creative photography Archives Page 3 of 3 - Jacki Bruniquel Photography

Get It Magazine – Article on me and my work (blush)

by Jacki Bruniquel | Aug 8, 2011 | Awards

I have been very honored by having an article written on me and my work in the latest Get It Mag. Not only is there an article but I also on the cover EEEK. A huge thanks goes to my extremely talented brother in law Tyrone Bradley for taking the pics, to my favorite make up artist Charelle and to Leah for coming to visit me and writing the piece. I have typed out the article for my friends overseas and far away.

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PICTURE PERFECT

Accomplished mixed media artist and photographer Jacki Bruniquel specializes in portraits and unique and creative wedding photography.

A colourful, quirky each cottage tucked away in the quaint village of Umdloti seems to be the perfect base for this imaginative and inspired photographer. Liker her house, which is also home to two large, fluffy Maine Coon cats and is filled with beautifully simplistic and unusual décor, Jacki’s photographs reflect her eccentric personality and style.

Having been profiled on Top Billing on more than one occasion, Jacki was also a finalist in the Nikon Africa Photographic Award last year, as well as having been included in the book ‘Women on Women A History of Women Photographers in South Africa’.

Born and bred in Durban, Jacki was always artistic growing up. “I was extremely lucky to have parents who encouraged my creativity, rather than forcing me to excel in other subjects, like Mathematics!”

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FINDING PHOTOGRAPHY

After school Jacki completed a fine art degree at Michaelis Fine Art School at UCT. It was here that Jacki fell in love with photography. “Studying in Cape Town was an incredible, amazing experience. I was gong to paint but after spending time in a darkroom I realized that that was where the magic happened for me. I majored in photography instead.” Jacki worked and traveled overseas for six years doing everything from waitressing to painting backdrops and it was during this time that she discovered her passion for travel photography – a passion that she still holds close to her heart today.

When she moved back to South Africa she decided it was time to get some technical knowledge of photography and Jacki completed a photography diploma at Durban Technickon. “I also got back into my art and started exhibiting again. I was a featured artist on Top Billing and I ran workshops on mixed media art (using photography and paint) around the country.

But, Jacki says, she always felt a strong pull towards photography and specifically photographing people. “I am one of those people who always has my camera in my hand. It drives my family crazy!”

SHOOTING WEDDINGS

Initially Jacki was resistant about being dubbed a “wedding photographer”. But, she says, the more weddings she photographed the more she began to realize the wedding photography didn’t have to be boring and cheesy, but that it could be cool and creative!”

With her exceptionally artistic eye Jacki simply sees things from a different angle, making wedding photography fun, quirky and highly sought-after!

“I soon started to realize that my approach to wedding photography was extremely popular overseas and becoming more popular here. As a creative photographer you have a lot of freedom when it comes to shooting weddings, as opposed to doing commercial shoots where you have restrictions and are always being “directed” by a client.”

Describing her approach to wedding photography Jacki says she likes the images to tell a story, capturing and documenting moments, as well as being creative. She also loves working with natural light and says her images are always very influenced by available light.

Her other biggest inspiration, Jacki says is people. “I love people and I love to capture their spirit in their photographs. Often I will do an engagement shoot before the wedding, so I get to know the couple a little bit better.”

“I think photography is a type of visual language, allowing you to tell stories with images. A series of images tell the story, but each image also tells a story of its own. I think that’s why I love blogging, which has become a bit part of my life.”

Asked what advice Jacki has for young aspiring photographers she says it would be to surround themselves with creative people who you can talk to and feed off. “You should also be shooting constantly – the more you shoot, the better you will be. Use the internet, there is so much information out there for photographers.”

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Tips for choosing your wedding photographer

by Jacki Bruniquel | Jun 6, 2011 | Uncategorised

Remember that once your wedding is over and all the flowers have died and the champagne has been drunk the only tangible thing that you will have is your new spouse, your wedding rings and your wedding photographs! It is therefore advisable if you are on a budget to rather allocate more to the best photographer or package that you can afford and hold back in other areas.

