SAM HASKINS

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Sam Haskins was born in Kroonstad, South Africa, in November 1926, he has become world renowned for his black and white photography, predominantly of female nudes, and for his use of a camera and cropping of his photographs. His photographic skills were learnt and developed in a pre-digital, pre-photoshop, era, yet through his developing of his photos and superimposing images over other images he has created some beautiful compositions. His usage of the grainy black and white photo and book design was pioneering and this was made no more evident than on publication of "Cowboy Kate" in 1964. Cowboy Kate was the origin of new thinking in the world of black and white photography and subsequently went on to sell in excess of one million copies world wide, the first edition now a great collectors item, due to such great demand for this book it was republished in 2006 in the original format, but entitled the "Directors Cut" and printed with 16 new photographs that did not appear in earlier editions. The third book he published was "African Image", 1967, was a visual homage to Africa, its people and their craft and is of great interest to those passionate about Africa and photography alike. His first book of colour photographs was "Haskins Posters", 1972, published by him-self and his wife, Alida, under their own publishing company The Haskins Press. This poster book also achieved him worldwide recognition for his graphic style through image making and composition; many of these photographs feature apples and subsequently this has become a signature symbol.