PHOTO ESSAY: Dr Cahi’s blooms are a celebration of spring and its beauty

Published Sep 29, 2023

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Johannesburg - In this Saturday Star photography series, Dr Cahi Takes Joburg, we feature the work of acclaimed Johannesburg dentist Dr Norman Cahi.

Affectionately known as the “dentist to the stars”, Cahi has a quest for learning, a thirst for knowledge and an interest in his roots and the history of his past.

In the latest edition of the series, Cahi’s images reflect spring, which ushers in a season of renewal and awakening. He captures gorgeous and colourful blooms in all their delight and splendour indoors and outdoors. These include spectacular bundles in vases which add beauty to a space, to well-manicured lawns and blossoming blooms in gardens.

“Spring blooms are all around us. I love to enjoy the scent of spring flowers during my walks, and appreciate their beauty and colours,” Cahi said.

“Each one speaks of God's voice and the magic of Mother Nature.”

He said that with the early rains having fallen in Gauteng, we will soon “be enchanted by the purple spectacular display of Jacarandas in our cities”.

Cahi’s passion for photography comes from his passion to capture moments in time. The journey has taken him across the globe, and he shares it with his hundreds of friends and followers on social media each week.

Cahi has dedicated his life to oral health care for 40 years and is one of the pioneers of teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry in South Africa. Together with his daughter Chelsea, and prosthodontist brother, Emile, he runs the Cahi Dental & Prosthodontic Practice in Parktown North.

Most notably, the family has been working with the Miss SA Foundation for about seven years, after they were approached by beauty queen Claudia Henkel, who held the title in 2004 and has worked for the organisation to provide dental care to the finalists.

His job as a dentist is to make people smile, literally, but it is his love for photographing art, architecture and the beauty of Joburg, which he hopes will evoke a sense of nostalgia.

“I see and appreciate the beauty in everything – in nature and our environment. I admire art, architecture and getting a sense of the spirit of the community. But I feel sad and helpless when I see the homeless and hopeless. I am deeply moved when I see the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalised of our society.”