Back in 2004, I moved to Pretoria as I had just gotten a job up there. We had to sort accomodation out and figure out how I was going to get to work etc. We spoke to a woman on the phone and secured a flat while still in Durban and then drove up there one weekend. I met her on my first day there. Ms. Joy Coetzee. She was the landlord, running the complex I was to live in, and doing a fine job of it too. In fact she was a bit intimidating to me but I soon learnt that her persona served her well because the residents respected her and didn’t cross the line. I settled in nicely and she was quick to tell me the rules. I didn’t dare break them. LOL.

Weeks and months went by and I am not sure how it happened, as it was a gradual process, but she became very dear to me and my family. They would enquire about her when they called and I would think about her when doing the smallest of things such as buying fruit and get a bit extra to share with her. We became fast friends and her hugs were the best, especially when I was so far away from home. She always hugged me to thank me when I took stuff down to her place.

Roughly, two years later I made the decision to move back home and saying goodbye to her was really hard to do. She was like family and she lived alone, just like me, and I was leaving. But little did we know that within a few months her life would change and happiness would shine upon her. Ms. Coetzee had found Mr. Coetzee. That’s right! She got married to Pierre and how cute, they had the same surnames. LOL. She found love and sold her flat and moved away to Cape Town! What a wonderful story. I just love that it was such a happy ending.

Since then we have kept in touch and I met them about a week ago when they came down to Durban and took take a couple pictures. They shared a kiss at one point and its the cutest thing. I only noticed it when I got back to my computer but have a look at these pictures. I shot them one after the other as you’ll see below. Pay particular attention to Joy’s hair and you’ll see it lift up only when they kiss and it goes down again when they part…

LOL. I love it. It is true love and I can’t be happier for them as they are wonderful people. I am lucky to know them.  Here are a few more photos from the shoot, below. You’ll see that I did a lot of black and whites as I felt they looked rather charming and worked well with this shoot.