CREATIVES ON THE COAST
Simone Dorfman was born and bred in Benoni and has since moved to Ballito. “My photography background truthfully began as a hobby. My dad was always a photo enthusiast and I would always enjoy snapping shots on his camera whenever I could”, Simone explains. After obtaining her degree in Fashion at LISOF (now STADIO), in Johannesburg, she swiftly entered the fashion industry thereafter. As time progressed, Simone took a more formal stance on photography and studied via an online school into the more technical aspects of the craft. “Photography organically grew into a career as more friends and connections started requesting shoots from me, and I haven’t looked back since”, she says.
Simone leans towards documentary-styled family photography and brand/content work. From a family and portrait perspective, she would describe her style as genuine versus being styled/posed. “I love capturing the little moments between the actions; the real smiles, giggles, tears and love. These are the emotions that I want to freeze and hold the essence of”, Simone explains. In a connected world, social media has become an integral part of any brand identity and having a professional stance with powerful imagery creates a beautiful visual impact. “I love working with brands on fresh content for their products and being a part of that growth for a business”, she expresses.
It’s evident that Simone doesn’t fit into a specific category of what kind of photographer she labels herself as. She loves the variety that her job entails and finds that by not specialising in one area alone, the lessons she learns from all genres of photography are invaluable. “I guess I am a bit of a generalist photographer – I love to capture anything from events, and weddings, to couples, families and portraits to brand and product work”, Simone explains.
Connecting with local Ballito-based photographer, Simone Dorfman.
“I am inspired in a creative direction by different photographers for different reasons. Greg Wiliams for his authentic documentary style imagery, Mari Trancoso for her intimate connection imagery, Daniella Midenge for her exquisite editorial work – my list is endless”, she describes. Simone gushes about being surrounded by incredibly successful and driven friends who inspire her to grow. “My wonderful and strong mother and late father always pushed me to be happy in my career, and having a super supportive husband who always encourages me adds to my daily inspiration to be and do better”, Simone explains. When asking Simone what her favourite part of being a photographer is, she explained, “I think the most rewarding part of any photo shoot is the client reactions once they have received their images – that always leaves me stoked”.
Get Connected
To book a shoot with Simone, visit her website www.simonedsphotography.com or have a look at her fabulous Instagram page @simone_ds_photography
