Once a poor fishing village with a black history of lepers and witches, Kuta became a key point on the sea route from India through Southeast Asia to Australia. Originally, this beach was discovered by tourists as a surfing paradise and today tends to be a popular stop for backpackers. Australian visitors seem to be the most common set of tourists, seeing that Bali is as close to Australia as Mauritius is to South Africa. It can come across as the 3c’s – overcrowded, congested, and chaotic and has a bad infrastructure with a ton of horrible drivers but I can argue that it is one the prettiest beach fronts I visited while traveling in Bali. It is also one of my favorites for capturing the Balinese sunsets, and you can see by these images why this beach is notorious for them. The beach is 5km long, safe, and well-maintained. By day, the main beach is crowded with sunbathers, beach vendors, and surfers offering a really nice “holiday” vibe. The northern parts of the beach (Legian & Seminyak) is a lot quieter and this is where I spent a lot of time capturing the traditional outrigger fishing boats silhouetted against the sunset. The traditional Balinese fishing canoes silhouetted against the sunset offers photographers the perfect opportunity for landscape […]
Recently The Hub Presents hosted our Travel Massive group on a walkabout through Alexandra Township, commonly referred to as Alex. A stone’s throw away from the affluent suburb of Sandton, Alex’s tourism sector is fast increasing, offering township tours to many of our country’s international visitors. Having visited many townships before, Alex was one that I shied away from, having previously heard so many negative stories. Curious children watch us as we pass by So when the opportunity arose to visit, I jumped at the opportunity to challenge my own fearful boundaries. Just to be on the safe side, I left all my jewelry, my fancy cell phone, and my purse at home, and headed to the township. On arrival, I was greeted by our friendly tour guides – Sifiso and Semadi, who began telling us all about the history of the township. We were created by this lady with a beautiful smile. It still bogs my mind how they can carry such heavy things on their heads. Like many people, I was under the impression that Soweto was Johannesburg’s oldest township. I was surprised to learn that it was in fact this 104-year-old township and that Nelson Mandela first resided here when he came to Johannesburg. Residents cross over the nearly built bridge […]
A year ago I was commissioned for a wedding close to Port Elizabeth. I can’t help but feel excited when I get booked for an out-of-town shoot. This means that I have an opportunity to take a couple of days off work and explore new areas that I haven’t been to. In a conversation with my friend Jarrod Cross, he mentioned that I just had to make a turn past his favorite place while in the area – Addo Elephant National Park. This is South Africa’s third-largest national park which is internationally renowned as being the best place to view elephants in the wild. Starting out with only 11 of the remaining elephants in the region this park has grown tremendously, today housing 600 or so elephants. Elephants are not the only animal you can spot there. Addo is one of the only parks in the world to be classified as a “Big 7” reserve, conserving the elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, buffalo as well the southern right whales and great white […]
The Pretville Proposal Phil & Alex I was so excited the day Phillip Baird rang me up to tell me he was planning to propose. I have been friends with Phil for a few years now (you might all remember him from Evoke Photography – we worked together on some amazing projects for Kzara Visual Concepts). Like me, Phil had struggled to find the one, and I was so happy to hear that he had found her. Alexandra Power is beautiful not only on the outside but on the inside too. She has such an amazing energy and such a positive vibe about her, that you just can’t get enough of her, and I can see why Phil is madly in love with her. This has been the 4th proposal I have done in the last year, so I get really excited when people trust me with something so very big! This puts a lot of pressure on me to make the day extra special. It’s a really big deal. I chatted with Phil and got an idea of what he wanted to do. He told Alex that he wanted to do a couples photoshoot – he told me something completely different. He wanted to do a fun photoshoot/proposal in a fun setting and then when she least expects it he was going to pop the question. Pretville has always been my first choice for these kinds of fun photoshoots – not engagements of course, but fun shoots. Usually my “fiancés” know what they want to do or want to say on the day – my part comes in on planning out the