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Portrait shoot with Annarika | SARIE Voorbladgesig | Hertford Country Hotel
Annerike is such a beautiful soul inside and out. She asked me to do some portraits for her because she wanted to enter into the SARIE Voorbladgesig competition.
Portrait shoot with Annarika | SARIE Voorbladgesig | Hertford Country Hotel
"Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!" Gabrielle Chanel in Biarritz, 1920
Annerike is such a beautiful soul inside and out. She asked me to do some portraits for her because she wanted to enter into the SARIE Voorbladgesig competition (PLEASE Click on the link to vote for her!!).
I had such a wonderful time with her and she is so elegant and easy to photograph. I had some modelling and styling help from Missy. (thank you Missy...almost 90% of the shots were directed by Missy!!) Missy also did the make-up for the shoot and she is most probably the best out there! Her company is Missy Make Up Artist and another amazing thing about Missy is that her own make-up is always done so she doesn't mind to be in the photographs. :)
I always love shooting at Hertford Country Hotel. The venue is painted white on the inside so the creative opportunities in their spaces are endless. If you use off-camera flash the space even doubles up as a studio! Amazing.
I used a single flash setup. I used my Softbox for Speedlights and Nikon SB-910 flash with Phottix triggers on a lightstand and I used what they call butterfly lighting. The softbox was directly in front of the Annarike's face pointing slightly downward, so the light created a slight shadow under her nose. There were ambient light coming in from her left (photo right). I also tried to point the flash directly into her face so I moved the softbox around depending on how Annarike were standing.
Here is the make-up preperations with Missy.
This is the one Annarike selected for the cover.
And these 2 she also entered. She had to submit 3 images.
Here are some of the other images we created.
Be Inspired - Admired in Africa 2018 | Conference | Hertford Country Hotel
Wow, I am inspired. Thank you Admired in Africa for hosting the Be Inspired Conference and the speakers were super inspirational!
Be Inspired - Admired in Africa 2018 | Conference | Hertford Country Hotel
You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. Rabindranath Tagore
Wow, I am inspired. Thank you.
Admired in Africa hosts a conference yearly and super talented and inspirational photographers present little workshops about themselves and their brands, and this year was a great success. I learned a lot and the conference is also a platform to get to know other photographers in the industry...I mean we have the same heart and speak the same language...the language of photography. We understand each other. I often get caught in a place where it is me and my brand, and I need to make a success, and nobody understands me. I mean I get into shooting, and then editing, and then posting...and more shooting...more editing...more shooting...and then you want to talk to non-photographers about life and you can't help but talk "photography"...but they don't understand. In any case...it was good to refuel and talk photography for 3 days. I got valuable tips and tricks to improve my business!
Brett Florens (some say he is the Rolls Royce of wedding photography) presented on Day 1 and we had a practical with him. We used a continuous light, Rotolight Aeos (oh yes, I have been eyeballing this light for a while now) during his practical, and he showed us how to pose a couple for a photoshoot. Wow, he is an inspiration to watch. He pushes you so far out of your comfort zone that your head wants to explode. He has been in the industry for 27 years, and have tons of knowledge and experience... thank you for your advice. I will be a fool if I don't implement some of what you have said....oh wait I already have. I have wedding collections now and not wedding packages...like you have said...nobody wants to buy my packages...;)
I have also learnt a great deal from William Lambelet, a french documentary wedding photographer. I have been following him for a while and he has won numerous International Awards, and he has an impeccable way of telling a story. He spoke right to my heart, and I admire him and the way he approaches a wedding. His images are beyond this world, and when you hear how he creates them...wow...he has patience. He shoots between 5000-8000 images during a wedding.
I also enjoyed the following photographers when they shared their story (click on their names, and check out their incredible work...so inspirational):
Daniel West (it was great meeting you Daniel), Marsel Roothman(your work is dreamy and beautiful), Deejay Busang (it was great seeing you again), Hema and Mitesh from Designer photo (wow, you have become friends and your colourful work is incredible), Chris van Dalen (good seeing you and Anje again...you should go and see their wedding photography page...Madison & West...amazing), Hanri Human (you are so clever and inspirational how you create content and its SUPER BEAUTIFUL...do yourself a favour...check out her work...amazing), and the conference ended with a bang. Warren James (wow, you work is amazing art) and Trompie van der Berg (your flash work is amazing) hosted a posing and off-camera flash practical and we used the amazing Profoto B1X flash and also the amazing Sunbounce Sun-Bouncer to create super images. The Sunbounce reflector are much bigger than my reflector. I use a circular Profoto Sunsilver reflector which I love and I have always wanted to test one of these Sunbounce reflectors.
Thank you for the models during the shoot.
Missy, from Missy Make up Artist (she did all the models' makeup), is an inspiration and she does the most amazing make-up. She has wonderful insight and gave amazing tips for any wedding day, which I have already started to communicate to my clients.
Our MC was Niki from Niki M Photography. Her wedding work is also amazing and inspirational, and she get to shoot in so many pretty places. Her passion and energy as a person is oh so tangible...wow I can just imagine how much her clients love her!
Enough said. Here is some of the images I took throughout the 3 days. Enjoy, and please leave a comment at the end.
