Aleem Allie

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places on earth to be photographed, and choosing the right spot makes all the difference. These are the locations I love for portraits, couples, engagements, family and brand shoots, grouped into beaches, city colour, and mountains and gardens, with notes on the best light and time of day. Want a shoot at one of them? DM @r2fphotography on Instagram to check availability. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times of year to buy camera and creator gear, but only if you know what you want before the sales start. This is my watchlist of the cameras, lenses, drones and tech that are genuinely worth buying, so you can bookmark it now and pounce when prices drop. Tip: check the price history before you buy, since a ‘deal’ isn't always a real saving. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Lekker gifts for the saffas abroad (and the friends who've fallen in love with South Africa). Posting food and parcels from SA is slow and pricey, so every link here goes to an international store where your family in the UK, US, Australia or elsewhere can order directly and skip the SA post. Check each seller's shipping options for your country. Grouped into pantry favourites, crafts and home, and books and jerseys. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Your phone is already a great games console, it just needs the right controller and a few accessories. This is the mobile gaming kit I'd point anyone to: controllers that turn a phone into a handheld, gear that keeps you powered and cool on long sessions, and free games from GlitchyToad, a small South African studio, to play first. Check each controller supports your phone model before buying. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

You don't need a studio to make great videos, podcasts or live streams, just the right few pieces of kit on and around your desk. This is the gear I'd point any home creator to, grouped into camera and capture, audio, and lighting and workflow. Start with audio and light (viewers forgive soft video long before bad sound), then upgrade your camera when you're ready. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Shopping for a photographer is hard: they either own the lens already or it costs a fortune. These are the small, genuinely useful things photographers go through, lose, or never buy for themselves, and most sell for under $50 (prices vary by store and size, so check before you buy). Grouped into care and cleaning, storage and power, and fun shooting accessories, so you can pick one or build a little bundle. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Free apps get you surprisingly far, but these are the paid tools that genuinely save hours or unlock results you can't easily get elsewhere. I've grouped them by what you're editing (photos, video, and the design, culling and music tools that sit around them) with a note on who each one suits and whether it's a subscription or a one-off purchase. Almost all of them offer a free trial, so test before you commit and check current pricing in your region. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Want to start collecting Pokémon cards, or get back into it? A card is only as valuable as its condition, so this kit starts with the sleeves, toploaders and binders that protect every pull, then covers the best products to open, how grading works, and the tools collectors use to check prices and buy safely. Whether you're chasing a ‘Moonbreon’ or collecting with your kids, start here. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Garden Route is South Africa's classic road trip: about 300 km of lagoons, forests, cliffs and beaches between Mossel Bay and the Tsitsikamma, a four- to five-hour drive from Cape Town. Give it at least five days. This list covers the towns worth stopping in, the adventures worth booking (from the world's highest bridge bungy to dolphin cruises) and well-reviewed places to stay along the way. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Where you stay in Cape Town shapes your whole trip: the Waterfront and City Bowl are walkable and central, the Atlantic Seaboard (Sea Point, Camps Bay) puts you on the beach for sunsets, and the southern suburbs are quieter and closer to the winelands. These are well-reviewed hotels and hostels in the best-located areas, from once-in-a-lifetime splurges to great-value beds for backpackers. Book early for December and January. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Every gram counts when you travel with a camera. This is a packing list for photographers and content creators who want to come home with great images without hauling a studio through airports: a bag that works as carry-on, smart storage and backups, power for long days off-grid, and a few compact tools that unlock shots you'd otherwise miss. Pack light, back up nightly and charge everything by USB-C. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Every week someone asks me which camera to buy, so here's the honest answer. You don't need a flagship camera; you need a modern mirrorless body, one good lens, a couple of fast cards and a few accessories that actually get used. This kit is chosen to last for years rather than months, with options at different budgets, the lenses worth upgrading to first, and the small extras that make shooting easier. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Cape Winelands are an hour from Cape Town, but tasting and driving don't mix. These are the best ways to explore Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Constantia and Paarl without a designated driver: vintage wine trams, e-bike tours, horseback rides through the vines, chocolate pairings and even a sunrise balloon flight. Weekdays are quieter, and spring and autumn have the best light. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

If you only have a few days in Cape Town, a good tour saves you hours of planning, parking and guesswork. These are the tours and experiences I'd book for visiting friends: peninsula drives, penguins, Robben Island, township food walks, wine trams and shark-cage mornings. Book ahead in summer (December to February) and always check the cancellation policy, because Cape Town wind cancels a lot of plans. Some links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

From Namibia's red dunes to Norway's Arctic fishing villages, these are the places that end up on every photographer's wish list, and for good reason. For each one I've added the best time to go and what to look for so you come home with more than the postcard shot. Grouped into epic landscapes, coasts and islands, and cultural cities. Start saving now.

