Best of Weddings 2022

Best of Weddings 2022

2022 has been one of my most favourite years of all time but there have also been some difficult lessons to learn. In summary I would say that my words for the year were: self exploration, growth, gratitude and unexpected gifts. I photographed weddings everywhere from Cape Town to Kwa Mashu to Zambia to Kefalonia in Greece and landed up working in both sets of catastrophic floods that happened in KZN. I didn’t enter any photography competitions and I took a bit of a back seat on social media, but I did get to the other side of a creative block and went to Dahab for two months and dived to 40 meters on one breath. Making this blogpost reminded me of how lucky I have been to experience so many different cultures from behind my lens. I’m so deeply grateful to the clients who have entrusted me to capture these memories for them. A huge thanks also to the assistants and service providers who have helped me make these images possible. We certainly have had some adventures together! Welcome to my Best of Weddings 2022.

There are going to be some very big changes coming to my life and business in 2023 – so watch this space!

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Shooting in difficult locations

Shooting in difficult locations

One of the things I love most about photographing weddings is that I get to experience so many different types of cultures.  I love people and am always watching the way in which we interact and connect. Ritual is of particular interest to me and so traditional weddings become totally fascinating for me.

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Here are a few photographs from Andile and Langa’s Traditional Zulu wedding that happened the day after their Christian White wedding which took place at The Zunguness in the midlands.

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Traditional Zulu weddings generally happen at the Groom’s family’s homestead and they are filled with song, beautiful colours and sometimes even a bit of Zulu dancing! The main ceremony involves family members and important guests being presented with blankets.

Once the formalities were done which I shot in a documentary style, I wanted to capture a few portraits of the ravishing bride. Andile is drop dead gorgeous and a total fashionista, she oozes style and I wanted to make something special for her that spoke of her.

She looks like she’s standing in an African jungle in this photo but we were actually in an urban area with lots of cars, electric fences and razor wire which is typical in South Africa. As a wedding photographer we need to deliver no matter what the circumstances are, and Andile is a real fashionista so I wanted to create something really glamorous as she is.

I remember thinking to myself – Whats the best way to approach this Jacki Bruniquel.

And I slowed it all down and looked at the red of her outfit and changed my thinking to-
How can I solve this?
What goes with red!
Green is Red’s complementary colour
And off I went in search of a spot of green. Which we found in a vacant plot a wee bit down the road.

I used the Profoto B10 light to create some drama and fill in the shadows and a long lens to create some lens compression.

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If you would like to learn how to problem solve tricky shooting situations and take your flash off camera send me an email. I have a few spots free for my Durban Unstuck Yourself Creative Photography workshop that is happening on the 17/ 18 March 2020 and the early bird special is still available until the 30 January 2020. If you are keen to attend the Joburg workshop send me a DM and I will pop you onto the wait list.

For more information about the Unstuck Yourself Workshop, click here. 

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Best of Weddings 2019

Best of Weddings 2019

This year has been brutal but it has also been beautiful. There have been hard lessons and huge breakthroughs. It was the year that I sat at the edge of the deathbed of one of my best friends and also spoke my truth in front of some of the best wedding photographers in the world at the Fearless conference in Germany. There were moments where it felt like everything was falling apart and then some extreme highs like whizzing around Bali with my hair blowing in the breeze. It was a year of deep connection and real conversations. It was a year of self-introspection and growth. So I say thank you for the tough times as they always pass and when the winds shift we become stronger and my eyes open with just a bit more conscious awareness. But 2020 can you please be more gentle. Pretty please!

Here’s a quick summary of 2019

I loved my 2019 couples. We shot weddings in Cape Town, Jozi, the Orange Free State and good old Durbs. These took us to fancy hotels, sandstone churches, and the house where the founder of Scientology once lived. What I have always enjoyed about wedding photography is that I get to experience so many different cultures and this year I was so blessed with bookings that truly inspired me. Thank you to all of you newly weds for trusting me with these memories!

I photographed way more family portraits than usual. I used to avoid family portraits but Kirsty’s passing made me grasp the value of photography. When someone dies the first thing we do is look at old pictures. I wanted to make pictures of everyone this year!

