Category: Photography

Puppy Love - Dixie's Photo-shoot

7/4/2016

Last year I got to meet the cutest puppy, Dixie and her beautiful mom Madaleen. The bond between these two is the most beautiful thing ever and it was so awesome to do a photo-shoot with them.

We met in PTA on a wet and miserable morning in the park by Madaleens work. It was really pretty but much to Dixie's delight, there were loads of muddy puddles and a lot of birds to chase. This energetic little Schnauzer had us running up and down the park trying to get some nice photos, and thank goodness Madaleen brought a towel to dry her as she ended up really wet and muddy!

Thank you to Madaleen and Dixie for entrusting me with your memories, I really loved photographing this gorgeous little furbaby! Here is a peak at the beautiful shoot I did for them

Dixie's Puppy Shoot

Venue: The Boardwalk, Faerie Glen
Furbaby: Dixie, the cutest Miniature Schnauzer
Loving Mom: Madaleen

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Samantha & Francois - A fabulous wedding

11/13/2014

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Samantha and Francois wedding day had finally arrived after months of planning, and there was a lot of excitement in the air mixed with a few nerves. Their fabulous wedding which was both elegant and romantic was at Destiny Lodge, a beautiful wedding venue in Cullinan.

When we arrived at the venue, there was a flurry of last minute preparation being done by Sam's mom and grandmothers, who were the ladies responsible for the fabulous decor and flowers. The decor was a mix of silvers and whites with a hint of purple, which gave the reception a very chic and elegant look. The ever thoughtful Sam and Francois had made sure that the children had special packs that were packed full of cookies and sweets, while the adults had the most delicious chocolates as their thank you's.

The couple had gotten each other special wedding gifts for the day, and we were the lucky ones who got to deliver them. So we got some beautiful photographs of the Francois opening the boudoir album Sam had done for him, and of Sam unwrapping the stunning Thomas Sabo bracelet Francois had bought for her.

The ladies started to prepare for the main event by getting their makeup and hair done, while the men celebrated with a glass of champagne and cigars with Lee-Anne (my second photographer for ther day) and had a few photos taken. And then it was time, Sam looked magnificent in her gown, and was proudly walked down the aisle by her dad and gorgeous son Calvin. A short but beautiful ceremony later, Sam and Francois were finally husband and wife.

We had the perfect soft romantic light for their couple shoot, and these two look amazing on camera and their love really shines through. The reception started with a few speeches before Destiny Lodge served a delicous dinner. The highlight of the day for most, was when Calvin stood up and gave a speech welcoming Francois into his family and referred to him as Dad. He had the whole wedding party reaching for tissues when he said that he is glad Francois is part of his Mom's life, as when his Mom is happy, the hidings hurt less.

This was a beautiful and very memorable wedding, and I would like to thank Lee-Anne for working with me and helping to record the memories for this fabulous couple. Sam and Francois would also like to thank all of the awesome suppliers (listed below) that helped them plan and pull off this elegant wedding.

Lastly, I would like to thank Sam and Fafa for choosing me to be part of your wedding day. From the chats, to the frantic stressed out messages, I wouldn't change a single thing. Working with you was an absolute pleasure, and I wish you both a very happy future together. I hope that you are blessed soon with the twin baby girls you are trying for.

Love
Chantal
XXX

Sam & Francois Wedding - Destiny Lodge

Samantha and Francois would like to thank the following suppliers for being so awesome and for making their day so special:
Venue: Destiny Lodge Cullinan
Bridal Hair & Makeup: Mari Bridal
Cupcakes: Subcultcha
Wedding Stationary: Tanya

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Family Fun - The Auf & Bornya Family Shoot

10/16/2014

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When Grazyna, who I had worked with before, contacted me about doing a fun shoot for the extended family I was very excited. She had decided to give the entire family the gift of this shoot, and what a gift it was! It was an incredibly fun afternoon with this tightly knit group of people.

We met at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, and I was given strict instructions .... NO waterfall pics! I do love the waterfall, but they have so many of it already, and wanted something a little different. The gardens have so much to offer so we were not limited by this request, and found a lovely area with beautful light and loads of space for this crazy bunch.

What I loved most about photographing this family, is they are so comfortable with each other, there are so many fun images mixed up in the slightly more formal. It was a totally fabulous afternoon, from the piggy backs, to the funny faces, I am not sure I have laughed so much at a family shoot before!

