Entries from March 2010 ↓

Last Saturday, I took my two sisters to do some bridesmaid dress hunting at Bride & Co!

It was with great excitement that Candy, Brigitte and my mommy darling met me at my house at 8am, where we had a cup of coffee and a chat before setting off for Sunninghill. 

Candy and Brigitte are my bridesmaids, and I told them they could choose any dresses they liked (within the budget of course) provided I liked the dress too.

Candy knew exactly what she wanted, and when she found it she tried it on- looked absolutely fantastic- and that was the end of her search. Brilliant!

Brigitte also had something in mind, but when she found it they didn’t have one in her size for her to try on. She was rather upset because clothes’s shopping is always a bitch… but with a little coaxing from me and Eva who was helping us, she tried on something she would never have thought of. Lemme tell you, when she stepped out of the dressing room, I got goose bumps!! She looked gawjiss!

I also looked for a gown for my BBF Gen, who is my matron-if-honour… but it seems she won’t be able to make it here in July from Australia.

And I tried on a gown, just out of curiosity and for the fun of it, but nothing she brought was even close to fitting properly! They just don’t make gowns to fit boobs like mine because the rest of me is out of proportion! It’s the same with bra manufacturers who assume that if you wear an E cup, your shoulders must then be 2M wide!!

We had a fabulous morning there. I was merrily advising other brides in the shop, playing silly buggers with gloves, veils, tiaras and fascinators, and giggling with my sisters!

I have ordered my sister’s dresses already, and we’re all eagerly awaiting their arrival. Candy is taking hers as is, and Brigitte will be making some small adjustments when it arrives.

I highly recommend Bride & Co for wedding gowns and to dress your entourage, BTW. They cater for the whole wedding party including shoes! Its best to make an appointment, but their fittings are free!!

My great granny had a fur stole. My mommy darling has it now.

I would love to use it for my wedding… but fur is not very PC or green or eco-friendly…

What say you!??

This week’s interview is with the fabulous, Joburg based, Kat Forsyth!

How do you describe your photographic style?

The one word that always comes up when I’m talking to clients is “natural”. For the most part I like to shoot moments as they happen; catching people unawares, and letting the moment unfold without interfering.  But I’m also creative and artistic, and I like to let this side come through when I’m shooting the bride and groom by themselves. I let them talk, kiss, laugh and have fun while I play with the light, the angles and the settings. I like to do something a little offbeat as well. If the couple is keen to leave their venue for a bit and go and pose in front of the graffiti or the burnt-out car outside, I’ll be over the moon!

How did you get into photography?

I fell into it when I was searching for a photographer for my own wedding. Before that, I’d only seen the boring, cheesy, overposed wedding photos that were the staple a few years ago, and suddenly I discovered this world where wedding photos could be ART! I was blown away by the creativity and beauty I was seeing. At first I thought I was just excited to have those photographs for my own wedding, but when I got back from honeymoon and I was still obsessed with them, I realised that what I actually wanted to do was create them myself. I went out, bought my first DSLR, took a photography course, and threw myself in.

How long have you been photographing weddings?

About a year. The first few (okay, the first many) months were spent photographing friends and family, begging couples I knew to let me do free sessions with them, and finding opportunities to second shoot with more experienced photographers. Once I had the portfolio, I started getting real bookings.

What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer so far?

I think it’s still such early days for me that every new wedding has been a kind of highlight for me. Just seeing the dresses, the décor, the love between the couple and their families and getting to capture it, and then the excitement of looking at the photos later and realizing I got exactly what I wanted, is all I need right now!

Which are your five favourite wedding photographs, and why?

Oooh, what a tough one!

1.      Jade and Craig were a fantastic young couple, so in love, so excited, and so prepared to do ANYTHING for their photos! I think this one really captures their excitement and joy. Plus I love the graffiti.

2.      As Kate and her bridal party and family walked across to the ceremony area, I got this gorgeous flare through the window behind them. It feels so magical.

