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Clinton and Elizabeth | Engagement shoot | Pretoria

Clinton and Elizabeth are sweet souls who love cars and each other. The Jacaranda trees proved to be a gorgeous backdrop for their engagement shoot!

When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. William Shakespeare

Covid has made it very difficult for us all, but I feels good to be out there taking a few photos again.

Clinton and Elizabeth are sweet souls who love cars and each other. Elizabeth’ owns the VW Beetle and Clinton the Alfa Romeo, and they have this feud whose care is better. Even after the shoot their feud continued on Facebook. Hahaha, they make me laugh. This photo with both cars are so special because almost everything they wanted came together in one photo…purple Jacarandas, their cars and also their love for each other! Oh, man I love my job!

Wynandvandermerwe clinton elizabeth eshoot jacaranda purple gauteng-3.jpg

I really had fun during their engagement shoot. We decided to go to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, because the streets over there is fully covered in purple Jacarandas! What a wonderful display of colour! These two are so much in love and I can just see they can’t wait to tie the knot.

Covid19 definitely hasn’t made it very easy for us, but also not for the couples out there.

Enjoy the photos. I always try to do something different, so thank you Clinton and Liz for allowing me to be creative. You guys rock!

{Click on the image to enlarge}



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Teaser! Clinton and Elizabeth | Engagement shoot | Pretoria

Teaser. Clinton and Elizabeth looked absolutely beautiful during their engagement shoot. The Jacaranda blossoms were out in full swing and the streets are absolutely gorgeous!

When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. William Shakespeare

Covid has made it very difficult for us all, but I feels good to be out there taking a few photos. Purple Jacarandas are in full bloom at the moment. We decided to go to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, because the streets over there is fully covered in purple! What a wonderful display of colour! These two are so much in love and I can just see they can’t wait to tie the knot.

Covid19 definitely hasnt made it very easy for us, but also not for the couples out there. Congrats on getting engaged and your photos are sooooo pretty! Love the Alfa Romeo and Beetle…they are equally very cool!

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Zander and Akira | Engagement shoot | Bank Towers, 012Central

Akira asked me to capture their actual engagement, the moment she asks her prince charming to get married. I was obviously over the moon, because this is such a cool moment to photograph! and just look how happy they are!

This year is 2020 and also #leapyear…yup, the year with a 29th of February, and we always make these jokes that “If you get married on the 29th of February, then you only have to celebrate your union once every 4 years”. I mean, then husbands have less opportunity to forget their anniversary…hahaha!….but there is another unwritten rule…it’s the year when girlfriends are allowed to ask their boyfriends to marry them…well, thats what happened…Akira asked her prince charming to marry her and he said yes!

Akira asked me to capture exactly when it happens, and I was obviously over the moon, because this is such a cool moment to photograph!

I told Akira that we have 2 options: you either do something together and when the moment presents itself, I jump out of the bushes and take photos (but then you aren’t necessarily ready for photos), or we can arrange a romantic couple shoot, then you are dressed and ready for photos…and Zander won’t suspect anything. So that is what we did. We agreed on a couple shoot, and Akira would give me “the knod” or thumbs-up and she will then take out the ring to pop the question. Akira arranged access to the rooftop at the Bank Towers, 012Central, and we did the most amazing couple shoot in the gorgeous golden hour sunlight on the rooftop, with the most amazing view of central Pretoria.

We were very lucky. When you are taking photos between buildings, chances are that you will take photos in the shade and then you miss the actual sun shining through your hair, but the sun was in fact bounced onto them from a tall glass building during their shoot…so it looked like the sun was beaming on them!

I had this idea of posing Zander facing away from me, and Akira facing me, and I would then give her a thumbs-up (I didn’t know if I would be 150% ready for the moment if she gave me the thumbs-up…I mean I can’t miss the moment)…and it worked SOOO well in my favour! I had a chance to photograph Akira holding the ring, without Zander noticing. WOW, what a cool photo and moment!

Congrats again on getting engaged…you guys are such a lovely couple and look sooooo happy together!

