Photo Reporteur » Photo Essays

South Africa’s World Cup soccer in prison.

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:48:56 +0000

South Africa’s Boksburg prison east of Johannesburg marked the the FIFA 2009 Confederations Cup and FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup by staging their own ‘World Cup’ for the inmates. Soccer is a way of life for the inmates who live for the game and most of the cells have their own team. The prison also invites soccer talent scouts to attend games with the hope of the scouts finding a talented player and offering him a club contract after he finishes his sentence. Inmates where divided into teams representing the countries in the two tournaments and ‘Brazil’ won the tournament during the 2009 event. All the trophies used during their matches are made by inmates in the prisons work areas. South Africa has one of the highest rates of prisoners per capita in the world at about 402 per 100,000 people. This is the life as criminal soccer lovers in the country that staged the first World Cup in Africa.

AfrikaBurn

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:09:55 +0000

This onging project documents the AfrikaBurn festival held in the Tankwa Karoo, South Africa. Part observed images, part portraits the project has been two years in the making. As for the ‘Burn’; The festival is based on Burning Man in the United States and see thousands of people gathering annually in the desert to construct a temporary community. The event is part rave, part trance party, part Pagan gathering, part arts festival and part lunacy as thousands of participants camp in the middle of the desert to erect art pieces, share ideas, party and then burn the effigies on the final night. There must be no trace of humans after the event and a sharing community is formed as there is no money allowed as participants have to bring their own food, water and tents.

Township kickboxers

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:44:32 +0000

This essay shot in 2006 follows the exploits of a tiny backstreet gym in Diepsloot township outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.

From this 4 metre by 4-metre gym with one broken mirror as their only refection, some of the boxers have become national champions and some have turned professional.

DR Congo, one year of democracy

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:18:29 +0000

This photo essay was shot during the end of 2007 in the refugee camps of Goma, North East DR Congo. It was one year after democratic elections witnessed Joseph Kabila take power of the Central African giant. What I witnessed was pain, poverty and abject suffering.

The divers of Lake Kivu, DR Congo

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:49:13 +0000

This photo story is a collection of images simply celebrating the fact that the men and boys near Goma, DR Congo, gather of an evening and dive off the broken pier that stretches into Lake Kivu.

Coronation Park

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:33:06 +0000

Coronation Park is a photo essay finished towards the end of 2009 and documents the life of 70 poor white families living in the public park in the West Rand of Johannesburg, South Africa. The community has no running water or electricity and relies on public food hand-outs, and NGO aid to survive. Many have been retrenched due to the affirmative action policies instigated by the post-apartheid South African government while others are disabled and can not find work. Some are also social outcasts with most living in tents, wooden huts or caravans. Between 1997 and 2002 white unemployment had risen by 106%.

Biker gangs: An ongoing project

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:56:36 +0000

This ongoing project looks at the lives of biker gangs in and around Johannesburg, South Africa.