Paul and Cécile arrived in Hong Kong straight after their civil wedding in Europe, (literally the first thing that they did was go to the airport!) carrying that newly-married calm that settles in once the formalities are done. This shoot took place on the final day of their honeymoon, just before they flew back to France — in effect, an elopement that flowed seamlessly into a honeymoon, with no agenda beyond walking, wandering, and letting the city reveal itself one last time.

Most of my previous Hong Kong shoots have been “street level”, shaped by neon, crossings, and motion. For this session, I wanted to give their story a wider breath — Victoria Harbour, the Central skyline, and the quiet contrast between scale and intimacy. I landed the day before and went location scouting immediately, chasing the real lighting conditions of dusk and night to find the best harbour views that were not The Peak. Hehe. The goal was simple: perspective without spectacle, elevation without cliché.

The same approach carried through the rest of the shoot. Every location was scouted in advance, not to lock the couple into poses, but to avoid the usual Pinterest traps that have been photographed thousands of times. Instead of famous spots, we moved through overlooked corners, transitional spaces, ferry crossings, and streets that still felt lived-in. The moments unfolded naturally — candid conversations, quiet pauses, playful contrasts — all unscripted, all grounded in how they actually moved together.

This Hong Kong elopement, doubling as the closing chapter of their honeymoon, is less about ticking landmarks and more about how a city feels when it slows down for you. Harbour mist, night streets, soft motion, and the calm that comes when a journey is about to turn into memory.

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A cinematic Hong Kong elopement and honeymoon shoot photographed on location across Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Victoria Harbour – 2025. Captured by @_elsewherelse using Leica SL2, Leica Q3, and Leica M11 cameras. Shot with a documentary, filmic approach prioritizing candid moments, natural light, and unscripted connection.

Alex and Negin, an easygoing couple from Canada, were in Tokyo for a no-agenda Asian holiday. No wedding, no big announcement — just curiosity, rain, and a city already neon-lit.

When I found out they were fellow musicians and vinyl collectors — “Shibuya. Definitely Shibuya.” I just had to wrestle with the fact of how to pull it off without succumbing to too many Scramble Crossing shots. I mean, Shibuya is so much more than that.

We started at the Ginza Metro Line terminus — a favorite of mine. My personal color and letter bias, clean geometry, orange halation, commuters and tourists rushing by. From there, the night unfolded: "Rising Sun Red" neon (patent pending), side street vending machines, stairwell signage, silhouettes in motion blur. Everything framed them without needing to explain them. Shibuya did what it always does — provided light, rhythm, and narrative scaffolding.

Inside HMV Records, they actually flipped through vinyl 'coz they meant it. Which, these days, is rare. "Oh, let's pretend that you guys actually like vinyl because it looks cool". [ Insert Chadwick Boseman: "We don’t do that here." meme. ] No performative poses, no Pinterest energy. No faux hipster pretense. Never for the 'gram. Just a laugh, a record cover, and the kind of candid warmth you can’t manufacture.

Shibuya was there, ever-vibing, perfect for candid street-style shoots just like this.

Then, somewhere between those transparent Tokyo umbrella reflections and late-night ramen glow, it clicked:
They weren’t trying to look cinematic.
They simply were.

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A cinematic rainy night candid street-style couple shoot filmed on location in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, October 2025. Captured by @redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using the Leica Q3, Leica M11, and Hasselblad X2D 100C. Shot with ambient practical light, no modifiers. Color processed in Adobe Lightroom.

Yaewon (예원) and Mike (민걸) came to El Nido from Seoul, South Korea for a quiet escape. This was not an engagement shoot or a honeymoon, but simply a couple shoot built around time together, with space to move freely and let moments unfold without pressure.

I was involved early in the planning stage, helping shape the flow of the days and handpicking most of the locations. One of our non-negotiables was Small Lagoon on Miniloc Island. While El Nido’s Big Lagoon is often the poster image, Small Lagoon offers something different photographically. Its narrower passageways allow the limestone cliffs to feel taller and more imposing, creating a stronger sense of scale and enclosure. With the help of a dependable tour provider, we left El Nido Town at 8:30 AM and arrived first, giving us nearly thirty quiet minutes with the lagoon entirely to ourselves.

The shoot unfolded over three days. Day One stayed grounded in El Nido Town, beginning with coffee at Hama Coffee, followed by a slow walk along Caalan Beach and a sunset shoot at Las Cabanas. Day Two was dedicated to island hopping, starting at Miniloc Island’s Small Lagoon, then moving through Ipil Beach and the Lagen Island sandbar before ending with our first set at Pangulasian Island Resort. Day Three took place entirely on Pangulasian, where the pace softened and the moments became quieter.

"Coincidentally", (good ol' qarah in redsheep-speak), I was also staying on Pangulasian Island, as Miniloc Island Resort was undergoing repairs after a recent typhoon. (Hope you guys are able to rebuild soon!!!) That unexpected overlap turned the third day into something unplanned and unpressured. With no need to relocate or rush, we leaned into what was already there — even if it meant giving up personal time off. Some of the most relaxed frames came from that day.

A portion of the shoot happened underwater, where photography becomes secondary to comfort and control. Underwater couple images are only partly about the camera. Most of the work happens before the shutter is pressed. You do not need to be the best diver, but you do need to go just a little bit deeper than the couple, moving calmly and anticipating their rhythm so the water carries the moment rather than interrupts it.

The following day, I flew onward to Hong Kong for the next shoot. El Nido closed quietly, not with a crescendo, but with a sense of completion that did not ask for emphasis.

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A cinematic El Nido couple shoot photographed on location across Pangulasian Island, Miniloc Island’s Small Lagoon, Lagen Island sandbar, Las Cabanas, Caalan Beach and the coastal edges of El Nido Town, Philippines – 2025. Captured by @_elsewherelse with a documentary, filmic approach prioritizing candid moments, natural light, and unscripted connection — from kayaking through limestone lagoons to snorkeling in clear island waters.

This one came as a beautiful surprise: an impromptu Tokyo shoot for two Hollywood creatives on their honeymoon. I flew in from Hong Kong on short notice and found myself walking Tokyo’s neon-lit streets with Niko and Lila, bona fide filmmakers (Lila once met Michel Gondry—yes, “Eternal Sunshine” Michel Gondry. And “Daft Punk - Around the World” Michel Gondry.)

Between frames, we talked shop: indie cinema, auteur obsessions, and even the absurdities of the industry, from Mulholland Drive to TMZ, the range was as cinematic as the city around us.

Shot entirely at night, this session captured the moody romance of Tokyo's urban glow. We explored Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, Kabukicho’s grit, the platforms of JR Yamanote Line, and the iconic crossings of Shibuya. It was also my first couple shoot using my dream setup: the Leica M11 paired with the Summilux 35 f/1.4.

This shoot quietly kickstarted a trend; more couples now request cinematic night sessions here in Tokyo. Not complaining at all [smiley].

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A cinematic Tokyo night couple shoot featuring Niko & Lila, captured by @redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse. Shot on location in Shinjuku, Kabukicho, Golden Gai, JR Yamanote Line, and Shibuya. Photographed in February 2025 using the Leica M11, SL2, and Q3.

We almost missed it. Almost.

That spring, the sakura held out longer than expected — a cold spell pushed the bloom a week late. But what we caught was something rarer: the beginning of cherry blossom season. Gentle pinks just starting to unfurl, like a whispered promise in the air.

Set in the quiet solemnity of Sakuragi Shrine in Chiba, Gelo & Eri’s wedding was a beautiful intersection of cultures. Traditional Shinto rituals, whispered blessings in Japanese, and a touch of Filipino warmth: “Sugoi.” “Kirei.” And somehow, “Tadhana.”

Filming this felt like tracing the edges of something sacred. The wind carried words we didn’t fully understand, but still felt. It was calm, respectful, cinematic… a filmic slow dance between tradition and intimacy.

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A cinematic destination wedding video filmed on location at Sakuragi Shrine, Chiba, Japan – March 2024. Captured by redsheepphotocinema using the Sony A7SIII. Shot with SLR Magic MicroPrimes and Tiffen Black Pro Mist filters. Edited and color graded in DaVinci Resolve 19, and scored in Apple Logic Pro.
Also on Vimeo.

Two hours. One torrential Tuesday. Taito, Tokyo.

Yes, technically Akihabara — but that would’ve broken the streak of T’s. [ smug face emoji ] That’s how it began: Alex & Nancy’s honeymoon tour of Asia. Tokyo was both the first chapter and the final punctuation mark. A fitting symmetry, and a cinematic one at that.

This marked our third Tokyo run for 2024. While Singapore still wins in terms of flight frequency, the number of actual shoots between Tokyo and SG? Neck and neck. Case in point, this night: soaked streets, umbrella silhouettes, neon halation, and candid laughter between subway transfers. A street-style slowburn of mood and memory.

Also a personal milestone, this was my last shoot before moving into the new redsheep studio, the fold. (ie, sheep fold). Flew back to Manila the next day, moved in, Muji haul in tow. Also… let’s not talk about how many coffee table books I brought home from Tsutaya. Some are still sealed. [face covering eyes emoji]

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A cinematic rainy night couple shoot with Alex & Nancy, photographed by @redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse. Shot on location in Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan, October 2024, using the Leica SL2 and Leica Q3,Leica glass under torrential Tokyo rain.

