John Carson Photography

Herman & Janista wedding - Christiana

2012-03-01T04:21:00.001-08:00

And so finally it was to Christiana for a much anticipated wedding in this charming little town lying on the banks of the mighty Vaal river. Both Herman and Janista hail from here and Herman is in the diamond mining business. A few weeks earlier I had travelled to the town for a look around with Janista. She had shown me all the beautiful spots and filled me in on the town gossip. I was ready!

The church service took place at the picturesque NG church in the centre of town. For the bridal shoot we used the garden at one of the stunning river houses and then went to the bridge that takes you from the Free State into North West. What a perfect location and what a perfect couple!

The reception took place at the revamped and awesome Rob Ferreira resort outside town. What a pleasure it was to spend the day with this wonderful couple and I hope to see them again soon.

Marthinus & Anel - Engagement shoot

2012-03-01T03:28:00.001-08:00

For Marthinus and Anel's engagement shoot we decided to go to the McGregor museum. Not only could we make use of the spectacular staircase, but we could also use the surrounding gardens and all its strange features. What a great couple they are! We had a lot of fun playing around the garden and just getting to know each other. I loved working with this wonderful couple and look forward to their wedding at AgMyl in April.

Lance & Megan Wedding - Horseshoe Inn

2012-03-01T01:29:00.002-08:00

After a rowsing church ceremony at the New Apostolic Church in George Street, Lance and Megan's convoy made its way to the Open Mine museum for a fun-filled bridal shoot. Just before that the bridal couple and myself had popped into the Protea Hotel next to the museum for a few quick photos. The decor there is superb, offering stunning backdrops from the diamond days of old. Once again the day was a scorcher but that did not stop us from having a lot of fun around the museum. I love the photos we took on the old pavillion! What a stunning group. After another stop at the Cathedral for some group photos we finally arrived at the ever popular and well organised Horseshoe Inn for a reception filled with emotion and joy. To Lance who lives in Joburg and Megan who lives in Bloemfontein, I wish you fantastic guys all the best.

Molapi & Dinel Wedding - The Palace

2012-02-29T22:55:00.003-08:00

Molapi and Dinel were married in the st James Anglican church in Kimberley on a sweltering hot day in December. What a colouful and happy day it was. Molapi hails from Pretoria and Dinel is a Kimberley girl. From early in the morning the activity was frantic with lots of food preparations taking place as well as family and friends coming and going long before proceedings got underway.

After the packed church service where there was lots of singing we headed to Queens Park where we had a lot of fun taking some beautiful photos before moving on to the reception at the vast Palace. Next day Molapi and Dinel left for Pretoria where the celebrations continued.

Dinel had dreamt of her wedding for so long that it was a special pivledge to see it all come together and see her so happy and radiant. I wish these two love birds all the very best for their bright future.

2012-02-29T10:24:00.003-08:00

Larry & Thami Wedding - Camelot

Larry & Thami were married in St Peters Church on a hot Nov afternoon. What a happy couple, totally in love. Larry could not stop smiling from ear to ear after being pronounced "Man and Wife"

Before arriving at the attractive Camelot for the reception we nipped just out of town to the old Alexanderfontein Hotel buillt in the late 1800's. What a lovely wedding and we were even lucky to nip in some stunning sunset shots when we got to Camelot.

All the best you two!

2011-12-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

Thato and Kitso wedding - Magersfontein.

Thato and Kitso were married at the magnificent Magersfontein Memorial Golf Estate. Apart from being a working man, Thato is studying for an MBA through Unisa whilst Kitso works for the local Seda organization. We were blessed with a hot and cloudy day, just what I had wished for. By the time the ceremony had finished there was not much light left so we had to work quickly to get some shots in. We had a lot of fun and the photos of the couple in the late afternoon sky are amongst my favourites. What a wonderful couple they make and I wish them all the very best.

Sivu & Nina Wedding.

2011-10-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

Sivu & Nina got married on a Sunday morning in a splendid round chapel in Durbanville. Nina's family were all there from Swaziland as were Sivu's from the Eastern Cape. This is the first of their celebrations as they will be having traditional weddings in both their family homes as well. The day was overcast and very cold but nothing was going to get in the way of this fabulous couple and their bridal party. The bridal shoot took place on top of a high and very windy hill in Durbanville. Although it was freezing everybody was in good spirits and all the laughing and moving around kept us warm. What a lovely wedding it was and I wish this dynamic couple all the very best for the future.

