Inga & Juan

This loved up couple flew to Dubai for a family wedding and decided that they would love to have a fun Dubai Desert couple shoot.

The Desert has the power of bringing out the inner child in yourself.  Somehow, the feeling of sand between your toes and wind in your hair and the sun beating down on your head creates the feeling of freedom!

Inga and Juan live and work in London.  Juan is originally from South Africa and Inga is from Lithuania.

They met in London 12 years ago and have been together ever since.

Follow me on instagram to see where I am!

See our previous holiday couple in Dubai!

The post Dubai Desert fun photoshoot appeared first on Jo Ann Stokes.

Baby Bump Maternity shoot

Baby Bump, Baby Bump …seems to be that I am doing a lot of maternity shoots  at the moment.  But I am very excited as most of the Baby Bumps are from my past brides …it seems to have been a very productive year for my couples and it so special to see young couples take the next step and become families.  Gemma and Chris were one of my past bridal couples.  They were married at Nitida in Durbanville almost two years ago.  Gemma was my first bride who was ready before everyone else …if I am not mistaken she was almost 30 minutes early for the ceremony if not more.  And it seems her little daughter is in such a hurry as well …because even though her due date is only in about three weeks time …I believe she has been giving the doctors a few grey hairs by showing signs of arriving before she should.  As you will see from the pics …Gemma’s baby bump is not exactly very big ..so this little girl needs to stay put for a little while to gain a bit more weight!  She is definitely going to be like her mama.

I have always had loads of fun with this young couple.  Their engagement shoot was a lot of fun with powder paint!  See the pics here!  And their wedding was no different. Some of my favourite wedding images are from their wedding …Gemma rocked a sexy pair of red shoes at her wedding!  Take a peek here!  Their maternity shoot was no different …they were game for any ideas.  Not sure Chris thought he was going to trespass onto a building site …but so glad he got the gate open …definitely gave these baby bump images a different spin.

Anyway lets get these pics posted before the little madam decides she cant wait anymore…just like her sexy mama!

Engagement shoot can be viewed here!

Wedding can be viewed here!

The post Baby Bump Maternity shoot appeared first on Jo Ann Stokes.

Destination – Luanda, Angola

Part 3

Luanda, Angola  was the place of my very first International destination wedding.  This destination wedding felt like a true Royal wedding and was definitely fit for a King and Queen.  Tania looked exquisite in her imported Portuguese wedding dress.  It reminded me a lot of the wedding dress that Nicky Hilton wore to her wedding a few months earlier.  Jose was a true suave gentleman in his top hat and tails!  Tania’s dress suited the grandiose of the beautiful Catholic Cathedreal in the City Centre of Luanda.  It was a truly magnificent church.  Not only was this my first international wedding, it was also the biggest wedding I have ever covered!  There were about 500 guests and I loved how smartly dressed they were but how as the evening progressed they let their hair down and boogied the night away.  The Angolans definitely know how to party!  Tania & Jose were definitely smoking hot on the dance floor.

A big thank you to my friend, Jilda Gildenhuys who  was  my second shooter but  also my translator (Portuguese is the mother tongue in Angola) but more importantly she was my friend and support during this trip.  It was so much fun having her along for this adventure!

Tania & Jose’s civil ceremony can be viewed here! (Part 1)

Their e-shoot can be viewed here! (Part 2)

The post Destination wedding – Luanda, Angola appeared first on Jo Ann Stokes.

The post Glamour : A quick model shoot with Jayde appeared first on Jo Ann Stokes.

I have to be honest, I  loved these family portraits….but for so many reasons!  Chris, their son, is actually my go to “computer expert” …he is amazing …whenever I have a problem ….I shout for him and because he too has a love for photography, he actually understands exactly where I am coming from!  So when his mom, Louise contacted me and asked me to take photos of the family as a special gift for her husband for his 60th birthday, I thought it was such a beautiful present and it was also lovely to meet Chris’s family as he talks about them often with such affection.  As a mother of grown up children, I know how difficult it can be to get the family together to get family photographs.  And Louise was in the same predicament as myself as  Julia, their arty, creative daugher,  was heading back to France very shortly!  Their youngest daughter, Hanja is just sucha joy ….the madhatter of the family and a bundle of fun ….she had everyone laughing …a gorgeous little character!!  The other thing that i loved about doing the Fourie family shoot was that they brought their furry family members too.  Their dogs are beautiful …and it was fun to watch them having an awesome time running around the forest as if it was Christmas but luckily Louise was able to control them quickly for the photoshoot!  I must also admit that doing a family shoot in winter when the light is softer and sets quicker is also gorgeous …and being surrounded by beautiful farms …especially Altydgedacht farm which is famous for its divine wines and which is run by the most amazing Parker family.  I really would suggest that if you havent done so before …take a ride out to the farm and go buy some of their gorgeous wines and sit under the trees and have some wholesome, hearty food at eat@altydgedacht ….your taste buds will be totally tantalised!  They also do weddings and functions at Pampoenkraal and if you are a local resident of Durbanville then we really should support our local farmers!  And if you are a local Durbanville resident ….then you might recognise or have heard of Dr Fourie, he is a well known pediatrician in our area ….and I could imagine that children will always feel loved and cherished in his hands as he is such a soft, gentle soul …and you feel as if you have been in the presence of an angel!

The post Family Portraits : The Fourie Family appeared first on Jo Ann Stokes.