Message from Dr. Johan Kloppers, new Western Cape Director of PSSA

Dear Chairpersons,

                            It has been week since I have been elected as your regional director. Firstly I would like to thank you for the entrusting me to fill this very important position and for your overwhelming positive response.

           In the past there has been very negative vibes towards PSSA, and my aim is going to be to clarify all of this. I personally have been a member of PSSA for the past 35 years and will continue to be a member for as long as I live. I am not shy to say that through the PSSA I made my mark in photography. I don’t think we always appreciate the immense work that goes into running a society as the PSSA and for all those people who give a lot of their time organizing congresses, workshops and lectures, and that all to our benefit and the photography we do.

          I believe that without PSSA we might as well pack away our cameras. Let us rather support PSSA by becoming full members and work together to make photography an even greater success. If there is any unhappiness or queries I would like to know about it, so we can work together to solve the problems for you.

          On the 11^th Feb. Hermanus and Helderburg are having a joint meeting which I will attend along with some of our members from Fish Hoek. I think this is a great idea for clubs to meet during the year and not only see each other at the interclub. I can’t help to think back to the years when we were like one big family of photographers.

          We had our last interclub at Paarl, but there is some confusion of who is going to host it this year. We have lost track, and if we could get some indication who should be next, it will be appreciated. There has been a suggestion that we should have our interclub meetings if possible at a venue like Sanlam. They have all the facilities and I am sure that we, with a bit of help from our friends at Sanlam secure this venue.

          It is encouraging to see how the standard of photography has improved and how the numbers in the clubs are growing again. After doing photography for more than 40 years I am glad that I can still participate in such a great hobby. Photography has always been a passion and a great part of my life and if I could encourage more photographers to feel the same I would have achieved my goal as your regional director.

          I am looking forward to working with you.

                           Kind Regards,

                                             Johan Kloppers