I remember I was photographing a wedding at The Westcliff and this person turned around to me and said “You’re going to photograph my wedding next year”, being the socially well adjusted person that I am, I replied, “Who are you?”. I tried to give my usual explanation of how we only take on a few weddings a year and … and … and … completely unphased, or maybe she just didn’t understand my accent, she said, I’ll give you a call later to sort out the details. I shot that wedding last night, it’s already tomorrow morning so I guess that makes it last night, V has given up and gone to bed a while back.

I just wanted to post a couple of images while I was still feeling the day. More images on Tuesday maybe, and the full story of Melissa and Steve’s wedding, I need to first post a couple from Thandi and Tom’s wedding before they head back to Australia.

I’m always asked for recommendations for various people, so just a couple of technical details, both the dresses Melissa wore were designed by her, amazing amazing classical, vintage, 50′s dresses – think Grace Kelly and Bardot. I got to shoot for the first time with Tanja Vogt, who was fantastic (thank you), oh and the videography was by Emily (I think her surname is Munton, I need to check that) from lighthouse films who was also very cool to hang out and shoot with. The co-ordination was by Mela Events, who I’d never worked with before but Stefan and Enelra were a real pleasure to work with and are highly recommended. Sheesh, almost forgot, Lynn (Edited: her surname is Kennedy) was the makeup artist and I adore working with her cause I never have to do any retouching on the brides (She also did the makeup for Nicky and Andrew’s wedding). I know I’m terrible with getting full names and contact details.

Ok, some quick photos before my last burst of energy is gone for the day:

UPDATE: Yes, it is an amazing outfit. Yes, she is very talented. Her name is Melissa Botha, her studio is called Melba, it’s in Parkhurst.

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I was checking through my stats for the past three years, just comparing different things and it occured to me that there is a definite shift in venue popularity in terms of searches. You are three times more likely to have come to this site via using the keywords: cradle of humankind wedding, the cradle wedding venue or the cradle photographer than keywords for any other venue. Does this mean that The Cradle is the place to get married these days? I don’t know, but they do have a very slick website!

Time to start a new year, new marketing campaign, a new look and a slightly new approach. You may have noticed we have filled all of our spots for the first six months of this year, we had to trim down a little due to various other commitments. If you are thinking of booking us for the second half of the year, we are filling up fairly quickly. Anyway, I just wanted to show our two new postcards that we are publishing this year, we are going to distribute them at various venues that we would love to photograph at.

If you see them somewhere, grab one, or if you are a vendor and would like a couple for your venue, shop or fridge, drop us a line.

I’ve already had some people ask: the top one was taken at The Cradle of Humankind and the bottom one was taken at Oakfield Farm.

We’re back, slowly recovering from overindulging and what could only be described as a turkey coma. Xmas day was filled with fun, family and loads of kids, as it should be. I’ll diet in the new year.

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Before I start this post, I just want to say that its late, I can’t choose and hence no fancy photoshop and a large number of photos, none of them in order.

Kalika and Gerhard got married at the always amazing Forum Homini (its at The Cradle of Humankind), and as if to prove the weather man wrong, the sun shone like global warming wasn’t just something they talk about on the news, and we set out to prove that, contrary to recent popular belief, we can photograph without amazing cloud formations in the sky. Loads more on Andrea’s blog, soon.

Kalika and Gerhard, you guys are rock stars, and it was a joy to bear witness to such honest love for each other. The weather was perfect, the day was amazing and you looked incredible. Forum Homini and Roots Restaurant were what you’d expect from one of the top three restaurants in the country, elegant, luxurious, and perfect. Nice choice.

We no longer do the whole vendor prop thing, but check out Forum Homini if you are looking for somewhere classic, elegant, underexposed and just over-the-top amazing food. The MC/Chef Patron was not bad either

I was asked the other day how important photoshop is to our final images. I’d have to say that while photoshop doesn’t make an image it does bring it closer to the way I visualized it. A good photograph can be made into a great photograph with photoshop, a bad photograph will just look worse with photoshop. Here’s a quick before and after of an image from Matt and Eva’s wedding at The Cradle.

For those photographers that asked, I use a bunch of homemade actions to get that effect, and some dodge and burn. I do have some free actions and textures for download.

Despite numerous awards, magazine write-ups, keys to the city and an international photographer of the year (iPOTY) award nothing can take the place of a comment on the blog from a happy bride/groom/couple/client. Here are some of our favorites from the last while.

I go this one from Angela, a Portuguese fashion designer living in Germany, after her wedding to Michael at Oakfield Farm. Angela was described to me by many people along the way as the most difficult person they have had to deal with. My experience was that she knew what she wanted. I love that in a client, it makes my job so much easier, to know what someone is after means that I know what I need to capture. I will always capture it in my style or add my spin to things but to know, for example, that the decor is very important or that they want as their centerpiece an image of them walking down the carpet of red petals really sets the scene. She was also witty, fun to be around, considerate and had a great time on the day.

I know I have already written so much thanking you and Vicky for making our wedding photos into memories that are indeed more PERFECT than the real day was ( and you know that the day was pretty PERFECT already). I just wanted to make public my thank you and to without exaggeration to say that you and Vicky were the BEST possible choice for our wedding within all SA ( you know what I am talking about, as I have seen people from all over SA).

