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“With my knees in the sand, I ask for your hand...” -W.V. The gentle lull of waves washes ashore on the beaches of Cyprus, stirring granules of sand in a silent swish that draws them back out to sea. The rising cliffs of Aphrodite's Rocks shine bright in the afternoon sunlight as gulls launch themselves off into the sky with a flourish of their wings. The two lovers on the beach notice none of this; they are too busy embracing in a flurry of tears and grateful sobbing. Šarune and Matas have just gotten engaged, and neither could be happier. This happy meeting was arranged by my dear friend Ugne, an engagement planner who took the time to set up a picnic and guitar serenade on the beautiful beaches of Cyprus. Her attention to detail is unrivaled, and Matas could not have been happier with the results. Šarune was aware only that they would be stopping to look at Petra Tou Romini, otherwise known as the birthplace of Aphrodite. It was an incredibly fitting setting for a marriage proposal. Where else would you propose if you had the opportunity to do so in the birthplace of love? It was a dawning realization that crossed Šarune's face as Matas pulled a custom engagement ring from his pocket; he had used his jewellery-making skills to craft it himself, and the love and care he put into it showed. How could Šarune resist so romantic a proposal? She fell to her knees to eye level with Matas, pressing her forehead to his as tears streamed down her face. The soft melody of delicately-plucked guitar notes played in the background as the two shared this moment together. I would like to thank Andreas Nicolaou for his time and his guitar skills. The added touch of music to the scene made everything absolutely perfect. Ugne from Let's Be We-Marriage Proposals did a fantastic job with the picnic basket setup. Fresh fruit and wine by the sea helped the two fall deeper in love with each other that day, if that is even possible. Their romance is one that has a clear passion and depth that was so evident that I could hardly contain it in the pictures I took.   Greece is unspeakably beautiful. As a destination wedding photographer, my tours have been filled to the brim with breathtaking views in some of the world's most prestigious cities and jaw-dropping countrysides, but Greece is, by far, one of my favorite place to photograph. The glimmering azure seas and white sand beaches, coupled with the rustic metropolises clinging to the hillsides, fill me with wonder and inspiration. With this photo shoot, my skills as a destination wedding photographer were put to good use as I took shots of this lovely couple, Aggeliki and Argiris. This Greek couple decided to stay in their native country for their holiday in the seaside capital of Chora on the island of Skopelos. I can not say I blame them... Every nook and cranny of this country is delightful, majestic and captivating, and Skopelos is no exception. First off, I would like to say how beautiful this couple is. Their love is simple and pure. They look into each other's eyes without fear or embarrassment, and they are very open with how they feel about each other. Their level of comfort with one another made this photo session a breeze, and I managed to capture some wonderful shots that let their love shine through in the photos. The first set of photos were taken at the Panagitsa of Pirgos, a widely-recognized landmark that sits on the coast of the Aegean Sea. The Panagitsa is a lovely white church that has become an attraction to tourists and locals alike, and it has been fondly named Eisodia tis Theotokou (Presentation of Mary) by residents. The Panagitsa has nestled itself into the outer edges of Chora's main port and is the first thing visitors see when they arrive. The brilliant ivory of the Panagitsa and the last of summer's warm rays simply lit up the scenery and cast a nice glow over Aggeliki and Argiris. It was like Heaven was shining down upon their love. After the church, we moved on to the city streets of Chora, weaving our way through the cluster of houses with brightly painted doors and close-knit doorsteps. The bold blues and cobblestone paths made an eye-catching backdrop as Aggeliki and Argiris exchanged loving kisses and warm embraces. Their smiles are both so genuine. You could see they were truly happy, that they fulfilled one another. As I took the final shots of them on a balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea, I told them how lucky they were to have found each other. I will admit, I was sad to leave them. Their cheerful conversation and complete oneness of heart will forever be in my memory.    