Beautiful Life

"Beautiful Work #light #photography #love #cityofgold #cold #jozi #warm #beautiful #oldretrolight "

Autumn

The first signs of autumn for me is when the Gladiolus's start to bloom together with the crisp golden leaves that start to shed from the giant chestnut tress throughout the city. This to me is bliss, a season of change which should always be welcomed with an open heart. I am going to enjoy every moment of autumn before the landscape does a turn, becoming dry and arid. 

Be Big

life is a crazy messed up thing, but there are beautiful times that come along with it. We just have to remember those and not let the bad 'fuzzy' things get in the way - however, we need to learn from them, and progress forward. Cést la vie.

Telling Stories

Telling Stories by Caitlyn Fay Smith is an amazing inspirational photographic exhibition at Velo Cafe, The Grove in Braamfontein. She tells her stories through the amazing journey she had throughout her travels in India, Nepal & Indonesia. The exhibition is open till 24th March, so do try and visit. Her beautiful photos are both eye-catching, original and powerful with detail. "Telling / adjective: having striking or revealing effect: significant, 'A telling story.'" 

Visit her website: www.caitlynfaysmith.com 

Braamfontein

Braamfontein is beautiful in charisma and regenerating with life in all cracks possible. We managed to get a sneak peak from the top of a building, and the views are absolutely breathe taking.

Peter Magubane

Last week was the opening of the photographic exhibition of the legendary South African photographer, Peter Magubane at the FADA Gallery. His photos are of "Child Labour" captured through his brownie camera back in the 1950's. The photo's are of children who, willingly or non-willingly worked for money. As some of the photographs explained, were that boys in the city, generally willingly went out in search of work. They wanted to get away from their families and earn a living for themselves. Why? Most probably because of the genes imprinted within us, the 'man kind' instinct of fending for oneself? 

The boys working on the farms, or coal mines, were almost forced to… Peter Magubane went out in search to capture photo's for his country, through reading Drum, The Times, and Life, he wanted to be apart of history. When searching for these children working, he often offered them a place to stay, a better life than what they were currently living in. Those who did want a "better" life went with him, and he would take them home and feed them with a 1/4 load of bread and a carton of milk. This is the reach and extent Peter went to help these children where possible. 

Ït doesn't matter how expensive the camera, even if it is R20… because its not the camera that takes pictures, it is you. You are the one that chooses what picture you want to capture." Some amazing words for a amateur photographer like myself. This wise, eloquent man is remarkable. Not to forget is how through his photography did he become Nelson Mandela's personal photographer through the apartheid regime as well as through his presidency. 

Some amazing advice from the master himself, "Taking photo's is like a woman giving birth, it pushes you for more, 'I want more of this' is what you say" it becomes the next best addiction. "Today is the day to start working… Work hard - now!"

In & Out…

In & Out of Time - Maya Angelou

The sun has come.

The mist has gone.

We see in the distance...

our long way home.

I was always yours to have.

You were always mine.

We have loved each other in and out of time.

When the first stone looked up at the blazing sun

and the first tree struggled up from the forest floor

I had always loved you more.

You freed your braids...

gave your hair to the breeze.

It hummed like a hive of honey bees.

I reached in the mass for the sweet honey comb there....

Mmmm...God how I love your hair.

You saw me bludgeoned by circumstance.

Lost, injured, hurt by chance.

I screamed to the heavens....loudly screamed....

Trying to change our nightmares into dreams...

The sun has come.

The mist has gone.

We see in the distance our long way home.

I was always yours to have.

You were always mine.

We have loved each other in and out

in and out

in and out

of time.

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life

does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." (M. Angelou) Yet life is still has those unpredictable curve balls that it throws at you. Some you dodge, and others just smack you right in the face. But if its one thing that I have learn, is stand tall and proud, and have persistence. It will just get 'easier' along the way - and do not forget to have faith in Him... He is my strength, my light & my Savior.

Letters to Him

"When you most feel like giving up is when you most need to be persisting." - Robin Sharma (2012)

Of Pride

The neighborhood of the Game Reserve and the presence, outside our boundary, of the big fame, gave a particular character to the farm, as if we had ten the neighbors of a great king. very proud things were about, and made their nearness felt.

The barbarian loves his own pride, and hates, or disbelieves in, the pride of others. I will be a civilized being, i will love the pride of my adversaries, of my servants, and my lover; and my house shall be, in all humility, in the wilderness a civilized place.

Pride is faith in the idea that God had, when he made us. A proud man is conscious of the idea, and aspires to realize it. he does not strive towards a happiness, or comfort, which may be irrelevant to God's idea of him. His success is the idea of God, successfully carries through, and he is in love with his destiny. As the good citizen finds his happiness in the fulfillment of his city to the community, so does the proud man find his happiness in the fulfillment of his fate. 

People who have no pride are not aware of any idea of God in the making of them, and sometimes they make you count that there has ever been much of an idea, or else it has bee lost, and who shall find it again? They have got to accept as success what other warrant to be so, and to take their happiness, and even thor own selves, at the quotation of the day.

They tremble, with reason, before their fate.

Love the pride of God beyond all things, and the pride of your neighbor as your own. the pride of lions: do not shut them up in zoos. The pride of your dogs: let them not grow fat. Love the pride of your fellow-partisans, and allow them no self-pity.

Love the pride of the conquered nations, and leave them to honor their father and mother. 

Blixen, K. Out In Africa. First Published 1954, Penguin England. 223, 224.