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<p class="">He might be best known as the man behind the drums for Fokofpolisiekar and aKING, but Jaco S. Venter is also well-versed in the art of photography. Fujifilm South Africa spoke to him about shooting in black & white, his favourite shots, and why it’s so important to have a weather-sealed body…</p>

<p class="">Professional landscape photographer Hougaard Malan made the switch after he found the image quality of the Fujifilm GFX100 irresistible. We chatted to him about his journey to becoming a pro, the benefits of 100MP, and the unfortunate event of losing cameras to the Cape waves.</p>

<p class="">In March, I was hiking and tracking musk ox in Dovrefjell National Park, Norway. By my side I was lucky to have the new flagship Fujifilm X-T4 and the XF Fujinon 200mm f/2 (possibly Fujifilm's best lens), ready for adventure.</p>

<p class="">A few months back I packed my bags and headed to Argentina for three weeks. This country had been on my bucket list for the longest time, and as a landscape photographer I especially couldn’t wait to see and explore all the natural beauty of this vast and wild nation.</p>

<p class="">This is a long term project, documenting the youth of Imizamo Yethu, a rough township in Cape Town battling poverty and drugs, as they emerge into adulthood in a tough environment , supported through the sport of boxing.</p>

<p class="">It was a Sunday morning in 2013 and I was miserable. I had realised that I hadn’t taken any photographs for myself in quite some time – a practice I had cherished all through life – and I got upset.</p>

<p class="">Despite having world-class camera gear, I noticed by the time my eldest boy was three, I hardly had any of my own family photographs. The only images I took of our family was taken with a cell phone!</p>

<p class="">Let me start off by saying that since I became more serious about photography, my love for photography has become an all-consuming flame. This is not to say that the flame burnt strong all the time.</p>

<p class="">I remember precisely when I fell in love with my first Fujifilm camera. I was in the Philippines for an underwater photography assignment. As a qualified scuba diving instructor, focusing on the underwater world had seemed the natural choice when I first became serious about my photography.</p>

<p class="">Today is a very special day - it is Valentine’s Day on a Friday.</p><p class="">The previous time this happened was on 14 February 2014. And for me, that date is very special.</p>