Bernard & Natacha | Engagement Shoot | Hogsback | Eastern Cape

In April, Dietmar and I went on a roadtrip to the beautiful Eastern Cape, in our (this will be our 9^th year of dating) we have never done a sightseeing / roadtrip so far away and this was definitely one of our most memorable adventures I will never forget. As we drove, the plant life completely changes from Klein Karoo to Groot Karoo, then you enter a whole new scenery filled with thorn bush thicket and grasslands, prickly pear plantations for km’s and a lot of cattle grazing beside the road as you cross the border into the Eastern Cape.

When we arrived in Bedford (about 850km’s from Cape Town), we were awaited by the friendliest of faces that welcomed us and couldn’t wait to show us around and make us comfortable, we were so thrilled to see Natacha & Bernard and were pleasantly surprised to meet their beautiful Labrador ‘Amos’  too :)

We settled in at their home, enclosed by the most beautiful mountains and wildlife, to name a few: there are wild hornbills and robins, lemoen duiwe, golden orb spiders with their stunning golden webs and creepy crawlies from prehistoric time hehe ( im not a big fan of insects ). Their garden are anyone’s dream, with 2 greenhouses, citrus orchards and even a river running through, we felt right at home and left in admiration with all the beauty surrounding us.

The next day, it was time for Natacha & Bernards Engagement shoot!! Now, While Natacha & I were busy organizing dates and locations for their engagement shoot via email, she mentioned how incredible it would’ve been if they could have their pictures taken at Hogsback (their favourite place in the world), never actually thinking that her idea would become a reality, I said “well, why Not??” hehe and so it happened. Hogsback is every photographers dream, situated high up on the Amathole Mountains of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and surrounded by centuries-old indigenous Afro-montane forests. One of the best ways to experience the stunning beauty of Hogsback is on foot. There are scores of hiking routes and walks that will take you through the forests, up the mountains, past the waterfalls and to the spectacular views like at The Edge and the Labyrinth.

We made a weekend out of it and I was like a kid in a candy shop with all the magical spots to take pictures. Natacha & Bernard are such sports and with Bernards Handy craftmanship skills he built a bamboo teepee that we used as a prop. It was really a lot of fun and cannot wait to share their album with everyone.

Thank you Natacha & Bernard for giving us a time we will never forget and I am really looking forward to photograph their wedding in September this year!! To many more magical moments!! Xx 

 probably the most perfect place to take a bath!!!