combat kid...

wanted to just upload some new pics of fun times had with my friend Michelle.  now on the look out for more models to practice on!  also having been taking my camera everywhere with me (esp my lomo, love that cam...and also trying to finish the film in there!). at the mo loving to bits the fab photography genius of Nirrimi...check out here blog right...here. loving the 'in the moment' vibe...going to try to do more of that I've decided.
also just wanted to add a friend of mine who is living in England at the mo has just started her own business of baby photography.  she has just finished her new website and you can check it out here.
So here are a few pics of my friend Michelle..fun times.  if you wana check out the whole set you can go to my flickr...on this button...here.
have a lovely week...

World Cup Madness.....

can't believe it is nearly over, but having the World Cup here in South Africa has been amazing!  didn't get to go to any of the games unfortunately, but has a great time at fan parks in Cape Town and walking the fan mile with all the Dutch fans.  would have been nice for England to go a bit further...but us English fans usually have our hopes quite high and we never quite get there....but oh well.


in Cape Town they have really gone all out and built like a mini London Eye, except this one is called the Wheel of Excellence! :)  don't know if this is something they are going to keep here, and haven't been on it yet...but did manage to take some shots of it and the city of Cape Town the other night when we went to the fan park.


also had a great time on a shoot with my friend Michelle yesterday.  those pics to follow.  until then, here is the wheel of excellence (not the wheel of fortune!) :) ..

in my happy place...

Happy Place
Originally uploaded by Rebecca Groves

just wanted to quickly add to my blog this photo that I took the other day. this little boy was so cute and has the most amazing eyes and I just had to capture his look as he nestled into his mother. he looked so happy there.
made me think...what is my happy place? i am learning putting good friends around me, people who are positive and fun loving is one of the best places i can be.
so heres to finding your happy place...

to blog or not to blog....

ok, really need to get into this whole blog thing more....has been a while since I have posted.  haven't had any new material as yet though.  had to reschedule a few photo shoots with friends. but hopefully one will be happening tomorrow! should be fun! hoping to use some of the shots to enter into elle magazine's new photographer find. 
have actually been entering a few photography competitions recently...think i am a bit addicted and love winning stuff! :)  will see how it goes as the closing dates are coming up soon.  
loving the vibe over here in South Africa at the moment with the World Cup.  Has been so lovely to see Cape Town so busy with tourists and so passionate about their country they are supporting. don't know if i can say the same with me and England...let's say we have a bit of a love/hate relationship.  but going to the Cape Town fan park tomorrow to catch some of the action and vibe down there.  might be the last game they are in...but here is hoping not! 
will of course be taking my camera and will post up here as soon as poss.
till then have been loving reading some fashion and fashion photographers blogs at the mo.  Some i would recommend.. i heart your outfit, written by my lovely capetonian friends, Liza West and Emily Pettit-Coetzee.  then there is Hannah, photographer from New York, and then yet again the great Damon Baker.  He has just started a new blog called Skinny Trashionsta.
Enjoy the rest of the World Cup! :)

finding my footing...

having so much fun with photography at the moment.  still so much I feel I have to learn though and find my footing, so to speak, in what kind of photography I would like to do and whether it is something I can pursue full time, or just a crazy hobby.  Have been organising getting some friends together for some shoots next week to build up my portfolio, which I am really excited about.  so many friends have been really supportive, and keen to get involved, which has made it even more fun.  should be posting those photos up here soon.


Also been getting more involved with the whole social network thing, and getting to know many great photographers on twitter.  never thought I would get into the whole twitter thing, as didn't really understand it, but thanks to my friend Emily, have been converted, and don't think I will look back.  if you are a tweeter, some great photographers to follow are Scott Bourne, Trey Ratcliff , Jonathan Nafarrete, The Strobist and Jack Hollingsworth.  


If you are also into photoshop, like me, and wana learn more some great websites I have also found recently are Photoshop Tutorials, if you are looking at more photo manipulation, this site is great as takes you through step by step and is free.  Then if you are looking for some fab actions to spruce your photos up a bit then Totally Rad Actions is for you.  Their actions are are little on the pricey side (about $150 for a set), but really worth it.  They also have a good blog on their website with interviews with other photographers for tips and insights etc.  


Then, finally I have also come across recently photographer Kane Longden's work.  Kane has done a few collaborations with Rosie Hardy, and that's how I came across his work.  Love his work especially the new photos recently of the girl in the field.  Check him out on his flickr or on his twitter.  


Ok, so now for the pic! trying to upload something every time I write.  Unfortunately this photo isn't completely new material, but was taken in this December holidays just gone, when the hubby and I went to Zimbabwe for Christmas.  We stayed in Vic Falls next to the Zambesi River in a game reserve. it was a fantastic break, away from everything.  The wild life and scenery was epic, and as I had just purchased my Canon 450D, was a great opportunity to get out there shooting!  The cloud formation was so different over there and this pic was taken on one of our sunset cruises on the Zambesi, just before a big storm was about to hit us.  


Hope you like it. Until next time...

fun fun fun..

having so much fun recently finding new stuff that you can do on photoshop, seems endless!  got some new actions yesterday and be trying them out today.  been looking back at some pics that have taken recently and realized i have missed a few good ones to edit!  have just finished this one from the shoot i did with jean and ernie, with some of the new actions i have. am so looking forward to doing a woman's photo shoot soon!  hopefully the weather is going to be good for it!  it is getting a bit chilly here now! 
have booked my flight to england now, so looking forward to going over, catching up with family and friends...and of course going to my best friend's wedding and being a bridesmaid!  going to be the first time in years that all us girlie friends from school are going to be together again. good times!  
also have investigated into doing a workshop in london run by rosie hardy.  if you haven't heard of her, or seen any of her work check out her website here. a real inspiration to me!
lots more peeps i have found recently on flickr and twitter too.  the web def makes the world a much smaller place!  
anyways, will leave you with the work i completed today.  i am now starving, all this editing takes it out of you! :)

time is of the essence..

ok, so really has been a while since I have been on here for a lil update! and the problem....time!  lil frustrating...wish I had more time to take more photographs and learn photoshop more.  but steadily, steadily getting there.  here are a couple of shoots I have done recently.  one of our good friends, Ryan, is in a reggae band called the Rivertones.  Brill band and so laid back, and they asked me to come along and take some shots of them at a gig in Obz, Cape Town.  Lighting wasn't the greatest there, so am hoping to go out again to get some more pics, but here is what i have of them in the mean time.  then was out with my hubby the other weekend in blouberg strand and from there you have a killer view of table mountain.  we really do live in a beautiful country!  the bottom pic is what i managed to capture while we were out there.  

now getting ready to have a few weekends of portrait photography.  taking some friends out to capture some shots to build up portfolio and as a favour.  hopefully will have those up here soon! till then.... :)