Challenging Route to A Captivating Photoshoot For Brian and Putri
I’m the kind of photographer who would go through challenging circumstances and not giving up on difficult paths in the name of getting that one great shot. As long as I know that the photos will be worth it and the client would fall head over heels then I’ll pursue it whole-heartedly.
Just like the pre-wedding photoshoot I had with Brian and Putri in Lombok. Originally I proposed a Coachella concept where they both look wear casual bohemian style with the beauty ocean and glaring sun on the east of Indonesia as their background. However, their parents would love to see a photo of them in formal suit and dress. So we inserted a scene for that particular request during the photoshoot.
Putri is very shy and awkward in front of the camera, so I planned it to be an all-candid shoot by letting them walk, talk and hug naturally while I am busy capturing their every move.
Let me introduce you first to my client: The bride-to-be is a yoga instructor who is easy to be friends with anyone, her parents are doctor who live and work in Lombok. The groom-to-be was the one who contacted me for this photo shoot. We didn’t get a chance to meet, at least not until we landed in Lombok. Brian is a funny and very straightforward guy. He’s very helpful and cooperative, assisting me to find the local’s permissions at every spot in Lombok that I proposed.
Together, Brian and Putri, were not difficult to capture at all because being romantic and lovely seem to happen quite naturally for them. What challenging was the track to our last spot, which required a hike. It was a hill at Tanjung Aan. Putri was not in a good condition, so she was already exhausted to climb up the hill. With what’s left of her energy, Putri committed to get the golden shot that I promised to them.
Now, the route to that hill was a total challenge. We had to walk across this path of beach rocks surrounded by thousands of sea urchin. The stones itself were sharp and painful to be passed through with feet, but we also had to keep our balance so that we don’t slip and fall onto a sea urchin. Super scary indeed! I got a sore feet afterall due to the rough stones that I put my feet on. Did I mention that I also slipped and got an injured foot? Yeap, that happened. Lucky me, the camera and lens did not get into the water.
Gratefully, as what I have always believed, no pain no gain! The sweats and pains I had to deal with earlier was paid with numerous golden shots, which I call the “money shot”! Most of Brian and Putri’s expressions were the truest emotions that I wanted to capture and revealed through my lens.
Thank God that Putri’s parents are professionals doctors. They took care of my feet, gave me medicine, and Putri herself who was sick got a vitamin supply from her parents. At the end of the day, what really made a photoshoot worth it for me was not the process, but the end result. The process, no matter how tough it is, would only make the story behind the photo more memorable, because as we looked through that particular frame in the future, all the stories and memories will emerged at the back of our mind.
Witnessing The Union of Martin & Noni
There is always something magical and romantic about visiting Bali with your loved ones, let alone holding a wedding in this beautiful island. If I could turn back time, I’d probably pick this island as the venue for my wedding. Or maybe later, for vow renewal with my husband, we’ll see. As for now, I’m happy with visiting friends’ wedding ceremony, or capturing my clients’ wedding that is held in Bali. Just a few weeks ago, I got everything that I could asked for in one package, which obviously made my day, like a little girl receiving a beautiful present wrapped in pink paper and big white ribbon. I had to visit Bali for one of my good friends’ wedding, which also happened to be my client! I got to do what I love to do, while at the same time having fun and celebrating the union of my two good friends. Remember Martin & Noni?
Yeap, it’s their wedding day! (Read about their pre-wedding photoshoot here)
https://tessypenyami.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/civita-martins-new-chapter/
Through thick and thin, I’ve witnessed these two progressed in their love journey from friends, to fiancé. It was not a smooth sailing for them, so to be able to see them standing together at the altar, exchanging vows for a lifetime was definitely wonderful.
The concept of their wedding was a rustic hippie wedding with earth colors dominating the color palette that can be seen through the decoration and other stationary. Amazingly, they arranged this wedding without the help of a professional EO. It was an intimate wedding, as they only invited 70 guests, which is a mixture of close friends only and family members.
One day before the D-Day though, I had a bad migraine and fever. It was totally beyond expectation; I mean who would have thought that you would get sick in Bali, only a day before your friends’ wedding? With the worst scenario haunting, I texted a friend to standby as my replacement, just in case I couldn’t make it to the wedding. I decided to bed resting for the whole day, and sacrificing some good time that I could have spent with my friends, who were busy laughing at the pool and strolling around Bali.
Gratefully, I got better just in time. I woke up the next morning feeling all excited to witness their sweet union with my own eyes, while at the same time capturing the moments from behind my lens. Nonie got a surprise video from Martin, edited by the groom himself, that portrayed clips from every single travel they’ve done together in the past. After the wedding ceremony, rain was pouring heavily. Everyone had to run to a cabana to take cover from the rain. We ended up being stuck there for two whole hours because there was no umbrella at all to be used. No one was able to run through neither to the villa nor to the cars, which were parked about 10 minutes away from the venue. What a real memorable evening!
Well despite of everything, I still had to admit that I had a good time capturing Martin and Noni’s wedding. I believe they will have a strong marriage foundation, because they have managed to endure and overcome every single obstacle that came along the way. With them being united as husband and wife, I’m sure they would come out stronger from now on to tackle even bigger challenges that might come their way.
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