a Father's love for his daughters | Father's Day | Hertford Country Hotel

a Father's love for his daughters | Father's Day | Hertford Country Hotel

To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. - Euripides

I have been wanting to do a shoot for a while where I can try to capture a glimpse into the love a father has for his children. My daughter Ilé has been born since the #sneakpeak of this photoshoot, and she has just been a blessing and joy to our family. So my love as a father has doubled by having two children.

I hosted a competition on my Facebook page and Chandni was the winner of the Father's Day shoot. Her sister, Kavita, also entered and they nominated their dad, Devdas (or Dave), for the BEST DAD IN THE WORLD...and this what they have to say about their dad: dad:

Chandni: To me he is the greatest man that has ever set foot on this earth. He has taught us many life lessons, inspired each of his children to be better than they ever thought possible and supported us completely in every journey we have taken. He is the one person who will always be there. No judgements, no questions asked. This was done to not only his children but with friends and family as well. This has taught me what true love really is. Love u to the ends of the earth dad!!!

Kavita: You are the best dad ever! You've always worked hard to put us first in life and you've never said no to us for anything in life. You always give us your unconditional support in everything that we do and you're always there to motivate us to be our best. As a girl growing up, you were my super man and always will be. Love you lots Dad!

Wow, inspirational stuff! I can truly see that their dad is a great guy, and during the shoot I could see he has this grace about him. He is sure of himself, and he is absolutely in love with his two daughters. 

Dave is a cattle farmer in Middelburg, so I wanted to do the shoot on a farm (which is fairly difficult to find in Johannesburg) but I knew The Hertford Country Hotel has a little horse stable with two horses so this worked well for the farm element in the shoot. I just love doing shoots at the Hertford because there is so many different aspects to work with, and every shoot I do there looks different. Chandni and her sister had dungarees which they wanted to wear, and it worked perfectly in the shoot, and when they added the "cowboy" hats it finished off the look I was aiming for.

A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around. - Carolyn Birmingham

I think I am a funny person but my wife Juanita doesn't necessarily share the sentiment. Chandni on the other hand cracked herself for my jokes. I always try and make my clients laugh naturally in front of my camera. I believe it produces natural smiles and authentic moments, rather than asking my clients to "fake" laugh and the moment isn't authentic and it looks unnatural. I also believe that they have a light spirit, meaning they find joy in life and laugh frequently with each other. Their hearts are full of joy, so I think it wasn't difficult to make them laugh as much as they did in front of the camera. :) 

Enough said. Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end. 

Teaser! a Father's love for his daughters | Hertford Country Hotel

a Father's love for his daughters | Hertford Country Hotel

I have been wanting to do a shoot for a while where I can try to capture a glimpse into the love a Father has for his children. I am already a dad to a son, but my daughter Ile is coming any day now...I can't wait!

To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter.
—Euripides

So I am privileged to share a sneak peak of the shoot I did on Sunday with Chandni, her sister Kavita and her dad Dave! Dave is a cattle farmer in Middelburg so I therefore wanted to add a farming element in the shoot, and Hertford Country Hotel and their horse stable was the perfect setting for this shoot. It's not a cattle farm, but at least the surroundings was as if they were on a farm. Chandni and her sister had dungarees which they wanted to wear, and it worked perfectly in the shoot, and when they added the "cowboy" hats it finished off the look I was aiming for.

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