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Mickey Mouse and a Praying Mantis | #stayathome

Am I going crazy or did a Praying Mantis dance with Mickey Mouse?

Am I going crazy or did a Praying Mantis dance with Mickey Mouse? Perhaps not.

I used to own a macro lens when I had Canon equipment (a long time ago), and since then I have been using Nikon equipment and I resorted to borrowing an extension tube from a friend. It can turn any lens into a macro lens, but the downside is that it’s not as quick to use and precise as a macro lens, and also not as sharp…but it does work. These were shot at 12:00am which means the sun is blazing on all cylinders, but my trusty Godox AD200 allows me to shoot using high speed sync, so I can shoot at any shutterspeed I choose. And its powerful enough to balance the sun, and also darken the background. Without the flash, the background would be completely over exposed and I won’t be able to isolate the the subject. It is not as powerful as the bigger Godox flashes, that can completely over power the sun, and in some cases even darken the effect of the sun. I would be able to get this effect if I add another AD200 next to mine and to fire them at the same time with the same power, but I only own one flash. Long story short, this is an amazing piece of equipment. I have seen that Godox is launching their AD300 Pro in SA soon, and it will give a kidney…hey…don’t judge…lockdown has dried up my income…just joking…I like my kidneys…but I would love to own one.

Enjoy the photos. I also sprayed the Praying Mantis with water, and my idea was to catch the spray behind the insect but it didn’t work so well, so I photographed the water droplets on him…which turned out super cool!

I also had some fun with my Lego Mickey Mouse minifigure! I thought it would be cute to make them dance! I used my AD200 with a Magmod grid and blue gel from the right, and my Nikon SB910 flash with orange gel from the left.


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lifestyle photography, portrait photography Wynand van der Merwe lifestyle photography, portrait photography Wynand van der Merwe

Ryno and Simone | Urban couple shoot | Parkhurst

Ryno and Simoné beautiful urban coupe shoot in Parkhurst was so much fun!

Wynandvandermerwe ryno simone couple shoot urban parkhurst street gauteng-71.jpg

I hosted a little competition on my Facebook page and Simone was one of the 2 winners!

Originally I wanted to create a super romantic Valentines Day shoot on a rooftop, but due to circumstances I postponed and postponed, up until I said to Simone let’s just do a normal Urban couple shoot. I am so glad we ended up doing an urban shoot because Ryno and Simone are such naturals. They were keen for me to experiment a lot, which I loved, because during couple shoots I have less stress to provide “perfect wedding or engagement” photos but rather very creative and personal photos for them as a couple. I am not saying that I dont create super cool photos for my clients during engagement shoots or weddings but rather that the stress to create them is less. (So I can play a bit more and experiment a bit more…which I love). I also use these platforms to practice shots I would not dare to try during a wedding shoot due to the time limit and error factor…during a wedding I can’t make mistakes!

We went to Parkhurst for photos in the streets, and Ryno and Simone are such a cool couple. They are not engaged…well not yet…wink wink. It’s actually quite funny how many people responded on the photos “I see wedding bells in the distance…!”

They looked absolutely beautiful and so much in love!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

(Click on the image to enlarge)



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wedding photography, post-wedding Wynand van der Merwe wedding photography, post-wedding Wynand van der Merwe

Thomas and Shadè | Post Wedding | Struisbaai

OH MY WORD! I loved this shoot and just look how gorgeous are these two souls…they are stil madly in love, which made it easy for me to photograph them!

Wow, I would have loved to capture Thomas and Shadè’s wedding. Thomas and Shade were on holiday in Struisbaai, and so was I with my family. Shade asked me to capture photos of her and Thomas in their wedding clothes on the beach, and I was really extatic because I havent done many post-wedding shoots, and its been a while since I did a wedding shoot on the beach. One of the main reasons for the shoot was they wanted photos of them with their in-laws’ twin boys.

OH MY WORD! I loved this shoot and just look how gorgeous are these two souls…and they were sooooooo easy to photograph. And the wedding bells are still in the air, I mean just look…they are so much in love still! They had fun and were smiling the whole time! They both do cheerleading and they wanted to do an acrobatic stunt….I was like “You bring it on!” and it looks amazing! Just love the result!

We went to two locations, the first was a dried out water pan close to Struisbaai and the second was on Skulpies Beach in Struisbaai.

Shadé looked incredible in her Lizan Zondach Couture wedding dress and she wore simple, yet beautiful shoes from Woolworths. Thomas looked dapper in his Tip Top Tailor suit and his shoes were from Edgars.

