It's a lot of planning and a little bit of luck.

Jakob Hallaert January 20, 2025

Early Mornings.

*The excitement in the morning is exactmy the reason why I like to shoot during the getting ready.*

For people who know me it’s not a big secret. I’m not the champion of early mornings. I love to sleep in, take it easy and if necessary, work late. I often joke about the fact that the only days I wake up early are Saturdays. Because yes, the mornings I get up early are mostly weddingdays. Still no big fan of the early hours but for those special occasions it’s well worth it. This particular Saturday in January was one of them.

And as I say early, I mean it. So we came with this little idea of doing the first look of Saar & Wietse at sunrise. This is almost impossible in the summer but when you’re doing a winter wedding it is not that early. The nice light in the cold season is one of the many reasons I love a nice winter wedding. So Saar and Wietse agreed and we went for it.I had the whole thing planned out in my head, a moody, cold winter morning with fog rolling in, a hint of sun peeking through the haze. Perfect for an intimate first look It doesn’t always have to be a sweet little garden or an epic townhall, does it?

*Nothing better than some matching snowboots to complete the look. ;)*

The cherry on top? It started snowing that week. It was shaping up to be the ultimate winter wedding backdrop. So the day started as planned with a pretty early morning to get ready in time for that special first look. Everyone was on time, Saar & Wietse looked fabulous (with a nice touch of winter ;) ) so we were ready to go for it!

But as I said before, the best plans are a lot of planning and a little bit of luck.
And that morning? Well, the luck wasn’t quite there. The whole morning was one big misty fuzziness. Not a single ray of sun to see, no vibrant colours just that lovely palette of gray as we get them here in Belgium. But that didn’t stop Saar and Wietse to have a wonderful day. They had a nice little civil wedding followed by a cosy afternoon in a nice winter setting at De Ferme Koer. A perfect recipe for a beautiful wedding.

Yet after all that the day wasn’t even remotely over. Sometimes, just sometimes you have to believe in a little bit of old fashioned karma. It was like we got our luck got a little later than expected. After the ceremony suddenly the sun started to show off. So as some of you may already have experienced that’s the moment you see me coming from afar with a cheeky smile to ask “if there’s time for a small sunset session?”.

So in the end we got our “sunny” snow shot after all. Top that off with a nice opening dance and an epic party and you have a perfect winter wedding if you ask me.

So if you’re thinking about having your special day on a cold winter’s day, give me a call would you?
Let’s make it happen.

Jakob.

Love, Champagne & Dancing.

Jakob Hallaert May 16, 2024

Those three words aren’t summary. They’re a statement.
For me it was one of those days everything fell right in its place. Especially the light. Ask it to any wedding photographer you know, some days everything just works out. You walk in and the vibe is just right. It was a wedding in the middle of autumn, it was warm enough to still be comfortable outdoors but the light wasn’t to harsh anymore. Perfect, if you ask me. I really start to enjoy weddings outside of the summer season. Everything is more colourful or more dramatic, just a little bit off in the good kind of way. The sun is way more interesting in these months. There’s a later sunrise, the sun doesn’t get too high and a pretty early sunset. Throw in a small thunderstorm to add some drama and colour to the sky and it’s almost perfection to me. Once again I never wish for rain on a wedding day but it can be so stunning afterwards.

I don’t know why but this view screams “Provence” to me. Anyone who wants do a wedding there? ;)

However that particular 7th of October it didn’t rain. We got treated with a pleasant soft little sun and the estate of St-Hubert was the perfect background for this story. I decided to act like we were somewhere in the south of France. The fancy suits of Daan & Thomas instantly matched with that thought in my head. The preparation was in a nice classic suite followed by a short shoot with the two of them. Afterwards there was a stunning ceremony where the sun was kind of like a paid actor. It set perfectly behind the trees while the ceremony came to an end. To enjoy the last rays of sunshine even more there was a lakeside reception followed by a classique diner inside. Not to mention one of the best versions of a Dame Blanche I ever had. To end Daan & Thomas’s story there was quite the party with a sneaky candy buffet. I really tried to capture the whole setting with this one. A lot of details, location shots,… just the whole vibe. My couples often say they like details. Here’s a little treat.

Enjoy the vibe, drink a glass of champagne and have a little funny dance.
Or just be lazy on the couch, whatever suits you. Have a good rest of your day… ;)

Jakob

Daan & Thomas- B2 Photography 577-min.jpg

Daan & Thomas- B2 Photography 542-min.jpg

Rebellious learning schools.

Jakob Hallaert April 10, 2024

I have no idea what my coming years in photography will look like. Will they be event focused, even more weddings or something completely different? I really don’t know. I’m switching a lot between different scenarios. But don’t get me wrong, I like the one I’m in right now.

A couple of years ago I used to say to myself that by the time I was 35 maybe I should become a wedding photographer. Taking it slower, less extreme hours in comparison with nightlife, more certainty,… But then, to my own surprise, in 2023 I shot 32 weddings. And well… writing this, I am now 28 and I ended up in the wedding scene a little earlier then expected, but I’m definitely not taking it slower than before.
On the other hand, I’m still trying to challenge myself to shoot not only weddings. Nightlife used to be my biggest client and turned out to be a perfect learning school for weddings. It is not only a good idea to have a good change of scenery now and the... but in my opinion there aren’t many things that beat that one perfectly timed shot where light and movement align perfectly.

It’s very rewarding for many reasons. You don’t get to pose your subjects, you (often) don’t get any influence on the lighting so it’s making the best with what you get and something that’s maybe underrated often but you get comfortable in low light conditions. It might sound like a little thing but I think my love for darker first dance pictures originated here (they do have a special place in my heart). Weddings and nightlife might look as two complete opposites but they have a lot in common for me. Being ready for the big moments, capturing a spontaneous vibe and trying to shoot sneaky portraits from the shadows. It’s what I loved at nightlife and is nowadays also my approach to weddings. I hear it a lot: “We almost didn’t notice you that day but you’ve got so many pictures?!” These days nightlife has become an exception in my schedule. But oh yes, I still love the exceptions. One of those events is Rave Rebels. A massive rave taking place every year in Brussels.

“Being ready for the big moments, capturing a spontaneous vibe and trying to shoot sneaky portraits from the shadows.”

— Weddings or nightlife? Fits them both, doesn't it?

A full night packed with some of the biggest names in the scene and a couple thousand hungry ravers. Just doing your thing and sniping from the shadows is perfect on nights like that. It’s an attempt to capture the raw energy that radiates from those nights. No hesitations, no limits and an immens ammount of people expressing themselves. Here I often go for a combination of big overviews, dj-shots and shots from the crowd. To mingle with a big crowd isn’t always the most comfortable thing to do but it is my way of really showing the energy.

Once again, these words are just my little opinion on the things I like. Have a little look.

Jakob