We've been so lucky to be able to come in contact with such great talent right here in our country. One such talent is Thea, from Tink Photography, a photographer with a style that we adore and a positive attitude that is infectious. Her business name stands for "Thea Incorporated" and this talented photographer studied in Stellenbosch and started photographing weddings in 2007. Working with the likes of Christine Meintjes of The Pretty Blog and Kim Thunder, how we can we not expect her work to be amazing? Read on to find out more.
How did you get into photography? Was it a hobby
that expanded into a business, or has it been a dream since you were young?
I
wouldn't say that photography was a dream of mine since I was young, I dreamt of adventure and going all
over the world and seeing new places, right alongside also wanting to become a
game ranger and fighter pilot..(i know!) I just never considered any of these
as a viable career option as I was of the persuasion that I had to study
something "proper”, you know? So, I went to the University of Stellenbosch
and I studied a Degree in Applied Value
and Policy Studies majoring in Economics, with the intention of heading into
Documentary Journalism, but soon realised that it wasn't what I wanted for my
future, so I finished the degree and proceeded to do a small photographic
course in the evenings, which just confirmed to me that my heart lay in photography.
I was then privileged enough to do a 2 year internship with a local advertising
photographer, Kim Thunder, where I developed the technical expertise I needed
in order to pursue a career in
professional photography.
Tell us about yourself in three words.
Wow, that is
tough! So I am going to cheat and split myself into Work Thea and
Normal Thea. Work Thea is determined, efficient, creative. Normal Thea is adventurous, practical,
perceptive
What were you doing prior to becoming a photographer?
I
pretty much pursued photography straight out of Varsity, I did a 2 year
internship where I worked as an assistant to an advertising photographer and
then I started Tink Photography in 2007 and I have been working as a
photographer since then.
Where are you based? And do you
travel for your photography?
I actually moved up to Pretoria from Durban 2
months ago, so I am based here now, but most of my work is still in Durban so I
travel there for long periods at a time, so I guess you could say I live in two cities. I travel quite a bit for photography and I love it. It gives me the
chance to see parts of our country that I would never have seen otherwise
How would you describe your photography
"aesthetic"?
I have a very
natural and “unposed” approach to
photography . When I am on a shoot I try to make sure that the "personality” of the subject comes
through, whether it be of the couple I am working with or the brand I am
photographing, all the while staying true to my style.
What inspires your photography?
I tend to be inspired by my immediate
surroundings, by what I can hear, smell, see and the emotion it evokes within
me. I love to travel, I find it gives me
a fresh perspective and I always come back refreshed and energised and with a
whole heap of new ideas. I also make a habit of
checking out new places, markets, coffee shops, restaurants, etc, there
are so many amazing things to see and experience in and around every city, you
just have to look out for it.
Besides photography, what are your other loves?
I love travelling, Crossfit, Interior
decorating, running, my family, design, Jesus, playing piano, clothes, reading,
music, my hubby Garth and our Labrador/Child/Office supervisor, Gracie.
Besides weddings, what else do you shoot?
I shot my first wedding in 2007 so it is going on 6 years now. I also do
fashion and corporate work as well as portrait shoots, but if you had to ask me
what my favorite type of shooting is, it would have to be travel photography!
As a design and wedding blog, we have to ask: do
you enjoy photographing weddings?
Ha, there is a question that can get you into
trouble!! I will answer it as follows: When I shoot a wedding I am always very
aware of the pressure to produce amazing images as it is somebody's once in a
lifetime event, so if you are dealing with a difficult bridal couple, I feel
that pressure heavily, so I cant say that I am having a ball, but when you have
a couple that is relaxed and in love and trusts me to do my job, then I can
honestly say that I drive home with a smile on my face!
If you had to choose a photographer to take your
own wedding photos, who would it be? Who inspires you?
I am already married and I was so privileged
to have my dream photographer Christine Meintjes take my photos. Kiki and I
were room-mates at Varsity and since I have known her I always said that nobody
else will be taking my wedding photos. It really was such an amazing experience
having such a great friend and incredibly brilliant photographer capture our
day! In terms of inspiration...I tend to not worry too
much about what others are doing, I kind of just do my own thing.
What do you see in the future for yourself in the
next few years?
Gosh, there are so many
different things I want to do and see and create so I will need to start
prioritising a bit, otherwise I am not going to get any of it done! I find it a
bit difficult to plan too far in the future as you never know what tomorrow is
going to throw your way, so if I can think of an immediate goal, it would be to
make a book for my dad. He has got a farm in the Free State and I have taken so
many images there over the years and I want to put it into a book, I just never
seem to get around to it! I also want to take a course in Graphic Design, I
think it is an amazing plug-in to photography, so hopefully I will get that
done soon! Lastly, I think it might be
time to chuck a couple of kids into the mix :)
What are your
wedding/engagement/general shoot rates?
My rates are mostly dependent on the
amount of time I need to spend on the shoot and also on the editing time it
will require. If you want a costing on a specific shoot, just give me a shout
with the details and I will put it together for you.
How can people get hold of you?
Please finish these sentences:
Right now I am happy about the fact that... I have
made a couple of new friends this week. Life is about people.
Photography... is super fantastic.
Rooibos tea... is better than Green Tea (YUCK!!)
I am so grateful for... the new Mumford and Sons
album, I love that thing.
People would say that... I am level headed
I get annoyed... when I go to the shop to buy
something I really need and I arrive home with everything but!
A photograph... is a way to tell a story without
actually having to say anything.
In a year... I will be
one year older.
When I wake up in the morning... I think of breakfast,
I sometimes think of breakfast before I go to sleep ;)
I am terrified... of
spiders (So are we, yuck!)
Tomorrow I will be...packing all my gear because I am going
to be in Durban for 7 weeks straight!
If I had a million Rand I
would... take my hubby and a maybe couple of friends snowboarding and then
probably invest the rest :)
Labels: Fashion Photography, photography, Photography Feature, proudly South African, South African Artists, Tink Photography, Wedding Photography
