Canada here we come {Yatish & Bhavna}

“Laughter is the jam on the toast of life. It adds flavor, keeps it from being too dry, and makes it easier to swallow.” —Diane Johnson, Le Divorce

Portrait photography

Portrait, female, girl, woman, face, incredible photo

Bhavna & Yatish will be moving to Canada soon and Bhavna asked if we could do a couple shoot at their beautiful home in Kyalami, and wow...what an amazing shoot it was! They are such beautiful, easy-going and down-to-earth people, yet sophisticated if you look at their super stylish and beautiful home! 

One of their favourite spots in the house is on the lounge suite in front of the TV, where Yatish watches a game of soccer or where they enjoy family time watching a series or movie with their little dog! Just love the fact how Yatish took off his shoes when we took photos on the lounge suite...just awesome to relax in front of the camera!

I actually didn't plan to shoot so much indoors but a sudden thunderstorm caught us off-guard. I am glad because I got to capture them in so many memorable spots in their home! 

Enjoy the photos and may you be blessed in your adventures in Canada!  

Will you be my Valentine? {Helpmekaar's Valentine Dance}

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. Charles M. Schulz

So this will be a first for me. I have done Matric Farewell's before, but not Valentine's Dance photos...I mean the event wasn't a huge thing when I was young...I guess times are changing! 

Marisa, whose daughter Miné is in Grade 9, asked me to take photos of Miné and her date and her friends at their house! I had a semi-fashion shoot in mind and therefor chose the tennis court with 2 flashes firing, one from the front another from behind! 

Its amazing when you dress up, do a little make-up and then do proper photos how someone can for a brief moment in their young lives look like grown-ups! I mean these guys and gals are 14 and they look exquisite! 

Julle het regtig amazing gelyk en ek love die vriendskap wat julle wys! Julle het gelag en grappies gemaak en dit was 'n fees om tyd saam met julle te kon spandeer! Geniet die fotos julle!  

Please leave a comment at the end!

*Teaser. Duane & Tanya e-session {Bryanston Pine Forest}

“True love stories never have endings.” —Richard Bach, American writer 

Here is a sneakpeak of Duane & Tanya's e-session at the amazing Bryanston Pine Forest! 

Enjoy!

Magical wedding at Glenburn Lodge and Spa {Stefan & Ele}

“I would find you in any lifetime.” —Kanye West, musician 

The first wedding for 2017 is a stunner! Stefan and Elé's wedding at Glenburn Lodge and Spa was elegant, beautiful and so special! 

From the first moment I met with Stefan and Elé we had a special connection. They are such down-to-earth and easy-going people, yet sophisticated when you look at the exquisite wedding they pulled off! Wow, I had so much to work with and capture, so much beauty everywhere! 

Their love story started at Oppi-Koppi in 2013, and funny enough Elé needed a lift home. Elé were acquainted to Stefan's brother at the time so he arranged for Stefan to take Elé home, and due to a 7 hour trip they got acquainted. Yeah...traffic works in your favor sometimes...so the rest was history! It was 3 years later that Stefan did the honor of asking Elé as his bride on Mount Ricky in Switzerland. This man has style!  

Late last year we had a crazy beautiful e-session at Toadbury Hall, and I knew I was in for a treat at their wedding, and they did not disappoint! Their photos are beautiful, and I always say that it is easy to photograph beautiful people...you guys make me look good!

All the best and lots of blessings for your lives going forward! 

Other suppliers involved who made this day possible:

Wedding Gown: Provonias     Music and DJ: PartyMix     Flowers: Rustic and Roses ZA

Make up: Tish Jooste     Wedding Suit: TailorMe     Wedding shoes: Olivelli

Bridesmaids dresses: YDE     Elé Ring: Custom made, Liz Laubscher    

Stefan ring: American Swiss     Tiffany chairs: Affinity Events      Video: White Motion Films

Decor: Eclectic Swazi     Draping and Fairy Lights: FF Decor

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

Love is the bridge | Brand & Vanessa's E-session | The Bridge Muldersdrift

Love is the bridge between you and everything - Rumi

Here is a sneak peak of Brand & Vanessa's e-session at the beautiful Bridge Venue in Muldersdrift! 