Gear won't make you a better photographer; learning to see will. These are the books I'd hand anyone who is serious about photography, from practical guides that fix your exposure and composition, to essays that change how you think about images, to legendary photobooks that set the standard. Start with the craft, then read the ideas, then study the masters.

South African food is a delicious mash-up of Cape Malay, Dutch, Indian and African traditions, and most visitors only scratch the surface. This is your cheat sheet to the dishes locals actually grew up on, from spicy street food and fire-cooked braai classics to syrupy sweet treats. Try them all, tick them off, and tell me which one surprised you most.

From the top of Table Mountain to penguins on the beach, these are the Cape Town experiences that belong on every bucket list, picked by a local photographer. Whether it's your first visit or you've lived here for years and still haven't done them all, work through this list for the views, the history, the food and the stories you'll be telling for years.

Cape Town's winelands are some of the most photogenic places on earth: oak-lined avenues, Cape Dutch gables, rose gardens and mountains in every direction. These are the estates I'd send any photographer, couple or day-tripper to, grouped by area so you can plan a route. Go on a weekday, book lunch ahead, and always leave time for golden hour.

You don't need expensive subscriptions to make professional-looking photos and videos. These are the free apps and programs I recommend to every new photographer and content creator, from Hollywood-grade colour grading to pro-level phone editing and open-source alternatives to Photoshop. Some have optional paid upgrades, but everything here is genuinely useful on the free version. What's your favourite free editing tool? Share it in the comments!

One of the best things about living in Cape Town is how much jaw-dropping scenery sits within a few hours' drive. These are my favourite day trips for photographers and road-trippers: mountain passes, whale-watching cliffs, wildflower fields, penguin colonies and whitewashed fishing villages, with drive times and the best season for each. Fill the tank, pack snacks and leave early for the best light. Where's your favourite escape from the city? Tell me in the comments!

Long-haul flights out of Cape Town are brutal: 11 hours to Europe, 15-plus to the US, and usually a connection on top. After plenty of red-eyes to shoots and holidays, this is the kit that turns a miserable flight into a bearable one, from noise cancelling and sleep gear to the tiny gadgets that save your sanity (and your luggage). Nothing here is a gimmick. What's your non-negotiable travel item? Tell me in the comments!

As a cinematographer, these are the films I rewatch with the sound off just to study the light. Every one is a masterclass in composition, colour and camera movement, from 65mm desert epics to candlelit period dramas and neon-soaked sci-fi. For each film I've named the cinematographer and what to look for, so you can steal the techniques for your own photos and videos. Grab the popcorn, and tell me your favourite in the comments!

You've done Table Mountain, the Waterfront and Boulders. Now it's time to see the Cape Town locals keep to themselves. These are the tidal pools, secret coves, forest waterfalls and quiet viewpoints I head to when I want great light without the crowds, with tips on when to go and how to get there safely. Please leave them as beautiful as you found them. Which hidden gem would you add? Tell me in the comments!

Cape Town is one of the most filmed cities on Earth, and it's played everywhere from Islamabad and Hong Kong to Los Angeles and a post-apocalyptic future. Here are the real spots behind Safe House, Tomb Raider, Invictus, Homeland, The Kissing Booth, Maze Runner and more, so you can stand exactly where the cameras rolled. Compiled from South African Tourism, film trade press and news reports. Know another Hollywood location in Cape Town? Drop it in the comments!

Cape Town has been a favourite of Bollywood producers for over two decades: sea, mountains, beaches and a film-friendly city all within an hour's drive. From Deepika Padukone's beach set at Maiden's Cove in Cocktail to Aamir Khan dancing on Muizenberg beach in Ghajini, here are the real spots you can visit and recreate your own filmi moment. Compiled from interviews and news reports about each shoot. Spotted another Bollywood location in Cape Town? Tell me in the comments!

Great portraits come down to three things: the right focal length, beautiful light, and a workflow that keeps skin tones true. This is the portrait kit I'd point any photographer towards, from budget-friendly lenses to pocket-sized flashes, a reflector that costs less than lunch, and the books that taught a generation how to light a face. Each note explains who it's for and how to get the most out of it. Building your first portrait kit? Ask me anything in the comments!