Here is a peak at our fun afternoon, love you guys and cant wait to see you again!
Love
Chantal
XXX

Family Photoshoot - Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens

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Morongoa & Basil - Stylish beyond compare

10/2/2014

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As the morning of Morongoa and Basil's wedding dawned, it was destined to be a day filled with excitement, emotion and incredible beauty. The amount of planning and detail that they had incorporated into their big day resulted in the most beautiful day with so many intricate details.

When we arrived at Oakfield Farm, we were greated by a very emotional Morongoa, it was finally here, the day she would say I do to the love of her life! While bridal retinue was hard at work getting themselves looking glamorous, we went off to the photograph the incredibly beautiful reception decor in Homestead. The team at Oakfield Farm and Cafe Fleur had been hard at work, as not a thing was out of place. The whites, pinks and silver colours gave the reception a very elegant and stylish feel, which reflects the couple so perfectly.

As the morning slipped away, and it was almost time for the ceremony, the men decided to have a whisky to steady the nerves. They looked very dashing in their grey suits, and had an awesome time doing some photographs with Diana who was my second photographer for the day.

The ceremony started with Tiro singing Ave Maria, and Basil was visibly nervous and a little emotional. The nerves all vanished as his beautiful bride walked down the aisle towards him, and was replaced biggest smile I have ever seen. After a lovely ceremony, Morongoa and Basil suddenly looked very content and relaxed. Although we had run a little late, and had a short time for the formal couple shoot, we got some lovely images of the couple, before it was reception time. The reception was a huge party, starting with the bridal party entering while doing the harlem shuffle. Delicious food, some emotional speeches and loads of dancing and laughter completed this amazing day.

Thank you to all of the amazing suppliers (listed below) who really worked hard to make this day perfect for Morongoa and Basil. A huge thank you also goes to Diana, who was amazing to work with. Its awesome to have you as part of my team, and look forward to working with you again!

Lastly, to Mo and Basil, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this amazing day, it was a honour working with you both. I am blessed to have you in my life, no longer as clients, but as friends. I wish you the all of the best, and may your love continue to grow stronger as the years pass.

Love
Chantal
XXX

Morongoa and Basil - Oakfield Farm Wedding

Thank you to all of the amazing suppliers:

Decor & Flowers - Cafe Fleur
Makeup - Azanian Makeup
Cake - JHB Cullinary & Pastry School
Mens Suits - Ramzay Creations
Minister - Paster Alistair Westcott
Wedding Dress Designer - RJK Creations
Photobooth - The Photocorner
Flowergirls dresses and bridal accessories - DNR Creations
Video - Laugh Catcher Videos
Singer - Tiro
DJ and lighting - Starlight Sounds

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Gorgeous little Isabella

9/25/2014

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Those people who know me, will probably be very surprised at this post. I am not a baby/newborn photographer, its not really my thing, but when a good friend who you have know for ever invites you to meet her 9 day old little package of sugar and spice, its very hard to resist taking the camera with.

Candice and Michael were blessed with the arrival of the tiny but incredibly feisty and beautiful Isabella on the 12th of September. This adorable little girl was such a great model for us, as she slept through all of the photographs, and even pulled some of the cutest faces.

Here is a peak at the perfect little Isabella, congratulations again to my lovely friend Candice and her fiancé Michael on the birth of your first child together.

Love
Chantal
XXX

Baby Isabella - Newborn Photoshoot

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A steamy engagement shoot - Samantha and Francois

9/18/2014

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Samantha and Francois, had the most beautiful and very steamy engagement shoot in March this year. Their E-shoot was scheduled during the wettest months in Johannesburg, where we had no sun for days on end. Poor Samantha was very stressed out, and was ready to postpone right up until the morning of the shoot. A few panicky messages went back and forth between us, but as morning dawned, we woke up to the most perfect sunny weather. I do believe, to this day, that it was a sign that these two are meant to be together!

We arrived at the rather wet, but fabulous venue for the shoot, Reefsteamers in Germiston, and were greeted by the friendliest people, who are all volunteers that restore the old steam trains. They were so excited to see us and showed us the engines we could go inside and opened up the sheds so we could use different locations for the shoot.

Samantha looked beautiful, having had her make-up done that morning by Shandre, and the couple looked amazing together in their simple but elegant outfits of blue jeans and white shirts. Can you believe, Samantha and Francois had never really been in front of a camera and were super nervous about this? They are smoking hot and the camera just loves them! This young couple are just so in love and comfortable together, they needed very little coaching to get the steamy and sexy images.

Here is a peak at the E-shoot we did with this fabulous couple .... Sam and Fafa, I love you guys, you are amazing and I am blessed to have met you and to now call you my friends!

