Manie van der Hoven, or “Justasurferdude” as he is known by many is an adventure photographer who started out photography with a mobile phone. He quickly realized his passion for photography and being an outdoor fanatic he decided to focus on living a good life where he can combine all his passions and hobbies.  He prefers to use only natural light for his photography claiming that carrying a camera around is enough effort and in an adrenaline rushed environment there is no time to set up lighting equipment. Using only natural light in his outdoor shoots he eventually started using only natural light in all his genres. If it’s too dark then he takes a break, or experiment with fire and astrophotography.  Choosing a setting where the light is working is very important in his shoots, but he believes it is part of the skills required to be a good photographer.

Manie started off with land photography and quickly realized that getting better action shots you need to be closer to the action.  He tried a GoPro in the water and later acquired a proper water housing to do proper water photography.  This was not enough, he wanted to take his photography “to the next level” and invested in a quad-copter for aerial photography.  Although he is shooting anything now from action sports to boudoir, he still believes that an “adventure” photographer capture in-the-moment shots compared to carefully prepared posed shots. This gives the final product a more natural feel and captures the mood better.

 

 

 

My 2 Minutes of Fame on SABC’s morning show Expresso!

 

 

 

My other love…surfing