Benji is a close friend of mine. In this gig economy, he wears many hats, the biggest being a fashion journalist based in London. He has a passion for movement and expressive body language. We originally connected on Instagram, though I can’t remember exactly when. In the summer of 2022, we both happened to be in Cape Town and decided to shoot something intimate. It was our first time meeting in person.

I picked him up in Camps Bay, and we set off on a weekend trip to my mother’s house in the Overberg region. I didn’t know what to expect when I pulled up in front of his Airbnb, but we clicked immediately—like old friends. The two-hour drive flew by as we swapped notes on gay life in the 2020s, a shared love for homoeroticism, and our experiences with independent media.

For our first backdrop, I got us a room at the legendary Hangklip Hotel in Pringle Bay—though calling it a "hotel" is generous. Afterward, we headed to my mom’s house, where Benji fell in love with the dogs and her home cooking. Other locations we shot at that weekend included Moonlight Bay and the rock pools at Palmiet.

A selection of images from this series was later picked up by Behind The Blinds and published under the title "Summer Playgrounds." In 2025, the renowned UK-based collage artist The Skinny Type created a collage series inspired by this work.

Magazine: Behind The Blinds / Project: Summer Playgrounds / Location: Cape Town, South Africa / Year: 2022 / Photo: @stevemarais / Talent: @benji.johnson_