I was in Sapporo on holiday, a Christmas and New Year break, and my couple shoots weren’t until after the New Year, in Tokyo a few days later.

But earlier that day, I saw a local photographer shooting a couple in the snow. I remember thinking, “This is such a beautiful place and I don't have anything snowy or wintery in my portfolio yet. I wish I also had a shoot here.” And, not even a full hour later, Hao & Fang — honeymooners from Singapore — spotted the Leica on my neck and walked over. Just like that. No plans, no booking. Just presence, timing… and maybe a little qarah.

We wandered through the snow-covered landscape of Moerenuma Park, letting the soft Hokkaido light do its thing. Chill, quiet, natural. No rush. No scripts. It felt more like a walk than a shoot, a serendipitous encounter at that. A qarah moment, maybe, a recurring redsheep trope if you may.

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A cinematic destination couple shoot with Hao & Fang, photographed on location in Moerenuma Park, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan – December 2023. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using the Leica Q3. Color remastered in July 2025.

This is us, one cold and drizzly evening in Tokyo - Van, Aiza & me (off cam of course) - for the first time since our OG shoot in El Nido before the pandemic.

I thought we’d just wander around Ginza, but then came the challenge: “So… show us your Tokyo.” I smiled. Tomigaya or Daikanyama might’ve been options, but for a cinematic night shoot, Akihabara made more sense — just four stops away via Kanda. Compact, moody, neon-lit. Candid moments with cyberpunk undertones. Neo Tokyo.

I actually tried meeting Van & Aiza when they revisited the Philippines a few weeks prior but our schedules just didn’t jive: they were in Palawan; I was shooting in Boracay. Fast forward to Tokyo - where we would serendipitously meet again. (Oh, typical redsheep, right?) And to think this all started with Van doing a sketch of me on a… ahem van ride from Puerto Princesa to El Nido in 2018. Kampai to you both!

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A cinematic, moody, street-style night couple shoot with Van & Aiza, photographed on location in Ginza and Akihabara, Tokyo, March 2024. Captured by redsheepphotocinema using a Leica SL2. Color remastered July 2025.

Zane and Lexie flew in from the United States for something simple. No rows of chairs, no flower arches even, no pressure. Just a local outrigger boat, a few islands and their empty beaches, and vows shared somewhere between sky and sea.

This was an adventure elopement in El Nido — not the Pinterest version, but the kind that breathes. We had our usual ice breaker at Las Cabanas the day before, then we moved through Bacuit Bay, from the Lagen Island sandbar to Entalula, Snake Island, with a final stop in Ipil Beach.

They read their vows with no one watching but Lagen's towering limestone cliffs. We filmed and photographed everything as it unfolded, no interference, just presence. It’s what redsheep does best.

And after the boat pulled in and the gear was packed, the groom — quiet, equally introverted as I am, composed all day — turned to me and asked, “Can I give you a hug?” In this line of work, there are no fancy titles. But that moment? That’s the equivalent of a promotion.

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A cinematic El Nido elopement and destination wedding captured by redsheepphotocinema in February 2025. Photographed and filmed across Lagen Island sandbar, Bacuit Bay, Entalula Island, Snake Island, Ipil Beach, and Las Cabanas Beach, Philippines. Shot with a candid, documentary approach using the Sony Alpha system — prioritizing natural light, unscripted moments, and quiet emotional presence. The couple flew in from the United States for this island-hopping wedding adventure.

Here’s to 40 destinations*, plus plus:

Southeast Asia
Singapore
Bali, Indonesia
Da Nang, Vietnam
Ninh Bình, Vietnam
and….

The Philippines
Amanpulo, Palawan
El Nido, Palawan
NoaNoa Island, Palawan
Coron, Palawan
Mactan, Cebu
Boracay
Siargao
Bohol
Batanes
Manila

East Asia
Tokyo, Japan
Sapporo, Japan
Fukuoka, Japan
Hong Kong

United States
Los Angeles, California
San Francisco, California
Napa Valley, California
San Diego & Del Mar, California
Chicago, Illinois
New York City, New York
Lanai Island, Hawaii
Kona, Hawaii

Europe
Sólheimasandur, Iceland
Reynisfjara, Iceland
Venice, Italy
Verona, Italy
Paris, France
Graz, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Nikitsch, Austria
Kilkenny, Ireland
Lofoten, Norway
Kinderdijk, Netherlands
San Sebastián, Spain
Malmö, Sweden

Oceania
South Island, New Zealand
Sydney, Australia

To our beloved couples featured here — thank you for letting us see the world.

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A curated destination photography highlights set from redsheepphotocinema, featuring 40 cinematic shoots across Asia, Europe, the United States, and Oceania — from island elopements to city honeymoons and travel portraits. Captured from 2015 to the present using Leica, Sony, Fuji, and Hasselblad systems with a candid, filmic approach rooted in story, stillness, and natural light.

*excluding commissioned corporate and documentary projects

This Hong Kong portrait shoot, under soft, diffused high noon light, was a welcome change. Coming from someone who regularly shoots under the sharp equatorial sun of El Nido & Singapore, the contrast was gentle and refreshing.

We ventured out to Hap Mun Bay (also known as Half Moon Bay), a secluded beach near Sai Kung. The journey itself was part of the story: I broke a personal record reaching Choi Hung — my farthest MTR station to date — followed by a winding 50-minute minibus ride through hills and coastlines. A bit of an adventure, but worth it for the stillness we found on the other end.

Shot with Leica cameras, this portrait session leaned into the quiet. Natural light. No modifiers. Just the coastline, some late afternoon breeze, and Ember, moving through the space with ease.

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A cinematic Hong Kong portrait session photographed on location at Hap Mun Bay (Half Moon Bay Beach), Sai Kung, February 2025. Captured by @_elsewherelse using Leica M11, Leica SL2, and Leica Q3 with a filmic, moody approach rooted in natural light and story-driven portraiture.

Rino and KeYing wanted something Wong Kar-wai. Not the heavy, introspective and brooding kind, but still poetic, candidly free and just the right amount of moody. Something cinematic that still allowed for their quirks to surface, like how KeYing insisted on her favorite vending machine drink and Rino kept laughing even during seemingly mundane stair shots. Not performed, just… them.

I didn’t tell them at the time, but I was running on a fever that night. A stiff neck had quietly morphed into full-body pain — not from a virus, just pain that reminds you how little you can control. And maybe that’s why this shoot unfolded the way it did. My best work tends to surface when I’m physically incapable — when I stop relying entirely on myself and start looking Heavenward for the help I need.

We shot outside the iconic Lin Heung Tea House, the signage humming like a stage light. Switch to full-on hipster in Craftissimo for craft beer, rummaging through vintage Bruce Lee posters, and a walk down Peel Street. Then the unexpected: Halloween in Mid-Levels. Pharaohs, bears, strangers slipping into frame mid-step — all folding in like the city was helping direct the shoot. And Hong Kong — as always — lit the scene just right.

I met Rino & KeYing again for dinner less than a week later, this time in Singapore. I was feeling much better by then — in body, in rhythm, in everything. But Hong Kong was where the magic began.

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A cinematic destination pre-wedding photo shoot with Rino & KeYing, filmed on location in Central and Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, October 2023. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using the Leica SL2 and Leica Q3.

Suady and Shanell’s wedding was held at Miniloc Island in El Nido — intimate in tone, yet surrounded by nearly sixty friends and loved ones who flew in from all over the world. No overproduction. No excess. Just joy, honesty, and a kind of warmth that carried through from the ceremony to the sea.

They exchanged vows on Entalula Island, barefoot in the sand, with the limestone cliffs behind them and the water quietly moving in. Some weddings try to orchestrate moments. This one didn’t need to. The connection between them — steady, unscripted — was already doing the work.

Shanell works at Disneyland — and yes, she’s an actual Disney Princess. But on this island, there was no script, no stage. Just real emotion. And Suady? Calm, grounded, fully present. Together, they made this stretch of Palawan feel like a page from their own fairytale — only with better light.

This destination wedding didn’t need to announce itself. It just needed to be felt. And that’s what we photographed.

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A cinematic El Nido destination wedding photographed on location at Entalula Island and Miniloc Island Resort, Palawan, Philippines — March 2025. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using the Sony Alpha system with a candid, filmic approach rooted in natural light, emotion, and unscripted connection. Over 60 guests from around the world attended this beach ceremony.

[ continued from this post ]

“Channeling my inner Wong Kar-Wai” is such a pretentious thing for me to say. But with this city? It didn’t take much.

WeiHeng & Hedy’s engagement shoot felt like a walking frame of a slow, moody film. The alleys of Central. The glow of old-school neon in SoHo and Sheung Wan. The way an old tram slides past a billboard like a moving wide shot.

Even the simplest things — a fruit juice stop, a mid-step glance, a tram wait — became cinematic. Hong Kong does this. Especially at night. Especially when you’re with two people who let the moment lead. This one was candid, moody, artsy — and yes, a little street-style. Halation heaven, really.

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A cinematic, moody, candid Wong Kar-wai-inspired night engagement shoot photographed on location, across Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, SoHo, and Admiralty, March 2023. Captured by @redsheepphotocinema using the Sony A7SIII and the Sony A7RIV. Color remastered June 2025.

This Bali portrait session blended lifestyle storytelling with a quiet fashion sensibility — moody, cinematic, and rooted in place. The images were created for a Bali-based swimwear brand, but nothing about the shoot felt manufactured. We let the environment lead.

