John Baloyi is perhaps best known for his portraiture and street style photographs captured in Johannesburg and its surrounds. People photographed confidently, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes more ethereal with a love of lensing his wife Itumeleng Baloyi. Traversing between digital and analogue he seeks out composition and colour within urban and more natural environments. Moving between analogue and digital it is near indiscernible what category his images fall under as they do not show the stereotypical grain associated with film imagery.
Moody imagery. Shallow depth of field contrasted by images that have rich, darker tones. Subdued tones. Saturation. The glow of melanin. A soft depiction. Traditional framing. The sun kisses the model’s lower arm. Drenched in permissible shadow. A harnesser of light. An evoker of love.
Baloyi’s images grasp at something rather beautiful, they grasp at the joy of life as he tells of a world filled with love an enamouring delicacy. A skilled eye he brings out only the best in his sitters. I admire his technical prowess which shines through in every still frame.
To keep up with John Baloyi follow him on Instagram.
