Kally gets exposure he deserves

The old adage that a picture can say what it takes a writer 1000 words to convey, is one that veteran photojournalist Ranjith Kally lives by.

In April, he will receive an honorary degree in literature from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Some would say the accolade is long overdue for the decades Kally has dedicated to the profession.

Kally, 87, has taken "millions" of pictures in a career that began in the early 1950s, including some iconic images of former ANC president Chief Albert Luthuli.

He says he stumbled on to photojournalism at a jumble sale many years ago, when he lived in Isipingo.

"I found a 126 folding camera that took beautiful postcard pictures. I bought it for sixpence and began taking pictures."

When Kally picked up the camera, he was 18 years old and working in a shoe factory, sticking soles onto 850 shoes a day. To supplement his earnings, he began working as an events photographer for a local newspaper, The Leader.

This way, he honed his skills . "Everything I learn t was through trial and error. No newspapers would accept me at the time because of my race group so learning how to properly compose a picture was down to trying."

It was only when the Golden City Post opened its doors in 1956 that Kally's eye for bringing life to a still began to shine through.

"The politics of the time was the main source of stories. At that time, the plight of black South Africans was not reflected in other media and we saw this as our opening, to tell their stories."

It was also Kally's chance to sell his pictures to Drum magazine, helping them put a face to the stories they sent around the world.

Despite accumulating nearly 40 years of experience - capturing everything from child labourers to jazz singers, politicians and even the odd stripper - Kally holds closest to his heart the black-and-white portraits he took of his parents in 1945.

"It is not only because the picture is of my mother and father, it is also the composition."

One of the pictures he is most proud of though, he no longer possesses.

Attending the murder trial of seven Crimson League gang members in the 1960s, Kally knew the winning shot would be an image of the inside of the court room.

"I put my camera inside my shirt and walked in. Back then, a camera going off sounded just like the clicking of a pen. So I took my pen out and clicked it a few times. No one batted an eye, so I unbuttoned my shirt and took a wide-angle shot that captured the whole room, including the judge and the accused," he remembered.

On the topic of his award, Kally is almost bashful. "It is quite an achievement. It was the times of the struggle but I was given a chance to show what I could do and I am grateful for that. It feels very special to be honoured."