Gabija and Audrius at Lux Le Morne

Gabija and Audrius at Lux Le Morne

Gabija and Audrius contacted me in January 2016 to have details about my photography services. They are from Lithuania and were getting married in Mauritius in September 2016. Gabija saw my pictures on my site and liked them so much that she wanted me to cover her Wedding. After some months of correspondance we finally met a few days before her Wedding in Mauritius. We had a great contact and were all looking forward to the D-Day.

The weather was absolutely amazing. Coverage started a bit more than 2 hours before the ceremony. I had time to make some creative shots of her accessories (shoes, Jewelry, bouquet, etc...).

We proceeded with the ceremony then with the photoshoot which last after the sunset. 

We had a great time with a lot of creative shots on a gorgeous location which is the Lux Le Morne hotel.

I proceeded with the edition of the pictures as from 19h00 and finished just before midnight. The couple and 3 friends/family of theirs spent the evening outside on the deck/bar and we had our diaporama presentation as soon as the pictures were ready. 

They were delighted about the shots. The couple wrote a touching and heartwarming message on my Facebook page to thank me for their pictures.

Sabrina and Wolfgang at La Pirogue Resorts - Mauritius

Sabrina and Wolfgang at La Pirogue Resorts - Mauritius

Sabrina and Wolfgang contacted me while they were already in Mauritius. They got married a few weeks ago in Germany and wanted a photoshoot session while being in Mauritius. They travel a lot and had visited many countries.

We had a great session on the charming location of La Pirogue Resorts, one of the oldest Hotel in Mauritius. 

The weather was beautiful and we had a stress free session. I made them run, jump, lye down, and the fun part is that we had to hide from another bride and groom who were getting married the same day in the hotel. As we know, new Brides do not like to see another bride around when it's their Wedding day. I was told of incredible stories of Brides fighting because the location they were had booked two weddings on the same premises but different places. Eventually the Brides met at a stage which caused huge fights, complaints and swears and so on. We absolutely wanted to avoid this and played almost Hide and Seek. Fortunately, it was a small wedding with no guests and the photo session coverage was short, giving us enough time to do what we wanted to do

The pictures were delivered the same day a few hours later. Sabrina was very moved watching the pictures.

Jessica and Adrian at Heritage Awali

Jessica and Adrian at Heritage Awali

Jessica and Adrian contacted me a few month ago because they wanted me to cover their Wedding on 28th August at the Hotel Heritage Awali in the South of Mauritius.

Then Wedding took place in the enchanted place of "Chateau de Bel ombre" which is a huge Manor House seated on several acres of land. They had set the Wedding Arc in front of the fountain and both said "yes" under the warm winter sun of Mauritius.

The setting was gorgeous and we proceeded for the family photos and photoshoot until the sunset. We continued on the beach where a beautiful table was set with little Christmas lights hanging around and a bond fire burning on the beach. It was a starry night and we had a wonderful evening.

Mary and Brendan at La Pirogue Resort - Flic en Flac, Mauritius

Mary and Brendan at La Pirogue Resort - Flic en Flac, Mauritius

Mary and Brendan are from France and Australia respectively and they work in hong Kong. They chose to get married in Mauritius because it's situated just in the middle of the way between France and Australia. That is so romantic...

They contacted me a few months before and we agreed about the package. I came to meet with them and do a recon a few days before the D-Day. 

They came with some family and friends. The wedding took place on the beach with the iconic "Le Morne" Mountain on the background. 

We proceeded for the photoshoot immediately after the civil Wedding ceremony. A few minutes after we started, a few rain droplets appeared. We were worried that a heavy rain would pour down on us thus hindering the photoshoot session as well as the drone shooting which they had also booked.

Fortunately, the heavens held the rain and even offered us a majestic, two arcs rainbow. We took this fantastic opportunity to do this rare shot. What a luck!

We continued on other parts of the Hotel premises. After the photoshoot, i proceeded with the edition and delivered the pictures a few hours later with much satisfaction from the couple.

Marta and Piotr at the St Regis Resort - Mauritius

Marta and Piotr at the St Regis Resort - Mauritius

Marta and Piotr are from Poland and contacted me a few months prior to their honeymoon photoshoot.

When they arrived in Mauritius, they were not sure where they wanted the photoshoot to take place. We went on a recon in some places we could do it. They finally booked a hotel, namely the St Regis, for their photoshoot session.

