In short
eX-Base Photography is one of three photography businesses operated by the husband and wife team of Xander and Mariaan Buys.
The other two branches are:
Photographic genres
I generally specialize in the following genres:
- Architectural photography: Architectural photography is the photographing of buildings and similar structures that are both aesthetically pleasing and accurate representations of their subjects
- Concert photography: Concert photography is the photography of activities relating to concerts and music.
- Lifestyle photography: Lifestyle photography is a kind of photography which mainly aims to capture portrait/people in situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of the everyday.
- Urban exploration: Urban exploration is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby
Why the name?
ex-
a prefix meaning “out of,” “from,” and hence “utterly,” “thoroughly,” and sometimes meaning “not” or “without”
base
1.use (something specified) as the foundation or starting point for something.
“the film is based on a novel by Pat Conroy” synonyms:found, build, construct, form, establish, ground, root.
2.situate at a specified place as the center of operations.
synonyms: locate, station, situate, post, position, place, install, deploy, site, establish, garrison.
In other words: Photography taking me from my “base” (comfort zone, if you will) out into the world to explore new things and meet interesting people doing remarkable things.
And of course a derivation of my initial and surname – X Buys!
Background
Ever since I can remember, I was surrounded by photos.
The four Buys brothers
Dad and his three brothers were journalists, working for one of the leading newspapers at that time. I remember his study was literally covered in photos; covering topics from sport to fashion and everything in between. Some of these photos are still in my possession and will always mean something special to me. All the major events of our childhoods were captured on film and preserved. We also owned a Super 8 movie camera, on which family memories were captured. I still have this camera and movies in my collection.
As I grew up, I also had a selection of my own cameras – in those days cheap
120 mm spool film cameras were widely used. These were slung along to capture images on school outings and family holidays and the like. The negatives were sent away to be developed and the usable images (if any!) were posted in your photo album. Later on the 120 mm cameras were replaced by
110 mm cartridge film cameras, of which I still have a few. I can positively state that a camera was present through-out my developing years and into adulthood. As an adult the major events of marriage, kids and everything related to married life were captured and saved in albums.
Unfortunately photography was something that only the privileged could practice in those days, due to the high costs involved. The mere mortals like me were doomed to use low-end point-and-shoot cameras. I was however fortunate enough to borrow my uncle’s high-end camera for a short while and shot a spool or two of black-and-white images, and I was immediately hooked. I knew then that this was something that I must pursue.
I invested in a higher spec point-and-shoot camera and the added functionality and capability only served to motivate me more to invest in something proper. I had to wait quite a while before I was in a position to purchase a decent camera and I have to say I have never regretted the decision. My current kit is not top of the range, but it works for me and provides me hours of satisfaction. The process of planning an event, the actual shoot, the anticipation when downloading the images from camera, the post-processing, publishing and hopefully favorable reviews is, and always will be, an extreme thrill. I am forever grateful that I am in a position to develop and exercise this passion that I have for photography. I might not be the most skilled photographer (yet! 😉 ), but I aim to be the best that I can be, without losing the joy and passion that I derive from it.
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