At a function held on 11 April 2010 at Wanderers in Johannesburg, the country’s top photographers took a turn to step in front of the camera as they were rewarded for their images at the 2009 Sony PROFOTO Awards.

With 17 different categories, 248 Single Entries and 81 Portfolios in the Professional and Student categories were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates. The winning images were selected from over 6 000 photographs submitted, breaking all previous records in the history of the awards since 1988.

Jason Smith, the marketing manager of Sony SA, said that they had been overwhelmed by the response, which is a 50% increase from last year. He happily noted that this increase in quantity also meant an increase in quality.

Michael Meyersfeld won Image of the Year, while the News Image of the Year went to James Oatway. Both these images were awarded Gold in the Photojournalism category.

Antoine de Ras’ “The Life of Brian Ngcibi” (Editorial/Documentary) was awarded Professional Portfolio of the Year.

Alon Skuy was the most awarded photographer on the night, with four Golds, nine Silvers, and four Bronzes in the Hard News, Architecture, Editorial/Documentary, PhotoJournalism, Landscape, Environmental and Portraiture categories.

Snapping at his heels was Neil Weidemann, with four Golds, five Silvers and a Bronze in the Environmental, Industrial/Medical/Scientific, Self-Promotional and Portrait categories. 

Antoine de Ras was in third place with four Golds and two Silvers in the Editorial/Documentary, Photojournalism and Sport/Action categories.

In fourth place, Des Kleinebst won two Golds, six Silvers and three Bronzes in the Aerial/Automotive, Portraiture, Landscapes and Fine Art categories.

In fifth place, Mario Sales won two Golds and five Silvers, followed closely by Theana Calitz (two Golds, three Silvers and three Bronzes), Cornel van Heerden (two Golds, two Silvers and three Bronzes), Herman Verwey (two Golds, two Silvers, and two Bronzes) and Matt Raven (two Golds, two Silvers and Bronze). Other Gold winners included Simon Scholtz, Chanti Oosthuizen (Advertising), and Frans Dely (Aerial/Automotive). Others include Dean Vivier and Hennie Coetzee (Environmental), Jennifer Bruce (Hard News), John Armstrong and Andre Badenhorst (Landscapes), Alet Pretorius (Music/Dance/Theatre), Jacques Marais and Felix Dlangamandla (Sports/Action), Mariette du Toit and Jean-Pierre Uys (Wedding), Steve McCurrach (Wildlife), Jonathan Wood (Editorial/Documentary), Jano Myburgh (Fine Art), Adriaan Oosthuizen, Bruce Davidson and Karen Musica (portraiture).

In the student section, Samatha Davis, from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, and her portfolio, Expression and Perception, won top honours.

Pieter Ras, president of the PPSA, was happy that the majority of the submissions were of a professional standard but said that in the future photographers would have to push the creative boundaries and move beyond their comfort zone, especially in the Wedding category, which he described as “competent and safe.” He added, “With digital, now is the time for photographers to experiment. I say: Shoot, shoot, shoot.”

As if in keeping with his plea, Roger Ballen was awarded the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. Despite being honoured internationally many times, this is the first local award Ballen has received.

Inspired by the American ‘field painters’ of the 1960s and early 1970s, everything that resides within the visual field is significant for Ballen, whose opening statement was: “You cannot see the light if you don’t see the dark.”

For him the purpose of good art and photography is that the image must haunt you and live with you.

“It must make a mark on yourself and others. This is the purpose of photography. It is about visual integration.”

A geologist by training, Ballen said it was only when he did Outland, his fourth book, that he saw himself as an artist rather than a photographer for the first time. He admitting to not always understanding his own photographs, but rather learning from them.

This year the judging panel comprised 19 local photographic experts and six international photographers or art directors. To view the winners, please click here.

Danette Breitenbach