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David,

Oddly, this is not a composite photograph, as the original print below shows.
My guess is that, in the pre-Photoshop age, the over-exposed Long Tom and background were compensated for by printing the artillerist separately, and then adding him back into the composition once the remainder of the photograph had been darkened.

The photograph depicts Luitenante Mike du Toit, ZAR Staatsartillerie, K.I.A., near Potgietersrus, 1 Oct 1901.

Malan 1990, p. 201
Mike du Toit was from the Soutpansberg police. In the battle against the English on the farm "Pruisen", south of Potgietersrus, the British force was forced to surrender on 1 October 1901. Only three Boers were killed, among them "the brave Lt. Du Toit".







Staatsartillerie Austro-Hungarian-style shako, similar to that worn by Lt du Toit. Brought home by Drummer H.E.J. Packham, Westminster Dragoons.






Another photograph taken at the same time. With thanks to Tinus le Roux.



..

There's a useful account of Staatsartillerie uniforms here:
samilitaryhistory.org/vol094df.html

Boer commissariat on a street on Pretoria

Source: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...under-the-union-jack

Boer Commando passing through Pretoria

Source: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...e-union-jack?start=0