‘My chick rocks broer.’ I’ll never forget those words. They came from a guy called Craig Lorden. We were walking/crawling along some very jagged rocks together. But more importantly, his wife was doing the same. It’s just that she was ahead of us. And she wasn’t walking or crawling. She was jumping from rock to rock. In high-heeled shoes. In her wedding dress. And chit-chatting away as she did so. It was all a bit surreal. That was back in 2009 (here’s the link to their wedding by the way). It was an awesome day to say the least, with a bride who was just spectacular from start to finish (and ja, Craig wasn’t too bad as a groom either). I gave Bo the nickname ‘Bodacious’ (from the movie an Officer and a Gentleman) simply because Bo is just that (look it up in the dictionary, you’ll like it). Anyway, their wedding day came and went (it was also the first time I ever worked with the absolutely outstanding Jane Field) and that sadly, was that. Until December 2011 when I received an email from Bo saying that she and Craig were coming to Cape Town for the holidays and wanted a family photo shoot. With Gaby. Now let me tell you, that I work alone in a very quiet office and when I receive mails like that, things get quite loud. Not for long, but things get loud nonetheless. ‘Yeah baby yeah!’ ‘Woooohooo!’ ‘Craig you legend!’ ‘Whooooose your daddy!’ Those are the sort of things that happen. It would be a bit embarrassing in an open-plan office, but as I said I’m alone, so hey. Gaby, you are a very pretty, beautiful, cute, bubbly little bunny and I reckon your dad reckons that ‘his chicks rock!’ Broer.

Let me tell you something about father’s. Firstly, they’re legends. Don’t get me wrong, mom’s are pretty cool people, but dad’s well, they’re in a league of their own. They can make fires, and fix stuff, and jump-start cars, and drink beer and shout for the Bokke – and all those really lekker things. They can also do really gross stuff – like fart louder than anyone else in the house (especially when they’re in the bath). But the one thing dad’s can’t do, is they can’t look pretty. It just doesn’t work for them. So whenever I shoot a family my instruction to dad is pretty much standard: ‘Hey old man, just stand there and look cool.’ Dad’s of course, dig this – because nothing is easier for the ‘Big Guy’ to stand around with his hands in his pockets looking smooth while his family do all the hard yards. Well that’s the theory anyway. But all of this got completely blown out of the water when Rob Nagel and his mob arrived for their photo shoot. Because Rob was up and at ‘em from the start – running around, bowling balls, throwing balls and generally acting the way Labradors act on the beach. Of course, not to be outdone, mom Linds gave it horns herself. (And as an aside, if you love pottery, this is your go-to girl). So because mom, dad and the kids were so up for everything, I decided to send them into the sea to get them wet and itchy and generally tire them out. Which they did happily before coming back for more. At which point Rob told me he was running the 13 Peaks Challenge up this, that and every other mountain the following weekend. It was at that point that I conceded defeat and sent them home. I’m still stiff…

Ilke was one of the winners in the 2009 Bride of the Year and after the event she got hold of me for a family photo shoot. Well sort of a family photoshoot because it was Ilke, Jannie, the dog, oh, and half pint. Because you see, Ilke was actually a good couple of months pregnant when we did this shoot. Now you can’t really see so in these photos, but she is. Which is why I had her jumping over sand dunes and doing cartwheels across the beach – just to make sure the baby was holding on tightly. Which it clearly was, because before we knew it, Ilke was a mom and probably suffering from severe sleep deprivation. Of course, Jannie would have taken it all in his stride with a nice cigar and Cognac (that’s what dad’s do). As for the dog, well, he more than likely just carried on doing what dogs generally do – but we won’t go into that right now.  So there you go. And just as an aside, this shoot has taken about a year to get onto my site simply because I forgot to put it on. Nice Warren, nice.