Larry & Thami engagement shoot - Dunluce.

2011-09-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Larry and Thami both work in Bloemfontein but hail from the N/Cape. Thami is a Kimberley girl who went to Girls High, while Larry originally hails from Hartswater. We met on a sunny Friday morning at Dunluce for a wonderful photo session in a beautiful old house that is in its original state. Dunluce was owned by the Orr family (John Orrs) who lived there up untill the 1960's. Since then it was briefly lived in but since then has remained occupant free although the house remains fully furnished in period furniture. Needless to say we used as much of the house as we could but the balcony shots are my fav. Larry and Thami get married in early Nov. I am looking forward to a wonderful wedding with two special people.

Herman & Janista engagement shoot.

2011-09-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Forever on the lookout for a new venue, I suggested to Herman and Janista that we go to Kamfer's Dam to do their engagement shoot. We chose a sunset time and arrived there not quite knowing what to expect (well me anyway). I had checked the place out the day before and decided to shoot into the sunset using some strong off-camera flash. The results were amazing and it was good to be out there alone with Herman and Janista who come from Winsorton and Christiana respectively. Herman is a third generation diamond miner from the area and Janista is studying psychology. The dam was very full so the flamigoes were far away and did not feature in any of the shots unfortunately. Herman and Janista are getting married in Christiana in Feb and Janista has told me about this old train bridge close to the venue where we can take photos after her wedding. I look forward to it and I am sure Janista will look even more stunning than she does here.

Werner & Corrie engagement shoot.

2011-09-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

On a nice and sunny August morning I met Werner and Corrie at the Big Hole museum for what promised to be a fun filled shoot. Werner and Corrie both hail from the garden city of George but now find themselves living near Jacobsdal on a dairy farm. Werner manages the farm (and gets up at 5 every morning) and Corrie works in the farm office. I had not been to the Open Mine museum in a long time so I was looking forward to using all the old time backgrounds for some cool photos. We managed to "incorporate" some of the old stuff into the photos including a very old Panard from the 1920's that myself and Leigh Holloway had once driven through town in on a Saturday morning when we were kids. His Mom and Dad had been in the front and all of us were dressed in period splendour. I wonder if the car still goes. It was a lovely shoot and I look forward to their wedding at Langberg in January.

Sivu & Nina pre-wedding shoot.

2011-08-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

It was a fabulous day in Durbanville for the shoot and what a wonderful couple they are.

OTTER TRAIL

2011-04-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

And so it was that after 15 years my memory had faded enough to allow me to forget the hardships of the spectacular Otter Trail. I was foolish enough to tell Nikki about it who wasted no time in making a booking for us. (something that has to be done about a year in advance)

Before I knew it the time had come and we were off to the start at Stormsriver. Our party consisted of four, myself and Nikki and the two Micaela's. In total 12 people start the Otter Trail every day and spend four nights and five days trekking through the unsoilt and remote Tsitsikama Coastal Park. Each night you sleep in a different hut that has to reached during the day.

Therein lies the problem and then a flood of unpleasant memories come flowing back. The place is beautiful and unlike any other place on this earth but everthing you need for the five days is carried on your back over territory that is never flat. "What goes down must come up" has to be the best way to descripe the terrain. Day four is a killer of never ending ups and downs and includes two river crossings that require your backpack and everthing to be made waterproof as you have to swim across these rivers hopefully at low tide. The Blaaukrans is the most spectacular.

The terrain wanders up and down over the rocky and sometimes sheer wilderness. From forest to beach it changes all the time. The huts are basic but wonderful, with breathtaking views and surroundings.
A remarkable adventure whose memory will not fade(again) for a long time. Our whole party of 12 was also a wonderful experience. Meeting lovely people seems natural on the Otter Trail. A special bonus was seeing an otter splashing in the water on day two. Finally reaching the end at Natures Valley was huge and welcome.
Nikki has make bookings for next year again. See what I mean.

All the pics (850+) are here on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrodger/