Dimitri Otis Photo Journal
Enchanting, Poetic, Masterful
To choose poetry is to light a candle in a boardroom, tender, defiant. Yet Christi Steyn has done just that, her voice drifting far beyond borders, gathering listeners in the quiet glow of their screens. When Skin Creamery invited Dimitri Otis to capture her, his lens moved gently beside her as she wandered the soft forest of her own lines. In her presence, poetry becomes breath and skin, something lived, luminous, and held in light.
Voice of South African Art
Photographer Dimitri Otis recently captured Ashraf Jamal in Cape Town. The mood was calm but keen, the air of a man who notices everything. Measured and composed, Jamal moved easily between thought and lens, offering insights that were sharp, never showy. The portraits are understated and intelligent: a quiet study of a mind that brings clarity without noise.
Josie’s grown Masterpieces
In leafy Claremont, Imogen and James Grindrod slipped easily into their artist mother’s luminous Victorian home, a house that seemed to preen in its own light, every corner camera-ready. Photographer Dimitri Otis was fortified with a devilishly good Americano before lifting his lens. Conversation flowed, bright with wit and warmth, revealing two fine souls, unmistakably shaped by the creative spirit of Josie Grindrod. Now the portraits speak: distinct, assured, entirely themselves.
Unique meets Professional
Mary J stormed into the studio, and calm quickly gave way to a whirlwind of ideas, laughter, and just enough chaos to keep the camera on its toes. She riffed on purpose, money, love, and human absurdity as if hosting a breakfast show for the universe, while the photographer scrambled to keep up. By the end, it wasn’t a portrait, it was a live wire: sparkling, unpredictable, entirely her.
Dramatic Talent
Nicol is a passionate storyteller and educator who has been lucky enough to adapt his love of language, communication, and drama in different environments across two continents. In the entertainment realm he has a range of original and adapted long-form TV dramas and feature-length screenplays in the pipeline with highly established media companies in Australia and South Africa. He specialises in socially grounded crime stories and political thrillers that synthesise complex and nuanced characters and cinematic action rooted in in-depth research.
Stephanie redraws Herself
Photographer expected a precise architect; found Stephanie Mills quietly rewriting her career blueprint. From architecture and urban design to photography, she moves with subversive ease, no committees, just light, shadow, and the camera following her lead. Composed and assured, she transforms each frame, applying structure to art with calm precision.
Your idea, his Chaos
Some photographers just take pictures. This one, Dimitri Otis, also turns walls into artful revolutions, crafting bespoke pieces that dominate rooms, spark conversation, and occasionally intimidate furniture. Concept, shoot, print, hang, all handled. Mixing photography, design, and generative imaging, his works feel at home yet hijack interiors, leaving imagination as the only limit.
Strangers reveal their Lives
At a Life Righting Collective workshop, people spilled their lives across the room, funny, tragic, absurd. Pens scratched, voices wavered, laughter bounced, and the photographer tried to keep up. Amid the chaos was rhythm, magic, and honesty that defied the lens. By the end, it was clear: the Collective doesn’t just tell stories, they right them, and the camera captured a spark of their brilliance.
Timeless Through Two Decades
He went to London with a camera and curiosity, capturing strangers in portraits, awkward, brilliant, or both. Some entered Getty Images’ library; others still feel fresh twenty years later. Ordinary life became extraordinary, and two decades on, the photos hum with energy, the photographer still proving reality is more interesting than expected.
Boy becomes Man
Milo Katz, newly thirteen and already composed, marked his coming of age under the watchful pride of Anton Katz and Anika Larsen. Conversation sparkled, the catering triumphed, and adulthood arrived politely, without fuss. May Milo’s life be meaningful, joyful, and only occasionally this scrutinised. Here’s the resident photographers reference: ”Dimitri Mingled and did his photographic magic with his usual excellence” Annika Larsnen, Broadcast Journalist @etv and eNCA, Panel Moderator and MC
The Minds behind Magic
The photographer expected simple portraits at Black Wolf Youth Agency but found boundless enthusiasm. As he set up lights and coaxed smiles, their focus, confidence, and ambition shone, reflecting the program’s values. In action, they bridged skills gaps with optimism, ready to lead change, leaving the session as much about potential as portraits.
Perfectionism has it’s Place in the World
Martin Schoneberg shines in ballet, admired even amid its exacting demands. At his shoot, ten ornate outfits flowed with effortless grace, each frame perfectly timed. Dimitri Otis captured his brilliance, charm, and just enough poise to show this is ballet, pure and exquisite.
Decade-old Picture and a Story untold
Old photographs of strangers unsettle, not for style, but for the lives we’ll never know. A boy with a football, confident and hopeful, freezes a moment of ambition. Did he go on to play as a professional? The photo doesn’t say, only hints at possibility, leaving the story to our imagination.
John discovers Paint; Room adjusts accordingly
Visiting John Pace at home, camera in hand, was a shoot that just… clicked. His paintings, energetic yet composed, stole the show, revealing why his work commands attention. By the end, it was clear: his character mirrors his art, measured, unpredictable, quietly monumental, filling the space with effortless gravity.
Katlego hosts High Tea, Harley Davidson crashes the Party
At the Vineyard Hotel, Dimitri Otis photographed Katlego Maboe hosting “High Tea,” a findraising event for The Red Cross, with hosted by Yinka Vitula and beautifully presented food leaning temptingly on every plate. Elegance, laughter, and bidding chaos collided, all under Harley Davidson’s ironic sponsorship, creating a rare, magical mix of art, music, and human delight.
