video with Canon 5d mark 2:   awesome soccer skill - singing while training!

Our last soccer training visit of South Africa last week and we were lucky enough to visit 2 very different soccer teams to photograph their training.

The first, the older team, the Paballelo Chiefs.  The club began in 1972 by a group of young unemployed men seeking to occupy their time by doing what they do best, play soccer.  Since then the team has had great success and for the first time we photographed a team training at an actual soccer stadium with standard training equipment.

Soccer stadium training, jumping over tiny hurdles

In this last week of our trip we were beginning to get a little tired of photographing soccer training, however the training never failed to inspire photography from us as each session was different and energizing.

With equipment set up in an obstacle course of soccer sorts the players were given a hectic workout, and i got very excited down on one shoulder in the grass to get this jumping shot just right, and hopefully not get my head squashed in the process!

A couple of team photos followed and we said our farewells, moving right next door to a large dirt field where another team were about to commence their training.

This was again back to Gino’s historical field to give him the photos from the previous week and hear how they went at the first match of the season on the weekend, they’d won!

Gino Williams, coach and co-owner of Super Eagles

This time we wanted to video some of his team’s training as we’d been impressed the week before by the sight and sound of their drills which involved singing  as they practiced their footwork!

Using the video function of our Canon 5d we managed to get some footage of the training, as well as an interview with the 2 owners and a player, very cool high definition video!

Cheers

Keturah de Klerk - Photography Life

The photo I’d been planning for a week was a fail, the one I’d thought I’d add on if I had time, was the winner, of sorts.

soccer training

We had arranged with a soccer team to meet them back at their beautiful red soccer field today to photograph their soccer training. They would wear their soccer jerseys just for us and let us interrupt their training for any photos we needed.

After trying some ‘movement’ photos while the players did their drills, for some reason, I’m not sure why, I decided to do the extra photo next, not the one I’d been planning.

I grabbed the goalie who was quite happy to plunge his body again and again into the dirt for us, until I got a photo I was happy with. With the tracking focus on to catch him as he dived towards the camera and the polarising filter to keep the sky blue, I sadly sacrificed F-stops for shutter speed at ISO650 and shot at 1/800 and F3.5. Happy with the exposure and freeze of my subject and aware that depth of field was way too small, why oh why didn’t I think to move the tracking focus point to top right? Top right or right, where his head was landing again and again?

goalie in action

Only after having fun with the goalie did I decide to get to the planned photo, by which time it was far too late. The sun was almost down and the shadows (which were to be the key part of the photo) were far too long. Fail.

Nevermind, the goalie shots are nice, even if some have his shorts sharp instead of his face!

committed goalie, even in practice

cheers

Keturah de Klerk - Photography Life

Soccer coach Gino Williams was just a boy of about 10 when he ran through chaos from this soccer field as police fired on the community gathered there in Paballelo, a township of Upington in 1985.

The historical soccer field in Paballelo

The Paballelo community used the soccer field for town meetings at the time, as they were forbidden to use any building, since gatherings of 5 black people or more were banned by the Apartheid government of the time, for fear that they were conspiring against the government.

During this meeting, Gino tells us, Police arrived and warned them that they had 5 minutes to disperse. According to Gino they were not given these 5 minutes before police began firing tear gas into them. Many residents were injured. A very scared little boy, Gino ran with the others, then remembered his mother was barefoot and ran back to look for her.

Some time later a fight broke out just behind the soccer field, between residents and a local policeman. There was much anger over the shooting and as the anger and frustration grew, the policeman ended up being killed by necklacing; the term used for when a tyre is placed over someone’s head so it sits around the neck and is set alight.

26 men were charged for the murder. The Upington 26 was the name given to the case and the men held in prison during the long trial:

“The Upington 26 story details the events of the killing of a policeman in Paballelo and the dramatic trial that followed. In 1985, at a soccer field near the entrance of Paballelo, the Paballelo community gathered to discuss rental problems they were experiencing. The events that followed entail tear gas being thrown by the police, the crowd panicking, an 11 year old boy being shot and paralysed by the police and a policeman being killed. Fifty-four people were held after the riot, 26 were charged and 14 people were sentenced to death, including a 60-year-old woman and her husband, for the so-called ‘common purpose’ killing of the policeman. They were all eventually released.” (http://www.openafrica.org/route/kalahari-oasis-route)

Soccer training, carry them accross the field

Now in his early 30’s, Gino works for the Upington council and started this soccer club as his own initiative five years ago. He believes the youths need to be kept busy in this positive way. He tells us that many of his players live in depressing situations, in very poor circumstances, but that you wouldn’t know it to see them on the field. He believes being part of a soccer team keeps them out of crime and away from local gangs and he points out several boys as specific examples, saying that he has seen real change in them.

He points out some difficulties although there is no need. We can see the state of their training field, it is littered with glass and other rubbish and one of the goal posts has been sold for its metal. The local stadium is far too expensive for them to hire, he explains. Perhaps the most worrying, and yet what would seem the most basic, is transport between venues for games.

