POLOKWANE – “Turning moments into memories,” is Leroy van Zyl’s motto as photographer.
The 27-year-old from Westenburg was introduced to the world of photography four years ago, when he designed posters for a local event.
“I must confess, photography was never something that I wanted to do. When we took photos for the posters I designed, seeing what the photographer did and looking at his final product, it captured my curiousity. I decided to buy a camera. It was very small one, nothing fancy. The first photo I took was a portrait of my son. I was so excited. I wanted to learn more, and luckily for me, a friend of mine had his own photography business. He taught me camera settings and the importance of light when taking a photo. When I look back, I do not regret investing in a camera,” Van Zyl smiled.
According to Van Zyl, photography is a career where you never stop learning.
“Photography is not a job, it is something you must have a passion for in order for you to enjoy it. It is also not an 08:00 to 17:00 job, a good photographer takes his camera with them everywhere, because you never know what masterpiece is around the corner waiting for you to capture.
“In this field you also learn something new everyday. I don’t have money to go study photography, but I teach myself by practising different shots on people, objects and nature. There is never a dull moment. One thing I realised over the years is that photography is an art. As a photographer you pay attention to detail and capture moments that most people do not see. I think the most perfect photo is the unexpected one. It is the one photo that tells a true story, because the facial expression, the movement and emotion is real and not posed,” Van Zyl explained.
The most challenging part about his career, Van Zyl said, was wedding photos.
“A wedding is a very special moment that only happens once. If your photos are not perfect the first time, you will not get a chance to do it over and if you fail to take good quality pictures, the couple will not have anything to show off their wedding day with,” he said.
The best part of photography, according to Van Zyl, is that you meet different people on every shoot, see and experience different environments and also get the chance to be close to nature.
Asked if he had the resources and money to take any kind of photo, what it would be, Van Zyl said: “Under water photography of sea animals like sharks and whales, and also micro sea animals.”
Although he has taken several photos at different events in Westenburg and other parts of the city, Van Zyl’s biggest event was his first photo shoot held last weekend.
“I invited more than 50 people to be part of the photo shoot. The reason I organised the event was to challenge myself and to prove not just to myself but others that I can take one moment and turn it into a beautiful memory. At the shoot I took photos of individuals, couples, families, and groups. Some were social in casual wear, others in swimwear. I was also able to capture some beautiful sunset photos,” he said.
Van Zyl’s five year plan is to work for a top notch magazine.
“My dream is also to have my own company one day, I also want to open a photography school which will give underprivileged people with a passion for photography the opportunity to learn and grow in the field,” he said.
