CCFM Rise & Shine Open Day – 2012, Mar 02
For years I’ve been listening almost every day to the CCFM Rise and Shine morning show, and have always wondered what happens in studio, and what the presenters all look like.
Of course, in today’s world, with the internet & social media and the likes, it’s not that hard to follow the presenters online, if you like me have given up trying to imagine what they look like based on the sound of their voice, and ended up ‘searching online’ (i.e. googling, ;)) to find these wonderful and humorous folk who share a part of their lives with people like you and me on a daily basis, you almost feel like you know them so well and yet you’ve never even met them.
So to finally meet the crew I’ve been listening to for years was a surreal experience, as there I was in studio chatting to people I ‘know’ so well, yet they hardly even know me (Besides the odd SMS my wife & I sometimes send in for odd trivia :))!
When I arrived, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. After I signed in at the front desk, I was lead through to studio A, where they walked me straight inside the room where the show is broadcasted from! I must admit, I thought we were going to sit outside the studio and watch through a window, but there I was slap bang in the middle where the magic happens.
My first time in a radio station, and I finally got to meet the effervescent Helga van Niekerk, who is the main presenter of the Rise & Shine morning show. I remember seeing Helga at a Focus on the Family event last year, where my wife (Crystal, about 5 months pregnant with our son Micah at the time :)) & I went to see Gary & Barbara Rosberg at the Marriage Experience in Rondebosch. In person, Helga is still the same bubbly personality she is on air, and I was super amazed at all the controls and buttons she flicks and whizzes through with effortless ease during the show.
And of course, I got to meet some of the show’s other co-presenters, the infamous Wayne Turner & cheerful Lynwen Romen. I often laugh at Wayne’s wacky sense of humour on air, but off air the banter continues, especially between these two (Gotta love Paris :)). For those of you who wonder what happens off air, it’s actually quite informal. Best part for me though was being interviewed on air, hehe, but of course it’s a little weird because you’re not really sure what you sound like, but it was loads of fun in the end.
It was great to meet the other guys who joined me at the open day, Alec, Richard & Marlené, and I sure hope this won’t be the last time I join the show.
So here are the photos, as I’m sure you know I had my camera with me, in fact some of you who were listening to the show that day may have heard me clicking away, hehe…
So enjoy the peak inside the CCFM Rise & Shine show.
Loving the Light…

Overexposed! Underestimated the flash off the wall! And yes, that’s Wayne with his manly pink glasses!

Helga’s not actually sitting in this pic, & was trying to keep her balance while semi-squatting with her legs all wobbly, LOL!

That’s me taking a photo of Wayne, taking a photo with his iPhone. Managed to blind him good & proper with my flash, hehe!
This is FANTASTIC Elton! Well done! Thanks so much for posting them and sharing them. Love them! Blessings! Helga
Thanks Helga! Glad you like! Ltn
Brilliant 🙂
Thanks Tash 🙂
These are stunning photographs. :0)
Thanks Richard!
LOL 🙂
You’ve captured some great moments Elton
Thanks Lynwen! It was a really cool experience for me, awesome people make photos easy 🙂
Wow! Some really great images. All done on a 400D. I am impressed. You need to upgrade your camera ’cause there’s not much you can do on your technique, it’s really great. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Thank you kindly dear sir! 🙂 I do so love my 400, but I guess I first wanted to prove to myself I could do this with what some would consider a lesser quality cam, so am very much looking forward to the next step in this wonderful journey! Slowly saving towards the single digits D’s, but which one is it going to be, exciting times ahead :)! Thanks to you for all the tips about composition & lighting, really & truly has helped me see things in a different light! (Still love that lighthouse shot you took, inspiring)
PS, thanks for taking the photo of Helga & myself!!! Forgot to credit the photog, heehee
These photos are awesome. You really captured the atmosphere of the studio. Some of the best photos I’ve seen of my dad in ages – in Wayne’s daughter. Really lovely post.
Thanks very much Cari, I certainly appreciate your awesome compliments #blushingAllShadesofRed :). By the way, your dad’s really helped me with my photography journey, so give him a big hug from me will ya! LOL!