A chat between us......candid and off-the-cuff.

2008

Terry: So you think I should give a little history about my photography? What about your web design and wooden thinggies?
Tony: Mmm....You first. Your background as a photographer is far more interesting than mine as a web designer or wooden thingier.
Terry: Ai yai yai, you! I don't like this me first stuff; how about we share this story, afterall, we work so well together.
Tony: Story? Oh. Okay. We take turns?
Terry: Eish, I'm taking long sorry. Ai lost for words. I prefer pictures.
Tony: Me too. They don't argue back. Okay, my story, in a nutshell...
Terry: Yeah?
Tony: I design websites.
Terry: Hm.
Tony: And I make wooden thingies.
Terry: Not two 'g's in thinggies?
Tony: Ai tog! I dunno... Thtss why I prefer pitches, you cant make spelling mistakes with them.
Terry: Hee hee, yeah I see somewhat of a problem. If my pictures could spell what do you think they'd say?
Tony: Oh hell! Which picher? They all have their own story...
Terry: And your webs and woodens don't?
Tony: Ah! Good question. My webs tell my clients story, and the wooden thing(g)ies know not to talk too much.
Terry: Talk? How? As in not turn out perfect?
Tony: If they're not perfect they start the next fire. Easy.
Terry: Ag shame man! They all seem to have character to me.
Tony: Hm? And some have pretty poor characters. Now you tell me, what happens to your pictures that you're not 110% happy with?
Terry: Aaaw, so you don't like all of my photos?
Tony: Um....er...... Well, you see.....I know you dont have them all on display.
Terry: Ai okay you right, I can't fit them all onto one cd. And then theres all the photos I still want to take..........
Tony: You talk of one cd? I know you have far more than that!
Terry: Ai I mean the one cd I make copies of to present my work to everyone. Yes I do have many other photos on cd, and also on negatives. I've been taking photos since I was twelve.
Tony: Hm. So I subtract that from er...? You are legal aren't you? So its at least 4 years since you started taking photos? At most 4 years?
Terry: Hee hee. Ai! I be 39 this year. And you?
Tony: Me? Took my first photo when I was 10. An old disposable black and white camera.
Terry: Kwl! No wonder you such a help with my photos. I love black and white, and now lately, sepia too. Black and white was what the old photography masters stuck to for ages after colour film.
Tony: Hee Hee. Just because I can point a camera doesn't mean I know anything. What I do know is what I like, and I see a lot of what I like in your work.
Terry: Thank you. Hee hee, I didn't expect you to point out about your camera pointing, I expected you to notice the reference to old master and take offence!
Tony: Ai you! Why would I take offence? I'm not old.
Terry: Exactly! Can we have your age now please?
Tony: No. Ag okay. 48. on a BAD day.
Terry: And 28 on a good?
Tony: If you dont have a problem with that, yeah.
Terry: No, not at all. I think your youthful approach to life helps you with designing webs for both young and ....... er........ mature? "masters".
Tony: Hee hee! Call them old! they'll know if its true or not.
Terry: Hm, now I'm feeling old and tired. How about we continue this tomorrow? All this working, late into the night, er, morning, to ensure I always give my clients the best work I can do, with variety too, takes time and effort. I know you apply the same enthusiasm and pride to your own work.
Tony: Our work.
Terry: Yes.
Tony: Night night babygirl. Go crash. When you're done working.
Terry: Yawn. Okay boytjie. Nite nite.
continued.....................
Terry: Eish! Another late night. What's new? Aaah, thanks for the coffee, angel.
Tony: What's new? You tell me. Hee hee.... In less than 500 words...
Terry: What you mean, less than 500 words? Hm.
Tony: Hee hee. You know I have to tease you about your passion for detail.
Terry: Ja ja ja, okay, in short, hm and I battle with that, I do like detail and tend to go off on a tangent, ah damn where did I write it down?
Tony: Ai tog! It fascinates me that what is good enough for most people is just not enough for you! Perfection plus is what you demand! And give!
Terry: Yeah its a pain at times, but I just can't help it.
Tony: Don't even think of trying to help it! The customer satisfaction is worth the pain......
