Christine Meintjes Photography » For Photographers

report your stolen camera/lenses

christine — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:42:42 +0000

Since our break in (if you haven’t read the story click HERE), Iaan and I have been working with the police and we decided to compile a list of stolen cameras and lenses. If your camera or lenses has been stolen the past few months, please list it here. Please also FB, tweet and share this link to as many people as possible, so that we can get a decent list asap. Thanks.

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Workshop behind the scenes

christine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:47:28 +0000

As promised, here are some behind the scene photos of last month’s workshop. Thank you so much to everyone that attended and also a big thank you to Maree Louw from Natural light Photography for taking these photos.

Venue: Clouds Estate
Flowers: Mariette from Varsliefde
Decor and stationary: Anelle from Seven Swans
Make-up & Hair: Alicia

Kim & Dave | Oct Workshop

christine — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:33:09 +0000

In the first week of October I hosted another workshop here in Stellenbosch. This time the theme for the workshop was fun, quirky and very colourful. In general I tend to go for the very simple, down to earth colours, but this time I challenged myself to do something a bit bolder. :) The funky flowers were done by Mariette from Varsliefde and the decor and stationary by Anelle from Seven Swans.

The couple, Kim and Dave, are friends of mine. They recently got engaged and I knew they would be the perfect couple for the shoot!

I also want to thank Clouds Estate for the use of their venue and Alicia for the gorgeous hair and make-up.

* Behind the scene photos coming next week.

I moved from Canon to Nikon.

christine — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:47:26 +0000

Some of you might have seen my post on Facebook and saw that I moved from Canon to Nikon.

So now you all want to know how it happened and why I moved. Before I tell the story, please let me just say this. With this post I’m not intending to offend anyone or slander any brands, but purely share my experience.

I’m a loyal brand evangelist. When I love a product or service, I always talk about it.

So weeks ago, something happened I never expected…

I went to a Nikon Pro talk (an evening workshop open to any photographers) where, I met Ryan Harrington, a Nikon representative. He approached me and asked me if I have ever shot with Nikon. I said no and also mentioned that I was very happy with my Canon gear. But as the words left my mouth, I realized that I’ve never used any Nikon gear whatsoever. I wondered how I could honestly know which one I preferred, if I’ve never even tried both?

So, on the Monday I phoned Ryan and asked him if I could borrow some of the Nikon gear, to try it out. He was more than happy with the idea. The following week I shot a small wedding entirely with Nikon.

I got home and downloaded the images. I was so excited about how sharp the images were! And the skin tones were really awesome.

Apart from the great quality of Nikon’s gear and the results I saw (which was the most important thing to me), I was highly impressed with the service I received from Nikon. They were very efficient, super friendly and so supportive. They were available to talk and showed a real interest in my business.

I was also very impressed with the whole culture of Nikon and how they support photographers with small things like lifetime free sensor cleaning :) Now I know that’s a small thing. But small things matter!

Now I know this might sound cheesy to some of you, but I’m really a strong believer of consumer culture and how a brand makes me feel. Nikon makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger. I feel like more than just a customer, it feels like what I do is significant. I also love their approach to upliftment projects and giving back to the community.

But at end of the day, it’s not your camera that takes great photos, just as much as a stove does not cook amazing meals, just saying :)

And for those of you who have asked, my Canon gear has already been sold.

And that’s the story :) Happy shooting!

ps Nikon just made an announcement that I’m now one of their brand ambassadors. Read more here.

