Location Kids Christmas Appeal, please help us..

Our Christmas appeal for LocationKids..

For info on how you can donate, please email Locationkids@gmail.com

Thank you very much for listening & happy Christmas 

For my Papa..

This time, 20 years ago, the day after mum found out she was pregnant with me, I lost a part of me. A part of me was sent to a heaven, never to be found in this life-time.. & that part of me, was you, dad. You would think, or should I say, I used to think (& sometimes still do) that I would never know myself 100%, there would always be a 'strange' side to me, a side/trait I couldn't trace back to my

 mum... But now I realise, though sometimes I feel lost, knowing I will never know you, the man who gave the gift of life to me, I am never alone. In my happiest hours you are there smiling, & in my darkest hours, you are there, like a whisper in my mind saying 'never give up'. Through these times, you are the first person I come to think of.

Many of times I have felt angry & envious towards those who had the opportunity of meeting you, asking 'why?', 'why can't it have been me?' ...& now, I believe strongly that it was to keep my imagination alive. Photo's are the only things, the only materials of you that I will ever have, & that is why I am very passionate about photographing. Though photo's aren't all there is of you. You live on, not only in friends & families thoughts & hearts, but through me & your son, Paul. & though in a sense I long for my time to come, to be able to finally be with you, my time here is more than precious, & I know I am here to do good in this world, to make you able to smile down on me & to make you & mama proud.

 I love you papa, so much. R.I.P.
♥

Vena Twins to win Mzansi Magic Market day!

As some of you know, I am a trustee for a charity that helps South African children escape hunger, abuse & disease, we also help teach them English, through song, dance & drama.. I'm sharing their page with you today, hoping to get some more support for our little, but growing charity.. Though I know a lot of you live far, far away & I know some of you won't be able to donate.. But even liking this page can help us, helps us spread the word & shows support. 

Click here for their Facebook page

Two of our kids have also made it to the finals in a competition called Mzansi Magic Market day, they are very, very talented twin dancers!

Click here to view their dance

You can vote for them to win by 'liking' the above post & you can also 

Click here & vote 'Port Elizabeth'

Please, please help us to help these guys win!!

Latest diary photo's..

Fluff blending in to the floor boards..

A really big dog I met at the Bungee jump, I presume he is a New Found-land, since he is the size of a bear!

Fluff again..

Latest self, which was actually taken as I was climbing the tree..

Boosh sniffing

Peek-a-Boo(sh)!

Latest make-up look for a new idea I have..
(I just felt like adding the GIF ok.. ;P)

A little something on my mind..

I'm not sure on where to start this, with so many things rushing through my mind. But here's my attempt;

Is it just me or have humans completely isolated themselves from the real world?
Created an imaginary world where only themselves & their selfish, unrealistic priorities exist? I have so much anger, joy, love & sadness inside of me, but everyone else seems completely.. ignorant?!
Their minds are full of nothing. Only who has the best labelled clothes, who has the latest iphone, who's out binge drinking on the weekend, who's next in line to have a baby, not through love, but for extra income paid to them for not working. They worry they won't afford their luxuries this week, & most would probably starve themselves before giving them up.
What happened to reality? What happened to enjoying REAL life? This is all phony bollocks! Fakery!
Why can't we all be grateful for simply just being? For being healthy, for being loved, for the gift of our senses; smelling, touching, hearing, seeing?
When was the last time you sat & watched a spider make his web?!
Where has the world gone?
Where are all those who would happily sit day in, day out without a penny, enjoying what life really has to offer?
I'll tell you where it's all gone.. Inside the gut of humanity.
They have consumed it all, leaving nothing behind but empty-headed youths to carry on their pathetic way of life - making others dirty rich while they sit & watch starving children on their 'must-have' flat screen T.V's.
What happened to being the 'smartest beings'?
When we constantly destroy our home & everything in it?
Where are all the REAL people? TRUE spirits?
Or have they all been eaten alive too?
Surely I can't be the only person who still realizes & appreciates reality?
I can't be the only one who's mind survived being brain washed?!
My inner-child is still here, & is no where near finished blossoming.
Yet I almost don't feel 'human'.
I almost feel alone, an alien.

A small message for my unborn child.

I always wonder about you, my child. You’re not conceived yet, but I feel you, I haven’t met you yet, but I love you. I often sit & wonder what you would think of this world, will you see the beauty amongst all the bad? Am I going to be a good enough protector, home & mother all in one? I imagine you sleeping in my tummy, all curled up & warm breathing in harmony with my heart beat. My heart almost aches that you can not be here with me yet. I wish I could give you your life sooner my precious, precious little one.. But until then, know that I think of you, every day. & know that I could never ever love another more than I already love you. 
<3 Mama

Diary photo's

A shark jaw that my grandad lent to me as a prop.

Unfortunately (especially for all shark lovers) it is real, but it was either my grandad or the shark who would have survived & I am very thankful it was my grandad. He wasn’t too happy about having to kill the shark either, but so he didn't feel it was a complete loss he took the jaw, as sort of a trophy/keepsake I suppose.. The teeth are still really sharp & on the bottom jaw alone there are about 3 rows of teeth!

"Just rinsing my insides!"

So me & Lois were shooting on Walney Islands beach, keeping in mind we were only there half an hour; & about 3 or 4 of these flew over head, so low, from the airport close by.. 

My old play house at the bottom of our garden; Bumble Bee Cottage!
It holds so many memories, I remember I used to sleep in it often with our old dog Cally.. I also remember when I was around 9 years old I took a strop with my mum & told her I was leaving home.. So I grabbed a can of beans & took the dog & went & stayed in the playhouse.. It lasted about an hour, then I realised it was too cold & I had forgotten the tin opener!! 