Split between Seminyak and Ubud, the scenes moved from surf edges to inland calm. Seminyak Beach gave us salt, light, and movement. Ubud, specifically the grounds of Four Seasons Sayan, gave us contrast — architectural rhythm, palms, softness in the air. On our last day, just before sunrise, we shot along coastal cliffs and quiet corners of Green Bowl Beach.

The work was originally done in 2022, but remastered in 2025 with a fresh color grade — deeper shadows, more mood, less gloss. The result isn’t fashion or editorial. It’s something slower. Something lived in.

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A cinematic Bali travel portrait session photographed on location across Seminyak, Ubud, and Green Bowl Beach in 2022. Shot for a Bali-based swimwear brand and color-remastered in 2025 by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse. Captured with a moody, lifestyle-driven approach that blends fashion, surf, and stillness.

At first glance, it might look like just another city walk — a spontaneous, go-with-the-flow couple shoot. But everything you see here is part of WeiHeng & Hedy's personal geography: their juice stall, their workplace, their tram route, their neon-lit alleys. And even the burger stop? That's their Five Guys. Their Hong Kong.

From culturally cool Sun, Moon and Star Streets in Wan Chai (yaaay Monocle Shop!) to the vibe of Tai Kwun, this shoot was never just aesthetic. It was deeply lived-in. A cinematic Wong Kar-wai mood ran through it — subtle, quiet, real. Like a street photography-style journal written in film grain, halation and motion blur.

This one was candid, moody, and artsy — a walking portrait of the city, and of them. And Tai Kwun Art and Heritage Centre served as an interlude before our night set in the streets of SoHo and Sheung Wan...

[ to be continued ]

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A cinematic, moody, and artsy couple shoot captured by @redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse. Photographed on location in Wan Chai, Central, Admiralty and Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Photographed in March 2023 using the Sony Alpha cameras and Voigtlander lenses. Color remastered September 2025.

The redsheep Nordic Sessions began quietly, without a master plan. These were pocket shoots that unfolded naturally while moving through Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — moments found between travel days, changing weather, and long walks through unfamiliar places. Some were honeymoon walks, some were pre-wedding adventure engagements, others, couple shoots that simply felt right in the moment. The common thread was never scale or spectacle, but atmosphere and presence.

In Iceland, the land sets the pace. At Sólheimasandur, the abandoned plane sits heavy and unmoving while couples pass through lightly, their gestures small against the openness. At Reynisfjara, black sand and wind strip scenes down to their essentials — walking, holding hands, moving forward. These sessions were less about posing and more about allowing distance, weather, and silence to shape the story.

Norway offered a different kind of stillness. In Lofoten, mountains rise abruptly and then disappear into cloud, creating a sense of pause rather than drama. Couples stand, look, and wait — not performing for the landscape, but existing within it. The images here lean into restraint, letting scale speak without explanation.

In Sweden, the tone shifts inward. Malmö’s streets, parks, and waterfronts provide structure, geometry, and warmth. In Gamla Väster and Daniaparken, everyday life continues around the couples — cyclists passing, light moving across walls, shadows doing their quiet work. These scenes feel lived-in rather than monumental, grounded in rhythm and timing rather than destination energy.

Taken together, the Nordic Sessions are not a travel checklist, but a collection of in-between moments. Shot as they unfolded, revisited and color-remastered in December 2025, the set reflects how redsheepphotocinema approaches destination work — observing first, intervening less, and letting place and connection carry the narrative naturally.

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This Nordic engagement and honeymoon photography collection was captured on location across Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The sessions include pre-wedding adventure engagements, honeymoon shoots, and pocket couple sessions photographed by redsheepphotocinema. Originally shot over multiple trips and color remastered in July 2023, the work reflects a cinematic, documentary approach centered on atmosphere, place, and quiet human connection. Camera systems used include Leica M and Sony Alpha.

Featuring:
Dong & Cynthia — Sólheimasandur Plane Crash Site, Iceland
Sam & Brooke — Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Iceland
Ronald & Johanna — Gamla Väster, Malmö, Sweden
Niclas & Kristine — Lofoten, Norway

Ivan & Juliya. One night only in Singapore — their first in Southeast Asia since the pandemic. We’d photographed before (Manila, El Nido), and would again (Bali, a few weeks later). But tonight? It had to be close, compact, and cinematic.

So we built a route around the things you don’t find everywhere: Elgin Bridge aglow with skyline haze, that deep blue along the Singapore River, and a lucky rooftop table at Southbridge — no reservations needed. The manager recognized we were shooting and gave us one of the best seats in the house. He even handed me his card, said I’d always have a good spot next time. (He’s kept that promise — three times since.)

And yes — laksa at Maxwell, a Grab ride from Boat Quay, and a 7-Eleven glowing like a portal to another universe. (They don’t have them back home.)

Ivan & Juliya still use the Manila portraits as their phone wallpaper. And I think that says a whole lot.

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A cinematic destination couple shoot with Ivan & Juliya, filmed on location in Boat Quay and Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore, February 2023. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using the Sony Alpha cameras. Color remastered in May 2025.

I was supposed to meet Pal and Zsofia in El Nido on schedule, but the skies had other plans. A typhoon hit the Southern part of the Philippines just as they arrived from Europe, and when Zsofia called — long flight behind her, bewildered — she told me their Manila–El Nido connection was cancelled because of the weather. That’s a kind of travel disappointment that feels sharp in the moment.

Fortunately, we were able to rebook a few days later. And when we finally set foot on Palawan soil again, it felt like a quiet consolation: the kind of postcard‑perfect weather that makes you almost forgive the storm.

The shoot that followed was adventurous, moody, and cinematic. We moved from the limestone frames of Pinagbuyutan Island to the expansive sandbars of Snake Island, through the soft shoreline of Ipil Beach and the settling light at Las Cabanas. The ocean changed mood throughout the day — calm then roiling, light then disappearing — and the energy of the couple shifted with it. Nothing was forced, nothing was staged. Just movement, stillness, atmosphere.

This wasn’t about perfection. It was about being present after disruption — the way they looked at each other once the wind had finally run out of breath.

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A cinematic El Nido honeymoon portrait session photographed on location in Pinagbuyutan Island, Snake Island sandbar, Ipil Beach, and Las Cabanas Beach, Palawan, Philippines — November 2024. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using Sony Alpha cameras with a filmic, candid approach rooted in natural light and unscripted connection.

Tokyo gave us rain that afternoon — steady, cold, and unrelenting. But that wasn’t a problem. えみり (Emiri) and I stayed under an umbrella the entire time, just like everyone else in Shinjuku.

We moved through the narrow alleys and pedestrian crossings of the city, finding rhythm in the flow of umbrellas and wet pavement. No big light setups. Just ambient reflections, halation, and the quiet compression of a rainy Tokyo street.

This was my first shoot using the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 — a dream lens I had waited years to own. It felt right to use it here, in a city that always feels cinematic even when nothing is happening.

(Fun fact: a frame from this session became my most liked post on Threads.)

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Rainy day portraits photographed in Shinjuku, Tokyo — March 2024. Captured by @_elsewherelse using the Leica SL2 + Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 and Leica Q3. A moody, urban portrait session photographed entirely under one umbrella in natural light, with a candid, unscripted approach.

Sounds cliché, but Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever filmed in. Picture this: an elderly Vietnamese woman in a nón lá, rowing a small steel boat through a winding river while cicadas hum and ducks drift quietly nearby. No mosquitos. Just golden afternoon light hitting the limestone cliffs to starboard, and a bride and groom glowing softly on the port side.

We’ve done our fair share of limestone karst locations in Southeast Asia — borderline treason to say this, but Ninh Binh is truly something else. (Just kidding, El Nido, you're still our second home!)

Zachary and Savannah’s wedding wasn’t styled to be an epic, but nature insisted on one. It rained. Of course it rained. But we’re suckers for rainy day weddings — something about man vs. nature makes the story unfold with more urgency, more honesty. And that "sunshine after the storm" kind of light? [chef’s kiss]

We partnered with Mirror Wedding for photography and Bayla Planner for styling. This was a true destination elopement: cinematic in look, heartfelt in pace, and shot across rivers, cliffs, and quiet corners of Aravinda Resort.

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Zachary & Savannah’s destination elopement wedding filmed in Ninh Binh, Vietnam — October 2022. Captured by redsheep cinema using the Sony A7SIII, SLR Magic MicroPrimes, and Tiffen Black Pro Mist filters. Shot on location at Aravinda Resort in partnership with Mirror Wedding (photography) and Bayla Planner (styling). Edited in DaVinci Resolve with original audio mixed in Logic Pro. A cinematic wedding film told through light, rain, and limestone cliffs.

Lina had been living in Singapore for six months — working as an apprentice attorney by day, and shooting film on the side during her time off on weekends. We first met by chance, when I was testing a new Hasselblad lens along the Singapore River. I offered to take a few headshots, nothing formal. Just natural light and a quick moment.

A month later, we found ourselves doing a proper shoot — full scope, full scale — to mark the end of her stay. These portraits became keepsakes from her time in the city.

We started at Nylon Coffee (personal fave!), then wandered through Everton Park and Neil Road, eventually ending around Southbridge and Boat Quay where I initially took her headshots a month prior. Just walking, chatting, framing the spaces she moved through for the past half-year. The tone stayed filmic and natural — soft light, no flash, no overthinking.

