PHOTOGRAPHER
FOCUS
Sarah de Pina
Personal background I was born in Mauritius and moved to Johannesburg at the age of about 3 years old . Most of my family lives overseas so we would often visit them in the school holidays . When I was 12 we went on a particularly memorable trip and realised on our return that my Dad had forgotten to load the camera with film , resulting in no holiday photos . From that moment on I decided to take over as the official family photographer but at the time it never crossed my mind that I would or could have a future career as a photographer .
How I got into photography ? In the third year of my Bachelor of Arts degree at Wits some friends convinced me to join the photo club . The first session was a demonstration on how to process black and white images in a dark room . The minute I saw the image developing on paper I was instantly hooked and so my long journey exploring
the world of photography began . I carried my camera with me everywhere and photographed everything from events , to bands , to weddings , to landscapes . I worked part time in a photography printing lab , started a wedding photography business with a friend , joined a local photography club and assisted a commercial photographer , Daron Chatz , who specialised in interiors and fashion photography .
Do you specialise in any type of photography ? It was during my time as Daron ’ s assistant that I began to focus on interior and architectural photography . I love being able to explore interesting structures , buildings and spaces whether they are new or old , residential , commercial or hospitality . I am fascinated by design and have been lucky enough to work with some of SA ’ s top interior designers and architects over the years giving me a unique insight into how people live in , work and interact with the buildings and structures around them . I feel that I am constantly given the opportunity through my profession to learn new things and experience amazing places both in our country as well as various international destinations around the world .
12 Sarah de Pina