I spoke at the Fearless Photographers Conference in Germany, the Photo Video Experience in Joburg and the Photo Fair Africa Expo in Durban. Being able to help others grow helps me grow. Thanks to every one of you who listened to my messages.

We ran 2 very successful 2 day Creative Photography Workshops in Jozi and in Durban called the Unstuck Yourself Workshop and I have so enjoyed seeing all the positive results my students have been achieving.

I won 3 Fearless Awards for my wedding photography which is just so incredibly hard to do these days as they get thousands of entries from all over the world.

I launched the #selfcarecreativitychallenge for the month of November which was just what my soul needed! I will be doing another one in January if you would like to join?

In between all of that I did a month long trip to Berlin and Bali, I spent time with the people who love me, I finally (nearly) finished the décor of the bedrooms and lounge in my house, I rescued a baby kitten, bought a new car and truly grasped the power of regular meditation practice. Oh and I also started gym!!!! WHAAAAT

Huge thanks to all my clients, supporters, friends, family and suppliers who have helped my journey this year. I so appreciate you all!!!

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20 ways for Photographers to prevent Burnt Out

20 ways for Photographers to prevent Burnt Out

February isn’t typically a crazy busy month in the land of Jax, but February 2020 has been absolutely insane. We’ve been photographing weddings and also commercial shoots in the most diabolical summer heat and it’s very easy to get burnt and burnt out with this sort of non stop schedule.

This has got me thinking about how it is so easy to land up with adrenal fatigue when you are working like this. Luckily I have developed a few tricks over the years and keep them up my sleeve to help me cope.

In case you didn’t know, I landed up in hospital with adrenal burnt out a few years back after abusing my body with a relentless schedule and not much self-care. I was working 60 – 80 hours a week for so long that I eventually just collapsed. It took about a year to recover and I have had to be careful of relapses since then! Click here to read more about that. I can tell you now it is not worth abusing your body to the brink. It has been proven time and time again that extreme stress causes a myriad of diseases. Do you really want heart failure or an auto immune disease because you’re unable to manage yourself or your time?

Life is short! You only have one life so let’s make it an amazing one! Most photographers start their career with so much passion and filled to the brim with enthusiasm, but when we push ourselves to the absolute max and stretch ourselves thin without putting anything back it is easy to start hating what we are doing.

Here are some things that you can implement into your life that will help you manage the stress that comes with a busy photography practice.

1.  A Healthy Body is a Healthy Mind
It goes without saying that if you don’t eat properly you will not be providing your body with the necessary fuel to perform at optimum level. As photographers we need to be mentally, emotionally and physically fit, and good nutrition is vital. So, ditch the junk and make sure you are nurturing your body with good, healthy meals. Easy fixes are homemade nutritious soups, divided into serving portions and kept in the freezer for when you just don’t have time to cook. I also have a Nutribullet and make smoothies with powered suppliments likeWazoogles to make sure I am getting what I need.

2. Exercise
It has been proven that doing 20 minutes of exercise a day actually releases stress hormones from the body. When we experience stress the endocrine system floods the body with flight or fight hormones like cortisol and adrenalin, which are literally telling your body to move. If we sit in a chair all day editing, those hormones will become stored in the body and can cause disease. A dose of exercise releases all the feel good hormones like dopamine and endorphins and will literally have you releasing that stress.

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3. Take Vitamin B supplements
When I am extremely busy I actually go for Vitamin B injections. These help enormously! They can be a pain in the butt (literally) but they really do take the edge off and I have found I don’t get sick when I am up to date with these. In South Africa you need a prescription from a doctor for these injections.

4. Watch your caffeine intake
One or two cups of coffee per day is absolutely fine but drinking more then that will actually cause your body to go into stress, so when you are already stressed it is only exacerbating the situation.

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5. Get enough sleep
Ok I know this can be very hard for the Moms and Dads out there and might be easier said than done, but not sleeping properly can leave one feeling frazzled and emotionally unhinged which is not great when combined with a busy season.