At one point, Lina raised her camera and took a candid of me mid-shot. She’s a film photographer — a mindful one — and I know how intentional each press of the shutter is when you’re working with a roll of Kodak 135. That frame meant more than she probably knows.

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Filmic lifestyle portraits photographed in Singapore to mark the end of a six-month stay. Shot on location across Nylon Coffee, Everton Park, Neil Road, Southbridge, and Elgin Bridge in February 2024. Captured by @_elsewherelse using Leica SL2 and Leica Q3 with a cinematic, documentary approach.

Kleines Cafe. Albertina. Prater. The alleyways of Innere Stadt.

It would be easy to assume we were trying to recreate Before Sunrise. But we weren’t.*

This was more of a “One sunset, one sunrise” kind of session. No heavy theme. No overproduction. Just B– and L——, soft light, early morning air, and this beautiful city by the Danube that feels inherently cinematic — even when you’re doing nothing but walking through it. We left Zollamtssteg Bridge out this time on purpose. [ "milkshake" ]

//
Cinematic travel couple portraits captured in Vienna, Austria — August 2017. Photographed with the Leica M240 in locations across Albertinaplatz, Innere Stadt, Prater, and Kleines Cafe. Color remastered in June 2025. A destination engagement session by redsheepphotocinema blending subtle nostalgia, soft city light, and filmic intimacy.

*Although to be fair, all three of us are fans of the film. But you know what’s a better love story? Good Will Hunting. Not Matt and Ben (lol) — I’m talking about Sean, Robin Williams’ character, and the quiet, enduring love he had for his wife. That’s what love looks like. That’s what I always hope to capture.

Ivan & Juliya — four-time redsheep couple. That’s Manila and El Nido, pre-pandemic. Singapore and Bali, post-pandemic. Welcome back to Southeast Asia, you two. [ stamps the proverbial loyalty card ]

You’re officially our most photographed couple. A million thanks and one quiet “congrats.” Every time we shoot, it’s new. Every time, we settle into something familiar.

This Bali set was easy and unforced. Seminyak gave us texture — morning light at When I Met Coffee, afternoon shade through Lloyd’s Inn. Canggu gave us vibe — golden haze near The Slow and that wide, open shoreline at Batu Bolong Beach. It wasn’t styled or scripted. Just movement, good light, and the same kind of honesty that’s made each session with them feel like a warm return.

Always a pleasure, Ivan & Juliya.

Same lens. Same eye. New frames, every time.

//
Cinematic Bali couple portraits photographed in March 2023 and color-remastered in June 2025. Shot on location across Lloyd’s Inn and When I Met Coffee in Seminyak, and The Slow and Batu Bolong Beach in Canggu, Indonesia. Captured by redsheepphotocinema using a candid, vibrant approach rooted in natural light and relaxed editorial energy.

…continued from this post, but just Nat this time.

Nat turned thir... I mean, twenty one this year ;-) We spent the afternoon walking through Hong Kong — the city she grew up in — to mark the milestone with something understated: a quiet, cinematic portrait session in the streets she knows best.

She had first found out about me after being a bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding in Singapore — one of those quiet overlaps where life hands you a future frame before you realize it. A month later, we were shooting in her home city. It started with a few portraits alongside her best friend Ellie the day prior, then shifted into a solo session — reflective, relaxed, and personal.

We moved between Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay. Chill and spontaneous. Just city reflections, backlight on the crosswalks, and a gentle kind of presence that doesn’t need to be directed. A birthday shoot, yes — but also a keepsake from this season of her life.

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Cinematic 30th birthday portraits photographed in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay, Hong Kong — February 2025. A lifestyle session with Nat and her best friend Ellie, captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using Leica M11, Q3, and SL2. Shot with a candid, natural-light approach to mark a personal milestone in her home city.

January 2, 2024 — second day of the year. Second shoot of the year. (And yes, the first one happened just the night before, on New Year’s Day.) This was also my second time photographing Gelo & エリ — a two-hour city walk through the Tokyo neighborhoods they now call home.

We kept it simple. Started at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, where tradition holds a quiet kind of weight, even at night. Then we crossed toward the Sumida River — neon haze, shadow pockets, vending machines, slow steps. Nothing too structured. Just the rhythm of the street and the kind of calm you get when you’re walking with someone familiar.

Tokyo night sessions always feel like scenes from a film. This one just happened to fall on the kind of date you remember — 1.2.24. Second day. Second shoot. Second time. Everything clicking into place like a quiet beat.

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Cinematic night street-style couple portraits captured in Tokyo — January 2, 2024. Shot across Asakusa, Sensoji Temple, the Sumida River, and Taito City. A city walk engagement session with Gelo & エリ, photographed by redsheepphotocinema using Leica SL2 + Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 and Sony A7RV. Color remastered in June 2025 with a filmic, candid tone rooted in real movement and ambient light.

The redsheep story has always been that of being at the right place at the right time — “qarah” in Hebrew. Our shoot campaign in Tokyo, Spring of 2024, was definitely chock-full of it: two weddings, and five shoots in between, without an elaborate “guns blazing” social media campaign announcing that we’d be in Tokyo during cherry blossom season.

Sharing with you guys how serendipitous our shoots can be.

March 29, 2024. Good Friday. 9h nine hours Hamamatsucho sleep lab, Minato, Tokyo.

Enter: me, doing a thousand-yard stare at Tokyo Tower. I was almost at the end of a two-week-long shoot stint. I felt the exhaustion sink in after a scenery & portrait shoot slash day trip to Kawaguchiko*, two hours away from Tokyo by train.

The last thing that I wanted to do was talk to someone**.

Also Me: “But it’s your last night here! You booked this hotel specifically for the Tokyo Tower view. Why don’t you talk to that girl on the other side of the table?”

Me: Nope. I’d rather stare into nothingness.

Also Me: “See! She’s teaching that other guy how to take a proper Tower shot. It’s a lot easier to break the ice.”

Me: Okay, fine.

So I did my usual “can I take your portraits” spiel.

She looked very familiar.

Like “Have we met before?”–familiar.

So she obliged when I asked if I could take some portraits of her on the roof. A few test shots later, I asked her name.

“Maria,” she said.

Maria. Maria…. [ synapses firing ]

Oh my! “Maria, as in Sebastian & Maria?!?! We did a couple shoot in Siargao YEARS ago!!!”

“No frickin’ way!”, we both said, almost in unison.

So long story short, she wasn’t a total stranger. And we spent the next day doing an actual portrait shoot in Central Tokyo.

Right place, right time — for the nth time. 🙏☝️

//
Cinematic Tokyo travel portraits photographed on location across Hamamatsucho, Shibakoen, and Akabanebashi. Captured in spring of '24 using the Leica SL2 and Q3 with a candid, natural-light approach by redsheepphotocinema.

*I filmed scenery and location shots for an upcoming wedding in Chiba.

**And I normally don’t talk to people even with full social batteries!

Kim & Ayra flew in from Switzerland for their wedding — trading Alpine peaks for limestone cliffs, Helvetica passports for barefoot vows on tropical sand.

The day before the ceremony, we joined their island hopping tour — a welcome event for guests seeing El Nido for the first time. From the calm of the Alps to the cinematic drama of Cathedral Cave, Cadugnon Cave and Snake Island Island, you could almost hear the collective intake of breath as the boats pulled in. It never gets old, even for us.

The wedding day itself on Etalula Island was quiet, honest, and filled with the kind of beauty that doesn’t need to flex. No Pinterest moments. No for the 'gram moments. Just the way they looked at each other, and the people who came all this way to witness it.

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A cinematic El Nido destination wedding photographed on location across Entalula Island, Snake Island, Cathedral Cave, Cadugnon Cave, and Miniloc Island Resort — April 2025. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using Sony Alpha gear with a filmic, documentary approach. The couple flew in from Switzerland to exchange vows surrounded by limestone cliffs and island light.

Sharing with you Ellie & Nat’s bestie portraits to mark the celebration of their thirt—

I mean, twenty-first birthmonth. 😉

This wasn’t just a photoshoot. It was a walk through their version of Hong Kong: a quick visit to Matcha Tokyo, a slow stroll through Tsim Sha Tsui, and of course, a quick wardrobe shift somewhere between Victoria Harbour and metaphorical shopping. The day wrapped with karaoke (yes, a Lost in Translation moment), and one of the best hot pot dinners I’ve ever had — Lau Haa in Causeway Bay. Highly recommend.

Ellie and Nat brought their full selves to the session — laughter, nostalgia, and the kind of shared rhythm only real best friends have. I’m happy to have been there for it. Also, side note: they introduced me to NewJeans during karaoke. Changed my life. Quite musically.

Cheers to you both — and to the version of Hong Kong that feels like home.

//
Cinematic lifestyle portraits of Ellie and Nat captured in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay, Hong Kong — February 2025. Shot with Leica M11, Leica Q3, and Leica SL2 by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using a candid, travel portrait approach rooted in friendship, light, and shared memory.

I met Anthony & Grace in El Nido, Philippines, in a quaint little beachside café called Hama Coffee. I saw them taking turns with the iPhone — casual, sweet, and already cinematic. I was on break after three days of shooting, without any of my gear, but I still offered to help. Just a few taps later, I asked where they were from.

“Hong Kong.”

“Oh! I’ll be there next week.”