A colourful character
New York based actor and singer, Mia Sydney Bregman’s method for revealing a story's core is through acting, which allows her to capture genuine, enduring moments. She’s drawn to projects that challenge her and creates performances that resonate long after the credits roll. https://www.mia-sydney.com
Laughter, Love, Cape Town
Photographing Zo and Sam’s Cape Town wedding was a joyride. Laughter bounced between the mountains and the sea, hugs were practically mandatory, and every glance radiated affection. Dimitri Otis’ camera barely kept up as moments of love and hilarity unfolded at full throttle.
From Riyadh to Table Mountain
Dimitri Otis spent the day showing two writers from the Middle East around Cape Town, courtesy of a Saudi Ministry writing retreat. Streets, cliffs, and cafés gained extra sparkle through their curious eyes. Conversation bounced from culture to chaos, wit sharp as a penguin’s waddle. With a camera in hand, Dimitri Otis captured it all, laughter, insight, and the city’s unmistakable charm.
Dressed to Thrill
Photographing a radiant model in spectacular dresses from Occai in Cape Town was dangerously good fun. Satin swished, sequins behaved outrageously, and every twirl threatened to upstage the photographer. Between laughter and perfectly timed clicks, fashion flirted shamelessly with the lens—and won.
Espresso, smiles and sign language
Stepping into I Love Coffee, joy is immediate, the quietly triumphant kind usually reserved for a perfectly foamed cappuccino. The hearing impaired staff move with spring in their step, baking, roasting, serving, and keeping the café running like a delightfully caffeinated Swiss watch. Energy hums subtly as the team communicates almost entirely without sound. Visitors, curious, attempt occasional hand signs, often rewarded with a beautifully poured cappuccino or a polite smile. Photographer Dimitri Otis joined this silent ballet, capturing fleeting gestures, candid smiles, and the poetry of cappuccinos in motion. The images radiate charm, energy, and just the right mix of mischief, camaraderie, and quiet magic in their natural habitat.
Jane de Wett, entirely Unrehearsed
The moment Jane de Wett entered the studio, it was clear that commanding attention comes naturally. Sharp, composed, and undeniably present, she fills a room effortlessly. An accomplished actress and dancer, Jane has impressed in The Girl from St. Agnes, Griekwastad, Spoorloos, Moffie, and Trackers, earning Most Promising and Best Actress at the ATKV Tienertoneelfees. Her portraits capture confidence, poise, and a spark of personality, proof of why she commands such notable roles.
Underground Ballet
She moved with focus and energy, turning an otherwise dull parking garage into something worth noticing. Dimitri Otis clicked away, capturing gestures that were alive, unpretentious, and quietly compelling. By the end, even the fluorescent lights seemed to be paying attention.
The Professor with a Turntable
Professor Kolade Arogundade brings enthusiasm wherever he goes. At The Drawing Room, his Afro-funk sets, warmth, and presence made music feel like an invitation. At Dimitri Otis’s studio with his wife Emma, portraits flowed effortlessly, reflecting the rhythm and charm that define him, a PhD holder whose vibe just works.
Villa, Vino, Very Fun
In a Cape Town villa that screamed “holiday postcard,” the family ran the show. Toddlers stole the spotlight, grandparents snuck cheeky toasts, and laughter bounced off every marble surface. The photographer chased chaos with a grin, capturing moments of pure, unfiltered joy.
Humans Behind the Code
Dimitri Otis doesn’t just take corporate portraits. In tech agencies, he captures leaders, coders, and coffee-fueled interns alike, making boardrooms hum, keyboards feel important, and even the shyest of staff look like they might actually run the world one day.
Focus on Healing and Reflection
Photographing the Legacies of Violence and Trauma’s Repair conference in Cape Town was an eye-opener for Dimitri Otis. Each frame revealed the weight of historical oppression, the resilience of communities, and the search for repair. Through his lens, he witnessed not just stories, but a global call for reflection and justice.
Chantel, Fully Charged
Photographing Chantel Botha was like trying to pin lightning in a frame. Sparkly, irrepressible, and armed with enough energy to power a small city, she leapt between wit and warmth while I clicked. Every shot captured her fire, someone who turns employees into Brand Warriors and fun into an art form.
Picturing the Impossible
Photographing Jesse Brooks feels like negotiating with reality. Magician, designer, theatre maker, and former circus wanderer, he engineers moments, blending magic, theatre, and design into surreal, deliberate experiences. From the camera, it’s less a portrait than a glimpse of someone who knows where wonder hides, and quietly rearranges it.
From Idea to Wall
Most photographers take pictures; Dimitri creates bespoke artworks, blending photography, design, and generative imaging. Concept, shoot, edit, print, frame, hang, he handles it all, transforming spaces into bold statements that quietly dominate, provoke, and delight.
Shaping Time with Clay
Photographing the master ceramicist, Guy Walter, at Clay Addicts was a delight. Soft-spoken, deceptively charming, and armed with wit sharper than a potter’s knife, he shaped clay, and Dimitri Otis’s camera’s attention, with ease. Every gesture hinted at decades of talent, proving Cape Town’s finest can make art look effortless and utterly mischievous.