Steve and Diana Block have the best grass I’ve ever seen. Now before some of you go and get all excited, I’m talking about the kind that grows on one’s lawn. The kind you mow.  I have no idea what they do to it, but it looks like it’s been through Photoshop.  Anyway, so I knock on their door and am still marveling at the grass when Steve opens the door and says: ‘Hey, let’s have a cup of coffee. So he makes me this killer cup of coffee, we chat about grass and then he says: ‘Listen man, we aren’t like into posing, you know what I’m saying? We don’t dig this jumping around, or this drop your chin to the right and sit like this and put your shoulder like that stuff.’ So we agree to let the shoot just follow its own course (which is the way I personally really liiiike it). Next thing, in toddles 18-month old Isabella (from hereon out known as Isabella Mozzarella) – the cutest little thing since Noah parked the Ark. Now Isabella let it be said, was going to do the shoot her way and we were just going to tag along for the sheer pleasure and entertainment. Which we did, along with delightful nanny Christina (who Isabella Mozzarella loves VERY, VERY much). I also discovered that Mozzarella also loves sea shells, sea sand, seagulls, and in fact, anything else that she may find in her happy path. I left the shoot under the distinct impression that if the planet could see itself through Isobella Mozzarella’s eyes, it would indeed be in the words of the late great Louis Armstrong: ‘a wonderful world.’

I’ll tell you what the best thing about a family photoshoot is – you have absolutely no idea whatsoever what is going to happen when, where, how or why. It’s actually a bit like conducting a science experiment where you chuck in bit of this, a bit of that and then wait for something to happen. Sometimes you get this really odd smell floating in from somewhere (and look around for the guilty party). At other times you get this enormous bang, a flash of light and end up on your backside. In the case of the Sales family, it rained. And then it rained some more. And then after the third time it rained I was left wondering whether this little photographic science experiment of ours was ever going to happen. But thankfully the clouds did clear after 2 weeks of messing up our best laid plans and we headed down to Noordhoek Beach for a slice of wholesome family fun. And guess what? The Sales mob brought their dog along for a bit of Sunday morning R&R with the friendly photographer. What a lovely surprise! A happy, jumpy, jovial, ‘I want to play in the water Mr. Photographer-man and then shake myself dry so stand nearer to me will you’ kind of dog. And that was a really cool idea, because Milo got straight into the action by knocking young Gracie over before running off to have a sniff at (or of) another dog or two. So the scene was set and off Craig and Philippa (mom and dad) and Gracie and Elle (daughter and daughter went). And it all went off brilliantly. Gracie and Elle are two very lovely little girls, full of giggles and chitter-chatter and infectious enthusiasm. It was great. After the beach we headed up to the Noordhoek paddocks (careful not to stand in any um, horse landmines) and took a few photos there as well. And you will NEVER guess what we found there! We found a REAL, proper, full-on, flatout, Fairy Garden – complete with a mushroom umbrella-table thingy as well. Now that’s a great way to spend a Sunday as far as I’m concerned. Here are some of their photos, I hope you enjoy them.

]]> http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/2011/06/the-sales-family/feed/ 8 http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/2011/04/the-lewin-family/ http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/2011/04/the-lewin-family/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:52:37 +0000 Warren http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/?p=4657

I need to get something off my chest here. Whenever I get a call about a family photoshoot the conversation goes something like this:

Caller: ‘Hi Warren, It’s Sandy Pogenpoel Erasmus Klugman Smith-Peddington here.’

Warren: ‘Hi Sandy.’

Caller: ‘Warren, I really LOVE your photos and I want to have a family photoshoot done.’

Warren: ‘Uh-huh.’

Caller: ‘But Ineed to lose weight.’

Warren: ‘Uh-huh.’

Caller: ‘And my husband absolutely hates photos being taken.’

Warren: (Starting to fall asleep) ’Uh-huh.’

Caller: ‘And my mom is 233 years old and is in a wheel chair, any my son is a pain in the butt, and, and, and…

Warren: (Really starting to doze off now) ’Uh-huh.’

