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YOUR LIFE CAPTURED AUTHENTICALLY THROUGH MY LENS

lifestyle, brand & wedding photographer

based in Durban, travels country wide.

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Hey there! I’m Elana, since 2009 I've been capturing people's passions & special moments. I  tell their story through my pictures & I have loved every moment of it. I thrive being around people and my passion for my craft is a driving force behind everything I do. Over the years I have forged the most amazing relationships with my clients and have had the privilege of capturing many milestones.

 

I have a fun yet artful approach to every shoot. My ability to make people feel comfortable, allows me to compose beautiful images that allow your personality to shine through. Any location has beauty in unseen places. I draw inspiration from the environment as well as the unique connection I forge with my clients.

 

Whether shooting a lifestyle, brand, studio shoot or documenting the precious moments of a wedding my aim is to consistently create works of joy and beauty.

my journey

I've always had a passion for photography. My love for photography started back in high school, where I used to take photos of friends and family with my film camera. My work ethics also stemmed from as early as this time. I realized this film wasn't going to develop itself, so I worked Saturday's to earn enough to pay for my images to be developed. Choosing a career, I was in the mind-set that if I did something I loved, I would kill that passion I had for it. So I opted out of photography/media, and studied computers.

 

For the early part of my career, I was a computer programmer. I left South Africa at the age of 26 for England, where I travelled and experienced life overseas. This is where I bought my first DSLR, a Canon 450D.

 

The first wedding I ever photographed, was for a friend I was working with in the UK. Svetlana, from Latvia, got married in Brighton, UK. How exciting that my first wedding gig was a Russian wedding in the UK, with all sorts of interesting traditions. To fast track this story, when I got back to South Africa, I decided photography was what I wanted to do, and I did everything to make that my reality.

 

My partner and mentor, Pablo, was there from day one guiding me along the way, and still does to this day. From the moment I chose to put all my energy into photography, my passion & my life changed for the better and I've never looked back. 

"it is the connection I form with each client that allows me to truly capture who they are"

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"mental health comes first for me!"

Mental health comes first for me. Yoga has been a big part of my life, starting about 7 years ago with Lauren from Soul Session. Yoga has really helped shape my mind set. Zaahida from Live Inspired has also been an incredible mentor on my journey to a better place in life. I strongly believe that one should keep their inner child alive, which led me to start skateboarding about 3 years ago. I use it as exercise and even a mode of transport along my home stretch, North Beach, especially on my way to Yoga in the mornings!  If you see me along the promenade, don't be shy to give me a friendly wave! 

things I love

Besides my photography, I’m extremely passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. For years I've been focused on my physical and mental health, as well as a balanced diet. I consider myself a flexitarian, which consists of a predominantly plant based diet, but in social situations, I'm ok to switch over. 

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