Like 99.9% of my shoots, Michelle & Wikus’s Engagement Shoot started out with me having two nervous people in front of my lens. This is actually one of my favourite parts of my job. I very seldom have someone in front of my lens who feels completely comfortable being there. Hell, if I’m honest, even I don’t start out feeling comfortable being there (even when I’m the only one in the room and I’m just doing self portraits). But the most incredible thing always happens. I started to pose and direct Michelle and Wikus and right before my eyes I started to see their confidence grow. I saw their nerves turn to excitement and I saw their nervous smiles turn into genuine ones.

This transformation happens at every shoot and it’s really the most incredible thing to witness and be apart of. It’s one of the many parts of what I do that sets my soul on fire and confirms, on a daily basis, that I am definitely in the right career.

As Michelle and Wikus relaxed more and more we all got more into the whole photo shoot. They both came to life in front of my lens and I got to capture the love they share for each other. They started to interact more with each other while I gently guided them on where and how to stand. And I got to roll around on the floor, find perfect leaves and do my crazy little tap dance every time I found perfect light.

Getting a range of images

We covered quite a lot of ground moving around for this shoot. I always try give my clients a whole range of images from their engagement shoots. This way they can let me know what they really love. And then I know what to focus on on their wedding day. Also, this shoot was done at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, so that meant we just had to go to the waterfall. And then we worked our way back towards the entrance from there, stopping a lot along the way. This also meant I got to chat to them for the whole walk to the waterfall. A perfect way to start a shoot and make easing nerves easy once the camera is out.

Keep an eye out – their wedding is just around the corner and I can’t wait to capture it!