Die laaste 2 jaar was af naweke soos hoendertande. As ek baie eerlik moet wees, het dit my bietjie begin vang. Ek is MAL oor troues en wanneer ek by ‘n troue is, geniet ek dit baie, maar dit bly moeilik om nee vir jou vriende en familie se. Eintlik het ek net bietjie sleg beplan. Troues word so ver vooruit gereel dat ek net nie daaraan gedink het om vir my af naweke te “book” nie. Ek moes toe die besluit neem om af naweke te book. Ek het gaan sit en een naweek in elke maand vir my gemerk as ‘n af naweek. Ek het net weer besef verhoudinge is net te belangrik om heeltyd te werk.

Na byna ‘n jaar was hierdie naweek my eerste self-geneemde af naweek. Toe my plaas-mamma (aka stiefma…maar dit klink te stief vir hoe lief ek haar het) my bel om te vra of ek nie DALKIES af is nie, was ek so ongelooflik opgewonde om ja te kan se. Dit was my ouma (eintlik stiefouma…maar ek is heeltemal te lief vir haar om haar met die woord stief te vereenselwig) se 88ste verjaarsdag. Byna die hele familie genooi na ons plaas in die Overberg en as ek moet begin uitbrei oor hoe lekker dit was, sal julle ekstra 10min moes uitsit om dit te lees. Maar dit was ongelooflik lekker.

Ek het weer in die kamer geslaap waarin ek groot geword het (hierdie huis is nou ‘n gasterhuis op ons plaas, Arolela, gaan loer gerus!!!!) en bande is “vervars” met die fam. Wat ‘n fees. Verseker aan te bevele.

Nou eers bietjie meer oor my ouma. Ek kon skaars glo ouma Annetjie het 88 geword. Sy is een van daardie vrouens wat net eenvoudig in jou hart kruip en daar bly. Sy is wys en gebalanseerd, met ‘n moed en wil vir die lewe, wat ek nastreef vir wanneer ek ook al meer lyntjie en ligter hare verdien het. Die lewe het al paar woeste houe vir haar uitgedeel, maar sy het die vermoe om deur dit te werk, te leer daaruit wat sy moet en dan gaan te gaan, met nuwe “added” karakter en woema.

Ouma, ek kyk regtig op na ouma met baie resprek en wens ek kon ouma elke dag  ”drukkie, soentjie en geselsie.” Net seeninge vir al die nuwe dinge wat voorle. Ek bid vir guns en tonne pret by die nuwe huis!!! Liefde L ***

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Dis met ‘n dankbare hart wat ek nou kom neerflop in my kantoor stoel. Drie kliente het nounet pakkette kom haal. My werksarea is steeds chaotic met al die “to-do-lists” van die afgelope paar maande en ek moet nog vir my Karoo-vakansie inpak, maar my hart is rustig en opgewonde, albei in een. Ek en ‘n vriendin het nounet die siesoen-einde gevier met ‘n pizza en te sterk koffie.

Ek onthou hoe ek aan die begin van die siesoen diep moes asem haal en vir God vra om my te help; ek het nie eintlik geweet hoe om die jaar aan te pak nie. Die vorige jaar was rustiger en ek het geweet hierdie een sal sy eie uitdagings en lekkertes he. ‘n Mens weet nie wat vir jou wag nie…en weet jy wat? Dis ook goed so. Talle dinge sou ek eerder kies om nie deur te maak nie, maar ek het soveel daaruit terug gekry. En die lekkertes is net soveel lekkerder omdat dit die verassings-element het. Ek is ‘n bietjie meer heel, bietjie slimmer, bietjie sterker…

Een van die grootste goed wat ek moes leer in hierdie seisoen, is om ‘n gebalanseerde lewe te lei. Of miskien moet ek eerder se, die ongebalanseerd-heid is uitgewys. Klein goedjies, soos om te onthou om vir myself af-naweke te book. Of om bietjie meer te oefen en bietjie gesonder te eet. Of om eerder te praat van ‘n familie “fotosessie” as ‘n familie “shoot.” Nou ja, ek is verseker nie ‘n master op enige van hierdie velde nie, maar dis mos lekker om eendag terug te kyk en te lag oor die goedjies waaroor ‘n mens so gestress het en ‘n mens se dagboek vol geskryf het.

