Rainbow Nation – Herman van Bon Photography

Profile of a Cape Robin

Profile of a Cape Robin (Cossypha caffra). In our courtyard in Napier, Western Cape, South Africa.
NOTE: the specie name ‘caffra’ is derived from the Arabian word ‘kafir’ which is used as an indication for the lowest caste. In South Africa the word ‘kaffer’ was used during the ‘Apartheids’ years to indicate Africans. Officially the word is nowadays prohibited in the Rainbow Nation.

Experiment: Reduction B&W with toning and texturising 4 (two pictures)

The previous 3 postings showed some archive pictures I’ve been experimenting with. I’ve used all my software to achieve the results. But only two results I’m content about.

The first is ‘In pursuit of the future’. I wanted to draw in viewer into the truck and at the same time the viewer wants move away as fast as possible from the Bedford into what times might bring us.

The second picture is ‘The Horsemen’. People of the IsiXhosa’ tribe in South Africa are the best caretakers for horses. Every respectable horse stud owner employs IsiXhosa to look after the animals. The original picture (a sculpture) was shot in the Company Gardens in Cape Town. Although South Africa is nowadays known as the ‘Rainbow Nation’ it’s still a ‘black-and-white-thing’ so I left the colours out.

Bot pictures are for sale as prints at Saatchi Art.

Crossing the Barrier

20 Odd years after ‘apartheid’ there are still some barriers to overcome in South Africa. This village (Stanford, Western Cape) is not an exception although the relations between people of different walks of life are relatively good and more on equal base than we experienced in some other places in the ‘Rainbow Nation’. There is still a division between ‘White’ and ‘Non-White’ people and there is also a division between ‘Black’ and ‘Coloured’ people; leaving the tribal/clan divisions of ‘Afro-Africans for what it is for now.

There is a natural barrier between ‘White’ and ‘Non White’ communities and that is the Willem Appel Dam which also borders our street. This metamorphoto shows people crossing this barrier.