Gold, teal & pink magic | Mini Styled Shoot | Hertford Country Hotel

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” ― Coco Chanel

Wow, I enjoyed working with Laykanne during the mini-styled session I did at the beautiful Hertford Country Hotel. She wore a smashingly beautiful Gelique dress, which she borrowed from her a mutual friend (and her boss's wife) Simone from the Wedding Event! 

My inspiration comes from my own home. My wife, Juanita, has a special eye for decor and design, and most of the Rose Gold items in the shoot I used are from our bedroom. Locust tree leaf, the Consol Glass jars, and Wooden Protea cutt-outs were painted Rose Gold using spray-paint. The old ladder is from my garage, and the greenery is from my garden. 

I am in love with Proteas which is in season at the moment. I loved how the pink, teal and Rose Gold compliment each other! 

Simone made the beautiful Protea bouquet with the two proteas, and I got the red-pink proteas from Impala Flora at the Fourways Gardens' Spar. 

Here are the suppliers who featured during this shoot!

Model: Laykanne Rae Powell

Flowers: Impala Flora

Venue: Hertford Country Hotel

Make up: Made Up by Kylie

Dress: Gelique

Bouquet: Simone Pheiffer from The Wedding Event

Styling and photographer: Me :)

Decor ball & Gold lamp: Mr Price Home

Gold String Lights: Typo

The Blignaut Family | Family Session | Irene Diary Farm

“He made you you - on purpose. You are the only you - ever. Becoming ourselves means we are actively cooperating with God's intention for our lives, not fighting him or ourselves.” 
― Stasi Eldredge, Becoming Myself: Embracing God's Dream of You

I had the most amazing family shoot at Irene Diary Farm with Chantel and her 2 boys, Ruben and Nathan,. I am in love with the winter sunsets, and the sun didn't hold back.

I just love it when clients open up a bit while doing the shoot, because I am continually reminded that I am photographing people. People has stories. Amazingly God has a Story, which is captured in the Bible. And God is interested in our story because our story is intwined with His Story. Wow, Chantel's late husband would have been proud to see his sons this confident, happy and strong! 

One of the most memorable moments during the shoot was when the farm released the cows from milking and they walked through our shoot. Chantel got "trapped' on the other side of the cows and I got a few shots while they just enjoyed the moment...and it was funny when I had to shout at the cows for them to leave my camera bag alone...long story short...my reflector had some cow spit on...not cool :( 

A family in a splendor of burgundy | Hertford Country Hotel

“Having somewhere to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both is a blessing.” Anonymous

Wow, I love families and the chemistry which every family brings to the table. Farhana asked me to do a family shoot and I decided to take them to the amazing Hertford Country.

With every session I have to think on my feet with regards to managing the family and organising every one for the different shots, and you sometimes have your hands full when somebody do not want to do exactly what you want...ie. children, especially small children...you can't force them to do things! My son is 2 and a half, and I have first hand knowledge of this. My son has a strong will and when he wants something...oh my...he WANTS it. I think many photographers do not do family shoots for exactly this reason...

But not me.

I love families and children and their chemistry too much. They bring so much joy into your life. 

Well long story short, Farhana's youngest one kept me on my toes and I just love all the photos with them. She made me to be very creative with keeping her busy during the shoot, and the result is amazing. I mean, when you are very small (and I see this with my own son) your attention span is super small, especially super late in the afternoon.

Farhana told me later that evening, the kids did pass out in the car just after they left for home from the shoot...shame. 

I loved your shoot and you guys looked amazing!

Venue: Hertford Country Hotel

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

Cleopatra's Maternity Session | Hertford Country Hotel

"I sustain myself with the love of family." Maya Angelou

I enjoyed capturing Cleopatra's Maternity session, and she said she is bringing her daughter to the shoot, but little did I know how cute she will be. I have not met many kiddos that has as much energy as my son, and her daughter kept me on my toes, but I loved it! At a point she even played frisbee with my reflector...funny!  Wow, look how pretty Cleopatra looked in her yellow dress!

 Cleopatra's makeup was also magical, thank you Shelley from Butterfly Blush Make-up Artists, and I just love Hertford Country Hotel as a venue! 

Venue: Hertford Country Hotel

Make up: Butterfly Blush Make-up Artists

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

Brand & Vanessa | Wedding | The Bridge, Muldersdrift

You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement. F Scott Fitzgerald

Wow, what a day. It was probably the coldest day of the year thus far, and it rained quite a lot. I had a tough start to the day. I woke up that morning with a cold, and my voice was gone. I luckily didn't have a fever, but I knew I would not be my 100% during the day, but amazingly I made it! I take my hat off for Vanessa and Brand. They did not expect the Winter to start on their wedding day, but they took the day in its stride and their wedding was one of my highlights for this year! 

