Talented landscape photographer Anton Bosman believes in the power of photography to shift negative narratives, and he is doing so one striking cityscape image at a time in Johannesburg.
"I choose to make the common, uncommon. I choose to make the ordinary, extraordinary."
These are the words of celebrated professional photographer and Fujifilm Ambassador Anton Bosman.
He has carved a niche using his photographic skills to shapeshift the City of Johannesburg into a wonderland of raw, optimistic beauty.
If you're passionate about architecture and looking for an interesting way to spend a weekend in Jozi, Anton believes you're spoiled for choice in the City of Gold.
His street photography walking tours, done as a passion project, are catching on as he works with key stakeholders to change the negative perceptions around the inner-city.
"There is much beauty to be found, much money spent on cleaning up and inner city security. This is the story we want to tell about one of the most beautiful and diverse cities in the world."
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Diverse Architecture, Amazing Light
While digital technology and smartphones have significantly evolved photography, Anton's love for taking pictures is rooted in dark rooms and the silver-nitrate-infused artform of developing a whole new world in one snap.
He says he owes much of his initial understanding of old-school photography to his internship with a realtor shortly after leaving school.
"I was forced to learn the skill of maximising a roll of film with quality shots or face covering the cost of the film myself."
Anton's cityscape stills capture his love for Jozi, highlighting almost forgotten or overlooked nuances of bygone eras that create some unusual compositions you won't find anywhere else in the world.
Art Deco Heritage
While Johannesburg is known as a fast and hard city, Africa's New York, if you will, for Anton the wonder lies in how slowly it developed compared to its 'Big Apple' counterpart.
"You have the Standard Bank Centre from 1908, right next to this stunning art-deco building Anan House, finished in 1928. So they're almost 20 years apart but on the same city block. You get to see old Herbert Baker architecture next to world heritage art-deco-protected buildings. Well-travelled street photographers have found it quite jaw-dropping."
"The Standard Bank building was built from the top down, an engineering marvel in its day, and to this day one of only a few across the world," says Anton.
Helmut Jan Design
He reminisces about how his father would take the family for a drive into town to see the towering Carlton Centre and 11 Diagonal street, designed by Helmut Jahn.
"We'd enjoy a breakfast of bacon and eggs on the viewing deck of the Carlton Centre, something many locals used to back then, and everybody remembers the icerink."
He also speaks fondly of one of his other favourite muses, the historic Markham's Building, erected in 1896 and one of the City's oldest surviving buildings of architectural significance.
Ultimate Cityscape Shadow Play
Anton adds that tall buildings alongside lower buildings create the ultimate shadow play when the sun starts going down in the city.
"You have the sun beaming on one building and casting a shadow onto another you want to photograph. Then, an unexpected sliver of light shines through, creating an endless world of opportunity and creativity.
"I like to soak up the presence of what I'm looking at for about ten minutes and then decide this is what I'm going to do. Only then do I take the photograph."
For Anton, taking a picture is an art form, one he says he perfects in the editing process. Yet, he underscores the importance of composing what he will do with the colour and light before capturing his image.
"I don't only want you to feel the gloom of a rainy day, I want you to be able to smell it just by looking at the image," he says.
In-depth Techniques to Create a Dream World
As a professional photographer, Anton says he uses several in-depth techniques like long exposure and light painting to create a feel and atmosphere for the viewer.
Smitten with artists like Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Edward Hopper from an early age, he marvels at how they created a dream world and he aims to do the same with his images of Johannesburg's cityscapes.
For Anton, two works that made a significant impression are Nighthawks by Edward Hopper and Starry Night by Van Gogh.
"What makes these works so beautiful and intriguing, is the fact that the artists gave us their narrative. A narrative that saw the world through their eyes, in the way they wanted us to see the world."
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Beautiful gifts of nature with exquisite sunrises and sunsets
"Sunrise and sunsets are exquisite in the City of Gold, and I use these beautiful gifts of nature to bring a sense of longing, a sense of remembrance and appreciation to those who look at my pictures," says Anton.
He acknowledges that every city is plagued with issues, and Johannesburg is no different.
"Since I started taking photos of Johannesburg around 14 years ago, I decided that my lens and camera would be used to paint the narrative that I want to show people out there.
"It is a city full of mystique, character, class and run-down urban spaces. Everything about Johannesburg is beautiful, if we choose to see it as such."
Follow Anton on Instagram @antbosman for details of his next spontaneous street photography walking tour, or get in touch via Landscapes by Anton Bosman to order your favourite prints.
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