<a href="http://www.jeanetteverster.com" title="Jeanette Verster Photography" rel="home">Jeanette Verster Photography

desi (86 comments.) - July 16, 2010 - 6:16 pm

ooh! green with envy

Tanya (83 comments.) - July 15, 2010 - 9:20 pm

Taht is so YOU..its gorgeous!!!!!!!

Fiona - July 15, 2010 - 10:13 am

I’m so jealous! It’s devine Jeanette…I love it. Enjoy

nicole - July 15, 2010 - 9:07 am

STUNNNNNNING!!!! Love it, its goregeous!

Secret Agent Mama - Mishelle Lane (84 comments.) - July 14, 2010 - 10:26 pm

Oh, I’m so happy that you love them just as much I do!

Jim Sefton (10 comments.) - July 14, 2010 - 10:14 pm

I live the strap, the design matches your blog background to a tee!

Hannalee Photography (2 comments.) - July 14, 2010 - 9:49 pm

Wow, this is awesome, Jeanette. Love love love it! Ordering mine asap. Thanks for sharing!

Jun 30 2010

177/365 – This way or that?!!

Posted in Personal, testimonial Tags: clients, dogs, photography, testimonial

This photo means more to me tonight, than it did last night (I took it yesterday afternoon). The reason… I’m uhming and aahing about what to do. Should I buy a Mac or not? This question is of paramount importance tonight as the Beta version of Lightroom that I’ve been using has expired, and I don’t want to spend money on Lightroom twice!

The big thing is… I primarily use Lightroom for processing now, so I can’t actually go without it.

So now the question is… iMac or MacbookPro? I can’t decide!! Help me in the comments!

In other fabulous news… I got another fabulous review on Leigh-Ann’s blog tonight about the photos I took for their family in May Extra pleased that she likes them!!

An extract from her post:

A couple of years ago I had my own model agency and I was fortunate enough to work with many different photographers, some well known BUT I have never worked with a photographer that captures the actual feeling, moment and emotion – the way Jeanette did. She has the most amazing approach when dealing with children. Joshua had been feeling very left out because of all the babies etc. and Jeanette made him feel extra special. He was involved from the start, helping her find little hidden pathways or taking a sneak peep thru the lens. Joshua had so much fun.

Cool hey?!! I actually had such fun with Josh here are some fun photos from a face-pulling exercise when he started getting bored

Posted in Personal, testimonial Tags: clients, dogs, photography, testimonial

13 comments

Angel (186 comments.) - July 4, 2010 - 7:17 am

I wouldn’t know where to start helping you make a choice, but the photos are fab! I love the funny face collage!

desi (86 comments.) - July 1, 2010 - 11:26 am

good luck with that choice jen!

ExMi (11 comments.) - July 1, 2010 - 11:17 am

i’d say a MBP – purely for mobility reasons.

the iMac screen is simply amazing though.

if you land up getting a MBP, you might want to get an external mouse and keyboard – just makes life easier!

Charmain - July 1, 2010 - 8:38 am

Congratulations on the review, and every bit of it is true

Avril (Mom) (385 comments.) - July 1, 2010 - 8:00 am

Cannot help you with your decision at all !!!!!
But the Leigh-Ann’s review is fantastic!

Maria - July 1, 2010 - 6:52 am

Hi Jeanette

Saw in Star last night, that the Apple Warehouse in Jet Park has a sale on now. Their number is 011 535 9066.

Good luck with decision!
M

Lindy (36 comments.) - July 1, 2010 - 12:41 am

had same issue before I bought my iMac 18 months ago- came down to how often do I go “portable” when using a computer. Answer for me was never (I had a laptop and it pretty much stayed on my desk). I love love love my iMac btw! Oh and if you need portability then you can save a bit and eventually get an iPad!!

Jim Sefton (10 comments.) - June 30, 2010 - 11:14 pm

Do you buy a Mac or not? Of course you should, but you already know that, right

As for iMac vs MBP… the iMac has the bigger screen and the MBP has portability. You get a bit more bang for your buck with the iMac but personally I love my MBP. If you go away anywhere where you want to do some processing it is far better to have a laptop. Usually with laptops you sacrifice contrast ratio, but the MBP has a fantastic screen so you don’t need to worry too much on that score.

If you do all your editing at a desk then by all means the iMac is the way forward, but personally I work at a desk, on the couch, in the garden etc…

I have the latest Lightroom on the 17″ MBP and I love it… the 17″ has an expresscard slot too so you can get a nice fast CF adapter for it

I am sure you will love either, but please please don’t go back to the land of PC’s… remember all the crashing you had previously in Lightroom… doesn’t happen on the Mac

melissa (1 comments.) - June 30, 2010 - 10:56 pm

macbook pro.
hands down. without a doubt.

cat@juggling act (187 comments.) - June 30, 2010 - 10:44 pm

I am really uninformed as we CAD users are not mac users at all. But I love the pics and I love her testimonial to you.