Its actually amazing how things worked out. It poured during the time Brand and Vanessa were preparing, which meant we couldn't go outside at all for a few photos. I actually love it (well not so much in the moment, but its good for me) when I am pushed into a creative corner and I need to think outside the box. What happened was, Vanessa got dressed in a small room, and when three bridesmaids, Vanessa, her mom, the makeup artist and hairstylist, and myself the photographer, and the video production people are squished into the same room, one needs to be super creative to create awesome shots...that is what I love. I didn't do what I normally do in that moment, which means I get super cool shots...and I did! It also rained when the ceremony started, but it stopped just after the ceremony, with 20 minutes of the most amazing sunshine! Memorable! 

Vanessa said she wanted to do a "reveal-the-dress" for her bridesmaids, so you can imagine how difficult it was to do the dress shot, because the bridesmaids were in the room while Vanessa did her hair and makeup. So when we did the dress shot, I asked the bridesmaids to hide in the bathroom (they couldn't wait outside due to the rain), and we also did fun photos of the them closing their eyes and standing right in front of the dress...almost like teasing them that they are not allowed to look! And when Vanessa got dressed, they hid in the bathroom again!

One of the most memorable moments for me was the reaction of her bridesmaids when she revealed her dress! Priceless moment!

Wow!

Such special memories!

Another memorable moment for me was when the bridesmaids were walking towards the church in the rain with umbrellas. When they were about 3 meters away from entering the church, they stopped quickly and threw their umbrellas (or tried throwing it) over some rose bushes...lets just say the umbrellas didnt make it to the other side of the rose bushes and got stuck in the roses. 

I am super excited. This wedding is going to be shown on TV! Brand and Vanessa's wedding coming to  MySakpas-trou Channel 147 on ViaTV on KykNET. I enjoyed working with the guys from the Media Club Productions. It was my first experience having a film crew at a wedding, and I must say its different than having a wedding videographer at a wedding, but I had fun! 

Brand and Vanessa, it was a joy capturing your wedding, and I pray God's richest blessings over your marriage!

Here is a list of the wedding suppliers who made this amazing day possible:

Venue, Flowers and Catering: The Bridge, Muldersdrift | Wedding and Function venue

Make up and hair: Jonice from Jdv Styling

Rings: Pedro Da Silva - Fine Jewellery

Wedding Dress: Eurobride

Brands's suit: Greys

Cake & Cupcakes: Vanessa's aunt Marietjie

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

David & Irene | Wedding | Kuthaba Bush Lodge

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. — LAO TZU

I always say that a client that is referred to me is the best client. Irene is one of those clients. She got my details from Cheryl and I had so much fun during their wedding! David and Irene are such great people, and I fell in love with who they are as a person since we first met last year for the engagement shoot. I can still remember how we had this super duper planned day and it all went pear shaped because we couldn’t enter the property we wanted to go to. So we ended shooting in a barren field, and we used whatever we had and made the best of it! That is such a testimony of who they are…they are focused people but also easy-going and content with the world.

It was my first time to capture a wedding at Kuthaba Bush Lodge and I loved it. Some of the most memorable moments for me was when I found out that Irene did not have bridesmaids but "groomsmaids". I kinda expected to see David in a kilt, because he is half Scottish but he did not wear one. All the groomsmen had a handkerchief in their suit pockets made from kilt material. And the one thing that completely blew me away was Irene's dress. Wow, I loved her dress which she bought on Still White. Its a Bride and Co dress and she definitely made a statement! 

I try to end every wedding with a sparkler photo. How this photo works is I run around them with a sparkler in the dark, and then the sparkler leaves a trial wherever I ran. The problem is I need to do this in complete darkness, otherwise I show up on the photo, so there is always a risk of me falling over a rock or something because I do not know where I am going. Well...this was the first time I fell down during on of the attempts, and I didn't get hurt...too much... I just picked up a few scratches...Funny enough on the night we made these jokes that I couldn't go and phone Discovery to claim for my health insurance because an employee of Discovery (Irene works for Discovery) has seen what happened...hehehe...we had a giggle...Those photos are always worth it, doesn't matter the risk I have to take!

