Photographer Focus : Franz Rabe
The first photographer to be featured in our new Photographer Focus is Franz Rabe of Natural Photography . I asked him to give me some background on himself and his photography .
Personal Background I was born and raised in Pretoria , studied at the University of Pretoria and still live there . The ultimate plan is to one day hopefully move and settle down close to the Kruger Park , always had a special place in my heart for Mbombela .
Absolutely love the looks , sounds and feel of cosmopolitan places & faces when travelling , but the Kruger Park is definitely the best place on this planet for me .
How did you get into photography ? With my first SLR camera ( a Ricoh ), in high school , it was wildlife photography all the way . My working career started in Geographical Information Systems – a part of this was to produce maps , which needed to be done in a very systematical and scientific manner , which grated the inner-creative in me and I moved on to becoming a web developer / webmaster . Yet the creative yearning just grew stronger and I ultimately took the step of starting out on my own , as a professional photographer .
I was introduced by chance to a real estate agent and so began my career in architectural photography . Internally everything clicked – all my life-long interests culminated perfectly into this genre of photography . It was truly where art meets science for me - finding visual & spatial solutions to best portray architectural creations . From residential architectural photography , it expanded into lodge and travel photography , as well as commercial architecture . I started specialising in architectural photography 8 years ago and I still get that feeling of awe and thrill , walking onto a new project .
When it comes to architectural photography , how do you work and what do you feel makes for a great image ? It is first prize when you have the opportunity to walk around the project with the architect or contractor , getting them to explain his or her vision of the different sections and as a whole .
Otherwise , if it ’ s only me on arrival , I quickly take walk-through the project , before starting photography , making mental notes on how & when the sun will affect each section . The more relaxed pre-shoot time you have with a project , the more you become one with it and start ‘ seeing ’ all the angles , brimming with visual promise . Light is your number one tool . If you can predict and capture it at just the right moment , the image will be strikingly enhanced .
And walk , walk , walk . Cover each angle of the project on foot and you will be totally surprised coming around a corner onto a scene you never expected .
What is your favourite building to have shot and why ? When shooting the brand new Deloitte HQ building in Waterfall City , I worked out where the sun was going to set and ultimately where to take some of the last dramatic daylight shots . I started my trek around the building – a spectacularly huge one ! I realised early on it was going to be a battle between me and time / light . There was even a marsh involved ! I reached the end point , just as the sun was to disappear behind a bank of clouds ( another eternal enemy ). At that moment , the clouds burst into fire , reflecting magnificently on the southern wing of the building , making for a very special picture . www . naturalphoto . co . za
8 Franz Rabe