location / the “proposal” queue and capturing that special and unique moment. Many phone calls were made to Phil asking him “Are you sure you don’t want it to be a bit more romantic?”, his response was: “She is not that kind of girl”. All I could do was smile. I love the kind of bond people embrace and the knowledge they have for each other. So we did just that, planned a photo shoot and planned out the queue for the proposal. Everything went really well, except for Phil having the wrong ring in his pocket, and having to frantically run away to get the right ring. And then this happened … he got down on one knee for “the photo queue” and his beige loosely tied suspenders unbuckled nearly knocking them both in the face. It was a really funny moment for Phil and I, as Alex still didn’t know what was to come. 3rd take luck – without a hitch. […]
Join me on a tranquil retreat to South Africa’s very own Sacramento. A place of unspoiled settings, attractive seascapes, and diverse landscapes that leaves you feeling like you just came back from northern Ireland. The circular trail starts at the bronze cannon at Schoenmakerskop, which points towards the Sacramento, a Portuguese galleon that was wrecked in 1647. It stretches as far as sandy bay, aptly named Cannon Bay where one can find the ruins of a mill, which used to crush seashells are located. Article featured on thesouthafrican.com http://www.thesouthafrican.com/sacramento-an-8km-hike-through-jaw-dropping-beauty-photos/ http://www.kzaravisual.com Fifa Photoshoot – Rob Sheppard Kzara Visual, Photo Stories, Photography EVENT – […]
Last week I spent a few nights in God Window in Port Edward – a small town in the KZN province of South Africa that borders the Eastern Cape. This one should not be confused with the much-loved Gods Window lookout point in the Mpumalanga province. Here the owner, Marcel Lottering has turned his once residential property into a nature retreat and provided the perfect getaway for the everyday individual that would like to leave all the stress of their busy city lifestyles behind. The establishment has been around for the past 3 years, and Marcel has created four secluded accommodation types that will ensure a peaceful escape that is best offered by nature. God’s Window is his primary abode, which will offer you a spectacular view of the Umtumvuna River, the Indian Ocean, and the bridge that connects the KZN province to the Eastern Cape Province. It can sleep 6 with its three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is a self-catering unit, with a fully equipped kitchen. The Gods Window flat is completely secluded and perfect for the couple. It has a deck that peers into the dense KZN jungle. I stayed in the Cottage which is higher in the valley and shares an entrance to Marcel’s private property. It is also a self-catering unit, a bit on the rustic side with its antique-looking decor and furniture. The view from its private balcony is spectacular, especially at sunrise when I snapped these pics. The Forest tent is my favorite. If I had not been in town for a wedding and had to enter in the middle of the night, I would have given this first preference. The tent is rested on a deck between a really dense part of the Jungle and is the perfect place to rekindle your love. It even has a “love couch” in the front part of the deck. Most of the accommodation types have a gas braai (barbecue for our American fans) on the premises and private outdoor braai facilities. The communal swimming pool will ensure that you are kept cool, […]
Let’s get this exciting journey started. Iceland | Image by Chantelle Flores | http://www.kzaravisual.com I arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland after a 30-hour flight from South Africa. You could get here in a little under 16 hours on direct flights, however, I opted for the cheaper latter. Long waits at airports meant extra time to meet […]
Not something on your everyday bucket list – but a definite must-do for the brave. Soweto, South Africa I was hosting a photographer friend over recently visiting from Spain. He has an adventure-seeking soul, so I wanted to give him a thrilling experience of what life in Johannesburg was really all about. What better […]
Just a little after dusk and as the beaches start to empty, local fishermen gather to take part in a series of illegal activities on Eastern Cape’s beaches. I happened to stumble across this purely by chance on my recent visit. This great white shark was caught through a process of catch and release, after […]
Spring day – My absolute favorite day of the year! And there is a very good reason why! I visited the Limpopo Province in South Africa recently and noticed that the flowers were already in bloom and I couldn’t help but grab my camera and start capturing the essence of everything that was in front […]