Why Cape Town?
“It was always Farina’s big dream to travel to Cape Town,” says Hannes, who is sweating in his tank top during our Skype conversation a few thousand miles south, while sunshine and snow alternate outside my window in Berlin.
The two of them made Farina's dream come true and basically "swapped offices" and moved to Cape Town for 3 months. The two work as wedding photographers and rely on good weather, so a change of location was a good idea. Hannes describes himself as a summer person and the city in South Africa seems to be a good place to shorten the German winter a little.
First impression?
The city offers many “photogenic corners” that everyone photographs, such as the stylish Woodstock district. Wanting a bit of variety, Hannes took a few photos with the hashtag #somethingyellow .
The media industry is omnipresent in Cape Town, everything is very European and touristy. People meet in hip cafés and drink smoothies. He seems to like it there quite a lot, "we can imagine Cape Town as a second base to avoid the grey, cold winter in Germany." On his next visit, Hannes would like to do a road trip to Namibia.
If Cape Town were a person, how would you describe him/her?
"Pleasant, cosmopolitan and visually beautiful. A soft shell with a hard core. Stylish and versatile," says the Berliner. The city is very diverse, "from St. Tropez to America, you can find everything here," he says, surrounded by beautiful scenery. The city also seems to be incredibly photogenic, the pictures speak for themselves. But you only really get to know the different corners once you have lived there for a while. That's why the two move regularly during their stay.
Not only are the landscape, architecture and people stunningly beautiful here, there are also many old VWs on Cape Town's streets, in a variety of colors. Recently, the photographer spotted a Herbie lookalike and immediately took a photo of it.
Favorite places?
Anyone who follows @_hannesthun on Instagram knows the answer: Table Mountain! With probably the best view of Cape Town and the sea. Best time of day? “Definitely at sunset.” Hannes and his girlfriend have therefore treated themselves to an annual pass for the mountain so that they can climb whenever they want. A good alternative to this is Lion's Head, with a view of Table Mountain.
Another motif that has been photographed several times is the Africa Café, where the photographer couple met another couple on a blind date that they met through Instagram. Their photo of Chapman's Peak Drive was discovered through the social network and featured three times by South African portals (including @Pixelpanda_za , @loves_southafrica and @kapstadtmag ) - a first step when it comes to gaining a foothold in Cape Town.
But life in South Africa is not always sunny and beautiful. At the beginning of their trip, the couple's credit card was stolen, a rather unpleasant experience. In addition, the photographer does not feel 100 percent safe everywhere and avoids some parts of the city, even though he would like to take photos there.
What's still on the to-do list before heading back to Germany? Experience a sunrise on Lion's Head! By the way, check out Hannes' #capetowntoDOlist !
