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!

What better way to end this great year by sharing a chronological slideshow mix of our Wedding, Commercial and Personal shoots.

Wow – what a year it was!  Thank you to all my lovely clients, word of mouthers, loyal blog followers, colleagues, family and friends.  I have said it before, but I only seem to get AMAZING PEOPLE to photograph in AMAZING ENVIRONMENTS!  Thank you all – you make me look good!

May 2011 be a extended time of grace and favour for us all!

Blessings & Love,

wil punt

Yip, we are back and ready for the season after a great 3 week holiday!  The Canadian Rockies and Scottish Highlands were a real treat with my family and we had great adventures together.  So many of you have been bugging us for pics, that I’ve put together 50 in the lightbox gallery below.  Enjoy!  And feel free to comment us if something catches your eye.

We are starting our 2010-2011 Wedding Season with a highlight … photographing the wedding of Stephan (one of the photographers I have been mentoring the past two years) on 4 September (tomorrow!).  Come have a look on Monday what we have managed with some great new equipment invested to continually improve our product to you.  It is good to be back!

Yesterday we looked at some quick highlights for the first 6 months of our Blog’s first year.  Today we continue to look back at the exciting past 6 month journey through pictures & words that became memories for so many out there.

December 2009 :  Decembers are the test for any wedding photographer.  Long, hot days of continues shooting, scouting, backing up, little sleep and ‘kop hou’ while being extremely creative (and happy for the couple) day by day.  I invite the critiques who look down on wedding photographers, to join us for this time of the year.  You might just change your mind.

All weddings are extremely dear to me.  The one session that stands out though must be the 24 hour dream of shooting in Namibia on 12 Dec.  I finished a wedding at about 2230 the previous night at the Onrus beach and before I knew it, I was driving through the gates of the Otjiwa Game Farm just south of Otjiwarongo, Namibia late the next morning.  The contrast was huge.  The possibility to fail even bigger.  But it was time to capture two lovely people in the real Africa I fell in love with.  And it was His time to show off a bit as well …

January 2010 :  The new year started with an exciting trip to a wedding in the Eastern Cape.   There were many highlights in this equally busy month, but I must admit one instance quite stands out.  It wasn’t part of our original planning, but the sun was setting and we needed a sea background as soon as possible.  We turned off at an unknown turn off and flew down the road with our eyes fixed on the waving sun.   We arrived, pointed the game-for-anything couple in the direction and shot this award winning shot close to one of my favourite venues.  What an absolute rush it was … and totally worth it!

February 2010 :  As all our editing are done by us personally, we know what we can get from our RAW files & software.  So we always approach the shoot with the final product in mind.  I will for instance decide to look for specific black & white potential in a vast environment.  I remember seeing the potential of this shot.  I just needed to get down very low.   On a normal day, this would be peanuts, but February served us the most windy and warmest weddings of the year.  This was the windy one … extremely windy one!  There was no way that I could physically see if it would work.  As soon as I would bend lower than my hips, a wall of sand hit me at a tremendous speed.  I had no choice.  I composed my stance, got down really low and with closed eyes, at the right moment, got the shot I was hoping for ( …and sand in every hole in my body of course!).  Worth it!

I finish off with a shot of the two people who inspire and support me the most.  It was just taken yesterday when beautiful laughter interrupted my work.  Dankie aan my pragtige vrou Adri en seuntjie Elih.  Julle is absoluut my hart se punt.  Dankie vir al die bederf, aanmoediging, spasie, uit die werk uit hou, sorg en sommer al die lag & pret!  Julle is my vars oë, nuwe denke en vreugdevolle dryfveer. Ek love julle ongelooflik baie! X

So we have come to the end of this one year journey.  Thank you for all your support and interest as well.  We only promise you more pleasure for the year to come … naturally!