Niki M's Top Tips - Get The Most Out Of Your Wedding Photography

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Today's post is a bit off course compared to the usual Niki M posts, but my latest quest is a guide to resources and a collections of tips for clients. This is pretty important as most couples invest upwards of 10% of their total wedding budget on photography/videography, so I decided to share some of it on the blog. This is not a complete wedding guide. This is a forget-me-not guide; a small guide - partly to make sure you get the most bang out of your buck, and also to point out things that many couples forget (including me) during their planning stages or on the day itself. So here goes...

Sarah and Mark - Tzaneen

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Sarah and Mark's wedding was so refreshing! But lets start at the beginning before I tell you why...

Sarah and Mark are missionaries from America, and they currently look after 12 orphaned and vulnerable children (12!) at a house in Modjadjiskloof, Tzaneen. Sarah is also actively involved in Pfunanane Ministries (http://www.pfunanane.org/, go read all about it) where she is Children's Home Director.

So when she contacted me and told me all about it, I was nervous. Traveling with strangers, to a place I had never been before. But I should not have worried... this experience was so liberating. I flew to JHB and caught a lift up to Sarah's home with Cricket and Mary Floye. Luckily they were awesome company, and we had a blast.

The brief from the very beginning, in Sarah's words: 'I want lots of photos of the kids, and don't worry about me'. So thats exactly what I did. These kids are a laugh and a half, each of them is so special! That combined with Sarah and Mark's awesome sense of humour, and their friendly and energetic families from America... this was a wedding never to be repeated. 

So, now that you know all of that, the reason it was so refreshing was that I got to photograph children, not worry too much about formalities, fight off killer emus and seriously energetic Shangaan dancers, and also because I now have memories of very special people that I will never, ever forget.

This post is overdue, but its because there are a LOT of photos... so enjoy! :)

Benjamin and Georgina

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Charlotte and I have been trying to coordinate a photo shoot of her two little ones for so long! The time finally came during my last trip to Joburg. Benjamin and Georgina are twins, and they are so so so gorgeous, I'm sure you will agree!

We spent a few hours together and I really think these photos are so special. Ben (you'll notice) was much more at ease with the camera, and he had a ball jumping for me and playing peek-a-boo from behind a gigantic tree. Georgie was much more reserved but she definitely let us know when she was having fun :)

Enjoy!

Featured on Moment Junkie!

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

If this day wasn't good enough, I was just informed that one of my photos was featured on Moment Junkie! (I'm grinning ear to ear, a smiley face does not do it justice)

Go check it out at http://www.momentjunkie.com/2011/05/the-cheers/

Whether or not to submit this photo was a bit of a toss-up for me... but in the end the fact that I smile every time I see this photo made me think that maybe I should try submit it, just in case they publish it and then everyone else will smile for a day!

If you are not a regular, bookmark Moment Junkie - its a super cool blog that publishes one photo per day. Photographers from around the world submit their 'moments' - I am so blessed to have had a photo featured!

Yuliya and Andrey - Port Elizabeth Couple Photographer

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Whoa, this shoot was so much fun! Blue sky, soft clouds here and there, an energetic couple, and a beautiful sunset to boot. Yuliya and Andrey (gorgeous couple!) hail from Russia, and they wanted special photos on the beautiful beaches of PE before they migrated to Johannesburg. I'm sure you will agree that these photos are truly special :) Enjoy...

Linda and Gerrie - Johannesburg Wedding Photographer

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A little while ago I travelled to Joburg for some creative fun, some learning, some business, and some general up-to-no-good-ness. Along the way, Leone Venter from Simply Me Photography (www.simplyme.co.za) and I stumbled into each other and I assisted her on three separate weddings as a second shooter.

This was the first of those weddings, and it belonged to the absolutely breathtakingly beautiful Linda and her long-time handsome love, Gerrie. The wedding took place at Olive Mystery in... the middle of nowhere... somewhere between Pretoria and Joburg, but not really :)

Details galore, three stunning bridesmaids, a trio of groomsmen with naughty grins, and one nervous groom meant it was go-time. Once Linda arrived I was extra happy to be involved in this wedding. She is one of the most gracious people I have encountered, and her smile says it all.

Unfortunately the Dominee did not allow us to take photos during the ceremony. Note to brides, make sure you ask - you would be amazed how many times photography during the ceremony is prohibited.

Congrats to the two of you and I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon :) Here are a LOT of photos... I just could not decide as usual :)

Nix xxx

Stefan's Portfolio Shoot

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Stefan contacted me a while ago to expand his modelling portfolio with new photos. He is a model at Y Models in CT. Once we finally got dates pinned down, we experienced the best weather ever! This was one of the few times I've made it down to the beach for an afternoon shoot and it was not a gale in the making :)

We had such a blast at these two sessions! Stefan was ready and willing to jump and laugh and goof around - and also to be serious and very model-like. We experimented with light and lens-flare from the sun. The two locations were the Donkin in Central PE, and Sardinia Bay Beach - the trusty favourite. On both occasions there were hardly any people about - but we didn't waste any time grabbing two cute dogs on the beach and playing with them :) The sunset was amazing to top it off. Aaaah - what an awesome shoot!

The Pinnock Family

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I posted these photos on my Facebook page but they never made it to the blog... it was such a travesty that I decided they MUST have a blog spot!

Best of the luck to the Pinnock family with their big move to America - thinking of you guys!

Bulungula Lodge

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We spent part of our honeymoon at Bulungula in the Transkei... and I can't stop thinking or talking about this place. I have never experienced such a sense of freedom and so much friendliness at any holiday destination. If you want to know what they are about or would like to take a trip to the lodge, visit http://www.bulungula.com/. The Nqileni village owns 40% of the lodge, and the residents of the village offer all sorts of guided tours and other services. Its spectacular, its paradise, and if you can brave the road... go there! Enjoy the pics xxx

The Bezuidenhout Family

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Oh my word. The feelings I feel when looking at these photos cannot even be explained. I wish with all my heart that I could just take family photos for a living. That way I could smile all day, every day - because what else would you do when editing photos filled with love and happiness.

Daniela, Theo, and their family have TONS of smiles surrounding them. I have never experienced so much laughter at a photo shoot - and that was just the children! Thank you SO much for allowing me the honour of photographing your family. If I did an ounce of justice to the day, then I'll fall asleep with a little smile on my face tonight xxx