Images of a nation under threat.

December 16 is considered, by many Afrikaners, their most holy day.
It commemorates the December 16, Battle of Blood River in 1838 when they believe God gave them an unlikely victory against thousands of Zulu warriors.
Each year, thousands of Afrikaners gather at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria to celebrate and remember that day and reaffirm their culture values and beliefs.

New Blood River

In many ways they are once again engaged in a 'new battle of Blood River' as whites - and in particular Afrikaners - are increasingly marginalised and denied opportunities in South Africa.
When I shot these pictures a week ago, it was obvious to me that Afrikaners feel they are a nation under threat that needs to stand together to protect their culture.
But somehow this year's event was different to those I have previously witnessed. Gone was the bravado and arrogance that previously characterised such "saamtrekke". They appeared resigned to their future - or maybe they are just battle-weary.

Shaft of Sunlight

The monument is designed in such a way that every year, only on December 16, a shaft of sunlight moves up the steps of the cenotaph and is centered on it at precisely midday.
I sincerely hope I was not photographing a disappearing nation.
The images were shot with a Nikon F3 film camera on Fuji Neopan 400 and developed in a local version of ID-11.

Why photography is important

This is an image that I believe sums up my mother's life at present and documents her current history. It was shot recently using an almost 50 year-old Rolleiflex, on the occasion of my Dad's 84th birthday.
Over the past few years my father has increasingly suffered spinal degeneration that has necessitated he walk with the aid of a "walker" and even that is a slow and difficult process. Thankfully his mind remains as sharp as a tack.
But his physical condition has dramatically increased the burden on my mother and means she pretty well must take care of my Dad constantly as he has, on occasion, fallen and injured himself.
She is reluctant to leave the house and leave him on his own even to go shopping or to church for a short while. Yet she remains cheerful.

A photo that tells a story

I wanted to take a picture that tells that story so future generations will know something about her and what sort of person she was.
In this image, the walker looms large and is overpowering, to show the influence it has on her life. The blinds on the widow look like prison bars yet she continues to smile.
It's not a "pretty" picture but to me it's important.
Over the years I have became acutely aware of how rapidly the world has changed and how personal and family history is simply fading into dim memories or disappearing competely.
But it is the images and stories of the ordinary man and woman that are most interesting. They are your vital legacy that must be kept for future generations because that is all that will tell your story in years to come.
Your lifestyle, environment, milestones, relationships, family and friends are patches in the quilt of who you are. It is your history and life and it is important.
This realisation has caused me to shift change focus and concentrate on documenting family histories, working with couples and families throughout South Africa.

My Dad