Johannesburg - Recognised for his portraiture, contemporary artist and commercial photographer Justin Dingwall describes himself as someone who possesses “an eye for the unusual, a passion to explore avenues less travelled and the desire to create images that resonate with emotion”.
The Joburg-based Dingwall recently exhibited a series of portraits, Albus, at the FNB Joburg Art Fair held at the Sandton Convention Centre, featuring a series of striking photographs of Durban-born model Sanele Xaba, who has albinism.
The Tshwane University of Technology graduate says the imagery he creates is not bound by language or culture. Instead, he wants his work to speak for itself and for people to interpret it in their own way.
Dingwall explains more about his work and what inspires him.
How did you start with photography?
I have always been very artistic, but the first time I picked up a camera was at the age of 18 when I applied to Tshwane University of Technology.
Tell us about the Albus portraits series.
It developed into an exploration of the aesthetics of albinism in contrast to the idealised perceptions of beauty.
I began this project with the ethereal portraits of Thando Hopa, a legal prosecutor who is using her visibility to address the negative perceptions surrounding albinism. The inspiring new work features Xaba, a young model with albinism.
My intention is for the images to become a celebration of beauty in difference. They are not about race or fashion, but about perception, and what we subjectively perceive as beautiful.
What are your best accomplishments?
My career highlights include my Albus exhibition, which is a major milestone; shooting for Adobe (the creators of Photoshop and Indesign); creating a mosaic with 48 other artists from around the world that was exhibited at the Lincoln Center in New York for the launch of Adobe Creative Cloud; and winning the image and magazine cover of the year 2015 at the Caxton awards. And that I have exhibited in London, Seattle, South Africa and New York.
What has been your favourite photo shoot over the years?
There are way too many to count, but one that really stands out was when I flew to Zanzibar for a week to photograph actress Terry Pheto from the movie Tsotsi for a magazine cover, inside story, as well as a portrait shoot of a fishing village on Zanzibar’s north coast.
What/who inspires you now?
Before I became a photographer, I was an assistant for four years, and learnt from many local, as well as international, photographers the craft of photography. But if I have to single out two photographers who have influenced my career, it would be Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz. Their dedication, time spent crafting, researching, production and planning to produce a single photograph is very inspiring.
If you could photograph any place in the world , where would that be?
Without question, India. It looks like an engaging, colourful, chaotic, beautiful country. I have heard from friends and family that it engages all your senses, nearly all of the time. I also have a soft spot for Italy.
What are the greatest challenges to making a living as a photographic artist?
As a freelance photographer you can never sit on your laurels. If you aren’t working, you aren’t earning. You constantly have to be promoting yourself and getting your work out into the market.
What type of cameras do you use?
I use both digital and film. When I shoot film I use a Hasselblad medium format camera and when I shoot digital I use Canon or Hasselblad.
How important is Photoshop in your final images?
When I started, there were no digital cameras, only film. So it was very important to get everything 100 percent correct before shooting. I still live by that principle, but Photoshop is an important tool.
Who is a young local photographer you consider one to watch?
Tony Gum. I recently viewed her work at the FNB Joburg Arts Fair and she is creating some amazing self-portraits.
To view more of Justin Dingwall’s work, see www.justindingwall.com or his instagram account @justin_dingwall
The Star