Teaser* Will you be my Valentine? {Helpmekaar's Valentine Dance}

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. Charles M. Schulz

So this will be a first for me. I have done Matric Farewell's before, but not Valentine's Dance photos...I mean the event wasn't a huge thing when I was young...I guess times are changing! 

Marisa, whose daughter Miné is in Grade 9, asked me to take photos of Miné and her date and her friends at their house! I had a semi-fashion shoot in mind and therefor chose the tennis court with 2 flashes firing, one from the front another from behind! 

Its amazing when you dress up, do a little make-up and then do proper photos how someone can for a brief moment in their young lives look like grown-ups! I mean these guys and gals are 14 and they look exquisite! 

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

*Teaser. Justin & Gen - God's perfect painting {Wedding, Highway Church}

“Love must be as much a light as it is a flame.” —Henry David Thoreau, author and poet

Here's a sneak peak of Justin & Genevieve's wedding from Saturday!

They had a simple yet stylish wedding with friends and family at their Church.

Wow, what a day to remember!  

Tyron & Simone {Hotagterklip, Struisbaai}

Family is not an important thing. It's everything. Michael J. Fox

I hosted a competition over the December holidays for a family shoot in Struisbaai, and Simone was the winner! I wanted to do a beach shoot but we had to hide from the wind! 

Tyron and Simone are such simple and loving people, and their daughter is just too cute! 

I had an amazing session with them, and the little fisherman's houses at Hotagterklip are such an amazing location for photos! This place also has sentimental value because some of my own wedding pictures where done in front of this very house!  

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

Pienaar family {L'Aghulas beach session}

But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. Jos24:15b

The Pienaar family is a beautiful, God-fearing family and the love of the Lord oozes out of them! I know Leona and Francois personally, and it was an absolute privilege photographing them while they were on holiday in Struisbaai over the December holidays.

Ek het dit so baie geniet om hulle af te neem en die lig op die strand is net ongelooflik! 

Venue: Beach between Struisbaai and Cape L'Aghulas

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

Erasmus family {Struisbaai beach mini-session}

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family! Mother Theresa

I had loads of fun doing this very early morning mini family shoot on the beach at Struisbaai! I was hoping for early morning sunshine but we had a different sight to behold...the sun made magic through the clouds...

And I really enjoyed the Erasmus family! They are such loving and gracious people, and lots of fun!

Dankie Adele en Pieter! Julle is 'n mooi gesin en julel straal baie liefde uit! Ek het dit geniet om julle af te neem!

Enjoy the pictures and do not hesitate to comment at the end!

Venue: Struisbay main beach

A burgundy country wedding | Renanda Trout Farm Dullstroom

When love is not madness, it is not love.  ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

What a year 2016 has been, and what a wedding to end 2016 with! This one is going to be remembered for years to come.

The day was filled with excitement, tears and a lot of beauty. Desmond and Madelize got married on the wedding venue Madelize's parents had built on their trout family farm, Renanda Trout and Leisure Farm, and what a beauty! They chose to have the ceremony at the foot of the trout dam, and the reception was held in the shed or barn they had built for functions and weddings. There is also a little barn next to the watch tower which they used to serve the champagne and sushi, and the views over the countryside from there is impeccable! The wedding was full of DIY elements, and the whole family helped out where they could. Madelize did most of the planning with some help from Desmond. I must say it didn't look like a DIY wedding.

Madelize had the most amazing wedding dress from Lady Marmalade. The dress was off-white with long sleeves and the touch of lace and toile finished the design off with elegance and style! She looked incredible, no wonder Desmond teared up when he saw her walking down the grass aisle!

I immediately fell in love with who Desmond and Madelize are as a couple when we first met. They are detailed, personal (and this was evident at this tearful wedding) and elegant. I just loved the engagement shoot we did for the guest book I prepared. We went to Gold Reef City Theme Park (Click here) and their elegance and style can also be seen in the way they dressed in 50s theme...they went all out. I just loved it! 