Ek sien soooo ongelooflik uit na die break. Ek gaan 10 ure ‘n dag slaap en as ek weer in die middag wil slaap, dan gaan ek inkruip en my ma vra om my voetjies in te tuck. Ek weet sommer die veld gaan lekker ruik, my ma se “wors-mash-beet-en-groente” ete gaan vorentoe smaak en die sterre gaan ekstra skerp skyn. Ek sien uit na verhouding bou met vriende en familie.

En dan sien ek uit om terug te keer werk toe. 6maande terug het ek aangegaan oor my cool kliente, maar nou is dit al weer 6maande later en ek kan steeds aangaan oor die feit dat ek dink ek die coolste kliente het. Dankie julle! Julle maak my werk ‘n fees.

Hoe ek die nuwe 10-11maande se trou-seisoen gaan ingaan…Met ‘n ‘n hart wat afhanklik is van God. Een vol dankbaarheid, hoop, met die wete dat Hy goeie planne in stoor het…en tonne liefde.

Happy Julie vir julle almal, sien weer begin Augustus! (Of miskien moet ek eerder se, tot ek nie meer dit kan hou om nie te blog nie!)

*PS: Vir die van julle wat bietjie deurmekaar is met die Karoo en die Overberg…my pa’le is in die Overberg en my ma’le in die Karoo! Die 2 plekke “sagste” vir my siel. ***

En soos hulle se, ‘n blogpost is nie ‘n blogpost sonder ‘n fototjie nie!

If you say Facebook is not a great social network media-then i beg to differ!

To take this story very far back: Since forever I really  wanted to fly with …. well, basically anything with wings! (For my bday last year I went skydiving!) About 3 years ago I even made a little ad to put up at the Stellenbosch Flying Club saying that I would do a portfolio for anybody who is willing to take me flying. Nothing came of it. But I knew that one day (and hopefully even more in the future) I will have my chance.

A few weeks ago, a photography friend, Wil Punt, said something on Facebook about the fact that he went flying over Stellenbosch. I mentioned that I rrrreally want to fly too and that Im glad he had the chance. THEN! A message from another facebook-friend who invited me to go fly with her and her dad near Johannesburg if I ever happened to be in the area. It so “happend” that I was on my way to Joburg that specific weekend for Rousseau and Lana’s wedding! I was so over the moon that it worked out!

Schantel is an awesome photographer and you should definitely head over to her blog. Her dad (Johannes) and herself went out of their way accommodate me and spoil me with lots of awesomness. They are the kind of people who give with their whole heart and I can only pray that they get back in ten-fold what they so freely give away.

If you ever need “door-to-door service for consignments of various sizes by road”, please do go to their Brookfield Courier website and contact them!

Here are some from our trip:

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I’ve always been proud being called a South African. Thursday, 24 June 2010, I was even a bit “prouder.” I’ve experienced a soccer match at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town - South Africa. It actually was a little bit overwhelming. I am still digesting everything I saw and heard and who knows what else. This probably is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so glad I had the chance to go.

We left quite early the afternoon to meet up with some friends and just walked around and enjoyed the “gees.” Painted faces, colourful outfits, vuvuzelas, wigs and laughter was to be seen and heard everywhere.

And I just enjoyed it so much walking around with my camera and…NEW LENS! A bit more about this later.

…and oh yes, before I forget, the game was between Netherlands and Cameroon.

Thanks to Maré for this photo!

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Jolene en Cobus het vir my hierdie artikel wat in die “Wedding Collection” tydskrif was gestuur. Dis was sooo ‘n lekker Karoo troue. Ek is mal oor nuwe ervaringe en ‘n Sutherland troue in die sneek-hitte was een van daardie wat ‘n mens nie sal vergeet nie. Om hul blog post te gaan loer, kliek gerus HIER:

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Dankie aan Gideon & Sonja, LeRoux & Mariette en Emil & Tarryn wie my cool models was!

