I’ve been playing with light again, but this time I’ve left the sunny Spring gardens and have descended the steep staircase to the ‘ground level’ of the old St Isidore mill. It’s dark here, with light filtering through the old mill windows and lighting up bits of old machinery, blacksmith tools and rugged, masculine stone walls built by German Trappist monks. It’s not pretty down here, and I love it! It’s moody and full of character. My kids call it the dungeon. But it’s mostly known as the blacksmith! There is dust, some spider webs, smudges of old black grease from its working days and even the odd bat that occasionally makes an appearance. As a set for creative and still photography, the opportunities are endless!
Kings Grant Country Retreat, Ixopo, KZN, South Africa
For this album, I’ve gone for natural light and have used the existing light to bring focus to the object I am photographing. I’ve observed where the light falls and onto what it falls on. How it might light up a particular object, or the details of an object, the patterns and the deep, earthy colours of the blacksmith.
Photography location: Kings Grant Country Retreat.
Kings Grant was built by German Trappist Monks. St Isidore farm’s purpose was to supply the nearby Mariathal Mission and the neighbouring St Mary’s Seminary. It has since been converted into accommodation, a restaurant and conference centre. Kings Grant is located just outside of Ixopo, enroute to the Eastern Cape (R56) and only an hour from Pietermaritzburg and an hour and half from Durban. For more information about Kings Grant, click here!
Being the photographer for NPO Harry Gwala Agri has been an incredibly inspiring and rewarding journey for me because of the people I meet through it and the operations I get to learn about and photograph. Harry Gwala Agri is a non-profit agricultural organisation that aims to uplift and facilitate growth among aspiring farmers. It’s members are made up of local commercial farmers in the Harry Gwala district and it’s funders are local companies linked to agribusiness and agricultural development. Together, Harry Gwala Agri provides mentorship opportunities and skills development to aspiring farmers and agricultural students in their final year of studies as well as partnering with commercial enterprises and community projects.
This week I went to see Paul and Sarah Reynolds, owners of Olivar Farm in the Ixopo/Umzimkulu area. Paul and Sarah have many things in common, but one of their mutual passions in life is ‘education;’ to learn and share what they have learned, to educate and ‘upskill,’ and in doing so, uplift the local community and enable them to go further when it comes to employment, self-development or starting their own commercial enterprises. There is a culture of learning and sharing knowledge here and with that comes ‘growth!’
I thought I’d be no more than a couple hours photographing the operations at Olivar Farm and interviewing their Harry Gwala Agri In-training program student Sanele, but I ended up spending the whole morning here and not only leaving with photographs and content, but with a whole lot more knowledge! I learned so much in just one morning. So when I think of what the Harry Gwala Agri In-training Student program can offer an individual over a number of months, I understand the value in this program. This coming week I will be focusing on Olivar Farm and all things happening on this farm in the way of learning and new agricultural developments.
To start, we must start at the very beginning…with the children!
Paul and Sarah built the Olivar Farm Preschool in 2018. They had noticed how many of their farm workers did not have a matric, could not read or write or do maths and they recognised how important ‘early education’ is, how it’s the foundation to build a future on.
Olivar Farm Preschool
Right now, there are 27 registered students at the Olivar Farm Preschool and it’s grown in that the children who attend are not only the children of the farm workers but children from the local community too.
Simple things like paper, crayons and pens are a novelty for many schools. Having the opportunity to be creative is just one of the things Olivar Farm Preschool offer their students.
In 2019, Olivar Farm built their first classroom. Funding was received by Harry Gwala Agri for this structure – the first of 3 classrooms that have since been built.
Next up, I’ll be posting about the Harry Gwala Agri In-service training program that happens on Olivar Farm and then the fascinating business of ‘worm tea’ and how it’s being used as an alternative to fertiliser!
Lianne is a photographer based in KZN, South Africa. Her work mostly focuses on agriculture, in particular – the human element of agriculture. She creates people-centric photography for organisations and businesses, capturing the processes of an operation and the people in their work environment.