Enjoy the photos, and please leave a comment at the end!

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Teaser! Zander and Akira | Engagement shoot | Bank Towers, 012Central

Akira got a hold of me to capture their actual engagement, the moment she asks her prince charming to get married. I was obviously over the moon, because this is such a cool moment to photograph!

This year is 2020 and also #leapyear…yup, the year with a 29th of February, and we always make these jokes that “If you get married on the 29th of February, then you only have to celebrate your union once every 4 years”. I mean, then husbands have less opportunity to forget their anniversary…hahaha!….but there is another unwritten rule…it’s the year when girlfriends are allowed to ask their boyfriends to marry them…well, thats what happened yesterday!

Akira got a hold of me to capture their actual engagement, the moment she asks her prince charming, Zander, to get married. I was obviously over the moon, because this is such a cool moment to photograph!

I Akira that we have 2 options: you either do something together and when the moment presents itself, I jump out of the bushes and take photos (but then you aren’t necessarily ready for photos), or we can arrange a romantic couple shoot, then you are dressed and ready for photos…and Zander won’t suspect anything. So that is what we did. We agreed on a couple shoot, and Akira would give me “the knod” or thumbs-up and she will then get ready to pop the question. Akira arranged access to the rooftop at Bank Towers, 012Central, and we did the most amazing couple shoot in the gorgeous golden hour sunlight on the rooftop, with the most amazing view of central Pretoria.

I had this idea of posing Zander facing away from me, and Akira facing me, and I would then give her a thumbs-up (I didn’t know if I would get 150% ready for the moment if she gave me the thumbs-up…I mean I can’t miss the moment)…and it worked SOOO well in my favour! I had a chance to photograph Akira holding the ring, without Zander noticing. WOW, what a cool photo and moment!

Congrats again on getting engaged…you guys are such a lovely couple and look sooooo happy together!

Enough said for now! Enjoy the photos, and I can’t wait to share more!

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Nabeel and Amina | Engagement session | Bryanston Pine Forest

Wow, I had a super amazing engagement session with Nabeel and Amina. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them.

“Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.”
Kate Angell

picture-of-the-day_prowedaward-wynand-van-der-merwe.jpeg

Wow, I had a super special engagement session with Nabeel and Amina. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them. I love the way Nabeel looks at Amina…yup he is completely in love with his bride-to-be!

I really had an amazing time, and thank you for allowing me to capture some memories for you! Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

(Click on an image to enlarge)

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Teaser! Nabeel and Amina | Engaged | Bryanston Pine Forest

Wow, I had a super amazing engagement session yesterday with Nabeel and Amina. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them.

“Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.”
Kate Angell

Wow, I had a super special engagement session with Nabeel and Amina yesterday. We went to the beautiful Bryanston Pine Forest to create memories for them. I love the way Nabeel looks at Amina, I mean he is completely in love with his bride-to-be!

I really had an amazing time, and thank you for allowing me to capture some memories for you! Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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Krzys and Nastasja | Engagement shoot | Askari Game Lodge

Wow, what a shoot to cherish forever! Krzys and Nastasja did the Elephant Experience at Askari Game Lodge and the photos are magical!

Krzys and Nastasja | Engagement shoot | Askari Game Lodge

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. Maya Angelou

I have done an elephant shoot before it didn’t come close to the Elephant Experience at Askari Game Lodge. What an experience! Krzys and Nastasja, and myself, loved it so much and I will always remember this shoot!

You really get to be close to the animals, and that allowed me to create some really cool shots. I must say it’s quite intimidating standing so close to an elephant, but the elephant guides was nearby for in case something happens.

Krzys and Nastasja is such a down-to-earth couple and totally in love with each other! So it was super easy to photograph them in front of those beasts! They were also keen to pose creatively for me, and I am totally in love with the results!

I also recently entered into the ProWed Wedding Awards and two of their images received a reward!