The setup of the hotel is full of character and we were very lucky that there was hardly any clients outside during our session. We have been able to include a lot of the structure of the hotel in the shots and they were very happy about it.

However, it was very cold on that day and we experienced a 13° in a place where it's usually 22° for that period of the year.

Becky and Wayne - Heritage Awali - Mauritius

Becky and Wayne booked my service through the Hotel Heritage Awali in the south of Mauritius. I only met with Wayne a few minutes before the ceremony started. 

After they said yes, cut the cake and drank the champaign, we proceeded with the photoshoot. The weather was overcast but we had a few pops of the sun from time to time.

There had been a little confusion about the package they chose. But after I delivered the pictures a few hours later, they where overwhelmed and loved their photos.

Mona and Snorre - Paradise Cove - Mauritius

Mona and Snorre contacted my via my website. They told me that they had consulted several sites and posts regarding my work before confirming. They come from Norway.

They knew exactly what they wanted for their wedding and everything had been carefully planned on their end. We met a few days before at the hotel since it was my first time shooting at the Paradise Cove.

The coverage started from the preparation of the Bride and Groom. After the Wedding Ceremony which was held on a wooden deck facing the mythical "Coin de Mire" mountain in the sea, we proceeded with the photoshoot. Following my advice, they had hired a wooden boat and we made some beautiful shots on the sea.

We continued until dark. The pictures were delivered the same day at around midnight. An issue about my card reader delayed the downloading process. Fortunately, as usual I had a plan B. 

They loved their pictures so much and thanked me several times. 

Another Award from Fearless Photographers

Another Award from Fearless Photographers

We did it again! Fearless Photographers have hand picked our picture again as "Picture of the Day". A month ago, we were chosen as Picture of the day already among thousand of photographers throughout the world. What an honor and privilege. Thank you Fearless Photographers.

 

Cindy and Yannick at Kogji Lodges, Tamarin

Cindy and Yannick contacted me in October 2015 with another couple. They were cousins and getting married one week apart. 

Cindy had carefully planned each part of her wedding. She asked me quite a few questions at the beginning because she had to be reassured that I was competent to cover her Wedding. I had been referred from another couple which I covered their Wedding a few months before. 

After a fruitful meeting, we committed together for a big day.

The Photoshoot session was being done at the reception site and has been done before the religious ceremony. We shot the meeting between the Groom and the Bride and the place where we did our shooting was beautiful and remote. 

It's kind of an exclusive place in the midst of nature, next to the National Park of Black River in Mauritius.

The day was beautiful with warm sun and dry while the week before, until the day before was stormy all over the island. The next day of her Wedding, the weather went bad again. So we could believe that there has been some kind of divine intervention for her big day.

Wedding at the So Sofitel

Wedding at the So Sofitel

This is my first Wedding shot at the So Sofitel. The booking was done through the Hotel and I met the couple while they were already in front of the Civil Officer. We did not have time to meet before.

The day was very windy and the Bride had a lot of issues to keep her veil still. The Wedding Officer had to shorten the ceremony because of the winds.

The couple, who came from Hungary, was a bit desperate about the weather and thought it would be a catastrophe. The package was to shoot their ceremony and have a short photoshoot.

I proceeded under the wind on the beach. The rain was about to come but fortunately the sun was shining since the rainy clouds were coming at the opposite direction of the sun.

After 20mns shooting on the beach, we moved to the spa of the hotel to do some more shots. The architecture of the building inspired me and I did some interesting pictures in the round designed rooms.

Then we did some shots in the small yard of the spa and rain started to come. I placed my light and did some nice shots of the rain drops behind the couple.

In about an hour, the whole shooting was done. I proceeded to edit the pictures and about 2 and half hours later, i went to deliver the pictures to the couple.

I showed them the images on my computer. The compliments started but what really touched me, is at the end, the Bride started to weep. Then she grabbed me and kissed me 3 times thanking me for the shots. Her husband did the same. I even felt embarrassed since they were both very moved that they could have descent pictures of their Wedding. 

Their appreciation and gratefulness was my reward that evening.

Sarah and Keith at the Heritage Awali, Mauritius

Sarah and Keith at the Heritage Awali, Mauritius

Sarah and Keith booked me through and Hotel in the South. they had seen my work on Facebook and my website and wanted me to cover their big day.

