I had the opportunity to cover two of the Johnny Clegg shows downunder (Auckland & Brisbane)

Being South African born I remember hearing Johnny Clegg blasting on the radio stations as a youngster, the popular ‘Great Heart’ from Jock of the Bushveld is a song that I have always loved. Being a very big rugby fan we also can’t forget the famous ‘Impi” which become the anthem of Springbok Rugby (apart from Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika of course)

Having the opportunity to capture a gig like this, with such high energy, awesome guitar solos, fantastic saxophone work, and brilliant african rhythms – really made my month and year!

Our next goal is to release a book which will mainly be a pictorial experience for fans, that gives an insight into the performance from Johnny Clegg and Band

These are just a few of my favorites that I want to share with you below, but there are many more to be seen on my Facebook Page, you can find the Auckland show here or the Brisbane show here

Cheers,

Justin

Photographing kids has got to be one of the coolest jobs. Yes it’s challenging, yes they say ‘you should never work with kids or animals’, and yes it can be tiring, but afterwards, when I look at the photographs, and see their expressions and then I remember the fun that each individual kid had during their photo session, it makes it all worth it in the end.

The parents will receive their photographs in colour, however I have made them black & white for this blog as I am currently enjoying black & whites and the timeless nature that they maintain.

Most of all though, and the thing that makes me the happiest, is the fact that I create memories and capture personalities of little ones, so that their parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, and even their own kids and partners one day, can cherish forever! (cool)

Enjoy….

Justin

“The only way families can preserve the memories of their children at certain stages of life, is with photography”

The judging for the Iris Awards is known to be very tough, hard and critical. But there are good reasons for this. Being a member of the NZIPP means that we are true professionals offering a personal and dedicated service to people who value amazing photography. To become a member is not easy, and the standards are high for this and even more so to win awards – this is very important in today’s market as there are many unqualified photographers out there, so being part of an institute like the NZIPP is something I am very proud of  - and I am very happy that there is something out there that separates the true professionals from others….

These kinds of awards are great as they constantly push the boundaries and force you to create something new and inspirational – a lot of us get very caught up in our day to day lives (and shoots) so having this kind of thing to allow us to explore the results of our personal work is great!

I am only 5 points away from becoming an associate at the NZIPP, and for being my first year of entering the Iris Awards, I am very happy with that! I will be gunning for those silvers (and maybe even golds) next year and am already excited to unleash my ideas and inspirations…..

Below are the 5 photographs that won me my awards and I have listed the category they were entered in under each photograph. I have had a look through some of the winning prints from other photographers, and I am absolutely amazed at some of the talent that there is out there. If anyone wants to look at some of the awards and what the photographers at the top of their game are producing, then check out The Iris Awards 2011 on the NZIPP site, and use the Gallery links on the right of each category to view the images.

Enjoy! And don’t forget to ‘Like’ my Facebook Page if you wish to keep up to date with my work….

Cheers,
Justin

I had a discussion with one of my clients recently about how lucky we are with current modern day technology, and that we can have such high quality photographs of our families and ourselves, so that our future generations can see what we were like when we were younger! The thing that amazes me is how great it is that we can keep this saved in digital format….I am currently doing a new project and using one of my empty walls at home to put up baby photos of mine and my partner’s direct family. Getting the photos has proved to be a bit difficult as this means the family over in London, South Africa and Canada have to now (unwillingly) climb into their roofs and dust off the old albums, and then either scan and email the images to me, or send me the original prints via snail mail…..and boy are they old (lets just say i’m a bit over cloning and healing in Photoshop)! Saving and retouching them has been an effort! We live in a generation where saving and looking after photographic prints is now obsolete, until we have to go back into the archives and try save the old ones….we realize how lucky we are.

There is no better time than the present to hire a qualified professional to create those beautiful memories for you and your loved ones! Two of my clients this month admitted to recently hiring a “photographer” to capture their children, and both of them regretted it, even though their initial attraction was the cheap price of the product and service….unfortunately their “photographer” had no idea what they were doing and they hated their blurry, orange skin toned prints.

There is a reason why real professionals cost a bit more, just like anything in life, you get what you pay for! And you can be assured that professionals use professional equipment and reputable print companies for their work! Burger Fuel costs more than McDonalds because their ingredients cost a bit more – but you would choose Burger Fuel over McDonalds I am sure!

Photos you hate are worthless….Photos you love are priceless…..

Below are some of my favorite images from recent shoots, i’d thought i’d share them with you.

Also, I won a bronze medal for my “Drum Intensity” submission of Lars Ulrich from Metallica (first photo below), this was for the North Shore National Salon of Photography 2011, which is held once a year. I will be entering the NZIPP Iris Awards soon, so lets hope I can earn a few more there

Enjoy, and feel free to join my Facebook Page!

Justin

For about forty years (and a huge pile of albums to add to that) this guy has been bending those strings and creating fantastic music for us to enjoy!

I was lucky enough to capture him live on stage. Below are a few of my favorites….

(To see more shots from the gig, click here to go to my Facebook album)

Enjoy!

Their ceremony was laid back and fun! A memorable moment for me being the combining of the sands from the opposite sides of NZ’s west and east coast beaches, into one glass ornament. The black sand of the west, and the white sand of the east combined together as one, as a symbol of their promise and love for each other – to express that, for them to be separated, it would be as difficult as separating each white grain of sand from each black grain. Cool!

It’s great to know that with all the problems around the world nowadays (and the natural disasters), those who wish to be honest and true to themselves can do exactly that!

Here are a few of my favourites from the day….Enjoy!

I’d like to thank Joe from Pukeko Design Studio for creating my blog. Joe is a web and graphic designer based in Auckland and not only is he a great guy to deal with, but he also works really fast and efficiently.

This month I have a special on a Couples Photoshoot. Why not celebrate your love for each other by having a professional photoshoot done, and then have the memories forever.

Also, I have a competition running at the moment to win a camera. Check it out and feel free to enter.

Keep well ….. Justin