Being a destination engagement photographer is not all about planning, about carefully-staged shoots set in tranquil gardens and luxurious hotels. On the contrary, often the best gifts come to us photographers amidst the hustle and bustle of life, on busy streets crowded with strangers caught up in the whirlwind around them. Recently, my work took me far away from sunny Croatia, into the foggy heart of London, one of the largest cities in Europe. Naturally, I could not resist doing some exploring, so on one fine Saturday when the sun broke through the clouds, crowning buildings and shimmering along the Thames, I went out for an adventure. As on any fine summer day - rare in rainy England - the streets were packed with vivacious people, with tourists, families, young people, and of course, couples. The atmosphere was akin to that of a great carnival, with everyone out to worship the sun and revel in the joyousness of being alive. I was therefore not surprised to hear lovely music emanating from Piccadilly Square: All Of Me from John Legend danced on the breeze, amplified by the voices of a choir which stood on the steps before a beautiful young woman. Years spent working as a destination wedding photographer - along with having been born a romantic at heart - has given me a keen eye for love unfolding, so I immediately noticed the nine red roses in her hand. “Ah ha!” I thought; “Someone is about to get engaged.” Everything after that moment happened in a flash of emotion and inspiration: As the lyrics crooned, "'Cause all of me loves all of you", a young man stepped out in front of the choir, and my camera found its way into my hands. Astonishment and tears dawned on the face of the bride-to-be as her handsome prince knelt down before her, professing his devotion for all the world to see. “Yes!” was of course the heartfelt answer to his question, and thunderous applause erupted all around - along with tears of joy dampening the faces of total strangers - as my shutter click-clicked away.   I felt on that day like I captured something too precious to be described in words - the moment love comes to full bloom, the moment it overflows its cup and spills into the souls of all those around it, a wave of joy rippling out through the great sea of humanity. I wished in that moment that every couple could preserve the memory of such beauty, create lasting impressions of something so perfect and so fleeting, so that it might never slip away.
The adage which states life begins when you step out of your comfort zone proved to true both literally and metaphorically for Julie, a vivacious Scottish beautician I met recently through my work as a destination wedding photographer. Though I am natively a Croatian wedding photographer, I am available worldwide for shoots and have recently spent a long while in Cyprus, so I am no longer used to meeting people as gregarious as Julie; many people in this region of the world are rather quiet and keep to themselves, independently going about their lives. Julie, though, radiates a bubbly life-force that draws everyone to her—so much so that she was well-known and liked by all of her neighbours at the apartment complex she lived in just over a year ago. Naturally, then, when a handsome single Dutchman by the name of Bart moved in to the said complex, titillated whispers lit up the building as its residents immediately saw a potential match for Julie. Soon, her customers at work were telling her about the charming newcomer to her flat and doing their best to set up a date—which Julie at first flatly refused. But, the seed was planted—as she went about her day-to-day life, she could not help but start to look for Bart in and around her building, to notice the twinkle in his eye and the warmth of his smile. Something in her heart started to tug at her, telling her to take a chance, to ignore her hesitancy and take a risk on a possibly awkward blind date with a stranger. Eventually, Julie accepted the invitation to go out for a drink, and when she let herself meet Bart's eyes for the first time, she felt a sense of instant, unmistakeable connection. One date turned into many, and within a few months, the couple realised that the only times their flat truly felt like “home” was when they were together in it. As such, they decided to take their biggest risk yet; despite how new their relationship was, they chose to move in together. Their choice was immediately blessed—that New Year's, Julie was overjoyed to discover the greatest of surprises: She was expecting a baby! In a whirlwind of holiday celebration, she and Bart got engaged, and are now planning a wedding for a next year. The little decorative box I photographed Julie's ring on perfectly captures what has unfolded for this couple: “Every once in a while... right in the middle of ordinary life... love gives you a fairytale.” As you can see from the pictures, their life has started to unfold like something from a storybook; in March, they moved into a beautiful big house surrounded by a palm-strewn garden, a little patch of paradise all their own. Inside, however, there were many signs that Julie and Bart have held onto their down-to-earth candour and sense of humour; I found an adorable “wedding fund” piggy bank, surrounded by seemingly endless congratulations cards from their friends and family, as well as a quirky plaque. After capturing these mementos, I took the couple to the beautiful Ayios Georgios Alamanou rocks (near Governor's Beach in Cyprus). This beautiful beach has long been a place for lovers to walk, hand-in-hand, as the sun sets, finding hidden nooks among the many sea caves and tiny islets where they might quietly whisper their secrets, dreams, hopes, and fears, their voices blending into the soothing murmur of the waves. I shot Julie and Bart against the beach's famous stones, which rise as pure and white as dove's wings from the inky black sands below and overlook the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean sea. This uncluttered yet dramatic landscape draws the eye out to the endless blue horizon, creating a thrilling sense of the unknown and making one contemplate the majesty of the future—the perfect aura to surround this couple, whose fairytale has truly only just begun.         