I’m not sure what it would be like to be saying your wedding vows in the direct presence of your about-to-be father in law, but I know that Paul does. Paul and Maire were wedded at St.Columbus, with Maire’s father conducting the main parts of the wedding ceremony. Maire’s father consented, Paul survived, and a great crowd made for a very interesting evening at the Johannesburg Country Club. Pauls brother gave one of the best speeches I have heard to date, clean, dry, and funny as ROFL.
A short while back I mentioned in an interview that new photographers in business should decide what they want to photograph, and focus most of their attention and skills on that particular genre. I recently read this at the bottom of a wedding photography website, and it is a good illustration of what I don’t mean,
“we specialize in weddings, studio photography, corporate functions and events, product photography, schools, matric farewells, modeling, families and birthdays”
We had a professor in Homiletics class who had to constantly remind us that, “if everything is important, nothing is important”, referring specifically to the way some students were basically yelling all the way through 40 minutes of preaching.
If you specialize in everything, you don’t really specialize in anything. So, what is it that you want to shoot?
Nicky and Warren’s was a sweet, intimate wedding in a romantic dark chapel, with looming clouds waiting for us outside, which later had us pulling out our jiffy bags for camera protection during our photo shoot in the woods, right across that mile long driving range (who hits a ball that far?). It wasn’t really one of those romantic kind of showers, you know, where the couple spends a few minutes dancing around the wet with the photographer creating stunning “I’m singing in the rain” kinda images. No, this was more like the kind of rain that Noah could have expected, and had us praying that someone with a giant umbrella would magically show up. It didn’t happen, at least not for us. Upside is that if I had to choose a place for this to happen, Casalinga would probably be it, with guaranteed caffeine goodness awaiting you after any wet escapade.
Following are a few images, and I included some details shots this time…we actually do shoot them.
There is a short little interview with me up on Angel’s Weddings. I just wanted to make a couple of notes on that discussion.
1st: If I absolutely had to choose a favourite photograph, say from last year, the one below would be it.
2nd: I don’t really have a penguin pose, and certainly not one that is trade marked. That’s just me being silly. I would however definitely sell a body part to go to Antarctica (figuritively speaking).
We are off to Swaziland for a wedding, and will be back in action on Tuesday.
So you have packed your camera bag. Extra cameras, extra fully charged batteries for all cameras, extra lenses, plenty CF cards. Even added a flash just in case! Arrive at the gig without being hijacked, all good. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, just so you know, your pants can actually rip open down the middle from front to back, about 15 minutes before starting time.
Anyway. The band is Nagskof, covered a few pics for Andre and the gang. Not my usual kinda gig, but fun.
Probably my two favourites of the evening. No.1 was photographed during sound check, and just before I turned immobile.
Cindy mentioned that I looked kinda sexy in the borrowed pants. Big thanks to those who helped out.
Alright, these are in no particular order, but coming up in the next day or two will be weddings which have taken place in the last few weeks.
I won’t be telling stories though. My brain is a bit fried and the first thing that tends to go is my very fragile ability to put anything into words, be it written or spoken. The other weddings will follow this post on the blog, so scroll down for later entries.
Without further ado, Louisa and Eitzaz at Shepstone Gardens.
One quick thing about this wedding though…KIDS, so many that Shrek would have had nightmares all over again. Cindy loved it of course!
I have to mention something about this final photo, because I can foresee a possible situation where someone tells a kid to sit in front of the group and look disgusted . We do family and group photos in a more traditional way, for several reasons, many of them related to Cracker Cheese. This group photo just happened this way, thanks to the sometimes “free” ways of kids. I would never try to set up a photo in this way, and if I did, it would become completely obvious and the impact of the photo will be lost. Everyone is not an actor, no matter how good the director is.
I know I have not posted for quite some time, and devoted blog stalkers who got married in the last few weeks must be rather despondent by now. Don’t be, I am working on a proper blog post for the last three weddings we covered, so just keep checking in once in a while.
In the meantime, consider the following advice from Cindy, “when trying to navigate your way back to the car in the dark on a farm somewhere outside Parys…always remember to use flash”
It’s late now, but I’m pretty sure the farm is called Thwane Bush camp. In any case, it’s where Andries and Cindy (the taller one) got married.
I’m persuaded…here are 4 of my favourites of the Re.invent seminar held last week. I’ll spare you all the details, but do click on the link left if you must know.
Note: I never realised a 50mm can be that wide, all you need is about 20 photographers around a bride and groom for an instant wide angle effect…no converter required.
Aline and Miguel had the first part of their wedding celebration in Venezuela (I received some pictures of that event…it’s pretty darn beautiful over there!). The second part was to be celebrated under an African sky, and therefore enter Thaba Ya Batswana.
They wanted to complete a photo shoot early morning before the festivities began, and I quite gratefully said Amen to that, as it turned out to be yet another scorching hot day with rock solid shadows and white hot highlights for the rest of the afternoon.
Aline and Miguel are one of the coolest couples we have had the privilege of hanging out with so far. After every meeting I had with them, I arrived home smiling and having those silly ongoing conversations with them in my head (is that normal?).
I have a lot of editing to complete at the moment, hence the fact that this post is a week late, and hence the fact that I’m only posting 2 or 3 images for today. OK, maybe four.
Some other news: On Tuesday I got to spend the day with about 20 other photographers, which is VERY rare for me. I mean 20 people in general would already be pushing my social limits, but oh my, 20 photographers! Anyway, it was the Re:invent workshop held at Forum Homini, and hosted by the incomparable Dror Eyal and the queen of detail, Andrea Carlyle
I still have to submit 5 pics of the day for critique, but hopefully they are the kind of teachers who allow work to be handed in late. I have edited a total of 1 pictures of that workshop so far…
I’m starting to reduce the size of the images that I post on my blog to try and get images to load a bit faster, and to therefore provide a more enjoyable internet experience for ya’ll.
Probably the most played song in my playlist at the moment.
Some of the scenes in the video brought back memories from seemingly very long ago. Sunday afternoon drives through the mountains, braais at Franschhoek, and splashing the pools at “Jan se gat”.
. We do family and group photos in a more traditional way, for several reasons, many of them related to Cracker Cheese. This group photo just happened this way, thanks to the sometimes “free” ways of kids. I would never try to set up a photo in this way, and if I did, it would become completely obvious and the impact of the photo will be lost. Everyone is not an actor, no matter how good the director is.
