Portrait by @craigrodney
Follow Ockie on Instagram
A talented photographer, inspiring creative and all-round nice guy, @theworldsyoungestman (Ockie Fourie) is our featured Instagrammer for January 2016. Living in the City Bowl with wife, Anna, and three animals of the feline persuasion, Ockie embodies every quality we admire in the local Instagram community. A Capetonian by heart and postal code, our beautiful city is regularly showcased in his Instagram gallery while his penchant for portraiture and eye for perspective keep posts intriguing, refreshing and original.
The Interview
1. What gear do you use? What do you use most: DSLR or Smartphone?
Canon 5D MKIII and Fujifilm X-T1. My phone is an iPhone 6S. Obviously my smartphone is always in my pocket, so it's easy to shoot something that catches my eye. I use my camera/s for scheduled shoots and/or street missions.
2. When and why did you start taking pictures?
Around 2004/2005. I bought a Canon IXUS point-and-shoot before going to New York. I felt like I had to document the trip. Besides, phones had terrible cameras back then.
3. When did you start your account and why Instagram?
December 2010. There was quite a bit of hype around Instagram at the time, seeing as it just launched on the app store a few months prior. I was using Hipstagram before Instagram, but preferred the fact that Instagram was a social platform and not just a photo app with filters.
4. What's your favourite image you've posted and why?
It's really difficult to answer that. From a human interaction point of view, my favourite image was of an elderly gentleman named Aubrey, who resides in Woodstock. He could not speak and he could not hear, but yet I managed to make him laugh and snap a few shots.
5. Are there any photo apps that you would recommend?
VSCO and Cortex Cam.
6. Have you had any formal photography training?
No. 100% self-taught.
7. Would you classify yourself as a hobbyist or pro? If hobbyist, what's your 9-5
Hobbyist (for now). I'm the South African brand manager for an international surfwear company.
8. Instagrammer you most admire?
I can’t just pinpoint it down to one. There's way too much talent out there. Check out @jasonmpeterson, @trashhand, @chrisburkard and @teaforbear. There are probably hundreds of insanely talented photographers that I'm not following or simply unaware of on IG, but I draw enough inspiration from the accounts I currently follow.
9. Any advice for those just starting out?
Shoot every day. Develop your own style. Don't worry about followers and likes. It builds with time. Always shoot and edit the way you like, not necessarily the way that others do. Instagram is a great tool for gaining inspiration, but also offers the platform to create something that is unique to you, be it objects, editing or both.
10. 3 Photos | 3 Stories Feature
The Swimmer
I snapped this at the Bondi Beach tidal pool on a recent trip to Australia. I had a few takes, but this one stood out. As with South Africa, Australia also had a spike in temperatures, forcing everyone into the cold water of the ocean and tidal pools. Camera: Fujifilm X-T1 w. 27mm f2.8 lens.
The Girl And The Doll
Shot in Woodstock on a scorching hot day in December 2015. Tiana and her sisters were sitting in the shade trying to escape the heat. I asked her to pose for a photo but struggled to get the right angle. Camera: Canon 5D MKIII w. 50mm f1.4 lens.
Promenade Mist
A few of us hit the streets late at night, aiming to capture the city while it sleeps. This was shot at the Seapoint Promenade on one of those misty winter evenings with the infamous fog horn blasting in the background. Camera: Canon 5D MKIII w. 50mm f1.4 lens.
