Events are an ongoing thing through-out the year, celebrations for all different types of reasons. Many companies do year-end functions because it’s a way to honour their staff, and to award the people who contributed to positive production. Many companies have such a winning formula, they just seem to grow and beat any economic blues, and we get to share in their growth and success, when we’re asked to photograph their prestigious event.

Our studio has been doing events for quite some years, having had dealt with all sorts of situations – from companies wanting something fun such a photo booth set-up done, or having a designated space where people have their group- or couple photo taken with their colleagues or partners, and we make sure our set-up meets your requirements, we even make use of professional studio lighting if we know we’ll be working with low-lighting conditions, and we always shoot with high-end professional camera’s, as to not jeopardize on your quality, and to keep the studio’s reputation high. Every event is unique in its own sense, and we adapt to the situation so that we know you as company, or event-organizer, and us photographers are on the same page, and know exactly how the event’s rundown will happen.

We mingle with guests, make sure to get some smiles, and also photograph things such as décor and detail, as these are the things that add aesthetic to your event’s atmosphere. LDP will offer you great service, and high-quality products, and will make the memory of your event a pleasant one.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

Event photographer

Photography Tips For Beginners

Although most people think that taking a picture is just as simple as pointing and shooting, there really is an art form to it. Typically, your photos never look quite as good as you imagined they would. However, once you learn the proper techniques, it really is simple to take great pictures.

Though you may not think you need a flash outside, take a look and make sure. The sun can create drastic shadows. If your camera has a “fill flash” option, then use it when taking pictures in bright sunlight. This can help to illuminate even deep facial folds and creases.

You need not stand directly in front of an object to photograph it. Whether you settle on shooting from above, below, the right or left, experiment, or take shots from each angle to decide post-shooting.

When it comes to taking pictures of kids, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just go with the flow and work with them. Children are just not designed to sit perfectly still and pose for photos, they prefer to be up and about and running around. Have some fun instead, and capture the photos of the children in action.

Imagine there are lines traveling vertically and horizontally dividing your viewfinder. Place your subject at the point of intersection, instead of in the middle of the shot, and suddenly your picture has a sense of drama. Move in closer to whatever subject you’re taking a picture of. It’s frustrating for the viewer to not clearly see the details of the subject because the camera was too far away. Try to make it easy on your audience to be able to see images clearly and vividly.

Master photographers agree, less IS more.

You should never have tons of clutter or other elements in your shots. Keeping things simple in your photos is what catches your viewer’s attention; simplicity often creates a big punch!

Learn when it’s okay and not okay to use the flash with your camera. Your flash shouldn’t be on all the time. Too much or too little light has ruined many pictures. At other times, low light makes a flash necessary. So don’t forget to use it when you need it.

Even though people think white is great to wear during a photograph, it is generally a bad decision. Many photographers use the auto focus setting on their cameras. This setting doesn’t work as well if the camera can’t pick up different shades in its lens’ range.

For example, if a subject wears white and the background is also white, the camera won’t focus properly. With white clothing, the camera has a hard time adjusting to keep the whites looking good, while preserving detail on peoples’ faces, and photos can turn out looking under or overexposed.

Adjust the focus to create a unique photograph.

Reduce the f-stop setting to maintain focus on the closer subject. This is especially good for portraits. In contrast, increasing your f-stop setting will also increase the field depth and bring all elements of the photograph into focus in a more even manner. This would be fantastic for landscape photography.

Nighttime photography can totally change how a subject looks. When adequate natural lighting is not available, it is even more important to make sure that supplemental lighting is properly set up and utilized. Make sure you use the flash feature and adjust your camera’s shutter speed setting to shoot better photos at night.

Food photography can be difficult.

Food will melt and shift positions, making it hard to develop the proper shot. That’s why when shooting food, you should have napkins, glassware, and silverware ready first. Make sure you have the right lighting, and then put the food down and shoot!

Pre-focus your camera and move to where your subject isn’t dead centre in the frame. Having your subject in the middle of the picture is very expected and subsequently uninteresting. Try off-centering your shots to make your subject appear more interesting to the viewer.

Make sure you support the camera from below and on the sides, while keeping your arms tucked tightly into the sides of your body. Holding the camera in this way, you will reduce camera shake and make shots that are in clear focus. With your hands positioned at the underside of the camera and below the lens, it will help prevent accidentally dropping the equipment.

Always keep charged batteries in your camera. Using the LCD on a digital camera drains the batteries, so always ensure that the battery is fully charged before leaving the house. You should also carry spare batteries so that you can avoid missing a photograph opportunity.

Your photographs have perhaps disappointed you in the past. You will never face such a complication again, if you seriously implement the information you got right here in this article. With the ideas presented here, you can take breathtaking shots that you want to hang on the wall for everyone to admire.

Shooting with any person, who come and have their shoot done under the label of “portfolio/modeling”, is such a thrill of mine. It’s a shoot I really enjoy, mostly because of the very extraordinary moments of the subject, or model amaze themselves, seeing the results and not even thinking that they would have been able to achieve such amazing results. We all have our own mannerisms, many people are more in touch and in tuned with their bodies, and know how to use their features for appealing images, some are quite shy, and only wanted good photos of themselves, but haven’t had any sort of training whatsoever so they need good guidance from the photographer – and even then, we manage to make magic happen here at the studio.