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Decide what style of photography you and your partner enjoy and choose your photographer accordingly. It is a good idea to spend a decent amount of time looking at photographer’s portfolios on the web to get an idea of your likes and dislikes. Some photographers are more creative than others while still capturing all the special moments, while others concentrate on capturing more posed magazine type images. Make a list of your favorites before contacting them for quotes and other questions.
Find out how many years of experience and what qualifications your chosen photographers have. With the advent of digital photography there are many fly-by-night photographers out there. You want to ensure that your photographer has the knowledge and experience to be able to capture all the moments of your big day no matter what the challenges are.
If you like creative photography perhaps choose a photographer with an art or design background.
Ask your chosen photographer what type of equipment they use. A true professional will have a full frame high end camera with various pro lenses and lighting units. This level of equipment is extremely expensive and is often reflected in their quotes however these tools offer far better results and enable photographers to shoot in all conditions.
Find out exactly what kind of album your photographer offers. Old fashioned “paste-in” albums may be cheaper but the pictures almost always land up falling out and in my experience the albums themselves can sometimes end up loosing pages etc. Some coffee table albums are made with substandard inks and papers which mean that photographs may fade in the future. The best flush mounted and coated hard covered albums are expensive and take a lot of time to design beautifully, but this is a book that needs to last your lifetime and your children’s too! A true professional will offer you a good product. It is really worth investing this extra money.
Ask your photographer how many hours they spend editing each wedding and designing albums as this will greatly affect the price. With digital photography, the real work of the photographer begins once the wedding has been shot and true professionals will spend many hours on each wedding to ensure that every photo in your album is perfect!
Consider a photographic package that offers an engagement shoot. A good photographer will be able to capture images of the two of you that tell your real story. At the end of the day we don’t spend every day in wedding attire so an engagement shoot is a fantastic way to get some relaxed, honest pics of you both in a conceptual manner which suits you. You can of course have your make up and hair done before to ensure that you look your absolute best. An engagement shoot is also a fabulous way to get to know your photographer and the way that they work before your big day so that you are more comfortable in front of the camera. It’s also a way of reducing time spent on your creative shoot on your wedding day so that you can spend more time with your guests.
If you want to reduce time on your creative shoot so that you aren’t away from your guests for too long you could also consider having your creative shoot the day after. This has become a big trend overseas but isn’t everyone’s cup of tea!
Good photographers get booked up in advance so don’t leave booking your photographer to the last minute. Also ensure that you mention your wedding date and venue when sending off that first email so the photographer in question can check their schedule before responding. This will save you lots of time and trouble.

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Published in Get It Magazine

by Jacki Bruniquel | May 23, 2011 | Awards

I was very honored to be a featured photographer in a recent article the Get It magazine wrote on current wedding trends. I am sure you will recognise my pics.The article featured a number of people who are at the top of their game in the local wedding industry and asked each person to give wedding tips relating to their particular field. The other photographer featured is the super lovely and very talented Samantha Maber who also happens to be a good friend. Noreen Swartz from Timeless weddings was also included. Noreen and I have worked together a few times and I cannot recommend her enough as a wedding planner.

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Top Billing Feature in this months issue.

by Jacki Bruniquel | Oct 25, 2010 | Awards

Top Billing Magazine has included a small feature on me in their “What’s Hot” section in the November edition. Not that long ago one of my ex students, Taetime DeVilliers asked me to pose for a portrait for her final year portfolio and this very image made it into the magazine. Well done Taetim! Click on “View Whole Post” to read the story.

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The insert reads as follows

“No Stranger to Top Billing readers, this super-talented, KwaZulu-Natal based artist continues to inspire us. An artist and photographer, Jacki’s pictures capture the soul of people around the country, offering a glimpse into their lives, weddings and families. This Michealis graduate draws her photographic inspiration and energy from her travels around the world: she’s hiked the Himalayas, surfed in Indonesia and soaked up Europe’s culture and art. Her paintings have captured attention countrywide for many years, but photography has captured her heart and is the direction she’ll now be travelling in. “Jacki has the ability to capture priceless moments that you don’t even think about till you have seen the actual photos”, says Boshoff van der Merwe, a family portrait client. View Jacki’s portfolio on www.jackibruniquel.com”

You can see the portrait they used below photographed by Taetim DeVilliers. I have already shown this on my blog but just in case you didn’t see that post … here it is again. I am very proud of Tae!

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Indonesian Inspiration

by Jacki Bruniquel | Jul 9, 2010 | Travel

I spent 6 weeks in Indonesia some time back and I can honestly say they were 6 of the best weeks of my life. I actually cried when I left the island! It is hard for me to put into words just how magical this special land is to me so I will use pictures instead!

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