Free workshop seat | Opportunity

christine — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:57:38 +0000

Today I’m going to share some behind the scene photos of my last wedding photography workshop here in Stellenbosch. The photos were taken through-out the two day workshop, last month, by the awesome Claudia De Nobrega from VDA STUDIOS. Amongst some exciting other things, I’m preparing for next week’s workshop and I thought this might be a little taste of what next weeks photographers can look forward to :)

And with these great photos, I’m going to open up an opportunity to you. If you’re a photographer, and you’ve always wanted to attend one of my workshops, here is an opportunity….I’m giving away one spot for someone at next week’s workshop. Yes, for FREE…but before you go all crazy…please read the T & C below (I know I hate T & C’s too, but they are there for a reason :)

Terms and Conditions:

You have to be available from 9:00 till 18:00 on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October to attend.
You will be shooting the behind the scenes photos of the workshop, while attending (testing your multi-tasking abilities here :)
Photos need to be available within one week after the shoot, edited and sent to me on DVD or CD.
Your photos will be shared on my blog with a link to your site.
To apply, please leave a comment of why you want to attend + your blog URL.
NO emails or FB messages will be accepted, only comments on this post.
I will choose someone and let you know by Monday 10 October.
If you were not chosen, please don’t be sad, I only have one spot. But more workshops coming next year (no dates or cities released yet). If you’d like to be on our waiting list, please fill in one of the forms here.)

Thanks again Claudia for these great photos (and yes, next time I’m going to try and open up my eyes when I laugh :D)

View more photos on Claudia’s website: Part 1 and Part 2

Service Providers:

Venue: Middedorp
Stationery: Anelle | Seven Swans
Flowers: Elmarie | El Le Fleur Studio
Hair & Makeup:: Sebastine Pepler
Dress & Headpiece:: Kobus Dippenaar
Couple: Betina Louw & Wouter Du Toit
Behind The Scenes Photographer: Claudia De Nobrega | VDA STUDIOS

Wouter & Betina | workshop

christine — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:36:00 +0000

Styled shoots are on of my favourite things to photograph and seems to be one of the highlights of my workshops. As soon as I downloaded these photos I couldn’t wait to blog them! I love the simplistic colours Betina’s hairpiece is to die for!

In the beginning of September I did a workshop with 10 girls here in Stellenbosch. The workshop was a fun, informal two days with loads of talking, discussing and some shooting. In my workshops I share a lot about my business and talk through all the issues and questions photographers have regarding the business of wedding photography.

The workshop took place at the gorgeous Middedorp Manor guesthouse in Stellenbosch. The stationery and flowers were sponsored by Anelle from Seven Swans and Elmarie from El Le Fleur. I also want to thank Betina & Wouter for helping out as our models, as well as Sebastine Pepler for the fabulous make-up and hair styling. And Betina’s beautiful dress and hair piece was sponsored by Kobus Dippenaar.

The behind the scenes was also captured by Claudia from VDA Studios and will be shared on the blog soon :)

iphoneography exhibition | Santon

christine — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:38:24 +0000

We were just about to start another KIKI TV show when I received the email. I was so excited! Some of my Iphone photos were chosen to be exhibited in Johannesburg!

Just the week before, Iaan forwarded an article to me from Marc Forrest‘s blog about the first ever Iphoneography exhibition taking place in Santon, Johannesburg. As you all know, I’m a HUGE Apple fan and I love (ok maybe I’m more addicted to) my Iphone. I love all the functions, but the camera and instant editing rocks my world!

During our European trip I often felt like just walking though the streets with no heavy camera gear and just enjoying what I saw, but then the photographer within would fight for her rights and pull out the Iphone to take a few photos :).

My favourite photos of the trip was defiantly taken in Paris. I used the Black and White film option on Hipstamatic and it turned out so cool! Here are some of my favourite Iphone photos that will be exhibited and available to buy on the night (only one print of each available).

If you want to see them printed and support the iphoneography exhibition, please RSVP on the the website or join the Facebook event page to be updated.

Holland Workshop | Part 3

christine — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:52:44 +0000

The yellow inspiration from my workshop continued into a gorgeous styled couple shoot on Landgoed Te Werve. Nelleke and Marinus were the very brave models for the shoot, they got married in May 2011 and had the opportunity to once again, get dressed up and relive their special day. Thank you guys for posing for us! I really appreciate your willingness! Standing in front of 13 cameras and 3 videographers is not a joke :) You guys were perfect!