While many people out there are mostly familiar with hiring a wedding photographer, most of them don’t consider hiring a photographer to capture their love or engagement. The reason is that they might think that kind of photos are a little cheesy and unnecessary. An engagement would not be complete if there are no photos taken during the event. Moreover, you can use these photos on your wedding invitations and treasure for life. When looking to hire an engagement photographer, in my opinion, you can choose either a photographer or an artist. Confused? Don’t be. You see, art has many different definitions, but the one which I relate mostly to is that art is a process of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the emotions or senses. It does not matter if it is a kid holding a point and shoot camera or me holding a DSLR. What matters is that each person that looks through a lens sees something different. Every photographer is an artist because we express ourselves through a push of a button.  You must be wondering how one can determine if you want a photographer or an artist? With portfolios all over the web, a couple does not have to look far to find an artist. You will be able to tell by looking at images… You will be able to identify whether these photos look like they were on the list or these photos scream of an expression from an artist. When it comes to me, I have been taking photos since I was a teenager and over the time I evolved as an artist whose style is perfect for engagements and weddings; simple, lifestyle, fresh and soft. As the saying goes, if you are passionate about something, you can not go wrong. Same applies to me! I am really considering myself blessed as I am doing the best job in the world which I am totally passionate about. Photography allows me to travel all around the world and I have an opportunity to meet most amazing people and couples in love. Because of their love, I get to grow more and more, not only as a photographer and an artist, but also as a person. This couple shooting took place in beautiful picturesque city Limassol in Cyprus. It is a great example of how beauty and harmony fits perfectly together on this island of love. Good photographer will look for moments, but also set a scene. I like my photos to feel natural and candid, yet done with some direction and styling so you are not left wondering what you need to do. I direct you to interact, to draw real emotion out of you, get real looks towards each other and then I am documenting real love. If you are planning an engagement in an island or near a beach, I can be your best bet as you will get to capture your every moment in your special island paradise.         Distance is nothing when love is real. Almost 800 kilometers were dividing them because they were born and raised in two opposite parts of Croatia, but their connection got only deeper and stronger. Tradition means a lot to them, so we shot an engagement session with the beautiful traditional attire. Paula was dressed in a gorgeous dress from Konavle area, combined with enriched hat embroidered with flowers. Antun first wore attire from Konavle, and then he changed into attire from Slavonia area, where he is born originally. Inhabitants of Konavle area are famous for their respect for traditional heritage and land cultivation culture. Paula's family is growing all kinds of vegetables and fruits there, but they are most proud of their big tangerine orchard. Besides I used it as a background for photos, I enjoyed sweet and juicy taste of that gold fruit. 
If you are drawn to Christmas, grand sense of tradition and holiday spirit of togetherness, this is a great opportunity. Using gorgeous Christmas lights and beautifully decorated city for a magical scene, you can have romantic and intimate memories frozen in time. Enjoy being yourselves and have Timeless Photography capture your love! :)  He saw her in a Soda bar one hot summer... She was different, but yet, so simple and beautiful, wearing a white shirt and a bun on her head. She was drinking beer with a straw. They exchanged few glances and smiles, but nothing else happened. Next spring, lady Destiny interfered once more to unite this soul mates. They met again, but this time, he decided to be braver. He approached her and that is the moment when their story begins...           He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. - Emily Bronte- 