Games are often in different towns around Upington and taxis and buses are far too expensive. So the teams have to travel on the back of bakkies (utes) at the mercy of the driver. In this way accidents have happened, Gino shows us his hand that it seems has had massive skin grafting and he calls over a player to show us the huge scar across his head. It seems they were lucky, 3 of his players are no longer able to play.

Soccer training, musical footwork

We photograph their soccer training, which, in keeping with South African initiative that we have encountered, is entertaining and inventive. Footwork drills are carried out energetically and musically – I marvel when I hear their counting in unison change to song.

This weekend the games are at their local stadium, walking distance.

Keturah de Klerk - Photography Life

Spectators tries to hide from the hot kalahari sun

We weren’t going to photograph. We were tired, so we were just going to approach the soccer coach and check when they would train during the week.

Of course, once out on the red dirt of this Kalahari soccer field in the Northern Cape of South Africa, speaking to the coach and spectators of the game with their fold-up chairs and umbrellas for the brutal sun, it didn’t take long for Morne to say he was going to get a camera from the car, I just nodded.

It’s a fantastic location, to us it epitomises South African soccer. The dirt is a fine grain of red-brown coloured Kalahari sand, that is kicked up easily by the feet and settles again as a fine layer of red dust on your legs. The field boundary has been drawn in this iconic dirt with a stick and holes in the goal net have been fixed with black plastic bags.

Action on the red sand

The field separates the township and the highway and motorists honk their horn in support of the game as they drive the last leg into Upington from Cape Town, 800km away.

Despite being the first game of the year, the action is gripping as bodies soar into the air and slide along in the dirt.

Morne had not been out long with his camera when he had a small following of children checking out his shots. This had been common at all soccer games we have photographed around South Africa, but this time a new interest was shown. Rather than jumping in front of the lens to get in the pictures, one boy found a long reed stick, threw its length over his shoulder, picked up the shorter end and copied Morne in holding it like a camera, shooting the game!

This was too much for me, I grabbed the car keys and went to get the other camera from the car, I had to photograph this!

Two photographers shooting the action

Slowly more and more boys were finding cameras in all sorts of props; a section of water hose could actually be looked through, plastic drinking bottles and cans made the clicking noise of the shutter and they would take my photo with it, then show me the image on the back!

Finally the original little photographer regained his status at the top, sticking the bamboo stick (now appropriately shortened) through the shorter hose pipe and into the top of a Powerade lid, thus creating his lens with focusing ring and all!

No doubt we will see them again as we plan to return to this great spot for some soccer training.

Cheers

Keturah de Klerk - Photography Life

A big part of our soccer project has been driving around and finding people through sheer luck. Actually, it has not been that hard, as people play the beautiful game absolutely everywhere around South Africa. Today we made our own luck and met up with some people from Oasis, an organisation that teaches underprivileged children life skills through soccer.

Boys wait for their turn in the skills drill

We met up with them about a twenty minute drive from Cape Town, halfway to the suburb of Ottery, in the southern suburbs. Thomas, from Oasis, drove a small white bakkie (ute) with a canopy on the back and as we followed behind, we could see the ten or so faces squashed in the back. They had music playing and the bakkie hopped and swayed as they danced away while seated. The back door was open for air as the temperature soared into the high 30’s.

As we drove deeper into the suburbs, the landscape changed from manicured gardens to dustbowls. The streets had quite a bit of litter and the security fences grew higher and thicker. Finally we rounded a last bend and we could see an open field, with more sand than grass, the types of sports grounds that we had become accustomed to through our journey.

Piled into the back of the bakkie (ute)

On the one side there were bulky cement housing blocks, about 6 stories high. They were spaced apart at regular intervals and their walls were graffitied as high as one could comfortably reach. It had a real ghetto feel. The area looked poor but cheerful as the dreary cement was decorated in colourful patches where washing had been hung out to dry.

On another side of the field, sat an impressive mosque, which later on made the scene even more interesting as the call to prayer came over the loud speakers. In the distance you could see the back view of Table Mountain, not particularly clear at this time of day due to the haze, but still impressive nonetheless.

The children started off by dividing into two groups and warmed up with a selection of drills and skill exercises. The boys were all the same age group, 12 or 13 years old, and as they started their warm up, more people arrived from the neighbouring blocks of flats either to cheer or join in. The boys were really good, their ball control was great and they showed off their skills to the camera on more than one occasion.

After the warm-up it was game time. The goal areas were marked by small piles of clothing and shoes. The two teams had different coloured bibs and most boys played in bare feet. I noticed at least two boys with miss-matched shoes. One had a sneaker on one foot and a soccer boot on the other, while the other boy wore mismatched sandals. Many boys played in jeans or tracksuit pants even though the heat was almost unbearable.

The boys take the camera and turn the tables

Neither team had a full quota of players, but once again the skills were on show and we got many good pictures. As the game wore on, some spectators lost interest but found what we were doing irresistible. They posed and laughed, ran away and sprinted back again to have a look at their pictures on the back of the camera. One boy, after posing for many photos asked if he could use the camera to take a picture, I gave it to him and posed with a soccer ball. It gave him great enjoyment and his picture was not half bad. He walked forwards and backwards to get the focus right and clicked away merrily.

