portraits of Paul Eilers, well known South African actor, producer and director of Verraaiers.
Story: (Afrikaans) http://www.rapport.co.za/Rubrieke/HanlieRetief/Aaklige-klein-Paultjie-is-nou-regisseur-en-die-actor-whisperer-20130302
“FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN” PROJECT
On 5 December 2012 the Antonov-2 (An-2) airplane will depart from Plekhanovo airfield (Tyumen) to perform a unique flight to South Africa (SA) within “From ocean to ocean” project.
The flight, unmatched in terms of distance and duration (for this type of aircraft), is going to take at least 15 days, and will go from Russia via Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo. Angola, Namibia to the South Africa. During this time the symbol of Soviet civil aviation – An-2 airplane – will cover more than 20 000 km.
What will the airplane be used for in Africa?
UTair Aviation is transferring the An-2 airplane to perform charity work in Africa. The charity mission involving the Russian “Annushka” is called “Just Love” and is based on the idea that everybody loves aviation, but not everybody has the opportunity to fly. The An-2 airplane is going to perform demonstration flights for orphan children. The kids will experience vivid and joyful sensations, which they will share with others.
The aircraft will be operated by one of the world’s largest business aviation operators – ExecuJet Aviation Group having its subsidiary operating in South Africa. It is Mark Hill who will be the pilot to fly this airplane and perform charity missions. The An-2 will be based in Pretoria (SA).
About the Airplane
The airplane was manufactured in Poland on 3 September 1987 and designed to carry 1600 kg cargo or 12 passengers. At first it was a part of Barnaul United Air Group, then (from 1999 to 2006) – of Regional State Unitary Enterprise “Altai Airlines”. Starting from 2006 the An-2 had been operated by UTair-Cargo CJSC. This airplane has flown 4675 hours, performed 5599 landings and undergone scheduled repair three times.
An-2: History Facts
The famous “Annushka”, designed by Antonov Design Bureau, was first launched into the sky in Novosibirsk on 31 August 1947. An-2 represents a whole era in the history of our native civil aviation; it deserves to be called the pioneer in the numerous “Antonov” aircraft family. It is the only aircraft in the world which has been produced for more than half a century, and that is why it was entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular aircraft in the world. In total more than 20 000 airplanes has been produced. Some of its modifications are still produced nowadays.
Easy to operate and suitable for the use on unprepared unpaved runways this airplane was indispensable for flights in the underdeveloped areas in Siberia, Far North and Central Asia. In Tyumen the An-2 airplanes first appeared in 1951 and for decades they remained irreplaceable in the region. In 1967 120 Annushka aircraft were operated in Salekhard, Surgut, Berezovo, Tobolsk and other northern airfields. The airplanes were used to support expeditions, fish processing plants and to carry passengers, food supplies and other goods. In the North the An-2 airplanes were used to deal with gnats, by spraying chemicals over oil and gas fields.
Today this unique, almost indispensable aircraft is still operated by UTair’s subsidiary – UTair-Cargo CJSC.
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CORNEL VAN HEERDEN 