Beautiful brides: Photo of the day

I just wanted to share... :)

Keep loving, living and doing everything else to make those moments count!

Taryn rocking the bump @clifton

I absolutely loved this shoot of my beautiful pregnant cousin @ Clifton Beach. Taryn and Rob were staying in a little Clifton beach front apartment at the time of the shoot and what better location than one's front doorstep. That and the fact that there were over 100 stairs to the road above, and only a few weeks from birth, too much walking just wasn't so much of fun :)

The weather was simply awesome but the water as always was an ice block, so all shots in the sea were taken quickly and just at the right moment. We started off easily with some simple chilled shots but once Taryn and Rob realised this whole photo thing wasn't that  bad ;) they quickly pulled out the poses and smiles for the camera. The happiness of expectant parents was as truly evident as the sun was bright and shiny!!

We had plenty of fun on the beach before taking a few shots back at the apartment. For some background, Rob and Taryn didn't find out the sex of their baby at the time and affectionately referred to it as 'Biscotti'. In addition Rob works for Vida é Café and we decided to add a little touch of the coffee to the biscotti for some fun shots - a pretty good matching I'd say :)

Anyway, we had a great time and thanks to Rob and T for all their energy, patience and coolness. This is definitely one of my favourite shoots of 2012 and deserves a long hard look. <3 it! I hope you do to.

Ciao for now.
Matti

Little Lucas Lee

 

Lucas Lee. This little guy really melted our hearts when we met him. Lucas's mom contacted me for a little family shoot, which we did a few days before his 1st birthday!!! Lucas and his family are from Taiwan and havent been living long in SA. Lucas probably didnt understand a word we were saying but it didnt matter - he listened with his eyes and his actions spoke louder than we could - he was just too cool :)

 

My favourite moment (although not the easiest to capture) was when he saddled into his ferrari push car and zoomed around the room. I chased him for a while up and down the passages until he found a a rather interesting kitchen utensil which allowed him to rest for a while and poke at my lens :)

 

The whole family, from Grandpa to Uncle to Mom and Dad, were so taken by the little guy and it was so endearing to watch. Mom had a few outfits arranged but the favourite has to be when Lucas and Dad dressed up in matching Thai boxing outfits... man, so awesome!

 

Much thanks to the whole family for being so hospitable in their home and doing everything we asked. I hope we will meet again and I can get to take more shots of this fabulous dude!

 

Enjoy.

Matti



 

Devon.

My first encounter with Devon was a little before he was born :) Some may remember him as just a bump in his mommy's tummy - see http://mclaganphotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/claires-home-made-bump-shoot.html for a quick recap :)

Devon is as cute as he looks and at just 12 days old he melted most hearts. He had certainly captivated his mom and dad who were as proud as could be. We had a great evening and Devon came out to play and stare boldly into my lens... his eyes, baby wiggles and stretches making many an 'ooh' and 'ahhhh' moment.

I can't believe its taken me so long to share these pics with you and looking back at them brought a smile to face - hopefully you'll be sharing the love.

Thanks to Claire and Riley for being as awesome as ever and sharing their excitement with us. You guys have been blessed :)

Now go and enjoy the photos...

Cheers for now,
Matti

Ambers Matric Dance portraits

What seems like a long time ago, I had the opportunity to take some pre matric dance photo's of Amber. The evening was surreal and brought memories flooding back from my matric days and the fun that came from the big night!! Oh to be young again...

The excitement was palpable, there were many laughs, much love and plenty of colour to fit the occasion. The weather was slightly on the miserable side but this wasn't going to stop anyone - least of all Amber who was ready to party no matter what. Given her spirit and energetic personality, I'm pretty sure she stole the night :)

Here are a few from the evening - Thanks to Tracy for organising and Amber for being up for anything - I hope you love ;)

Altius et Latius.
Matti

Dani and Xander Engagement Shoot

It's 2013 and we're back in action! The McLagan Photography workshop has been busy, busy, busy and it's time to share some of the past months action with you. So, what better way to kick off the new year than with one of my favourite shoots of 2012 - Dani and Xander's engagement shoot at Noordhoek Beach.

 Location, Location, Location. Heard that one before? Well it's true... but in this case it was Dani & Xander, Location, Location, Location. I'd been eyeing a spot on this beach for ages and finally got the chance when Dani said they were all for a beach vibe setting. The location did not disappoint but add a dash of Dani and Xander spice and we had a whole new kettle of awesomeness to work with. They were fun, spontaneous, energetic, full of love and up for pretty much anything - all I had to do was point and shoot!

By the end of the session, you'd swear we'd been friends for ages. As the sun set behind us, it was the perfect end to a great weekend. Thanks so much guys, I cannot wait for the wedding - it's going to be a rock star event!

Before you get to the photos, just one last word (if you are still reading) from me - I recently said that some people put far too many photos in a blog post and you race through them to the end - ironically I'm guilty as charged in this post. There were just too many great photos not to share them all. I do hope you stick with it and make it all the way to the end - it's worth it!

Keep your eyes posted for more to come soon. Until then...
Cheers

Matti

Christine: Inside Access

IT IS HERE.... The full inside access to Christine Pearson!!! :)

Make-up by  the talented Kerryn Olivier - please show some love at: www.facebook.com/KerrynOlivierProfessionalMakeUpArtist  or contact her on 072 146 3821

Thank you, thank you, to my friend for an awesome fun filled afternoon. And especially for finding her unlocked hidden talent in front of the camera :) "Smouldering!"

The forces may have been against us on the day but I think we rocked it none the less. Then there Access Park and the blue gate... seriously who would have thought! :)

Prepare to have your socks rocked....

Cheers,
Matti

Lovely Lara Smith and Family

Ahhhhh man, if this isn't one of the cutest happiest kids out there :) Rich and Nina you guys have created a fabulous little bundle of joy!! Love her!

Ok, so this shoot feels like an age ago but, better late than never, I'm happy to finally be sharing it with you. I had offered Nina's playschool a voucher as part of their annual raffle for a free family shoot - alas it was not used by the winner(????) so I offered it to Nina and Rich for some updated pics of Lara - who has grown up so much since I first took pics of her about a year ago!!

We met at Kirstenbosch Gardens where the family had set up a little picnic spot in the corner. Lara had the open plains to run around in and plenty of snacks and drinks to replenish herself on (it's tough work all this fun). Favourites of the day were definitely Ghostpops and strawberries. A seemingly odd pairing... but not when you're kid - anything goes!!! It also made sense, obviously, to get the all the Ghostpops out of the packet to be enjoyed all at the same time!! :)

My favourite moment / game of the day was after Lara had done a little run around with dad or mom or the ducks, and she would come running back to the blanket, lie down and gently but firmly say - " Mommy lie" - and so she would. "Daddy lie" and he would oblige. Then after a quick succession of giggles, she would hop up and make a run for it... man so cute!!!

It was a beautiful afternoon at Kirstenbosch and thanks to the Smith family for the treats, fun and catch up!!! We'll definitely be doing it again soon.

Enjoy and see you again soon,
Matti