Lovely couple. they enjoyed their photoshoot very much. We got a great setting sun behind the clouds which projected large sun rays out of the clouds. Then at the end, it started to rain and after carefully placing them as well as a small cobra flash, I got some stunning shots of the rain drops while the couple was dancing under the rain.

Dorothee and Gilles and... rain at the Sugar Beach Resort

Dorothee and Gilles and... rain at the Sugar Beach Resort

Gilles contacted me via my Facebook page 3 months prior to his Wedding. he had seen my work and wanted me to cover his wedding. I saw him liking each picture I would post.

We met 2 days before his Wedding which was taking place on 11th April, a Monday. He arrived in Mauritius the previous Monday and during the whole week and the day we met to look through the details of his D-Day, it was sunny and hot. 

When we arrived on Monday to start coverage of Dorothee's makeup and preparation, she had already finished. The make up artist and hair dresser had started 2 hours before scheduled. We decided to start shooting her accessories and accompanied her during her dressing up and final preparation. We took some times with Gilles as well.

It had been raining and even pouring in the morning. The little Wedding Arc had been setup on the beach but the Hotel thought that it might be risky because the weather was uncertain and had prepared a setup under a kiosk.

But, the couple insisted to do it on the beach and they were right. The weather stood still during the ceremony and when we started the photoshoot. It had even been a bit sunny. But about 15 mins we had started the photoshoot, the rain came, and it came strong. I had been cautious about the weather and brought some protecting accessories for my cameras. However, the fog appeared on all my lens because of heavy damp and humidity when it rains. It has been a difficult time shooting with a Poncho, gears wrapped up in protective plastic but the front lens would get droplets and worst, would fog which seriously hindered our photoshoot. However after almost an hour, the rain stopped. We continued shooting but because of the time and the couds it got darker soon.

We finished the shooting in the manor house and I proceeded with the editing. It took me about 4 hours. Sometimes, i would just walk out the manor house (A huge decorated hall, always open) and look at the sky and I would see stars. All rain and clouds had gone when we finished the photoshoot. It seems that the bad weather took an appointment with us as well as for the photoshoot.

We delivered the pictures at around midnight and the client came and chat with us far a good 45 mins and brought champaign. We were delighted. He said he lost the rings when he arrived in Mauritius as well as some top electronic gears in a bag which fell from his chariot. He was lucky to find them back at the airport thanks to a gentleman who brought the bag to the lost and found.

He was very happy about his pictures and did not expect it to come out how it did. 

The next day, he emailed me to thank us again and said that his wife loved the pictures so much. But he was flabbergasted because the weather the next day was sunny again.

What can we do.... However, we did our Job even the odds were against us that day and it was well done.

Mary and Mario honeymoon photoshooting at the Heritage Awali - Mauritius

Mary and Mario honeymoon photoshooting at the Heritage Awali - Mauritius

Mario contacted me on Facebook and schedule his shooting for 13 April. 

They are from South Africa. They got married in February and were on honeymoon in this hotel that I know very well.

It was a very pleasant shooting. They were committed and motivated. We started on the beach and shot in different places in the Resort yard and compounds and did our last photos in the lobby while it was getting dark.

While I was setting up my laptop to start editing their pictures (delivering the edited pictures on the same day), it started to rain, and while speaking to them and looking outside I imagined what a beautiful picture it would be having them under a white umbrella with a backlight under the rain. It was not yet completely dark so it was the perfect timing. I ran to one of the Wedding Coordinators and ask to get a white umbrella. The umbrellas of the hotel are usually brown (the color code of the resort). But she knew there was a white one somewhere and found it just a few minutes later.

I placed them in front of the swimming pool under the umbrella and put a flash behind and shot some of my best moody shots as at today.

It took me about 3 hours to complete editing and the couple came to join me and my wife. They looked at the pictures with woaoww and amazement and we started to chat until late. They are big fans of dogs. Wonderful couple and according to my wife, one of the best shooting session we had.

 

 

 

Preparation's tips and advice for Brides and Grooms before the D-Day

Preparation's tips and advice for Brides and Grooms before the D-Day

All Brides and Groom getting married usually don't know what the D-Day involves and what they need to be prepared for.

Here are some useful tips that can help you to be better prepared for your so awaited day.

Bride on stairs

  1. Do not wear brand new shoes for your wedding. Instead, buy them a few weeks or months before and walk in them regularly, preferably in the afternoons where your feet are most likely to be swollen. It will help the shoes to take the shape of your feet and you will be totally comfortable on your Wedding day.