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

(Click on an image to enlarge)


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wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe

Stuart and Nicole | Wedding | Hertford Country Hotel

Such a beautiful and wet wedding at Hertford Country Hotel. Stuart and Nicole looked amazing and I love all the colours!

A real man loves his wife, and places his family as the most important thing in life. Nothing has brought me more peace and content in life than simply being a good husband and father. Frank Abagnale

Wow, what a wet few days before the wedding, and also during the wedding. It started to rain on the Thursday and it never really stopped, and we had some good downpours during the wedding! But that doesn’t stop Stuart and Nicole and her guests…I have a smile in almost every photo I have taken! It was probably the most challenging wedding for me to date due to the weather, because it’s darker than normal and having people cramped in small spaces because they can’t be out in the rain makes it very difficult…and the rain delayed almost everyone getting to the venue…but I really love the outcome!

I told Stuart and Nicole that we will take photos in the rain during their couple shoot, and they were like “Yeah, sure!”…I mean Nicole woke up with a sore throat and she had 20% of her voice the whole day, but they were keen to tackle the rain. Luckily we didn’t have pouring rain during the couple shoot, and we even improvised a little by adding some water (one of the groomsmen squirted water on them to create lots of water for a really cool rain shot). I realised that with the really cool rain photos out there, there was lots and lots of rain, and we only had a little rain…so to make “lots of rain” I made holes in a water bottle to create a soft downpour on the couple…and it WORKED!

The bridesmaids were also full of ideas…I can’t take credit for the photos where they opened the umbrellas to get water on Stuart and Nicole…so I guess they are also to blame for making Nicole wet…hehehe.

This was my last wedding for 2019 and what a way to end of the year!

Enjoy the photos. Please be so kind and leave a comment at the end of the blog post! a little love goes a long way!

Here’s a list of all the suppliers who were involved to make the day special.

Venue: Hertford Country Hotel | Live Music: We Will Worship, Muneyi Romeo, Mpho Ntuli | Wedding dress: De La Vida (La Sposa design) | Shoes: Shwezu | Flowers and decor: Talita from Flowers Direct | DJ: Victor from Flash Mobile Studios | Makeup: Tash Studio | Stationery: Express Marketing

(Click on the image to enlarge)

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Nabeel and Amina | Engagement session | Bryanston Pine Forest

Wow, I had a super amazing engagement session with Nabeel and Amina. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them.

“Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.”
Kate Angell

picture-of-the-day_prowedaward-wynand-van-der-merwe.jpeg

Wow, I had a super special engagement session with Nabeel and Amina. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them. I love the way Nabeel looks at Amina…yup he is completely in love with his bride-to-be!

I really had an amazing time, and thank you for allowing me to capture some memories for you! Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

(Click on an image to enlarge)

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wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe

Teaser! Stuart and Nicole | Wedding | Hertford Country Hotel

Such a beautiful and wet wedding at Hertford Country Hotel. Stuart and Nicole looked amazing and I love all the colours!

A real man loves his wife, and places his family as the most important thing in life. Nothing has brought me more peace and content in life than simply being a good husband and father. Frank Abagnale

Wow, what a wet few days before the wedding, and also during the wedding. It started to rain on the Thursday and it never really stopped, and we had some good downpours during the wedding! But that doesn’t stop Stuart and Nicole and her guests…I have a smile in almost every photo I have taken! It was probably the most challenging wedding for me to date due to the weather, because it’s darker than normal and having people cramped in small spaces because they can’t be out in the rain makes it very difficult…and the rain delayed almost everyone getting to the venue…but I really love the outcome!

I told Stuart and Nicole that we will take photos in the rain during their couple shoot, and they were like “Yeah, sure!”…I mean Nicole woke up with a sore throat and she had 20% of her voice the whole day, but they were keen to tackle the rain. Luckily we didn’t have pouring rain during the couple shoot, and we even improvised a little by adding some water (one of the groomsmen squirted water on them to create lots of water for a really cool rain shot). I realised that with the really cool rain photos out there, there was lots and lots of rain, and we only had a little rain…so to make “lots of rain” I made holes in a water bottle to create a soft downpour on the couple…and it WORKED!

The bridesmaids were also full of ideas…I can’t take credit for the photos where they opened the umbrellas to get water on Stuart and Nicole…so I guess they are also to blame for making Nicole wet…hehehe.

This was my last wedding for 2019 and what a way to end of the year!

Enjoy the photos. Please be so kind and leave a comment at the end of the blog post! a little love goes a long way!

Here’s a list of all the suppliers who were involved to make the day special.

