Zoë Scholtz

Where it all started I have always loved photographs and was under the impression that if I bought myself a fancy camera the logical outcome would be great pictures. In 2010 I had saved up enough money to buy myself a brand new DSLR camera (that was the good news) but other than being able to switch it on, I had no idea how to use it (the bad news). To my dismay, I realised that there were an awful lot of buttons, dials, and switches that I had no idea what to do with, and so I opened up the user manual. After trawling through the first few pages my head started to hurt. There were all these fancy words, descriptions of things I had never heard of: f-stops, focal points, and depth of field - it felt like I needed a user guide for the user guide! Feeling more than a little intimidated I snapped the user manual shut and phoned a friend of mine, he was a photographer in his spare time, and I knew he would help me. He advised that the best way to learn was 'to do' and recommended I...

Season of 2020 Remember the time of plenty Now so empty It was the time of 2020 Winter was cold and without song Summer was lonely, just as long  Oh for the day it does not hurt anymore World history we try back to claw When the night time brings the darkness Pray to sleep the night away  But find the morning stress Always finds a way to stay I find it hard to face the day But still, I try anyway ~ Andy _____________________________________________________________________       Andrew Crawshay-Hall (Andy) is an accountant by profession, and an artist at heart. He has two daughters, one a teacher and, the other a doctor of art. When he is not running he loves spending time with his three grandchildren.  Andy is an avid runner and completed eight Comrades Marathons, before being forced to retire in 2012, as a result of a knee operation. At the time, doctors predicted he would never run again. Always eager to meet new people, Andy joined the Irene Athletics C...

I’ve been through my fair share of Renovation Trauma. Shortly after I bought my first little two-bedroom, one-bathroom house in 2006, I began to appreciate that owning a home was a never-ending story. There always seemed to be a list of things that needed to be maintained, changed, or fixed. In fact, it was bad enough when I lived alone, back then I only had my own crazy ideas to deal with (and budget for). Then I got married, and instead of one crazy idea-generating brain, we had two! As an aside, no one warns you of this reality before you tie the proverbial knot. Gerhard and I tackled a DIY bathroom renovation at the first home we bought together. The end result was quite spectacular (and I'm happy to report that we managed not to kill each other), but the process was excruciating – at the time it felt as if we lived at the hardware store. We spent an inordinate amount of time buying bags of tile glue, grout, or some weirdly shaped plumbing tool I’d never heard of. We l...

Five years ago, ‘Let’s plant some fruit trees’, sounded like a good idea. Gerhard and I paid a visit to our local nursery and selected a few (small) plants. We were soon the proud parents of a miniature orchard comprising a variety of plants, including one tiny peach tree and an even smaller apricot tree. The trees grew (as plants do), and their branches currently reach well beyond the roof of our home. The year 2020 can be described as one fraught with challenges, weird occurrences, and some surprising adventures. Our fruit trees clearly wanted a piece of the 2020 action and decided to pick this particular year to flourish. Early in September numerous pretty pink flowers signaled the onset of spring and promised fruit in the not too distant future. I didn't pay too much attention at the time - I had other things on my mind, not least of which was my very long 'to do' list as a result of the pending release of my book. Towards the end of November, Gerhard remarked 'The ...

I learned to love books before I could even read. Mom is an avid reader. Some of my most precious childhood memories are of her taking my sister and I to the public library on a regular basis. Located in the centre of town, parking was usually hard to find and we would walk through a noisy amalgamation of street vendors selling their wares, parking attendants clamoring for attention, and hordes of people busily going about their day to day activities, before reaching the imposing entrance of the library building.  Once inside the glass doors, it was quiet and tranquil. An environment far removed from the hubbub outside. Although mom would caution us to keep our voices down, we needed little reminding - the atmosphere commanded quiet, prompting us to speak in hushed tones. Mom would go off to hunt for her preferred selection of reading, leaving my sister and I to each carefully choose our quota of four books. We would peruse the seemingly endless supply of colourful volumes stac...

Tip 1: Keep it clean Make sure that the lens is clean  before  you take a photo. A dirty lens will give you a blurry image. Tip 2: Hold it steady Use both hands to hold the phone, keep your elbows tucked in. You can also try burst (sports) mode if the subject is moving - this will help keep the subject in focus. Tip 3: The rule of thirds Understanding the rule of thirds will help you compose your photograph to ensure maximum impact. It means you mentally divide the image you see on the screen evenly into thirds (either horizontally and vertically). Then make sure that the subject of your photo is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or on one of the lines itself. Your photo will have more impact when you place the subject on the third. Tip 4: Check the background Before you take your photo, check all four corners you don't want a tree growing out of someone's head. For example, this photo could be better if that green stalk wasn't in the...