With the launch of MomSpo South Africa, all three founders did a photography shoot in their hometowns - which also highlighted their family, home city, and of course their excitement. Grand Little Adventure Photography captured Dominque's family in the Tokai Forest, Cape Town.
This was our first time working with Tabitha (Grand Little Adventure) and with that always comes a bit of hesitation! However I had seen her work online and was BLOWN AWAY so I had very little doubt that I would be more than happy with our photos!
Preparing for a family photo shoot almost always come with a lot of preparation and a little bit of stress! What if after all this “getting ready” the kids don’t want to participate? What if I’m not happy with the shoot? Tabitha helped us choose the perfect location for what I wanted and the right time of day. The lighting was absolutely glorious! After a full day of getting everything sorted we met Tabitha at Tokai forest at 4:30pm. From the moment I met her all the stress, doubt and anxiety melted away. I knew from the moment we shook hands that it would be a successful shoot! She made my family and I feel totally at ease. She has such a calming energy about her.
What I absolutely love about Grand little adventures style of photography is that it’s not posed/ staged. Tabitha captures your family in the most natural way. Our hour flew by and it was so enjoyable and easy! Tabitha made us feel comfortable and the girls were only to happy to oblige. Towards the end of the shoot she played “hide and seek” with Zuri in the forest and was able to capture her in the most unique and happy way.
Tabitha was on the ball in terms of sending us some “sneak peeks” which had me squeal in excitement because they were just so beautiful! She was in constant contact over Whatsapp and delivered the edits in less than two weeks! I absolutely love her style of editing - it’s natural & moody with beautiful dark elements. I would absolutely highly recommend Grand Little Adventures to anyone looking to do a family photo shoot (or any form of shoot really!). I have no hesitation in saying she is one of the best photographers I have ever worked with and I will definitely work with her again in future.
We thought we would get to know the beautiful and inspiring person behind the Grand Little Adventure lens, so we asked her a few questions...
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am Tabs, a mother to my two-and-a-half-year-old little delight called Mason, and happily married to the love of my life Michael. I love seeing and creating beauty in all forms. My current obsession is macrame. I also love chai lattés, listening to podcasts, and being surrounded by mountains.
2. What camera do you use?
I shoot with a Canon 5Diii and prime lenses
3. What are your favourite kinds of photography?
I appreciate all kinds of photography, but am moved most by beautiful photojournalism. Personally, I love to take pictures of little kids the most as you never know what they will do next. Also they are just so flipping cute.
4. Describe your photographic style
Creative and truthful storytelling.
I also have my own approach when it comes to photographing children. One of the reasons why family portraiture used to intimidate me, is the fact that kids are so unpredictable. I felt like I had so little control over what pictures I was going to get! Now, a few years on, that is precisely what I LOVE about it! With kids, you just never know what you're going to get, and I love that surprise element! This is why I have adopted a documentary-style approach in how I shoot families. There's a time and place for a photo of everyone looking at the camera, but I believe that the most valuable photographs are those that manage to capture a little bit of personality as well! My absolute favourite is photographing families in their homes, and capturing the kids doing things they love to do- whether it be painting, baking, dancing or just playing with their favourite toys. No posing, no props, no saying cheese!
5. How did you get from being an aspiring photographer to doing it full time, for a living?
I actually never aspired to be a photographer. It wasn't even on my radar growing up. I was studying to be an art teacher and needed a camera for some creative projects. The bug quickly caught, and I started taking pictures of EVERYTHING. Autumn leaves, cute kids, and all my friends and their friends. I was obsessed. After two years of teaching, I decided to take the leap to becoming a full-time photographer.
6. What challenges have you faced as a working mama?
Sjoe, this is something I struggle with every day! I absolutely adore what I do, so I find it really hard to switch off and not think about work when I'm with Mason. I also struggle to say no to jobs in order to spend more time with my family.
To view this shoot of Dominique done by Grand Little Adventure, click here.
To contact Tabs to book a shoot, contact tabithamee@gmail.com. Alternatively, head on over to her website to read more about her, see her portfolio, and any FAQ's: www.grandlittleadventure.com
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