Masters Weddings at the Strawberry Hill Hotel & Spa - Jamaica

Jacqueline & Derek flew all the way from the United Kingdom to be wed in Jamaica. The wedding was held at the fabulous Strawberry Hill Hotel & Spa 3,100 feet above sea level in the world famous Blue Mountains.

(BTW-the hors d'oeuvres were out of this world! I will look for my list, yes I had to wite them down, and post when I find it. That chef is awesome to put it mildly)

Another fantastic couple, they were both easy going and a pleasure to work with. all the best guys!

Masters weddings on vacation

I took what my wife told me was to be our first non-work related vacation in 13 years. I feel every child should go to Disney at least once so I carried the family to Disney in Orlando. Stephanie, Jonathan and even my wife Zahra enjoyed themselves immensely. They even went on outdoor rides in the rain.(fanatics) We also went to the Wet 'n Wild water park, Chuck E. Cheese etc. Perry Ellis, Brooks Brothers, Best Buy, Sunglass Hut, those were the highlight of my trip!

Oh, by the way I came back more tired than when I left. A vacation with a 3 year old & a 6 year old does not lend itself to much rest. We stayed at the beautiful Westgate Palace Resort which has an excellent gym. I worked out every day of the week except one.

My Job is like a vacation to me, honestly I realy love every aspect of my work. Its great to be back.

I "borrowed" these quotes from someone's facebook page. I think they hit the nail on the head regarding how we should approach life. Its how i try to live:

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special!
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
If you don't ask, you don't get.
Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

I'll never forget my Soap-On-A-Rope; was saving it for a special occasion years ago and thieves broke into my house and stole it!

Shani & Arty-More to come.

Stephanie Masters Graduates

With pomp and circumstance befitting royalty, Stephanie & a bunch of her 3 year old schoolmates graduated from Rainbowland. Stephanie seemed quite bored with the talking parts of the ceremony, but participated with requisite gusto in the singing sections. Stephanie is loved by her teachers & schoolmates and now moves into another chapter of her life. Big brother Jonathan enjoyed the moment with his mom as part of the large audience.

I wholehartedly recommend Rainbowland as one of the greatest places to send your little ones to start their schooling. The teachers shower them with love, the education is excellent, the mix of students is fantastic (and all the teachers speak the queen's english), the other parents are quite nice (regardless of the fact that many of them are obviously seriously rich). I think its the best start you can give your little ones.

Masters Weddings - Jacqueline & Don

The wedding of Jacqueline & Don proved once again that recession or no recession love will continue to be celebrated in fine style. This wedding was first class all the way; from the decor at the chapel & the Jamaica Pegasus, to the attire of the bridal party, to the helicopter that transported the couple from the ceremony to the reception.

Another fantastic couple who were a pleasure to work with. Thanks for the honor of covering your wedding guys, we wish you all the best for the rest of your lives together.

Sheri-Ann & Allan-Ritz Carlton Jamaica

It was perfect, just perfect. The gentle breeze, the ocean waves, the strings of the violin, the notes of the saxophone, the couple. Everything was perfect. Karen & Marsha of the Ritz Carlton were attentive to every need of the bride & groom and were fun to work with.

I liked Sheri-Ann & Allan from the very first time we met. They are just so cool & easy-going its unbelievable. (They also have a HGTV type house with a killer view and I'm an HGTV addict) The food at the Ritz was awesome and the cheesecake was almost decadent in its lovliness.(can I say that about food?) Anyway, it was a great wedding of a great couple who we wish all the best.

PS. On a sad note, Sheri-Ann's Dad passed away since the wedding. Our sincere condolences go out to the Sheri-Ann, Allan and the family.

There was singing , there was dancing, there was laughing, there was crying, there was kissing... and this was all at the cermony. Kandise and Oronde were wed in fine style. The chapel was excellently decked out, the bride was beautiful and her dress came with the designer who ensured it was correctly fitted(talk about taking service to new heights!) The reception which followed at the Caymanas Golf & Country Club was a similarly elegant affair. The groom's choice of music was right up my street. We wish you all the best guys!

My motivation

To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.
-Henri Cartier-Bresson

I saw this quote on Mike Colon's blog today and it captures the essence of my feelings about what I do. My work stopped being just a job years ago. Its a constant adventure where I compete against myself vigourously, aiming every day and every wedding to top my previous best. For me this is the essence of living and growing. The intelectual stimulation I receive from wedding photography & videography mutes the problems and stresses of everyday life.

Everyone should be this fortunate. Everyone should have this much fun. How many people work a 21 hour day(OK take out 1 hour for part of a 007 movie and 1 hour with the family) and go to bed with a smile on their face beside a beautiful(albeit sleeping)woman?

Life is really what you make it and it doesn't necessarily take a lot of money(although having a lot of money does help) to have a fulfilling life. The fact that you can have two people doing the same job making the same amount of money with one loving it and one hating it proves this.
Ask youself;how do I see what I do for a living?

