back into the swing of things...

well, knew it had been a while....but didn't think it had been over a month since i last blogged!  time really has flown by.  august was one of the busiest months i have ever known, and not time for many pics to be taken i'm afraid.  i really have been meaning to get back into taking more pics, but luckily this time away has given me time to think about what i want to do with my photography and also a lot of time to get some more inspiration.


am off to england tomorrow for a friends wedding, so hoping this is going to get the inspiration juices flowing even more!  


have been wanted to experiment with some film some more.  alas, some expired film is still sitting in my fridge waiting to be exposed!  going to have fun with that when i return me thinks!


in the mean time, here are some pics that i took with my holga camera yonks ago and only got developed a couple of weeks ago.

we are family...

asked three lovely sisters the other day, some good friends of mine, whether they would be interested in doing a photo shoot for my portfolio.  they agreed, and off we went to the beach to take some shots.  we had lots of fun, doing cartwheels, jumping and getting wet in the sea, and below is the first shot i have managed to edit since then.  being in competition with my husband and his music for the computer is becoming quite difficult.  think we are needing another computer!  but any how, here is the first shot...and once i manage to have time (or more like manage to kick my hubby of the computer!) i will post the rest up on here.


been thinking a lot about what to do with my photography..whether to keep it just a nice hobby or see if i can take it further.  seems a lot of photographers i admire have found their own style, and usually this is what makes them so good.  i still have to find mine and exactly what i want to pursue.  but all part of the process i guess and the journey.  am loving portraits at the moment tho, and have already been asked by some friends if i can take some  family portraits for them. little bit scary, because everything up until now has been of my own accord...now this is someone wanting something its a bit more of a challenge, but i'm up for it! 


if you are reading this and happen to live here in cape town...i want to build more of my portfolio up, so if you are about and up for it, would love to have some people to photograph! :)


hope you like this shot.  you can find more of my work here on flickr. 

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...