Introducing Adelé Koegelenberg, a wife, mother, and child of God who was my second Colour Me Beautiful Session. Yellow was just the perfect colour for Adele, because she's an absolute ray of sunshine. One of the most beautiful souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. And it was such a joy for me to capture everything about who Adele is with these portraits.
Adelé has two beautiful children, a son with a kind heart and a spirited daughter who is full of character. She loves everything about her life and feels blessed to have the best family and friends. Her loving husband Eugene, was such a cheerleader for her for the session, because he knows how much she loves beautiful portraits. Adele, gives so much of herself to others, a kind, humble and just all-round beautiful nature. She is very actively involved in her small community of Aggeneys and there isn't anyone who can say they don't know who Adele Koegelenberg is. To know her is to love her. She treats everyone she encounters with a smile. I often wondered if she ever gets angry!
Adelé is a friend who crawled so deep in my heart during our time in Aggeneys. She booked a family session with me and it just so happened that when they came to Cape Town for the session, I had just launched Colour Me Beautiful. I suggested we upgrade her so that she could be part of the campaign and she was absolutely thrilled. This was not my first time photographing Adele and her family, so it was a huge honour that she not only trusts me everytime with her precious family journey, but that she travels all the way to Cape Town so I could photograph her again.
It was lovely watching her be pampered and spoiled since; as moms, we're often doing the pampering and spoiling. Adelé shared that she is not the best model and can be a bit shy when it comes to certain poses, but with me, she felt comfortable, and she loved how I guided her to a place of comfort in front of the camera. During the reveal session Adelé was emotional when she saw her beautiful portraits. She felt that the portraits reflected all that makes her uniquely beautiful and who she truly is. This made me so happy, because that is my goal, to photograph who you are, not just what you look like.
When asked if she would recommend this type of session to her friends, Adelé enthusiastically responded, "Yes, and yes again!"
Adelé expressed that the portrait session was so much more than she imagined, and she is grateful for the beautiful experience.
Hair and Makeup: Blush Moments by Renske
Yellow dress: Opgedollie by Lene
Black dress: Adele's own