Terry: And you cope with me niggle niggle at you to alter, delete, improve your web designs as I see fit?
Tony; If I didn't would I still be here? And looking forward to the next web? And don't we help each other stay on track and focussed?
Terry: Yes, I guess so, you have certainly helped me find my way around a computer - less than a year ago I didn't even know where to switch it on! And I see more and more that you are much more creative than you believe yourself to be.
Tony: Ai. You were on track to finding yourself with a pc. And I dont see that I'm creative. hm...
Terry: Okay, I say you are creative and you don't believe it. You say my photos blow you away and I don't believe I'm that good. We just call it quits?
Tony: For now yes. But remember one tiny little itsy bitsy thing...
Terry: You see my skwiff look? What you on about?
Tony: I've never won awards or prizes for my work. You have for yours!
Terry: Ai, I'm pleased about the prizes yes, but ultimately I feel like I'm receiving a prize everytime my photos please someone, just like your webs do.
Tony: And isn't that what our business is? Pleasing others?
Terry: Yeah! Aren't we lucky to be doing things we love and pleasing others at the same time!?
Tony: Yes! And I have the added bonus of being able to work with someone I love and respect.
Terry: Aw damn, who dat?
tony: Eish! A MAJOR blonde moment has collapsed over us...
Terry: Sjoe I'm hot from laughing. Are we EVER going to tell our background?
Tony: Is that what we're supposed to be doing?
Terry: Ai yinna tog.
Tony: Okay, okay. Ai tog. Divorced white male, originally from Cape Town, and lately from Bloem. Been in marketing and sales most of my life. Your turn.
Terry: Divorced white female, born and bred East Londoner, ex Hudson High, where I enjoyed athletics, cross country, writing short stories and poetry.
Tony: I also went to school.
Terry: Yes I know you did sweetie, don't sulk.
Tony: Hee hee. I enjoyed finishing matric. And rugby. And sailing.
Terry: You still enjoy sailing.
Tony: If we had the time I would enjoy it more. Hm. I enjoy working too. And we both enjoy moaning about training....
Terry: Ja ja but we really must hey, got some more surfers runs to fit into our schedule somewhere.
Tony: And a whole veggie garden too, with cabbage patches and tomato trots in our future.
Terry: Hope too many veggies don't give us the runs!
Tony: Ai ya yai. And I was just thinking that you can't be a real blonde because you're too smart.
Terry: Oops!
Tony: Never mind, you have a great sense of humour!
Terry: Hee hee.
Tony: Hee hee. And the rest of you is also pretty good! Seriously now, tell me about some of the prizes you've won. And then I'll tell you about mine.
Terry: You have won prizes too?
Tony: Of course I have! hm.... Only one actually...
Terry: Oh?
Tony: Yes. You!
Terry: Hee hee. I not a prize baby, I is jus yours.
Tony: Ai ya Yai! Your english are delicious! But dont let it bother you much....., You are still my prize!
Terry: Ai tog! Back to business, K? Okay, hm, can't find the paper I wrote it down on, I got to work backwards. In my mind. Then forward here.
Tony: Eish! Are you going to manage?
Terry: Shh I'm thinking. Let me see. It was just over two years ago, that last one, um maybe three? No I think two. Ai, no dirty looks please, I'll get there, you wanna take a nap so long?
Tony: I'm just concerned about you thinking and seeing at the same time. I know you don't multi task well....
Terry: Ai, you know that female dog?
Tony: Sasha? Sheba? Shaney?
Terry: Hmmph! Whatever. Shh now, I'm thinking more.
Tony: Whew! This is like heavy serious multi tasking now!
Terry: Hee hee. Okay, I'm just doing a rough version: I've always enjoyed taking snapshots, but about 8 years ago I decided to enter five photos in a local EL tourism photographic competition. I was really pleased to have two of my photos make the top twenty out of over one hundred entries.
Tony: Was that the only EL Tourism competition you entered?
Terry: I don't know if that was the first one they held, but they held only two more, about 6 years ago, and about 4 years ago. I entered all three. The second time I made the top twenty again, and again won a hamper to the value of about R100. The prize was not what pleased me the most, it was that I had found a talent I enjoyed, and realised other people liked my photos too. It made me pursue photography further. I read many books, magazines and manuals. I still do.
