Nikon Moments with Tony

WINDHOEK- Well known Namibian photographer, and owner of Studio 77, Tony Figueira’s exhibition Nikon Moments opened yesterday at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN)’s Main Gallery.

 

Tony develops the ‘Nikon Moments’ from early age photography, along with drumming and playing sport, as a passion. Yet it was through sport and in particular football, that his early views of the world changed to such an extent that it would mould the future of this photography.  “At the tender age of sixteen, I decided that photography would be my vehicle to document my world. Sport and the banning of our school from playing in the all-white schools leagues rocked my world.”

Tony decided to name his exhibition, Nikon Moments, because of the experience he has with the Nikon camera, and how it is the best camera for him as a photographer.  He says the first camera he owned was Pentax that he ordered from South African mail-chain store, Dion, which he had for a while, and then decided to get a Nikon that happened to be his favorite camera up to now. “My relationship with Nikon has dominated my life. It has been a love-hate relationship at times, and despite my owning medium format cameras such as Mamiya and having shot with other brands, I have developed a total love for Nikon, for its durability, its work-horse robustness and its brilliant lenses. It is what I know, what I am familiar with, and what my hand misses when it is not there. It is an extension of my eyes and mind, of how I capture the world, of how I continuously look for what’s missing in my frame, that if it was there, would make the difference,” says Tony.

Nikon Moments is covering particular moments like frames of frozen time; children looking after children; a chameleon on the road; the clutches of football in the remotest of Africa; a youngster reaching out for my camera; fashion in the township; a march of youngsters fighting for better education in the early eighties; the rise of the phoenix as Angolan kids dance on top of blasted tanks and the new rage of colour festivals; Mirror images; Faces; all adding up to moments that he captured with a Nikon. “These pictures have have been dug out from my vast memory bank and depict moments that are as much about my subjects as they are about me,” says Tony. Nikon Moments runs until

Nikon Moments with Tony