Craig - June 30, 2010 - 10:17 pm

MacBook Pro. In your case the “15, for the screen size and i5 processor for the extra zing. The ability to be mobile as a photog these days is paramount.

Cape Town Designer (2 comments.) - June 30, 2010 - 9:39 pm

Look it’s nice to show clients some photos right off the bat, or a slideshow – all of which are easy to do if you buy the macbook/macbook pro (or really – you could use any laptop for that), but if you want a machine that will edit until the wee hours of the morning and *never* let you down then don’t hesitate to get the iMac.

OMG even the web looks better on this baby of mine!

Totally *rocks* my world. Even my notoriously PC-esque hubby confessed the other day that ‘he will never buy another PC again’ after seeing a) how wonderfully my macbook lasted – 3 years and still going strong until my 18mth old toddler flung it onto the floor – only the odd angle it fell at caused the screen to crack – hard drive still functional enough to extract data and b) how awesomely the iMac works. Plus it’s great for watching movies on since it’s an LED, so if the kids are monopolysing the lounge plasma telly, you can watch dvd’s in style – and with great sound too. (p.s. I don’t work for apple)

Fiona - June 30, 2010 - 9:35 pm

Don says a MacBook pro. He is going to tweet a link for you….hope it helps

Jun 21 2010

A bit about this blog and 169/365 – Clowning around

Posted in Personal Tags: charity, friends, fun, kids, photography, Project 365

First a little rant and rave…

There are a lot of photography bloggers that have said recently on Twitter and on their blogs that a photographer’s blog should only showcase client work. In fact, they also say that you should only put photography on your blog if the photo session is the type that you want to get in future, for eg, only post weddings if you want to book weddings. And if you add in personal photos and other stories it detracts from the style of photography that you’re trying to sell and people will lose interest as soon as they get onto the blog. But here’s my two cents worth…

That makes sense if you’re a full time professional photographer and you have regular clients. I’m saying that because your blog will only get good ranking and be searchable if your content is fresh and you can post client photos at least twice a week.

I’m not a full-time photographer. I’m a mother and I love showing off my kids. I work full time in financial services so I can’t afford to take on that many clients every week, no matter how much I’d love to. I’m also a blogger at heart… that’s how my passion for photography began. I’m also doing a 365 project which I could probably have put on yet another blog, but to be honest, 2 blogs is enough for me to handle right now.

And then, I get a phone call like I got this afternoon, and all my doubts about the way I blog disappear.

I got phoned by someone from New York… that’s right… all the way in the US of A. She’d found my blog and read the post I wrote in December about the D Hani creche in Soweto. The story and the photos touched her, and she now wants to send them some school supplies to I put her in touch with the fundraisers.

So there, I’m not your run of the mill lifestyle photographer… but really… this is my life and hey… I actually made a difference in someone else’s life today just because of a blog post and a few photos.

The photos that I take for myself, where I’m not being paid, push my knowledge and skills. I’m more likely to take a risky shot and process a photo strangely for one of my own photos than a client photo. The 365 challenge has again improved my skills, and I feel that blogging about it also shows that I can do more than one type of photography. I feel that it does showcase my skills (feel free to disagree in the comments)

So no, too bad if it’s not the norm, I’m not planning on changing the way that I blog.

And now for today’s photo…

This school holiday seems endless to me already, and the kids are already bored… so this week we have a few plans up our sleeves. They went to Madelein’s house today to play for the entire day, tomorrow they’ve got friends coming to play at our house, and on Thursday they’re going to play at a friend’s house again.

When I got to Madelein’s house this evening to pick them up they were quietly watching TV and eating popcorn… amazing… of course all hell broke loose when we got home again, but they did look like angels for those 5 minutes.

See the full set of 2010 photo-a-day photos on my Project 365 Flickr Set.

Posted in Personal Tags: charity, friends, fun, kids, photography, Project 365

14 comments

Rachel (16 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 10:50 pm

Well done, Jeanette. Just keep doing what you want on your blog. All your photos show your style of photography and certainly shows your versatility.

Natalie G - June 22, 2010 - 4:23 pm

I agree with your take. The thing is, a lot of photographers are using blogs as their business websites, when actually, they should have a professional website, with a blog component (if that makes sense), hence their POV. I think they way you do it, it really captures your personality. If I was searching for a photographer, I’d feel much more comfortable if they had a blog such as your’s.

cat@juggling act (187 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 12:53 pm

Girl, I love your blog just the way it is. It’s you and the pictures of your own family showcase you perfectly. And I just love this wacky photo.

Alet (34 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 12:30 pm

I think the fact that you play around and experiment with different styles is a sign that you are open to learning! I think it is fantastic and I think it plays a big part when someone shops around for a photographer!

What wonderful news about the USA phone call!