What a cool post/interview they did with Nikki and Kappie! Just love this blog!

They did 3 parts of the wedding, so make sure you check it out! Click HERE for the link to the first one.

Snow cat (or “Sneeukatjie”) is my newest addition to my equipment! It is a Diana F which is a faithful reproduction of the sixties classic Diana camera. It’s loved for its mysterious vignettes and soft-focus and forms part of Lomography. And I love it! My plan is to eventually buy a separate back for Snow Cat, which will allow me to take good old instant photos with it. For the moment it is a 120film camera, but i bought a 35mm back for it so I can use it with normal film/slides as well. It will obviously never-ever replace my Canon 5D Mark II, but I just love the look and feel of it and might use it for a shot or 2 in a wedding for variation. The lens (and actually the whole camera) is plastic and it only have 3 settings to focus: 1-2m, 2-4m and then 4m-infinity. For the light setting, you have an option between cloudy, semi-cloudy and sunny. Because you have to wind on the the film manually, double exposure is easy. I already shot 3 spools of films and tried the double exposure …and that really excites me!

The lab where I always develop my wedding photos could not believe that I handed in film. There is just something about the fact that you give in a spool and “miraculously” you receive photos when you go back in an hour! Ones you took, but have not seen yet.

Anyway, 2 of the films were normal coulor film and the other a slide film, which was cross-processed. (Slide and normal coulor film needs 2 different processes to develop and if you cross-process, the colours comes out all funny and cool.) Most of them were taken at Kalkbaai area and the other on our farm when I, my brother and sister in law visited my older brother on the farm. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

This is Snow Cat:

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What an awesome privilege to be a shooter at Christine Meintjes 2nd workshop! I caught myself often forgetting to take photos, because I could not help to get lost in what she was sharing. It was very practical and “user friendly” and the decor by Leipzig Floral Design was superb! I could not stop taking photos of that! When they had their shoot, my job was to document the group (an awesome group of people by the way!!!!) but I ended up sneakingly taking some photos of the really beautiful and well styled couple as well.
Here are some of my favorite shots of from the workshop:

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A while ago I heard that I was nominated for the 2009 Sony Pro Photo Awards competition and was so excited! Today I got a mail that said:

“Over 6000 images were submitted for the 2009 PROFOTO Awards by Sony, Southern Africa’s premier showcase of professional and amateur photography. The images were judged over a two-week period by a panel of local and international judges to determine the winners of the various categories. Now you have a chance to be a judge - and win a great prize in the process! View the Finalists’ Images by visitingwww.profotoawards.co.za between 29 March - 8 April 2010 and if the image you vote for is also voted “Image of the Year” by the panel of judges, you could win a fabulous Sony A500 DSLR Camera. To enter the competition, simply click on your favourite Finalists’ Image and fill in your details.”

I was SuPeR stoked to find 3 of my images between the “favourite Finalists’ Images!” If you like them, please do go vote for one of them! Concratulations to all the other photographers as well. There are some AWESOME shots, so please do feel free to vote for which ever photo you want. “Good luck” deciding on only one!

Click here for the link. Mine are on page 6, 17 and 22.

Yeah!!!!

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I was one of those people that did not know that human trafficking exists. Or maybe I just did not want it to exist.

Human trafficking/Sex slaves/People being sold in South Africa? Hmmm.  Then I thought, ok maybe, but not that often. And not in SA at least, maybe in other countries, yes.

Marionette van Deventer from Stop Trafficking of People asked me to take some behind the scene shots for their “2010 Human Traffic Campaign“. Their organisation was started at the beginning of 2009 by Corinne Sandenbergh and the aim of the campaign is to make people aware of what Human Trafficking is and also to give them practical ways in which they can get involved.

I loved shooting people like Shado Twala, Antoinette Kellerman, Thuli Zuma and the 2 girls from Freshly Ground, but I was SHOCKED by the statistics on Human Trafficking in SA, specifically in connection with the Soccer World Cup 2010. Please do yourself a favour by following this link. Quentin Krog and Floyed de Vaal, the crazy cool creative guys from Firestorm Production put together two videos that is both entertaining and freakishly informative.  It’s definitely worth the watch…and to Tweet…and Facebook…and to send to your mother…and friend…and the rest of the world!!!!

