Zoë Scholtz

Tip 1: Keep it clean Make sure that the lens is clean  before  you take a photo. A dirty lens will give you a blurry image. Tip 2: Hold it steady Use both hands to hold the phone, keep your elbows tucked in. You can also try burst (sports) mode if the subject is moving - this will help keep the subject in focus. Tip 3: The rule of thirds Understanding the rule of thirds will help you compose your photograph to ensure maximum impact. It means you mentally divide the image you see on the screen evenly into thirds (either horizontally and vertically). Then make sure that the subject of your photo is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or on one of the lines itself. Your photo will have more impact when you place the subject on the third. Tip 4: Check the background Before you take your photo, check all four corners you don't want a tree growing out of someone's head. For example, this photo could be better if that green stalk wasn't in the...

The Waterhole  I was sitting cross-legged on a small patch of pokey dry grass. In front of me was a watering hole, to my right a lone giraffe methodically chewed at the green shoots of a tree. To my left was what I imagined inspired the game lodge's name: a vast expanse of the wide-open African bushveld, the golden thatch grass swayed gently in the light breeze and Akasia trees dotted the landscape. Hubby and I were taking a much needed holiday at Safari Plains, part of the greater Mabula reserve, just outside Bela-Bela. I should be feeling calm and relaxed. Except, I wasn't... I was anxious or maybe scared was a better word. I couldn’t settle to anything, and my stomach persisted in twisting in knots. With a sigh, I set aside the novel I'd been trying to read. I had reread the same paragraph about four times but had absolutely no idea what I'd read.  The reason for my distress was that the moment I had been dreading since February 2020, had finally arri...

When you manage to convince your photographer to take a selfie with you Looking for my look Do you have any idea what the appropriate attire for an 'author' photo shoot would be? No, neither did I, which is why, on the morning of my session I was rushing around like a headless chicken, searching for my best author outfit.   ' Why didn't you do this last night? I asked myself, as I rummaged through the contents of my closet. I was hunting for my favourite jeans, which had pulled a very unwelcome disappearing stunt on me.  I hated packing at the best of times, probably as a result of living as a nomad due to traveling between home and boarding school and then later on, home and varsity res. I never could decide what to take along, and usually included way more than necessary - because, well, you know... you never know what you might  need. The chaos that was our bedroom looked alarmingly similar to when I was getting ready to go away on extended vacati...

Meeting my hairstylist match  Six years ago I had sat in the exact same hair salon, although this time my reasons for being there were (thankfully) much different. In 2015 I'd been having a serious meltdown.  'Why?' You may ask.  Well, some three months after being discharged from hospital, my long blonde hair (at the time reaching well below my shoulder blades) had had enough of all the gunk that had been pumped into my body to try and save my life and so it rebelled and started to fall out - b adly! According to my mom, I was bald for rather a long time as a small child. When my hair eventually started to grow, mom kept on cutting it to encourage my strands to proliferate. As a combined outcome from mom's brave (but wise) intervention and probably also genetics, I wound up with a lot of hair as an adult. To be losing most of it was upsetting to say the least, and I came to dread brushing it, since each time I'd transfer more and more strands from my head to the ha...

I grudgingly hauled myself out of bed. At the best of times I could never be described as a 'morning person'. I rubbed my eyes, and tried to force myself to wake up. How some people managed to hop out of bed full of energy and ready for the day was beyond my comprehension. I. Need. Coffee. It was September, allegedly spring had arrived, but the weather had turned cold and icy.  There was an unpleasant chill in the air, and so I pulled on my gown and pushed my feet into my worn grey slippers. I padded downstairs, my slippers echoing their customary ‘sloof-sloof-sloof’, alerting His Highness the Cat that there was life in the house. Wasting no time, he took up his usual position at the glass door that lead to the garden. ‘You can wait’, I informed him, ignoring his silent demand to open the door. Instead, I made a beeline for the coffee machine. Our current brewing device was a rather intimidating silver monster. It took up most of the space on the white-grey gran...

When I started out on my running journey, I had no appreciation for the important role of running shoes. In fact, I ran a fair distance in my already old and worn out gym trainers, before I realised that perhaps I needed to buy proper ones. I was surprised to learn that this was not the same process as buying my next set of flip-flops. Apparently I needed to visit a specialised store to be fitted for the correct pair. I was puzzled, it seemed an inordinate amount of hassle over what was, after all, ‘just a shoe’. I would learn the hard way that there were very good reasons for all the fuss. Even though I didn’t see why it was necessary, I did my homework, found the nearest store and presented myself for my feet to be assessed. I felt awkward and out of place as I stood in the shop, I had no idea where to start. Fortunately the salesperson promptly came to my rescue and hauled out various options for me to try. He made me jog up and down outside the store and eventually conclud...