I added a picture of my engagement ring… I think it’s super original and uber cool, just like my fiance. (yeh!! I can say it..my FIANCE! he he) iaan is the kinda guy that doesn’t do anything like anyone else. He’s an individualist and always creative! He picked this ring, because he wanted it to be a surprise and according to him (which is actually true :) I can’t make up my mind, so new week we’ll go look for a ring together. I have NO idea how to explain what the writing means in English…it’s a South African saying. It basically means my wife, but in a much more creative cool way :) trouvrou, literally “wedding-wife”.

Iaan and I have been together for 8 years. We started dating at school and we’ve had fun ever since! We are sooo the same, and then on the other hand sooo different. I love spending time with him and from the start I knew he was the one!

The past 2 weeks we traveled to Germany to shoot a wedding and also combined it with a bit of holiday. It was our last day in Münich…he asked me what the plans looked like for our day. I said I needed to meet a friend for coffee, had to quickly pick up something from a store and that was about it..he then suggested we have an ice cream later the afternoon before we fly back, as we both LOVE ice cream and found a yummy little store close to our hotel. I didn’t suspect anything…

We went to the ice cream store and past us walked a photographer, I recognized his cool gear and showed iaan, but he quickly changed the topic…I didn’t think much about it. We then bought some ice cream and headed to a little area in the mid of Münich. Meanwhile there were 2 photographers following us all the way from the hotel and they captured the whole thing! A part from getting engaged, this was totally AWESOME!

We sat on a little bench, had some ice cream and then iaan pulled out my ipad…Every night he was working on a slideshow without me even knowing! He showed me the slideshow and straight after he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, we both cried and then it was smiles all the way! And now I’m going to plan a wedding!!! :)

BIG BIG thank you for Dorreen for secretly helping iaan organize some details and also for Carmen & Ingomar from Caringo PhotografiX for creating these unforgettable images! It was such an amazing experience! For more pics visit Caringo’s blog.

You can also view our video here.

With the clothes on our backs, our laptops and my camera gear we traveled. And as you probably guessed, the European “spring” is nothing like South Africa’s. In my opinion it was still winter when we arrived…

During the “no luggage” period, iaan and I had some good laughs as we almost froze while walking the streets. It was actually really funny and an experience I’ll never forget. The funny thing is that we traveled all the way to Berlin without our luggage and it made the trip much easier. So with the bad, came some good :)

I believe you have to take the good out of it and learn as much as you can. In life we face many situations and if you look at them, you can probably learn a few lessons. Here is what I learned (these can be handy when traveling :) :

1. Always Backup: Always pack your toothbrush and one set of clothes in your backpack. You never know what’s going to happen with your luggage :)

2. Shortcuts are not always the better option: Never, and I say NEVER check luggage right through from Cape Town to an overseas destination when going through Johannesburg. Rather pick it up in J’burg and check in again.

3. Appreciate the little things: Those little samples of shampoo, shower gell and body cream in the hotel could become very handy!

4. Have faith: Even though everything inside of me thought things was going to be missing when I received my bag. Everything was still there.

…more photos of our trip coming soon :)

So if you ask me why are you writing this post? Why are you adding this picture, I’m going to say : Because I can! Plus I can tell you that when God choose my family for me, he knew just what I needed. So I’d like to introduce you to 3 lovely girls that play a big part in my life..My sister Lydia, a talented Fashion designer. (Watch this space!!) My mom, a super talented lady, ultra awesome cook, creative bomb, miracle worker and then don’t forget super mom. And then my gran, also Christine, a business woman and a warm and kind heart!

This pic was taken at my mom’s 50th bday. I found it while waiting for some photos to export from Lightroom :) So I decided to do a little blog post in the meanwhile, because I can! :)

My mom gave me this poem and I’d love to share it with you…

Life

Life isn’t just about keeping score.
It’s not about how many people call you
And it’s not about who you’ve dated or haven’t dated at all.
It isn’t about who you’ve kissed,
what sport you play,
or which guy or girl likes you.
It’s not about your shoes or your hair
Or the colour of your skin,
Or where you live or go to school.
In fact it’s not about grades, money, clothes, or colleges that accept you or not.
Life isn’t about if you have lots of friends or if you are alone,
And it’s not about how accepted or unaccepted you are.
Life isn’t about that.
But life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It’s about how you feel about yourself.
It’s about trust, happiness and compassion.
It’s about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance and building confidence.
It’s about what you say and what you mean.
It’s about seeing people for who they are and not for what they have.
Most of all it is choosing to use your life.
In a way that could have never been achieved otherwise.
These choices are what life’s about.

