As I promised, my new blog is ready for you to view! When I first started blogging about 8 months ago I didn’t really think much about it, though I soon learned that every successful photographer world wide has a blog to not only show of their work, but to also allow clients to get to know them better on a personal level. Since then blogging has become a bit of an addiction to me. It gives me such a thrill to be able to post my client’s photos and wait for their reactions and comments. This blog has served me well, but it is time to move onto something bigger and better.

I hope you will agree that the new blog do your images justice. Click here to log into the new blog.

See you on the other side!

I am super excited about my new blog that is taking on form as I am typing this. I hope to have it ready by next week. Since I am doing Mariska and Francois’ pre-wedding shoot tomorrow theirs will be the first to appear on the new blog in beautiful bigger images.

Watch this space!

A bit of humor for the weekend:

What are your plans for your first dance? Are you going to be bold and funny or are you going to play it safe and stick to a romantic slow dance? ? Or maybe the groom and his groomsmen will surprise the guests with something unusual?

I found this video on U-tube very entertaining! Check it out:

Wedding Thriller Video

Have a splendid weekend!

Whoever coined the phrase: ‘first impressions last’ must have been smoking his or her socks! We are so often misled by our perceptions of a certain group of people – lawyers, accountants, photographers (yes, we know what you say behind our backs)  because those perceptions often get turned on their heads.

Yesterday,  I attended a seminar with a group of wedding service providers at the lovely Avianto. There I met Simon and Nikko form Simon Rademan Fashion Design Studio. Look, I’m not by a long shot, the most enlightened person when it comes to fashion, but I know who Simon Rademan is! He has designed gowns for some of SA’s well- known celebrities like Amor Vittone, Edith Venter, Cindy Nell, supermodel Oluchi and even for Kurt Darren and Steve Hofmeyer (ok, theirs weren’t gowns)

Anyway, my perception of fashion designers is well… how can I put this mildly – not good I mean,  - the words Haute Couture is enough to make my skin crawl . I was therefore pleasantly surprised to really hit it off with Simon and Nikko. There were no pretence or an aura of snobbism to be detected – just two grounded people that have learned through the school of life to be authentic in what they do – showing passion for what they are good at and being honest about what they are not. And isn’t that true of almost every person from every walk of life: we are all on a journey in the pursuit of happiness. I am so willing to be objective when it comes to my own field of interest, but I am reminded to implement more of that in my day to day  interactions – even on the occasions when I am not looking at the world through a lens!

To my new friends Simon and Nikko: You guys rock! I would be so honored to capture a bride in one of your breathtaking designs!

*  Update: It has come to my attention that my logo looks very similar to another photographer’s. Out of respect this photographer and because I don’t want to create confusion in the market that we are affiliated in any way, I have decided to design a new logo from scratch. It is featured on my blog.

Oh, please blog followers – don’t be shy. My blog statistics show that there are many following my blog, yet very few leave comments. I would love to hear from you in terms of what you want to see more of in the blog, what you like and what you hate. This blog is for my clients, past, current and future. I would really like to know if you enjoy it as much as I do!

I finished the design of my logo on Friday. And I did it myself! –  Ok, I won’t admit it to anyone that knows me personally, but yes, I am a bit of a control freak. 

And I am also working on a brand new website and blog that will show off my work in a way that will do justice to the beautiful couples, stunning venues and all the small details of your most beautiful day. 

So, come back regularly and PLEASE let me know what you think by leaving a comment on the blog.

I have just landed the assignment of a lifetime: a wedding in at the beautiful Mnarani Resort in Kenya – one of the most amazing places on earth. And the best of all is that I am going there for a whole 7 days to capture the couple as they spend time with family and friends before the wedding It is an opportunity that every wedding photographer dreams of. This will also provide me with a chance to capture images of Kenya – the people, the land and I will be in the midst of some of my all-time favourite things  -  Baobab trees. These trees evoke something emotional, spiritual in me that is hard to explain. I hope to get a few shots of Candice and Gary under one of these giants. That will make for a kick-ass image!

This photo was taken by one of my photography mentors: Dror Eyal, who has taught me an awful lot about marketing my business. Dror is, coincidentally, just as gaga about Baobabs as I am. Hopefully when I return from Kenya I can boast similar images on my blog

Did you know this about Baobab trees?

• Rafiki in The Lion King makes his home in a baobab tree.
• Ernst Haeckel mentions “monkey bread-fruit trees (Adansonia)” in his The History of Creation (Chap. 29), and claims that their “individual life exceeds a period of five thousand years”.
• The owners of Sunland Farm in Limpopo have built a pub called “The Big Baobab Pub” inside the hollow trunk of a 22 metres (72 ft) high baobab. The tree, which is 47m (155ft) in circumference, is reported to have been carbon dated at over 6,000 years old.
• Baobabs are cited in the The Little Prince as a tree that may “split” a small planet into pieces.

Thank you Candice and Gary for choosing me as your photographer. I am looking forward to spending an amazing few days with you and that you will have the time of your lives!

Well, it’s been something that I always felt deep down, but I’ve never had confirmation like this before:

I am sexy.

