First prize winner: Stefan van Bruddenbrock, Second prize winner: Margurite de Villiers, Third prize winner: Sipho Mhlambi
WITSIES’S photographic talents were showcased at the opening of the Wits-Carnegie student photographic competition and exhibition.
The event, hosted by the Transformation and Employment Equity office, took place in the Amphitheatre on May 12 when the winners were announced.
The guest speaker was photographic icon, Dr. Peter Magubane, who inspired everyone with his work of the past 57 years.
Explaining the passion and determination one needs for photography, Magubane said: “If someone told me not to take the picture, I still took it.”
When the moment finally arrived, project manager Hugo Canham and Magubane pulled back the black covering to reveal the winners.
Stefan van Bruddenbrock, a 1st year BSc nuclear science and engineering student, was the winner of R10 000. He said he was very surprised and did not expect to win. He found inspiration for his winning photo, Circles within circles, by walking around Wits.
“When I saw it [the circles], I took the picture. That is how I take most of my photos,” said Van Bruddenbrock. He plans to spend the money on a new lens and save some of it.
Stefan van Bruddenbrock with his winning photo
A holiday to Australia with her father is in order for runner up, 3rd year Zulu anthropology and English literature student Margurite de Villiers. She secured R5 000 with her interesting photograph of the Great Hall titled Imagineers.
Margurite de Villiers and her prize winning photo
While studying towards a masters degree in microbiology, Sipho Mhlambi still found the time to come third in the competition. His photo, Sunlight when it rains, is going to pay for some security features and a sound system for his car.
Sipho Mhlambi and his prize winning photo
There were 50 participants and about 250 pictures entered this year, compared to only 17 participants in the previous competition.
“I am really impressed with the ideas and the quality of the photos this year,” said Canham.
The plans for next year are bigger and better and he said they will build on the relationships that have been created between them and the students.
The competition judges were Dr. Veronique Tadjo, head of French studies at Wits, Iris Dawn Parker, a visiting scholar, Jo Ractliffe, a senior lecturer in photography at the Wits school of arts, and Lieza Louw, a senior lecturer in filmmaking.
The photographs will all be put into the Wits Archive together with narration from the photographers.
Dean of Humanities at Wits Prof. Tawana Kupe and Dr. Peter Magubane
Dr. Peter Magubane looks on at the exhibition
Students examine photos at the exhibition