And if possible, act on it. To be shocked alone has never helped anyone.

Antoinette Kellerman

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Rebecca send me this image on of their friends took with a Hoga camera. I LOVE it!

If you are interested in cameras like this, you should go to Exposure Gallery at the Old Biscuit Mill. On the website, go check out the Lomography section. It’s HOT stuff!

(The one with the camera smiling and running around, that’s me!)

Oh yeah! Thanks to Annemie and Mitch for sending their wedding story and pictures in to Top Billing Magazine. Their article was featured in this moth’s copy. (Jan 2010)

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As julle wou foto’s sien, is hierdie net vir vandag nie die plek nie. Ek is net so dankbaar dat dit wil oorloop, nou loop dit maar in die blog oor! Daar leef soveel in my hart, maar ek wil net ‘n paar punte met julle deel:

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Ek het van vandag af vir die eerste keer ‘n kantoor!!!!!!! My eie een! Ene met 2 nuwe kantoorstoele. Ek droom al so lankal van dit.

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Gister het ek die skottelgoed so gekyk, my werk so gekyk en besluit ek gaan vir my ‘n “LG Saartjie” koop. Saartjie staan nou in haar hoekie in die kombuis en ek gaan haar nog baie dankie se. Sy het amptelik al een keer gewerk. Sy is pragtig!

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Maré is van vandag weer terug by die werk!!! Sy is my regterhand en werk twee dae ‘n week vir my. Sy was nou vir 3 weke op vakansie en ek is so bly sy is terug! Die jaar het groot dinge vir haar in stoor en ek is opgewonde daaroor!

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God werk in my hart. Selfs die deeltjies wat ek nie van geweet het nie.

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Ek het cool maatjies.

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My ma-hulle (uit die Karoo,) asook my broers en skoonsuster kom more aand by my eet.

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Ek woon in die 3de mooiste plek in die hele wereld. (Die ander 2 plekke is ook in Suid Afrika though.)

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Ek is gesond.

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Dis my werk om foto’s te neem.

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My hartjie klop, my oe blink en ek sien uit na die jaar. (En nee, ek is nie verlief nie! Dit kom nog. Wanneer die tyd reg is.)

Wonderlike 2010 vir julle almal. ***

I did not even realize that Ingrid and Aage’s wedding post was no. 100 and even though my blog is still in diapers, I really enjoy having one!

Thanks to all my really cool clients. I know I have mentioned this a while back, but really, I do have the nicest clients ever. Thanks, you add so much to the joy of my work!

That brings me to my next point. A while ago Konfetti online magazine contacted me to ask for a photo of myself, because I have been nominated as Photography service provider of 2009. This came as a surprise! Just after that Libre, one of my awesome brides, mailed me to tell me that she nominated me. Thanks Libre, it was only a pleasure working with you and Pieter. Two days ago, Ingrid congratulated me for winning the category. I am pretty overwhelmed by it, but very grateful. This motivates me even more to give the best possible service I can!

Libré and Pieter: Left photo

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I must admit, I miss film, I miss the darkroom and I miss the scary anticipation when you are counting down the minutes before you can see if your negatives survived everything you have done to it. 

Our whole first year of my photographic studies we shot on B&W film. Hours would pass in the darkroom and you would not even realize. As a class, we had some cRaZy fun times in the darkroom. In the beginning, the darkroom’s ventilation was not all that good. Or rather, there was no ventilation. (Oh boy, maybe I am addicted to the darkroom, for other reasons than I thought! :-)) I worked out that it took me an average of 2 hours 30 minutes to get a print that I was fully satisfied with. Not too dark or light, not too flat or contrasty, burned and dodged on all the right places, no marks and hair on the negatives etc etc. But the end result was just so satisfying. 