  2. Brides usually where heels. However, if you are not used to walk in high heels, either start to train a few months before or choose a heel in which you are comfortable. But in any way, as mentioned above, you should be walking in your shoes some weeks before your wedding to make sure your wedding day is not a painful day.

  3. If you are not comfortable walking in heels, you can choose low heels or flats. However, it is a fact that heel shoes changes the posture of the body and makes it more aesthetical for pictures and looks better under a wedding dress. As a photographer I usually ask the Brides, if they agree, to bring a pair of heels for the photoshoot. They can wear their flats for the day but put their heels for the photoshoot time. Of course this is to the convenience of the Bride.

  4. More and more Brides buy their Wedding dress online or ready made. This is obviously very practical and usually less expensive than a tailored made one. However, I have often seen brides panicking on their D-Day because their dress does not fit them anymore or some parts of the dress comes out or gets undone either because of poor quality or because the Bride has gained or lost weight. Therefore, it is important that you try your dress a few days before, preferably 3 days before. Make sure you have an experienced dressmaker at hand who can correct any issues and is present when you'll put your dress on your wedding. 

  5. 90% of the time, brides lose weight before their weddings. The stress of the upcoming event acts on their body and they also eat less than usual. It is absolutely essential that the Bride and Groom eat properly throughout the day. I have indeed seen Brides and even grown man Grooms, fainting because they were so taken up, preoccupied and stressed a few days before and during their wedding that they forgot to eat. A Wedding is a stressful event, even if it is a great day of Joy and Celebration. But the couple will be preoccupied by the catering, the organization, the delays, people who should be on time but are not, etc... All this burns out their energy and they find themselves in the afternoon during the religious ceremony and the photoshoot completely exhausted. So, they should ask someone of their family to make sure that they eat properly for breakfast, lunch, and after the ceremony. They can prepare some sandwiches and leave some snacks around. Also make sure that you always have water at hand. It can sometimes be useful to take some vitamins and minerals some days or weeks before to make sure that you are fit for the day.

  6. Long veils are beautiful accessories when walking into the Church and for photos. However, they can be very hindering when walking around. If you choose to put a veil, get one that only covers half of your back and does not drag on the floor. If you choose a long veil that drags behind you, make sure you can remove it easily and that it is not set or fixed into your hair. Long veils are a pain when moving around. They get stuck on the ground, pull your head back and mess your hair, people and specially children walk on them and imagine getting in a car or going to the toilets with a 3, 5 or 8 meters veil :-). Long veils can be put when entering and walking out the Church, removed to get into the car, put back during the photoshoot and removed when heading to the reception.

  7. Some Brides and Grooms like hiring big and fancy cars to move them around. However, it is important to check some details. This could seem silly but make sure your hired car can come by your house. I have seen cars being stuck or being unable to enter a lane or alley to pickup the Bride/Groom. It is also important to give a detailed itinerary to the car rental company. Most of them offer a standard contract to pick up the Bride/Groom at their place, drop them at the Church and afterwards, drive them to the reception. If your photoshoot is not taking place at the reception but somewhere else, make sure to inform the driver and car company before hiring them. This would avoid some unnecessary shouts, phone calls and delays.

  8. All Brides and Grooms expect a beautiful sunny day at their weddings. Unfortunately, it is not always the case and you should be prepared for that. Just bring along one or two umbrellas, preferably white or transparent and large. It will protect you in case of rain and are also very nice accessories for photos when shooting under the rain. 

Wedding Shoes

These are some practical and useful tips when preparing your Wedding. I'll come back soon with some additional advice. So keep visiting our website for new pictures and blog articles.

Jean Jacques Fabien (Photographer and Director of Fotoshoot Productions)

 

Jessica and Anthony got married at the Heritage Awali

Jessica and Anthony got married at the Heritage Awali

Jessica and Anthony booked me through the Hotel Heritage Awali a few months before. They had seen my portfolio and my work on facebook and website.

They came with their close family and some friends (about 15 of them) to celebrate this event at the hotel. 

The weather was fair. We thought at a stage that it would rain and fortunately, it did not. 

Jessica had an original dress, knee high, and was like a modern princess in her outfit.

After the ceremony, they stayed altogether. We had a good photoshoot session and some photos with their kids.

