About me
Christopher Allan Journalism MA (Rhodes)
I am currently shooting as a freelancer and constantly working at growing a photographic “hub” in Johannesburg called “Double A Images”. The business is still young, but already boasts almost 200 South African specific lifestyle images on Getty Images. It has a database of street cast models, an archive of imagery intended for the interior design sector and plans to delve into other areas of the photographic industry that would benefit from great service and creative image production.
Previously I was a Senior Picture Editor at Gallo Images, Image Partner and Master Delegate of Getty Images, the worlds most successful image library. I was part of a rapidly growing and dynamic team that made up the Gallo Images Creative Department for a period of three fantastic years.
A Freelance photographer’s route to Picture Editing, saw me taking photos for stock, fashion, high end real estate, travel and whatever other work I could lay my hands on. I was priviledged to have photographs and articles published in The Mail and Guardian, SL Magazine, and The Star Travel Section to mention a few.
A investigation into the effects of Digital Photography on the job of the photojournalist, saw me shadowing members of The Sowetan Photographic Department for a short period of time, while completing master’s thesis in 2002.
An Internship at ‘The Star’ newspaper in 2000 allowed me to work under some award winning Photographers and Picture Editors. During that time I had one front page photo (to my absolute delight), and many other images published throughout the paper.
There is life outside text and images, and I do enjoy racing around a duck pond of a dam, called Emmerentia, in an unstable piece of fibreglass called a Kayak a few times a week. I remain fairly shaky in this pursuit, but convince myself that the the lung bursting, close to nature, sometimes frostbitten experience must, at the very least, be character building.
To complete the picture, my beautiful, blonde, Television Director wife, Emily, inspires, directs and motivates me on a daily basis while working on exciting television programmes around the country.