Venue: Hertford Country Hotel | Live Music: We Will Worship, Muneyi Romeo, Mpho Ntuli | Wedding dress: De La Vida (La Sposa design) | Shoes: Shwezu | Flowers and decor: Talita from Flowers Direct | DJ: Victor from Flash Mobile Studios | Makeup: Tash Studio | Stationery: Express Marketing

(Click on the image to enlarge)

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Teaser! Nabeel and Amina | Engaged | Bryanston Pine Forest

Wow, I had a super amazing engagement session yesterday with Nabeel and Amina. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them.

“Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.”
Kate Angell

Wow, I had a super special engagement session with Nabeel and Amina yesterday. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them. I love the way Nabeel looks at Amina, I mean he is completely in love with his bride-to-be!

I really had an amazing time, and thank you for allowing me to capture some memories for you! Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe

Zander & Mariska | Wedding | Memoire Wedding Venue

What an emotional and special wedding at MEMOIRE. Zander and Mariska, thank you for allowing me to capture your wedding love story. I enjoyed every second! and you had me to tears many times!

Zander & Mariska | Wedding | Memoire Wedding Venue

“Words are not enough to express the unconditional love that exists between a mother and a daughter.” – Caitlin Houston

What an emotional and special wedding at MEMOIRE. Zander and Mariska, thank you for allowing me to capture your wedding love story, to be cherished forever! Wow, Mariska, you looked absolutely gorgeous in your wedding dress made by Mubarak from the Goodluck Bridal. Fafa from FDK Styling made sure all the girls’ makeup looks amazing and Armon from Bridal by Armon did magic with their hair! Thank you for getting the girls done on time, and also the laughs and for keeping Mariska sane! Mariska really appreciated you guys!

There were many highlights for me during the day. First one, they didn’t have a wedding cake but instead a Pinata, made by Pinata Africa. I love the photos from when they “murdered” the pinata, and I also love their reactions afterwards…it almost looked like they got to let off some steam from the wedding! 

The biggest highlight for me was Mariska’s mom. She has dementia, which means she doesn’t really understand what is going on around her. So a few minutes before Mariska needed to get in the wedding car (a supercool Chevrolet called Johanna) to go meet her prince-charming, she greeted her mom and due to her mom’s illness, she didn’t understood what was playing off in front of her...her daughter is almost getting married. Mariska told me that her mom thinks she got invited to a birthday party. I could see what it meant for Mariska to have her mom there and how it touched her heart to be able to share this with her mom, but also it broke her heart because her mom doesn’t understand. I captured a moment when her bridesmaids took a moment to pray with her alone to give her the strength to enjoy the day with her loved ones but also with her mom. There was another moment right after they said their “I-do”s when they spoke with her mom and for a glimpse it seemed she understood and that she was proud of her daughter and new son-in-law. The amazing thing about a photo is that it’s eternal, a moment captured to be cherished forever!

WOW! THIS IS WHY I DO WHAT I DO!

I love REAL moments at weddings! I really pray Mariska that you will remember your mom as the woman she once was and that you will believe your mom understood in that moment what was going on when you spoke to her at the wedding (even if she didn’t).

Great, now less words more photos. The day was truly amazing, and we had loads of fun. Enjoy the photos. 

Thank you Lechien for second shooting for me! Was lovely having you with me!

 Please leave a comment at the end, a little love goes a long way!

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Wicus and Liesl | Wedding | Tutuwedzo Lodge

Wow, what a special and beautiful wedding. Wicus and Liesl had such an amazing day with family and friends, and the venue boasts an outdoor reception area under a massive tree! How magnificent!

Wicus and Liesl | Wedding | Tutuwedzo Lodge, Gauteng

“There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.”-Henry Ward Beecher

Wynandvandermerwe wicus liesl wedding tutuwedzo gauteng south africa

Wicus and Liesl’s amazing wedding was held at the Deck at Tutuwedzo Lodge. I have shot weddings at amazing places before but this might be up there as one of the most beautiful. The reception was held under the most beautiful lit tree, with a rustic bar area around the base of the tree. It was a huge risk having the wedding outside, but what a reward when the risk paid off!

I think I have mentioned a few times on my blogs and feeds that I really love kids at weddings. I have 2 kids and I can’t imagine my life without my kids. Kids at weddings is such a huge joy for me, and really love adding their unique perspective to a wedding. They bring such innocence, joy and laughter and they almost always don’t know what is going on around them…I mean they don’t even someone is getting married. It was a first for me to have the wedding couple’s son as part of the wedding.

My highlight for the day was when Liesl walked down the aisle towards her soon-to-be-husband Wicus, and he had his son in his arms…Wow…what powerful a moment! I even got teary as well!