The diner table was set on the beach with beautiful lights. They had diner, then we took some more photos and they ended the evening dancing on the beach.

What a dream for these people coming from the rainy UK.

Sleeklens, a smart solution for a quick edition under Lightroom

Sleeklens, a smart solution for a quick edition under Lightroom

I’m a professional photographer and I’ve been in this field since 1994.

Nowadays, one of the most important things for a Professional Wedding Photographer is to be able to deliver stunning pictures in a short amount of time. When you get 3 to 4 Weddings a week and it goes on for 3 to 4 consecutive months, you quickly find yourself overwhelmed with image editing and your are unable to deliver your pictures in the agreed timeframe. It creates frustration on your side and on your client’s side.

Therefore it’s very important to find tools which allows you to quickly edit your pictures and fits your editing style as well, which also is a photographer’s signature.

I recently came across a workflow named SleekLens (https://sleeklens.com) which offers several advanced presets for various type of photography. I decided to give a try to the Forever thine Wedding Workflow. These presets are loaded into Lightroom and you can choose from hundred’s of style from regular workflow to vintage, black and white, split colors, etc… you get a wide range of editing presets allowing you to find what fits your style and to quickly apply these on your images. 

Of course, it takes some times to get used to the different workflow and to identify what works best for each type of shots.

The great advantage working with Lightroom is that all these presets are non destructive and if you are familiar with Lightroom, you can very quickly tweak a preset to create Your stunning edited image.

These presets helps me to work fast and on some Weddings with no reception, to deliver images on the same day working on my laptop. 

Nowdays, time is money and working fast and well is crucial to remain successful in the field of event and Wedding Photography.

SleekLens is a great tool to work efficiently and with its hundredth of presets, I can always find what I need for each of my shots.

https://sleeklens.com/product/wedding-lightroom-presets/ and https://sleeklens.com/product-category/lightroom-presets/

 

Another award again...

Another award again...

What a pleasure and honor to have been chosen again as Best Wedding Photographer Wedisson Award 2016. We are looking forward to other great wedding photos to share with the community and why not, to win another award...

Katka and Maros at Ambre Hotel

Katka and Maros at Ambre Hotel

Katka and Maros are from Slovakia and contacted me on facebook in November 2015 for their Wedding on 10th March 2016.

Katka loved my pictures and wanted me to cover her wedding in Mauritius. 

I met with her and her husband on the D-day. She was in the spa for hair and make up.

After introduction and talking, my assistant and I quickly made a good contact with Katka. The setup was cosy and after covering the Bride's preparation, I headed to the Groom's room.

I did some creative shots and we proceeded to the ceremony which took place under a kiosk.

After the Wedding, we headed for the photoshoot on the premises of "Le Canonnier Hotel" which lasted about 2 hours. Katka and Maros ended in the sea for a trash the dress session.

I started edition of their pictures on my mac just after the session and delivered the photos to them at around 10pm. They were so happy! They were my first Slovakian clients.

(Their featured picture won the Fearless photo of the day)

Justyna's and Michael's Wedding at "Le Canonnier Hotel"

Justyna's and Michael's Wedding at "Le Canonnier Hotel"

This wedding will be long time remembered. How to forget this amazing lady who had such a gait and walk. I thought she was a model. But she told me later that she was a dancer and cheerleader. They are from Poland.

She would not let anyone indifferent. She had quite a presence. Her husband was more discreet but a firm foundation to her.

I started the coverage with the "discovery" of the new weds before the ceremony. That's when I saw her. She had also hired a videographer who was a colleague to me.

We had a long walk to the ceremony place where they were shot with cameras, video cameras and a drone.

We proceeded with ceremony and could see how elegant and aesthetic Justyna was in her movements.

After the traditional kiss, cake and champagne, we proceeded for the photoshoot. It was an amazing time because both of them had the "attitude" and their poses were stunning.

I did a shot of Justyna jumping in the air while her husband was holding her dress and it remained a milestone for the day. The picture was stunning since Justyna had such a nice pose when she jumped and Michael had the perfect attitude holding the dress.

We enjoyed a wonderful photoshoot session until it was completely dark.

They were thrilled and happy. I delivered their pictures 3 days later. A few weeks after, Justyna sent me a montage done with the video and the photos. I was very happy that they thought of me and the montage was so nice and had such a good feel to it.

Great couple.