Worth the Wait || Engagement Photography

In my 6 years of being a photographer, and photographing couples in Hawaii for engagement sessions, or Weddings, I've come across many love stories. None, however, can compare to the one I heard recently. This Love story not only enchanted me and warmed my heart, but it is the type of story that you watch in movies or read about in books. It all began back in High School for Rashelle and Donny. Donny's heart was stolen the moment he met Rashelle his Junior Year. But being his young, shy, high school self the most he could hope for was a glance once in a while from her. As insignificant as that may seem, he was content with that extent of interaction then.

After 3 years they ran into each other at CEU in Price, UT. And Donny felt confident enough to say "hello", exchange some small talk and asked for her number. They occasionally talked and Donny would stop by her work with flowers once in a while. He was stuck on her hard and knew she was the "One". But unfortunately Rashelle held back. While he was determined to not give up, time passed, and Rashelle moved. They still kept in touch from time to time. Donny questioned whether it was worth to continue trying to win her heart, so he moved on. Donny began to date others and so did Rashelle. After a couple of years he heard through the grapevine that Rashelle was engaged to her old High School boyfriend.

Donny was heart broken and this time, he let her know. Two years went by again, and he heard that Rashelle had broken off her engagement a few months after he found out, but now Donny was the one getting married. The tables had turned and now Rashelle was heart broken.

Donny got married April of 2002 and Rashelle got married Oct. 2002. Two years later they met up again for lunch. Donny was still taken back by her beauty and thought "she will always be the One that got away." They both knew that they could not see each other again for the sake of being faithful to their marriages.

2014 came around and Donny sent Rashelle a "happy birthday" text. Then a year later on Donny's birthday she texted back to say "Thank you and Happy Birthday." After almost a decade they decided to meet up again, and their chemistry was unquestionable. Donny got divorced and reached out to Rashelle and found out that she too was getting divorced, this was all in 2015. Donny then realized that perhaps their story wasn't quite over, maybe he would get a second chance. Fairy tales can come true... right?

In April of 2016 they went on a trip for a few days together and they immediately clicked, Donny knew he was still in LOVE with Rashelle and that she was the "ONE" after all. On Nov. 26th, 2016 at sunrise Donny proposed to Rashelle and she said "YES." Some LOVE stories take months to come together but this one took 19 years. A slight detour well worth taking.

Wedding is set to take place in July of 2017.

For some tips on arranging your own engagement photos, please check out this blog.

Written by Francys T. (Pacific Dream Photography at the Grand Hyatt Kauai)

Recipe for Success || Photographer Accessories

As a photographer of any genere, be it Weddings, portraits, events landscapes, it is essential to have the right gear. The contents in your camera bag are the tools of the trade. Keep in mind, as an aspiring photographer; it is not all about the equipment. If you have an eye for composition and you’re comfortable working with light, you can begin with the basic equipment and add to your collection as you go. But whether you are a professional, or an amateur, here are 4 must have accessories every photographer needs in their camera bag.

• Memory Cards! This is probably a no-brainer, but you can never have enough memory cards. The faster the writing speed, the better. It is important to have the right memory card that is compatible with your camera. Having plenty of memory cards will ensure that you never run out of space during that beach portrait session, or worse, a Wedding!

• The Right Lens. A good lens means everything. Lenses dictate what type of shots you can take such as close ups, landscape, and portrait shots. Did you know that lenses typically last longer than your camera body itself? Of course a good camera is vital, but in the end your lenses are some of the most important things in your camera bag. At Pacific Dream Photography, we use a wide variety of lenses to ensure that we get the shot.

• Lens Hood. A lens hood serves many different purposes. The main purpose is to block out light. It is always a good idea to have a lens hood in your camera bag. The hood will block out the flare from the light source, while protecting the reflected light. This is a great way to keep your family portraits from getting too much light over peoples faces and losing the detais in the photo. More than anything, the lens hood will protect the lens against the elements.

• External Flash. An off camera flash is one of the best steps you can take to better photography. Not only will an external flash enhance your photos, it will make a big difference when it comes too professional shooting. Say you are photographing a wedding couple with a sunset behind them, and you want to caputre the sunset and the couple. A flash helps to light up your couple so that you can see both them and the background.

Looking for more photography tips. Check out this blog here!

Written by Michael Wheeler (Pacific Dream Photography at the Grand Hyatt Kauai)