Vision… Timing.

A serious motorcycle accident at the age of 19 was a decisive moment that forever changed the course of my life. Fortunate to hang on to my leg, it took me over 2 years to recover and it was towards the end of this time that I was introduced to the possibility of making a living as a photographer.

I had at that point worked out that the South African Post Office was not for me, and although they had fantastic medical benefits, which had benefitted me greatly, I could not imagine leading a life of a Pretorian civil servant as my father before me had.

Being forced to smile for family photographs, that were taken on my mothers Kodak Instamatic 110, was close to the sum total of my exposure to photography. Discovering the “Decisive Moments” of Cartier Bresson, the landscapes of Ansell Adams and portraits of Edward Weston, whilst obtaining a National Diploma were truly a revelation. The very fine technical background and demands of shooting film have stood me in great stead over the years and I count myself fortunate to have been exposed to it all.

Always drawn to the “decisive moment” it influenced my choice of creating extremely demanding Lith prints as I specialized in printing in the dark room, before embarking on a career as an advertising photographer. I had relocated to Cape Town following two disastrous attempted yacht crossings to Australia. The two near death, character building experiences, had left me with a very clear indication that my future was tied to South Africa and I set about building a career. I was given an opportunity to share a studio in Cape Town with my mentor, Alain Proust, from who I have learned so much and have never looked back. We are friends to this day and continue to share a studio and collaborate on projects.

Shooting liquids and beverages, the “decisive moment” strand in my work is predominant and my understanding of time and post production have led me to consider them as one. Working in parts, condensing events to one final visual, I now have an expanded grasp of the “Vision… Timing.” concept that I feel defines my work. I used to view it as a single moment in time and did my utmost to capture it, now I view it as having the overall vision to successfully condense moments into a single dynamic frame.

I thrive on variety and alway seek to keep my portfolio diverse and work across a broad spectrum, using whatever approach is best suited for the task at hand. Much of my personal work is still a single ‘decisive moment’. I am currently doing more and more motion projects as current trends and technology continue to offer greater opportunities in this direction.

Chad Henning is currently based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has saltwater in his veins and loves getting out to sea.

Chad Henning Photography,

Salisbury Studios,

23A Salisbury Rd,

Woodstock,

Cape Town

Mobile: +27 82 751 2605