I met Cimoné a couple of months ago, though before meeting her, I had become aware of her presence on our great friend “social media.” As we all know, you can’t really tell who a person is by social media, but for some reason, I just had this feeling that Cimoné was an approachable, dynamic lady that I just HAD to work with.

Taking photos of her engagement was a dream. All photographers have certain locations they like to use—you know, the sun sets here, this flare looks nice, and then whoop, your shoot is done. When Cimoné and I started looking for other locations, just for a breath of fresh air, she found this incredible, magical spot in Franschhoek. The only problem was that I could not find a photographer who had been to this spot and could provide some ins and outs. Oh, and whether it was safe for all of us to go there. As my great friend Emma always says, “Not safety first, but safety always.”

A few arrangements later, we were on our way to the Berg River Dam in Franschhoek. My dad and I (Roy was busy shooting an engagement in NYC), Cimoné, Jasper (her partner), and his cousin—safety in numbers!

We had a great time, with Cimoné looking gorgeous as ever and Jasper looking dapper in his outfit, running up and down so I could capture the perfect moment. She looked like something straight out of a movie, and Jasper was her handsome Mr. Darcy, or Michael Scott, whichever you prefer (haha).

Whenever I shoot a couple, I imagine they are characters in their own romance film. This was so easy with these two because they are truly, unequivocally in love with each other. You can’t help but fall in love with their passionate, enigmatic energy toward one another. Both are soft-spoken—truly angels on earth. And now they are getting MARRIED!

This day truly reminded me of my love for photography: why I do it and why I will keep on doing it.

So, more about the location:

The location on Google Maps does not take you to where we shot. We met Cimoné and Jasper at these coordinates (https://www.google.com/maps?q=-33.93085861206055,19.08516502380371&z=17&hl=en). Anything further down the gravel road, you lose signal and won’t be able to contact anyone. You then drive along the gravel road (La Roche Estate will be on your right-hand side) until you drive straight into the Berg River Dam (don’t turn right at any point, as this takes you up the small mountain to another place). You will reach a parking area, where you can either drive down to the water or park and walk down.

Things to keep in mind:

There is no signal—so take a few friends and make an event out of it.
Gravel road; I feel my Nissan Micra could handle it (but everyone might not agree).
You are surrounded by mountains, so don’t start shooting too late (the sun will be GONE with the wind). We started around 18:00, but I love shooting overexposed, so not sure that’s everyone’s vibe.
Enjoy every moment.
Great location for weddings at La Roche Estate for a change of scenery.
I have attached a screenshot of the location map at the bottom of the page!

A special thanks to Silver Swallow Designs for the stunning dress and Sketch and M for her natural hair and makeup.

Oh, and of course, to our amazing bodyguards (who weren’t needed but were super great to have there): my dad and Adi.