Mom, I know how much you love a stunning view…this one is especially for you! Love you always! xxx

Just incase you’re a bride or a potential client, let me just clarify this post: I’m a photographer, but I’m also a girl that enjoys life. I blog about my work, but I also blog about my life. I blog about the things I go through and the way I think. For me work and life is all intertwined, there is no separation. My life is part of my job and my job part of my life. I am my job and my job is me.

I shoot the way I am as a person. My work reflects my personality, because I don’t only look through my camera, but I look through my eyes before I look though the camera. My work is an extension of me as a person. And that’s why it’s personal.

(Even though I do close my laptop every now and then and don’t answer my phone on weekends, that does not mean my life is separate from my job. I merely know where to draw the line :)

This blog is not so much about photos, but more about life, so if you want to be encouraged, read this. If your just here for pretty pictures, I suggest you hop over to the next post :)

The reality of life is that we all of us go through tough times. The other day I just wake up and felt so overwhelmed…Every now and then I pause, look around me and then I just freeek out!

So much editing..so many emails…so much expectation and pressure…and then there is LIFE too! But then I realized all photographers (and most business people) go through this. And you know what I realized. IT’S A GOOD THING!

It helps me to reflect and re-think. Freaking out or feeling down, helps me to make sure I’m still doing what I should be doing. It makes me think. It helps me to ask questions. It helps me to grow.

Whether you’re just starting out as a photographer or you’ve been in the industry for decades. Stop. Think. Ask questions. Re-think the way you’re doing things. Re-evaluate and make sure you’re still happy…and if your not. Make sure you make time for yourself to think about what makes you happy. Cut out the things that frustrates you and especially the things that steal your time.  Continue with the things that uplifts, changes lifes and brings a smile to your face.

I found this really cool tublr site WIDESMILE…it’s all about smiling :)

(photo via widesmile)

I received a message from Edmund. An email I’ve been waiting for! Let me explain…Iaan and I were standing in a line at WPPI to grab a sandwich and behind us stood two friendly guys. One of them was Edmud Prieto. We stated chatting, handed out business cards and every now and then we’d walk past them at the conference. After WPPI iaan and I visited Henry Chen in Los Angeles. And being the geeks we are, iaan and I tweeted about being in LA.

(Now let me first pause here. If you’re not on twitter yet, or you’re not using it, I suggest you seriously open an account! And not only open it, but use it actively! You never know who you might meet up with!)

That day I received a message from Edmund. He lived only 30min away and asked me and iaan if we’d like to do a shoot. One the one side I was super nervous and on the other side I was doing my little happy dance! Yes! We were in.

iaan and I hit the streets to grab something decent to wear, because after 3 weeks of traveling I don’t think anything I had in my bag would have worked :) Being on the other side is so strange. I’m usually the one staring through the viewfinder and there I found myself being stared at. Now I can say: “I understand.” If you’re a photographer I suggest you get friends to photograph you every once in a while. It helps you to see the other side. To experience the awkward feeling and to feel the anticipation to see the shots. It makes you stalk someones blog every single day until you see the shots and then you smile when you see them. And then, when you look at them, you don’t think only of that day, but you look at the photos and you see all the good things you’ve experienced with that person. You realize how it makes you feel and how loved you are. Last week was my and iaan’s 8 year anniversary and I can’t think of any better present than these photos. Edmund thanks for making me see the other side. For realizing what a privileged job I have. To help people see LOVE.

When iaan and I planned the trip to WPPI we decided to extend it into a sightseeing-friend making-photo-taking adventure. The sightseeing part went pretty well! We visited New York City for a week, then went over to Vegas for a few days, then spent 2 days in Santa Barbra and the last 2 days in Los Angeles. I must admit the photo taking part was a bit harder. I was just so overwhelmed with everything and pretty much enjoyed every moment, so much so, that iaan had to remind me every now and then to take out my camera :)

The friend making part is what this post is all about. It’s something that words can not describe, but something that deserves blog posts and blog posts filled with thanks. Iaan and I are so overwhelmed by all the AAAHH-SUUUM (and yes, it’s the american way guys, say with me….AAAHH-SUUUM! no more “awesome”, it’s AAAHH-SUUUM) people we met and hanged out with! We appreciate each one of you!

