Today’s tidbit: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ― Mark Twain

Earlier this week I shared Ocean View Hotel + Coffee Bay, where we stayed for 2 nights. After a wonderful first night, we enjoyed  a free day. Getting up early I watched the sunrise (where we saw the moon rise the following night), made friends with local dogs, ran along the beach and had breakfast overlooking the water. After a wonderful morning, the afternoon was spent exploring–hiking, swimming, wandering around the town and talking with locals. A nice break from all the planned days, it was wonderful to just have an adventurous and spontaneous day enjoying the area.

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Today’s tidbit: “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher 

Continuing on from last weeks Swaziland post, we reached our Coffee Bay destination, where we stayed for 2 nights. By the time we got to Ocean View Hotel the sun was going down so we couldn’t see much until the following morning. Once we arrived, we checked into our rooms where we were greeted by some of the owners dogs along with rescue dogs on the property. Starting to have some Sammy withdrawal, I was so happy to find some canine friends! Following dinner and drinks the first night, we enjoyed a night walk along the beach. This is where my mom and I first saw a full moon rise, which was spectacular.

Sneak peek image: On the porch out front our room. I bonded the most with this little girl, Sophie.

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Today’s tidbit: “Adventure is a path. Real adventure–self-determined, self-motivated, often risky–forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind–and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”
― Mark Jenkins

I have had a wide range of SA posts so far, from natural beauty and wildlife adventures to culture and cities. This post, however, shows  a very real and heartbreaking side of Africa. It really impacted and changed me and I think it’s important to share.

Last week I mentioned day 10&11 with our road trip adventure to Durban. After spending the morning walking along the beach, we met our group and were back on the road, heading to our next destination–Coffee Bay. Along the way, we drove through one of the poorest counties in Africa–Swaziland. Coming to SA, I was expecting to have some culture shock. While there were many changes, and places that really opened my eyes (remember my Soweto post?), nothing I saw in SA compared to Swaziland. That was a culture shock.

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Today’s tidbit: “Happiness is a state of mind, a choice, a way of living; it is not something to be achieved, it is something to be experienced.” ― Steve Maraboli

Earlier this week I showed our amazing wildlife adventure at Kruger National Park and the second night at Casa do Sol. The following morning we were back on the road, heading to our next destination – Durban. We broke the journey up with two exciting stops: 1. KwaZulu Natal at Hluhluwe Game Reserve and 2. St Lucia for a Hippo & Croc Boat Cruise. Up until now it had been upper 70s and sunny–perfect weather for exploring. Although we had two outdoor stops and today was rainy, cold and windy, we didn’t let that get in the way of enjoying the day!

Sneak peek image: View from our hotel room in Durban

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Today’s tidbit: “Traveling–it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” — Ibn Battuta

As I mentioned last week, we drove along the beautiful Panorama Route to our next destination, Casa do Sol, where we stayed for 2 nights. The second day we woke up very early and headed to Kruger National Park for an all day game drive. By now we had done a few different sanctuaries and game drives, but each was special and unique. I loved every second out in the open vehicle with the sun shining and wind blowing. It was the perfect day to spend driving along paths all over the park spotting and stopping to capture the amazing wildlife. We lucked out and were able to see monkey + baboon + giraffe + elephant + rhino (black & white) + lion + buffalo + leopard + warthog + crocodile + hippo + zebra + a variety of birds & antelope. As you can imagine, I was in animal and photography heaven!

Sneak peek image: Baby elephant walking out right in front of our vehicle

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Today’s tidbit: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu

Need a little break from this FREEZING weather? Back to South Africa posts! Last time I left off with day 7 at Hannah Game Lodge. Continuing on with a long road trip, we headed to our next destination – Casa do Sol. We broke the journey up traveling along the Panorama Route, which is best known for its cultural heritage and its dramatic landscapes. From God’s Window to Blyde River Canyon, it was nothing but breathtaking views and adventure on a beautiful sunny day.

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Today’s tidbit: “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” ― Albert Einstein

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Today’s tidbit: I hope all of your holidays will always be filled with joy and good cheer and each New Year brings you peace, happiness and good health.

Baking, cooking, decorating, crafts, shopping, wrapping… the list goes on. With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s good to remember that what is really important is just spending time with the people you love during the holidays. This year my brother, Sammy and I headed to upstate NY to spend a week with my mom and her family (most of whom all live there). This post focuses on Christmas and a winter wonderland, but today we are also closing out December. Wishing you a safe and memorable night as we close out 2013 and start 2014! Happy New Year’s (Eve), everyone!

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Today’s tidbit: “Where there is love there is life.”— Mahatma Gandhi

I have done a few family shoots now, each of which I have enjoyed! It is both challenging and fun working with different age groups. You can go to a studio and get those formal family portraits, but I personally think you can’t beat outdoor lighting, landscape and nature (and of course those little details). Being able to really capture a feeling… those candid moments that really show off personalities. The shots that are totally unplanned and just happened naturally. That is what I love and want to share!

Onto this shoot… Lindsey and I met in college and became close through graphic design classes. Not only is she super creative and a talented designer but she is one of the most thoughtful people I know, and look up to. Since graduating our friendship has only grown! Lindsey had professional pictures taken when Blake was a baby but wanted some natural family shots done for the holidays. We got lucky with a beautiful warm December day to explore the preserve.

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Today’s tidbit: “You lose sight of things… and when you travel, everything balances out.”— Daranna Gidel

During this entire new 2 week tour, we started in Johannesburg and ended up in Cape Town. As I posted last week, day 6 of our trip (day 1 of the new tour) we explored Soweto and Johannesburg, spending the night in Joburg. Day 7 began our road trips with the group, where we headed somewhere new daily which allowed us to really see and experience as much of South Africa as we could cover. From Joburg we drove to our next stop, Hannah Game Lodge.

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