Nastasja did her own makeup and her engagement ring belonged to her grandma, and has been given to her….so her ring is super important to her! And its sooooo pretty!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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Ferreira and Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel

Wow, how beautiful! Just love Ferreira and Michelle’s engagement photos!

Ferreira & Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. 

Audrey Hepburn

I always love coming back to Hertford Country Hotel, and I absolutely love the upgrades they did recently. The entrance has moved to Malibongwe’s side where the Spar is. Just love the beautiful little fountain at the gate!

Ferreira & Michelle are getting married at Oakfield Farm later this year and I really can’t wait for their wedding. I mean, they are really keen for me to try new things, like for instance the haziness in some of the photos was created using Atmosphere Aerosol South Africa. I over estimated the amount of fog it creates and obviously it doesn’t create fog like a smoke grenade where you are outside, BUT we really had a laugh! Ferrreira was holding the can and sprayed the fog behind them while I was taking photos. The ones on the inside of the venue I sprayed and stepped back to capture the moment. It’s fun, but I must say if you are looking for some serious fog then a smoke grenade will do the trick!

I also love my new Godox AD 200 flash, which allowed me to shoot at High-Speed Sync, ie. shutter speeds of more than 1/200s. Wow, this opens up so much new doors to creativity…LOVE IT!

In any case, I loved capturing Ferreira and Michelle’s engagement shoot and I can’t wait till the wedding! They are such a cool couple and I had loads of fun!

Beautiful make-up and hair by Chantelle Landman - Hair and Makeup.

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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Teaser! Ferreira & Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel

Wow, how beautiful! Just love Ferreira and Michelle’s engagement photos!

Teaser! Ferreira & Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. 

Audrey Hepburn

Here’s a sneak peak from Ferreira & Michelle’s engagement shoot at the always beautiful Hertford Country Hotel.

The haziness in some of the photos was created using Atmosphere Aerosol South Africa.

Beautiful make-up and hair by Chantelle Landman - Hair and Makeup.

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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Chrisjan & Juanita | E-session | Harmonie Proteas

Oh how I adore these two souls. Chrisjan and Juanita got engaged and I have not seen two people more in love. Their engagement shoot was done at the beautiful Harmonie Proteas!

Song of Solomon 8:6-7: “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.

Harmonie proteas engagement shoot beautiful

Oh how I adore these two souls. Chrisjan and Juanita got engaged and I have not seen two people more in love. Our journey actually started early last year, and they have booked with me for this year, but only did their engagement shoot recently at the beautiful Harmonie Proteas. We wanted to go to an abondened mine dump, becuase Juanita had a specific idea in mind, but due to safety reasons decided not to go ahead with that idea. Oh how glad…Harmonie Proteas is such a pretty backdrop for any shoot. Just look at the pretty colors! Another reason why I love shooting here is because they give you the most beautiful flower bouquet to do photos with!

Corne Brecher from Beautiful Change did the most amazing makeup for Juanita, and she just radiated beauty! Chrisjan couldnt keep his eyes away from his bride-to-be! I also loved her YDE dress, and her hair by Captivating Mobile Hair and Makeup was also done to perfection!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a message at the end….a little love really goes far!

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George & Charlene | Engagement shoot | Toadbury Hall

Wow, I had a blast capturing George and Charlene’s engagement shoot at the beautiful Toadbury Hall.

George & Charlene | Engagement shoot | Toadbury Hall

Some people are worth melting for - Olaf

It was raining quite a bit the past few days and I mentioned to Charlene that we can continue with their engagement shoot if there is a little rain, but if it rains quite hard, then we might not do the shoot…but she said…” No I don’t mind a little rain!”. AWESOME.

We as photographers LOVE rain photos. I mean I know its not too much fun when you get soaked and you need to survive for a day being super wet, but getting wet for an hour is fun, right? Well, I think so, and I know the photos normally ROCK when it rains.

Funny enough…the rain kinda stopped when we did the shoot at Toadbury Hall, and I was a little disappointed because I prepped for some serious rain. I placed my off-camera flashes in plastic bags, I had an umbrella and I had a big plastic bag for my camera…and I wanted a shot with lots and lots of rain…and we got a few shots with little rain…but hey…we can’t complain for not getting soaked! We had blue skies and sun at some point…and air was so beautiful and clean….yup…a blessing in disguise!