Iako izgledaju odraslo, neka vas ne zavaraju... Vjerujem da su djeca u duši i da nisu izgubili ono iskreno veselje i vrckavost što posebno dokazuju njene slatke pjegice na nosu koje on jednostavno obožava! Iva i Damir su jedan od onih parova koji su jednostavno stvoreni jedan za drugoga... P.S. Posebno su bili napomenuli da nisu fotogenični. Dobro da sam im povjerovala! ;) Što vi mislite? Although they look like an adults, don't be fooled... I believe they are still children in their souls because they didn't lose their honest laugh and playfulness. Her cute freckles, which he adore, prove that in particular. Iva and Damir are one of those couples which are just meant to be... P.S. They said they were not photogenic... Yep, I surely believed them! ;) What do you think?   Upoznala sam ih fotografirajući predivno morsko vjenčanje na otoku Pagu. Goran mi je prišao i upitao zovem li se Martina... Zbunjena i iznenađena, rekla sam da. Potom me upitao jesam li djevojka njegovog srednjoškolskog kolege te da me je prepoznao sa fotografija. Kako je svijet mali! Na brzinu smo razmijenili par riječi i upoznao me sa svojom djevojkom Matejom. Kontaktirali su me jednu godinu poslije - njihova svadbena zvona su također zazvonila! Bila mi je čast zabilježiti njihovu ljubav u predivnoj "Hrvatskoj Sahari" koja je dokazala da je predivna pozadina za zaručničke fotografije. Također su na snimanje poveli svog voljenog Crixus-a, slatkog čupavog chow chow-a, pa smo nas četvero proveli zabavno popodne. Jedva čekam njihovo vjenčanje! I first met them while photographing beautiful sea wedding on island Pag. Goran approached me and asked me if my name was Martina. Confused and surprised, I said yes. Then he asked if I was his high school friend's girlfriend and said he recognized me from the photos. What a small world! We've briefly exchanged a few words and he introduced me to his girlfriend Mateja. One year later, I've been contacted - their wedding bells rang too. :) I was honored to document their love in a beautiful "Croatian Sahara" which proved to be a gorgeous background for engagement photos. They've also brought their beloved Crixus, a sweet puffy chow chow so four of us had a great time. I can't wait for their wedding! 
Ona je Hrvatica, a on je porijeklom iz Turske. Njihovi pogledi su se prvi puta sreli u kuhinji jednog restorana u Americi gdje su oboje radili. Od tada su Antea i Serkan jednostavno nerazdvojni. Životni putevi su ih nakratko rastavili, no ljubav ne poznaje granice - sada su sretni i žive u Hrvatskoj. Baš tamo, točnije u Poreču, imala sam ih prilike upoznati. U našem kratkom druženju, oduševila sam se njihovom ljubavi te ponajviše činjenicom koliko su jedno drugome podrška i snaga u životu. Antea i Serkan, hvala vam što ste me podsjetili da su srodne duše povezane vječno, ma gdje god one bile. <3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She is from Croatia and he is from Turkey. Their eyes glanced each other in a restaurant kitchen in America were both of them had worked. Ever since, Antea and Serkan are inseparable. Life path took apart of them for a while, but love knows no boundaries - they are happy now and live in Croatia. Right there, precisely in Poreč, I've met this cute couple. I was impressed with their love, and most of all, with a fact how big support and strength they are to each other. Antea and Serkan, thank you for being a great reminder how soul mates are related forever, wherever they might be. <3 
location: Hotel Palazzo, Poreč, Croatia makeup: Urška Bizjak hair: Romina Močibob for Beauty salon Melody Be in love, Martina. Proljeće je period obnove u vinogradima. Nakon zimskog mirovanja, pupoljci donose uzbuđenje zbog nadolazećeg vremena. Svi govore kako postoji neka doza romanse u činjenici da ste vlasnik vinograda. Ovaj presladak par to može i potvrditi - ta mala prirodna oaza je uistinu romantična! Nema ništa ljepše nego pobjeći od vreve asfalta, prošetati prirodom i udahnuti punim plućima. Sanja i Matija... Hvala vam na predivnom popodnevu... Vidimo se na vjenčanju! :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spring is a time of renewal in the vineyard. After the dormancy of winter, bud break brings a sense of an excitement about the new season. People always say there is something romantic in being a vineyard owner. This cute couple can confirm that - that small natural oasis really is romantic! There is no greater thing than to escape from the city, take a walk and fill your lungs with life as you breathe in . Sanja and Matija... Thank you for a wonderful afternoon... See you at a wedding! :) 
Be in love,
Martina. “I think, that you can meet someone one day, who possesses the eyes you never had but always needed; the vision to see backwards and forwards and all around, the other wing that you need to complete your flight. And I think it can just happen, suddenly, without explanation! And then I think, it would be good to keep that person, you'll always have those eyes, and always have two wings.” ― C. JoyBell C. 
Live.Laugh.Love. Martina. |
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