A huge thank you has to go to my second Chris who ran around with me, climbing up and down engines and made the day run a bit smoother, as well as to the amazing Team at Reefsteamers who provided us with the perfect location.

Love
Chantal
XXX

Sam & Francois E-shoot - Reefsteamers

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Planning your Wedding Day - Wedding Cake Tips!

9/11/2014

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Reality TV shows, such as Cake Boss or our local Charlys Cake Angels, have changed the way we see, think and feel about wedding cakes. Especially the way they look and taste. These shows have led to an explosion of different and unique options, sizes, shapes, flavours, colours and decorating techniques – nothing is impossible or too much. As there is just so much choice out there, I have decided to try and give you a few tips to consider when choosing your bakery and wedding cake.

The first step, before even meeting with your decorator is to think about what colours you want your wedding to be. For some brides this is easy as they have been planning this day since they were 5, while for others it is a little harder. The best thing to do is to start gathering ideas and inspiration of the things you love. This can be done online (Pinterest is a fantastic tool) or by looking through magazines. If you have a Pinterest board, this will make it a lot easier for your decorator to get a feel of what you like and want for your wedding day.

Booking your cake decorator:

Fabric swatches - Image courtesy of Megperotti.com

To avoid disappointment, it is best to book your wedding cake decorate/bakery early. Like most things wedding, all the good decorators get booked months in advance and are therefore quickly fully booked. And specialist bakers will limit the number of cakes they make a week.

When you make an appointment to meet with your prospective cake decorators, be sure to bring along your Pinterest board, magazine pictures or any photos that can be used as a guideline. Also bring along a copy of your invite, table centre pieces and/or flowers. Think about the theme and colours you want on your cake: traditional white with splashes of colour or maybe something more fun and unusual.

A great thing to bring along is fabric swatches, as they can give the decorator a good idea of the colours, theme and general look and feel of your reception. Keep in mind that, your cake should match the theme of your wedding and can or should be the centre piece of your reception.

The size of your Wedding Cake:

Chart courtesy of www.cremecakery.com

The size of your cake is traditionally determined by the number of people that will be attending your wedding and when you are planning on serving it. You do not want to be left with three quarters of your cake after your wedding. Therefore, it is important to discuss this with your decorator.

In terms of when to cut your cake, it’s a new trend to cut it straight after the ceremony, as this gives your guests something to nibble on while you are having your photos. Another trend is to use your cake as part of your dessert table.

Hence, be sure to discuss the number of people and when you are planning to serve your cake with your decorator, so they can advise on the size of cake required for your wedding.

Type of Wedding Cake:

Tiered cake, cupcakes, mini cakes, cake pops or push pops? A tiered cake always has a wow factor and really forms a centre piece at your reception. However, cupcakes, mini cakes or cake pops are just as pretty and much easier to serve. Something to keep in mind is that people can easily take home their cupcake, meaning you are not left with additional cakes. However, with a slice of cake, unless you provide boxes, they are not easy to take home.

Cake design by Sugarbean Cakes

Cupcakes by Lil Delights

Cake pops - Courtesy of aweddingcakeblog.com

Push pops - Courtesy of ebonypeoples.com

Wedding Cake Flavours:

Cake Flavours - Image courtesy of cakesncupcakesng.com

Wedding cakes are no longer just plain fruit cakes; they now can come in whatever flavour you desire, whether it is vanilla sponge or red velvet. The options and choices are limitless. Therefore, it is best to decide between yourself and your fiancé what flavours you like and which you don’t like. This will make your choice a little easier. However, if you can’t choose, select a few flavours and ask your decorator if you can do a cake tasting. Often a cake tasting is an additional cost but it is worth it, as you want a delicious moist cake that you and your guests will enjoy on the day.

Overall look of your Wedding Cake:

Buttercream icing is delicious, but doesn’t give a beautiful smooth finish to a cake like fondant does. Also, fondant allows your cake decorator to be creative with your decorations and make beautiful trimmings for and on your cake, such as sugar flowers, piping and painting. Another trendy icing option is chocolate ganache, which is very rich and gives an almost smooth finish to your cake. If you like the look of fondant but not the taste, speak to your decorator about the possibility of icing your cake with buttercream or chocolate ganache and then covering it with fondant. This will mean that it looks great and tastes great too. Just remember elaborate decorations, sugar flowers, trimmings, etc will add to the cost of your cake.

An easy way to make your cake look fun and unique is to include cake toppers. A relatively inexpensive option is to purchase cute porcelain or plastic bride and groom toppers. Alternatively, you can order monogram letters. Otherwise, speak to your decorator about making sugar flowers or gum paste figurines to top your cake. These are edible but can also be kept for years.

