Forgotten Pleasures:


Post-Art


Sure things are more convenient, safe & reliable in our super modern age but we could argue...un-excitingly so. So many great pleasures are making their way onto the extinction list and at such a rate that we barely remember them at all.

Well i'm remembering one of them now. Thanks to a great friend in the US of A, who caused this beautiful little thing to end up in our postbox in Sunnyside. welovelyndsay It's not addressed to me, but to Maike, and although she has yet to come home and open it i had to share it with you all. Who ever you might be.

What a great feeling such a pretty little surprise can create in our busy lives. We should all make an effort to post beautiful things like this to each other far more often. Sure it's what's inside the envelope that matters but it is what's out-side of it that has made my day.

love
travis





Introducing...The Davidsons

23-05-09

We had to post a few images from Nick and Liesels awesome wedding which took place yesterday at Villa Paradiso (the name is cheesy but the venue is very very cool) in Haartebeespoort.

Our day began badly, when after a wrong turn or 2, we finally admitted we need to buy a GPS device. The day turned for the (far) worse when Travis locked the keys in the car...with all the kit still in side. yes...we know.
A few of Nick's friends offered to help, who claimed their shady past may for once come in handy, but they failed to get into the car. The trusy wire coat-hanger method-not so trusty.

It was decision time. We were missing the preperation and causing, a surprisingly calm looking Nick' some unneccesary stress. We had a simple choice, a lock-smith or a brick in a sock. Nobody had a spare sock, so lock-smith it was. However, fearing the lock-smith may not make it in time, Travis and a guest persisted and managed to spring the gear from the car.


That was the end of our hassles, the wedding was now (finally) on. It was a feast for photographs with a classic Hudson car and a Triumph Motor-cycle, rad looking guests and an a super rad looking Nick and Liesel.
Here's a very quick peak at this amazing couple, who we are blessed to now call friends.

love
welovepictures









"The Great Catch-Up" Part 2


Yorik and Sindie


Man were we excited to shoot this wedding. It would be, and may remain, the most unusual wedding we have had the pleasure of covering.

It took place on the 19th floor of the Lister Medical Building in Jo'burg (check it out at, http://www.intermission.co.za/venue.htm , awesome venue for an exhibition, wedding or any other function). The ceremony unfortunately had to be moved, from the roof-top, indoors & away from the impending rain. (Bummer, it would have made amazing pictures) We did not dwell on it though for their were exciting things to come.

Yorik and Sindie had sent us references for the family portraits that they wanted us to create for them on the wedding day. They wanted early photography, 1850-1900 Daguerreotype style photographs. Just like the kind you might find in your grandmothers old photo-albums. We agreed to their request, obviously! We set up an old-school portrait studio next to the venue in the buildings studio, which Alastair so kindly let us use. We also brought along a few props. Travis couldn't resist bringing a gun! "When else are we get such an opportunity again" ? he said. Thank you Yorik and Sidie, you've made his life.

The decor was simple and beautiful too. Protea's every where. White wooden chairs lined up both sides of one very very long table for the guests to sit at. And (this is unbelievable) 2,000 hand-folded origami birds hung from the ceiling!

Ok enough of that. enjoy the pictures (we've put quite a few in for this post)

love
welovepictures




















Check out Sindie's website:

http://www.tinktinkietiet.co.za

and Yorik's too:

http://www.xdslweb.co.za/

"The Great Catch Up" Part 1


Tertius en Lira.


4 days of boere-sport, potjie-kos maak, dans en sing, & doing absolutely nothing but lying on the grass. Oh and a beautiful wedding to knock it all off at the end. We got to hang around & document it all. And eat. A lot.

welovefarmweddings










"The Great Catch Up"

We're so far behind. We should have shared some of the amazing weddings we have shot over the last 2 months a good while ago, but we're so slack. So we are going to attempt to play catch up. We'll feature each of the last 6 couples on the blog - back to back. We hope you can keep up.

love
welovepictures

Of course it's Organic ?

Our super-Ethiopian-brother Solomon brought us some very special organic Ethiopian coffee today. Grown with love. Harvested with care. Fairly Traded. Transported (no doubt) by very simple means to our end of the big horses head. And into our blessed little hands in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

We washed them. We very slowly roasted them, because Solomon says the coffee tastes much better that way, (doesn't everything done slow just work out better), for close to 45 minutes. I was having the time of my simple little life! I couldn't even wait for the beans to cool down before they were into the grinder. I simply cannot describe the smell, it was a have to be there kind of moment, when i lifted the lid on the grinder. A fine dark brown powder of awesomeness.

A few scoops into our "stainless-steel-stove-top espresso-magigy" and then...we waited. And I think i'll stop there. There is something immensely amazing about making your own coffee in this way, that is difficult to describe, and can only be experienced.