Their love story started as a blind date (yeah right, no one ever believes or expect that a blind date can turn into true love) and they dated for 3 years before Desmond popped the question in the French Alps (wow, this man has got style)!  

They had the most amazing chemistry in front of the camera and this paired with the most incredible golden hour sunlight created some magic, which they will savour for the rest of their lives! Dullstroom has late sunsets, which made them very late for the reception, but it meant the golden hour sunlight also lasted longer than expected!

We had crazy cool night shots because of the mist we had at night, but there was a brief moment where the mist disappeared and we could do a sparkler fun shot with the stars! Amazing!

Other suppliers:

The flowers they got from Ludwigs Roses, the menu design was done by Madelize on Illustrator, their make-up and hair was done by Trevor Conn (Dullstroom, - Tete a Tete), a friend did the catering and the groom's suits were from Markhams.

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a message at the end!

Andre & Lizbe's blissful wedding {Idlewild Country Estate}

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Cor 13:4

This was the most tearful and memorable wedding, and also a very pretty one! Andre & Lizbe looked amazing and they are such cool cats when it comes to pictures...which made her somewhat late...which is not much of a problem because most brides are late for the ceremony. The problem was we were scared of a massive thunderstorm which was predicted and happened...but luckily on the farm next door. I could literally see the huge clouds emptying itself behind the ceremony. The ceremony was held under a tent on the lawn in front of the venue, Idlewild Country Estate. It was my first time at this venue, and I am absolutely in LOVE! What a beautiful and stylish venue!

Lizbe is my wife's cousin, which makes them all kinda family and though we are not very close, we are quite close to Lizbe's mom, Lizma. Hence me being the wedding photographer...I also know Andre from a while back when we attended the same church, and I have also met Lizbe's dad, Ben, at my a mining indaba which my father-in-law hosts in Johannesburg. Ben has been a speaker at the indaba for the past 2 years and I have been the event photographer for every event. Only recently did my wife tell me that I have been photographing Lizbe's dad during his talks...it's a small world!

My hat goes of to Lizma and my mother-in-law.  They bought the flowers at the Mall @ Reds flower shop and also some from the garden, and prepped all the flower arrangements in Andre's mom's garage. They did the styling of the venue just spectacularly! Lizma even arranged to bake the cake at Vingerlek Tuisnywerheid in Doringkloof and decorated the cake herself! Amazing!

Other suppliers:

Andre's ring: Unbreakable Man

Lizbe's wedding dress and make-up and hair: Jomari and her team from Mimie

DJ and sound: Up a Tone Events

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

An urban love affair | Ryan & Dawn's Urban E-session

"Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold." -Zelda Fitzgerald

Dawn & Ryan entered the competition I hosted at the Oakfield Bridal Expo this year and won, so they qualified for a 50% discount...but I was super lucky to get such good looking people as clients!

They are such great people to be around with and the chemistry they have with the camera and with each other was special.

The were fun, yet stylish at the same time, and I enjoyed capturing them against the Urban setting of the Maboneng Precinct, which is very much a contrast to their wedding venue, The Orchard Wedding Venue, KZN! It's a long stretch till their wedding, but I can't wait for their wedding in September next year! 

We ended the shoot at the Origin Coffee in Maboneng, and I must say there isn't coffee that tastes better than theirs! Amazing!

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

These two are blessed | Wilmarie & Wilhelm | Maternity Session

She named him Samuel saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Sam 1:20

Wilhelm and Wilmarie are dear friends and Juanita and I love them dearly! I also do not know of two people who love Jesus more passionately and trust with absolute trust in Him like they do. They have taught me humility and perseverance, and while trying and trying to have children, and spending time on their knees for many years, the Lord granted their request to have children....and He gave them twins! Unbelievable...or wait believable! 

I did their beautiful maternity session at the amazing Hertford Country Hotel, which is one of my favourite venues to shoot at! We also had a little bit of rain during the shoot, but as with most storms the most amazing sunset followed! 

