Winter Sessions

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The winter sessions were born after discussion with fellow photographer Rikki Hibbert. She has an amazing line of fine art prints, and she suggested I go out and give nature photography a fresh go. It has been a while since I whipped out the macro lens, just for fun, so a trip to my Dad's farm in Heidelberg was a perfect opportunity. The highveld is incredibly dry, and it seems hard to believe that the place will erupt in blooms within the next few weeks.

All photos were taken with a Canon 100mm Macro IS lens at F2.8

Anne Rimbault Pottery Studio

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Anne runs a beautiful pottery studio (I was about to say little, but not so much) from her home in Bordeaux. I used to attend pottery lessons religiously before we left for Port Elizabeth, and still miss those cozy mornings sitting in the warm sun or next to the kiln, just creating.

Anne asked me to take a few photos of the studio for her when I was last in Joburg. We decided that it would be a very relaxed shoot with natural photos and thus opted to do the shoot during a morning lesson instead of styling the shoot. The results are really fantastic. I got lost in all the small details of the studio. It is awesome to be able to look at these photos and remember not only all the small things, but also all the friends I dearly miss.

If you would like a new hobby, I really recommend pottery - it may sound a bit 'homely' but you will never look back. I can't even explain how much pride I felt giving people presents I had made especially for them, and making gorgeous creations for my own house. I even attended a chiminea workshop and proudly walked away with my very own, home-made chiminea (its a Mexican freestanding fireplace made of clay - google it).

Visit Anne's website at www.annerimbault.com, or give her a call on 011 886 2976. She also sells a range of to-die-for tagines (see photos below), and does commissions.

On to the photos...

Bernadette and Chris

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Bernadette and Chris celebrated their fourth anniversary and decided to commemorate the day with a late afternoon photoshoot - before heading off for a romantic 'mystery' evening that Chris organised. Such an awesome couple to work with - tons of love and laughter :) And the afternoon was made even more special by Laddy the horse, who took an instant liking to us. All in all, it was a very memorable afternoon and we got some sooooper doooper shots. I'm very excited to share these photos with everyone, enjoy!

The Raath Family

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

The Raath family is so amazing! They just welcomed a new little one into their family, and Colinda and I chatted about doing a photo shoot with the whole family instead of the traditional baby shoot. She took so much time and put a lot of thought into the perfect 'tea party' family photo shoot - and the results are awesome. I don't think I have ever seen a little girl so excited about a cupcake (you'll see what I mean!).

Hard to believe this is a winters day in Port Elizabeth, and harder still whilst looking out of the window at the mist and rain... but let the antics of little Adelaide and the gorgeous face of Gabby, plus the cute pooch Nuggy warm your heart! I smiled the entire time that I edited these photos (and I'm not making that up!). That is a lot of smiling, people! So now its your turn... Enjoy the loooooong weekend :)

Niki M Hits 10,000!

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

 

I have been counting down this moment for ages! The big promise that was made, mostly to myself, was that I would do a celebratory post as soon as the blog hits reached 10,000. And it is finally, FINALLY here.

For many people, 10,000 hits is not really a lot - but for a girl who was sitting at an office desk in an unfulfilling job until 7 months ago... the support and love that everyone has shown has really made me so thankful and proud of the fact that I had enough guts to give it up and do something I love instead.

If there is anything that has been learned out of this experience, it is that no-one should ever accept sub-standard, second-rate, and second-best. No matter what it is that you want to do with your life, make the effort and you will get there - it may take a while and you may feel like you are drowning. But through the chaos always comes light. A light that guides you to where you need to be and reveals your real purpose in life.

I finally get to dedicate something to my grandfather, who made me realise that life is too short and we should never take anything for granted. He brought out smiles in everyone around him, and I wish I could tell him how much he has inspired me. So Gramps, this post is for you xxx

OK, enough talk about life. Thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far - you know who you are. Woo-hoo!!! Its time for a celebratory glass of wine. Cheers everyone!

Linay and Courteney

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

This photo shoot was SUCH a blast! 

Linay and Courteney have so much energy that it made me dizzy - we all bounded onto the beach and completely took over. Running, jumping, dancing, splashing - sheesh! The sisters even decided to wade into the water - never mind the pants - and nearly got taken out by what I have deemed to be a mini-tsunami. But we got some AMAZING shots - and you will be able to tell that it was an 'hour' and a half of pure joy [thanks for the catchline Cadbury :)]

I hope this post warms you up on a cold winters day. If you are warm - you are probably in the upper half of the country. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but get your gum boots out! Unless we got all of the rain (it sure seems like it!).

Tammy and Harry's Engagement Shoot - Part 1

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 The bulk of Tammy and Harry's engagement shoot took place at the original and legendary Vovo Telo in Richmond Hill. We had such an awesome time savouring the delicious coffee and pastries - and took a few photos in between ;)

I really want to say thanks to the two of you for going along with my idea on this one... it turned out to be so much fun! Part 2 took place down at Sards Beach the following afternoon - the photos are coming up soon :)

Eben - Stilbaai

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I quickly snapped these pics of Eben a while back - and they are just too adorable not to share!

He is a real cutie, and every time I look at the photos I can still hear his mom saying 'Eben. No, don't do it Eben. Do not put that stone in your mouth. Eben...ah man!'. It still makes me giggle out loud every time I look at the 4th photo where he has dirt on his mouth because, believe it or not, there is a stone behind that cutsie smile... but who couldn't forgive a smile like that!

Niki M's Top Tips - Get The Most Out Of Your Wedding Photography

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Today's post is a bit off course compared to the usual Niki M posts, but my latest quest is a guide to resources and a collections of tips for clients. This is pretty important as most couples invest upwards of 10% of their total wedding budget on photography/videography, so I decided to share some of it on the blog. This is not a complete wedding guide. This is a forget-me-not guide; a small guide - partly to make sure you get the most bang out of your buck, and also to point out things that many couples forget (including me) during their planning stages or on the day itself. So here goes...

Sarah and Mark - Tzaneen

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Sarah and Mark's wedding was so refreshing! But lets start at the beginning before I tell you why...

Sarah and Mark are missionaries from America, and they currently look after 12 orphaned and vulnerable children (12!) at a house in Modjadjiskloof, Tzaneen. Sarah is also actively involved in Pfunanane Ministries (http://www.pfunanane.org/, go read all about it) where she is Children's Home Director.

So when she contacted me and told me all about it, I was nervous. Traveling with strangers, to a place I had never been before. But I should not have worried... this experience was so liberating. I flew to JHB and caught a lift up to Sarah's home with Cricket and Mary Floye. Luckily they were awesome company, and we had a blast.

The brief from the very beginning, in Sarah's words: 'I want lots of photos of the kids, and don't worry about me'. So thats exactly what I did. These kids are a laugh and a half, each of them is so special! That combined with Sarah and Mark's awesome sense of humour, and their friendly and energetic families from America... this was a wedding never to be repeated. 

So, now that you know all of that, the reason it was so refreshing was that I got to photograph children, not worry too much about formalities, fight off killer emus and seriously energetic Shangaan dancers, and also because I now have memories of very special people that I will never, ever forget.

This post is overdue, but its because there are a LOT of photos... so enjoy! :)