Nelson Mandela / Madiba

Digging deep into the archives again, re-scanning some 5×7 prints in my portfolio:

I had the pleasure of photographing Nelson Mandela, then president of South Africa, at a function in March ’98. I was one of several photographers covering the event where he addressed people attending a function.

What made this photo-shoot difficult was that NO camera flash was allowed. This was in an attempt not to aggravate eye problems the president experienced. So all photographs were taken with ambient light alone. Which is a challenge inside a dimly lit marquee tent in early evening. I remember being the only photographer there with a tripod.

Date:  March ’98  -  Johannesburg, South Africa
Equipment:  Nikon F90x;  Nikon AF-D 80-200mm f2.8
Exposure:  spot-metered;  tripod; 1/15th @ f2.8
Film:  Fujicolor 800 Super G Plus

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President Mandela obviously enjoying the Imilonji Choir, as he dances to their vibrant singing. His warmth and lack of officiousness have endeared him even more to South Africans and people across the world.  President Mandela was also affectionately known as Madiba, an honorary title adopted by elders of Mandela’s clan.  The title came to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela.

Date:  March ’98  –  Johannesburg, South Africa
Equipment:  Nikon F90;  Nikon AF-D 35-70mm f2.8
Exposure:  matrix;  handheld  1/8th @  f2.8
Film:  Fujicolor 800 Super G Plus

As an unrelated anecdote: On one occasion, I even had the opportunity to shake Mandela’s hand – even if it was quite accidental …

This was during the time when Nelson Mandela and the ANC were still in a negotiation with the National Party, (circa ’90 – ’92) before the first free elections in South African in ’94.  At the time I was still working at the South African Broadcast Corporation’s television studios, where on the day I was fixing some equipment in the TV studio where Mandela was to be interviewed.

When I had finished with my task at hand, I walked briskly out of the studio …  just as Mandela turned the corner walked through the doorway of the studio.   He must have thought that I must be someone of importance there, who purposely walked up to him to greet him, and he held out his hand to shake mine.  Completely in surprise I briefly shook his hand before he walked further into the studio.

I was instantly in awe.  He really had a presence about him.  Unmistakably so, even if somehow you had no idea who he was.

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