Ezelna, The 40 Over 40 Women’s Portrait Campaign
Ezelna, 40
I met Ezelna (Zel) several years ago when she booked me to photograph her and Josh’s wedding in Lambert’s Bay. We stayed in touch, became great friends, and I’ve since done two family shoots for them when Noah was born. They had their 2nd son, Carter, who recently turned one, and I’ll be doing another family shoot for them in December. Zel is one of the kindest, most motivated, and driven women I know, and has a fantastic sense of humour. She is also the CMO at Burger King South Africa! I always joke with her when she goes into meetings, that her job is very ‘grown up’, quite unlike mine where I get to ‘play’ most of the day and create beautiful portraits.
For the 40 Over 40 campaign, Zel wore a gorgeous dress from Silver Swallow Design In Johannesburg. Her beautiful makeover was done by the lovely Iza Cloete.
I have been described by my friends and family as…
Determined, compassionate, loyal and funny.
I am most proud of…
There are many seasons of my life that I am proud of. When I was barely 18, a friend and I left for London on an adventure. The time away from my family in a new country taught me to see and understand the world from someone else’s point of view. After two and a half years traveling through Europe, I move to Cape Town where I started studying. When I completed my studies, I started building a career that I love, met my husband and I am the proud mom of two adorable boys. Every day with my boys fills my heart with love and I am so proud to be their mom.
My favourite quotes…
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” Walt Disney
What advice would I give my 20-year-old self…
Don’t be afraid to fail, failure builds your character.
Don’t be afraid to take a chance on love.
Don’t be afraid to be alone, being alone is an opportunity to make new friends.
Don’t be afraid to start over.
Don’t be afraid to take on difficult projects.
Don’t be afraid to trust yourself, love yourself and make yourself a priority in your life.
Don’t be afraid. Your life will be beautiful.
We all experience many lifetimes in this one life. What did you find were the most poignant changes as you entered your 40’s?
I’ve just turned 40 and with this milestone, I decided to practice gratitude. This has made a big impact in my life. It has helped boost my close relationships by affirming the positive role friends, family and coworkers play in our lives. With gratitude, it’s easy to be optimistic and experience joy in the little things each day. Living with gratitude has also helped me live in a more prosocial manner.
Thoughts on aging…
“Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been.” Jimmy Buffet
A goal or dream I still have is…
The biggest goal I have is to complete a Masters in Business Management and Marketing.
My dream is to be able to visit a new country every year.
