These guys know how to throw a wedding!  Most people started arriving from Tuesday onwards for this almost week long wedding between Fouriesburg en Clarens, right on the Lesotho-South African border.  Linwood Guest Farm is a special wedding venue in the Free State and I especially loved the surrounding landscapes.  We live in such a beautiful diverse country!  The Pretty Blog’s Nicola did a superb job with the flowers. The Creator did even better with the massive moon over Lesotho landscapes on the night.  Thanks for the special touch Lord!

Thank you of course to Deon and Maria for trusting me with something so dear to you.  I will surely return to this area for more feasts for the eye soon.

I’m sitting here at OR Thambo International.  I’m off to Kenya very soon.  But I managed to quickly prepare a few shots from yesterday’s wedding for you.  The East Free State is an absolute jewel I will surely be back for more visual stimulation!  Deon & Maria managed to pull an phenomenal event off that I feel privileged to have been part of.  Thanks guys.  Enjoy the taster for now.  More shots to follow after Kenya.

iHesitated to share these iPhone shots.  All of then iTook and iEdited quickly on my iPhone before iBoard and iTook-off on my plane.  But eventually iDecided to share some of the ones iLike.  iHope you will like it too and the story iWrote-up about it.  Here iGo.

I left a very cold and wet Cape Town on the last flight out the Sunday night before the wedding.  Above the clouds this is what welcomed me.

The 2 hour flight felt too long.  I was tired from the wedding I did the day before and the struggle to back it up and get some tasters on the web whilst spending time with fam and packing.  I should have rested more on the flight.  The next two days happened just too quickly.  Very early the next morning I set off to Wolwedans.  It is a 6 hour drive from Windhoek to there and I arrived just in time to be shown my tent and drop my bags.  What a place!

The view made me want to lie on the deck the whole day!  It was however time to take control of my mind, ask for strength and shift into a creative gear.  You can be the judge if I managed.  Post soon to come.

I stayed the next night at Sesriem on my way back.  My aim was to shoot Dooievlei, but I had too little time to reach it having shot the previous evening and that whole morning as well.   I was very disappointed about this, but realised I succeeded in what I came to Nam for and just had to plan a next trip with my family and friends to visit this mindblowing place again.  I gathered myself and went for drive which resulted in these landscape shots.

Slept that night in my tent at Sesriem.  I woke up at 0340 having thought I heard something.  I looked around but saw nothing and I fell back to sleep again.  The next morning however, this is what I found.  Can you spot my problem?

Yes. Just to the right of the tent under the sink.  Can you see it?  Only 1 sandal left!  hehe!  Mr Jackals was having an early morning chew on my Teva Sandal in his hole somewhere.  That’s OK, but it was the only pair of footwear I brought with me to Nam!  After searching the veld for too long (and getting strange looks from my neighbours), I had to set off to catch my flight back to SA.

The plan was to have a legendary Apple strudel and Filter coffee at Moose McGregor’s Desert Bakery in Solitaire.

I had a great chat with Moose the legend baker from the desert.  On the outlook he’s got everything – world reknown status, a perfect reputation and an awesome product.  But speaking to Moose for a while longer, you meet a 55 year old man who has been slaving away working for others for 20 years; supporting his sister and mother from his small salary that doesn’t even allow him to travel to Windhoek (except when he has to renew his car licence every year); he and his faithful friend Titus have not had a raise in 3 years according to Moose.  And now Solitaire has been bought over by a Texan Oil Tycoon who will become his new boss.  Hopefully there is new hope for Moose and (not even) his desert bakery with the new change.  I believe he deserves the break.

A toast to the baker of Solitaire with his traditional beer mug full of English tea (non iphone shot).

Just as I wanted to leave, I saw I had a flat tyre.  As a friendly man fixed it for me at the petrol station without petrol (for 5 days and counting when I was there), I tried to capture a bit of the soul of the place called Solitaire.

As you can imagine, by this time I was quite late for my flight and had to cover more than 300kms of mostly dirt road in 3 hours to make my plane back.  From the shot below you can see I did make it … and barefoot of course all the way back to Cape Town!

Everyone spoke Afrikaans to me … middag middag boet – how’s the plaas doing … with a smirk on their faces.

I didn’t mind.

I didn’t just loose my sandal in Namibia.  Also a part of my heart.  See you soon again land of open spaces.

I feel privileged to share the wedding captured on her beauty for you next … keep a look out for Cheuk and Mary’s Desert Wedding coming soon.

Just a few strolling around, random, what I ate, where I stayed, here’s a moment, wish I brought my wife, non wedding related photos from my recent trip to Zanzibar.

