It is cold in the Eastern Cape!
We are keeping Michelle far away from the doctors and patients we are photographing in and around Mthatha - don't want them accusing us of making anyone worse ...
With a large project like the Discovery Foundation Awards, you don't always have a chance to sit down in a quiet office or studio to do all the editing needed.
And believe me, there's more than you'd think. Even if you have the "perfect" image, there's still some work to do.
Contact sheets need to be compiled and sent to clients, so they can choose the photographs they want.
Chosen photos need to be checked and edited if required.
Some projects need deep-edged images or special colour schemes, some photos just need a small touch-up.
All this explains why I spent yesterday evening sitting at a restaurant table with my MacBook and tablet editing photos and sending emails, instead of just relaxing, kicking back and enjoying my sundowner while watching the ocean.
My assistant, Michelle had time to unwind after a long day of tramping through hospital wards lugging lights and camera bags, doing the make-up and taking the behind-the-scenes photos, but I still have far too much work to do.
No rest for the wicked ...
Today is our last day staying in Ballito. This afternoon I'm off to Margate. I'm going to miss Jakita's.
The doctors, nurses, communication and support staff in Polokwane were great to work with.
Even the patients were friendly and cracked jokes about the weird contortions we put ourselves through to get a good shot and teased the men about wearing make-up in the portrait shots.
Michelle is convinced that no one can look good in scrubbs. It may or may not be true, I'll let you make up your own mind, but I can say that they are bloody uncomfortable.
Now it's time to pack up for the next trek to the coast.
We'll be spending the next week-and-a-half in KwaZulu-Natal photographing more doctors in a number of different hospitals, as well as a doing a catalogue shoot for Barnes. If everything runs smoothly and we get done in time, I may even have a day or two to relax with my family before flying off to the Eastern Cape again.
Goodbye once again to my comfortable bed and my loving family and off on another road trip. The last few weeks have been hectic - and that's not changing soon.
After a ten day whirlwind of photoshoots in Gauteng, including work for Discovery Foundation, Barnes Reinforcing, Capital Eye, Rand Merchant Bank Holdings, Stefanutti Stocks and Studio 5, we are off to Limpopo Province this evening.
Early tomorrow we will be shooting more Discovery Foundation Awards Recipients at the Polokwane Medical Complex. After that it's back to KwaZulu-Natal to cover the rest of the Awards Recipients spread over various public hospitals and clinics in that province
After this morning's crack-of-dawn photoshoot at George Mkhari hospital, the team touched base at one of our favourite local spots - Grounded Coffee and Gathering - in Pierneef Street. As always the coffee was wonderful, the atmosphere was warm and the staff were friendly.
Everyone was even willing to put up with four crazy people trying to take photographs from weird angles on iPhones while moaning about bokeh and whose idea it was not to bring the cameras.
