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Silvermine Reserve, Cape Town

Christopher and Olivia

Hills and valleys of gently blowing fynbos greet us as we drive into Silvermine Nature Reserve. We get out the car before even arriving at the trails and we instruct Olivia and Chris to ‘Hold hands and run! Okay, stop! Turn around! Do that again!’ while Michael flies the drone over the wild landscape, and I capture a few snaps on the ground.

 

Beautiful inside and out, the laughing couple are a dream to photograph and the magic seems to happen all of its own. We all scamper from patches of flowers, to rocks, to bridges, to an expansive clearing of boulders and wild blooms that are just unfurling their petals. Crickey, Cape Town is such a treat for the eyeballs in the springtime.

 

As the sun dips low in the valley, and shadows grow longer across the rocky outcrops, we sprint toward the dam trying to snatch the last of the light. We arrive at the water laughing and breathless.

The air is significantly cooler and Olivia and Chris approach the shallow edges with equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation. Shivering in my two jerseys, I’m suddenly very grateful to be the photographer and we make promises of car heaters and warm towels once the shoot is over.

 

The rooibos-hued water seems to bottle in the last of the sun’s golden rays and the sparkling reflections make for a beautiful setting. The couple clenches their jaws, grab one another’s’ hands and makes their way over the slippery rocks. And what a vision they are. Splashes of water, their genuine smiles, and the setting sun fill my heart as we furiously click away trying to capture the spirit of their relationship.

 

With a rose-coloured sky in the review mirror, damp towels in the boot, and a dinner for four on the horizon, we slowly and happily make our way home.

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