Memories of the local corner store growing up, and saying to your friend, “meet me at the corner store”. Buying slap chips, fizzy drinks and gum. Playing the unbeatable claw machine in the hopes of procuring a plush toy to take home with you. To some, just fond nostalgia but to Duran Levinson, Hanna Goldfisch, Carla Vermaak and Wiebke Reich, this space holds the possibility for creative expression. The awakening of an editorial photographed inside and around corner stores.
To the team behind the shoot, their aims were simple, to create an editorial in their favourite corner stores and their surroundings. A shoot that would be an enunciation of colour and their creative expression.
Approaching styling in a non-conformist way, Carla opted for colourful styling instead of neutral tones that are often associated with winter styling and dress. Her choice of bright garments interacts with the backgrounds of the images in a near symbolic way, mimicking the brightness behind the model. Another element that adds to the fun vibrancy of the shoot is the marriage of styling with beautiful soft textured hats by Crystal Birch.
In order to elevate the look and feel of the editorial, Duran exposed his film to light after completion of the shoot. This editorial is defined by its spontaneity and experimental nature that visually manifests as a shoot of nostalgic beauty and a celebration of youth and fun fashion combinations.
The creatives behind this shoot were largely influenced by street style culture. Many factors contributed to this such as Duran’s ease and preference to street style photography. The spontaneity of this form of shooting is an aspect that Duran greatly values and seeks in his work.
A number of months ago, browsing the Internet I was moved by analogue images that I found of South East Asian street culture. It was a very specific image that had mesmerized me: an image of a topless young woman with dark hair and haunting eyes. A lizard shaped tattoo crawling up her neck, she was fashioned in gold loop earrings and a peach coloured cap. In her one hand she holds a bucket of noodles and in the other, chopsticks with noodles pinched tight. Behind her a cityscape. Inspired by the striking image I immediately saved it to my phone without looking into who the creator was. As I started my research for this article I found the image again and was delighted to know that it in fact, it belonged to a South African creative, Duran Levinson.
Image from ‘Backchat Boys Volume 1 – all image no spinach’
Traveling on work holidays, the Capetonian filmmaker and photographer, Duran Levinson has captured the people and places he has encountered while globetrotting. Today I would like to focus on his work put together in Hong Kong consisting of architectural shots, portraiture and street photography.
In 2016 Duran teamed up with two other South African photographers, Dustin Holmes and Gideon de Kock and brought out Backchat Boys Volume 1 – All image no spinach. This book was a collaborative project between the three friends and features imagery of street photography and venues in Hong Kong, captured on 35mm film.
The aim of the project according to Duran was to document the street culture that he witnessed in the area and what I find the most intriguing is that the entire project was documented on a single point and shoot camera. Duran navigated the streets and was essentially perceived as a tourist with a little flimsy point and shoot camera and because of this, I believe that the result of his photographic documentation was influenced. The work that Duran produced in this project was obtained as a result of his unobtrusive tool to document with and this caused people to come across in a more authentic and natural way, as they were not necessarily posing.
Image by Duran Levinson. ‘Hong Kong Forever’ series
Duran has been known for working on expired film and the only changing factor in his project was changing between colour and black and white film. Expressing that the expired film he used during this collaborative project was between 5-10 years old, he believes that it leaves more room for experimentation and keeps the medium alive for him. The expired film creates a cool, subtle feeling to the images and the entire concept is captivating as not many photographers using the analogue medium opt to shoot that way. Duran however, adores the film stock and expresses that in Asia, expired film is cheaper than water.
The images that Duran captured for this project are justly some of the most intriguing images I have seen of South East Asia and I believe that they show a different look into the culture that I have not been exposed to before. The imagery is fresh and honest documentation yet simultaneously, upon viewing them I feel like I can see Duran’s own sentiments towards the subjects that he is capturing. It is documentation, yet at the same time it exudes emotive expression.
Image by Duran Levinson. ‘Hong Kong Forever’ series
Duran has said before in conversations about this self-published book that it was a poor attempt at documenting human nature but I must say I disagree, the work speaks of a humanist approach. When I think of the documentation that I see in Backchat Boys Volume 1 – All image no spinach, I cannot say that it shares similarities with the kind of photographic documentation you would see in any National Geographic. Perhaps this collaborative project that Duran worked on with Dustin Holmes and Gideon de Kock, can be regarded as a new way of executing documentary photography.
“Travelling is the only way to understand a big part of the ‘human condition’ and how you fit into this world in whatever way you perceive it.”
Image by Duran Levinson. ‘Hong Kong Forever’ seriesImage from ‘Backchat Boys Volume 1 – all image no spinach’
DEAD TOWN is a platform aimed at highlighting the work of contemporary analogue film photographers in South Africa. It focuses on a wide spectrum of photography styles from landscape to documentary to fashion and beyond. The definitive desire is to create a blog with interviews, print publications and distinctive exhibitions. In my interview with creator Cale Waddacor we discussed the platform and the first video interview with Andile Buka.
