Top Durban wedding photorapher Archives Page 3 of 3

September = taking the time to push my boundaries ie Giving a speech at the South African Wedding Photographers Association party in CT on the 8th.

by Jacki Bruniquel | Aug 31, 2011 | For Photographers, My approach to Photography

I know I made quite a few brides unhappy when I decided to take this September off weddings to push my boundaries and work on personal projects. I was beginning to feel like my work was stagnating so instead of sitting around talking about all the things I would like to do, I made the time to do them. It’s not that I don’t enjoy shooting weddings, they are just so time consuming that they seem to take over every free second of my life and it’s therefore easy to become a bit lazy and fall into ruts. If you are really busy and working all the time its often easier to take the safe route rather than being a bit fearless and going for gold! I think it is vital to take time out to throw yourself out of your comfort zone and to learn, study and grow. I had originally planned to work on some fine art projects but I decided to do something different and push myself technically which is always scary as I am not naturally a technical person. So I am going balls to the wall and playing with lighting, working on conceptual shoots and collaborating with stylists.

Do you feel like you are stuck in a rut, do you spend time talking about doing things rather then doing them, is your work starting to bore you, do you feel a bit lost????? Well then I encourage you to take the first step and JUST DO IT!!! No excuses. Once you start shooting for yourself its bloody amazing how your internal energy shifts. I know not everyone has the luxury of taking a month off to do this sort of thing. I have worked hard for this and sacrificed alot to do this but I know that this time will bring great things for me and my little business. If you cannot take time off … what about just doing that project that you keep talking about? It feels good , I promise!

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The funny thing about making a decision is that the universe all of a sudden opens up the flood gates.

Not too long ago I received an email from Ian Mitchinson asking me to give an inspirational talk at the South African Wedding Photographers Association party on the 8th of September. Now that is seriously throwing me out of my comfort zone!!! Last year 2 of South Africa’s top top wedding photographers Jean Pierre Uys and Christine Meintjes were the guest speakers!!!! Apparently all the who’s who of wedding photography will be there so its all rather daunting but as I said … throwing yourself into uncomfortable situations pretty much always leads to growth. I have booked tickets and will be there with bells on.

I am going to be talking about

Using self introspection to develop and maintain a unique visual language in amongst all the noise of social media which surrounds us. I will share 2 basic techniques of visual methodology which I learnt during my Fine Art Degree and am now applying to wedding photography.

The party is going to be held at the Zulu Bar on Long Street starting at 7pm. Besides being a great networking evening, The Rudimentals will be playing and there are some fabulous prizes to be won (ie tickets to see Kings of Leon etc etc) Click here to find out more. Please do come say hi to me. Looking forward to meeting you all!!!!!

PS The lovely Jules Morgan will also be talking along with DuWayne and Custo Photography.

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Jacki’s bag

by Jacki Bruniquel | Aug 24, 2011 | For Photographers

So with Google Analytics I can see what keywords people use when arriving at my site. It seems alot of you have typed in Jacki Bruniquel Equipment, Jacki Bruniquel Lenses, Jacki Bruniquel Wide Angle lens. So I decided to do this quick blog post on my equipment. I am a Nikon girl and I have shot Nikon since moving over to digital. I also have a wonderful Fuj XT2 which I won at the Admired in Africa 2016 comp. Here goes …..

IN MY BAG EVERYDAY

CAMERA BODIES

4 professional Nikon full frame bodies – 1 Nikon D4, 2 Nikon D750’s 1 D700 Bodies
Fuji XT2

CAMERA LENSES

Nikon 24 – 70mm f/2.8 FX
Nikon 14 – 24 mm f2.8 FX
Nikon 50mm f1.4 FX
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 FX
Nikon 85mm 1.4
Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art Lens
Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art Lens

SPEEDLIGHTS/FLASHES

Nikon SP 800
Nikon SP 900
2 Nikon SP 900
Elenchrom Ranger Pack

TRIGGERS

x2 Pocket Wizard TT5’s
1 Pocket Wizard TT1
x2 Pocket Wizard Plus 2 Transceivers

ACCESSORIES

Various filters, lightstands, umbrellas, Sandisk and Lexar Memory Cards, Magmod Flash adaptors, Lume cubes, rechargeable Enaloop batteries, Reflectors, Sunbounce, Manfrotto tripod, Lowepro Backpack, StormCase,

STUFF WHICH I DON’T USE ALL THE TIME BUT HAVE

Mamiya RB 67 with various lenses
A few other vintage film cameras

MY SUPPLIERS

I have bought pretty much most of my equipment from Orms in Cape Town. The reason for this is that I have a long relationship with Mike Orms and consider him a friend. He has given me really great prices on everything and has personally looked after me. I really appreciate the service that they give me and am therefore a loyal customer. Nikon also really looks after pros who have bought their equipment here and paid their taxes. If anything goes wrong or even if you just need a service they bump you up to the top of the queue so you don’t have to wait around for weeks to get your gear back.

YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT!!!

As a newbie photographer you may look at all of this and want to curl up into a ball and cry. This equipment has cost me a fortune but that is why I am not a cheap photographer, I take my craft very seriously. When I first started out I remember feeling like I would never ever be able to afford all this expensive gear. But, I put my mind to it and I worked hard, I made sacrifices and I made the decision that I WOULD BE ABLE TO BUY MY GEAR. And then ….. I did! The truth is there are now other things that I want like fancy lighting and better bodies and so on. With photography it just never seems to end.

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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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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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