Lush images of a floral desert from photographer Francois Visser

Date
26 January 2015

Day-to-day Francois Visser is the kind of photographer you’ll find with his lens trained on scantily clad, elfin adolescents, such is the nature of fashion photography. But his carefully-composed portraits have a sensitivity that many newcomers lack; a substance-before-style approach that denotes a mature understanding of his medium.

This is likely the result of Francois’ unorthodox career path, which has led him from a psychology degree to a spell in advertising and then on to assisting photographers and eventually producing his own images as he flits between South Africa and the UK.

Though these recent shots for The Plant are clearly not of models, they nevertheless demonstrate Francois’ considerable skill. Taken in the flowering desert of Namaqualand, a region of South Africa and Namibia known for its wealth of alluvial diamonds, Francois’ images are like Eden before the fall; a lush playground of saturated colour and strange flora that makes urban existence seem painfully grey.

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Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Can you give us a bit of background to Namaqualand?

Namaqualand, dubbed the benign desert, is an arid region in the Northern Cape of South Africa that stretches along the west coast into Namibia. For a short period each year around spring, the land is transformed into a prismatic tapestry of colours as a myriad of wild flowers appear after the winter rain.

The annual oscillating weather patterns, in particular the timing and duration of rainfall occurrence, determines the configuration of Namaqualand’s wild flowers. Fields that are orange in one year may be replaced by bright yellow cups in another.

Is this the first time you’ve visited or is it somewhere you’re very familiar with?

I’ve driven through the area many times as we used to spend much time in Namibia when I was younger, but I’ve never gone this far north during the wild flower season.

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Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

What’s the attraction of the area for you?

Vast open space.

Can you tell us a bit about the plants that grow there?

According to SAN Parks (South Africa National Parks) more than 3000 different species of wildflowers are found within the Namaqualand, half of which do not exist outside of it. Around one third of all plants in the region are succulents, a number that includes one tenth of all succulents in the world. Many of these are minute.

Namaqualand also has an incredibly rich bulbous and cormous flora, similar to the southbound Cape floral kingdom. Botanists have described it as a succulent desert enriched by a large and glorious bulb flora. The feral Namaqualand flower fields, like a garden bedding on a gigantic scale, comprise few species, often just a single sort of daisy.

"Fields that are orange in one year may be replaced by bright yellow cups in another."

Francois Visser

What does it feel like to walk through such an unspoilt area?

I went on an early hike in the Goegap Nature Reserve. When the sun says hello, it’s restorative in a sense, and quiet with no other people around.

Parts of the area are owned by DeBeers for diamond mines, does that change the character of the area?

Diamond mining, which began in 1928, has undoubtedly shaped and impacted the region socially and environmentally. De Beers recently sold their mines as its operations in the area nears the end of its life. Mining activities in the Namaqualand, both onshore and offshore, have serious implications for conservation.

You mostly shoot portraits, what’s the attraction of landscapes?

I grew up under open skies, so I like nature a lot. Especially landscapes, plants and the ocean.

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Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

Above

Francois Visser: Namaqualand for The Plant Issue 7

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About the Author

James Cartwright

James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

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