It’s Creative Week in Cape Town and a group of us are traipsing through the midday streets of Cape Town, cameras in hand. A stylish man with red cap, blazer and funky yellow laces poses quite comfortably for six or more photographers. He stands almost parallel to the tall City Hall clock tower in the centre of a square and cameras click rapidly to try capturing him beneath the blue and cloud-filled sky.
Ed Suter.
Our photo walk has begun.
The man is Ed Suter and usually he is the man behind the lens searching out unique street style and art within the city. A professional photographer born in England and raised in Cape Town, he comes with a vast range of experience shooting street style fashion and portraiture. He has used many of his images on fabrics and tableware which he says are particularly popular amongst South Africans living abroad.
He is leading the ‘City Explorations’ photo walk today. He started off by sharing pearls of wisdom after publishing a photography book, Sharp Sharp, which captures the unique and bright South African street style, graphics and art within various cities. Once inspired, we set off through the city in search of colour and energy in people, street art and graphics.
An example of some of the colourful graphics and signs Ed enjoys shooting.
I’m usually quite tentative to approach strangers to photograph, but I found that most people were really flattered by my request and really enjoyed posing. A guy with a funky afro posed in front of an intricately-detailed wooden door, an exquisite girl with ebony skin posed effortlessly beside red and blue graphics to set off the colour of her clothing and a women working in a barber showed off her golden weave for me.
Street style and colour in Cape Town.
A barber shop in the city centre.
I couldn’t resist shooting all the fascinating buildings and architecture in the city and wall art cropped up all over and brought otherwise dull corners to life.
Cityscapes.
An incredible mural in the Fringe District.
What does the key open?
Blue Beauty.
Yes I do!
The whimsical Charlie’s Bakery.
All around us Capetonians burst out from the offices and into the sunshine for lunch, car guards insisted on following us around and other stared at out paparazzi mob in amazement.
Find Ed and his vibrant images here: www.edsuter.com
