Here a few images of the last shoot of 2016, taken a few days shy of Christmas. It was on the beach in my home town, Durban. A dream location for sure, despite the wind and the odd spot of rain on my lens which was covered in thick sea spray after about 30 seconds! It’s funny how every shoot has it’s unique challenges and this shoot was no different. I learn something new every time. (In this case, wipe lens constantly when on a super windy beach!) I was lucky enough to photograph a Christmas reunion for this beautiful extended Durban family. It’s such a wonderful idea to capture the whole family in a brief moment in time. I feel like a cheesy salesman saying this, but really it is priceless.
Often I catch myself as the word ‘home’ slips off my tongue. I have not lived in Durban for over 10 years now, and the term confuses some people. Technically it is no longer my ‘home’ at all. This is the place filled with memories that whisper to me from the moment the aeroplane hits the tarmac. To say that I miss this colourful tropical city and the ocean is an understatement. I love the collective sigh that settles over the city in the evening, as the warm Berea breeze washes away the busy heat of the day. I love watching the endless stream of container ships on the horizon travelling to far away places. I love the slow shushing of the sea, and how it instantly calms me. I love how the sound of lone cars in the evening ricochets across long colonial veranda’s, around the high ceilings and back down to uneven, lovingly well worn wooden floors. I love the light, the lush green tropical bush. It’s the sound and sights of my childhood. A bitter sweet return filled wth memories and longing. Not only do I miss the place, but I miss people who are no longer with us. In a sense the place I miss is no longer really there. Instead it is the place I return to in my dreams.