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

Desmond & Madelize | Dullstroom | Wedding Celebration

What a weekend and wedding! I knew since Rentia, Madelize's mom, phoned me the first time, to my first meet-up with Desmond and Madelize, to our incredible engagement shoot at Gold Reef City's Theme Park that the wedding was going to be epic! The past weekend was full of tears and absolute splendor!

Madelize's parents built a wedding venue on their farm just outside of Dullstroom and what a beauty! 

Venue: Renanda Trout and Leisure Farm

I cant wait to post the full blog post.  Please enjoy the sneak peak!  

A dash of gold at Toadbury {Stefan & Ele's e-session}

"A bell’s no bell ’til you ring it, a song’s not a song ’til you sing it, Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay, Love isn’t love ’til you give it away." - Oscar Hammerstein II

How did I get so lucky....! I promise, this is not a styled shoot and they are not models. Elé is such a beauty!

We met up at Woolworths Cafe at Nicolway, and I immediately just fell in love with who they are as a couple. They are such down to earth people, fun to be around with, and yet super stylish. When I asked that they bring a bottle of champagne for the shoot, they brought a Moët. Impressive taste. Elé's ForeverNew dress was out of this world and her make-up, done by MAC, Sandton, was just perfect!

Wow, I loved doing this shoot and I can't wait for the wedding in January 2017! 

The venue, Toadbury Hall, is one of those pinch-yourself-is-this-real venues, and I am so glad we did the shoot there. I chose to set up in the Rose Chapel with items from my house (yes, my wife decorates our house with Rose Gold (beautiful hey?), and she chose the theme for me for this shoot to fit Elé's dress). I bought a Petit Rouge chandelier stencil (IzzitArt) and the beautiful flowers from the Fourways Flower Market, and I used the chandelier to spraypaint chandeliers in Rose Gold on a pallet (or actually my wife did) and I just loved how this all complimented Elé's beautiful dress!

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

A carnival of color {Des & Madelize's Gold Reef City e-session}

“I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself but for what you are making of me.” Roy Croft

From the first moment we met I fell in love with Des & Madelize. I must say, they are one of those "perfect" clients who barely speaks to you (they met me very briefly at the Oakfield Farm Bridal Expo in January) and her mom phoned me, says she likes what I do, and paid the deposit, no questions asked. Makes you feel good, I must say.

I loved every second of this shoot! Madelize from the start wanted to do their engagement shoot at Gold Reef City, and wow...I am so glad we did the shoot there! I just love the bursts of color around every corner! 

Madelize aslo wanted to have a vintage look for the shoot and they pulled it off amazingly on the day with Des' suspenders and Madelize beautiful dress, which she bought from Retrospective. 

I just loved the chemistry between these two in front of the camera, and I must say it makes my life easier as a photographer when I have clients who just loves to be in front of the camera!

I can't wait for their wedding in Dullstroom next weekend!

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

A beautiful safari celebration {Awe & Elandi's wedding}

“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” Maya Angelou

Wow, what a wedding. I always say that the no matter what you do, it's always about the people, and people make and/or break your wedding day and your experience as a photographer. When we first met, I loved them from the first moment. I remember Awe was a bit reserved, but Elandi chatted like we were best buddies! Elandi got my details from her sister, Sunette, after the family shoot I did for Sunette and Stefan. We immediately clicked and I knew that the wedding was going to be special, and it truly was! Some say that "Laughter is the best medicine, and in almost every set of pictures I got to capture so many laughs, and funny moments. So much fun!

This wedding was full of so many emotions, and I just love the pictures of Elandi and her father. They are so special. I got to capture so many year's of love and this why I love what I do. Telling stories of love to be cherished forever!

I just love the venue, Zebra Country Lodge. They allowed us to the engagement shoot during winter earlier this year at the venue, and that made me very excited for the wedding. See the engagement shoot pictures here (click).

