Multidisciplinary Storyteller — Cape Town, South Africa
Seeing is where the story begins.
People, and the stories they carry, have always fascinated me. I work across photography, film and writing, combining a journalistic eye for detail with a documentary-style approach. Whether I'm working with a person, place, brand or organisation, I look for the human thread. Stories help us see each other more clearly — I'm passionate about telling them with authenticity, creativity and purpose.
Paying attention to people can bring us closer to worlds beyond our own.
I'm drawn to the things that might otherwise go unnoticed. The way someone tells a story. The character of a place. A fleeting expression. The things people say when they feel at home.
Photography, film and writing have given me different ways to follow that curiosity — to pay attention, to make something of what I find, and to share what I notice with others.
Photography
Observational and people-focused — I'm interested in people as they really are. Their relationships, expressions, small gestures and the moments that happen when they're simply themselves.
Video
Interview-led documentary and short-form work, built around narrative and emotion.
Writing
Profiles, essays, journalism and creative copy — words that explore the people, places and ideas behind a story.
Portfolio
The work
A handful of favourites, across photography, film and writing.
K & M
PhotoA documentary-style wedding day — all the moments you'll want to remember.
LIV Durban
PhotoA family environment for vulnerable and orphaned children, centred on unconditional love.
Cape Epic
PhotoDocumenting Pump For Peace's presence at the Cape Epic — the riders and the atmosphere.
Amanda's Story
VideoA story of resilience and hope, and what every child truly deserves.
What Happened To You?
WritingA four-part thesis on fatherlessness, challenging how a fractured nation views masculinity.
The father-heart
WritingOne man's encounter with God rewrote his story of fatherhood.
Trusted with the telling
your story already has a voice.
My job is to listen closely enough to find it. I don't believe in telling every story the same way. I take the time to understand what makes yours unique, then shape the story around that — whether through photography, film, writing, or a combination of all three.
About
whilst i've always used my camera and my words, my background is a slightly unusual mix of psychology, english, isiXhosa and journalism, followed by a high school teaching qualification. unrelated? maybe. to me, they feel like different expressions of something that's always been in my heart: using my God-given creativity to build bridges, tell stories and connect with people.
somewhere along the way, i realised they were all teaching me much the same thing: how to pay attention. how to ask better questions. how to listen to what someone is actually saying, seeking to understand rather than be understood.
currently living in cape town and freelancing in photography, film and writing, i seek to uncover stories that reflect hope, dignity and purpose, built on a deep belief that stories have the power to change the way we see the world and one another.
More about Jess →