Denton and his family were one of the first families that I took photos of almost 3 years ago.  It was awesome seeing them again this afternoon.  We even used the same venue… their house and a nearby park… and I tried to make sure that the photos weren’t the same as the last time… which wasn’t that difficult considering my style has developed since then.  This time there’s also a new addition to the family.  Their youngest daughter is 7 months old… and so cute!!

It was actually so much fun doing a family shoot where the ages of the kids were so varied, and I had a baby, a child, a tween and a teen … so I got to do baby photos as well as more funky photos to get the best out of the older girls

They’re going to be relocating soon, so I know that I won’t be using the same location for their next shoot… they’ll just have to fly me to where they’ll be living and do a shoot on the beach at sunrise.

I met up with Jean-Pierre, his girlfriend Mary-Ann and his 14 year old son Jean-Carl at the Walter Sisulu gardens early this morning for a very special photoshoot.  It was to capture memories… to get a few photos of JP for a website that’s being used to raise funds for his surgery .  That was the plan, and the only plan.

JP has got cancer in his jaw, and is currently 5 weeks into an intensive daily radiation treatment programme.  He doesn’t have any medical aid, so his friends have all rallied together to raise funds for the reconstructive surgery that he’s going to require after the radiation has been completed.

I heard about JP and his story on Twitter, when Mary-Ann‘s friend Melissa Attree was trying to set up the donation pages.  And this shoot is my way of contributing… because memories are so very important and I believe that difficult journeys like this need to be documented.  When I suggested the shoot, Melissa said that it would be for Mary-Ann and JP, but then I heard that he had a son, and then Mary-Ann let me know that JC was in Johannesburg for the weekend… and that thrilled me… so he was included too

Anyhoo, before I get on with the photos, I must tell you that we were freezing this morning.  There was an icy wind blowing through the park… and none of us had really dressed appropriately but I’m glad it didn’t seem to bother everyone too much.

Then it was time for a picnic breakfast.  They’re all watching the bird on the left of the image who was determined to join in the feast it make such a noise!!

And lastly… the little bird who decided to join the party

I really hope that they enjoyed their morning of creating memories, and that they love the photos  I wish them all the very best on their journey, and that the reconstruction is successful and that JP can again enjoy the small things in life… like drinking coffee and eating toasted chicken mayonnaise sandwiches.

If you can help in any way, go to the Team JP site and make a donation

I’m taking the photos at Amit’s barmitzvah in a few weeks time, and in preparation, I met him and his family at the Johannesburg Zoo this afternoon for his portrait photoshoot.  These portrait shoots are done quite a while in advance of the actual mitzvah so that the photobook can be designed and printed.

Deidre contacted me a while ago to organise this huge family photoshoot for her parents.  I’ve done a few photoshoots for Deidre over the last few years, but only with her and Skye… and this time she wanted to organise a shoot for her entire extended family.  So we met up this morning at Walter Sisulu gardens… with her parents, and their 5 children and all the spouses and grandchildren… 17 people!

It’s such an awesome reason for a professional photoshoot… it’s not easy to get family photos like this and they’re so important for memories.

I’ve been a bad daily photographer, and I’ve been far too busy to pick up my camera much this week, so I have to cheat and show you a photo from a few weeks ago.  You haven’t seen this particular image yet, but I just love it! I took it during Gerda’s family shoot, and I love the light through the grass and the angle of her body and… just everything about this photo.

In other news, I’ve hopefully got some exciting news to tell you all in a few days about my photography workshop, and in addition, I’ve decided that my blog needs a revamp so I’m getting a new logo designed and I’ve been hunting for a new blog layout… busy busy busy!!