MY JOURNAL

Danny is Korean and lives in the US with his wife Laura, a photographer herself. I was quite honored when she asked me to document this for her as she has such an impressive portfolio and has documented an adoption before. You can see more of Laura’s work here. When the decision was made to start a family, the couple opted to adopt a Korean child. Laura felt that God had placed little Joey on their path, she was perfect for them! On completion of the adoption process in February of this year, they contacted me to document their first couple of days together in Seoul. Our 1st location was at a nearby park with some pretty Korean architecture as it was important for Danny and Laura that Joey have a reminder of her Korean heritage one day.

Their story began in May of 2016 when Madeleine was out and about in Yeosu with her dog, Henry. Hyeonsoo, who was on vacation, spotted the two, went over to say “hello” and ended up spending the rest of the day taking in the sites of Yeosu with Madeleine and Henry. The rest, as they say, is history.

This classy, Malaysian couple chose Seoul as the destination for their pre-wedding shoot. The city’s vibrant metropolis of ultra modern and historical architecture, which was important for them to be prominent in some of their photos, made it the perfect location for Blake and Ruth’s modern urban vibe they were looking for. The people of Seoul are trendy, following the latest fashion and cosmetics movements, and so Blake and Ruth’s stylish choice of wardrobe for our session fitted right in. I decided to capture the essence of this couple as they moved through the lively city from one location to the next. Blake and Ruth are as much FUN as what they are sophisticated!! Their zest and love for life is as great as their love for one another! Everything this couple does together is next level, whether it’s sharing a tender moment, a joke, conversation, taking a stroll or just goofing off!

Dean and Lorie are from the Philippines and chose beautiful Korea as their destination location for their Pre-wedding shoot. They came across my work after researching multiple photographers in Korea, loved what they saw and contacted me to do their shoot. They were looking for an authentic traditional feel with a little twist of Korean Pop culture, and so I convinced them to come to my city, Gwangju. On the one hand Gwangju is rich in traditional Korean culture with beautiful Hanoks and Temples out in the nearby countryside, and on the other, trendy and “vibey”, with coffee shops, restaurants, designer shops, a well as the buzz of downtown, lending itself to the perfect locations for the shoot.

In the late fall of last year I traveled up north to the town of Andong, famous in Korea for its tradition. In a beautiful ballroom of Andong Grand Hotel, Byeong-yeop and Ae-ri would be married in front of their loved ones. Never have I felt so welcome and so appreciated than with this couple and their families! It was going to be a beautiful day!

While many Korean brides plan their wedding at least a season in advance, Mina contacted me about a month before her wedding. She was originally not going to have a wedding because she didn’t like the idea of having the ordinary proceedings of the typical Korean wedding however she said she came across my photos of Pete and Sanha’s traditional ceremony, and the photos convinced her otherwise.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to document a beautiful wedding in Seoul, Korea’s capital. The awful summer heat had just passed by a week ago and I was excited to get out and enjoy a lovely outdoor ceremony. Another reason I was excited about this particular wedding was because not only is the groom a fellow South African, but he is a great photographer here in Korea too.

On a freezing day in January Mike and Jenni came down from Busan to spend the afternoon with me and have their engagement photos taken. The week before, Gwangju had, had the most snow it had seen in quite some time and made the city look like a winter wonderland. Really pretty to look at, but being out in it takes a little bravery 😉

Lisa has a special place in my heart because she was my first ever maternity client. I remember how nervous I was. I had a little book with poses drawn out, only one lens to work with and pretended that I knew exactly what I was doing when I had very little idea at all! But Lisa remained so calm and encouraged me every minute of that shoot, she made me feel so capable. I don’t think many clients realize that without knowing it, they teach us little things and impact our careers positively in numerous ways!

The first time I met the Billet family was for their daughter Briony’s newborn session and now she is already 3 years old!! I love seeing how all the children grow up and develop their own personalities, and little B is a cutie!! But on this rainy autumn morning I was not there for her, I came to photograph her new born brother, Griffin. I often try to photograph the newborns in their home (if the lighting conditions permit) because they are still so sensitive to the outside world. In their home they feel safe, it’s more convenient for parents and tells more of a story. Some day Griffin can see where he spent his first days and parents have a keepsake of this wonderful time (that goes by too fast) to look back on for many years to come.