3.      I love overhead angles and I love the stark chessboard in the background. This one just worked exactly how I envisioned it.

4.      I love the natural laugh and exuberance you can see here! Sarah had that smile the entire day; it was wonderful.

5.      I love veils. And I love Jade’s natural beauty and the happiness in her eyes. The little bit of chandelier above her just makes this picture even more fairytale-esque for me.

How do you market yourself?

The internet, and that’s it. I think the internet is the most powerful advertising tool there is. Once you create a web presence for yourself with a blog, a facebook business profile and other social networking forums, people will find you. You have to, have to have a blog so that potential clients can see your work wedding by wedding, and not just the twenty good shots you’ve happened to take over the last ten years in a portfolio. There is so much wedding info out there, and so many sites that showcase good photography, that you have to keep up or you’ll be lost. I put my photos on flickr, link to my blog from twitter and facebook, blog regularly, and submit my blog to wedding photographer directories.

What type of camera do you use?

I use a Nikon D700 with a D60 as backup. The D60 was my first camera, and many of the shots you see on my website will have been taken with it. But the D700 is pure fabulousness!

What would you love to add to your equipment?

Um, about a hundred things? One of my top priorities is a really great wide angle, and a 50mm 1.4 prime lens. But better and faster lenses keep coming out, so I don’t think any photographer will ever have all the gear they want!

How important is a tool like Photoshop in your work, and do you retouch at all?

I’d say what I do in Photoshop after I’ve photographed the shoot is more than 75% of the work. Photos from a professional DSLR come out very flat and basic, because they are intended for the photographer to adjust his or her way. Usually I’ll lighten, brighten, sharpen, and bump up the saturation and contrast on every photo I take as a beginning. Then there is deciding which photos to make black and white, which need a bit more of something, which might benefit from a texture or special effect, which close-ups need skin touch-ups, and so on. The “look” of my photos, which I think of as light, bright and colourful, with crisp, clean black and whites, is achieved only in the editing stage.

Which are your five favourite creative/ artistic/ different photographs and why?

1.      I took this for the Splendid Affairs magazine shoot in December last year. I had Cat lie down on the grass and I stood on a chair over her. It just reminds me of a fairytale, like Alice in Wonderland or something.

2.      I mentioned I love offbeat, creative images, and this one is a perfect example – beautiful white dress, soft white veil, juxtaposed with vampy black books and graffiti, in a very un-bridal pose.

3.      I really felt this set-up needed something, so I asked Toadbury Hall if they had a chandelier we could hang in the tree. I love the idea of bringing furniture outside!

4.      This photo was just asking to be edited in a way that made it look old, faded and warm, like an old-fashioned afternoon in the past. I love that I gave the groom a parasol to hold too – it just really works for me!

If you could be invisible- with your camera- for a day, you would…

Probably go into all the places I normally wouldn’t be allowed into and take photos! This is me inside Kim Jong Il’s Palace… :) Can I take a bride and groom with me?

What advice do you have for photographers who are just starting out?

Shoot everyone and everything. Go around your garden and take photos of flowers and leaves from interesting angles. Beg your family and friends to pose for you. Get to know some photographers on sites like facebook and twitter, and then ask them if you can second shoot for them sometime. You’ll get a far better reaction if they already feel like they “know” you than if you just email them cold. Study other photographs you like and try to figure out what makes you like them. Join a wedding photographers forum (there are some nice ones on Flickr) and learn about the business from others who have been through what you’re going through. Attend workshops. Never stop learning.

Where would you love to go for a wedding shoot?

Somewhere with gorgeous old buildings, cobbled streets, a sense of history, and maybe a gorgeous view thrown in! Somewhere in Europe, perhaps.

Is there anything you’re learning to do?

I’m learning all the time! Like I said, never stop learning! This year I’d like to learn about off camera flash a bit more, and just generally shooting under difficult conditions, like outside night shoots.