Here is a list of the suppliers who made the day possible:

Venue, Styling & Catering: Kuthaba Bush Lodge

Flowers: De Villiers Blomme, Modimole

Make up and hair: Andelien Steyn Professional MakeUp Artistry

Wedding Dress: Still White & Bride & Co

Irene shoes & David Suit and Shoes: Woolworths SA

Irene's hair piece and earrings: Accessorize SA

DJ: Jannie Kruger

Video: Byron & Amy Wolff

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

Teaser! Gold, Teal & Pink Magic | Mini Styled Shoot | Hertford Country Hotel

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. Kahlil Gibran

Here is a teaser from the magic that happened during the Mini Styled Shoot at Hertford Country Hotel on Saturday!

Venue: Hertford Country Hotel

Make up: Made Up by Kylie

Dress: Gelique

Bouquet: Simone Pheiffer from The Wedding Event

Styling and photographer: Me :)

Gold lamp: Mr Price Home

Gold String Lights: Typo

Admired in Africa #BeInspired2017 | Hertford Country Hotel

It was the first time for me to attend an Admired in Africa Conference, and it was such an amazing experience listening to so many amazing photographers in the Wedding Industry! It was a privilege to attend and I learnt as much from the attendees as much as I did from the speakers. 

Here is a list of the amazing speakers at the conference, and you should go and check out their work...amazing! 

Niki M Photography (Loved Niki's personality...she looks fun at weddings)

Estefania Romero⎪Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Nelis Engelbrecht Photography (Off-camera flash theory and practical...loved it)

Rensche Mari Photography (Theory and styled shoot practical)

Linda Vos Photography (Night shot theory...I learned amazing things)

Jacki Bruniquel Art and Photography (I am a very big fan, and I loved her insights into getting great emotional shots. She also did a practical and she blew me away with new ideas on how to shoot with any light)

Du Wayne Photography (Du Wayne shared his story, and had a very inspirational talk)

Tim Moolman, Eslie Basson & FujiFilm SA (Tim was sharing how he shoots with the FujiFilm mirrorless cameras and how he thinks the wedding industry is going to change...he shoots black and white and most of his Jpegs out-of-camera is perfect and ready to be sent to the client...no post-processing)

The conference was held at the beautiful Hertford Country Hotel. 

Missy Make Up Artist modelled for Niki M Photography and did the make up and hair of the other models. She is just incredible!

The amazing dresses was sponsored by Dimity Bridal Studio and the beautiful rings by Taneka Storm Jewellery.

During day 3 of the conference Carolien and Ben from Carolien and Ben Photography joined us as models during Du Wayne Denton's Black & White Photography practical. 

Chris Van Dalen & Studio77Productions did the #behindthescenes video and I cant wait to see what it looks like!

Other photographers I have met during the course of the conference, was the following:

Natalie Loots Photography

Hanri Human

Alexander Smith Photography (Petrus is a good friend of mine and a lot of what I know today is thanks to him)

Leandrie Du Plessis Photography (she is in the 3rd last picture shown below)

Designer Photo (wow, I love these guys. They've shown me how to shoot through a leaf (first picture shown below, no yellow added in photoshop) and many other tricks. Including the portraits shown below with the circular bokeh (used my iPhone's camera to create the bokeh))

And many more!

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

Collin & Cheryl | E-session | Pretville

“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott

I had so much fun during Collin & Cheryl's engagement shoot at Pretville. I did a couple shoot with them before they got engaged and I remember how much they enjoy each other's company! Cheryl has these moments where she just bursts into laughter, and I am sure its because she is cracking herself up for Collin, but perhaps she just have joy in her heart! If this follows the trend, then I am sure their wedding day is going to be epic! 

I am in love with Pretville! It was my first time shooting in the village and I must say I could shoot there the whole day. My creative juices were in overdrive and this shoot was about 2 hours long. I could have gone for at least another hour. There is so much options. And Collin and Cheryl are also awesome clients...they went along with the ride and I am in love with the results! Thank you Pretville for the free milkshake! 

Venue: Pretville, Hartebeespoort

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

The Blignaut Family | Family Session | Irene Diary Farm

“He made you you - on purpose. You are the only you - ever. Becoming ourselves means we are actively cooperating with God's intention for our lives, not fighting him or ourselves.” 
― Stasi Eldredge, Becoming Myself: Embracing God's Dream of You

I had the most amazing family shoot at Irene Diary Farm with Chantel and her 2 boys, Ruben and Nathan,. I am in love with the winter sunsets, and on Saturday the sun didn't hold back.

I just love it when clients open up a bit while doing the shoot, because I am continually reminded that I am photographing people. People has stories. Amazingly God has a Story, which is captured in the Bible. And God is interested in our story because our story is intwined with His Story. Wow, Chantel's late husband would have been proud to see his sons this confident, happy and strong! 

