With Heritage Day around the corner, most South Africans will be celebrating in the way they know best – to braai. In fact, we love it so much, we’ve unofficially named Heritage Day, Braai Day. Amongst the festivities of any braai, a few things are always bound to happy. Kids will run around, a drink or two will be spilled and if you have the tremendous honour of being the braai master, smoke will flood your eyes. These are all moments that need to be captured – the moments that make us truly South African! The question then becomes, how do I take the best Braai Day Shot The Table Setting Nothing quite says “Home” like a long shot of the feasting table. Make it better by taking a picture while dishing up  The Overhead Braai Shot Catch the magic of meat braaing on the coals The Candid Shot Candid shots are where memories are made The Classic Group Photo Would it really be a braai if there wasn’t a group photo? ...

Spring brings about a certain liveliness. The air seems a tiny bit crisper, the birds chirp a little louder and food tastes fresher. What better way to enjoy the latter, than a recipe from our very own Faieza! In celebration of Spring and all its festivities, we've decided to share the recipe of Faieza, our Director of Marketing, PR and Communications. Faieza says: "This is a fantastic dessert to usher in Springtime - it is truly decadent and special.  Crack through the thin layer of caramelized sugar to the unctuous, cool, rich, smooth and creamy custard. Adorn with fresh berries and edible flowers for a splash of colour for a garden party, high tea or dinner party. A wonderful way to round off a meal. This is my favourite afternoon treat with a good book in a shady spot in the garden any day of the week. I love recipes that I can “Low Carb” and not compromise on taste, flavour, and texture. This is one of those recipes that can have just the icing sugar and cas...

Geraldene Lombard has a fascination for lions and tigers. Over the years, she’s built several 1500-piece puzzles depicting her favourite animals, and those who know her well, are fully aware of this! She was truly touched when, out of the blue, a really good friend e-mailed her an unusual photograph of an ‘astonished-looking’ lion. Geraldene was captivated by this gorgeous picture. “I made it my desktop background, and saved it as my cell phone’s background too! Couldn’t get enough of it!” she recalls. In addition to building puzzles, Geraldene loves drawing and painting, too. She contemplated drawing the ‘astonished lion’ pic but felt it might be really difficult to do justice to. She figured that since she couldn’t paint this lion, she decided to have it printed on glass with an LED backlight to bring out the true colours in the picture.  She also found another picture of a lion and decided to draw and paint her version of the second lion picture.  ...

August is celebrated nationally as Women’s Month. However, we, as RapidStudio do not live in isolation and we do see the injustices and struggles faced by women. As well as the accomplishments and achievements. We want to get real for a moment. Our largest customer base (or family base as we call it) consists of women. Women of all ages, ethnicities, religions, and orientations use our products and we are very proud of this. However, upon introspection, we asked ourselves, are we truly a diverse and representative company?   We would like to proudly assert that we are! In understanding the vast diversity of our customers, we gain a glimpse into the lives of ordinary women across the spectrum. This August, we would like to celebrate you, the women of RapidStudio. We would like to acknowledge that we are not blind to your challenges, and do everything we can to be a truly inclusive company. From content creation to strategic decisions – we do support and celebrate you....

Do you know the feeling of stressing over the perfect gift to get a loved one, without a wish list? I was once that loved one who did not have a wish list. A 21 st birthday is an important coming of age. It is a moment of realization that time is not something we have control over. The years that lead up to this moment are memories that we would like to cherish for the rest of our lives. At some point, we yearn to re-live our childhood, let us not lie. What would be a better way of cherishing moments that meant the most? The perfect surprise was when my mother handed out photobooks , pictures I did not realize still existed and pictures I did not know existed, to my guests as party favours. Photo albums have become outdated because people don’t have the time for scrapbooking, nor do they have the money, or the setting, especially as a career mom. Photobooks have become a reasonable way to cherish memories and everyone can own a photobook.   A mother between the ages 30-50 would ...

Can't figure out what to get mom for Mother's Day ? Browse these photo-themed gift ideas – there's one for every kind of mom. For the chef mom… If your mom's food is still the main reason you head home for the holidays, and if you're more likely to find her in the kitchen (even when everyone else is eating), gift her a personalised mug or set of placemats . You can customise them with photos of the family, of her, or of her favourite, home-cooked, dishes. For the hobbyist mom… If your mom is all about the baking / horse riding / dancing / yoga / pottery / race-car driving, why not create a personalised photobook , filled with images of her favourite hobby. Use photos of her doing her hobby, amazing pics of others doing it in action, or quotes about the hobby. A post shared by Tiffany (@_teafunny) on Jan 10, 2018 at 10:10am PST For the arts and crafts mom… Some mothers are born arts and crafts gurus. They can scrapbook all day and papier-...