And these people know how to party! I always say that your brain is programmed to remember emotions (how you felt). You rarely remember in detail things that you see, unless you have a photographic memory. Thats why you need photo prints, albums and videos to remind you of how you felt. So its important at weddings to have amazing catering, music and spontaneous moments during the photo sessions. So when you have a killer party, you are sure to remember you had a super wedding….and Wicus and Liesl surely had a crazy cool party! The food, which was outdoor carts and tables with almost street food was super tasty! I just loved the Mexican taco stand where you could build your own taco…yum yum!

One very tearful moment at the wedding was when they paid tribute to Wicus’ sister who had passed away a few years ago….she would have been very proud to have seen Wicus and Liesl tying the knot!

Enough said about this beautiful wedding.

Some of the suppliers who made the day possible.

Wedding gown: Chiqwawa | Liesl’s jewellery: Wicus’ mom’s jewellery | Makeup and hair: Unmissable | DJ: Jaycee | Venue and food: Tutuwedzo Lodge | Wicus’ suit: Eurosuit | Watch: Rolex (gift from Wicus’ parents) | Videography: Tintype Productions

Enjoy the sneak peak and please leave a comment at the end!

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Teaser! Wicus and Liesl | Wedding | Tutuwedzo Lodge

Wow, what a special and beautiful wedding. Wicus and Liesl had such an amazing day with family and friends, and the venue boasts an outdoor reception area under a massive tree! How magnificent!

Teaser! Wicus and Liesl | Wedding | Tutuwedzo Lodge, Gauteng

“There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.”-Henry Ward Beecher

Here’s a sneak peak from Wicus and Liesl’s amazing wedding this weekend at the amazing The Deck at Tutuwedzo Lodge. What a beautiful location for a wedding…wow…I mean the reception was held under the most beautiful lit up tree, with a rustic bar area around the base of the tree.

It was a first for me to have the wedding couple’s son as part of the wedding, but as many (and having 2 kids myself) would testify…kids make everything in life so colourful! The highlight for Wicus was when his 2 year-old son and soon-to-be wife walked down the isle…wow…what a powerful moment and I got teary as well during that moment!

Some of the suppliers who made the day possible.

Wedding gown: Chiqwawa | Liesl’s jewellery: Wicus’ mom’s jewellery | Makeup and hair: Unmissable | DJ: Jaycee | Venue and food: Tutuwedzo Lodge | Wicus’ suit: Eurosuit | Watch: Rolex (gift from Wicus’ parents) | Videography: Tintype Productions

Enjoy the sneak peak and please leave a comment at the end!

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Ryan & Natalia | Engagement shoot | Nirox Sculpture Park

Ryan and Natalia had so much fun for their engagement shoot at the beautiful Nirox Sculpture Park.

Ryan & Natalia | Engagement shoot | Nirox Sculpture Park

Ryan and Natalia had so much fun for their engagement shoot at the beautiful Nirox Sculpture Park.

The Nirox Park is for the ART fans, but also for the garden enthusiasts….I mean it looks like a botanical gardens with huge sculptures and artwork placed everywhere…which makes for very creative photos…which I love! I am not a ART person in bone and marrow, but I am very creative so I just loved doing this shoot for them!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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Dane & Ashleigh | Fun in Parkhurst | Engagement shoot

Wow, I had fun with these two for their engagement shoot. Dane and Ashleigh are adventurous souls and they were almost silly in every photo...which I loved. 

Dane & Ashleigh | Fun in Parkhurst | Engagement shoot

A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you. Unknown

Wow, I had fun with these two. Dane and Ashleigh are adventurous souls and they were almost silly in every photo...which I loved.

They were a bit on their nerves but its understandable. The reason why I love doing engagement shoots is for my clients to get over the awkwardness of being photographed and I want it to be during their engagement shoot (I mean everybody who is not a model is a little unconfortable in front of the camera), and not the during the wedding. They will be much more relaxed during the wedding, and I am sure their personalities will shine even more during their wedding especially when they are at ease! 

Ashleigh really wanted an urban shoot so we went to Parkhurst, Johannesburg, and walked the streets. We also had a quick coffee at Vovo Telo and did some creative shots in the restaurant. 

They are getting married at Rosemary Hill later this year and they need photos for their save-the-date and wedding invite website, and they told me their computers were stolen very recently so they don't have any pictures of them together! Now I am even more convinced their engagement shoot photos will be super special to them!