Cake Design - Annicas Cakes

Cake Design - Casalinga Ristorante

Cake Design by Family member

Image courtsey of weddingtopic.com

Paying for a Wedding Cake:

Cake prices are usually based on the size of the cake, i.e. number of servings and the intricate, time consuming little details that need to be added to the cake. Be prepared to pay a deposit to secure your booking, as you are unlikely to find a decorator that will even start your cake without a deposit. The balance is usually payable 2 – 3 weeks before your wedding date.

It is important to find out if your cake decorator will deliver and set up your cake on the day. As well as, what the additional cost would be or if it is included in the cake cost. Finally, keep in mind that you will need a cake stand for the day of the wedding. A lot of cake decorators hire them out. You would need to find out if that is possible and what the cost would be. There are many hidden or forgotten costs when choosing a wedding cake, so be sure to ask all these questions and more upfront.

Shelley & Garith's Wedding - Cake Design by Charly's Bakery

Last thing to remember is "let them eat cake" and enjoy your wedding day!

A big THANK YOU needs to go to L’il Delights (www.lil-delights.com) for helping me gather and put all this info together, and for the increase in dress size as I am often used as the taste tester of all sorts of deliciousness!

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The Wyatt Family

9/4/2014

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When the family comes to visit all the way from Australia, what is the best thing to do? A family shoot of course!!! My friend Robynne contacted me when her family decided to visit South Africa again and asked if we could do a family shoot with everyone as a little memento of the trip. It was awesome having this family together, they were so much fun and it was anything but the ordinary "Say Chesse" family portrait session.

From the crazy but loving antics of the adults to the boisterous boys and the cutest little girl on the planet, this was an awesome morning filled with loads of giggles and laughter. And, if you were wondering .... yes there is a theme in the outfits, everyone had to wear something purple!

Here is a peak at the Wyatt family's photo-shoot at Horwood Farm.

The Wyatt Family Photoshoot - Horwood Farm

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Carrie & Greg - A French Affair

8/28/2014

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One of the most amazing couples I know, Carrie and Greg, got married in December at the beautiful Morrells in Northcliff. Their theme was vintage French and it definitely had the wow factor! The shabby chic decor included a variety of flowers, little perfume bottles, silver teapots and bird cages with little birds. The little details along with the fabulous venue suited this classy couple so well with its simple elegance.

When I first met them, Carrie explained that the little birds that were incoporated in the decor were a tribute to her Mom who would be watching over them from heaven during the day. I am pretty sure that this little touch, along with the amazing lady that Carrie is, made her mom proud and smile down at the beautiful couple.

Carrie looked magnificent in her vintage inspired gown from De La Vida Gowns, she took her handsome grooms breathe away as she walked down the aisle. The day was perfect in every way for this lovely couple, even the weather played along with us, as the huge thunderstorm that threatened all day only hit when every one was inside the reception enjoying the delicious cocktail dinner.

A big shout out goes to all the suppliers (listed below) for making Carrie and Greg's Wedding day so perfect. Another big thank you goes to my amazing second photographer Sherrie for all of her hard work in assisting me.

To Carrie and Greg, my ginger couple, you guys are fabulous and I just love you! I am so lucky to have met you and to have shared your day with you. Its awesome to count you as friends, and I wish you both huge success in your careers and a very happy and long life together.

Here is a peak at their special day
Love
Chantal
XXX

Carrie & Greg's Wedding - Morrells Boutique Hotel

A huge shout out to the amazing suppliers that made this day so perfect:

Venue, Food and Flowers: Morrells – [email protected]

Wedding gown: De La Vida Bridal Couture - [email protected]

Wedding Officer: Ryan Hogarth – [email protected]

Wedding Cake: Annicas Cakes – [email protected]

Grooms Suit – Khaliques Fordburg

Wedding Stationary – Scrap Crazee Meyersdal (Kathy)– [email protected]

Make up – Makeup By Monique - [email protected]

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Stunning Cactus Flowers

8/8/2014

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It is pretty rare to see a cactus flower, especially as they only flower once a year and for one day only. So I was super excited to see one of our cacti had 2 buds on it! I started watching the plant every morning to ensure I got at least one photo of the flowers, and low and behold, one morning I got up and both buds had opened on the same day! I rushed off in my PJ's and slippers to get my camera and managed to get a few awesome photos of this rare occurance!

Here is a peak at the beautiful flowers that appeared one morning and was gone the next!