As photographers we take on the responsibility of your image, which to about everyone on earth is a precious thing, and we would all like to look our best. Photos are forever, so it’s important for me, to push those shoots, to get the very best out of all of our clients who are interested and come for such a shoot. The transformation that happens, sometimes literally right in front of my eyes, amazes sometimes even me, and I get to see people feeling liberated through it, and feeling much more free and secure within themselves.

We can all do this, and make for great images, so I encourage anyone interested to come and enjoy and LDP modeling shoot – this girl, was a first-timer, and she blew my breath away.

Yolandi Jacobsz

Photographic Modeling portfolio

Our Maternity/Newborn packages offer you something very special in that treasured time when you are still pregnant, and when baby have been born, to capture those moments that pass al too soon. Just like little puppies, who are very cute and cuddly when small, but get to grow way to fast into energetic dogs, even more so do babies grow, and suddenly they get to learn these significant skills, such as smiling, using their little arms to make all sorts of gestures and that flap wildly when they get excited. And all sorts of sounds are learnt – and then they actually start communicating with you.

Having a baby, is a miracle, all things are forgotten and forgiven very fast, and you get to focus on this small person but already with a significant role to play, and it such a huge part of your life, instantaneously. Making sure that all of this does not go unseen and forgotten to quickly because of time that jut seems to fly past, we find it necessary to have a shoot to remember all of your special moments by.

Being a Mommy for the first time, or even having to get the privilege of more than once, makes a woman realize how another little human being’s life is in their own hands now, and before birth, literally within themselves. That is a proud moment, and we would encourage all parents, either first-time, or having had been through it before, to celebrate this new life by enjoying a shoot at our LDP studio, and being amazed at the results.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

Pregnancy photographer

Location shoots, are always such a nice challenge for us, because you get to work with the elements, and your backdrop, isn’t the white studio set-up. When people are in their own element it just seems their personalities come out so much more, it seems easier for them to connect to the photographer, and it more comfortable between the two partners, they seems to pose less, and just be themselves more. The studio could be quite a daunting experience for many people, as you don’t know what to expect and what the results will be – you’re literally putting your image in someone else’s hands and have the need for them to make you look good. Being trained photographers, we definitely know that making people feel comfortable is one of the biggest jobs we have, and if you have a knack for it, it relaxes your clients, giving true, earnest smiles and laughs, natural and not so much posed.

When on a location the couple chose, they seem to be much more at ease with each other and the idea that their photos get taken. Especially in pre-wedding shoots, when the photo’s are to perhaps be used for save-the-dates, or the invitation itself, the excited couple’s happiness and joy comes through in photos, and those are moments, that you hold on to, knowing that your foundation was based loving moments, and your smile will show everything that goes on in your heart.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

Outdoor couple photos

When doing a photoshoot take a moment to think about what it is you would like to have captured…  Here at LDP we do our absolute best and capture the essence of your family.  Meaning that if you have three young boys aged 8 and younger you must know that they will be boisterous, and energetic because boys tend to “feed on each other’s energy” (this does by no means say unmannered)  And if you have cute little girls your shoot will be all posey, playful and cute because this is the nature of girly girls.  It makes sense doesn’t it?

We also invite you to bring props along to the studio, items which represent your family.  If you have lots of brightly coloured cushions you can bring these along for a fun pillow fight, or maybe your family is more the rugby / football supporter – everyone has their own flag and respective jerseys kind of family.  Who ever you are, it’s your shoot so please feel free to come and make the most of it J

A popular request is people wanting to bring along their pets and we say the more the merrier.  We have done photoshoots with dogs ranging from Dachsunds, Yorkies, Labradors and King Charles Spaniels.  So you are more than welcome to bring your animal children to join in the fun.  (Please just ensure that you have notified the photographer beforehand)

Riani Labuschagne & Yolandi Jacobsz

 Funky family photos

It’s a great privilege to photograph an aspiring model, and you can see that person has the right stuff. Riani likes to use the expression poetry and motion, and this shoot, certainly was pure poetry. A photographer shouldn’t just have the ability to shoot well, and use light strategically, but also be able to guide your model in such a way, that their shape and form makes for interesting images. You are the master of the light, and the model absorbs that light to highlight certain features, or show of their silhouette. Light is such a wonderful medium, and when it gets to collide with a subject who just knows how to works the camera, the photographer has to do very little, just shoot what’s happening in front of them.

This girl has the making of a star, and she understands posing very well. We had such fun, and she enjoyed the shoot so much, it truly showed. She only wanted to have great photos done, but is now thinking of pursuing certain forms of modeling as she kind of shocked herself in this shoot. It was her very first, and I always wish for models like these. Very sure of themselves, and who they are, and just embracing the shoot, making the best of every shot. We had tremendous fun, and so could you. Come and amaze yourself by having a portfolio shoot done at LDP, our studio, will make sure to give you an amazing product.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

artistic modeling portfolio