One of the most memorable moments during the shoot was when the farm released the cows from milking and they walked through our shoot. Chantel got "trapped' on the other side of the cows and I got a few shots while they just enjoyed the moment...and it was funny when I had to shout at the cows for them to leave my camera bag alone...long story short...my reflector had some cow spit on...not cool :( 

Here is a few from Saturday. The full post will follow soon! 

The Malston Family | Lifestyle session | Gauteng

“It didn’t matter how big our house was; it mattered that there was love in it.” Peter Buffett

I must admit, I havent done many lifestyle shoots before. I have been doing location shoots and I haven't focused on doing shoots at my client's houses...and wow...I love it. A big part of my inspiration for photography, in the days I started out, was I loved how photography tells a story. "A picture speaks a thousand words" they say...and I remember how I would travel to places or a country and I always tried taking photos (street photography) where I would place a person or a subject in their own environment. By going to someone's home you automatically photograph them in their own environment. That is the place where they live, laugh, cry, sleep, eat...amazing! 

Tracey's sister, Jacqui, bought one of my lifestyle photography vouchers last year for Tracey's birthday. Tracey and Byron (her husband) has a 1 year old boy (the cutest little boy) and they wanted me to capture a little bit of their lives at their home. I absolutely loved it! They has a cozy little home, and I just felt the love when I walked in there. This little boy is loved to bits, and it was great to see it. Their little boy is also a poser and he definitely makes me look good...I mean...just check out the way he looks at the camera...! 

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

Heinrich & Simone | Esession | Harmonie Proteas

“When I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.” —Nights in Rodanthe

Heinrich and Simone are such great people, and I have fallen in love with who they are since meeting up with them for the first time!

Simone has such a gentle yet strong spirit, and Heinrich is sooo much in love with her! Their chemistry in front of the camera is amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed their engagement shoot. They are just gorgeous and naturals, and I can't get over the fact that they are my clients...super stoked! 

It was my first time shooting at Harmonie Proteas, and the hype is true! This place is incredible, and their sunsets are out of this world! 

Simone's makeup was exquisite, which was done at MAC Cosmetics in Edgars in Centurion. Heinrich also bought Simone's amazing engagement ring at Browns...wow, that is such a beautiful ring! 

I really can't wait for their wedding, which will be in January next year at the amazing Lace on Timber! 

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

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Duane & Tanya | Wedding | The Moon and Sixpense

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

My wife and I got married in Bredasdorp 8 years ago, but always tell that if we tied the knot in Gauteng, we would have done it at The Moon & Sixpense! This is such an amazing venue...the tuscan vibe and the fact that it feels like you wander in a little forest is mesmerizing! 

Duane and Tanya had a super amazing wedding, with friends and family, and one of the most memorable moments for me was when Tanya's dad saw for the first time in her beautiful wedding dress. It's a moment I am looking for when me little girl is grown up and ready to marry the man of her dreams. I mean this is the day all girls dream about since they were small...a princess leaving the house of her king, going on a journey to marry her prince! Magical stuff! 

Tanya looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding dress, and Duane....you looked dapper, especially with your red bow tie!

Duane inspires me as a man. The way he looks at Tanya, with so much love and admiration...and the way he handles her...its so special! May your love for each other grow and grow each year, and may your love inspire others like you have inspired me to love! 

Here is the list of the other suppliers who made this amazing day possible!

Venue: The Moon & Sixpense

Make up and hair: Made Up by Kylie 

Tanya's dress: Silk Stitches (such a pretty dress)

Duane's suit: Eurosuit

DJ and MC: Michael Catterson from Mix 93.8 FM (wow, he is entertaining)

Flowers and decor: Exquisite Flowers & Decor Hire

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

Teaser! Brand & Vanessa | Wedding | The Bridge, Muldersdrift

You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement. F Scott Fitzgerald

Wow, what a day! Rain, cold front, and more rain...and a little bit of super duper sun...Brand & Vanessa, you were brave and you took this day in your stride and had the coolest wedding ever! They are such cool clients and I had a ball capturing their story....and WOW! they looked amazing! 

Another amazing thing is this wedding is going to be shown on Via TV on the My Sakpas Troue Show on Channel 147. I just loved working with the Media Club Productions team...can't wait to see the episode!

Venue: The Bridge, Muldersdrift

Enjoy the sneak peak....I cant wait to share some more! Please leave a comment at the end!

Teaser! Collin & Cheryl | E-session at Pretville

“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott

Wow, I absolutely loved this vintage shoot at the incredible Pretville village! I could literally spend the whole day shooting, because is some much to work with! Colling and Cheryl has been clients for a while now and it made me super happy when Collin contacted me, after he asked Cheryl to be his bride, to capture their special day! Its such an honour and its going to be epic! I just love how you two can look at each other and just laugh...precious! 