George and Charlene are getting married at Galagos Wedding venue later this year, and they are the first two getting married in the Nel family. I recently posted an engagement shoot of Rohan and Neruschke…well Rohan and Charlene are siblings and they are both getting married this year, one month apart…and I am privileged to capture both their weddings. :)

Charlene, your make-up looked amazing and that dress from Cocoberry was absolutely divine!

Please show some love by leaving a comment at the end!









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Rohan & Neruschke | Engagement session | Rosemary Hill Farm

I had such an awesome time photographing Rohan and Neruschke’s engagement session at Rosemary Hill Farm.

Rohan & Neruschke | Engagement session | Rosemary Hill Farm

“How do you spell 'love'?" - Piglet"You don't spell it...you feel it." - Pooh”

Just

I have never had a client who booked 2 weddings with me at the same time. Rohan and his sister Charlene are both getting married this year, and I am truly honoured to be entrusted with capturing one family’s wedding memories.

Rohan and Nerushcke recently got engaged and they are getting married at the beautiful De La Mas Venue. And Charlene and George will get married at Galagos Wedding Venue, and I have yet to capture a wedding at both venues. I am super excited because I have been a guest to weddings at those venues and I have been wanting to capture a wedding there for while now! Their weddings will happen a month apart, and I believe it’s going to be a super special year for their parents. They are getting a son- and daughter-in-law!

Rohan and Nerushcke are such sweet souls, and they are so in love. They were super nervious, but they were such a joy to photograph! I really enjoyed having them in front of my camera, and wow...Nerushcke…you looked amazing in that dress from Cocoberry! And your makeup by Melissa Glam Bam was oh-so-stunning!

Enough said. Enjoy the photos and please give this post some love…leave a comment at the end!



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Chris & Marike | Engagement shoot | Maboneng Precinct

Wow, I just loved to capture Chris and Marike’s love for each other in the streets of Maboneng Precinct!

Chris & Marike | Engagement shoot | Maboneng Precinct

Be fearless. Be bold. Be you. Anonymous

Marike told me that Chris’ “baby” is his Suzuki Hyabusa, and “bad-ass” is an understatement. That thing is monstrous. And to photograph his bike against the cool backdrop of Maboneng Precinct was such a joy!

I love stories, and I to tell stories through my photos is even better. Chris and Marike has a very interesting story. Chris is a policeman, and Marike a prosecutor…and many of us have met at church or in a club or coffee shop…but they have met in court. How crazy is that? Yup, love has a strange way of connecting us, and amazingly…we don’t fall in love with each other’s exterior (hmmmn, looks are important, and Marike most probably knocked Chris’ socks off) but we fall in love with what goes on our hearts. They both have tough exteriors….I mean you need one to work as a policeman in South Africa, and I can just imagine how tough you must be to be a prosecutor, yet they have such gentle souls.

I absolutely loved walking the streets with them capturing their love for each other! So beautiful!

Marike, your makeup by Melinda De Wet from Frissk Beauty was just flawless and you really looked beautiful!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end.

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Teaser! Chris and Marike | Engagement shoot | Maboneng Precinct

I absolutely love how Chris and Marike treat each other and I could see Chris is madly in love with his bride-to-be! This was such a nice urban engagement shoot in Maboneng Precinct.

Teaser! Chris and Marike | Engagement shoot | Maboneng Precinct

You make my heart race and there is no finish line. Rachel Wolchin

Chris and Marike is tying the knot this month and we did an urban pre-wedding shoot (engagement shoot) in Maboneng for them to practise in front of my lens but also to create some super cool images. Maboneng has so much going on that it’s very easy to create cool images and be crazy creative at the same time.

I absolutely love how Chris and Marike treat each other and I could see Chris is madly in love with his bride-to-be! Marike, your makeup by Melinda De Wet from Frissk Beauty was just flawless and you really looked beautiful!

