A book of photos you will be proud to own

Best of Getaway Gallery
Jacana Media with Getaway Books
R260

WHAT a beautiful coffee-table book, one which is filled with delightful pictures from South Africa by a host of talented local photographers and, most importantly, one you will be proud to own.

Included in the book work by Eastern and Southern Cape photographers like Kerry Wright and Chris Daly of Knysna, Luc Hosten and Monica Raupert of Port Elizabeth, Jason Prince of Port Alfred, Trevor Butler of Uitenhage, Dr Neil Overy of Grahamstown, Dr Haggis Black of Adelaide, and Rodney Biljon of King William’s Town.

With the advent of digital photography it is now possible to obtain sparkling images which would have been nothing short of a miracle in the era of film. These photographers have seen and captured images where others have not even dared to glance. The subjects range from elephants to beetles with a few people thrown in for good measure.

I saw for the first time the hairs on the face of a beetle and the insect’s marvellous compounded eyes.  An oxpecker, photographed with a “moustache” and not bearing an unfamilier stern expression on its face, looks a lot like a flying Lord Kitchener. The impression of a mousache is created by the grass or hair it is holding in its beak. The bleary eye of a warthog stares out at you, and you need a few moments to figure out exactly what animal you are looking at. A shot of a crocodile, its eye in sharp focus peering across a stretch of water, is reflected in the early morning light. It is a chilling photo – but stunning as well.

One thing is for certain. This book will inspire photographers and maybe a few who have not discovered the rewarding attributes of the marvelous pastime, to pick up their cameras, or go out and buy one, and head for the hills, the ocean, or the park down the road to start shooting images.

Imagination is prevalent with every photo and one particular photo which impressed me tremendously was a time exposure of droplets from a sprinkler streaking around a common wild pear flower stem.

I envy the judges having to sift through the more than 500 images received monthly by the Getaway Gallery for, thanks to them, many photographers have had their work published and others will now feel inspired to “get that shot”.

Review by Ivor Markman for Weekend Post in December 2011.