Here is a sneak peak...enjoy! 

Teaser! Heinrich & Simone | Esession | Harmonie Proteas

“When I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.” —Nights in Rodanthe

Wow, I can't get over this beautiful sunset colors...it's mesmerizing! This venue and surroundings are magical! 

I decided to upload a teaser of Heinrich and Simone's engagement session, and I can't wait for their wedding in January next year at Lace on Timber! 

Make-up: MAC Cosmetics

Venue: Harmonie Proteas

Jorge & Kerry-Ann | Royal Johannesburg & Kensington | Wedding

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.” —Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

I am sometimes speechless when I comes to writing something about my clients and their gorgeous wedding. The whole day was so relaxed and full of laughter. They are fun loving, great friends and family is very important factor in their lives. As a photographer you want to really connect with your clients and from the first time I met Jorge and Kerry-Ann I fell in love with who they are and how much they love each other! Priceless.

I must say that I have not enjoyed a reception at a wedding as much as with their wedding. Instead of throwing the garter and flower bouquet, they handed the flowers over to the eldest married couple in honor of marriage and they played a game to "win" privilege to spend time with Jorge & Kerry-Ann in the following year. Wow, I had a laugh. There were 10 entrants, and with each round an entrant falls out if he can't return to a seat, while the seats become less as with musical chairs, after he or she attempts to bring an item at the wedding back to a chair, such as a shoe, or business card, or a bra....yes...you read correctly...the last item was a bra. The guy who won got his wife to take off her bra in just a few seconds to be crowned the winner...so much fun!

I felt truly blessed to a part of their Big Day...I felt like I was family. And one of the most special moments for me during the day was seeing Kerry-Ann's Dad's expression when he saw her at the church. Thank you for choosing me to capture your Big Day. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.  

Corinna, who were second shooting with me, says the following about Jorge & Kerry-Ann: "They are a beautiful couple who clearly enjoy spending time together creating awesome memories." Here most memorable moment was the game they played during reception. She says it is the perfect event to capture, and it was amazing to see how people enjoyed it! Corinna captured Jorge and the guys and I captured Kerry-Ann and the girls as they got dressed. 

Here are the other suppliers who made this amazing day possible!

Make-up: Courtney Chadwick Make-Up Artist {Courtney is incredible!}

Church: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Malvern {Such a beautiful church and I just loved how Father Tony handled the wedding, so special}

Reception venue and catering: Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club

Wedding planner: Jenene Bernhardt at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club

Wedding dress: Bride & Co

Jorge's Suit: Euro Suit

Flowers: Kerry-Ann did her own flowers at the venue, and House Of Flowers did they bouquet and flowers at the Church

DJ: DJ Kings Mobile Discos

2nd shoot: Corinna Tannian

Sit back and enjoy the beautiful wedding photos! Please leave a comment at the end!

*Teaser! Duane & Tanya | Wedding | The Moon and Sixpense

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Here is a sneak peak of yesterday's exquisite wedding at the Moon and Sixpense! Duane and Tanya's looked amazing and what a beautiful day...especially after having two days of serious rain in Johannesburg! 

Make-up: Made up by Kylie

Flowers and Decor: Exquisite Flowers & Decor Hire

Duane & Tanya e-session {Bryanston Pine Forest}

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

Wow, I just love it when my clients love it to be in front of the camera! Duane and Tanya are no exception. I took them to the Bryanston Pine Forest, and they just loved it! I must say every time I do a shoot there I am amazed at the results! This place is magical, and paired with an amazing couple, just makes for magical pictures! 

I am involved with the youth at my church, and and I got to know Tanya's sister while she was attending youth at the church. But that is not how Tanya found me. She had seen some of my work on Instagram and contacted me, and only after we had our first meeting that I realized that I know her sister...a small world! Wow, what a privilege to capture their engagement shoot, as well as their wedding. Their wedding is this Saturday and I can't wait! 

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

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*Teaser! Rudolph & Angelique | E-session | Val Bonne Country Estate

"By my soul, I can neither eat, drink, nor sleep; nor, what's still worse, love any woman in the world but her."  Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady

Here is a #sneakpeak from the wonderful e-session I had with Rudolph and Angelique at Val Bonne Country Estate in Modderfontein Nature Reserve.

Wow, what a lovely place. It was closed when we were there, but we loved it...felt like we own the place and it was for a brief moment our home! Rudolph and Angelique are such great clients, so relaxed and awesome to work with!