Website: www.mysoweto.co.za
Instagram: @andilebhala
Facebook: @andile.bhala
Twitter: @andilebhala
Andile Bhala
Andile Bhala is a documentary and street portrait photographer based in Soweto, South Africa. Bhala’s work focuses on the beautiful, the positive and the motivational side of South Africa.
Most of his photography is done in Soweto and around Johannesburg’s business district. “Photography has been a beacon in my life. The streets of Soweto with their bustling life, noise, smiles and legends in the making compel me to traverse this vast space in search of stories,” Bhala says.
He is drawn to moments that tell stories of the duality and contrasts of life in South Africa. “The rawness of the streets is integral to the work. I try not to manipulate the image. The reality in the image must not be lost. I challenge myself to see beyond the cacophony of the environment to capture its beauty,” he notes.
Street photography allows Bhala to exist in the environment alongside the people and to capture life in the belly of townships or the city streets. “Life through the lens is full of splendour and I find my mood being altered by it. I cherish this connection and I will continue to find meaning in both the mundane and complex. What you see in my work is my footprints – the places I have been and the people I seen,” Bhala concludes.
GEAR:
Camera: Fujifilm X-T2, Fujifilm X-T10, Fujifilm X-H1
Lens: Fujinon 90MM F2, Fujinon 35MM F2.8, Fujinon 27MM F2.8, 23MM F2, Fujinon 50-140MM F2.8, Fujinon 16-55MM F2.8, Fujinon 56MM F1.2
Amanzi
Documentary
Portraits
God Moves
Ulwandle
Music
Street
Posts by Andile Bhala
Andile Bhala on his (current) favourite lens: The Fujinon XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR
In the first of a series of articles looking at the Fujifilm local ambassadors’ favourite glass, Andile Bhala chats about his current favourite - the XF50-140mmF2, plus the GF110mmF2 for the GFX. How is the Fujinon XF50-140mmF2.8 helping you to create images? I enjoy making pictures with this lens. The XF50-140mmF2 is a very flexible [...]
User Experience: Andile Bhala on the Fujifilm X-S20
Andile Bhala recently took the Fujifilm X-S20 to the National Arts Festival in Makhanda (formerly known as Grahamstown) to work on his "A meeting of an ear" project. What are your standout upgrades on the X-S20? I have shot with an X-S10 a few times and I have enjoyed walking around and photographing with it. The layout of all [...]
Andile Bhala: Shooting the GFX100S in Lesotho
Fujifilm X-Photographer, Andile Bhala recently took the GFX100S with him on a cycling trip to Lesotho. He tells us his story of overcoming his fear of shooting black and white, and finally shooting on the GFX. Through my photography I like to preserve as much as I can through respect of unity, space, people and [...]
X-Photographer Andile Bhala on the Fujifilm X-S10
I was lucky enough to get some hands-on time with the new Fujifilm X-S10 to try out in different spaces and testing the JPEG files. If you’re new to Fujifilm cameras, the X-S10 comes across as one of the more user-friendly mirrorless options around, complete with a handgrip that helps with useability.
FUJIFILM INTERVIEW: Andile Bhala
Andile Bhala is making a name for himself as a photographer telling authentic stories of life in Soweto. Fujifilm South Africa chatted to him about the social value of photography, building on the legacy of others, and finding his stories on the streets.