This BEST was a total of a extraordinary TALENT, SKILLS CAPABILITY and last but not least HUMAN CHARACTER, I mean in the end of the day I want to say to all the brides out there, it doesn’t matter just to get the best skilled/ famous photographer out there but equally important you WILL WANT to have around someone who is kind, funny and can understand during every minute of the day how much this day and these photos will mean to you. Dror and Vicky have these unpayable qualities, and because of that you can be assured they will take a active part in making your wedding day a VERY happy one.

To all non-cheesy MODERN BRIDES out there who are struggling to get a photographer who will cover their wedding in the way they want (even to an ELLE stylish high standard level), with self experience I can recommend you without any shade of doubt Dror, as a professional who can DELIVER, SURPRISE and most importantly LISTEN to what you want.

Finally Dror, i want to say what a great job you are doing with your website. During almost a year of regular anxious visits to see always something new you add (a new comment, a new wedding), after concluding my own wedding, I am sure I will give in often to the temptation of coming in to see and read how you will make other couples weddings days unique and beautiful. I personally find most wedding photographs boring as they tend always to be the same, making weddings generally to look like a cliche, boring and already expected event. Dror, you have really the qualities to make each of your weddings unique, and this is why you keep all your pre and post brides like myself popping in your website even after their wedding has passed.

Can’t thank you enough,
Angela

I really appreciate the fact that she took the time to write a thoughtful reply on the blog. I don’t know about all that other stuff about being kind and funny. In real life I am grouchy and short tempered.

I got these next two from Eva, a Scandinavian living in London, who got married to Matt at The Cradle of Humankind. A really amazing place to get married at btw. Eva and I had a bit of a comedy of errors, trying to pull this off. I originally agreed to shoot the wedding, Matt was going to fly to SA and meet me. We somehow missed each other at the coffee shop we were supposed to meet at, I had lost my phone. I really don’t have much luck with phones. We were going to meet the day he was supposed to fly back, we missed each other again. We then rescheduled for a couple of months later, but I was made an offer to move to Texas and Andrea was going to take over the wedding. Hey, I told you it was a long and complicated story. Anyway, eventually, the day arrived and both Andrea and I were there.

Well, Dror, I managed to bag you in the end for my big day and what a result!!!!! Thank you so much for being part of our day, it was an honor, we both had such a blast and my cheeks still hurt 3 weeks on from smiling so much )
Needless to say I started stalking your and Andrea’s sites for sneaks as soon as and I was simply blown away by the sky and the light in these non-edited pics. I now know why you two both kept going on about it at the time. I think you described it as almost disgustingly perfect at one point. A bride can’t ask for more than that on her big day. We are simply thrilled with what we have seen so far, you really are the master!
Eva&Sparky Watson

Oh, and as for Minki, eat your heart out girl ;o)

I didn’t really get to know Eva very well, as I spent most of the time with Matt and the guys, but that’s a very sweet comment and throughout the entire process leading up to the wedding she was kind and good humored. As for those skies, yes, they did look like someone had photoshopped them in.

Then there is Anne Nigel. Anne is the self styled stalkerazzi of my blog. Her wedding is on August 16th 2008 in Kenya. She probably knows more about wedding photography, the wedding photography scene around the world and photography in general than most of the photographers currently marketing themselves as wedding photographers. If you need advice on wedding photographers, Anne is the one.

Anne on Angela and Michael’s wedding photographs:

Dror this is the best wedding I have ever seen. I literally I’m speechless (which is a very difficult thing for me) about how you shot this wedding. Just amazing!!!!!!!! You are the best !

Anne on Eva and Matt’s wedding photographs:

WOW!!!!! Amazing! Again WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You never ever cease to completely entertain and wow me!!! I totally heart your work!

Anne on Mari and Elmer’s wedding photographs – Mari and Elmer are from the Netherlands and were probably two of the most laid back good hearted people we’ve had the pleasure of photographing:

It’s just me the usual stalkerazzi coming to see what’s new and again I am speechless. You are the only photographer whose work is so versatile and creative that is able to shoot every wedding differently! I love these pics too, they have the classic romantic almost vintage feel to them. By the way welcome back!

There is more, but I just wanted to say its always a pleasure to get a comment from Anne, I dread the day she comments, these are nice. Just checking out what other blogs she stalks, and which photographers she knows, she really knows her photography and I know her wedding album will be killer bee.

Ok – one more, because Maryanne was one of the nicest people we met last year. She got married to Scott at Koyama, and really wanted a photojourn approach to her wedding.

Wow, what can I say. I am so in love with our photos! What makes them so lovely is that none are posed and when you look at them it takes you straight back to how you were feeling at that very moment. I just want to thank you and Vicky for making my memories of my wedding so alive and real. You are both wonderful people and so talented
x x x Maryanne

One of the reasons I love this comment because it articulates for me what wedding photos should do. They should take you back to how you were feeling at that very moment.

We get a lot of comments on the blog and we’ve been blessed to meet and photograph really cool people, some of whom have become friends and some whom I expect to call in the next year or two to have their kids photographed. I just wanted to say thank you to all our couples in 2007, oh and Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuube.

btw just in case it needs to be clarified. We have never received the keys to any city, an iPOTY (is there such a thing?) and we don’t enter photography competitions.