Selfies and portraits: Mzansi celebs put their photography skills to the test in The Perfect Picture S02E01
The second season of Canon’s photography-based reality TV series kicked off with a bang. On Sunday, 23 July, we were introduced to 10 Mzansi celebs who are all beginners when it comes to photography. Familiar with being behind the camera, these celebs will now take a step back to see if they’ve got what it takes to capture the perfect shot themselves.
This year’s contestants are a mix of artists, actors, content creators, presenters, and entertainers. The show stars Lasizwe, Gugu Khathi, Luyanda Mzazi, Zahirah Marty, Ivan Roux, Anele Zondo, Jonathan Boyton-Lee, Tshego Koke, Christall Kay, and Nomvelo Makhanya. And it’s hosted by the one and only Maps Maponyane.
After the initial introductions, contestants were thrilled to hear what was in store for the season winner of The Perfect Picture: R150 000 in cold, hard cash and R100 000 worth of Canon photographic equipment.
Challenge 1: A new kind of selfie
The resident judges were called to the stage before the contestants were presented with their first challenge. Well established in photography, Neo Ntsoma and Hilary O’Leary outlined precisely what they expect from the contestants: photography that reflects a narrative that’s easy to understand and relatable.
Decked out with Canon EOS R8 cameras and RF 24-50 lenses – which they get to keep – the contestants were ready to attempt their first challenge of the season: taking a selfie from a bird’s-eye view. Ahead of the competition, contestants were asked to collect items that represent their style and who they are. Positioning themselves next to their treasures from home, they now had to take a flat-lay photo that featured their faces – all in just 20 minutes! The excitement mounted as it was announced that the winner of this challenge would have an advantage leading into the elimination challenge.
Appearing as a guest judge, acclaimed wedding photographer, Daniel West named Zahirah Marty the winner, giving her 75 out of a possible 100 points for nailing the composition, exposure, and focus aspects of the brief.
Challenge 2: Capturing the perfect portrait
For challenge two, the contestants were tasked with capturing a portrait of a model. Daniel gave our celebs a little advice, telling them to focus on lighting, composition, and narrating a story through imagery. However, there was a twist – the contestants were the models! Grouped into pairs, each received 20 minutes to take a portrait of the other.
As the previous challenge winner, Zahirah got to choose her partner and who the other contestants would partner with. She chose Jonathan and paired Anele and Tshego, Gugu and Lasizwe, Nomvelo and Ivan, and Luyanda and Christall. After a frantic 40 minutes of taking pictures and editing, the judges crowned Ivan the winner of episode one for his clever use of black and white renders that made Nomvelo’s eyes pop. Unfortunately, Christall came in last, but the judges decided not to eliminate her, giving her a chance to learn and grow on the show.
With the first episode wrapping up, Maps alluded to an “action-packed” and “smashing” round of challenges to overcome in episode two, leaving our contestants excited but a little nervous for what’s to come.
Don’t miss the next instalment; tune in every Sunday to eTV at 17h00 for a brand-new episode, or catch repeat episodes on Saturdays at 17h30 on eReality.