6. Factor in time for self care
Diarise slots for self care every week. If you don’t look after yourself who will? Some people need a walk on the beach to clear their head, others need a spa day, some need a coffee with a good friend or just a moment to journal and breathe. Make time for whatever you need to feel better because if you collapse in a heap or snap at a client your business will suffer. The key here is to diarise this time and make it as important as doing admin or editing.

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7. Factor in time for inspiration
I take time before every shoot I do to look for inspiration. This means that I am able to draw from a full cup and create new images at most shoots rather than just re hashing the same old stale work because it is easy. Again, I make this time a priority.

8. Reward yourself when you have ticked everything on your TO DO LIST
Our brain stores memory and these stored memories will determine how we react to the various things that happen in our life. This is why a child who had a bad experience with a dog might be scared of dogs for the rest of their adult life, not matter what sort of temperament the dog has .

The reality of To Do Lists is that they are never ending. So when we work really hard to finish a very full To Do List and then add to it without any reward or acknowledgement of success, the brain will start to associate the To Do List with stress and will actually release stress hormones into the body. We are now becoming stressed about being stressed!

When you reach a point in your To Do list when you can take a breath, give yourself a break. Take a self care hour and do something that replenishes you so that your brain starts associating To Do lists with nice things and not just hard graft with no respite!

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9. Put your prices up!
Charge more but take on less work
If you are so busy that you don’t have time to look after yourself then really what is the point of it all???? I would rather charge more than an average photographer but deliver a top-notch service and imagery than burn out. Been there done that! If you want to put your prices up you need to work on creating a distinctive style and impeccable service. This is something I teach during my Unstuck Yourself Creative Photography workshops. Get in touch if you would like to attend one of the two in person workshops I will be running in 2020 and get in on the watiting list now.

10. Make sure your work flow is razor sharp
It’s too easy to get stuck working in the same old way because you are too busy to take time out to learn how to do things faster! Most photographers are only actually making money when they are clicking the shutter so try and reduce time on the computer doing post.

11. Get help
Outsource, outsource, outsource! It is so difficult to do everything yourself and still have the time to look after yourself, so try and get help where you can. This can be as simple as hiring someone to carry your bag at shoots, to hiring an accountant, having someone else do your editing and album design, using a VA to answer your emails and do your invoicing, and using a company to do your social media. I work with a permanent assistant who helps me on shoots, with editing, album design and some PA work. I also have an accountant as personally I couldn’t think of anything worse than trying to do my own books!

12. Back away from the phone
When you are really stressed out it is a great idea to take a 12 hour digital detox from evening to morning to give your brain a rest! In fact put your phone on charge in another room so you aren’t tempted to pick it up as you open your eyes.

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13. Get a good morning routine going
Waking up and grabbing straight for your phone is a recipe for crap day. Looking at social media stars is a comparison game that can make us feel inadequate, and emails are generally demanding something from us. Rather start your day by waking up a bit earlier than usual and do something positive that will set the tone for more happiness and productivity. This could be exercise, meditation, yoga, gratitude practice or reading.

14. Work with the right Clients
If your branding and marketing is on point you should be attracting clients that you resonate with. When you work with people who you love, you’ll be less stressed and be able to find more energy for the job.

15. Have something to look forward to
Set goals, for your business and yourself. When we have goals it is easier to work hard as we feel as if we are working toward something. This could be taking your family on holiday, buying a house or going to visit a friend in another country. When you need the energy, re-visiting your goals is a good way to get your head in check!

16. Take breaks and schedule holidays
You wouldn’t let your phone or your car battery run flat so why don’t you take the time to recharge? It is vital that we schedule time to switch off and let the body let go of all the stress. I could give you the “life is short” speech, but it is also vital for creativity and mental vitality. When you are running on half power your work will suffer

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17. Know your “Why”
When human beings have a purpose in life we are able to muster up all sort of energy and achieve great things so when you lose your sense of purpose the opposite happens and energy dwindles. If you are shooting for the sake of it and have no idea why you are doing what you are doing, you are going to get bored and uninspired. Spend some time digging deep and work out why you are a photographer, who you want to work with and why you are doing the particular genre that you are doing. Go back to that before you start every single shoot.