I just love engagement shoots. I got to know Awe and Elandi a little better, and I got to experience their amazing chemistry in front of the camera for the first time. They could also see the way I work, and get comfortable with me, because when they are more comfortable the better the pictures look at the end of the day. I always say that I can just imagine myself in their shoes when they arrive for a wedding and think "I hope the photographer will capture me in the best way" or "I wonder what I look like through his camera?". That is why I do engagement shoots, and almost always do engagement shoots with all my customers.

Something quite mysterious and funny, is that I found out at the wedding that we attend the same church. Elandi's dad, Arrie Genis, is the headmaster (he actually retired a day or 2 ago) for the Louw Geldenhuys Primary School, which is right across our church, and great deal of the kids in our church go to his school. The Genis family means a great deal to the Linden community, and they contribute in incredible ways. When we moved to Johannesburg, we moved to a flat (even before I got married) right across Linden church (our flat, Louw Geldenhuys and the church are on the 3 corners of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue in Linden). We then moved to Northcliff, and eventually to Fourways where stay at the moment, but we are still entwined in the Linden community. The mystery...how did we not cross paths before...? Don't know, but in any case...back to the wedding!

It was most probably the hottest day I experienced in a while, definitely the hottest wedding I shot at. I always feel sorry for the bride and groom when it's this hot...they probably wanted to wear shorts and a cocktail dress...I must say there were a pool not far from the reception hall, and the thought crossed my mind a few times..."I hope they jump in the pool with their wedding clothes...it will make for such a cool picture!" 

The decor was out of this world, and full of personal touches. Elandi and Awe did the table flower arrangements themselves. They bought the proteas from Doornkraal Proteas and the roses from Malanshof Flora. 

Elandi's beautiful make-up was done by Elzette van der Schyff, and her exquisite hair by Rory Sandilands from Blo Hairdressing Salon. 

Elandi's exquisite wedding dress was made by Eurobride & her bridesmaids' dresses by Gelique. Awe rented his suit from Eurosuit and he just looked amazing with his waistcoat! The cupcakes and cake was made by Magnolia Bake and Cake. 

Congratulations again on your wedding day, and may the Lord's blessing rest on your marriage, and may your love for Him give you the strength to love each other!  

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

Here's to another 50 years! {50th Birthday Party}

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Family is family, but you have not experienced love and intimacy until you have met these bunch of people! And they know how to through a great party, lot's of food including a skaap-op-die-spit and loads of great company!

Christi-Mari booked me for Karin's 50th Birthday Party, but little did I know that I will be pulled into the family. And that is what I love about my job. People get to trust you so much that you are considered as family. I immediately felt at home and it was amazing to see how Karin's family showed up in their numbers to celebrate the amazing woman she is!

Fire Desire Entertainment opened the night with an amazing fire dance show, and they entertained everybody until the rain started. We are in a very dry period...well today we had loads of rain...so when rain fell that night we all felt it was a sure blessing from the Lord.  

Christi-Mari also warned me that they had dressed up their 8 dogs as well, but I didn't know they were mostly going to be puppies and that they were going to wear Bow-Ties. They looked adorable.

Congrats again Karin, and may you enjoy another 50 years!

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

A beautiful Urban Maternity Session {Ohna & Melt + Twins}

There's two to wash, two to dry; There's two who argue, two who cry; There's two to kiss, two to hug; and best of all, there's two to love!     

Jerry Smith

I get to do really fun things with regards to photography. So when I don't have a wedding to photograph I get to photograph fun people like Ohna & Melt!

Ohna is expecting twins, and she asked me to do this Urban shoot early enough before she becomes super uncomfortable. I mean, she is carrying twins, and there isn't a lot of space to grow for one little kiddo in your tummy, and she has two in there.

Wow, being a parent is probably the best thing that happened to me after I got married. It's the best feeling in the world to be loved by my son, and I can just imagine being loved by two of them! And the one thing nobody can teach you or people say it but you never really fully understand...is the fact that no matter how many sleepless nights, how many diapers you change, how many times you go to the doctor because you kiddos are sick....it's all worth it in the end!

We did this shoot early in the morning in the streets of Mellville, Johannesburg and we had loads of fun!

May you experience God's love every day when you look at your children, and may they learn how to love from you both! Lots of blessings!

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