PHOTOGRAPHER
FOCUS
Louis van Zyl
Personal Background I grew up in the small rural town of Wolmaransstad. From an early age, I loved drawing buildings in perspective. The Gerard Moerdyk-designed sandstone church in Wolmaransstad was always a fascination of mine, with features such as blue-tinted windows casting light onto the white ceiling and its built-in cooling system. I also loved sculpting and using light and form to express myself. I studied fine art and communications, which profoundly shaped the way I look at everything.
How did you get into photography? My passion for photography began when my father bought me an old Canon AE-1 film camera and a few lenses. I needed visual references for my fine art studies. Luckily, the university had a darkroom, and that is where my love affair with photography truly started. The smell of the chemicals and the creative magic of the image appearing before my eyes were mesmerising.
I spent hours in that darkroom, striving for the perfect print. Ansel Adams was an icon who heavily influenced my process and technical obsession. My hunger for the perfect image and the tools required to achieve it has never dulled. I took photos of absolutely everything: people, nature and buildings.
Do you specialise in any type of photography? I was lucky enough to get a few big breaks at the start of my photography career, specifically in the form of architectural work for retail property developers. This specialisation has enabled me to travel to fascinating places and meet incredible people. I love working directly with architects and interior designers. While architecture is my primary focus, I shoot a variety of other subjects as well, because I believe adaptability and problem-solving are key to consistently delivering great work.
How do you work, and what makes a great architectural image? The feeling that a building projects and the environment in which it sits are of cardinal importance. I try to immerse myself in the mindset of the architect. I thrive on finding the little details. It almost feels like seeing small details in a painting.
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