PORTRAITS Archives - DNA photographers portfolio

Olive harvest / shot for Monkey Business Olive Oil / Caledon, South Africa

Olive Harvest in Caledon shot for Monkey business olive oil

Farming is fascinating, hard, real… We love going to the countryside (and always dream of living just surrounded by nature). So when we were asked to document a day of the olive harvest on a farm close to Caledon, we immediately said YES. The key was to take portraits of the pickers and orchard caretakers. We loved spending the day with the crew as well as get to know their nicknames for each other and take in the scenery on a very hot day. Have a look at Monkey Business Olive Oil’s Instagram to follow what they’re up to.

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Nafissatou “Nafi” Thiam / shot for Red Bull with ICONIC / Stellenbosch, South Africa

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Nafi ThiaM for Red Bull

Last week Nafi Thiam broke the indoor pentathlon world record in Turkey. (A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events.) It was incredible shooting her just two weeks prior for Red Bull and Iconic. It’s not often you get to meet and work with a GOAT. Thanks for the good vibes Nafi and team!

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Bryan Habana / shot for Markets.com / Cape Town, South Africa

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BRYAN HABANA X MARKETS.com X DNA

We spent a day in the studio with rugby legend Bryan Habana and Markets.com to create images and moving images to announce their 2023 partnership. Markets.com is an innovative, world-leading trading platform that offers financial trading products.

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Dirk / portraits / Berlin, Germany

[portraits] A few days back we spent some time in Berlin and loved it. Since 2012, we’ve spent every single year a decent amount of time in Germany’s capital and have, of course, a bunch of favourite spots and people. Dirk took us on a boat on the stunning Schwielosee and it was the perfect summer day. Later on, we walked around the Bode Museum, then we cooked… Taking portraits is such fun! Keen to create some magic with us? Shout!

One track mind / shot for High Life, British Airways’ inflight magazine / Cape Town, South Africa

[ediotiral] “To succeed,” advised Walt Disney, ”Work hard, never give up and above all cherish a magnificent obsession.” Franz Kafka echoed this sentiment almost exactly when he recommended “following your most intense obsession mercilessly.” Claude Monet, meanwhile, described colour as his “day-long obsession, joy and torment.” Obsession worked out pretty well for those three. And it’s doing the same for these delightfully obsessive South Africans. Meet Errieda du Toit, Gary Goldman, and Denny Mo.

Carmen Stevens for nakedwines.com X Robot TV / Stellenbosch, South Africa

[commercial] “It takes passion, perseverance, and determination to do what Carmen Steven Wines has done for women of color in the wine industry. She’s not just making changes, she’s making history as South Africa’s first Black woman winemaker in her community and in ours.” says Nakedwines.com. We met and photographed Carmen a few weeks back at her winery in Stellenbosch on a shoot with Robot TV for Nakedwines.com.

Fittees face masks / shot in Cape Town, South Africa

[commercial] A face mask is the new essential, a must in South Africa (and many other countries around the world). Who would have ever thought we’d walk around wearing masks? It first felt strange, now it’s normal; “The new normal” everyone is talking about.

Our friends at Fittees make these slick black masks at a super price ZAR25-ZAR50. You can shop them here and of course in store at Fittees – 352 Victoria Rd, Salt River, Cape Town. We loved shooting them and having a little fun with Tobie and Sarah.

Asics athlete ambassador shoot / Lenize Potgieter / Cape Town, South Africa

[commercial] Lenize Potgieter is a professional South African Netball player and just got signed with Asics. It was supposed to be a sunny shoot outside and turned out to be a moody shoot indoors, but came out awesome! The rain did stop just before sunset and we got a bit of vitamin D. Thanks to Ascis and Lenize Potgieter for being rockstars!

Siya Kolisi / Springboks Rugby World Cup 2019 kit / shot for Asics

[commercial] A while back we had the privilege to shoot some of the Bokke (Springboks) with their new World Cup 2019 kit for Asics. The 2019 Rugby World Cup is about to happen in Japan… Good luck boys! Go Springboks!!