Okay, so now let’s fast forward to the call I received from Sheila Lewin…

Sheila: ‘Hiiii Warren, Sheila Lewin here! My darling I just LOOOOVE your photos.’

Warren: ‘Thanks Sheila, I’m pleased you do.’

Sheila: ‘Now listen darling, my daughter is getting married and the whole family is arriving in SA for the wedding. Can you do a family photoshoot for us, please darling.’

Warren: ‘ Sure thing Sheil’s, no prob, when would you like to do it?’

And so the conversation went on and the next thing there we all are down at Hout Bay Harbour. An hour later, the shoot is over and we all go on our merry separate ways. Stay with me here because what I’m about to say is very relevant about family photoshoots. You see, the thing is this. Unlike a wedding, for some or other very strange reason, people are actually quite hesitant to do family photoshoots. They find a ton of problems not to do the shoot even though they’re actually quite desperate to do it. (Another favourite is this: ‘I want to wait for summer to come so that I can have a nice tan for the photos.’ To which my response is ‘oh, so you want to look like a boiled crayfish then?’) In the end, most people convince themselves that they’ll lose those extra few kilos or that gran might actually miraculously climb out of here wheelchair and start running the Comrades. So they delay the shoot by a few months and in the end it never actually happens. Which is incredibly sad. In the case of Sheila Lewin, she said ‘bugger that, we’re in’ and the shoot went ahead. Now let’s go to the shoot itself…

At a family shoot, I generally find that most parents get quite uptight about how their kids are behaving (whether the kids are 3, 14, 18 or 25). Take young Pearce  (he’s the cool, good-looking young chap in the pics below). Now Pearce, if the truth be told was having a bit of a bad hair day. He didn’t want his photos taken. At all. Ever. So I just left him to his own devices and asked his folks to do the same. Why? Because I knew that eventually, Pearse would blow off steam and come to the party like a charging rhino. Which is exactly what happened. It always does. Every. Single. Time. (I’ve included quite a few photos of Pearce with his mom and dad, Nathan and Shelley to show you how a ‘Mr. Grumpy-Bumpy’ turns into ‘Mr. yo bro, wazzuuuup-kinda-guy.’

One has to handle family photoshoots in a completely different way to wedding photography. Generally, I just amble around, chat to people and let things unfold by themselves. In fact, very often I believe that people think I’m not actually taking any photos. But I am – they just don’t know it. So here’s the bottom line folks – don’t be silly and wait for better days until you book your family photoshoot. Just book the darned thing and I promise you, you will be so chuffed that you did. If you look back in 10 years and say ‘oh we really should have done a shoot or two you know,’ you only have yourselves to blame. Do what Sheila did and I swear to you, you will get photos that absolutely reflect the personalities of your nearest and dearest. You owe it to them and you owe it to yourselves. One last thing. Sheila pointed out to me that I say ‘hey’ a lot. So Sheil’s, I hope you love your photos… heeeey!

]]> http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/2011/04/the-lewin-family/feed/ 8 http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/2010/09/kathy-shane-and-liam/ http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/2010/09/kathy-shane-and-liam/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:22:18 +0000 Warren http://www.warrenwilliams.co.za/?p=2926

It’s a beautiful thing when you shoot a wedding and then the next thing, the phone rings and the voice on the other said says: ‘Hi Warren, we’ve just had a baby, can you photograph us all together?’ I’m always first gripped with shock and horror when I take these calls. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because I always see my wedding couples in a sort-of ‘fairytale’ context. Nobody ever gives birth in fairytales, they just live happily ever after. And my wedding couples are supposed to do that as well – not get pregnant and have real babies that poo and cry and stuff. It’s very undignified. But then we all hook up and man-oh-man, the end result as always just so cool – an extremely cute baby, an exhausted mom, and a dad who generally looks very proud to have been such a darned legend in the greater scheme of things. So here are Kathy and Shane (here’s their wedding at Nelson’s Creek) and little Liam. Welcome to the world big guy!