Then I want to share some very exciting news :) For the first time ever we filmed my workshop! Thank you to the fabulous team of Ryan de Wit of Unicorn Wedding Films for the gorgeous movie! You can view the movie at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

The amazing vendors:

Behind the scenes photographer: Gerhard Nel Photography
Photolocation: Landgoed Te Werve
Organisation: Anouschka Rokebrand and Jo-Anne van der Lelij
Styling: a collaboration between Jo-Anne, Nancy and Brigitte
Ceremoniemeesters van der Lelij: Jo-Anne van der Lelij
Hair and Make-up: Cynthia Heydra for Hey Beauty
Flowers: Pink9Design, Nancy & Edwin
Weddingdress and shoes: Victors Wedding Design
Stationery (by Envelopments): MarryWise, Brigitte Mes
Cake, cupcakes: My Sweet Appetite, Marieke de Korte
Outfit groom: Roka
Videography: Unicorn Wedding Films, Ryan de Wit

Christine Meintjes Photo Workshop -THE MOVIE- from Ryan de Wit on Vimeo.

Holland Workshop | Part 2

christine — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:28:25 +0000

Yellow has never been one of my favourite colours, but some time ago I saw some yellow inspiration and then I thought the yellow and grey theme could be quite a fun one to photograph. Consequently, when it came to choosing a colour theme for my Holland workshop in Den Haag last month I decided yellow was going to be the colour.

The yellow details were all put together by an incredible team! To read more about the service providers, see part 1 of the workshop.

At the workshop I shared on how to shoot details and get the best result from different angles. I believe details is a very important part of any wedding. The details help to tell the story of the couple and their personality. I absolutely love details! :)

Thanks again to every one that helped to great this room filled with yellow joy!

Part 3 will follow soon :)

The amazing vendors:

Holland Workshop | Part 1

christine — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:28:56 +0000

Iaan and I are finally home. We returned from our 50 day trip to Europe last Friday and since then I’ve been trying to get my head around everything that happened on the trip. I’ve been scanning through photos and re-calling all the fantastic memories of the 50 days in 5 countries trip.

One of the places we visited, while in Europe, was Den Haag, Holland, where I hosted a two day workshop with some fabulous wedding photographers. The two day workshop started with my story, telling some bits and pieces of where I come from & what I’ve learned in the past 5 years, as well as talking through some business topics, such as marking, planning & workflow. The first day is always an exciting one, as it ends with a beautiful styled shoot. One of my favourite things in the world! A room filled with pretty things!

This time the workshop styling was put together by some of the best service providers in the Dutch industry! The workshop was inspired by Anouschka Rokebrand contacting me, asking whether I would come and share about photography, while in Holland. I was excited straight away! After some Skype meetings, Anouschka & Jo-Anne from Wedspiration, contacted some service providers to help out with the styling. I put together a very yellow moodboard, which it totally not me :) But something I’ve always wanted to try out and I forwarded it to the girls. The styling on the day was a collaboration of a great team (see all credits below) and some fabulous yellow joy! Thank you to everyone that made this dream come true! I absolutely fell in love with this shoot and you guys made it all possible!

A special thanks to Anouschka & Ray for all your organizing and Ray for taking time out to help behind the scenes! Jo-Anne van der Lelij, Birgitte & Nancy for the gorgoues styling. Thank you to Gerhard Nell for being such an inspiration and for all the behind the scene photos in this post. Thank you to Marieke for the yummy cake. Thank you to Birgitte for her stylish stationary. Thank you to Victor for making the fabulous wedding dresses. Thank you to Cynthia for the make-up and hair. Thank you to Ryan & his team for the fantastic video (coming with the next post) that will always recall all the fun times we had at the workshop! You guys did such a great job!

Then, without all the photographers, there would be no workshop! Thank you for each one of you for attending and listening to what I had to share. Thank you for inspiring me and making me and iaan feel at home! You guys were simply awesome! xox

p.s My photo shoot photos coming next :)

The amazing vendors: