When Spring sprang in September, AMERICAN shutters gave Power of 9 the exciting task of shooting the fresh new season campaign.
The mission: to capture the way early Spring sunbeams sneak into a room through stunning shutters and chase Winter’s nip away. The warm rays cause even the embriodered foliage to bloom. The ultimate campaign to harness the budding vigour of the new season…Invite Spring! This seemed to be a somewhat simple task on paper but when it came to shooting, the mission proved a bit more challenging.
Ralf is a Pretoria based illustrator who combines German precision with a playful sense of humour. He offers a wide variety of styles from photo-realistic 3D and vector illustrations to water-colour, line art and stipple.
When did you first think “WOW, this is what I should be doing for a living”?
Actually it never seemed to be an option, in my early days of employment during the late 80s, I was advised that illustration is a dying trade and with the onset of computers it would probably become obsolete. Illustration work was limited to Storyboards, marker renderings, and presentation layouts… for me anyway.
It was only in the early 90′s, after finding a job as a graphic designer at a small packaging studio in Johannesburg, that I realised how much illustration was still being done. I became the in-house illustrator, instead of “graphic designer”, so I guess it took off from there.
If you’re into the social and cultural scene in Cape Town, you might have bumped into Dax Villanueva, the extremely good looking gentleman socialite who breezes in and out of events like a rolling stone.
His website “Relax with Dax” is the platform where social adventures and event newsletters are shared, where the latest and greatest restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs, as well as festivals and shows, are rated. You can also catch up to the minute commentary and restaurant musings on his Twitter feed, where his following boasts something more than a hefty handful. The difference between Dax Villanueva and the average tweeter/blogger, is that people want to hear what Dax has to say. His comments are punchy, powerful and accurate and he seems to have the ability to pinpoint both the lowlights and highlights of a scene within minutes.
Libra has been in operation for more than 30 years – what in your opinion is the value of all these years experience and how do you ensure that you stay current and innovative?
Libra Vision continually invests in new equipment and technology for its production team to work with. This inspires our editors, graphic artists and camera teams to push the boundaries and production values, ensuring that Libra Vision remains competitive.
Kevin was born and raised in Johannesburg in the early 80s. He matriculated in 1999 from Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld High School and was soon bitten by the travel bug. Kevin spent a few years doing volunteer work in Brazil, studying in England and exploring Europe, USA, New Zealand and Australia. By 2006 he was back home and with a promising career of photography already established, bought his first home and studio. In 2007 Kevin held his first exhibition which showcased a collection of black and whites at the Salvation Café.
Reeva - from "The white female in 2010, through the lens of Kevin Mark Pass"
When did you take that first shot and think “WOW, this is what I should be doing”?
It was a combination of things really, but one of the major factors was visiting my cousin in Australia – allow me to explain – I used to buy a black and white roll of film and click what I saw at weddings, then my gift to the bride and groom would simply to give them the roll of film and be done with it (never having seen what I had taken) This is what had happened with my cousin. A few years after his wedding I went to visit him and the house was literally wall to wall with enlargements of the photos I had taken. None from the actual wedding photographer. I was quite floored by that and my brain started to tick over that it might be something to consider.
Monique started at Power of 9 in 2009. She loves popcorn, drinks way too much coffee and loves social media.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to be different things at different times. When I was four I wanted to save the rainforests because I saw a TV show about it. I collected rocks at one time so I wanted to work in a museum or on an archaeological dig. By the time I was 11 I wanted to be a detective. It was never anything ordinary and I suppose that’s why writing appeals to me; I have a chance to investigate ‘stuff.’
Catherine is the founder and managing director of Power of 9.
You are such an inspirational boss. Power of 9 has such a close-knit team. How do you manage such brilliant interpersonal relations?
Thanks. I hate the vertical structure of traditional business; in fact it was one of the reasons I chose to leave the corporate world. When you work with senior, creative and skilled individuals, micromanaging, red tape and boundaries stifle the individual and the company’s growth. It starts with choosing the right people for the culture of your company; skills can be enhanced and trained, but synergy of values is most important.
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