A note from us...
Last night, international wedding magazine Bows & Chic announced their 2022 award winners... and Dust and Dreams Photography was voted MOST INNOVATIVE! What a lovely surprise and incredible honour.
Does an award like this make us better photographers than we were yesterday? Will we be walking around calling ourselves "award winning photographers" on every platform now? No, as we believe that awards like these are meant to inspire and fuel us to make even more magic!
An accolade like this gives wonderful validation to the work we pour our very souls into and we are beyond thankful for a wonderfully innovative magazine to call us "Most Innovative".
ERICA NIJEBOER; Editor-i-chief of the magazine shared this beautiful piece:
For the 2022 Awards, I decided to select the 'Most Innovative' category winner myself. This is a title that represents creative thinking, being original, and using new techniques or methods.
Having personally worked with Dust and Dreams Photography, and having seen their international work, I can without a doubt give this title to them.
Elaine Van der Merwe-Louwrens and Steph Louwrens are a dynamic couple, each with their own set of creative capabilities, making them an incredible team. Their love for travel, food, culture, creative thinking, capturing stories, and connecting with people, embodies them, rolling out in front of them like a wave as they move. Even Elaine's articles/creative writing for our magazine has captivated me. Her word choice is riveting. Her energy electrifying.
You want to go where they go, you want to experience what they experience. You see things differently after you have spoken to them. They are authentic true travelling entrepreneurs, making you fall in love with their work and way of life.
Being able to come up with a unique and captivating concept is one thing, but to be able to execute such a concept successfully is an entire talent on its own. I have seen their own concepts, international editorials, weddings, and the editorials they have done with us. They use various creative techniques around their lens work. They work with natural light, fabrics, textures and authentic vintage techniques, to bring you a unique editorial experience. They know what they want creatively, and they come prepared. But they are always open to change and able to adapt.
I have given them a specific editorial concept to shoot. The creative angles they shot, the way they made the models move, the poses they incorporated, how they articulated and guided each scene, everything indicated to an internal creative compass pointing North. And having the ability as a team, to make it come to life, was incredible to witness. There was no need for me to direct them or guide them. They completely understood what I wanted. They were living in my head that day. When I opened the gallery, I was moved by the images. They were even more than I expected! The details, wides, portraits, emotions, textures, light and storyline was incredible to view. If one could ever capture the words in a novel through stills, they would be the ones who would know how to do it. And you would fall in love with their characters.
Even though I have not given them all their concepts (to experience this specifically from the start of each process), I could see the stories unfold in each gallery I have received from them. I could see the stories of the couples they have worked with, the international editorials they have done. They have taken unusual concepts and made works of exceptional photographic art. Each story is uniquely captured, but still consistent with their brand and quality.
I would travel the world with them. Just to see how they would capture it, and what else I could learn from them.
-Erica Nijeboer, Editor-in-Chief
Bows & Chic Magazine
