There has been a lot of change in my life of late; in fact, most things have shifted! But one of the biggest changes, is that my dear, sweet assistant, Tash is going to be getting married and will be moving to Jozi to start a new life with her lovely husband to be Neil, AKA Raj. This is bitter sweet for me. Sweet, because there are no words to describe my love for this special soul and how excited I am for her that she will be starting on a new journey. It is bitter because I am going to miss her like crazy!
Tash has worked with me for over 3 years now. She started off with me whilst she was doing her Photography degree at DUT and needed to do a practical internship with a professional photographer. This developed into her coming to work with me full time once she had graduated. She has gone from a shy little creature, who had never tasted an artichoke, to a world traveler and a master assistant who takes incredible pictures. She is now a whizz on Photoshop and pretty phenomenal on Lightroom too. She is a blessing to have on any shoot as everyone that comes to know her falls in love with her. She is just such a lovely, gentle spirit with such a positive attitude, the biggest smile, a constant laugh, and she gives the best hugs. She is probably one of the most hard working, loyal, and dedicated people I have ever met, and there are no words that can adequately describe how blessed I am to have had her work for me for all of this time.
Besides all of that work stuff, the truth is that a photographer/assistant relationship is not like a normal employer/employee relationship as there are weeks where we have spent 60 – 80 hours together. I have probably spent more time with Tash than anyone else that I hold close or dear!!! This could be difficult if you don’t have the right assistant but Tash has become more than just an assistant. She has been my rock when things have been really tough, she has been my calm when I have been loosing it in a puddle of stress, she has been my right arm when my arm was busy doing something else. She has been a best friend, a companion and a person who has shone light onto every dark moment and given a giggle and a happy face in every other crevice of my journey. She understands my weird language of …. Please pass me the goojey, oh I need the thingymjig.. Oh you know bugalugs, the one with the blonde hair! She has celebrated all the good that has come into my life and has leant me an ear when things have gone belly up. She has encouraged me, and put up with me. She has loved me and has always been there for me. She has never once let me down. Not even once.
We have had some of the best times of my life together. We have traveled to India together where her and Neil got engaged and I feel so blessed to have been part of that journey. We have danced on tables in Soho in London, we have swum in the Caribbean sea together, sipped champagne on the Zambezi river, we have collected shells on the Mauritian shore line and got awfully ill in India together. We have shot weddings all over South Africa. On farms, mountain tops, game reserves, in fancy plush hotels and in simple homes and venues. We have met so many many people together , eaten alot of wedding cake and had so many huge life experiences together.
It is hard to imagine life without her but I know that we will remain good friends and I will be rooting for her in her new life. I also know that she will make a huge success of everything that she does, as she is just so bloody phenomenal. It’s Tash’s time to shine and with the light that I know that exists in her …. It’s going to be BRIGHT! I love you my dear! Thank you for everything. There is just too much to even write here but know in your heart, that mine is eternally grateful to have had you in my space for so long. I look forward to visits in Jozi or wherever else life takes you!
I have a new assistant now and her name is Elizabeth aka Liz, and Liz is just lovely. She is slightly mad in a good way, hard working, very dedicated, she bakes cupcakes, loves music, she doesn’t have an inside voice and is very good at helping me find balance and ticking things off on my list. Liz has her head on her shoulders and is a honey. It will be a new journey with Lizzy Loo and I hope that we will have as many wonderful times together as I did with Tash.
Just in case you were wondering …. Yes I will be shooting Tash and Neil’s wedding!!!!!! ….. So darn excited, but Liz will have to pass me lots of thingymajigs to wipe away my tears!!!