Makeup: Face by Geraldi (Geraldi Spurling)

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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Heinrich & Simone's wedding | Lace on Timber | Gauteng

Wow, words can even describe how beautiful and special this wedding was! I am truly honoured to have witnessed the love between Heinrich & Simone on their wedding day! Your wedding at Lace on Timber was beautiful, elegant and simple....what a way for me to start my weddings for 2018! 

Heinrich & Simone's wedding | Lace on Timber | Gauteng

"When you meet the one who changes the way your heart beats, dance with them to that rhythm for as long as the song lasts." Kirk Diedrich

Wow, what a way to start 2018.

Heinrich and Simone are super fun and down-to-earth people and so easy to photograph. What a journey we had together...they were the winners at my Oakfields Bridal Expo Stand last year, we did their engagement shoot at Harmonie Proteas (click here to view) and I photographed the Bridal Workshop which Simone Pheiffer from The Wedding Event hosted last year and Simone and her mom and mom-in-law was part of this amazing day. Wow, so many memories captured during the past year and a bit.

The beautiful decor, Simone's dress, the cool groomsmen, the exquisite venue, lovely food, and loads of fun and laughter made this day super memorable. Everything which was done, was done in style and they didn't hold back...even when the bridal party entered the reception they gave it their all....wow what fun and laughter! They are truly a happy bunch of people. I had so much fun photographing this wedding, and I pray that the happiness will keep strong in their marriage!  

I must say the hype about Lace on Timber is true. This place is magical. There is prettiness in every corner and in every direction that you look and wow...this place can make your wedding go from beautiful to gorgeous! And they have such friendly staff and service...definitely one of the best venues I have captured a wedding in South Africa. 

Well done to all the suppliers involved, their day was perfect!

Venue & Desert Table: Lace on Timber  |  Wedding Dress: Timeless Bridal Couture  |  Simone's shoes: Aldo | Decor & Flowers: Pebble and Lace  |  Protea boutonnières: Hello Bird  |  Video: Barefeet Videography  |  Rings: Browns (Simone) & Bellagio (Heinrich) | Bridesmaids dresses: Forever New | Simone's mom's dress: House of JM Designs | Nougat: Ma Mere Confections

Have a drink, put your feet up and enjoy the photos!

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Teaser! Dane & Ashleigh | Fun in Parkhurst | Engagement shoot

Wow, I had fun with these two. Dane and Ashleigh are adventurous souls and they were almost silly in every photo...which I loved.

Teaser! Dane & Ashleigh | Fun in Parkhurst | Engagement shoot

A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you. Unknown

Wow, I had fun with these two. Dane and Ashleigh are adventurous souls and they were almost silly in every photo...which I loved.

They were a bit on their nerves but its understandable. The reason why I love doing engagement shoots is for my clients to get over the awkwardness of being photographed and I want it to be during their engagement shoot (I mean everybody who is not a model is a little unconfortable in front of the camera), and not the during the wedding. They will be much more relaxed during the wedding, and I am sure their personalities will shine even more during their wedding especially when they are at ease! 

Ashleigh really wanted an urban shoot so we went to Parkhurst, Johannesburg, and walked the streets. We also had a quick coffee at Vovo Telo and did some creative shots in the restaurant. 

They are getting married at Rosemary Hill later this year and they need photos for their save-the-date and wedding invite website, and they told me their computers were stolen very recently so they don't have any pictures of them together! Now I am even more convinced their engagement shoot photos will be super special to them!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe wedding photographers, wedding photography Wynand van der Merwe

Teaser! Heinrich & Simone's wedding | Lace on Timber | Gauteng

Wow, words can even describe how beautiful and special this wedding was! I am truly honoured to have witnessed the love between Heinrich & Simone on their wedding day! Your wedding at Lace on Timber was beautiful, elegant and simple....what a way for me to start my weddings for 2018! 

"When you meet the one who changes the way your heart beats, dance with them to that rhythm for as long as the song lasts." Kirk Diedrich

Teaser! Heinrich & Simone's wedding | Lace on Timber | Gauteng

Wow, words can even describe how beautiful and special this wedding was! I am truly honoured to have witnessed the love between Heinrich & Simone on their wedding day! Your wedding at Lace on Timber was beautiful, elegant and simple....what a way for me to start my weddings for 2018! 

Venue & Desert Table: Lace on Timber  |  Wedding Dress: Timeless Bridal Couture  |  Simone's shoes: Aldo | Decor & Flowers: Pebble and Lace  |  Protea boutonnières: Hello Bird  |  Video: Barefeet Videography  |  Rings: Browns (Simone) & Bellagio (Heinrich)

Here's a few from their wedding on Saturday! :) Enjoy

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