For Jacobus Snyman, professional photography offered a means of escape from his tiny South African hometown, Prince Albert.
"I watched a lot of MTV," he laughs. "I savored every bit of the outside world I could lay my eyes on -- dress sense, life styles, mood, attitude, beat, rhythm, composition, lighting -- all of which are very stylized in music videos. I think it was out of this that the love for fashion photography was born."
Since staging his small town escape, Snyman has cultivated a distinct signature aesthetic, often focusing on striking portraiture and unusual new faces.
"Every person brings something different to the table," says Snyman. "If you have a team you trust, an inspiring location, and enough coffee, the stories you can tell are endless."
Capturing the rare candid or "real" moment on set is an ongoing quest for the photographer. "I try to show beauty in its rawest form," he explains. "The moment when someone lets down their facade, shows a bit of themselves, of what’s happening behind their eyes -- I try to press the button."
Of course, even now that he's supporting himself with his passion, Snyman is still fantasizing about a big break with one magazine in particular. "They say dream big. And my dream is to shoot for Vogue before I’m 30."
