One thing I love about photographing weddings is the way you feel you've learned so much about a family, after only spending a few hours with them.
There are so many emotions, small dynamics and then the characteristics of people, which are revealed on a wedding day.
Nicky and Graham, who stay in Hong Kong, are such a lovely couple. Their family and friends were so warm and inviting - and some of them just plain ole crazy.
For the creatives, we took a drive a tad away from the actual venue and I am so glad we did - you just can not beat the highveld bush, scattered with giraffe and buck.
I kid you not! In the middle of our shoot, giraffe and buck decided to cross the road and it was such a lovely moment!
It felt almost like a movie set. Oh, how I love South Africa!
Here are a few from their day and I am almost sure there will be a second post to this one.
Loved the antique necklace, which has been passed down in the family, even the box made with love & care.
I also have to mention that on the reverse side of the name tags Nicky had a personalised message for each and every guest
Both pictures (above) taken by my second shooter Paul.
Nicky apologies - I just had to post this I just love the expressions!
For the avid photographers: I usually have my WB on cloud as I find I get warmer colours. On this shot I played with my White Balance. To get the blue tone I set the WB to tungsten.
There it is, the giraffe crossing the road, you can also see him in the horizon in the previous image.
I have been asked quite a few times whether I handover black & white images on the final disc.
Well, the answer is yes, I do.
Basically, I play around to see what B&W treatment suits the wedding I am editing and then run a conversion on nearly every image, so that you have a colour and monotone version of the same photograph.
I have just finished with Simone's & Willem's wedding and thought I would post my favourites, in what I will call my Chocolate Milk B&W treatment.
Thank you for the beautiful photos Andrea, it was an honor to have you as our photographer!
(08.13.09 @ 07:55 AM)Those do look delicious! Sorry, I saw the word chocolate... :-) But they do!
I love the mood Andrea and the old car just anchors the shot.
High time you start to win a few awards.
Oh WOW!! Love the bottom Landscape one
(08.14.09 @ 01:15 PM)do tigers drink choclate milk hehe, the boys are to cute, growing up fast, and love the treatment to the Photos, very cool.
(08.14.09 @ 04:49 PM)Ursula and I, were not spared, here we are caught on camera with the elusive 'Canvas Man' (At Tammy & Barend's wedding)
Now THAT is a picture and a half - too funny :) Thanks Andrea for the laugh!
(08.06.09 @ 10:26 AM)I am having issue here.....how come your camera is bigger than mine???
(08.25.09 @ 06:33 PM)I am silently chuckling to myself, bouncing up and down (from the continous chuckling) trying to type this entry (not easy when bouncing) as I reflect back on Tammy's and Barend's wedding day.
Tammy's getting-ready session had us all laughing like best friends, from the beginning right up to the part where the hairdresser actually did arrive - he was 'on his way' for the most part of the morning ;-).
I could go on at this point about the belles in blue, but, am afraid if I reveal all, I might get myself into some serious trouble (and lose some of the leeway I negotiated on editing time). Champagne, giggles, Fiona (from Shrek) and an evil photographer is where I will leave it.
The ceremony was special, as both Barend and Tammy read their own vows and we were very lucky to get our 10 minutes of creatives before the winter sun went down.
The evening brought with it even more laughter, so I actually don't know where to begin.
One thing that did have me splitting at the sides, maybe because Ursula and I were jokingly contemplating doing this at our last shoot, was one guest who shall remain known as Canvas Man.
He was pretty much on a self-imposed and intensive mission to get a picture of himself with each and every one of the guests at the reception - following him around had me in hysterics.
Tammy and Barend - your day was sooooo very special and both Ursula and I had an absolute blast!
Daddy's girl (above)
Thank you Tammy and Barend, it was such an awesome day and you were both so much fun! All the best
(08.06.09 @ 09:55 AM)The photos look stunning, cant believe you put me up in those curlers I thought I might just have to get married in them :-) I cant wait to see the rest of the pics I love them Abigail looks gorgeous, thank you, thank you, thank you... As for canvas man I love that pic we thought we where going to have him in every one of our wedding pics xxx
(08.06.09 @ 08:26 PM)Oh, these are great!
I love the fourth photo with the curlers in her hair
Great pictures! We can see the love towards each other in these photos, beautiful. The photographer has done the job; especially the last one is a master piece. Go On.