Fast forward: Fortress Hill, North Point, and finally Sunbeam Theatre — a place I’d long wanted to photograph, and one that turned out to be meaningful to Grace too. Even the coffee shop we met at in HK had the same chill vibe as Hama. No Cadlao Island view this time, but the connection carried over.

This one felt like a quiet city film: street-style, artsy, spontaneous, and full of ease. Not a formal engagement session. Not posed. Just two people, their chemistry, and a city that knows how to light a frame.

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A cinematic and candid couple shoot featuring Anthony & Grace, captured by @redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse. Photographed on location in Uncle Ben Coffee, Sunbeam Theatre & King’s Road, North Point and Fortress Hill, Hong Kong in March 2024 using the Leica SL2 and Q3. Color remastered September 2025.

First light, first shoot, first of many.

This was how we opened our two-week Tokyo spring campaign in 2024 — with a sunrise shoot in Asakusa that was as cold as it was beautiful.

Ernest & Miki braved near-freezing weather that morning, wrapped in spring layers while waiting for the light to hit the old temple grounds. That same cold spell was also the reason sakura season came late that year. But the wait was worth it — that was literally asahi 朝日 sunlight hitting the Asahi billboard.

The moment we wrapped, I went straight into edits — these photos were used just a few days later during their wedding dinner slideshow. It was the kind of quiet flex that doesn’t call attention to itself, yet still moved the room. I was told the Japanese guests weren’t used to seeing engagement photos like this — moody, cinematic, unscripted. But they understood.

Sometimes a single shoot carries the tone for an entire campaign. This one did.

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Moody, cinematic couple portraits from Ernest & Miki’s engagement shoot in Asakusa, Tokyo — April 2024. Captured by redsheepphotocinema and @_elsewherelse using Leica Q3 and SL2 at sunrise. A destination session rooted in subtle storytelling, natural light, and emotional restraint.

Not every couple shoot in Singapore is for tourists — and not every local shoot avoids the postcard skyline. It’s always a fine line: we try to walk it gently.

For travel couples, we often choose somewhere recognizably Singapore, while steering clear of tourist traps. For locals, the camera usually meets them in familiar spaces — a favorite café, a weekend bike route, or a quiet corner that simply feels like home.

For Shidan & Riley, it was both. They’re not native to Singapore, but they’ve stayed long enough for it to mean something — to know its rhythms, to find their favorite Sunday spots, to call it home.

We began in the quiet alleys of Telok Ayer, wandered past the skyline glow of Marina Bay, then coasted down to East Coast Park where they usually spend afternoons folding out their bikes and letting the day go gently. No spectacle, no posing — just city light, shared pauses, and the road beneath their wheels.

Happy trails to you both! Wherever you guys find yourselves next — may it always feel a little like home.

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Cinematic and candid engagement shoot in Singapore, photographed on location across Marina Bay, Telok Ayer, and East Coast Park in February 2024. Shot with Leica SL2 and Sony Alpha cameras using a moody, natural-light, filmic approach by redsheepphotocinema.

This was their third shoot with us - one in Boracay, one in El Nido and this — and it happened just thirty minutes midnight. You know you love your job when you’re doing a moody, cinematic night shoot in the city in Hong Kong an hour before your birthday… and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Eric & Sabrina are the kind of couple who trust the process — no overthinking, no micro-managing. Just vibes. We wandered through Central, letting Hong Kong’s night lights and halation-soaked alleys shape the flow. It felt more like a short film than a session. Wong Kar-wai meets editorial meets effortless.

Also — that warm yellow umbrella? Iconic.

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A cinematic, moody, and artsy night engagement shoot in Central Hong Kong — April 2019. Captured by redsheepphotocinema using the Sony Alpha cameras and Voigtlander lenses. Color remastered September 2025.

The three of us were on the same page from the start: their New York City engagement shoot needed to feel like Manhattan — recognizable, but not too familiar; cinematic, but not performative; chill, because we were two days shy of their wedding day.

There were non-negotiables too: no tourist traps, no stiff poses, no waiting for people to clear the frame. Just the three of us, moving fast, embracing the chaos of a city that doesn’t wait for light — or photographers.

So we shot it like how New York moves: run & gun, heart on sleeve, light slipping fast into deep autumn dusk. From PUBLIC Hotel’s rooftop with the skyline behind us, to the warmth of Fanelli’s Cafe, the blur of Grand Central, and the neon flicker of Prince Street — it was all honest. Loud, unscripted, beautiful, even the very steep exponential decay of daylight, from golden hour and deep darkness in... ahem a New York minute. Hello, New York in autumn.

This is what it looks like when a couple lets the city shape the shoot — and not the other way around.

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Candid and cinematic pre-wedding shoot in New York City, photographed on location across SOHO, Midtown Manhattan, and the PUBLIC Hotel rooftop. Featuring real couple Pao & Carissa, shot two days before their wedding with a filmic, documentary-style approach by redsheepphotocinema. Color remastered June 2025 using Chromavibe 400M+.

I was technically on break — a personal recharge at Miniloc Island, just ten minutes away by speedboat. But when you genuinely love what you do, a few hours off can quickly become a shoot you wouldn’t trade for anything.

Grant & Julia, honeymooners from the United States, were staying at Lagen Island. Our paths (and schedules) crossed, and before long, we were gliding through Bacuit Bay, camera in hand, chasing golden hour on Snake Island's sandbar where the tourists have long gone, back to El Nido town.

There was no pre-production deck, no grand Pinterest plan — just sunlight, saltwater, and the kind of connection that makes documenting love feel less like a job and more like a gift.

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A cinematic El Nido honeymoon shoot with Grant & Julia, photographed on location at Lagen Island Resort, Snake Island, and Bacuit Bay. Shot during a brief creative pause by redsheepphotocinema, this destination couple session blends moody island light, candid motion, and organic connection. May 2024, color remastered in 2025.

Full Circle.

0°
October 15, 2019 — we filmed a destination wedding at Amorita Resort in Bohol, Philippines.

Enter: Dennis & Alyce. They’re now based in Singapore.

90°
Ralph & 은지 (Eunji), also Singapore-based, were planning their own wedding… in Amorita.

180°
They found us through Dennis & Alyce’s portfolio entry on our website.

270°
October 15, 2022 — I met Ralph & Eunji for the first time, over coffee…

360°
…on the exact same date as Dennis & Alyce’s wedding anniversary. It was their celebration that brought Ralph & Eunji into our orbit. (Our meeting spot? The iconic Chye Seng Huat Hardware. Mutual choice.)

We even caught up with Dennis & Alyce the day prior — post-pandemic cocktails and a whole lot of reminiscing.

And that’s how things come full circle.

This was Ralph & Eunji’s casual Sunday afternoon pre-wedding shoot in Singapore — a quiet city walk through places that now mean something personal: Nylon Coffee, the downtown core, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Jubilee Bridge, and finally the Marina Bay skyline.

No formal wear, no rigid structure. Just soft light, candid connection, and the kind of symmetry you don’t plan for — you simply show up for it.

(A quick shoutout to the face masks we were required to wear at the MRT post-pandemic.)

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A poetic, full-circle engagement shoot with Ralph & Eunji in Singapore. Casual prewedding portraits shot across Telok Ayer, Jubilee Bridge, and Marina Bay. A documentary couple session by redsheepphotocinema, captured on a quiet Sunday walk through favorite city landmarks. Singapore engagement photography with natural light and cinematic tone. January 2023, color remastered in 2025.

Disclaimer: These are not engagement photos.

But then again — who says you have to be officially engaged to have really nice-looking photos?

Here are some quiet snaps from Richard & Carri’s time together — two sojourners who met and fell in love in Singapore.

A city that wasn’t originally theirs, but became a chapter they now share.

It rained a little, the sun showed up a little later, and the two of them simply moved through familiar streets and open skies. Everton Park, Everton Road, Neil Road. And then — golden hour at Marina Barrage, with the Singapore skyline doing its quiet thing in the background.

There. A chill, Sunday afternoon. Just rain, light, and time.

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A cinematic Singapore couple shoot with Richard and Carri — not an engagement, but a quiet love story photographed on location across Everton Park and Marina Barrage. Captured by redsheepphotocinema in December 2024 using Leica SL2 and Leica Q3. Natural light, rainy streets, and golden hour portraits in a city that became part of their story.

Anette sent this to me via WhatsApp that very evening:

“Hey G—, I just wanted to say thank you so so so much for today. You are so lovely and really made me feel at ease, I wish you nothing but the best in life :) thank you thank you!

Do you have somewhere where I can write you a glowing review?”

Come to think of it, we don’t; we don’t have a place where we consolidate reviews and client testimonials. Any form of selling is not part of the redsheep ethos - it’s off brand. A bit of a flex here, but our portfolio speaks for itself. Any other thing besides the visuals - how comfortable we made you feel, how this friend of yours think we’re a bunch of cool kids, our Palawan and Singapore street cred - everything else is just a big bonus.

Don’t get me wrong. Kind words from our clients - these things matter to us. A lot. But we don’t flaunt them as if they were photos of celebrities on the walls of a tourist trap restaurant. Your words of appreciation - we treasure them in our hearts.

80 warm and cinematic wedding photos from Justin & Anette’s elopement in El Nido. Destination wedding photography in Southeast Asia x @redsheepphotocinema. Filmed on location: Pangulasian Island Resort and the Big Lagoon Beach in Miniloc Island, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, April 2023

A Tokyo destination wedding in spring — without the sakura.

