Two more days until the studio closes and we’re slowly catching up with the blog posts. A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of photographing Brooke and LJ’s wedding at Oakfield Farm. LJ is the infamous LJ Urbani of Urbani Photography in the UK, which meant that we were once again photographing the wedding of a wedding photographer. I may have been a tad nervous.

They tied the knot at the always great Oakfield, where I actually shot my first wedding, and incidentally the wedding of the year last year. It’s always a challenge to make a place that has been shot a million times look fresh and new and unique to the couple. I have difficulty with those venues where the photographer gets dragged from one setup scene that gets photographed week after week to another. So step 1, take a walk outside the electrified fence and find a nice area that doesn’t get photographed, do the majority of the shoot there. Step 2, take a walk to the stables and try to forget all the photographs you have seen that were taken there and do something new – very easy actually when you have clients that trust you and respect your style. Thank you both, for good humor, funny faces, cracking me up all afternoon and being the least stressed couple we’ve ever photographed – and that’s saying quite a bit, our clients are always really calm (or at least they look that way from behind the big black camera).

I’ve been playing around with black and white conversions recently, trying some things and cooking up some of my own black and white actions for photoshop. Brooke and LJ had a timeless quality to them, very silver screen in the Holywood glamor days, so I decided to go with creamy black and whites for some of their couple shots and painterly feel to some of the color portraits. The bit of the mumbling mafia boss still makes me laugh … he says (to be said in Don Vito Corleone voice) …

I wanted to add a bit about blowing out the whites, which is very easy to do in digital photography, and seeing so many wedding pics where there is no detail on the bride’s dress but I’ll save that little diatribe for another post.

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We’re taking a short break from the studio for a week or so. Just to recover and get things ready for the second half of the season. If you’ve sent in album requests, print requests etc before the 31st, our designer is working on them. Our last wedding for the season was a complete blast, I think I’m slightly more deaf in my left ear than I was when I got to Oakfield, but more on that wedding when I get back cause it deserves its own blog post.

A quick image, because I know LJ and Brooke will be back from their honeymoon before I get a chance to put up their blog post.

If you have picked up a copy of the Bridal Library magazine at your local Exclusive Books or at their bridal expo you may have noticed a four page spread of our images. Shot at Oakfield Farm, by V and myself, and featuring what has become our signature image of the red petals covered floor as the centerpiece.
For those that are wondering, the photo was not posed, and the flare is real, it was a morning wedding and I used a bit of on camera flash to get the colors to pop.

wedding of the year, 

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.

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.

We’ve been to some really cool weddings in the 2006/2007 season. Made some friends, had a great time and shot some photos we are really proud of. In no particular order, my favourite weddings of the season.

Michael and Angela at Oakfield

Just an incredible wedding, filled with tradition and friends. Angela transformed Oakfield from a farm to a setting out of the Great Gatsby.

Maryanne and Scott at Koyama

Cool venue, laid back couple, indie sounds and glorious food from By Word Of Mouth.

Alesa and Dimitri at Saheti

Greek weddings are just fun, full stop. Add some wild Americans into the mix and well, you should have been there.

Mari and Elmer at Anderland

Two of the nicest people we’ve had the pleasure to meet.

JP and Christine at The Grace

Class and elegance would be the two words I’d use here. The love between these two was palpable.

Louise and Dan at The Westcliff

Wild. I mean really wild, like only a jewish wedding can get.

Do you believe in happy endings? Angela and Michael do, there is even a time slot for it in their wedding program. 17h35 Happy Endings: Chinese Crackers. It was the kind of wedding that left my feet sore and me wishing that I was Portugese and somehow at the same time Chinese.
Angela looked like she had stepped out of the pages of Vogue in her Pronovias wedding gown and Jimmy Choo’s and Michael looked dashing in his Ozwald Boateng suit. Angela is a fashion designer and it showed as she transformed Oakfield from somewhere we had photographed many times before into a Chinese/Portugese version of the Great Gatsby, marquee and all – with the help of Otto De Jager. There was a Fado trio, a string quartet and a swing band. Exotic food that combined Chinese and Portugese traditions, a wish tree and a Chinese tea ceremony.
I drank my first cup of blossoming tea and ate enough Portugese olives to start a small grove of olive trees.
What a gorgeous day and place to celebrate such a beautiful couple. It was a wedding that I’m sure the staff at Oakfield will be talking about for a while. Blessings and peace on you both.
Ok, I’m going to stop bragging now. Here are some photos.

Can you believe that this is Oakfield Farm?

Angela looked stunning, of course!

How dashing does Michael look in his Ozwald Boateng suit?

The reception was held under this marquee, talk about a garden party

Things have been really busy lately and I have been neglecting the sneak peeks. This week we bring them back with Angela and Michael’s sneak peek. Thanks to all those that sent through emails requesting them back. You can find their sneak peak here.

[ Vendor prop ] – I was tempted to give this week’s vendor prop to Angela for throwing and organising such an amazing wedding, but I figured that was unfair. So I’m going to give this week’s vendor prop to two people at Oakfield. The first one goes to Felix who, if I had to guess I would say, was the co-ordinator. On time, on the ball, patient and obliging. I’ve very seldom seen a wedding run as smoothly.
The second vendor prop goes to Michael who was Michael and Angela’s personal waiter/butler/gopher type person. From ironing the clothes to fetching drinks, stepladders, to following us on the photoshoot and making sure everyone had what they needed. He was incredible and looked completely drained by the end of the day. Everyone needs a Michael in their life, or at least at their wedding. Ask for him by name if you’re getting married at Oakfield, and tip him well. We really appreciate the effort he put in.