The History of MV Photography
I’ve always had a passion for art, design, and photography. My journey began in school when I bought a Sony Cybershot 3-megapixel point-and-shoot camera from my cousin for R200. Every weekend, I would explore the neighborhood, capturing photos of landscapes, scenery, people, animals—anything that caught my eye and had the potential to make a great shot.
After matriculating, I pursued my passion at Ekurhuleni East Campus, where I studied Art & Design and earned a Diploma with distinction in Graphic Design. Later, I completed a Photography course, which further honed my skills. During this time, I became friends with Werner Bekker, and we collaborated on various assignments that greatly improved my photography. I soon began working as Werner's assistant photographer whenever he booked projects, gaining valuable experience in the field.
In 2006, I returned to Ekurhuleni East Campus in Benoni to complete my Diploma in Photography. I purchased a Nikon F90x from my lecturer, Louis Myburgh, who was a top-rated South African photographer at the time. We began our course using film, which we developed in a darkroom—true old-school photography.
I was fortunate to land a job at Caxton East Rand, where I used my photography skills for magazine cover photos for Get It Magazine, along with other photography projects. Balancing work and study was challenging, but the hard work paid off. Despite the tight schedule, I earned a distinction in Photography by the end of my course. During this period, I also saved up enough to buy my first Nikon DSLR camera, a proud milestone in my career.
One of my memorable assignments for Get It Magazine was capturing Paula Rutherford for a cover shoot. Paula is a professional photographer, lecturer, and owner of a creative college, Get Pix, in Benoni. I enjoyed the experience immensely and continued to stay in touch with Paula afterward.
At this time I started MV Photography/Design with the support of my friends & family.
From 2007 to 2014, Werner Bekker and I collaborated on a wide range of photography assignments, including weddings, fashion shoots, media celebrities, and events such as FTV, Formula 1 at Kyalami, and wedding expos. During this time, Werner decided to pursue his dream of becoming an events coordinator.
Michelle De Villiers joined MV Photography in 2015 and became a co-owner. Her passion for photography began in 2010 and continues to thrive with MV Photography.
MV Photography was the official photographer at a private event featuring the incredibly talented local star, Karlien. Witnessing her live performance was an amazing experience.
Marlon Vernon Bernardes served as a lecturer at GetPix Creative College, where he provided training in photography and design. Unfortunately, due to the challenges brought on by COVID-19, GetPix Creative College closed after 13 years of dedicated education on May 31, 2021.