X-Community – Lize Jansen van Rensburg – My Photography Journey
Where to begin? I am still new at this and it has been quite an exciting journey so far! I am a fairly new photographer on a photography journey curious to see where I am going to end up.
My love for photography started when I was a child, but at that stage I would say it was still subliminal. My dad always used to take pictures of the family and special moments, just to have them for memory’s sake.
After he died, I thought to myself that someone had to keep on capturing the memories for safe-keeping. I came to a point where I realised my creative side was busy dying while I was stuck behind a desk at the office being a personal assistant for three people.
I had to do something about it. I thought about it and professional photography came to mind since it was something I already loved doing. So I saved money and bought my first camera about two years ago after going for a quick introductory class at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. Here I got taught the basics about photography and how to properly work a camera. At that point in time I still didn’t have a camera and after the course I just knew I had to get one.
I bought myself a Canon 650D, absolutely fell in love with it and started shooting.
I then visited Hillsong Jozi for an evening service right after the week they launched. I saw photographers running around and capturing the moments around them. The moments on stage, in the crowds, moments of worship and prayer.
I knew this is what I wanted to do, where I could learn a lot more and gain some incredible experience. Since that day I have been shooting at the church in Braamfontein and never looked back.
A friend of mine from church then introduced me to Instameets were I also could shoot and gain some knowledge and meet some incredible people! After that I did some other shoots for experience.
I soon realised that my camera started limiting me. In the low light at church I saw moments that I wanted to capture but the camera did not allow it. I left it for a while but after shooting a wedding with my friend as her second shooter my frustration with the camera just grew more and more. I couldn’t capture the moments that I wanted to.
This same friend in church used a Fuji camera. One day asked if I would like to use his camera to shoot with it and see how I experience it. I literally didn’t want to give his camera back to him. I knew this was something I wanted and needed to get if I wanted to grow in my photography. My friend arranged everything for me. I got my camera with the help of Eslie Basson at Fujifilm and Martin at Kameraz in Rosebank.
I couldn’t wait to use my camera! Now I will never look back. Instameets were no longer the same and shooting in church was incredible. The X-T1 with the 16-55mm lens is just a dream come true! It makes shooting in the low light so spectacular and capturing the moments that I have always wanted to was now possible.
Not only is it a beautiful camera but it is easy to use. The pictures are breathtaking and the quality is jaw-dropping.
The final time that my mind was changed was with the second wedding I shot with my Fuji. When I finally got my pictures from my friend who was the main photographer, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I kept asking her and myself is she was sure these were my pictures, could these be my pictures?
They came out beautifully and shooting that day was so easy and actually loads of fun. There was no struggling with settings or lighting with this amazing camera.
I then got the opportunity to shoot at the Ghoema 2016 Awards. I got referred by a friend for this event, I emailed them and they agreed. This was an incredible night! Not only did I get to meet some incredible people but I could shoot this event and feel proud of what I was doing and accomplished.
I truly hope that this will open some new doors for me as well. I could capture with burst mode every celebrity in their moments as they walked across the “blue carpet”. It was a night I will never forget and if it weren’t for my X-T1 this would all still just be another dream.
I have never looked back and I will never look back. I have fallen in love! I can definitely recommend Fuji to anyone.
Not only has this camera opened new doors but it has also allowed me to still capture those family moments and memories like I always wanted to but even better than before.
It’s time to invest in some new lenses so I can play some more and just grow my skills as a photographer and hopefully my photography business!
Thanks for taking the time to read through my journey.