Firefly (273 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 10:21 am

I agree Jeanette. It is everybody’s own choice what they want to put on their blogs. I also know that feeling. I often get e-mail regarding my blogs and how people who have lived or visited PE and SA are reminded of the good times and places they know. The other day I had an e-mail from somebody in the UK who saw a pic of the South End cemetery here in PE. They lived here in the 1930′s. Her father died and was buried here and shortly afterwards they moved back to Europe. She had a grave site number and wanted to know if I could go and find the grave and send her a picture. They were so glad when I did as they would never have the opportunity to come back and see it.
I try to at least do a post on both my blogs every day, but doesn’t always have the time to comment on other people’s blogs. I do try to visit as much as possible even if I don’t have time to comment.

Gilz (173 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 9:44 am

Its an awesome feeling to know you’ve touched someone that deeply.

Love the fun in this shot.

Tanya (43 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 9:35 am

i agree with what sharon said – i think u get a lot of clients because you are approachable and reading your blog and seeing your family makes you human… it’s why i booked with you… i “knew” you before i met u!

and i think having all sorts of different photos/subjects/styles makes us see how versatile you are!

Avril (Mom) (385 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 8:19 am

We love you the way you are !

Fiona - June 22, 2010 - 8:09 am

I’m glad you don’t have a run of the mill photography site ~ I love coming to have a look at your new photo’s every day That photo of the kids is so quirky and funny…LOL

Sharon (49 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 7:44 am

Blogging the way you do makes you approachable and “human”, I think you get your clients BECAUSE of how you blog and put yourself out there. Stick with it, I like it and clearly so do MANY MANY others.

Corey~livingandloving (64 comments.) - June 22, 2010 - 7:10 am

Just do your thang…..you are rockin’ it YOUR way.

Louisa (41 comments.) - June 21, 2010 - 11:08 pm

I like the way you blog.

Nicci (2 comments.) - June 21, 2010 - 10:28 pm

I agree with Wenchy. Just be yourself, it is what makes you(nique)

Awesome one the USA lady!

Wenchy (49 comments.) - June 21, 2010 - 10:24 pm

You just be your own self. You are a fabulous photographer, person generally and friend… no need for what the greater photography do.

Just be Jenty… she is more than enough.

Jan 08 2010

7/365 – The egg goes here

Posted in Personal Tags: Connor, mom's garden, photography, Project 365

I picked the kids up from my mom’s house this afternoon, and Connor showed me the bird’s nest that had fallen in the garden.

After discussing the pros of Lightroom with Christine Meintjes, Mitch Wong Ho and a couple of other photogs last night on Twitter, I’m determined to make the switch to LR for all my processing. I have to sleep!! I’m spending far too long processing each photo session and it’s meaning I’m getting less and less sleep.

So, tonight was the first night that I’m processing using Lightroom and I’m going to start experimenting with presets too. If you know of any good ones, please leave a comment with a link.

These photos were processed using Christine’s Preset called “Vintage Rock Vignette”. I can see how this app can be much faster than PS already… I just need to learn a hell of a lot about it!

Posted in Personal Tags: Connor, mom's garden, photography, Project 365

10 comments

Avril (Mom) (385 comments.) - January 9, 2010 - 4:19 pm

Very sweet and gentle! Love the photos!

Gilz (173 comments.) - January 9, 2010 - 12:38 pm

love them.

cat@juggling act (187 comments.) - January 9, 2010 - 8:09 am

Great shots! For now, I am just shooting, not editing. Once I feel I have that sort of in hand I will go further.

Corey~ living and loving (198 comments.) - January 9, 2010 - 1:14 am

very sweet. fabulous bokeh.

Momisodes (40 comments.) - January 9, 2010 - 12:32 am

I really can’t wait to learn more about photography. I wish I had just a fraction of your knowledge!

sass (29 comments.) - January 8, 2010 - 11:14 pm

this is one of those times that i reluctantly have to admit that i have no idea what you’re talking about and that your pictures are gorgeous.

Lea White (14 comments.) - January 8, 2010 - 9:35 pm

Your little boy is so cute. I love that age where they discover things like these!

Drikus (3 comments.) - January 8, 2010 - 9:09 pm

I love them!

Welcome to LR! Now You’ve got me dusting mine off again as well and jumping right in! Maybe time to say goodbye to Aperture?

Katie (7 comments.) - January 8, 2010 - 9:02 pm

I’m dying to figure out how to use Lightroom. Gotta get on that one. The results from it are just gorgeous!

Colleen Sevitz (6 comments.) - January 8, 2010 - 8:33 pm

oooh love the Bokeh, well done on that.

*sigh* one more thing to learn, i have it, I just need to learn how to use it, it has me baffled

Jan 01 2010

Slideshow of 2009 clients

Posted in testimonial Tags: photography

I’ve put together a slideshow of my favourite images from each one of the clients I’ve had during the year (excluding Corporate clients and events). I chose only one image from each client, some of which you haven’t seen before, and the images are not in any particular order.

The slideshow takes a while to come up, but I promise it’s there

The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..

I also promise that this is the last review of the year that I’ll doMy first client for 2010 is tomorrow morning, so please hope it doesn’t rain as is forecast as it’s outside again!

Posted in testimonial Tags: photography

3 comments