What will you be up to in 2010?

2010 is looking amazing for me so far! I’m so excited about all the weddings I have booked. I love to see the couples’ individuality and style shining through, and so far I’ve only got one venue duplicated, so that’s really fun for fresh ideas and places to shoot. My ideal is to get couples who are really keen on their photography, and who are willing to do crazy and wonderful things to get the kind of photos we all want! I’ve got some really great weddings coming up, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

This week, I interviewed the fabulous Hannalee. She’s in Joburg and she has a Facebook Page you can become a fan of as well! 

How do you describe your photographic style?

I am a storyteller. I had a passion for writing and telling stories my whole life, long before I got interested in photography. Through the lens I found a way to tell my stories in vivid imagery that really speaks a thousand words. I tell the story of a wedding as it unfolds. It is all about anticipation of the right moment. If I had to give a name to my style of photography it would be free style. It is a mixture of candid, unposed images that is storytelling in its purest form mixed with natural, romantic shots that I direct to compliment the story.

How did you get into photography?

I went through a traumatic time in my life where I suffered great loss and extreme, dramatic changes. I discovered that photography was a wonderful tool for healing. I love photographing people and I found that telling other people’s stories through my images placed less emphasis on my own story. I was taken aback at the positive reaction I got from my photos and I decided it was time to follow my passion. I resigned my full time corporate job and have never looked back. 

How long have you been photographing weddings?

A mere two years. I started straight away after buying my camera and I were heavily critized by my peers for getting into weddings that fast. But I was determined to let my passion be my biggest teacher rather than relying on experience. Of course I would not recommend to every aspiring photographer to jump in at the deep end like I did. It takes nerves of steel, many late nights and it is very tough financially. In the end it is all worth it though.

What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer so far?

I’ll have to say my first destination wedding I did in Kenya at the end of last year. But it is very rewarding every time you see the joy and satisfaction on a couple’s faces when they view their photos for the first time after the wedding. 

Which are your five favourite wedding photographs, and why? 

1.  This has become a ‘signature’ shot of mine which I like to take at almost every wedding. I love the accent on the eyes as the windows of the soul. The bride was particularly emotional – this photo is a true reflection of what was going through her mind on this very special day.

2. This was a photo I took on the one and only photography course I have been on. It was a 2 day course in the basics of wedding photography. The model was hired for the practical shoot. I love the magic that happened at the right time leading to the clouds in the background looking like angel wings.

3. I love this one because of its candidness. I came walking in from outside and found the father of the bride crawling on all fours to catch his little grand daughter, to her absolute delight. Priceless.

4. I took this photo at a wedding in Dullstroom. The sun has just set and the guest were sitting down for supper. When we looked outside the whole lake was covered in a thick mist. I just had to tear the couple away from their guests to capture them dancing in the mist.

5.  I like incorporating nature in my photos.  This was an Autumn wedding and the leaves were just starting to turn red. This tree was standing proudly on its own and I knew it would make a striking image. The photo looks totally unposed as if I happen to discover them stealing a moment together.

How do you market yourself?

I have built a good web site to showcase my work. I do very little print ads. I post my site link to various other websites. The ultimate goal is to sustain the majority of the business by referrals and word of mouth.

What type of camera do you use?

I am a Canon shooter. I use the Canon 5D Mark ii. It is an amazing piece of equipment that keeps on surprising and satisfying me.

What would you love to add to your equipment?

I don’t think any photographer will ever stop adding to their camera bag. Techonolgy is changing so fast that new developments like faster lenses and better cameras are coming onto the market every few months. At the moment I would love to have a 15mm – F/2.8 Fisheye lens and once I have done a bit of weight training the fantastic but very heavy 70-200mm – F/2.8 zoom lens which is considered the ultimate wedding lens by most professional wedding photographers. 

How important is a tool like Photoshop in your work, and do you retouch at all?