18. Meditate
Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety and improve creativity and emotional stability. This was a game changer for me. I find that when I am meditating regularly every day I am a lot calmer, come up with better ideas, and I handle problems more rationally and just feel happier generally. It is so easy to get out of practice though! I use the Insight Timer app to record my progress.

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19. Do what you can today
It’s so easy to get out of a good routine when you are busy. If that happens don’t beat yourself up. We are all human. Just do something right here, right now, today that will enable you to get back into good healthy habits.

20. Stop making excuses and just do it!!!!!
The more you put off a better routine the harder it is to get started, so stop listening to your mind. The mind will often talk you out of the difficult choice because it would rather take the easier option like sleeping in or ordering pizza. It’s just what the mind does. You are more than your mind. Ignore the excuses it makes up for you and JUST DO IT. Choose happiness. CHOOSE YOURSELF.

If you would like to learn from me I am running two Creative Photography workshops which are called the Unstuck Yourself  workshops and they will be happening in South Africa

Durban: 17/18 March

Johannesburg: 21/22 April

Click here to find out more or send me a DM and I will give you a call.

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Best of Weddings 2018

Best of Weddings 2018

2018 …..

What was that?

Seriously though, what just happened?

This year has gone by at the speed of light in a giant rollercoaster. One minute I was on the top of a mountain in Lesotho on New Years eve writing my goals for the year and the next they were playing Bony M in the shops and now here I am doing my annual Best of Wedding Photography post.

2018 saw some great thing happen work wise

• I ran 3 creative photographic workshops for a really great bunch of photographers Gosh I do love teaching and inspiring others

• We shot weddings all over South Africa and also Tanzania for beautiful souls who all inspired me to no end So grateful for the clients I attract

• We shot a record number of portraits this year Met so many interesting people and animals along the way in all sorts of interesting places

• I took a mini sabbatical and went down to Rhodes University to do a self created artists residency and processed my first roll of film in over a decade! Thanks Dyan McGarry, you are one of my most favorite humans in the universe.

• My new website and branding was finally re-launched Thanks Dylan McGarry for illustration, Tyrone Bradley for branding, Chanelle Segerius Bruce for coaching and Chantal from one day webs for coding and a serious amount of patience

• I spoke at the Foto Plus Africa Photography Expo in Johannesburg. Still have fomo from not being able to stay for the whole event

• I won two Fearless awards which is so hard to do these days as they literally get thousands and thousands of entries from all over the world. So chuffed about this as it had been a while!

• One of my pics was included in Bored Panda’s Top Wedding Photos of 2018. What an honor

• I had photos published in the Huffington Post and the Rangefinder magazine amongst other. Shooow thanks to my clients for giving me the opportunity to create shots that interest the world enough to publish them

• I was placed on Nicholas Purcils 2018 Top Wedding Photographers in the World List WOW didn’t’ see that coming!

• I was invited to speak at the Fearless Wedding Photography Conference in Germany in 2019 STILL CANT BELIVE IT!

It was also the year that our beloved dog called Panther Bear dropped dead out of the blue and I went into a depression afterwards which is rather surprising for someone who previously didn’t like dogs. Just as I was getting over that, a number of other personal bombs landed in my lap. It’s been a challenging year, but I feel that there has been a lot of growth and lessons that have been learnt, I have also experienced a lot of love and for that I am truly grateful.

So what have I learnt this year?

You never know what is around the corner so be grateful for everything you have now, Be present, Meditate every day, Love your people, Time is precious, The mind does not always serve us so be careful of getting caught up in the head, Things are not always as they seem, Good friends and family are to be cherished and Gardening makes me happy.

Thank you so much to all the clients who have entrusted me with their precious memories. I am so grateful for you all! Thanks to all the service providers who I work alongside who make my life easier by creating your own magic. Thanks to Lizzy for training up Charne. We miss you! Thanks to Charne for all your dedication and hard work. You survived your first year!!!! Welldone! Thanks to my friends and family that have supported me, put up with me and celebrated with me. Lastly thanks to the man in my life Riaan for giving guidance when needed, for making fires, for hanging pictures, for helping pack and unpack and for being there for me. I so appreciate you all.

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