Pierre van der Berg – SA Jagters se Fotograaf van die Jaar 2022
Pierre van der Berg van die Pretoria-Oos-tak is die wenner in SA Jagters se wenfoto van die jaar en is ook aangewys as SA Jagters se fotograaf van die jaar. Pierre het gedurende 2022 ʼn totaal van 48 goue toekennings verwerf. Baie geluk Pierre! Jou inskrywings het die standaard van die fotokompetisie aansienlik verhoog en lewer ʼn merkwaardige bydrae tot SA Jagters se fotografieportefeulje. Ons waardeer dit opreg.
Pierre het op die platteland groot geword en het soos die meeste jong seuns van kleins af met ʼn windbuks “gejag”. Soos hy ouer geword het, het sy liefde vir die natuur en vir jag net toegeneem en is hy vandag ʼn ywerige jagter en sportskut. Hy was al bevoorreg om grootwild te jag en van die avonture is in artikels in SA Jagter en Magnum gepubliseer.
Pierre het ʼn graad in siviele ingenieurswese by Tukkies verwerf en was ook bevoorreg om ʼn doktorsgraad in geotegniese ingenieurswese in Engeland te behaal. Hy praktiseer tans as ʼn raadgewende ingenieur by ʼn firma in Johannesburg.
Pierre het maar altyd ʼn kamera byderhand gehad en foto’s geneem wanneer die geleentheid hom voordoen soos wanneer hy in die Wildtuin was. Die gogga het egter eers gebyt toe hy in 2016 sy eerste fotografie-safari by Sabi Sand voltooi het. Sedertdien het hy stelselmatig sy toerusting verbeter and ook kursusse oor fotografie en die verwerking van foto’s bygewoon. Fotografie is ʼn reis wat jou die geleentheid gee om tyd in die natuur deur te bring. Daar is baie geleenthede om te oefen al neem ʼn mens dan net jou hond af wat ʼn bal jaag.
”2022 was ʼn geseënde jaar vir my fotografie. Om beide SA Jagters se fotograaf van die jaar en die foto van die jaar toekennings te wen was die kersie op die koek. Dit is ʼn groot eer en ek wil net graag baie dankie se. Dit is voorreg om tyd in die natuur te kan spandeer en as fotograaf spesiale oomblikke probeer vasvang. Dit is baie lekker as mens dit regkry en natuurlik ook lekker om dit met ander te deel. Baie dankie vir hierdie geleentheid! Ek is bly as ander mense my foto’s geniet.
Dit was ʼn bedrywige jaar vir fotografie. Sommige safari’s is wees Covid uitgestel, maar gelukkig kom ek dit inhaal. Ek het die geleentheid gehad om die Ndutu Conservation Area (die suidelike deel van die Serengeti) in Tanzanië te besoek. Dit was my eerste ervaring van die gebied en ʼn ongelooflike ondervinding. Ek het ook die geleentheid gehad om tyd op die Choberivier op ʼn fotografieboot deur te bring. Die Choberivier is seker een van die mees produktiewe fotografiebestemmings wat ek nog besoek het. Ek beveel dit sterk aan. Laastens het ek tyd in die groter Kruger Nasionale Park in die Selati natuurgebied deurgebring. Ek het my beplanning vir 2023 gedoen en sien geweldig uit daarna. Daar is nuwe bestemmings op my lys en dan ook ʼn besoek aan die Kgalagadi. So as alles goed gaan, wees op die uitkyk vir nog ʼn paar foto’s volgende jaar.
Ek is veral opgewonde oor die vooruitgang wat gemaak is met die sagteware vir die prosessering van foto’s. Ek beskou die prosessering van die foto as deel van die finale produk. Daarmee bedoel ek nie dat die foto gemanipuleer word om iets voor te stel wat nie afgeneem is nie. Die tegnologie vir noise reduction, byvoorbeeld, laat ʼn mens toe om teen hoër ISO-verstellings as gewoonlik te skiet. Dit beteken natuurlik dat ʼn mens genoeg sluiterspoed kan genereer om die oomblik was te vang. My raad aan enige fotograaf is, om genoeg tyd te bestee aan die prosessering van foto’s”
Pierre van der Berg – SA Hunters Photographer of the Year 2022
Pierre van der Berg of the Pretoria East Branch, is the winner in the SA Hunters’ photography competition and also the SA Hunters Photographer of the Year. During 2022, Pierre won 48 gold awards. Congratulations Pierre! Your entries raised the bar for the photography competition and made a valuable contribution the SA Hunters’ photography portfolio. We sincerely appreciate it!
Pierre grew up in a rural area and like most young boys of his time, learnt to hunt with an air rifle. His passion for nature and hunting grew stronger with age, making him an enthusiastic hunter and sport shooter. He was fortunate to have hunted dangerous game and articles about his hunting adventures were published in SA Hunter and Magnum.
Pierre obtained a degree in civil engineering at the University of Pretoria, and a doctorate in geotechnical engineering in England. He works as a consulting engineer at a firm in Johannesburg.
Pierre always had his camera handy en took photographs at every opportunity possible, such as during visits to the Kruger National Park. In 2016, het completed his first photography safari at Sabi Sand. Since then he gradually upgraded his equipment and completed courses in photography and photo editing. Photography is a journey that enables you to spend time in nature. He believes the secret is to practise and use every opportunity to take photographs, even if it is photographing your dog chasing a ball.
”2022 was a wonderful year for my photography. Winning both the SA Hunters photographer of the year and the photograph of the year, added the cherry on the cake. It is an honour for which I am extremely grateful. It remains a privilege to spend time in nature, trying to capture special moments with my camera. When you succeed, the next best thing is to share it with others. Thank you for this opportunity. I am glad that others enjoy my photographs.
I have had a very busy year. Some safari were postponed because of Covid, but I caught up with them. I had the opportunity to visit the Ndutu Conservation Area (southern part of the Serengeti) in Tanzania, which was my first experience of this wonderful region. I also spent time on a river boat on the Chobe River, which proved to be one of my most productive destinations to date. I certainly recommend that. Finally, I spent some time in the greater Kruger National Park in the Selati conservation area. I am looking forward to start with my scheduled excursions in 2023, which includes a few new destinations and a visit to Kgalagadi. If all goes well, you can expect some more photographs next year.
The progress made in photographic editing software really excites me. I consider processing as in integral part of the final product. Processing does not mean manipulation of the photograph to represent something different. The technology to reduce noise, e.g., allows one to shoot at higher ISO settings than usual. Obviously, this means that one needs to generate sufficient shutter speed to capture the moment. My advice to any photographer is to learn more about processing of photographs.”
