Entries from June 2010 ↓

This is my new Wednesday feature.

As a lot of people know, I love cakes and baking. I think I could quite happily have nothing but wedding cakes and cupcakes at my wedding!

Now I’m going to pick a company that does wedding cakes, minicakes and cupcakes and link them here with some pictures.

Enjoy. Try not to drool on your keyboard too much.

This week is Planet Cake!  Their galleries are a feast for the eyes, and they have a blog you can follow too!

This week’s interview is with Hannes Uys. I was rather excited when he got hold of me, and when I went to his site I was blown away! I think you will be too.

How do you describe your photographic style? Timeless and classic with no adherence to any rules. I want to give my clients images that will be beautiful even in a 100 years time and since no one stays young forever, I want it to be the best investments they will ever make.

How did you get into photography? I consider myself to always have been a photographer. I personally believe most great photographers are born with an eye for great scenes, but to answer your question and without giving my age away: when I was still a young boy in the mid 80s.

How long have you been photographing weddings? A few years.

Where are you based? In Johannesburg, but I also have a private little studio in the small village of Deneysville next to the Vaal. You will usually find me there if I just want some quiet time. I get a lot done when I spend time there.   

What has been the highlight of your career as a wedding photographer so far? There are just too many to mention, but if I really had to then it would be to have my life partner Laricia as my second shooter at every wedding.  Having her in my life is just too awesome for words. Of course seeing the smiles, hearing the laughter and experiencing the gratitude of clients when I hand over the final product is pretty satisfying too!

Which are your five favourite wedding photographs, and why? One of my favourites are the typical American Goth look. I ask the couple to be completely emotionless – stark expressions – which again to me is breaking the rules.  This in itself is a contradiction on their wedding day.  I also enjoy directing role playing with the bridal party – asking each of them to act as a specific character.  This provides for much banter and laughter and creates fun images with lots of emotion. 

As with most great wedding shots there is always a deeper story behind the image. In this image the groom who is a successful architect wanted to go back to his roots and get married in his town of birth as well as where he met his bride. The bride was a little shy, but the moment the ice was broken with a little role play we got some really great shots. This image depicts excellent timing in capturing fun emotion at the right time. I love it.

This again was a shy bride who got into the moment with a pout of the lips. Again totally out of character, but just love this shot. Also one of my favz.

My first “winter wedding” for this year. In this instance I just love how the surroundings and mountains ads to the contrast of the image, not only in terms of colour, but in terms of feel. So as if it’s a third character in the image. Of course the red bouquet added that extra pop.

This was one of my favourite images for years. I caught this moment when the father saw the bride just before the service. I love the tears in the eyes and the look of contentment on the brides face.

Also one of my favourite brides. In instance we could just see the LOVE in her eyes for her husband during the shoot and decided to capture that dreamy and content look in her eyes. We asked her to feel the love for her husband and it showed. All we had to do was capture it.

How do you market yourself? The power of social media today is mind boggling!  I tap into that a lot. Angel’s site is a very good example of this. I make sure my website stays fresh and I update my blog at least once a week. I also have a mailing list that I use for my art projects. Fortunately for me, word-of-mouth has been one of my biggest marketing tools! This has actually given my photography a bit of a turn as more and more corporate organisations are booking me for industrial photo shoots.  

What type of camera do you use? I only use Nikon and for weddings I use a D700 with 24-70mm 2.8 lens 90% of the time. Laricia likes shooting with primes like the Nikkor 50mm 1.4 because it’s super fast.

What would you love to add to your equipment? Maybe a fisheye lens, but fortunately I have all the other equipment that I want.

How important is a tool like Photoshop in your work, and do you retouch at all? Very important.  I use both Photoshop and Lightroom for editing to give an image a certain look and feel. I enhance the mood without killing the essence of the scene itself. I do fix minor imperfections such as pimples or blemishes, but too much editing would kill the personality of the couple instead of enhancing their true features. 

Which are your five favourite “outrageous/ creative/ artistic” photographs and why? These are five of the more creative shots the I love. Pure eye candy.

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

What advice do you have for photographers who are just starting out? Three things:  (1) Don’t worry how you start, people will only remember how you finish. (2) Don’t undervalue your product. (3) Shoot from the heart.

Where on the web can people find you?
Website: www.hannesuys.com
Blog: www.hannesuysblog.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=684239281
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10909957@N03/

Where would you love to go for a wedding shoot? Morocco.  The vivid colours and back drop of this exotic country will provide the perfect location for truly amazing images. 

Is there anything you’re learning to do? I learn everyday, from marketing myself as a brand to managing my relationships better.

What will you be up to in 2010? Lots! I’ve made my theme for 2010 a year of growth, and so it has been. I am currently in the process of writing a handbook Digital Photography – The Practical Way that will be prescribed for FET learning at private education providers.  I have also been the illustrator to Laricia’s handbook – Event Management – Putting Theory into Practice, and was responsible for the design of the book cover.