It is less than 2 hours before I have to be at the airport and I am still typing away!  My last work trip for July is before me and it has the potential to be great!  July has been extremely busy with work all over the place.  Montagu, Richards Bay, Namibia, Botswana and now Zanzibar!  Wow – I thank the Lord for being my never ending source!  And for the excitement of life!

I will be doing a wedding and commercial shoot in Zanzibar in the 3 days I will spend there.  I can not wait to return to this wonderful island which my bare feet haven’t kissed since 2004.  Below is a few shots from Adri & my previous visit.  It was all done on film (Nikon F100 body) & part of my trip I did for creating the exhibition in Denmark on “Instead of Ashes, the Oil of Gladness“.  We are both 7 years younger, have been dating for a very short while and head over hills in love with one another.  Luckily this hasn’t change at all (well, except being 7 years older!).  I am married to the babe-des-babes of all time and can’t praise God enough for this awesome woman of grace who I will miss tremendously, together with my laaities, for the next few days.  Pappa is een van die dae terug (met ‘n tan & tjoklits) en gaan nie vinnig weer met die vliegtuig vlieg as hy dit kan help nie!  Love julle!

Just a short preview of my time in Ethiopia on the way back from Italy.  I was commissioned for work in Addis Ababa, stumbled upon a few weddings and attempted a small personal project in Lalibela.

More details to follow later …

All photos edited whilst messing about with the new Snapseed App for iPad.

If this wasn’t enough for you, here is some Italian Antipasti (starters) for the hungry souls out there.

More coming soon in the true Italian style!

My time in Italy literally flew by!  The 4 shoots in 4 days seems like a dream.  Perhaps it is because of a lack of sleep!  Perhaps it is my brain trying to make sense of all the scenes and life stories I have witnessed.  But all in all, Italy has been good to me in all areas.  Grazie mille Roma.  Grazie mille Italia.  You will see me again …

I am excited about my next stop in Ethiopia.  The work & extended time away from my family will be a challenge.  I guess I have enough reasons to make it count.

Be sure to keep an eye on the Blog for more on Italy & Ethiopia.  Time for a flight back to Africa …

It has been quite a journey to get here … and since arriving the fun (& espressos) hasn’t stop. I literally threw my bags down at the hotel, took a needed shower (& espresso) and off we went for the pre-wedding shoot we missed out on yesterday.  What follows is just a sneak peek and serves as proof that I have made it (and that espressos work!)

Meet this always lovely couple  - Denis & Lyubov – all the way from Moscow!

What better landmark to kick the journey off.

I was stepping on some sensitive Polizei toes at the Metro. This shot almost got me arrested!

The idea was to have a few 50′s shots as well.

Time for a late lunch and espresso at the Tratoria down the street. Arrivederci!

I entered my teenage girl phase. I needed to do something to feel better. I didn’t think.  I randomly walked into one of the thousand Regent Street Technology shops and managed to spent all the money I had on a Nikon F60 with 2 kit lenses.

The bitter sweet of a dream come true. I hardly had enough money to get back on the red line to my shack in Leytonstone.  Not even to mention not being able to buy no name brand fish fingers for supper.  I lost a few pounds.  I walked a bit more than the average Londoner.

Looking back, this here was one of the sweetest moments of my life …

It was my camera that accompanied me on a number of adventures during my teenage girl stage.  We travelled through Africa & Europe.  We saw oceans together, ancient ruins, high mountains and beautiful people.  And it was my camera that helped me to escape to a place where I could find myself again.  To move from a teenage girl to a man.  From playing to earning a living.  From mundane to supernatural.  And still, more than 11 years later, the story continues …

I will try to post as much as I can during the next two weeks.  My Blog, Facebook, Twitter – all will be utilised to share this amazing time before me.  Feel free to join me on this journey.

A Rough Guide to My Next 2 Weeks

• S28  Fly to Bloemfontein for Wedding
• S29  Fly to Johannesburg to connect with my international flight to Italy
• M30 Arrive Rome.  Pre-wedding shoot with my client
• T31   Travel to Lake Albamo
• W01   Wedding Ceremony Tivoli, Couple Shoot Lake Albamo, Reception in Castel
• T02  Night Shoot (Surprise)
• F03   Orthodox Ceremony, Central Rome
• S04   Fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• S05   Fly to Lalibela
• M06   Lalibela
• T07 Lalibela
• W08  Fly to Addis.  Commercial shoot Hotel & German Beer Brewery
• T09 Back to SA
• F10  Wedding Cape Town
• S11  Wedding Wellington
• S12  Family Day & Rest!

There is a reason that there is no pictures in this post.  Allow me to fill the gaps as the days go by.  Also feel free to follow me at the above mentioned places.  Your comments during this time will be welcome!