Here's what to do with all those kids' artworks that are milling about your study. unsplash-logo Mike Fox When your child brings home their very first artwork, it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. It gets prime position on the fridge, and is dated, stamped and lamented. But fast-forward a few years and you've likely got hundreds of drawings and paintings cluttering up the study drawer. What do you do with them all? Here are some fun tips on how to preserve and display your kids' artwork. Make their own wall collage Who says kids' paintings aren't worth framing and hanging up? Kids rooms can be brightened up if you frame their artwork, in every size and shape, and create a collage on their wall. Matching frames look the best! Even better; you can scan in their drawings and print a few really big on canvas – for a dramatic look. A great way to celebrate their creativity! Make a set of placemats You don't have to keep eve...

As we venture towards winter, our school holidays and weekend getaways tend to take a u-turn at the beach, and head back inland to the bush. Here’s how to make sure you’re taking the best wildlife pics when you’re there. There’s nothing quite like driving through the mist on a chilly morning game drive, and filling your nights with fireplaces and bush braais. And, of course, it gives you the chance to flex your wildlife photography skills. Snapping pics of our incredible animals isn’t always the easiest thing to do (shout out to Nat Geo photographers), but there are ways to improve your skills. Follow these wildlife photography tips: 1: Be ready Unfortunately, you can’t ask a zebra to “go back and do it again”, so you can get the shot. Make sure your camera is out, and on, and you’ve checked your lenses and other equipment so you’re ready to strike. 2: Know your Camera Wildlife moments will likely only last a few seconds. You should know how to use your camera so well, ...

If you’re looking to take a few special shots of your family, make sure you follow these tips to keep it authentic and unique. These days, it seems like everyone is taking part in professional family photo-shoots. The result? Every house you go into has the same white-t-shirt-and-jeans family portrait on the wall . But no two families are alike! Celebrate your unique family with a portrait that speaks to who you are, with these tips. Find your Unique Selling Point Every family has that one thing that makes them stand out. Maybe you all love hiking together, or perhaps you’re all board game fanatics. Find it – and then flaunt it. It’s the thing that’s going to make your photo one of a kind. A post shared by Rawan Abusaid (@rawan.indesigner) on Jan 28, 2018 at 8:13am PST Find a New Angle Flip the traditional family portrait on its head by changing the angle of the shot. Instead of front on, try taking images from the side, or even behind. See yourselves from a dif...

High-quality photo prints aren’t just for museums and galleries. Here’s how your photograph prints can look like an exhibition – at home. You probably spend a lot of time taking photos – and then forget about them as they sit on your laptop, only to be seen again when you’re freeing up space for an update. What a waste! Wouldn’t it be great to print out your photos, and turn your home into a beautiful gallery? Here’s how you can make sure your prints look like art when they’re on your wall. Think about mounting What kind of story is your photo telling? Consider the message and feeling of you photo, and then pick a mount that helps tell that story. An unframed, skinny canvas is good for elegance, for example, while a framed floating canvas is good for bold colours, and photos that are more light-hearted. An opulent frame can do wonders for big photographs in large spaces. RapidStudio Canvases; Skinny, Floating Frames, Box Mount and Contemporary Framed Size matters Befor...

The month of love is upon us, which means our news feeds are going to be flooded with images of couples. Make sure yours stands out with these super-cute couple selfies. Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love. And, while that can mean showering each other with gifts and planning romantic dinners, it can also mean declaring your love for your S.O online. Gear up with one of these fun, unique couple selfies, and prepare to turn up the love – and the likes. The Penguin Kiss Selfie Show off your affection with the adorable penguin kiss. Simply rub your noses together for maximum cuteness and throw in a perfectly-timed sunset background for an extra special touch. A post shared by Murad and Nataly Osmann (@followmeto) on Jul 29, 2017 at 8:31am PDT The ‘Shoe’ Selfie If you’re not the types to flaunt your love outright, the top-down selfie is a subtle way to show your intimate moments. Take a pic of your feet, lovingly intertwined while relaxing in your favou...

When it comes to creating a Valentines photobook about your relationship, steer clear of being too corny with these tips. A Valentines photobook for your partner is a great idea – until you get lost in a pile of hearts, flowers and super-cheesy love quotes. It’s a short jump from simple romance to a so-sweet-it-gives-you-toothache love avalanche. Don’t shy away from making a memorable book of your journey with your partner, just follow these tips to make sure it’s modern and on-trend. Hold the cheese. Keep it Authentic The first place to start, when you’re creating a photobook about your relationship, is to make sure you stay true to who you are. If you’re not overly affectionate, for example, don’t pretend to be in the book. If you spend time poking fun at each other, bring that humour into the book. This is your story; be authentic. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. A post shared by Camille Knowles (@camilleknowles) on Dec 13, 2017 at 1:30am PST Splash...