Dog Meets World Days in South Africa
What success. The morning was spent at the local winery’s preschool (which they call creche) and then to the workers in-the-fields to snap the mothers and other women. I just printed up the pictures right on the ground right beside to the young grape vines. The children and adults alike found the printer mesmerizing, garnering big grins when the photos emerged.
In the afternoon I joined Wendy Robain, a waitress I had met earlier while visiting another winery (yes I did consume the best of many vintages of the Cape finest wines), who eagerly encouraged me to bring my project to her town of Macassar in the Cape Flats. We begin at her child’s school, invariably in this and other random locations over 3 days events unfolded in a repeatable manner. Wendy’s explanation of the project (mostly in Afrikaans) was met with skepticism and quizzical looks. Eventually someone steps up to the plate, we photo a few kids and set up the printer. Curiosity abounds, the word gets out and we can never actually finish all those seeking. Receipt of their photos created much delight, intense starring at the image, laughter, silent joy, exclamation, smiling, sharing, running home to show “mother” and humble gratitude. The photo was felt to be a truly meaningful gift and something valued immediately.
Adults would help organize those waiting their turns. Wendy’s husband Glen and friend/driver Shavonne were immensely helpful operating the printers on the ground or in the car. Together their calm, deliberate and sensitive mannerisms amid the crazy chaos of the operations evoked a seriousness and honor to the project and bespoke the value of the photographs.