When a friend of mine told me that he knows someone that wants to sell his enlarger (equipment for B&W printing) I really became interested. I do not have a darkroom, space for a darkroom or even really place to just store the enlarger, but I was so drawn to it! I started to dream about having my own darkroom again. Maybe I will even shoot the Sudan/Egypt trip on film!

I contacted the person about the enlarger and in the end we decided to do a swop. I will take some pics of him and his family in exchange for his enlarger.

So ta-daa, let me intruduce you to my newest equipment:

(Still needs a bit of TLC… and a name!)

 And here are a few shots of Deon and his family. It was so much fun and I actually just documented most of the time. Enjoy!

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Earlier this year I went to Johannesburg (South Africa) to shoot my friend Gabriël’s, wedding.

There I got introduced to a… Lizelle Lötter!!!

Here is a photo I took of Lizelle and Gabriël, our mutual friend, at his wedding:

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This is quit an exciting month!

Sarie magazine, Brides Diary magazine, Once Wed blog….!

Sarie Magazine:

Earlier this year, Ingrid Promos contacted me and asked if I could quickly take a few pics of a band. I did not know whom I will be photographing and I must admit, this was the fastest shoot I have EVER done. I’m not sure if we had the best of 15min!

But hey! It made it’s way into this month’s Sarie!

It’s a group photo of Ollie Viljoen, Anna Davel, Schalk Joubert, Kevin Gibson en Lou-Ann Stone. They started a Afrikaans Jazz band called “Blues en Susters.”

If you would like to see them in action: 7-11 April 2009 @ KKNK, tickets at Computicket. 

For more info, go to www.kknk.co.za. 

The cover of this month’s Sarie.

Kyk ook uit vir hierdie poster!

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Ek is so opgewonde!!! Ek gaan Sudan en Egipte toe in Junie/Julie. Kom ek verduidelik:

In 2000 is ek 3 maande Duitsland toe as uitruilstudent met die uitruilprogram FSA. Min het ek geweet dat ek ‘n paar jaar later ek weer met hulle te doen gaan kry. Lodie de Jager, die hoof van FSA, het verlede jaar ‘n toer op sy motorfiets gedoen, Naboom2Germany, wat hy man alleen aangepak het. Hy het besluit dat hy weer ‘n toer deur Afrika wil doen en het besluit op Africa our home. (As op link ingaan, kliek dan op Africa our home.) Hy het gevoel dat Afrika glad nie dit is wat die media dit maak nie. Die keer is dit ‘n toer met ‘n dubbelkajuit bakkie en die Duitse borg, Anja Lubbe, gaan ook die toer meemaak. Die toer strek vanaf Naboonspruit, Suid Afrika tot Kairo, Egipte oor ‘n tydperk van +- 2maande. Oud-FSA studente kon aansoek doen om aan een van 4 dele van die toer deel te neem/saam te toer. Die deelnemers sal dan dagboek hou van die toer met al sy gebeure, besienswaardighede en “myth-busters.” Vrydag het ek gehoor dat ek die 4de deel gaan saam toer!!!!! Soos Lodie dit noem, die 4 wat gekeur is was almal naby ‘n opwinding uitbarsting! En in my geval was dit verseker so.

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Today is the first day that I have a website/blog and I am sooooo excited! It is great to have my own little spot in the www. 

The idea behind my blog is to share. It will mainly be photos, but sometimes also interresting experiences and thoughts. The good and fun ones, but the “less good and fun” ones too.

Go through my website and keep me up to date with your thoughts and experiences! 

PS: For now the posts will be in English or Afrikaans, depending on the client’s mother language!

Vandag is die 1ste dag van my website/blog en ek is so opgewonde soos n kind daaroor! Dit voel so lekker om my eie gaatjie in die www te he!

My plan is sommer net om “te deel” deur my blog. Foto’s sal ‘n hoof rol speel, maar tussendeur sal daar ook ervarings, interesanthede, lekker goed en miskien selfs die ‘minder lekker goed’ met jou gedeel word. 

Ek hoop julle geniet dit en hou my op hoogte van wat julle dink en ervaar!

NS: Die posts sal in Afrikaans of Engels gedoen word, afhangende van die klient se moedertaal!