Some tricks on show

With the game finished, it was time to go. We could see without a doubt that this organisation made a difference to these boys. The game brought them together, giving them an opportunity that they might not have otherwise. They want to fulfil the same dream as so many of the South African youngsters we have encountered, to play soccer on the big stage. They want to be the next David Beckham’s or Christiano Ronaldo’s, however hard they must work to get there.

Cheers

Morne de Klerk – Photography Life

Khayelitsha, Cape Town

Karate style is the way to pose for a photo

I’d heard that it was Cape Town’s Soweto, only these days, more dangerous. This was the information fresh in my head as we approached Khayelitsha, the infamous township of Cape Town, with our tour guide on a Sunday, ready to find more Soccer in South Africa photographs.

As usual I was taking the advice of the South African locals with a grain of salt and felt ok about our tour. We had told our tour guide Jenny or ‘Nomvoyu’ as she had been unofficially named by a Xhosa friend, that we were specifically looking to photograph people playing soccer in Khayelitsha, which she had assured us was fine.  However as we approached the township she casually mentioned that as it was a Sunday, she wasn’t sure how we’d go with the men doing the Sunday drinking thing, she then launched into telling various stories of close encounters she’d had while doing tours.

It was the first time our friend’s stories were starting to feel like they might ring true and I felt quite nervous as we drove through the informal settlements within the township.

There are approx 2 million people living in Khayelitsha, a township or location set in and behind the sandhills of the southern beach of Cape Town. It consists of formal and informal living areas, formal and informal business districts. The formal side has everything residents need from banks, shops and supermarkets. The informal CBD sells ready to assemble shacks and anything that can be sold, Jenny tells us that the shipping containers make great shops because there are no windows, owners can just lock up the front entrance and it’s totally secure.

Get the soccer ball in the crate!

Unfortunately the soccer fields were empty, it was still holiday time, residents explained. Finally though, as we’d hoped, we spotted some boys kicking round a soccer ball in the middle of a dirt side-street. In a semi-circle the game was to get the ball into the up-turned crate – all the better if it could be done via a trick. Walking over we asked the boys if we could take some photos, which they were happy for us to do and the interest of onlookers was sparked and friendly greetings exchanged. Still wary buy my nerves now quelled, we ensured we could get copies of the photos back to the boys via our tour guide and moved on.

Not far along we came across some younger boys playing on a small sandy field, the top of the soccer goal posts formed by small thin planks nailed together. Again we asked to take photos and we were warmly welcomed. Suddenly the unofficial game came to penalty shoot-out before group photos ensued. I think these children would have been happy to be photographed all day! But our tour time was coming to an end and we said our goodbyes.

Wooden plank goals and a sandy field

Soccer in the sandhills

In a side street

Again photographing soccer in South Africa had been successful, it again seemed to break down barriers and unite us all!  (or was that the cameras and promise of photographs?)

cheers

Keturah de klerk - Photography Life

Action on the field

An electrical storm approaching a desert town in the Kalahari with the late afternoon sun beaming orange light in on a hard, dry, rocky soccer field where two teams are about to play. It was perfect.

We approached the coach of one of the teams to ask if we could take photos of the soccer game and he immediately lined up the players for team photos, no problem!

Suddenly a spectator took us back to our car and showed us the tyre, an unmistakable hissing sound was coming from it. Unbelievable, three weeks of driving through three African countries with pot-holed roads and thorn-spattered elephant dung and our huge, hardy Pajero had succumbed here, in a seemingly car-friendly township just out of Upington, Northern Cape of South Africa.

We looked back at the perfect soccer scene longingly, jumped into the Pajero and gunned it back to Upington. At our friend’s place (whose Pajero it was), the tyre was quickly changed and re-fired by his enthusiasm we zoomed back to the town, our friend’s cry in our ears “go go go!”

loving the camera

The game was only at half-time and the light was still good! We grabbed a camera each and started shooting. At my end, behind a goal, children were simultaneously playing their own game and stopping in the middle of my view to pose for photos.

Spectators sat in front of their homes and along the sides of the field, be it on chairs, old paint tins or the rocky sand, it didn’t matter. The game and the spectators were passionate, as we’ve come to expect from soccer games of any calibre here in South Africa.

The game at a draw, the teams decided for a penalty shoot-out and immediately the spectators drew themselves right in onto the field to form a semi-circle around the goal.

the crowd goes wild!

As each team’s player took a turn at a penalty, one or another side of the crowd would go wild! And it’s a different kind of wild to what I’m used to in Australia, here it means running forward, jumping, screaming and dancing back to your spot for the next shot. As more and more shots are played, the excitement builds so that the anticipation dancing continues as the players swap and get ready for the next shot, then an explosion of energy consumes everyone and the winning team’s player is swamped in celebration.

cheers

Keturah de Klerk, Photography Life