Soweto
Township
South Africa · October 2025 · Ricoh GR IIIx
- The township & its history
- Shooting from an SUV
- High-contrast B&W
- The Ricoh GR IIIx
- Further reading
"I had long wanted to visit Soweto, and it did not disappoint."
Most of these photographs were made in late October 2025, often from the quiet shelter of an SUV. A number of frames carry a softness — the result of shooting through glass, from a moving vehicle. Rather than detract, I feel it contributes to the narrative. There is a slight remove, a subtle barrier between observer and subject, which mirrors the experience of many outsiders encountering the township for the first time.
The series is rendered deliberately in high-contrast black & white to convey sobriety, gravity, and atmosphere. Colour felt like a distraction. Monochrome allows form, gesture, and expression to speak more directly.
For me, this was an emotionally impactful journey. For visitors from abroad, the recent history of South Africa's townships — particularly here — can be difficult to fully comprehend. The legacy of the past is not abstract: it lingers and, in places, still shapes daily life.
"There is a slight remove — a subtle barrier between observer and subject."
Shooting from within a vehicle creates an unusual photographic condition. You are present but separated — a witness, not a participant. The softness that results from glass and motion is, in this context, an honest document of that distance. In Soweto, that honesty felt more respectful than staging proximity that didn't exist.
"For visitors from abroad, the recent history of South Africa's townships can be difficult to fully comprehend."
All images captured on the Ricoh GR IIIx — a pocketable camera that allowed quiet, unobtrusive work. Soweto Township · October 2025
For those wishing to explore the deeper history of Soweto, especially the turbulence of the mid-1970s, I recommend The Bang-Bang Club by Greg Marinovich and João Silva. It provides powerful context to a place whose story is both complex and ongoing.