Janine, Ilan, Emily & Naomi / family shoot / Berlin, Germany

[family portraits] It was the hottest day of the year in Berlin – (luckily) filled with water melon and ice cream. Years back we shot Janine and Ilan’s wedding in South Africa and over the past five years we kept on meeting up in Germany or South Africa for family shoots. This time it was Berlin again in their wonderful home with Emily and Naomi, the funnest sisters. Have a look at them loving each other!

Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. X PUMA X MMM / Johannesburg, South Africa

[commercial] Playing with light and balls. We had lot’s of fun shooting the energetic dudes from Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. for PUMA and MobileMediaMob.

PUMA athletes / Henricho Bruintjies and Gena Löfstrand / Johannesburg, South Africa

[commercial] Shooting some of the fastest peeps in this country was a blast! PUMA athletes Henricho Bruintjies and Gena Löfstrand were so pro. Thanks to MobileMediaMob and Puma.

Tobias Groenewald’s Trans Am / shot in the Northern Cape, South Africa

{automotive} When my friend Tobie bought his Pontiac Trans Am four years back, we had this shoot in mind in a barren landscape. We finally decided that work has to wait and we needed to do this! We went to a small town called Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape. It was only a 24-hour-trip but we made so many memories and new friends. If you are in the area, go have a roosterkoek at Bagdad Cafe, what a vibe! It is important as a photographer to make time for your own personal projects. It keeps the creativity going! DNA – Desmond

Zip Zap Circus / editorial shot for High Life, British Airways inflight magazine / Cape Town, South Africa

{editorial} I documented a few days in Inathi’s life as she works-eats-sleeps the circus life with Zip Zap Circus. Shot for British Airways‘ inflight magazine High Life. DNA – Desmond

South African Fashion Week 2018 / #StyleBySA / Johannesburg, South Africa

{events} What a great evening shooting portraits for Woolworths’ Instagram & Instagram Stories for the South African Fashion Week 2018. #StyleBySA Thanks to MobileMediaMob.

Rush Sports CycloPlus Dealer Tour #1 / South Africa

{editorial} Bicycles, bicycles, bicycles… for Rush Sports we documented bike shops all over the Western Cape (often in the middle of nowhere). We got into a van full of camera kit, baseball caps and t-shirts to give away. Every time we saw a cyclist, we stopped, took a portrait and gave him or her some freebies. It was so awesome to make these guys so happy and all it took was a cap or a shirt. Our country is full of amazing people. Have a look at the full Rush Sports CycloPlus Dealer Tour here.

Morvélo kit / Meerendal Wine Estate, Cape Town, South Africa

{commercial} We went out to Meerendal Wine Estate to shoot the boys from Morvélo with their new kit. The weather played along, fun was had and coffee was awesome!

Voortrekker Road / shot for High Life, British Airways inflight magazine

{editorial} “You can find anything on Voortrekker Road. Really, you can. You can find your ancestors at Maitland Cemetery and salvation at Command of Faith Ministries. Modern-day Voortekkers dragging carts of scrap metal behind blinkered horses and row upon row of caricature car salesmen peddling near-identical Toyotas and Tatas. You can find your bearings by looking up at ever-present Lion’s Head.”

I spend two days on Voortrekker Road with Nick Dall interviewing random people – such a good and positive experience. Chatting and meeting people that live in a caravan park, inviting us into their caravans and sharing story after story. It’s such a special road. It reminds me a lot of America. Find the full story in the current inflight magazine of British Airways called High life.
DNA – Desmond

Sean Sakinofsky / SaK07 / shot for Bicycling Magazine / Cape Town, South Africa

{editorial} I shot Sean Sakinofsky from SaK07 for Bicycling Magazine. Sean is a bicycle fanatic, started a sock company and much more. Read the full interview here. DNA – Desmond