Hilde Cilliers Showcase Photography

Date: 14 Feb – end April

Hilde Cilliers is a freelance photographer based in Stellenbosch who fell in love with the lens and its endless possibilities after being introduced to creative photography in 2004.

She explains: “My passion is to use my camera as a creative tool to create images. No matter how sophisticated a camera is it will merely remain a lifeless piece of equipment until it truly becomes an extension of a photographer’s creative eye and soul. To me my photographs are a way of communicating; it’s an expression of who I am.” To quote the Greek philosopher Aristotle  “the soul thinks in images”.

Hilde’s photographic work is characterised by simplicity and guided by three rules: Looking until you truly see; seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, and seeing what the light does. “Novelist Marcel Proust said that the ‘real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes’ … I definitely concur.”

Hilde focuses on creative photography, fine art photography and photo décor. She has trained herself through attending workshops and short courses, but believes the most important growth process comes from continuously playing with the camera.

In her own words this is what Hilde wants to attain with her photography:

“I want my images to touch your soul, to allow you to experience emotion, to experience a wow moment, feel the texture of the tree trunk and the warm breath of the horse against your bare arm and to smell the flower I’ve captured. I’d like you to recall your grandmom’s garden and smile when you look at one of my creations, to recall the cranking of the windmill and to feel the rough and uneven texture of the rocks or the soft beach sand under your bare feet. In short I want you to see, smell and experience magical moments and memories when you look at my photographs. I want to click what makes you tick.”