Journalist and photographer Gypseenia Lion from Bloemfontein Courant and lifestyle magazine Get It Bloemfontein, has been honoured at the AVBOB Forum of Community Journalists Excellence Awards.
Lion secured 2nd place in the General Photography category and 3rd place in the Photographer of the Year category.
“Personally, the awards mean that I am on the right track. It means the world to me that I have been acknowledged for my contribution as a community journalist and as a photographer,” she remarked.
Her award-winning photographs captured profound moments, such as a memorial service for a biker club’s president who was featured on the front page just a week before his passing.
“Photography is not only meant to capture what is happening in front of you but to document that one moment in history,” she said.
Furthermore, her work includes images of a paramedic sacrificing her life, a drummer, the homeless, and a house mother of a children’s home, each telling a unique story.
Her move to Bloemfontein two years ago marked a new challenge, and the city has since become her home. According to Lion, capturing the right moment requires time and patience.
She enjoys the spontaneity of photography, being an observer, and letting moments unfold naturally.
Her advice to aspiring photographers is to believe in themselves and focus on their unique perspectives. “You are only as good as your last photograph,” she noted.
Justine Fortuin