Yes, it was supposed to be peak bloom. But an unexpected cold spell swept through the region, delaying the cherry blossoms by nearly two weeks. So instead of the usual pink flurries, we had crisp skies and gentle warmth — a window of rare calm sandwiched between two wet, chilly days.

This was Ernest & Miki’s wedding day. A church ceremony in the heart of Tsukiji, followed by portraits and a quiet reception at the historic Happo-en Garden — 八芳園とは — in Minato. No petals, no forced spectacle, just the quiet confidence of a couple grounded in what truly matters.

It also happened to be our first Leica-only wedding (But of course, Miki - you're a good friend!) — fitting, perhaps, that it took place in Tokyo, where light, shadow, and silence are all welcome guests.

(And for those wondering — yes, the sakura did finally bloom two weeks later. We were blessed to catch a few pink tufts for our second wedding that spring.)

100 frames. All heart.

//
A Tokyo destination wedding at the historic Old Cathedral of St. Joseph and Happo-en Garden in Minato, photographed just before cherry blossom season during an unseasonal cold spell. Captured by redsheepphotocinema using Leica SL2 and Leica Q3 cameras. Cinematic, documentary wedding photography with natural light, atmosphere, and unscripted connection.

If you've seen our Boracay Instagram Stories during that week, you'd know how utterly BAD the weather was. It wasn't just drizzling; it was torrential monsoon downpour. Arrival day had a dreary, gray, sunset-less afternoon.

The three of us had high hopes for the shoot day itself. But alas -- it was worse than the day before. 6:30AM of what ideally should have been a calm morning shoot in Station 1 had strong winds that battered our umbrellas. My cameras could handle drizzle and occasional splashing, but with winds like that, I threw in the towel.

"Let's ditch Plan A and let's do our hip coffee place set instead".

This turned out to be a BIG blessing in disguise. What should have been a packed morning in arguably Boracay's most popular (non-hotel) breakfast spot* -- we practically had The Sunny Side Cafe all to ourselves. Dunno - people slept in I guess? That was quintessential bed weather. We got the most coveted seat at that, the one overlooking White Beach and Willy's Rock, and the staff even allowed us to rearrange the tables for a clean window shot.

(Thank you, Sunny Side Cafe! You guys are awesome!)

50 cinematic and moody "bad weather" engagement photos from Jack & Dianne’s pre-wedding shoot in Boracay Island. Destination couple photography in Southeast Asia x @redsheepphotocinema. Featuring location photos of The Sunny Side Cafe, Pinnacle Resort and White Beach Station 1, Boracay, Philippines, June 2023.

*Of course, Hennan is always crazily full even during off-peak season.

100 cinematic documentary wedding photos from Abram & Rosanne’s intimate garden wedding at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii, United States. Intimate destination wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema, July 2022, Sony A7SIII + Fuji X-Pro 3, Hasselblad 907x, Tiffen Black Pro Mist filters. Color remastered, June 2023.

Sunset Sail x Four Seasons Resort the day before...
Adventure trek to Shark’s Bay the day after…

You gotta give it to Dan & Crissy —

Dan's stomach flu was so intense he had to take a breather during every "checkpoint" of their wedding day:
- halfway through the groom’s solo portraits;
- after the long walk from his room to Miniloc’s resto/lobby;
- in between the sunset cruise couple shoot and the long-table dinner;

Which makes all the smiles and kisses captured on cam a bit more priceless: that’s Dan giving it his all. And there’s Crissy setting the tone, with all-out support, being able to keep the day still in high spirits - a proverbial thermostat rather than a thermometer. And their happy bunch of friends (New Zealand, Australia, and the UK represent!) - each having a well-deserved slot in the communal cake-cutting ceremony sans the groom.

(I already said it in person, but I’m pretty sure you guys will go a long way. Cheers to you, Dan & Crissy!)

100 documentary & cinematic intimate tropical island beach ceremony photos from Dan & Crissy’s El Nido Resorts wedding. Candid destination wedding photography in Southeast Asia x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: El Nido Resorts’ Miniloc Island Resort & Big Lagoon Beach in Miniloc Island, Bacuit Bay and Shimizu Island in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, January 2023. Color remastered, June 2023.

36 feel-good cinematic couple photos from Wenjun and Jacqueline’s sunny street engagement shoot in Singapore. Pre wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Potato Head Folk, Keong Saik Road, Neil Road, Birds of Paradise Gelato, Ann Siang Hill Park, Singapore, May 2022. Sony A7SIII + Fuji X-Pro 3. Color remastered, June 2023.

50 cinematic intimate beach wedding photos from Masa and Yuki’s destination wedding in El Nido: マサとユキの結婚式の写真-ミニロック島-エルニドリゾーツパラワンフィリピン 写真とビデオ Photography & cinematography x destination wedding photographer @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Miniloc Island Resort, El Nido Resorts & Big Lagoon Beach, Miniloc Island, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. Sony A7III + redsheep Chromavibe 160M. May 2019. Color remastered July 2023.

A celebrity lifestyle and fashion shoot in El Nido featuring Canadian TV host, model and social media influencer Marina Bastarache. Sounds like a pipe dream for a guy who primarily shoots beach weddings. I was more than ready to show Mademoiselle Marina my favorite shooting spots in El Nido, but lo and behold, early morning of Valentine’s Day: "Gale Warning. All island tours cancelled."

A fashion shoot in El Nido without access to any of its iconic islands?!? Isn't El Nido essentially about island hopping in Bacuit Bay? It felt like hitting a brick wall when I found out about the coast guard's announcement. And like sea salt sans artisanal ice cream to an open wound, the weather that morning was close to perfect! Well, that was until 2PM. The thing is, even if it was bright and sunny in the morning, it could go really bad and stormy in the afternoon. Anyone who went out for an island hopping tour might not be able to make it back once the waves go pounding! The Philippine Coast Guard made a good call. Seriously.

And I thought we had it all figured out - Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan Island, Entalula and both Lagoons - a private custom tour in a well-planned sequence to minimize photobombers and hordes of selfie-stick'ers; such was Plan A, with at least five sets of swimwear. We already took note what to wear and where.

Enter: Plan B. From Bacuit Bay to its bayside beaches. From island to mainland: Corong-Corong, Lio, Nacpan and Las Cabanas - all of which are worthy alternatives having their own unique charm. Am I right, @marinabastarache? *smiley*

30 cinematic celebrity and travel influencer photos of Marina Bastarache, taken in El Nido, Palawan. Lifestyle and fashion photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Corong-Corong, Lio Tourism Estate, Nacpan Beach and Maremegmeg Beach Bar in Las Cabanas, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. February 2018. Marina Bastarache for @juneswimwear and @bikinivillage. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe 160M+ March 2022.

This warm-up ice breaker shoot, one day before Gabriel & Pamela’s adventure elopement in El Nido - and Las Cabanas sunsets are utterly spectacular, as always. Everything here was shot in 40 minutes - from golden hour until dusk - within a stretch of beach less than 15 meters - and yet we were still able to get a full spectrum of hues from the warmest of oranges to the coolest of blues.

36 moody & cinematic sunset couple portraits from Gabriel & Pamela’s elopement in El Nido. Destination wedding photography in Southeast Asia x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, January 2024, Sony Alpha.

You know the saying, “This meeting should have been an email.”
Enter: Shidan & Riley. “I think our meeting should be an actual shoot.”

The original plan was to do the engagement session January next year, but the night prior to our ice breaker over coffee meet-up, I stumbled upon an brightly lit Padang area with the F1 Singapore Grand Prix grandstands being setup.

“Want to do a quick warm-up shoot tomorrow?” :)

50 cinematic night street-style couple portraits from Shidan & Riley’s city engagement shoot in Singapore during F1 season. Documentary couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema

Shot on location: St. Andrew’s Road, Downtown Core, Singapore, September 2023.

There are three atmospheric elements that we’re suckers for — neon glow, halation, and sea mist.

Also known as the cinematic and more photogenic twin brother of haze, sea mist gave us an ethereally surreal and rather minimalist backdrop compared to what we’re used to when shooting in Palawan.

The clincher? Putting Greg & Caroline front and center, nuances, quirks and all, during this 20-minute chill and easy-going warm-up shoot one day before their Club Paradise destination wedding.

36 dreamy & candid couple portraits from Greg & Caroline’s warm-up shoot one day before their destination wedding in Club Paradise, Dimakya Island, Coron, Palawan, Philippines. Destination couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Coron, Palawan, Philippines, February 2023

When Plan B turned out to be better than Plan A. Like this practically empty but gorgeously lit platform in Shibuya Station. *pause for effect* Shibuya. Ever-busy Shibuya. Thirty minutes before rush hour. Didn’t come across this spot while I was location scouting the day before. Come to think of it, I can’t consider this as Plan B; it wasn’t even part of any plan to begin with! Like most of my Milky Way shots. Or my most picturesque sunset after the storm shots. Just going with the Flow. Flow with a capital “F”. Not aimless spontaneity, but Guided orchestration rather. * “Qarah” wrapped in a flurry of forced faux coughs *

That was such an inspiring way to kick-off our three-day “as we are” shoot in Tokyo. Just Briggs being Briggs. Kim being Kim. Briggs and Kim being Briggs and Kim. Doing the things that they love doing in Tokyo: good specialty coffee, psychedelically trippy art exhibits, hole in the wall whiskey bars - a quasi-speakeasy at that, izakayas, international music festivals, and walking backwards in Shibuya Crossing. Oh. Not that one.