Editing is an integral part of my artistry as a photographer. You can’t shoot digitally without spending considerable time behind your computer adding a signature look to your photos. The actual shooting of the wedding is probably less than a third of the total time I spend on each wedding. In the beginning of my career I used Photoshop extensively. Nowadays I do most of my post production in Adobe’s Lightroom which has cut down on on editing time a lot. I only do skin smoothing and things like removing blemishes in Photoshop.

Which are your favourite creative/ outrageous/ artistic photographs and why?

1. I love it when a couple are spontaneous and even outrageous. Sometimes I get lucky by shooting a couple that just don’t care how silly they may look. It makes for great photography. 

2. This was the second wedding I ever did. I was almost taken by surprise by this bride looking straight into the camera and sticking out her tongue at me – I loved it.

3. The bride bought similar handbags for all of her bridesmaids. They were a crazy bunch of girls and FUN was a huge part of the day. They decided to be wacky and all throw their bags in the air while running towards me.

4. This couple is also very fun-loving and daring. Nothing I could suggest phased them – they got into this tree for a very different shot.

If you could be invisible- with your camera- for a day, you would…

My favourite subject is people. I love the story in a face. Yet people naturally shy away from the camera and you hardly ever get a natural shot of their true character. There are fantastic photo journalists in the world that have managed to capture real emotion as it happens. If would love to be able to tell stories of South African people through my photography. Not only the traumatic and sad stories of children living in the streets, Aids orphans and other South African tragedy, but also the joys and moments of pure bliss that we experience in this beautiful country we call home.

What advice do you have for photographers who are just starting out?

Shoot shoot shoot. Be willing to do a lot of weddings for free in the first few months to build your portfolio. Experiment. Don’t be afraid to try new and crazy things. It might not always work, but you learn something every time. Once your business start doing well you won’t have as much time to shoot as you did when you were a hobbyist or freelancer, so do as much as you can now. 

Where would you love to go for a wedding shoot?

Italy. To me it is the most romantic country in the world. Apart from its rich history it is also exceptionally beautiful. But to be honest, our country offers so many wonderful places to shoot I don’t know why South Africans would want to get married anywhere else.

Is there anything you’re learning to do?

Photographers never stop learning. It is an art-form that has so many different facets that you will never master it in one lifetime. At the moment I am learning to use off camera flash to get better exposure in low light conditions.

What will you be up to in 2010?

By the looks of it this year is going to be a very busy one. By the end of February I already had 23 weddings booked for the year ahead. I am also planning a workshop later this year for aspiring wedding photographers in terms of the pitfalls and the challenges of the business when starting out.

Whenever I page through my many wedding magazines and examine the many many exquisite gowns in as much detail as I can make out on the page, I can often hear my darling Ouma Jean, my paternal grandmother- may she rest in peace- saying something like “You’d best wear sleeves so that you can cover your tattoos…” or “You can’t wear that dress, it has an open back…” or something along those lines. Although she may not have been quite so, erm, tactful.

I miss my Ouma something awful.

Perhaps in your case, it’s your mom asking you what you’re going to do about your ink. Or your aunty Esmé twice removed on your father’s side. Or perhaps it’s a friend.

It doesn’t matter who.

I guarantee you someone will not approve of you showing your tattoos on your wedding day.

For one thing, people who don’t have their own ink will not understand how much a part of you your tattoos are. And no matter how open-minded society claims to be, tattoos are still associated with convicts and sailors. Especially in South Africa.

If, like me, you have several tattoos, then they are no doubt carefully chosen and designed and each one has a tremendous amount of significance to who you are.

My own tattoos are like jewellery for me.

I will certainly not be designing my wedding dress around my ink, but I will not be hiding it away or covering it up. My tattoos are a part of me, literally and figuratively. They’re a part of who I am. They’re a part of the person who is “Angel”.

And I think they’re beautiful.

So just to show you that a bride doesn’t need to hide her ink on her special day, here are a few images of tattooed brides that I Googled.