The brief arrived by fax and we set about finding the models and locations: one old man with a grandson at a kraal, and two older housewives outside a small village house.

Friday: the day of the shoot. The clouds are clearing as the sun gets into position for the first set. The tea is made and the ladies are finely dressed a little too fine for this setting, so the background is simplified and shot out of focus. I've already decided to re shoot these two tomorrow morning at the opposite side of the house, and request they dress down a little.

We must now race to the kraal, pick up the two models on the way and make fresh tea! The light is good but there is no time to waste as storm clouds are coming. We borrow traditional chairs and the scene is set. Sponnie is handling the light reflector like a pro. Two rolls later its in the can and we just get time to pack up our equipment and drive off the set before the rain starts.

Six am, Saturday. We are back with the two ladies, this time dressed in everyday clothes, and ready to drink tea. The overnight rain has cleared and the required sunlight is coming up fast. So, with no time to waste, the shoot is underway, with Sponnie once again on the reflector, as well as playing Setswana interpreter. By eight-thirty the films are at the lab and I can relax until Monday. Monday. The photographs look good, but the machine prints are cropped too tight across the bottom of each shot! Anyway, the best are chosen according to the brief and the negatives are scanned and corrected; and dust and scratches repaired. Finally the files are written to CDR and despatched to Gaborone to arrive on deadline.