50 moody and cinematic Tokyo engagement photos and save the date video in 4K: Briggs and Kim’s three-day “as we are” engagement session in Tokyo and Chiba, Japan x prenup photographer and videographer @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: EPSON #teamLabBorderless at the MORI Building Digital Art Museum; in and around Shibuya; Saturdays NYC Daikanyama; and Akihabara, Tokyo and Summer Sonic 2018 Chiba, Japan. Sony A7S II and Huawei P20 Pro. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe 160, June 2023. (c) 2018 redsheepphotocinemusic. #福岡 #結婚式 #前撮り #東京写真部 #結婚式準備 #ポートレイト #ウェディングフォトグラファー #ウェディングフォト #結婚式写真 #結婚式カメラマン #持ち込みカメラマン #外人風ヘアメイク #ロケーションフォト #ビーチウェディング

Which of the following activities did Kyle & Michelle do on the day of their wedding in El Nido?

A) Take a 40-minute bike ride North of El Nido Town, all the way up to Nacpan Beach.

B) Enjoy Nacpan Beach and its sparse, mid-morning crowd (or lack of it).

C) Rent a motorboat and head for one of El Nido’s lesser-known beaches. (ie, Bukal Beach)

D) Get married of course. A full-on elopement in an isolated cove. Have a heartfelt exchange of vows in ankle-deep water.

E) Go snorkeling. The water is waaay clearer during the summer months though. But don’t panic, it’s organic. Debris, that is.

F) Climb all the way up one of Cadlao Island’s view decks.

G) Aren’t Multiple Choice questions until D or E only?

H) Have a spontaneous AcroYoga session in Papaya Beach.

I) Enjoy the sunset in Corong-Corong Beach, somewhere near Panorama Resort.

J) Have dinner in El Nido Town. Say… Osaka Castle. Then literally rub elbows with the locals in the town fair. Immersion backpacker style.

K) All of the above except for G.

50 cinematic backpacker adventure elopement photos from Kyle & Michelle’s beach wedding ceremony in El Nido. Destination wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Featuring location photos of Nacpan Beach, Cadlao Island, Corong-Corong and El Nido Town, Palawan, Philippines. Color graded using redsheep Chromavibe 400M+. December 2019. Color remastered, June 2023.

I met Pablo y Angela on a plane going to Palawan. The three of us were row mates and we chatted while I was taking airplane window photos for my usual El Nido Instagram stories.

A few weeks after, 3,401 km away to the northeast, at least 20°C degrees colder but amidst a fever pitch crowd, there we were again, trading powdery white sand for pinkish-white sakura 桜 - camera on my right and a can of Kirin on my left: a perfect way to end a sunrise engagement session (and a red-eye flight to top that) earlier that day.

25 cinematic night couple photos of the Meguro River during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Tokyo: couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Meguro, Tokyo, Japan, April 2017. Color remastered August 2023.

As with all my El Nido redsheep couples, I met up with Jordy & Cherie at Wantusawa Pops District the day before our island hopping shoot. Cocktails. Oysters. Danggit Rendang. (The miso custard baked oysters? Consistently top notch!)

Oh, back to that. The redsheep Ice Breaker. Doesn’t have to be over cocktails or craft beer. Could be over coffee. Or just eat a bunch of caramels. (Good Will Hunting reference). Whatever your “poison” is, the ice breaker chat is actually the first 40% of a redsheep shoot. It’s not just for formality — it’s the equivalent to a tailor getting your measurements for a bespoke suit. It’s me “reading” you so I know how to shoot you the following day. It’s me shifting from stranger to friend in less than two hours, after six pieces of baked oysters and a glass or two of Negroni.

It’s not about finding your angle or your “good side”. It’s about building an honest and accurate narrative. That’s why redsheep shoots have that certain “look”. Because when we see each other again tomorrow, I’m no longer a stranger.

(I’ll see you again in Singapore, Jordy & Cherie!)

100 bright and airy vs moody and cinematic destination engagement photos from Jordy & Cherie’s adventure pre wedding shoot in El Nido. Destination couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Small Lagoon in Miniloc Island, Balinuod Beach, Paradise Beach and Nat-Nat Beach in Cadlao Island, Hama Coffee and El Nido Beach in El Nido Town and Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines in Southeast Asia, May 2023

Chapter One: "Scarlet"

"It has to be perfect."

It took Tsunade one hour to put on her scarlet kimono. One hour - even with Livio's help. But I didn't mind at all. My eyes were glued to my newly purchased viewfinder, shooting almost ceaselessly as one would expect from someone seeing something as intricately beautiful as this for the first time. Everything had to be done in the correct manner, as spot on as a Marunouchi Line subway on a Monday rush hour. A wrong overlap of the fabric would imply going to a funeral instead of a wedding. And the consequence? Thankfully not utter banishment or something as dire as seppuku [ 切腹 ]. "My relatives will just make fun of me." *sweat drop*

...to be continued.

Wedding photos of Livio & Tsunade's beach elopement ceremony in El Nido Resorts. Tsunade wore a traditional Japanese wedding Kimono. Candid and chill elopement wedding photography @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of El Nido Resorts Pangulasian and Big Lagoon Beach in Miniloc Island, and Pinagbuyutan Island in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, February 2018. Color remastered, July 2023.

One stormy Saturday afternoon in Fukuoka. (IATA Airport Code: FUK) Yeah, blame Typhoon Kong-rey for the moody-gloomy feel. Sharing with you guys some stills and frozen video frames from this chill, come-as-you-are session. Total shooting time? Less than 40 mins, not counting the travel time between Point あ and Point び. I wanted to take it easy on Seiya & Zynn. After all, it’s the day before their wedding. (Yes, this wedding.) *smiley*

36 cinematic urban couple portraits from Seiya & Zynn's street-style engagement session in Fukuoka: pre-wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of: FUK Coffee, Mangyoji Temple, Tenjin & JR Hakata, 福岡市 Fukuoka, Japan. #福岡 #結婚式 #前撮り #東京写真部 #結婚式準備 #ポートレイト #ウェディングフォトグラファー #ウェディングフォト #結婚式写真 #結婚式カメラマン #持ち込みカメラマン #外人風ヘアメイク #ロケーションフォト #ビーチウェディング Color remastered, June 2023.

Mael et Anais. From Paris, France. It was the day before their destination wedding in El Nido and we had a warm-up / getting to know you / ice breaker island hopping shoot. I had to keep it down though. We couldn't go all-out, whole-day, Tour C + snorkeling + Pinagbuyutan Island and all; we had to be back in Miniloc Island Resort before sunset, just in time for their Rehearsal Dinner. (Ergo, no sunset couple photos.) So there we were, a bit shy of two full hours, from 3:30PM to shortly before 5:30PM, just comfortably close to the resort in neighboring Cadlao Island and Entalula Island, as chill and easy going as we could have been. 'coz they needed all the energy that they could get for their beach wedding the day after.

36 cinematic travel couple photos from Mael & Anais' "day before their destination wedding" island hopping adventure session. Utterly candid pre-wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Entalula Island (El Nido Resorts), Bukal Island, Bacuit Bay and Paradise Beach in Cadlao Island, El Nido in Palawan, Philippines, Southeast Asia, April 2019. Color remastered, October 2023.

36 cinematic destination engagement photos in Boracay Island: Gabe & Liane’s casual and chill morning shoot in intrapandemic White Beach Station 1. Photography x adventure engagement photographer @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: White Beach Station 1 and Lambas Point, Boracay Island, Philippines. Sony A7RIV. November 2021. Color remastered, July 2023.

Our friends at the Leica Store Singapore gave us the privilege to use the Leica SL2-S for our shoots this month. Sharing one of them, this urban portrait session with Riley. Is this really your first solo photoshoot, Riley? :)

Got a very positive response when I posted the unedited SOOC (straight out of the camera) jpgs in our IG Stories. Oh, and I AM very pleased with the results.

25 urban portraits in Singapore's Downtown Core using the Leica SL2-S and a Leica 50mm Summicron-SL f/2 ASPH lens. Portrait photography x @redsheepphotocinema

Shot on location: Elgin Bridge, Singapore River and Esplanade, Downtown Core, Singapore, October 2023.

50 moody and cinematic couple photos from Eric & Sabrina's engagement session in post-shutdown + pre-pandemic environmentally rehabilitated Boracay: destination pre-wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of White Beach Station 1 (in front of Discovery Shores), Puka Beach and Crimson Resort and Spa, Boracay Island, Aklan, Philippines, December 2018, color remastered July 2023.

Reconnecting with Ryan & Nadia a few months after their pre-wedding shoot in El Nido, Philippines —

Bacuit Bay, out : Victoria Harbour, in;
limestone cliffs, out : Hong Kong Island’s iconic skyscrapers, in.

Sorry-not-sorry for shooting at the “Dark Side” (i.e., Kowloon) for a change.

36 blue hour Victoria Harbour couple portraits from Ryan & Nadia’s engagement shoot in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Destination couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Ocean Terminal Deck at Harbour City, Heritage 1881 and Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, March 2023. Color remastered, June 2023.