A super special thanks to my new friends Helga Scheafer for picking us up from the airport, for all the vitamines to keep me healthy :) and all the other special things you did for us! You were my USA mom for 3 weeks :) Thanks to Kaycee for her constant encouragement and support and allowing me to do a shoot of you guys! Was great meeting you!

Thanks to Jasmine Star for always being an inspiration, for challenging me in so many ways, for a KICK-ASS platform class at WPPI and for being so AAAHH-SUUUM to take some photos with me.

Thanks to David Jay and Christianne Taylor for 2 unforgettable days in Santa Barbra! For opening up your homes and being so generous with your time! Thanks to DJ for being my inspiration for the past 4 years. For being a business mentor and a friend.

Thanks to Feuza Dos Reis, Otto Rascon, Waldyr Oliveira Jr, Kristi Crosson for asking me and iaan to be your models for the shoot out at WPPI. What a privilege! (Photos can be viewed on Facebook)

Another special thanks to my friends Henry Chen and Nancy Kwong for showing us around Los Angeles and even organizing a belated birthday dinner for me! You guys rock! Last but not least, big thanks to Edmund Prieto for a fun shoot out in LA! Can’t wait to see the photos!

To every other person we met at WPPI / on our trip. Thank you for chatting to us, sharing who you are and befriending us! Each one of you played a part in this unforgettable trip! x

Some fun in the smilebooth with iaan and Jasmine Star.

So this is what iaan and have planned for the day:
1. Have huge American pancakes for breakfast.
2. Do an uptown tour.
3. Hang out in Soho for the afternoon. See some arty spots and take some photos with my new Lomography camera.

Thank you to everyone for your bf messages and emails, I already started receiving some this afternoon. I really appreciate it!

I also want to thank my mom for organizing an amazing surprise birthday party/lunch the week before we left for the States. My mom IS the best chef I’ve ever come across. And I eat great food every weekend, but seriously, no one gets close to my mom’s cooking. Look at what she wiped up for my surprise birthday party. Now that’s what you call good food…and how cool was my cake?

I hope you enjoy the day with me! xox

Special thanks to Adri for some super cool shots!

This morning Nastassja (my pa) and I were on our way to a shoot. We stopped by the petrol station and to fill up and then we heard the the guy helping us whistling away.. The tune of our national anthem! “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”. It made me think of that part in the movie Invictus when all the springboks were standing at the start of the 1995 rugby world cup. Singing “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (God bless Africa) for the first time. There is sooo much in that song. For me it’s a song of reconciliation and it was the start of unity in our nation.

In 2003, my first year of university (oh my word, feels like the other day!) I met a girl Katinka, we were on the first years camp with iaan and a few other friends. After the first day of ‘ice brakers’ and games I realized that I was definitely not made for things like that! Camps in general freak me out! Not so much the bathrooms (ok they actually do) but far worse is the forced activities! I don’t like it if someone forces me tie a rope around my foot, attach my foot to someone else and then make me run across the lawn to ‘earn’ points for ‘my’ team. South Africans will know exactly what I’m talking about! Seriously that is NOT cool. So after the first day we (Iaan, myself, Katinka & Claudius our new friends and Hennie) ‘escaped’ the camp and we all chilled out at our house. That was much more fun ;) and that is where our friendship began!

A few weeks after we were driving in the car and Katinka received a phone call. She spoke very polite and formal and I wondered who it was. She looked at me after the phone call and asked if i wanted to have lunch with Mandela! Ok seriously, who asks that? The obvious answer would be YES!!! But it didnt make sense… i thought she was making a joke. But she was dead serious!

She explained. She use to be a tv presenter for KTV, a kiddies chanel in SA. One of the jobs she did was to present Mandela’s birthdays.. And as only a 11 year old can, she confidently slipped in, that her birthday was on the same day. Since then Madiba has always contacted her to hear how she was and often invited her for a ‘birthday lunch’. That year he contacted her early, as he wanted to congratulate her with her matric (final year in school) results. That was the last time he invited her for lunch. And I was the lucky peron to share it with her!

Mandela is a true ledgend and i’m proud to say he was my presedent! Lets celebrate a world changing man! A true HERO!

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” Nelson Mandela

I bought this little book of Mandela quotes before we visited and he signed it for me..what a legend!