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I was returning home to Cape Town after a week of diving and with a head full of underwater images and an ear full of infection, I decided to take a detour via Rietpoel.

The wind was pumping as I drove over a railway bridge and saw this group of young girls singing at the top of their voices into the wind. I pulled over, got out my camera and asked them if I could do a shot. They continued singing and I shot the images. As I put my camera away, I asked them what they called their group. “The Nauticals” was the answer. I was confused as we were quite far inland and the name seemed unlikely.

A few weeks later when I was printing the shot and was looking at it critically I burst into a chuckle as the penny dropped. “The Naughty Girls” would forever be “The Nauticals”

This image is shot earlier on in my career and forms a loose collection of documentary shots that capture the energy and vibrancy that is so prevalent in South Africa. We are a young nation full of enthusiasm and a degree of naivety. There is a measure of innocence and a decided lack of self awareness that is refreshing. From a time before social media where children were unconcerned about anything more than enjoying the moment.