Tony: Which pictures did you enter?
Terry: One of the two that did well 8 years ago was a crowded nahoon beach at the end of the surfers marathon, dark clouds above the nahoon river. The other was of my then ten month old son sitting on my suntanning brother's stomach under a colourful beach umbrella at Morgan Bay. Both photos were taken with a R100 point and shoot camera.
Tony: And the more recent photos? I know you have one that was being used quite regularly.
Terry: Also taken with a point and shoot camera, one of yachts on the Buffallo river. I took it early in the morning, standing on the old bridge, into the sun. EL tourism used it a few times in brochures etc.
Tony: So you enjoy taking photos into the sun? Isn't that against the rules?
Terry: I don't believe in rules. I believe in feelings. I try capture an atmosphere. A moment. My 'into the sun' pictures have worked well for me. My third entry into the EL tourism photographic competition was third time lucky. I won that round with a photo of my two sons playing in rock pools at Sunrise on Sea. A misty morning, photo taken into the sun. The prize was a weekend for two at Katberg Hotel. I had great fun there taking many more photos.
Tony: The tourism competition wasn't the only competition you entered was it?
Terry: There was one more. Go! newspaper ran a competition about two or three years ago. I was very anxious about that one; I so badly wanted to win. The prize was a 6 week art of photography course with renowned local photographer Marlene Neumann that I couldn't otherwise afford.
Tony: I know how anxious you can get! Did it help any being anxious and stressy?
Terry: Yes it did. I set myself up to be disappointed and was over the moon when two photos of my two sons helped me win! One photo of my eldest son feeling ill standing at a window, and one of the two of them sitting on sand in shallow water at the edges of the ocean being splashed by a wave.
Tony: That figures. You've always enjoyed photographing children. Somehow or other you and your camera always manage to get the best out of a child! Did the Art of Photography course teach you anything?
Terry: Hee hee. It taught me that I kinda freak out in a dark room, er darkroom.
Tony: Both?
Terry: Yeah, I guess so hey. I found I'm definately happier when I can see. I 'see' potential photos around me all the time. It can be quite annoying at times when I'm trying to concentrate on something else. I also learnt that its okay to break the rules. I can take photos into the sun if I want to.
Tony: Um? If you're allowed to break a rule, why is it a rule?
Terry: The rules do need to be there to learn the basics. Then take the basics and explore! Have fun!
Tony: So the one basic rule is that there are no real rules?
Terry: I more than like you. You such a clever thing!
Tony: Groovy baby! Yeah!
Terry: Hee hee. Okay, now tell me about what I admire about you and your web designs.
Tony: Huh?
Terry: All that ggg stuff. How on earth do you know what's going on? How did you first learn it or even want to?
Tony: ggg stuff?
Terry: gobbledy gook gibberrish coding stuff thats, like, ALL over the pc screen, to make, like, just a teeny weeny part of one web page, like, just a colour choice for eg.
Tony: Oh that stuff! Its called html coding. I wanted a website but couldn't afford to have one done. So I taught myself. I dont use WYSIWYG editing at all. (What you see is what you get) Its far too limiting.
Terry: Eish. Still don't know what you talking about, but as long as you do it good, keep it up baby. And don't stand in my way when I'm pointing the camera into the sun. Although......, that would make a good silhouette...................
Tony: Okay! And you keep challenging me with what you want to see in a website!
Terry: It's a deal! Are we done here? Sun going to come up just now.
Tony: Again? Doesn't it ever rest?
Terry: Naa, it's a, er, female dog.
Tony: That doesn't rest? Have it fixed.
Terry: We sort it out together, okay?
Tony: The sun or the dog?
Terry: Ai tog!
Tony: Sod them both, I need some sleep! Night night babygirl, I'm going now...
Terry: Wait
Tony: For you? Always!
Terry: Hee hee, just wanted to say thanks for all your help with OUR work. And I love you. K. Go.
Tony: Ai tog. The little I do. You do the work, I have fun. And I L O V E you to bits! Night night angel.
Terry: Mwah! Nite nite boytjie.