GALLERY: Snap chat with talented uMhlangha photographer

THE Northglen News’ ‘Photo of the Week’ feature has been a hit with the north Durban community. Each week we call on our readers, both young and old, to send through photos they’ve taken that stand out for them.

The photos could be of nature, flowers or just breathtaking scenery. You don’t have to be a professional to feature in the paper. As an extension of that feature, once a month, the newspaper will be interviewing amateur, budding and professional photographers to gain an insight into why they do what they do.

This week features uMhlanga resident, Nick Ferreira.

Q1: Among your photos, which one is your favorite and why?

“One of my all time favorites is the one of Moyo Pier. We arrived at DUC late one afternoon and we were just about to take an evening cycle on the promenade, I saw the sun start setting and decided to run down to the beach to look at the sunset, it was incredible, I sprinted back to my car, grabbed by camera and ran back to the beach. I didn’t have a tripod with me so I used a wall, balanced and managed to fire off a few shots before the sun set completely. To this day, its still one of the most remarkable and unique Durban sunsets I’ve managed to capture.”

Q2: What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

“There aren’t too many things I wish I knew when I first started because photography is all about learning and exploring. The one thing I do regret is not shooting in RAW. I have some really great photos from my beginning days that I wish I had shot in RAW format. This would have allowed me to do so much more with them.”

Q3: Are you the type of photographer who sticks to one brand and does one need fancy equipment to shoot a great shot?

“I wouldn’t say that I’m brand loyal but I chose originally to shoot with Canon, photography is an expensive game especially when it comes to buying lenses and Canon’s lenses at the time were slightly more affordable than other brands. I now shoot with both Canon and Sony and use a good mixture of lenses. Having said this, capturing a great photo does not mean you need fancy equipment, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time, framing your subjects creatively and having fun while doing it. I have taken photos with my cellphone that are better than some photos taken with my expensive camera gear.”

Q4: What motivates you to continue taking pictures?

“My favourite part of photography is playing around, I love experimenting with angles and lighting. Playing with composition until it feels right.”

Q5: What makes a good photograph?

“There are three things that make up a great photograph, Subject, Composition and Light. This could almost be drawn as a diagram, You need all three to make up a great photo. A photo with just subject and composition might be nice but if the lighting isn’t good then it’s not great. If the Composition and Lighting are good but there is no subject, the photo might be a bit boring and thus not great. If you have a great subject and great lighting you might be onto a winner but if your composition is off then the photo might not be great. It’s finding the balance of the three that makes a good photo great.”

Q6: What makes a good photograph?

“There are three things that make up a great photograph, Subject, Composition and Light. This could almost be drawn as a diagram, You need all three to make up a great photo. A photo with just subject and composition might be nice but if the lighting isn’t good then it’s not great. If the Composition and Lighting are good but there is no subject, the photo might be a bit boring and thus not great. If you have a great subject and great lighting you might be onto a winner but if your composition is off then the photo might not be great. It’s finding the balance of the three that makes a good photo great.”

Q7: What advice would you give to an amateur photographer wanting to change their passion into a full-time profession? Do they need fancy equipment?

“Becoming a full-time professional photographer requires a lot of hard work, dedication and passion, Owning the right gear helps but can be expensive but you could always hire gear while you work your way up. One of the most important pieces of advice is that you need to know how to market yourself. Learning digital marketing is the best way to go and there are amazing free online courses available or you could even do short courses through digital agencies like Jellyfish. Living and owning your brand is the only way you will make it as a professional photographer.”

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