We highly reccommend it.

love welovepictures (and organic home roasted Ethiopian supe awesome coffee)

Now thats a Camera



I think Wedding Photo-Journalists (not that there are many, if any in SA) are quaking in the boots at the site of Maike behind the mammoth that is HOLGA!

Let loose, & un-restricted by technology she went on a plastic rampage with only one thing on her mind...

...remember to wind on.

His love has come

Dear Kobus and Ola,

Thank-you.

Maike and i are ever so grateful and blessed, not only, for having the amazing opportunity to photograph your wedding with the freedom you allowed us, but also to have been witness (with a camera and the deepest inside bits of our hearts) to so many unbelievable gestures of love towards yourself and Kobus.

Will we ever experience a party of the same kind again? A feast of music, food, love and laughter. Oh, and Vodka. We doubt it! We have never been to a wedding where ALL the guests are dancing before the starters have been served. Has anyone for that matter?

There were times where we couldn't photograph, because dancing your a$ off is easier without a camera. There were times where photographing was difficult and for very different reasons, the kind a man usually tries very hard to hide. Where your deep love poured out in songs written for each other, and so bravely and beautifully performed in front of all of us for each other.

We hope you like what we did for you. We thought it only appropriate to involve your parents and a little something special said by Hannes in his speech to you both. God's huge love for you both, and now in your marriage, truly, has come.

God is very very good.

love
Travis and Maike

we should get to bed, we've got work tomorrow

kobus & his mum's dog. the day we saw the venue.

All the plastic cameras are clean (of course i'm lying), loaded with expired film and packed! Tomorrow afternoon we have the awesome pleasure of photographing the beginning of a wonderful life together for Kobus and Ola. On Holga's, Diana's with Ring-Flashes and super samplers too. Maike cant wait. Neither can i, she's gonna be a sight packing all that plastic heat.

I'm taking an altogether (depending on who you might be) laid back approach. 5D MKii, and Yashika Twin-Lens Reflex camera, though still towing the line with expired film. I've missed film, alot.

We've got something amazing planned. We cant wait to show you all, let a lone shoot it.

bed time..

night
travis

"not so" Sunnyside, Pretoria, South Africa 0002























The not so Sunnyside of Sunnyside @ 17h55 this evening.

Des nose up with his plastic camera as a super storm approaches above us only to finally come to nothing but amazing clouds and really beautiful light.


SESLING

Bands. Not something we have jumped at in the past. Any requests we have had up till now have concentrated on the live aspect only. We're not knocking photographing bands in this way, not at all, it's just that we've always hoped we could be used by them in a different way.

We were given that opportunity 2 weeks ago by SESLING. We've added just a few of our favorites. Tell us how you think we did.

love
welovepictures


the big comp shot. 6 in total.

andre

werner


Follow SESLING at http://www.myspace.com/seslingsa




in the beginning...

...you have to start somewhere. Simply, boldly, however, but start. We've got some catching up to do. so we'll start there.

5 Recent Weddings - 5 Great Shots

Tertius & Lira

Four days of dancing, eating and laughing in the North West Province. A farm wedding like no other. Lira made her entrance in a 1950's Classic Mercedes, while Tertius opted for a more agile yet equally classic entrance - a bicycle. Take a look at the clouds behind Tertius. It threatened disaster throughout the entire ceremony. With grace, it came only when everyone was inside dancing there a$$es off.

Michael & Marissa

Travis grew up with Michael, their family's have merged into one big crazy bunch, so this was an amazing blessing for him to be able to photograph their wedding. There was a big party to follow this, a Huge one! Would you believe this Autumn scene was shot in Alberton, on the East Rand. Remember, you have to look at things the right way.

Terick & Bronwyn

These guys are awesome! We have never had an easier job to do. No expectations, just that we all have a laugh, and we did! We love you guys!

Colin & Lucy

Now we have never been into flashy things but this American machine was hard not to notice. We think you'll agree. Wow. Colin and Lucy were so laid back they just said, "do what you do" and we did. We put them in from of "the machine" ! Done!

Yorik & Sindie

We know what you are thinking, "it can't be a real wedding, it's a set up". This wedding was as real as any wedding we have ever been to. There was a bride & a groom. Kissing, crying, cake, flowers, laughing, dancing, singing, and even 2,000 Oragami Birds hanging from the roof. It was real. This is why we love what we do. Yorik & Sindie were young and unconventional and they wanted to do something very different. So with circa 1800 style portraits as reference from them, ( "and a gun" - Travis) we ended up with this! We'll post more of them as we finish up the editing.

"...if you just look at it the right way..."

love
welovepictures