Someone must have sped up the clocks last year. I feel as though it is still June 2017 and yet here I sit on the 3rd of January 2018 about to hit “publish” on my yearly Best of Weddings blog post!
2017 was a crazy year for me and I will tell you why. When that calendar ticked over from 2016 to January 2017 (just a nano second ago!), I was still recovering from a bicycle injury which involved a broken collarbone and a horrible case of post-concussion syndrome. With the help of my dear assistant Lizzy I managed to shoot a number of weddings with said injury and the next moment I blinked I found myself in the heart of the Karoo on the 1st of May celebrating turning 40! In the middle of all this we refurbished an old 1970’s house which I have nicknamed The Mouse House. This was meant to take around 4 months but landed up taking 9 months. I think everyone close to me was very relieved when we finally officially moved in mid-2017. It was a traumatic time, not only for us but also for our loved ones who had to hear us talk obsessively about tiles, taps and building contractors! Once we had moved in I put my work head firmly back on, and before I even knew it I had launched the Unstuck Yourself Creative Photography Workshop that I have been dreaming up since my trip to Bali in 2014. So far I have presented this workshop in Joburg and Cape Town and have another two sold out dates coming up in Durban. I also spoke at two “Be Inspired” wedding photography conferences up in Jozi. All this busyness has meant that we still haven’t unpacked all the boxes or hung up a single picture! On the flip side, I have photographed some very special weddings and done a truck load of smaller shoots too!
I don’t quite understand 2017. It’s been an emotional year. It’s been a year of being totally shaken up and yet it’s also been a year of seeing some of my dreams come to actuality. 2017 has without a doubt been the most taxing, and ironically fulfilling, years that I have experienced in my 40 years on this planet.
One thing I am very sure of is that gratitude brings blessings. I am so darned grateful to have moved into The Mouse House and to see the fruits of our blood, sweat and tears! I am also extremely grateful for the beautiful people that come into the view of my lens. This gratitude that I have seems to bring more equally inspiring clients into my life! And because of that, I will continue to thank 2017. I have worked with such lovely people this year yet again. Thanks to all of you for entrusting me to eternalise your memories! Thanks also to the lovely people who have attended my workshops and talks, and all the suppliers who have helped me along the way. I feel very lucky to get to work with such gems!
Enormous thanks to Lizzy who has assisted me for the past four years and has stood by me through thick and thin! Love you girl! Thanks also to Chanelle Segerius Bruce who has been helped me so much not only as a business coach but also a friend. Last but not least thanks to my family and friends, and especially to Riaan for holding me when I needed it and celebrating when those times came!
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What a privilege to be making the cut to such beautiful pics, jacki your story telling ans capturing those emotions is just on another level . Very well done ans May 2018 be such a blessing for your business
It’s really easy to see why you are at an echelon that most people in the game strive to be.
Your storytelling throughout EVERY wedding you’ve shot no olny brings tears to your clients eyes, but that of strangers and guests that get to glimpse at the album’s too.
Your artistic talent and eye for real emotion is unsurpassed, evident in all the images above, and precedes your reputation as a photographer.
I had the honour of witnessing you and Liz in action , at my own wedding for that matter, and was blown away at the pace and synergy in which the two of you work, like the gears of a timeless timepiece. The energy always emanates with pure joy and laughter, easing any bride or groom.
Many many thanks for your love, which reflects in our exquisitely captured story.
As Marilyn says above, what a privilege to make the cut!
We have such fond memories of our very special day which sadly feels a lifetime ago. Thank you so much to you and your team, Liz & Charne for showing such professionalism throughout the day. You amazed me at how much effort and time you put into researching and familiarising yourselves with the venue and of course getting to know Twain and I on a personal level before the day. I can’t wait to see our pictures and the story they tell – I have absolutely no doubt we are going to be blown away.
What a wonderful experience, you are an exceptionally talented lady & team, and I won’t hesitate to recommend you to family and friends – thank you! xx
Exquisite as always Jax xx
I choose the last one as the best wedding photo.
Great 2017 moments, very inspiring 🙂
There is so much love and joy in this collection of images. I have the biggest smile on my face!
Awesome Jacki, you are so inspiring and really push the rest of us to challenge ourselves. I look forward to seeing your work through 2018 🙂
Love your work hard to even choose a favourite moment captured x
These wonderful images again solidified my belief that you are simply the best wedding photographer in SA. And definitely in my top 3 in the world.
I know absolutely nothing about any of the people/families in this collection yet I felt like I was actually there to witness the moments you captured so perfectly! You are so mind bogglingly talented! Cannot wait to see what you have to offer the world as the years go by!!
Outstanding images!