I know. It’s so obvious now that I’ve said it, but there’s been times that I have to admit I might have doubted whether or not it was true. Being on the wrong side of 30 and bearing the scars of 2 kids and all.

But now it is official. MSN has just released a report on the 10 Sexy Careers you never thought of… And there sitting in the number 8 spot – you’ve guessed it – photographers! 

Now, ever since I laid my eyes on this enlightening piece of writing, my life is different somehow. Clearer. I feel sexy and glamorous.

Like last night when I was bent over scooping my daughters’ puke from her just-washed duvet and mattress, shirtless (’cause I got puked on, too), butt crack exposed and belly flab hanging… I felt good. I knew that if one of my clients saw me at that exact moment, they would shriek in excitement and glee at the mere sight of my sexiness.

Thank you MSN.

My name is Hannalee, and I’m a photographer.

And I’m sexy.

The new school year started today – got the whole bunch of to school and in time, mind you! 

While I was making the kids lunch this morning I couldn’t help feeling a little sad that my youngest is growing up so fast, and though Gr 0 is not entirely big school yet, it is quite different from the informal nursery school surroundings. But Lynelle surprised me once again with her extroverted approach. While some parents were sitting around trying to console their little ones, she walked in with shoulders straight to greet her new teacher. She then turned around to myself and her father and asked us politely to leave the classroom!

As it is one of my goals to spend more quality time with family this year and try to understand each of our children for the individuals that they are, I thought I’d share with you what my and Derek’s four kids look like. I know I have posted shots of Lynelle previously, but I managed to sneak in a few of Feldon over the holidays. The photo of Michael and Kathryn I took a while back in my studio and managed to get their permission to post it as they both look relatively cool (do teenagers still even use that word?!). The others were taken on the beach at Witsand.

Derek’s youngest. Kathryn turns 15 in two months time:

Feldon looks noticeably embarrassed about the two girls hugging him so tight!

And just so he doesn’t feel completely excluded, I include this one of Derek fishing for live bait. The Elliott men are very elusive, so count yourself lucky to catch a glimpse of them!

Well, I am finally back from my 4 week holiday in my favourite spot in the Cape – Witsand. And I have to admit it feels strange being back at home and knowing in 2 days school will start and we will be back to the normal mad rush to get through the routine and activities of our lives. At Witsand time really stands still – every time I go there I discover something new about myself – it was walking through the streets of Witsand, capturing images with my little Canon point and shoot that it was ‘revealed’ to me that photography is what I need in my life to feel alive. I haven’t looked back since.

There is an exciting year ahead of us in terms of wedding photography with beautiful venues and beautiful people to be captured. I know we are going to take some killer images in the year to come – watch this space! To all the couples that have booked me as their photographer in 2009 – good luck with all the arrangements and remember to savour the moment of this exciting time in your lives even though things will get hectic at times!

Lynelle will be starting Gr 0 on Wednesday and Feldon Gr 2. Good luck also to all the moms out there, whether you are a mom of a bride to be, or a mom that has to send your little offspring to school for the first time.

And to everyone else taking the time to read my blog – all the best for the year to come.

We have to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us - EM Forrester

It was my turn a couple of weeks ago to be the second photographer, backing up my ‘partner in crime’ – Andre. Jo-Ellen and Reinier decided to do things a little bit differently and opted for a pre-wedding photo shoot. They both got dressed at Reinier’s family home on a small holding just outside Pretoria and then casually met each other on the patio of the grand old thatch home. They were extremely relaxed and easy-going, which is one of the benefits of not rushing against the clock. 

Jo-Ellen is one of the most interesting brides I have ever photographed – an Australian girl marrying an Afrikaans boytjie and even speaking the language! – very impressive indeed. Her family attended the celebrations and it was a wonderful mix of cosmopolitan cultures and diverse personalities. Another reason why I just LOVE my job – meeting new and interesting people at each wedding really makes me tick!

Here are a few of my favorites:

And just when you thought I forgot all about Reinier – here he is with Jo-Ellen already having a tight grip on him – LOL!

Thank you for letting Andre and myself be part of your most beautiful day. May you always be so relaxed and fond of each other!

People often ask me what it is that I love about shooting weddings. Of course there is no simple answer. From the moment that I step into the bride’s dressing room to the moment that I get into the car, leaving the reception, I get immense satisfaction from doing what I love and loving what I do. It is an intense adrenalin rush to try and be in the right spot, to follow the action as it happens, to get that perfect shot. I love the photojournalistic approach to wedding photography – the unobtrusiveness and lack of posing is the style I prefer. Yet my true style definitely leans more toward portrait journalism since I won’t hesitate to pose a bride in a beautiful location if the situation allows it.

And that brings me to the aspect I love most about the actual wedding day – the time alone with the couple, creating romance in the magic hour. What I try to create in this time is images that truly portray the magical moments between a couple, the love and emotion that they feel for each other on this special day. The most fundamental element of a romantic image is that there is no interaction between the photographer and the couple. If the couple look at the camera you have a portrait, not a romantic image. The difference is that a portrait is about a person, while a romantic image is about a feeling.