Chris is also crazy about his bike, a very powerful Suzuki Hayabusa…which at some point was the fastest road bike on the planet! So i had to create a few images with his bike!

Enough said, enjoy the sneak peak and please leave a message at the end!

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Teaser! Michael and Elmarie | E-session | The Moors Castle

Elmarie really wanted a castle feel for their engagement shoot, so we almost went all the way to Clarens (there is a castle in Fouriesburg…I didn’t know), but she found a castle right here in Muldersdrift. The Moors Castle is a rather unique and stunning backdrop for any shoot and I just loved playing around getting some really cool creative shots for them!

Teaser! Michael and Elmarie | E-session | The Moors Castle

Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love. Billy Graham

Elmarie really wanted a castle feel for their engagement shoot, so we almost went all the way to Clarens (there is a castle in Fouriesburg…I didn’t know), but she found a castle right here in Muldersdrift. The Moors Castle is a rather unique and stunning backdrop for any shoot and I just loved playing around getting some really cool creative shots for them!

Elmarie has a son with cerebral palsy and I really wanted her to bring him along, because I knew he means quite a lot to Elmarie and he is central in their decision to get married. Unfortunately their day turned out more crazy than what she expected (one of the reasons for this was that it was also Elmarie’s birthday the day of the shoot) and he couldn’t join for some of the photos.

I am really looking forward to their wedding in January, and being a storyteller, I can just imagine how amazing the stories will be to include her son in their wedding photos. I also want to meet him because he looks really cool in the photos she has shown me, and Elmarie told me that we are going to arrange for a particular day to meet each other…wow, I can’t wait!

Here’s a sneak peak from yesterday’s shoot! Enjoy!

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Prebz & Shogan | Engagement shoot | Maboneng, Jhb

Wow, I got very lucky with this shoot. Prebz was the winner of my photo competition, which I hosted recently, but I didn’t know I was going to have so much fun and that they are going to look this good…! Amazing!

Prebz & Shogan | Engagement shoot | Maboneng, Jhb

It's that heart of gold, & stardust soul that make you beautiful. -R.M.Broderick

Wow, I got very lucky with this shoot. Prebz was the winner of my photo competition, which I hosted recently, but I didn’t know I was going to have so much fun and that they are going to look this good…! Amazing!

I mostly host these competitions to attract new clients, and also just to have fun because I get to direct the shoot a little more compared to something I do for a client.

What I didn’t plan was the fact that Prebz got engaged shortly before I selected a winner, so this shoot doubled up as an engagement shoot…which was super awesome. It was a little funny when Prebz told me Shogan has proposed without a ring…so they brought a blow-up ring…which ended up being in the “ring shot”.

I really had fun doing this shoot. Prebz and Shogan are such easy people to photograph…and just look how gorgeous they are! And I must say, I have worked with lots of makeup people, but Arti (Instagram: @artyn88) are definitely one of the best I have worked with. His makeup is like pieces of art…I mean just look at Prebz’ incredible makeup.

Prebz wanted to do an urban shoot, so she booked an Airbnb apartment in the innercity of Johannesburg, in the Maboneng District, and what a find! This penthouse has the most amazing views of the city and the sun also didn’t disappoint…what a sunset over the city!

Prebz bought her beautiful dress at Forever New.

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!


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Ryan & Natalia | Engagement shoot | Nirox Sculpture Park

Ryan and Natalia had so much fun for their engagement shoot at the beautiful Nirox Sculpture Park.

Ryan & Natalia | Engagement shoot | Nirox Sculpture Park

Ryan and Natalia had so much fun for their engagement shoot at the beautiful Nirox Sculpture Park.

The Nirox Park is for the ART fans, but also for the garden enthusiasts….I mean it looks like a botanical gardens with huge sculptures and artwork placed everywhere…which makes for very creative photos…which I love! I am not a ART person in bone and marrow, but I am very creative so I just loved doing this shoot for them!

Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

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