I’ve needed this weekend! A weekend to simply ‘create,’ for no purpose other than to be creative! This morning I set out to Kings Grant Country Retreat looking for some photography inspiration. It was already quite bright – I’d missed the soft early morning light! So I decided to use the bright light and the shadows that come with it.
When the subject or object you are photographing is in the light, with the shadow behind it – the effect is simple and striking. Colours and textures pop and the contrasting light shadows out any background details that detract attention from the subject you are photographing. I find this works well with photographing people too. If they stand in a door way, you get much the same effect. Any distracting details in the background are literally shadowed out, and the natural light lights up the subject. Give it a try!
I particularly enjoy using this contrasting light when creating photographs that can be used as wall art for interiors. As we speak I am busy updating my website…expect some changes over the next week. I am very excited to be creating a new page on my website that will feature some of my work over the years that can be used for interiors, or as stock photography, or as a reference image for an artist to paint and that can be purchased for personal use.
This week I went to Bizana in the Eastern Cape with Dylan Weyer of Harry Gwala Agri to meet 2 young women farmers, Zihkona Bhantshi and Athayanda Mdanyana. The women met while they were studying agriculture at the Umzimkulu TVET College. Zihkona did her in-service training at Eastwolds Farm in the Ixopo area through the Pannar Seed sponsored Harry Gwala Agri Student program. Since then, they have become business partners and food crop farmers and are taking one step at a time to make this dream a reality. They started ANZ Greenfields together and plant cabbages, sugar beans, potatoes and spinach. And just recently they have started supplying the local Bizana Boxer store with their produce.
I asked Athayanda what advice she could offer to students who want to start farming? She said, ‘start with what you have.’
In Zihkona and Athayanda’s case, they joined efforts and finances by going into partnership together. They believe they are a good fit for a partnership because they have the same ideas, values and goals and are equally motivated to grow their business and to put in the work that that goal requires of them. They started off small by growing vegetables in the homestead’s back vegetable garden. From there, they sold their produce to the local community and local Bed and breakfasts and with time, they generated enough finance to expand and start utilising Zihkona’s family land to plant crops.
They have recently finished harvesting their sugar beans and spinach and have just planted 6000 cabbage seedlings that were purchased from Sutherland Seedlings in Ixopo. Zihkona and Athayanda know that growing their business happens one step at a time. But they have big dreams – to become the biggest vegetable farmers in the Bizana district. They know what improvements they need to make for this to happen and what their priorities are in the way of those improvements.
It’s been encouraging to see students taking responsibility for their dreams becoming a reality by starting with what they have and each year, expanding and growing their business. I believe these 2 women farmers have what it takes to achieve their goal! Watch this space.
Lianne is a photographer based in KZN, South Africa. Her work mostly focuses on agriculture, in particular – the human element of agriculture. She creates people-centric photography for organisations and businesses, capturing the processes of an operation and the people in their work environment
Lianne has an agricultural background and is knowledgeable of a number of agricultural industries. Her understanding of agriculture and approachable and flexible nature enables her to connect easily with her clients and the people she is photographing, helping her capture and create authentic and uplifting imagery.
I popped down to the Argus farm in the Umkomaas Valley this week to photograph the start of the lemon picking season. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful farm, forming part of the second day of the famous Sani2c cycle race route. The cyclists are in for a treat when they hit this section!
On this day, I photographed the fruit pickers harvesting lemons. From here, these lemons are sent the Carisbrooke Valley Citrus Packhouse and packed for both the export and local market. While there, I took advantage of being in such a beautiful place and had a wonder around the farm. What was meant to be a quick 1 hour shoot, turned into all an morning. I was in paradise!
Argus Farm – Sani2c race routeSpraying
Recording the bags of lemons picked by each fruit picker. Farm Induna
Lianne is a photographer based in KZN, South Africa. Her work mostly focuses on agriculture, in particular – the human element of agriculture. She creates people-centric photography for organisations and businesses, capturing the processes of an operation and the people in their work environment
Lianne has an agricultural background and is knowledgeable of a number of agricultural industries. Her understanding of agriculture and approachable and flexible nature enables her to connect easily with her clients and the people she is photographing, helping her capture and create authentic and uplifting imagery.
Lianne Ashton Photography 
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