Trainers

John Hog has over 20 years of experience at leading newspapers in South Africa, where he has worked as a freelancer, staff photographer and picture editor. In the course of his career he has specialised in covering the arts, most notably dance and music, in particular through documenting arts festivals such as the First National Bank Dance Umbrella and Oppikoppi. He currently serves as Photographic Editor for The Times newspaper in Johannesburg.

TJ Lemon started his photography career in the 1990s working as a freelancer covering hostel-related conflict in Gauteng. With the 1994 election he joined Independent Newspapers, subsequently becoming Chief Photographer at the Sunday Independent. TJ is the recipient of a number of prizes, including a 2000 World Press Photo award and a 2006 Mondi award for feature writing. In addition to serving as lead trainer of the PDP, he currently specialises in features, documentary and multi-media.

Sydney Seshibedi studied photography at the Market Photo Workshop and joined the Sunday Times as a photographer upon completion of his studies in 2000. He has since developed a passion for sports coverage, garnering numerous awards in the process. These include Photographer of the Year for the 2004 Premier Soccer League Season, and second place in the sports category of the annual World Press Photo awards.

Ruth Sacks is a visual artist who has exhibited widely, locally and internationally. She has taught in various institutions since 2002, her main focus being on History of Art and English. She has a Masters Degree in Fine Art from the University of Cape Town and a post-graduate degree in studio practice from the Higher Institute for Fine Art in Gent, Belgium. Together with Simon Gush, she runs the 2012 Parking Gallery, a project space in Johannesburg hosted by the Visual Arts Network SA.

Lisa Johnston began her writing career more than 10 years ago with the job of content editor at a website newly launched for Exclusive Books. She subsequently moved to African Eye News Service, an award-winning agency based in Mpumalanga, where her coverage expanded to include issues related to development and corruption. Lisa has also worked as a senior sub-editor at the Mail & Guardian, and for Getaway magazine.

Ilse van der Merwe graduated with a B-tech Degree in photography from Tshwane University of Technology in 2006 and since then has been working intermittently as a photography teacher. Van der Merwe practices as a professional photographer and her work has been on various group and solo exhibitions and has appeared in numerous publications. 

David Randel completed a Diploma in Photography at the National College of Photography in Pretoria. Randel taught part time photography courses at the National College of Photography, Johannesburg since 2003 and in 2008 co-founded the College of Digital Photography. Randel divides his time between professional photography, training and carpentry.

Rita Potenza is a professional picture researcher and curator of exhibitions working in the areas of social documentary and history research. Potenza has worked on numerous noteworthy book projects and documentaries and public exhibitions at institutions such as the Workers’ Library, Museum Africa, The Apartheid Museum and the Market Photo Workshop.

Buyaphi Mdledle completed the Photo Workshop’s Advanced Programme in Photography in 2003 and has taught photography intermittently at the Alf Khumalo School of Photography, Soweto; City Varsity, Cape Town and from 2010 at the Photo Workshop. Mdledle has exhibited locally and initiated a community photography project ‘Soweto Photo Album’ in Pimville, Soweto.

Mpho Khwezi is a graduate of Vaal University of Technology and a Market Photo Workshop alumnus. Khwezi has worked as an intern photographer for the Mail & Guardian, as a photographer for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the International Organisation for Migration in Zambia. He was nominated in 2009 to participate in the prestigious World Press Joop Swart Masterclass.

Steve Marais is an internationally published fashion and beauty photographer. Marais graduated from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2004, and has since established himself as a commercial photographer as well as a post-production editor, creating editorial and advertising content for numerous publications and clients.

Daniel van Flymen completed his Masters in Digital Photography at the School of Visual Arts, New York City (2009). Van Flymen assisted artist Mary Beth Edelson and photographer Ryan McGinley while studying in New York. Van Flymen has a wide-ranging skillset that includes digital photography (theory and technical aspects), programming, design and web. He is currently studying B. Sc in Physics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and practicing as a professional photographer.

Michelle Harris graduated from the University of Johannesburg in 2005 with a degree in Fine Art, followed by a teacher-training course in arts, culture and design from the same institution. Harris is a visual artist who specialises in performance and mixed media installation. 

Michelle Loukidis is a graduate of Tshwane University of Technology and has been a trainer at the Market Photo Workshop since 2003.

Claire Rousell graduated from Sunderland University, UK with MA Photography in 2009 and has since worked as a visual culture trainer at Sunderland College and the University of Johannesburg. She is a practicing artist with a particular interest in performance art and crafts; and has exhibited in South Africa and England.
 
Taryn Cohn holds BA Fine Art and a Master of Philosophy in Cultural Development. Since 2002 Cohn has worked in various capacities within the sphere of visual arts management and marketing. Her areas of specialty include marketing and communications for art and development projects, financial management, project management and strategy. Cohn is a director of Art Source South Africa, a visual arts and culture consultancy. Art Source hosts and presents training workshops and seminars throughout Southern Africa and provide strategic career management services and coaching to contemporary South African artists.

Belinda Shange is a Mellon Mays fellow completing an MA in Film and Television Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her research topic is Performing Black Masculinities: Johannesburg's performance poets and their counter narratives of resistance to normative ideas of black malehood perpetuated in mainstream cinema. Shange is producing a short experimental documentary film, Rainbow’s Men, which further explores her research topic.

Matthew Kay completed the Advanced Programme in Photography in 2012. Kay was the winner of the 2011 CIT:Y award for photography and his photo essay  Losing Ground was recently nominated for the Viewbook Photostory 2012 contest.