DEAD TOWN created by Waddacor in January of this year was birthed out of his endearment for film photography. Waddacor tells me that he has always had an affinity for the analogue format. He had a desire to group mind-blowing film imagery in one space. DEAD TOWN currently displays in the form of a blog. He aspires to grow this newly formed platform into a physical realm. Since the inception of the platform there has been various features including interviews with Gabriella Achadinha, Kent Andreasen, Albert Retief, Duran Levinson and Matt Kay. Other posts on the blog consist of an overview of the national photographic landscape, zines, book publications and picture round-ups from their Instagram feed, as well as a video interview with photographer Andile Buka.
Photography by Katya Abedian
The label DEAD TOWN refers to the approaching death of film photography that has been caused by the influx of the digital shooting mode which is not only an easier route to take but also less costly. It may also refers to a time when people captured moments in time within a frame that has now exceeded sustainability and cannot be revived organically. Waddacor also states that he chose this title as it is not obvious, it is not instantly recognized for what the platform is, and slips easily off the tongue.
Waddacor decided to focus specifically on analogue photographers because he holds that it is more extraordinary and niche. In his opinion the analogue photographers featured on the blog have a concentrated methodology and the style has the power to conjure diverse emotional responses from its viewers. Being a film photographer himself he is thrilled by the practice and the in communicable sensation that he associates with his images when he goes through the process of creating work. DEAD TOWN commemorates South African film photographers because there are few local blogs dedicated to this practice.
Photography by Rowan Patrick
Showcasing different styles, DEAD TOWN is fond of showcasing photographers that are not only skilled in the craft of analogue photography but have voices that cannot be matched. Waddacor states that he’s been following the work of most of the featured photographers on the blog for years. Some of the photographers are only hobbyist photographers and others shoot so much film that it’s unbelievable.
Striving to make DEAD TOWN into a zine within this year, Waddacor is all about the quality of his product and only features the highest standard of work. Waddacor has developed a style for both platforms that enhances each other; he meticulously curates DEAD TOWN’s Instagram and blog.
Photography by Andile Buka
DEAD TOWN has released their first video interview with Johannesburg based photographer Andile Buka a few days ago. The in-depth video interview looks closely at Buka’s documentary style photo work as they visit his studio. Buka speaks about shooting on film exclusively, his process and what influences him, as well as the city of Johannesburg itself and his passage that led him to where he is now.
Buka born in Soweto, was raised in Orange Farm. He currently resides and works in Johannesburg. His work comprises of portraiture, street and fashion photography. His client base includes brands such as adidas, Levi’s and Superga. Buka is known for shooting not only in medium format, but 35mm as well. Capturing his subjects with a candid personal air, he has a knack for tone and composition. Crossing Strangers (2015), Buka’s first monograph, was published by MNK Press in Japan and launched at the Tokyo Book Fair. Buka was freshly invited to take part in the New York Times’ 5th Annual Portfolio Review. His work has been exhibited in Europe, Asia and America and Buka plans to introduce a solo exhibition in the near future.
Waddacor explains that the video interview with Buka consisted of minimal direction. “I wanted it to be natural, and to be born out of conversation. Andile was the perfect candidate because of his amazing body of work, gentle nature, and just the sheer amount of film he goes through.” Waddacor and Buka met for the first time on the day of the shoot. They went up to Buka’s studio and had their interview straight away.
Waddacor tells me that the interaction between them was not forced, and that they shot an extensive interview in that time. Waddacor and Ryan Jarrett (cinematography and editing) then proceeded to follow Buka around his studio to get to know him more. Afterwards they scouted out the roof captured in the interview and walked around the block in downtown Hillbrow. The filmmakers then proceeded to Buka’s home to view and capture his post-process and discuss his admiration for music and books. Speaking to Waddacor he expresses a desire to explore more video work for his platform. The first video interview with Buka has set the tone for future projects.
Photographer Duran Levinson teamed up with stylist Mira Leibowitz for a photoshoot to showcase SA designers. Mira and Duran have wanted to work together for a while, with Mira most excited about being able to bring to Cape Town Duran’s documentary-style photography she had seen from his work in Japan and Korea. This way the images are able to showcase pieces without being presented as a typical fashion editorial.
The shoot was conceptualized in such a way that the images come across as a visual diary, a collection of memories, a documentation of a day in the streets of Woodstock, while at the same time showcasing the garments from Maylee, Adidas, Sol-Sol, 2Bop as well as bags from Not Seen Store.
The images have a documentary-style aesthetic with the models being captured amongst everyday interactions and activities, such as train ride or buying fruit on the pavement. Duran skillfully captures the garments in a shoot that unfolds as a story, with intimate moments enhanced by the presence of a bouquet of flowers, and the sometimes soft and grainy look of the images as if they were taken from a previous time. The people on the streets are just as important as the models in creating images that showcase the garments as well as the atmosphere on the streets of Woodstock. We are often confronted with direct stares by passersby or children running across shots. This creates a feeling of nostalgia or moments of intimacy frozen in time.
Stylist Mira created an eclectic fashion feast with local streetwear paired with simple, vintage pieces. Maylee’s pink faux fur coat can be sen alongside oversized sweaters put together with bucket hats and sling bags from Not Seen Store. The muted colours of Maylee’s simple pieces are complemented by cheeky fishnets and the youthful colours of 2Bop’s tshirts and bomber jackets.
Go to out Duran’s website to see more images from the shoot.
