Around the corner from our hotel is a little place called the Giraffe Restaurant, their motto: Love, Eat, Live. I love the funky interior and they make the most delicious oatmeal porridge. So I think we found our breakfast spot.

I was very lucky to inherit a beautiful classical ring from my grandmother, so for my engagement I wanted something totally different. Clean lines & quite contemporary. Now I can swop between the two :) Lucky me!

I received my ring the day before I left for London and now I’m still getting use to the fact that I’m wearing a diamond! But that sparkles make me smile every time I look at it :)

As soon as the tickets were released for the Cape Town games iaan and I jumped online and bought 10 tickets for the Cameroon vs Netherlands game. I literally killed my bank account, but there was NO way I was going to miss out on this once in a life time experience. Soccer world cup in Cape Town, now that’s not something you see every day! We also knew the tickets will be sold in days. So 8 of our friends bought the other tickets and we were ready to go watch the game.

As the weeks came closer I had a look at my closet and with a little sigh of disappointment saw that I was quite a boring person when it came to colorful clothes. I love colour…On a picture, but not on my body! In some way I’m brave enough to walk to a red coat and try it on, but I always end up buying the black one. It’s just more practical, right? Consequently I ended up with a closet filled with black, grey and brown clothes…how exciting…So for this game I wanted to go all out!! I walked around in the mall and I found the perfect set of pants! Yellow, I’m talking banana! As in Bafana Bafana, here I come! I was so proud of these yellow pants, I felt like a kid going to an awesome dress up party!

I even got Adri to buy a pair…don’t think I was so brave to wear it all by myself! Seriously. In public. No way, I needed an accomplice. And just by the way, we looked so normal when we got to the fan walk, cause what the other people were wearing was just in another league!

But appart from all the fun and games there is one thing from that day that will stick with me forever! The night before the game we found out we had an extra ticket…the ticket could have been sold to anyone, but instead iaan and I decided to try something, what if we sold this ticket on my website..not for profit, but to change someones life?

As you probably realized by now, I’m a bit crazy! And I love crazy ideas! I love thinking outside the box and I love thanking risks! So we decided to auction on my site…and we only had 8 hours.

All profits would go towards the KIKI outreach program i’m running in Kayamandi. The KIKI outreach program is a photo school I started this year. It aims to share and teach kids in underprivileged communities about photography. (A little video about this will be up on the next post..)

The ticket was sold to a very generous lady, who bought it for R5000! And she asked us to take someone else to the game, as she was in Johannesburg. So I phoned Ncumisa, one of the girls helping me in Kayamandi. She screamed so hard over it was much worse that any Vuvuzella! :)

And that night Ncumisa walked the fan walk, she entered the stadium and stood in awe. A few tears formed in her eyes as she couldn’t believe she would ever have the opportunity to see a game in real life. They were happy tears. And in her own words from a letter she wrote to me:

“I really never thought it’ll happened to me.. WORLD CUP LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! now that was really AYOBA..while we were sitting on that restaurant seeing people going to the stadium, it felt unreal. The moment i stepped into the stadium and saw all the people, it felt like I’m in a dream, i will wake up and it wouldn’t be true, but it was, i just felt tears coming into my eyes, i couldn’t control them, i was super excited.

It was a great surprise ever, i would never ever forget the 24th of june 2010. You just made my history, when i heard about the world cup, i really wanted to attend at least one match, i wanted to say i was there, but i knew that it was imposible, but today, im saying I WAS THERE!”

(Note: The author of this post does not take any responsibility for that actions of the people in these photos… But gives a Waka Waka award to each on of the following people: Lizelle Lotter, Iaan Van Niekerk, Adri Rupping, Monica Dart, Lydia Meintjes, Lance Van der Spuy, Sjan-Mari van Niekerk, Anske Van Niekerk & Ncumisa Siko :) You guys did well!)

If you’d like to contribute to the kiki project, cameras, cash, anything…please mail me.

I’m very very excited to announce that I’ll be in New York & London next month…so I’m putting together something called: FUNshops. I decided to re-”brand” my workshops, cause essentially they are not normal workshops. They are totally informal, totally fun and a place where, as Jasmine Star says: You have to leave your ego at home! So the new word on the block is FUNshops!

My Funshops include bits and pieces of me, how I started, what I learned along the way, how I shoot, how I edit and how I market. In my workshops there is no right or wrong, it’s just how I do things and what worked for me. To see previous workshop look here: The shoot & The workshop

We’ll also be doing a fun styled shoot and then I’ll show you how I edit.

So if you’re up to listen to my story, learn, share, meet other great people and have some photofun, please fill in the following forms. Please note that at this stage there is only 10 seats available per city, so if you’re nr 11, 12 or 13…you’ll be on a waiting list. Also note that all the details are still being finalized, as soon as everything is ready, you will receive an information pdf as well as an invoice, payable via Paypal.

