Missing Member
February 3rd, 2011
by Gwyn Headley
Managing Director
No, this is not a complaint I suffer from, but a situation has arisen at fotoLibra which we’d like to sort out.
Here’s a new title from the highly regarded travel publisher Bradt Guides, who publish guide books for Serious Travellers, not tourist lubbers like me.
Notice the cracking front cover image which fotoLibra sold them. It’s always good to get a front cover sale, not just for the money but also the prestige, especially by being associated with an imprint such as Bradt.
The evocative photograph of “Dune 45” was taken by fotoLibra member Tjaart van Staden. We emailed him the good news and he took it very calmly.
So calmly in fact that he didn’t respond. So we emailed him again. No reply.
We wrote to him. A real letter, with a stamp. No answer.
We checked his website. It had been taken down.
Now Tjaart van Staden is not a common name in Wales, but it may well be in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa, where Tjaart abides — or abode.
We tried again and again, but we can’t find him.
So we can’t pay him.
I’m putting this blog up in the hope of tracking him down. If Tjaart ever succumbs to the old ego trip of Googling his own name, he’ll find this blog post and get in touch with us. But in case there’s a whole band of Tjaart van Staden impersonators out there, just be aware that a) there’ll be some questions asked to establish his identity and b) don’t put the deposit down on the Maserati just yet Tjaart, because the payment won’t cover it.
Hello, TJAART VAN STADEN, formerly of MIDRAND, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA — please contact fotoLibra, where you will hear some news to your advantage!
Have you tried contacting him via Facebook?
This might be him (I’m not sure)
http://www.facebook.com/tjaart.v.staden
Listed among his friends are possible wife / daughter.
Gary.
Or via this – I note at the bottom his interest in photography.
http://za.linkedin.com/pub/tjaart-van-staden/8/7a5/4a3
Simply never occurred to us. But we will, and maybe the man himself will manifest himself.
This looks like your man.
http://www.usefilm.com/photographer/83365.html
Gwyn….I have left a message on his facebook account to contact you directly
Thanks chaps — I’ve left him a LinkedIn message and I will report back if/when he gets in touch to collect his 10s 6d.
Half a Guinea no less! How quaint!
Facebook was a great idea. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share a story about how it helped me track down an old college friend whom no one seemed able to find. I was running my college reunion and for years the school hadn’t been able to locate an old classmate who I’d been close to in college. None of our old housemates had her contact info and when we sent out a “missing classmate” email no one knew how to reach her- though several asked for her contact info if we found it. She was from Nairobi, Kenya but had moved to London after school (I’m from the US, where we went to college). Members of our college club in London couldn’t find her and neither did a Google search. I’d just gotten on Facebook so I gave it a try – and in a few seconds I found her and now she’s back in touch with everyone.
Great photo BTW and hope it’s the right guy!
email used to be tjaart@midrand-estates.co.za or something to that effect.. still have the house there but renting it, moved down the road.
Thanks so much for all who has participate in the tracking me down.
It is indeed an honour to have the foto displayed on such a marvelous book!
Hi Gwyn
I did try to send email directly but the server is playing up. the email shall be sent tomorrow morning once `i get back home.
Thanks Tjaart
We could send over Special Forces and let them have a go at it… just a thought…
BTW, great shot, nice cover…
I have a response from him ( will I thinks It’s him).. I hope he contacts you!
Tjaart Van Staden February 3 at 9:38pm Report
Hello Lisa Cavazos – thank you so much for the effort! this is fantasitc news!
I shall contact Fotolibra! and no – not a maserati, rather the D3s….;-}}
Good news everyone — Tjaart has been in touch, told us his former email address to prove his identity.
Maybe I should have kept my big mouth shut!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Henry Lee Stradford , philtcrean. philtcrean said: Tjaart van Staden, If you know this photographer pass on the message. Missing Member http://j.mp/gNmhcx via @AddToAny […]
The sand dune displayed isn’t Dune 45. This dune is situated at Deadvlei…..about 20km away. Dune 45 have a WC next to the road and is half the hight of this sand dune
Tjaart was killed recently in Kenya, a micro-craft (micro-lite?) mechanical failure. Details here:
http://www.the-star.co.ke/local/coast/42439-veteran-south-african-photographer-killed-in-south-coast-plane-crash.
Knew Tjaart through friends and met him seldom, still – miss him now!
Please contact his brother Joggie van Staden – his email address is:
joggie@tmaprojects.net
Should you have no luck you may contact me directly for details.
Kind Regards,
Sadly Tjaart passed away on 29 September.
We at fotoLibra are very sorry to hear of Tjaart’s death. I have been in touch with his brother, and Jacqui Norman has written a note of appreciation in her Newsletter.
[…] the notice in the agency newsletter: Readers of the fotoLibra Pro Blog may remember our hunt for a MIssing Member in February this year. We sold a fabulous picture to the renowned Bradt Guides for a front cover […]