Tom Van Schelven Captures The Beauty Of Flight With A Troupe Of Circus Performers In South Africa

Van Schelven had been toying with the idea of a shoot with acrobats, but it wasn’t until he came across the South African Circus School that the story ‘In Flight’ really materialized. Whilst in Cape Town on an unrelated commission, he seized the opportunity to make his vision a reality. After searching for acrobats online, he discovered the SACS, and together they traveled 45 minutes north of the city to the natural sand dunes where they set to work. The resulting series is bursting with movement and play. Rather than photographing the acrobats most cinematic movements, van Schelven captured the moments before and after. This visual bookending of their tricks lends the series a playful edge; the acrobats are tumbling, falling, leaping and laughing—candidly enjoying themselves against the luminous sand and blue sky.