Your investment: 750 USD (I’ll make you a deal and give it to all of you for 500USD if 10 people sign up…so tell your friends :)

Book your seat:
London Workshop
New York (Probably actually Montclair, NJ…but still waiting for confirmation on the venue)

Can’t wait to meet all you guys!

I’m a big believer and supporter of dreams, business and crazy ideas. I just love them! But then on the other hand, the most exciting part comes when they become reality.

Yesterday I saw a great quote. I read somewhere on Facebook or the net (sorry I can’t remember who’s quote it was) “Don’t tell me the sky is the limit, there is footprints on the moon!” and that really made me think…What I saw in that quote was 1. Don’t be limited by other people’s thinking 2. You have to do something to prove that it’s possible.

Believing is key, but it doesn’t make the dream happen..you have to put in lots of hard work, research and figure out how to make your dreams come true! I think one of the flaws with the general perception of dreams are that they fall out of the sky and then with a little bit of magic, they mysteriously happen. The way I see it, dreams are there to encourage us to get our bums off the couch and make things happen! With my journey I’ve been VERY blessed, which makes it easier, but the fact of the matter is, things are not going to happen all by themselves :)

And that’s how I feel about The Pretty Blog. The Pretty Blog has been a dream for the past 2 years.  Since I started my photography business, I realized that there was a big need for online bridal inspiration in South Africa. A place that shared ideas and great quality visuals with brides, a place that made them feel at home, almost like a (online) coffee shop. Where you can take a break from the hectic demands of your job and just page through some beautiful pictures with a cup of coffee.

Nicola and I talked about this idea for months and little by little things came together and last week we were the proud mothers of a little blog called The Pretty Blog!

Apart from real weddings, we also share ideas from other bride’s perspectives. We share DIY ideas and also some stylish mood boards that can spark some ideas for your own day. But The Pretty Blog is not wedding from begin to end, it also strives to encourage you to make pretty things and be inspired whether for a tea party or decor for your own home.

The Pretty Blog is a place where not only the bride should feel comfortable, but also the AWESOME service providers. The Pretty Blog hand picks each of the service providers to fit the profile, look and feel of our blog.

One thing that gets me and Nicola most excited is the fact that there are so many new businesses and ideas starting every day. And with The Pretty Blog we want to encourage new businesses to strive for excellence. Be creative. Be innovative. Be AWESOME! So if you think you’re company fits this profile, make sure you fill in our advertise form.

The other opportunity that we offer is to feature your company/products on the blog. If you think you’re worth featuring, please fill in our feature me/my product form online.

We’re also very excited to share with you that we’ve already had 8056 page views in the past 5 days! These hits mainly came from South Africa, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Argentina, Norway, Austria, France and even Portugal! :) *happy dance*

A big thank to the following people: Fresh01 for the awesome design! Iaan & Cindy from PlusPlusMinus for making the site work super fine! For Nicola for all the hard work! And also to all the photographers for their great photographs! Also a bit thank you to the other blogs that have already blogged about us, for all the people spreading the word online! You guys are precious!

(Tip for service providers: If you’d like to track your website stats and see how many visitors you receive, from which countries and from where most of your traffic is coming, make sure you have Google Analytics installed in your website. It’s for free and a MUST have!)

We have about 13 hours, so PLEEEASE Facebook share, tweet, like as much as you can!

So why are we doing this? If you have not heard about KIKI yet, it is an awesome project focused on helping and teaching photographers. It’s all about sharing and learning. KIKI also has an outreach program that strives to change lives, through teaching underprivileged kids photography. In collaboration with the Viewfinder project, it focuses on changing the way kids see the world by using photography as a medium. (This video explains a bit more about this initiative.)

Unfortunately, the classes have started, but no equipment is available to these kids. They literally have nothing. Today I taught the kids about composition and I had to make a plan…I made some cardboard cameras and they loved it :) They even branded the cameras :) (Nikon and Canon just released some new camera models in Africa today LOL) The enthusiasm of the kids is overwhelming, but is overshadowed by the need experienced in these rural communities.

The extra money raised from the auction of the ticket will be used to purchase some cameras for the class to use.

If you cannot attend the game yourself, we will invite someone from the community to join us as we go and experience the World Cup fever. This will surely be a once in a lifetime experience for this individual, as the price of the ticket almost equals a month’s wage! We will provide transport for them and have them join us for the day in Cape Town enjoying the soccer gees (fever)!

ps. For those of you who can’t buy this ticket, maybe you have an extra camera lying around or you just want to make a contribution? Please mail me, the kids will be able to use anything! Point and shoots are perfect! (preferably digital, but film is also great)

The fine print:

• Place your bid by mentioning the amount you’re willing to contribute in the comments below.
• The ticket will be sold to the highest bidder (above cost price!) on the comments in this blog post. The cost of the ticket was R1120 when we bought it (Approx US$ 150). That is because it is Category 1 tickets (best seats in the house – front and center!)
• The reserve price of auction is the cost price of the ticket.
• The bids will close at 13:00 South African time.
• Payment of the winning bid will have to be made within 14 days via electronic transfer (EFT) or PayPal.

