Alon Skuy captures the world’s foibles through a camera lens

SUZANNE BELLING

PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED

Alon Skuy, award-winning photographer.

The Institute is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism programme and competition in the world.

One of his pictures in the portfolio entitled “Xenophobia, a recurring nightmare” gained first place.

Skuy also took second place for newspaper pictures of the year at Photograph of the Year International (POYI). “POYI believes it is critical for citizens to experience your documentation of the news events and social issues facing our world,” says Skuy. “When you enter Pictures of the Year International, your work reaches out to citizens worldwide and becomes a part of visual history.”

In South Africa, he won first prize in the SADEC competition.

Skuy, who is Jewish, took the first steps in his career after completing a course at The Market Photo Workshop in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Chief photographer for The Times for the past nine years, he has also worked as a freelance photographer for The Star, The Saturday Star and the Sunday Independent newspapers. His first fulltime employment as a photographer was with The Star.

His achievements also include being a finalist in the Bayeux Calvados award for war correspondents.

Skuy also placed second in the Issue Reporting Picture Story category for his work on evictions in the Johannesburg inner city.

At the time of Marikana shootings four years ago, he won additional international awards, including first place in the News Picture Story “Marikana Massacre”.

“I feel great when my work is seen by a wider audience,” Skuy told SA Jewish Report. “It is good to be recognised by one’s peers.”

Some of his assignments “take their toll”, he said when he captures the pure pain of evictions, people in situations of raw poverty and violence.

He feels he is making a statement and this is the importance of photojournalism.

“It is always interesting to document events and be part of the creative process.

“I knew my vocation and passion from 2004 when I was an intern on The Star.”

Skuy has given exhibitions – including a solo “Xenophobia – Never Again” at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.

He has published articles and been published in books.

Skuy grew up in Johannesburg and matriculated from Eden College.