“People faced with the prospect of a camera portrait put on a face they think is the one they would like to show to the world... Every so often what lies behind the facade is rare and more wonderful than the subject knows or dares to believe.” - Irving Penn
Imagine if you could tell the story of the ‘someone’ in your community who has inspired you to achieve your goals. Now imagine if you could be inspired by the story of someone else’s everyday hero.
To tell a story through a photograph is to evoke the essence of your subject and capture it in spectacular liveliness, so that the moment’s emotion can be felt by the viewer. We are drawn to tales of triumph over hardship and our human nature feeds off this charismatic dynamism. We often share the most popular stories of success with one another on Social Media and in person but forget the fleeting moments that are the little steps towards realised progress. We’re immersed in the digital age where what inspires you can go on to inspire many more with the click of a share button.
In the past two months we introduced you to the stories of ordinary South Africans. We collaborated with Instagrammer and photographer Craig Howes and his team to discover hidden stories of progress all over the country and showcased them on Instagram as a part of our #RememberWhatItTakes series. Our philosophy - to remember what it takes to make your vision a reality - is one we believe in fully and an ideal we want to celebrate through the lenses of vibrant South Africans.
We’re now empowering a team of talented South African photographers to share their own stories with us- the stories of their unstoppable ambition. Each photographer’s story is part of a much larger and more complex journey, we call these featured glimpses #PortraitsInProgress.
We’re sharing their profound journeys with the world as symbols of progress for us to draw inspiration from. Follow the stories on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as we unearth the inspiration to #NeverStopMovingForward.
The #PortraitsInProgress movement is an Artist Acceleration Network of carefully selected photographers who will be commissioned to discover, capture & tell the stories of extraordinary South Africans who help us to remember what it takes. These stories will be curated on Instagram & shared with the world to fuel the passion of others on the road to their envisioned success. This exclusive opportunity wil be a platform for talented photographers to gain access to invaluable mentorship opportunities, exclusive event passes, and an income- all made real by Standard Bank
Each week will see the introduction of a new and interpretive challenge. If you’d like to join our team of commissioned storytellers, follow us on Instagram here and submit your photos and stories for each week’s challenge.
Terms and Conditions apply.
