Love is in the Air - Marzanne and Michael

This recent wedding I co-photographed for my favourite wedding photographer, has a love story behind it as spectacular as the couple themselves! They kindly agreed to to tell it in their own words for me (While on Honeymoon in the Maldives!!):

Marzanne:

I started working as a corporate flight attendant in Nigeria in 2008. One day, about a month after I started working for the company, our Chief Pilot and another other captain were discussing that the company urgently had to employ one more pilot. I’m sure they were just fooling around, but the Chief Pilot gave me two CV’s and asked which one I thought the company should employ. I looked at the CV’s which only contained the names and employment history; no photos, no ages, NADA! As I didn’t know what to look for on a pilot’s CV I just went for the one who’s name I liked best. So, I jokingly picked the one who’s name sounded best and said to Glen (our Chief Pilot then) to first ask for a photo of the one I picked... one can never be too sure with these Americans.... A few days after this conversation I went on leave so I never found out who we did employ...

Michael:

In 2008 I was out of work, the recession was starting, and the only work I could find was in AFRICA! I had a telephonic interview with a company in NIGERIA and they asked for a picture. This was unusual for me, as it is uncommon in the states. Little did I know, it was at the request of my future wife!!

I was soooo nervous. As someone who has only read about Africa in NatGeo, my expectations were something different than reality. I met the most beautiful woman I have ever met!! Her personality is un-deniable. Anyone that has ever met her will agree. Beauty, brains, personality,...she has it all. We spoke, confided and formed a friendship that I have never had before...She is my best friend and the person that I will spend the rest of my life with!! ;-)

Marzanne:

Our new pilot, Michael, started working with us towards the end of 2008. It was only later, after Mike and I have formed a strong friendship that I discovered that Glen asked him for a photo! This was my pick!! Mike and I were friends and confidants for a long period before we got romantically involved with each other. It was worth the wait! Soon after we got together (2 months to be exact) we were on a flight from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth to visit my sister. At top of decent he pulled out the most beautiful engagement ring and asked me to be his wife! What a fitting engagement for a couple who work at 47,000 feet in the air, who get to travel the world at each other’s sides and experience life at a different angle. I knew then that life couldn’t get better!

Michael:

Now that Marzanne and I are married, we are hoping to start a family steeped in S. African and American traditions. I love Africa and I love my wife!!!

The wedding ceremony and reception was at the The Plantation, Sardinia Bay, Port Elizabeth.

See Marzanne and Michael's wedding album here.

Fire Chief Ethan on Duty!

All the shoots I do are special to me... and some are just special to everyone! We spent a Saturday morning at the South End Fire Station in Port Elizabeth with Anoesjka, Riaan and their little Fire Chief Ethan. And I'm sure the adults had more fun than Ethan!

When Anoesjka contacted me to book a shoot the initial idea was just to get some nice "Fireman" shots of Ethan to use for his birthdayparty invitations in December. We agreed that it would be lovely to have the backdrop of the Firestation and Anoesjka took a chance and contacted the Fire Department in South End.

They were absolutely delighted to have us and this very special shoot was planned.

Our three hosts Fireman Jacobs, Whittaker and Padayachee made sure that Ethan had great fun inspecting them, the trucks and he even hitched a ride in two of the firetrucks.

The package for this shoot forms part of my Easter Special which is a 30 Minute Location Photoshoot for R250. You receive 3 A4 Prints and 30 edited, high resolution digital photographs on disk. In this case Anoesjka had the full set printed twice for each set of grandparents... and I'm sure they loved it.

While I will be coming up with themes for these shoots throughout the month of April, please feel free to contact me with your own ideas. Photos that tell your story are not supposed to be stiff and posed, the photograph must tell the observer who you are, what your loves are and how you have have fun!! Visit my contact page to get my contact details.

View the entire Fire Chief Ethan shoot here