Our town (like most, especially in England) holds tons & tons of seagulls. I understand why everyone complains but we can’t solely blame them, it is our fault they came in to the towns/cities in the first place. However after yesterday I can completely understand why their population needs monitoring, one of my partners cats had escaped in to the back street & refused to come in for at least 15 minutes, all through this I could hear a seagull squawking & then before I know it 3 turn up & try to swoop down to grab the cat! I had seen them doing this with kittens (sadly), but never thought they would attempt to take a fully grown cat. It just shows how greedy they can be! But is it still right to get rid of them? Hmm.. 

For about 3 years now, mainly of a night time I have always heard scratching through the walls, the roof.. just about anywhere really. At first we thought maybe a tiny mouse had housed itself in our attic, but after checking multiple times we knew it wasn’t.. This scratching carried on & on & drove me insane most nights whilst I tried to get to sleep. But now that the sun has started to appear more, so have these little birdies & now I realise all the scratching was them! They have nested themselves under our gutter pipe, under the roof tile & snuggled themselves next to our attic insulation! The scratching doesn’t bother me now, now that I know what it is! 

Tractors on the horizon.

I love just sitting in my back garden, watching the dog run round like a loony & watching the cats try to sunbathe (without being disturbed by the dog) I just sit in silence, listen & observe. It’s so peaceful! (Usually)

So me & Lois were shooting on Walney Islands beach, keeping in mind we were only there half an hour; & about 3 or 4 of these flew over head, so low, from the airport close by.. 

x

South Africa

As most know, I have always longed to visit South Africa - not only because some of my family live there but because of its beauty & the people it holds. Luckily for me, one of my granddads friends Tony works out in South Africa teaching. At first Tony went out to do research, but after meeting the people he fell in love. He set up this charity by himself, funded from home. At first I started helping Tony & the children by sending out clothes for them, as they can not afford to buy their own. The children were so grateful & often sent back pictures of them wearing our clothes proudly. The children even spent time making us a lovely 'thank you' poster!

 After a few months I plucked up the courage & asked Tony a little bit more about what he does & if there was any other ways I could help, or maybe even come out to volunteer. So next year in July I have been given the opportunity to go & work with the children in Red Location, South Africa. The children all come to school to learn English, because without this they are unable to sit their exams. The children best learn English through song & dance, so have set up their own choir.

Here on this video, children (aged 10-16 years)  from New Brighton Township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa demonstrate their talent & show you a little slice of their lives;

Plea for Africa sung by The Red Location Children's Choir. Solo by Vuvu

Baba Wetu sung by The Red Location Children's Choir. Solo by 10 year old Aqamilhe

 You can find more videos of the choir singing on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/LocationKids

These children really do not have much, & it breaks my heart every time I hear them sing, knowing how talented they are, knowing if they lived anywhere else their talent would be recognised instantly. That's why in July of next year when I go to visit them, we plan on bringing the choir back over to England with us to perform.
This all depends however on how much money we can raise, as it works out around £1000 per child.

On the 30th June (4 days from this post) we have organised a sponsored bungee jump, which anyone can take part in to help raise money & awareness.

We often run Car Boot Sales too in order to raise money.

If you think you could help in any way, whether it be; donating books, clothes, money, or your own time then please do get in touch;

• https://www.facebook.com/RedLocationKids
• LocationKids@gmail.com

 Even sharing this post can help us!!

Thank you.

Publications 2012

Taya's magazine - Living Dream

http://www.issuu.com/tayaiv/docs/living_dream

i also joined photo vogue this year (which i must remember to submit more photo's to!)

http://www.vogue.it/en/photovogue/Profilo/9f3994da-c96c-42e0-a444-19be1b3c8f65/User

So far this year..

i have not posted in a long while, i've promised myself i will get back in to blogging. & i just hope i can keep my own promise. i stopped posting when my canon 20d camera 'died', & so i waited a few months to buy my new camera the 5dmkII - however after buying my new one, i learnt that my old one wasn't in fact broke, it was the lens attached to it. so now I have two DSLR cameras, i have a polaroid & a typical 35mm film camera. i feel more like a collector than an artist! so far this year the main things i have photographed is my new puppy Bella. 

Bella the first day we got her 4 months old

Bella's most recent pictures 7 months & 9 months

other than photographing my new pup i haven't really done much else so far this year, however i have plans to push my work. i've contacted a local clothing designer called Liliana who has quite happily agree'd to let me use her pieces & who has also asked me to photograph her daughter in the prom dress she has made for her. i've also started photographing weddings this year, at the moment i only have two definite bookings one which i have already shot & another coming up. my first wedding went really well, i was nervous at first but soon got in to the flow of everything; i would like to thank Rowan & Stuart for giving me the opportunity & trusting in me & my work (since it was my first time shooting a wedding) 

sneak peaks from Rowan & Stuarts big day

aside from photographing weddings & clothing designs this year i have also contacted a lot of local animal shelters/shops in hope to do some promotion work with animals, whether this be to help abandoned animals find new loving homes, or whether it be to help persuade a parent to buy their child some sort of exotic pet, maybe a snake, maybe a tarantula..

Eve in the garden of Eden

a birds nest we found in our garden, unfortunately mama bird was no where to be found & by the time we found the eggs they were too cold to save (however i have plans for this nest..)

my kittens playmate, he sits in our garden waiting for our kitten to come out

an unfinished photo, still not blended enough but i just had to post..

til' death do us part

 my fluffly

my baby cousin Evie at a family reunion

my latest self portrait - secret garden; a passage in time