Portrait Photography
Unvarnished Portraits, Human Stories.
Dimitri Otis photographs headshots, lifestyle portraits and brand images in South Africa. His work is unpretentious and observational, with an interest in people, personality and the small details that make a portrait feel genuinely human.
Relaxed Corporate
Team Spirit Captured
Dimitri expected simple portraits at Black Wolf Youth Agency in Cape Town but found boundless enthusiasm. In action, they bridged skills gaps with optimism, ready to lead change, leaving the session as much about potential as portraits. Link to: Black Wolf Agency
Delicious Photography
I Love Coffee.
At I Love Coffee Cape Town, joy is immediate. Hearing-impaired staff serve, bake, roast, and communicate through gestures. Photographer Dimitri Otis captures the café’s warmth, energy, camaraderie, and beautifully poured cappuccinos. Link to ILC Website
Z-Cards
A Model Portrait.
Gavin Miller, owner of Contact Model Management, has the effortless presence of someone born for the camera. Relaxed and engaging, with hints of Brando, Sharif and George Michael, he proves charisma needs no introduction, or invention. Link to: Contact Models
Corporate Headshots
Great Faces, Better Brands.
Corporate portraits needn’t look corporate. I keep sessions relaxed, avoiding stiff poses and forced smiles, creating polished, confident images that show your team as capable, approachable people.
NGO Photography
Noah Khayelitsha.
At NOAH Old Age Home in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, Dimitri Otis found laughter, affection and quiet dignity. Welcomed warmly, he felt briefly part of a community where gratitude lived in small gestures and time slowed. Link to: NOAH
Ella Blumenthal
104 Years of History.
Photographing Ella Blumenthal at 104 was an encounter with remarkable vitality. Born in Warsaw in 1921, she shared stories, humour and history with profound dignity, reminding everyone around her that life, connection and curiosity never grow old. Link to Ella's Wikipedia
Renowned Ballet Teacher
Capturing Uniqueness.
Martin Schoenberg shines in ballet, admired even amid its exacting demands. At his shoot, 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. Link to: Martin’s Insta
Actor Jane de Wett
Unrehersed.
PJane de Wet commands attention with effortless confidence. An accomplished actress and dancer, she has appeared in The Girl from St. Agnes, Griekwastad, Moffie, Spoorloos, and Trackers, earning recognition for her talent, presence, and striking versatility. ink to: Jane's Insta
Dressed to Thrill
Focus on Fashion.
Photographing a radiant model in spectacular Occai dresses was dangerously good fun. Satin swished, sequins misbehaved, and every twirl threatened to upstage the photographer. Between laughter and perfectly timed clicks, fashion flirted shamelessly with the lens. Link to: Occai’s Website
Virtuoso Guitarist
Music meets Camera.
Dimitri photographed guitarist Derek Gripper, celebrated for translating Mali’s intricate kora music onto guitar. As Gripper played briefly in the studio, his hypnotic music shaped the atmosphere, creating intimate portraits of a rare synthesis of tradition, interpretation and artistry. Link to: Derek’s Website
A very Yati Shoot
Executive Headshot.
Dimitri Otis photographed Nkosiyati Khumalo, whose influential career spans GQ South Africa, Apple Music and Billboard Africa. His portraits capture not only Yati’s professional achievements, but also his warmth, wit, humanity and creative leadership.
The Voice of SA Art
Notable People.
Photographer Dimitri Otis recently photographed Ashraf Jamal in Cape Town. Research Associate in the Visual Identities in Art and Design Research Centre, and one of South Africa's best known art critics, Calm, perceptive, and composed, Jamal offered sharp insights with quiet authority. The resulting portraits reflect a thoughtful mind, bringing clarity without noise. Read Ashraf's bio
Dimitri Otis had the privilege of photographing Professor Lynette Denny shortly before her passing. A pioneering medical researcher and feminist, she advanced cervical cancer prevention and treatment, inspiring generations and leaving an enduring legacy.
A Genius and a Mensch.
Professor Lynette Denny
Radical Wealth Coach
Embracing Unique.
Professional coach Mary Jane Fourie brought ideas, laughter, and delightful chaos to the studio, riffing on purpose, money, love, and human absurdity. The result was a portrait as sparkling, unpredictable, and entirely herself.
Gavin Furlonger, prominent South African photographer, sat for a portrait by Dimitri Otis. Founder of Gallery F and PAPA, he preserves historically significant works by acclaimed photographers including Billy Monk, Jurgen Schadeberg and Barry Lategan. With dry wit and captivating stories, photographing Gavin was as enjoyable as exploring his remarkable work. Link to Gallery F
Facing the Lens.
Gavin Furlonger
A Class Act
Shooting a Screenwriter.
Nicol Ritchie is a storyteller, educator and screenwriter whose work spans Australia and South Africa. He specialises in socially grounded crime stories and political thrillers featuring complex characters, cinematic action and meticulous research..
In Observatory, photographer Dimitri took 99 portraits of people living in public space, recording their stories alongside. Yet the images deliberately separate people from hardship, allowing each individual to stand unguarded, distinct from their history, while together forming a complex tapestry of Cape Town’s multicultural lineage. Touching life stories accompany the Portraits.
No Fixed Abode.
Community Project
Mia Sydney Bregman
Acting Photos.
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.
A Class Act
Shooting Writers.
At a Life Righting Collective workshop, people shared stories that were funny, tragic and absurd. Amid laughter, wavering voices and scribbled words, the photographer captured the rhythm, honesty and brilliance of lives being rewritten. Link to LRC Website
In studio with menswear designer Shakur Olla, surrounded by fine fabrics and garments, his calm precision and natural rhythm shaped portraits that feel structured, refined, and effortless, echoing the confidence woven into his Cape Town designs. Link to: Shakur’s Website
Focus on Design.
Shakur Olla