Even though Bafana didn’t make it through to the second round, I think they still did south Africa proud!

In some way I just can’t slow down, I’m just to excited about new things! I love being busy, my mind is constantly busy, thinking and making plans. In some way I see it as gift. But I have to admit it can be very tiring :)

After the wedding in Germany I felt like I just had to slow down a bit, think and get all my ducks in a row. I know I’ve been VERY and I mean VERY bad with email response the past few weeks. My blogging has been a bit slow too, but I’m actively trying to catch up. So a big apology to everyone that has been waiting.

Appart from shooting iaan and I have been very busy planning some new ideas and after months of work, things are coming together..here is a few super exciting things I’m busy with at the moment…more info to come soon:

1. I’m getting married!!!! I’m planning my own wedding…seriously, all brides, I salute you! It’s sooo much more work than I imagined! But super exciting…all the planning will be shared on (nr2.) The Pretty Blog our new wedding blog that will be launching very soon!!
2. It’s been a long dream and it’s almost ready: The Pretty Blog will be launching soon. A blog filled with wedding inspiration, tips, ideas and lots and lots of pretty things! Head over to the site to sign up for our newsletter. You can “like” our facebook page if you’d like to share in all the prettyness! At this stage we’re shining up our shoes…so if you’d like to be featured or you would like to advertise, please email nicola. (limited space available)
3. I’m woking on some more workshops. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be hosting, but the posibilities are London, New York, Cape Town, Johannesburg & Durban. The dates are more likely to be in August for NY and London and September for SA cities. Before I announce the final dates, I’d like to see how many people are interested. Have a look at my FB page and cast your vote for your city!
4. KIKI – some of you might have seen some info on our facebook page. But apart from my love for weddings. I also have a BIG love for photographers! I’ve had the privilege to meet some amazing people the past few years and I would love to continue encouraging people to follow their dream. KIKI is a place where people can share, encourage and uplift one another. A place where photographers can build a community. (KIKI is still in the development stages but we are thinking of the following areas, please let us know what you think…this is for you!! So we need your feedback!!)

• KIKI community: a photography playground, similar to a forum
• KIKI blog: some random photography thoughts
• KIKI school: Online learning from anywhere in the world.
• KIKI resources: LR Presets, legal documents, Photoshop actions, WP-plugins and more fun stuff.
• KIKI websites: In collaboration with PlusPlusMinus, we’re launching awesome WP website & blog templates especially for photographers.
• KIKI outreach: Teaching photography to underprivileged children in Africa.

Happy tuesday!

One of the owners, Diani had a little girl a few months ago and so I had the privilege to photograph her. Isn’t she just totally adorable!!

I could probably tell you their proposal story, but how much better can you get than the bride telling you the story herself :) This text is from Anna & Dirk´s wedding blog:

“The proposal….well what can I say…. Four and a half year into our relationship, I was ready to get hitched and I made sure Dirk knew about this. I have made it very clear a few times but kind of lost hope after Dirk told me that a wedding would happen in the year 2000 and zillion. No need to fuss about it I thought, and kind of left it there! 

We went skiing in Courchevel just after New Years where Dirk thought it would be a brilliant idea to do a 80 km trek on his birthday. Unfortunately for us…..the weather was horrid….and I remember trying to talk him out of it. The only thing Dirk could come up with: “It’s my birthday and I want to go!”. The journey was a disaster. It felt like it was minus 20 degrees, no visibility and bitingly cold gales of wind. Determined, Dirk wanted to do this so I decided to keep my mouth shut and get on with it. Unfortunately, as the day grew older, the weather got colder! When the day finally came to an end (mind you I was pretty much a frozen snowgirl by then) Dirk thought it would be a good idea to defrost at a restaurant that was looking out over the three valleys and the Mont Blanc. Lovely idea, but due to bad weather, the restaurant was closed and there was no ways I could see the three valleys let alone the Mont Blanc. We made a good attempt though but after we almost got blown off the terrace, I told Dirk it was time to go. I was fed up and slightly grumpy at that stage. …

Skiing down was a mission, the snow had been wiped off the mountains due to the strong wind and it was dangerous with all the rocks coming through. Dirk was really slow and I was getting more and more annoyed. All of the sudden he stopped and started mumbling about the amazing view again (I could not see a darn thing!?!?) and I lost it. I told him we had to go home! He then proposed and I was just completely in shock! I think it was difficult to say yes as I was frozen but to be honest it really was amazing. The idea was so good and the weather….oh well not ideal but it did make it extra special :-). We managed to come down in one piece and there we celebrated in Courchevel with our friends. I am a very lucky girl!!!”

Big thanks to Candice Cj Rodrigues for assisting me on the day!