l had already photographed Dube Trade Port a few years back so when we got the request to quote I was so excited. This is my kind of job where it is mostly outdoors, has a lot of variety and of course has plenty of challenges. The main challenge when photographing the airport and surrounds is the lack of vantage points. There aren’t any great hills that you can climb that will provide you with that amazing sunrise or sunset view and although I attempted many climbs through long grass and bush in the pitch dark, they yielded no great results. I only got covered in sticky things and grass for my efforts. Could have been bitten by a black mamba so I guess it wasn’t so bad. Most people only know KingShaka International Airport but there is a lot more to Dube Trade Port than just the airport. There is Dube City which is becoming a next-generation business hub in the heart of Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone; Dube TradeZone is a specialist freight-orientated export environment and multi-modal logistics platform; Dube Cargo Terminal is a state-of-the-art facility and one of the most secure cargo operations in Africa; Dube AgriZone is Africa’s first integrated perishables supply chain and the most technologically advanced future farming platform on the continent; Dube iConnect, offering advanced metro Ethernet network, is a world-class telecommunications, voice and broadband ITC platform. The place is massive and required a lot of walking and driving to find new angles and compositions. My favourite part was going airside where I got up close to the big planes, soooo cool. And of course the aerial shoot is always a winner although it is such a stressful part as you have to pick the right day that offers clear visibility but also great lighting and of course there is no second chance so you cannot miss any shots because going back would be a very costly exercise. There is so much more to Dube Trade Port and it is such an amazing place right here in KZN and something that we can all be proud of. My colleagues are currently working on a promotional video for Dube Trade Port and it is looking amazing so keep a look out for that when it gets released.