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Destination Wedding Special - Jamaica

Destination Weddings in Ocho Rios & Montego Bay - limited run special package - http://tinyurl.com/dynykj/info3/

Secret of success - in nine words

Secrets of success-9 words. Thanks Becker.

Passion-Hard Work-Good-Focus-Push-Serve-Ideas-Persist

Go to the video link for a 3 minute explanation. This was passed on by a friend.

Wedding in Jamaica-Rose Hall Resort-Montego Bay

Selena & Daniel had a romantic wedding at the georgeous Rose Hall Resort & Spa in Montego Bay Jamaica. Selena was really fun to work with and Daniel was laid back and cool.

Their wedding planner Charline was amazing. She organized everything and somehow managed to teleport herself between the three different locations on the property that were used for the different aspects of the wedding. (Did I mention that she has a great sense of humour? She has.)

The property is outstandingly beautiful, the staff efficient & friendly and the food...(shhh! the food was out of this world. My wife & I had a table to ourselves with all the Cranberry Juice we could drink)

We drove our faithful backup van as our main van is in the shop and in honour I've included it in one of the photos(I'm loyal that way).

Now if I can only find another client getting married there so I can go back...hmmm....

Stephanie Masters sports day

Stephanie had her first sports day today. She turned 3 years old yesterday and she won her event in grand style. In a brief thank you speech she thanked her school for giving her the opportunity to excell, her mom for the practice races at home and Jonathan for racing with her as part of her training...(just kidding, she's barely three.)

Although being the smallest of the bunch, and lacking the asistance of an aerodynamic hairstyle, Stephanie was waaay out front from the start of the race, reminiscent of Usain Bolt's thrashing of his opponents. Unlike Bolt however she did not ease up at the finish, but rather pressed home her advantage widening the huge gap separating her from her rivals.

On hand to witness the spectacle were her Mom, Dad, Grandma, and scores of other well-wishers.

Wedding in Montego Bay Jamaica

The whole family was in Montego Bay last week for the wedding of Cory & Shernett. For the first time I can remember, both sets of parents were late and kept the bride and groom waiting. (I recall one where the bride's father went drinking with the boys the night before and was still drunk the morning of the wedding. We were all kept waiting as they gave him multiple cups of black coffee so he could walk the bride down the aisle, but that's another story)

It was a great wedding with plenty guests, good food and oh the table the food was on caught fire! For real.(Anyway that's another story)

I've added some shots of the family and the couple. (By the way, only two of the children and one of the wives pictured above are mine)

Masters Weddings at Pegasus Show 09

Last week-end was the Pegasus Bridal Show;Jamaica's largest annual show for purveyors of wedding related products & services. Its always a fun-filled event for me as I enjoy meeting with both prospective brides and my colleagues. Its a pleasure to note the shock expressed at our rates by visitors to our booth and the change in expression as they come to understand the benefits and superiority of our services. I had two satisfied brides and one satisfied mother-of-the-bride providing impromptu testimonials regarding our service and the quality of our work.

I didn't shoot a lot of images but i'm uploading a few from the show.

Ps. (Both the gentleman and the young lady shown are as yet unmarried and can be found wandering around at the Pegasus:)

Ps to the PS. The young lady is really nice, a bit tall, but nice otherwise. The guy... well the picture speaks for itself...

Simone & Stanley

There was no hint of rain, but a rainbow formed overhead while we were shooting after the ceremony. Talk about a sign! A very relaxed bride, with a really super Mom and a cool groom. Welcome to Jamrock Stanley! A star studded lineup of guests attended and the wedding got mention with photos on the social page of one of our top Newspapers. We wish you all the best guys. It was a great wedding.

Tameka & Chris

What can I say about the wedding of Tameka & Mr. Personality(A.K.A. Chris)? One thing I can say is that Tameka will be constantly entertained. Chris was Just estatic about getting married and enjoyed his wedding day. The Garden of Eden shot was my favourite. Something about the bush I guess.

Donnie Cox-The passing of an Icon

Donnie Cox passed away this week. He was an Icon on the Jamaican photography scene, the epitome of what a truly professional photographer should be. He was a gentleman. If only more of my peers would emulate men of his calibre, but alas being gentlemanly and chivalrous seem to be considered outdated, yes, so passe. I heard a joke at a wedding that if you see a young man opening the car door for a young lady it means either the car is new or the lady is new. (I know we now have central locking and all, but I still surprise my wife every now and then by opening her door.) Sorry, I digress.

I do love the gentlemanly thing. No apologies. I love wearing my suit to cover weddings, I love holding the door open so others can go through. I believe in doing random acts of kindness. Being kind to someone you don't know, expecting nothing in return. Being kind for no apparent reason with no ulterior motive. I think its a great way to live. Donnie Cox was like that. As newcomer to the business I could ask him anything about the business of photography. He was a giving person as I think we all should be.

The shots are from the wedding of his lovely daughter Kelli, which I was honoured to cover.