It was a freezing winter start, but, in the end, it all turned out perfect and once again we were blessed with a beautiful sky (and insert a beautiful couple!)
Catherine and Shaun's wedding was full of beautiful details and wonderful moments. The speeches induced tears and whole lot of laughter. The dancing was crazy. The food was yummy.
Your day was perfect. Nothing short of perfect and I'm honored to have shared it with you. Thank you for inviting me into your lives on your most special day.
I have much more images in this post as my morning has been chaos, I can not find my 5 minutes of uninterrupted peace (so that I can narrow it down) - so just posted them all.
Catherine's mom handmade her beautiful dress.
Love these two below, natural "belly" laughter and awesome sky - can't get better than that!
Well, as always, I love lots of photos, so long may your interrupted days continue! That sky in the last few is breathtaking! My personal fave is the one where they are reflected in the mirror behind them. Gorgeous!
(07.16.09 @ 01:12 PM)I have never seen more beautiful wedding pictures. Every picture carries so much emotion. I have tears in my eyes right now! all the best Shaun and Cath! Bianca
(07.17.09 @ 04:32 PM)absolutely fabulous!
(07.17.09 @ 05:29 PM)These photographs are so beautiful and caputure just little segments of what was a lovely day. I am a very grateful mom to have such stunning children. Shaun is very precious to us, and makes a wonderful husband to Cath. If these are but a small start to the photographs, I am dying to see what the full portfolio looks like.
Andrea was amazing! When choosing a photographer you are concerned that the photographs will be perfect, as this is what you take away from your wedding. Already I can see that we have been truly blessed.
Thank you Andrea for sharing your God-given talent with us. We salute you!
(07.18.09 @ 03:45 PM)Julia and I love all the photos. Lin the dress is magnificent - it has worked so well. I love the little shoulder straps and bodice. Flowers are stunning. Where is the cake? And where is the mother of the bride?- Wally looks like a patriarch! Catherine you are stunning and a magnificent June Bride - go girl.
(07.22.09 @ 01:24 AM)Accolades from the bride's mum, no less!! Now there's feather in your cap.
(07.22.09 @ 07:21 AM)a friend who missed Cath and Shaun's occassion from Aus but now gets to share it though these beautiful pictures....
(08.31.09 @ 03:06 PM)
Absolutely gorgeous work!! Love the colours in your photos, I'm going to try that cloud WB out for my next shoot.
(08.27.09 @ 09:12 AM)Wow Andrea !
(08.27.09 @ 09:17 AM)One thing I love about working with you is I can take the same photo but how you post produce your work makes your work really stand out. Thanks for affording me the opportunity to work with you and to share a blessed wedding with Nicky & Graham. I got goose bumps in the service!!
Absolutely stunning! I don't know how you still outdo yourself on every wedding, but you do. And that giraffe was just so perfectly serendipitous.
(08.27.09 @ 11:19 AM)Love Nicky's expressions - put a smile on my face for the day. Beautiful post!
(08.27.09 @ 12:55 PM)MAGNIFICENT!!!!! These are just gorgeous Andrea!!!! WOW :-)
(08.27.09 @ 01:06 PM)Thank you for all the comments!
(08.27.09 @ 06:47 PM)@Paul, I hate to admit it but my photoshop skills & post production is really not that extensive, sharpen, vignette and sometimes I just pop the colours a little. I will actually do a post with a straight out of camera image & compare it to the "edited" version as I am getting quite a few emails asking what I do to my images in post production (and unfortunately I have no Photoshop magic to share!)
I love the fourth pic...the one with her Dad(?)...and as for the Giraffe...well....just glorious.You've captured tenderness, beauty.admiration and the "blue' shot is the epitomy of peaceful.Absolutely stunning.You're a star!
(08.27.09 @ 08:27 PM)@Liz - it is her dad - I also love it.
(08.28.09 @ 07:11 AM)Wow Andrea!!! These photos are absolutely amazing. We just got back from honeymoon and were so excited to see them on the blog. You have really managed to capture special moments so beautifully. Graham and I loved having you and Paul there. Thanks again!
(09.01.09 @ 04:11 PM)we were at this very special wedding visiting from New Zealand and you have captured Nicky's character and the atmosphere very well, love the different effects.
(09.02.09 @ 02:10 AM)These are really beautiful and do the wedding justice as it was a beautiful day from start to finish. Well done!
(09.02.09 @ 09:05 AM)