Despite his talent for capturing everything from still lifes of dripping jacarandas to abstract splatters of blood, Mikhael ...

Despite his talent for capturing everything from still lifes of dripping jacarandas to abstract splatters of blood, Mikhael Subotzky (@mikhael_subotzky) never wanted to be a photographer. “Gideon [Mendel, his uncle] would always come stay with us while working on some crazy assignment or photographing political unrest — he’d always be incredibly busy,” says the 34-year-old photographer and filmmaker. Now, Mikhael’s work is tinged with social and political activism just like Gideon’s. While he prefers a quiet off-duty existence, reading books and tending to plants in the Johannesburg apartment he shares with his girlfriend, he thrives in the chaos of work. “I’m always kind of in the deep end, not quite knowing what to do and trying to figure out how to do it,” he says. “It’s incredibly difficult and stressful and not an easy life, but more interesting for me. I like challenging myself.”
Photo by @mikhael_subotzky