I’ve known Phil Thompson for far longer than I actually care to remember. It’s so many years that when I was working it out I got a bit of a shock. So we’ll leave it there. He’s a bloody fine chap – toughest rugby player I ever saw. You couldn’t put the bugger down. Phil played Maties Eerste Span ou perd, so I guess he had to be tough. But he actually decided to soften up, get married and have kids. The result is gorgeous, lovely Lee (the better half), and two very cool and very cute kids (Matthew & Nicholas). Matt started off deciding that this was the shoot he’d pull as many faces as possible. Just as I was about to pull him aside and threaten him with a Near-Death Experience he changed tack, becoming the perfect model (and I was psychologically damaged for the rest of the shoot). But there’s more. The rest of Phil’s family also decided to pull in for a bit of action! Anthea Thompson (actress extraordinaire – look her up on the Net), Gill (your bum doesn’t REALLY look better in those jeans Gill), Steve (my little male model) and families.

So there we had the whole mob, hamming it up for mom and dad’s 50^th (yes, you heard correctly) – 50^th wedding anniversary. Now I know Mr & Mrs Thompson Senior because they took a special interest in us boys as we grew up. So Mr & Mrs Thomo, if you ever read this, I hope you have a fantastic wedding anniversary, I hope these photographs bring you joy and pleasure, I hope you’re around for your 100^th anniversary (okay whoa, maybe not, youth must have its fling) – and finally, thanks for everything you every did for us scruffy little bums as we grew up over the years. Hip-hip…

It’s 7.30am on Sunday morning and I’ve got my whole mob snuggled under duvets in the back seat as we head off to shoot the Haasbroek family somewhere in the hills that surround Durbanville. There’s a distinct smell of egg sandwiches filling the car and Robbie drops a fairly honest comment about what those egg sarmies actually smell like! And there’s not much chance of opening the windows either because it’s pretty cold outside. Anyway, egg sarmies aside, we eventually reach our location – a bust and battered old farmhouse and there to meet us are the Haasbroek’s. Now I’ve shot a lot of kids and a lot of families in my time so I generally know what I’m in for. And yes, it can be quite scary stuff. Teenage girls all think they’re supermodels and generally each bring two suitcases packed with preening gear and clothes. Boys on the other hand rarely ever listen and if there’s a ball around you’re in danger of getting it firmly planted in the back of your head at some stage. But to my utter surprise this was not the case with the Haasbroek boys. In fact, they were actually quite well-behaved. Very strange, but true. So either dad arm-wrestled them into submission before the shoot started, or mom docked them a week of no Playstation or surfing if they didn’t listen up, because these guys made it a pleasure to actually go through the horror of a family shoot! Okay, there was a bit of tripping up, pushing, shoving and the odd fist flying through the air, but hey, boys actually do need to be boys. So nice work guys – and if you continue to grow up as cool as you are now, you can phone my daughters for a date anyday. Well, maybe. I’ll think about it.

I’m going to get into serious trouble if I don’t place these photographs onto my website – so here’s the background…

Being a photographer has its perks – like hanging around with pretty decent looking couples on the most important day of their lives and getting paid to shoot them. It also has its downsides – like missing Springbok rugby games. Oh, and not seeing your children all that much over weekends. They also suffer from the ‘hey-dad-we-don’t-actually-have-any-photos-of-ourselves’ syndrome. So I decided to haul this somewhat crazy mob off for a few photos, a Coke and a bit of bonding. The venue was the good old car graveyard. I got Gilli, Annie and Robbie (yes, his name is Robbie – we hadn’t heard about some singer called Robbie Williams, when our Robbie was born), to act as seriously as possible. It was a nearly impossible task I can assure you, because these guys are more at home pulling faces and generally just living it up than anything else. But I think in the end we got the shots we wanted. I hope you enjoy them. And hey guys – you owe me one – now you have pics of yourselves on my website! Love you, you monkeys!