Meeting your life partner during your daily commute at the Admiralty (金鐘) MTR Station sounds like something from a movie.

Enter: Ryan & Nadia. (See you guys in Hong Kong this spring!)

and Exit: F or C2 or wherever :)

50 moody and cinematic adventure engagement couple portraits from Ryan & Nadia's pre wedding shoot in El Nido. Utterly candid couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Balinuod Beach in Cadlao Island, Entalula Island, Small Lagoon in Miniloc Island, Las Cabanas Beach and Wantusawa Oyster Bar, Pops District, Corong-Corong, El Nido in Palawan, Philippines, Southeast Asia, November 2022. Color remastered, June 2023.

イブキ と エミ with a little bit of Led Zep. 

Ibuki & Emi’s engagement session in Singapore. Little India and Farrer Park over the MBS, Gardens by the Bay, Tiong Bahru and Haji Lane? That's Ibuki and Emi. They wanted to show a Singapore that's closer to their hearts, 2015 haze aside.

Little India is home to these fellow Michel Gondry fans, who also share the same disdain for pop music. Thanks for the Otoro & Uni treat guys!

50 moody and cinematic pre-wedding photos in Little India: engagement photography and videography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Little India and Farrer Park in Singapore, Southeast Asia, October 2015. Color remastered July 2023.

Chillin’ with Peter and Alexis, in the eye of the storm that is the Los Angeles midweek rush hour. We were obviously oblivious to the chaos in the 101, as cool, calm and collected as we were in El Nido a few months earlier.

Next, Griffith, where it was anything but tranquil. Man I’ve never seen that place as packed! With a weekday crowd that seemed like the average weekend crowd on steroids, patience was indeed, a virtue. So there I was, armed with a little “すみません (sumimasen)” here and “lo siento” there so we could do our shots.

(Great seeing you guys again! That Ballast Point craft beer six-pack as a send-off gift was very much appreciated!)

50 cinematic couple photos from Peter & Alexis' chill and casual engagement session in Los Angeles. Pre wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of 1st Street Bridge, Downtown Los Angeles and Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, Southern California, July 2018. Color remastered June 2023.

A match made in Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Hence the lemniscate in the title sequence "Clarence ∞ Tiravan"; the infinity symbol instead of the usual operators &, +, /, | and x. But more than the romance that budded in THE most sought-after company to work for*; more than actually filming inside the Google campus in Singapore; more than the saturated reds, bright yellows and pale blues in the film's color palette; more than this indie rock tune that I had to extend to twice its original runtime so I can tell a more compelling story; more than the time-lapse-worthy Singapore sky during their pre-wedding photo shoot a few days prior, it's the air of authenticity and warmth that you rarely see in big banquet hotel weddings - that's what struck me the most. So right up my alley, with distinct undertones of Silicon Valley.**

*I should know; I came from the IT industry.
**That didn't mean anything. It just sounded nice. *wink + laugh*

36 cinematic photos from Clarence and Tiravan's engagement shoot at the Marina Barrage and Google Singapore HQ, and their wedding and solemnisation at The St. Regis: engagement photography and same day edit wedding videography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Marina Barrage and Google Headquarters in Singapore for their pre-wedding and The St. Regis for their ROM Solemnisation and Wedding. March 2019. Leica M + redsheep Chromavibe 160M+ and Luminoir 800, our proprietary signature color grade. Color remastered August 2023.

Borderline “The Batman”-level of darkness. ‘would have gone darker if it were entirely up to me. [chuckles]

50 moody and cinematic engagement photos from Azmi & Wenxin’s rainy day couple shoot in Singapore. Pre wedding and engagement photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Lavender, Golden Mile Complex, The Projector and Ann Siang Hill, Singapore, May 2022. Sony A7SIII + Hasselblad 907x. Color remastered, June 2023.

PS. Thanks for always believing, Wenxin! Owe you big time!

36 dark, moody and cinematic couple photos from Gerardo & Monica's sunset engagement shoot in Los Angeles. Couple photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of The Arts District and the 6th Street Viaduct, Downtown Los Angeles, California, July 2022, Sony A7SIII + Fuji X-Pro 3 + Hasselblad 907X. Color remastered, November 2023.

A bit of an irony here — after literally dozens of adventure couple shoots in El Nido, it’s our first time to do ever-popular Tour A. Most of the shoots that we’ve previously featured here are custom private tours with redsheep-curated locations. Apparently, due to new local government guidelines post-pandemic, it’s not that easy to go for a custom DIY tour like the ones that we did before.

Island Hopping Tour A?
That’s the Big Lagoon and the Secret Lagoon in Miniloc Island;
Shimizu Island for lunch;
Then lastly, Seven Commandos - oh hell no.
Too crowded and totally not picturesque there.

So we went to *that* usual redsheep spot — Ipil Beach — technically not part of Tour A, right before our sunset session at Corong-Corong Beach.

Cheers to you Sam & Shiela! I know you guys came all the way from LA, - jetlag and all - but we were blessed with textbook tropical weather and perhaps the best sunset that I’ve seen post-Covid.

50 cinematic adventure engagement photos from Sam & Shiela’s couple shoot in El Nido. Destination engagement photography x @redsheepphotocinema, featuring locations from island hopping Tour A: Big Lagoon and Secret Lagoon in Miniloc Island, Shimizu Island and redsheep preferred spot Ipil Beach, mainland El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, March 2023

All these Hong Kong foodie bucket list staples, in under three hours:

Mak's Noodles 麥奀雲吞麵世家
The Coffee Academics' Causeway Bay Flagship
Yat Lok Restaurant 樂燒鵝
Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家
CRAFTISSIMO (Hong Kong's Only Dedicated Craft Beer Shop)

*pause for a 2-hour shower break - you know how hot and icky Hong Kong summers can get*

Mammy Pancake 媽咪雞蛋仔
Four Seasons Claypot Rice 四季煲仔飯

Finally, Kubrick/Yau Ma Tei for an early evening session.

That's eat-and-run-and-gun at its finest -- the adrenaline rush easily overpowering what could have been a severe case of food coma -- an engagement session drowning in quasi-epicurean oblivion.

50 cinematic couple photos from Marvin & Des' food trip engagement session in Hong Kong. Pre-wedding photography x destination engagement photographer @redsheepphotocinema. Featuring location photos of Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Central and Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. Pictures taken using a Leica M240 & Sony A7III. Color graded using redsheep Chromavibe 160M. July 2019. Remastered September 2023.

Prologue
This set has a backstory that's rather interesting. These were all shot and filmed last September, during our then recently concluded filmmaking workshop in Verona, Italy. Just hours prior to this session, we didn’t have anyone to shoot. Our models - an Italian faux* couple [not "faux Italian couple"] - because of, errr… “reasons”, which I firmly believe were also - faux - made a last minute cancellation.

So there we were, "in fair Verona where we lay our scene", utterly clueless, but, by no means helpless...

Enter, stage left: Andrea & Anastasia

*Looking back, I'm thankful that we didn't have those models - good-looking as they were - for the afternoon session. They weren't a real couple in the first place and that would have defeated the purpose of the workshop. Buzzwords: organic, authentic. There’s little added value in shooting subjects who are already comfortable in front of the camera.

Act One
And so, after my early afternoon Keynote on filmmaking, we went out for two things: to look for a couple to shoot*, and to have a very late working lunch; prosciutto e funghi pizza, tiramisu and espresso would have been a worthy consolation if we didn’t find anyone. The thing is, I couldn’t ask just any couple if they were willing to be an integral part of our workshop. Heck, we were in “fair Verona” and more than great Italian food, there's never a shortage of lovers (star-crossed or not). More than finding a real couple, and more than finding a willing couple at that, there was something else that I was looking for - not the physical appearance or the way the dress; they had to share this "very particular vibe” which I really can’t describe with words, verbose as I am as you might have noticed already. It was up to the good Lord to lead us to the right place, at the right time, to a willing couple that shared the vibe that I was looking for. Note that it was almost three in the afternoon and my appetite was leading me elsewhere.

[ Enter, upstage right: Nicolas and Joanne. ]

Long story short, I approached Nicolas and Joanne as they were about to leave the restaurant. (Coperto!) I told them about our predicament with our “no show” models*. And, just like that, and in a very enthusiastic tone even, Joanne said “Yes!”. I promised to keep the shoot as fast as possible; it was perfectly understandable that they wanted to see Verona as well and I couldn’t take more than 30 minutes of their time. The interesting thing is, they’re from Vienna! I was there two weeks earlier so I had something to break the ice with, like my adventures with sachertorte and käsekrainer (Nicolas & Joanne! Danke schön for saying “Yes!”).

There. 30 minutes, all-in: 15 minutes walking time, 15 minutes actual filming time, one cinematographer, one camera, no changing of lenses, no storyboards. And once again, the good Lord provided. Just in the time of nick… or just in the nick of time, rather, and for the nth time. And, thirty-minutes and a glass of eiscafe (iced coffee) later, He will usher in another couple for us to shoot.

Act Two
"I guess we have time for one more." And so, after a glass of iced coffee, a "no" from the couple seated next to us, and 30 minutes later, we went around again to look for another pair to shoot. [ Enter: Andrea & Anastasia ] We spotted them about 20 yards from us, in one of Verona's narrow alleyways. 'figured that they were locals, so I let Valentina do the talking this time. I didn't want to sound like Aldo Raine pulling off a "Gorlami" in front of them. After listening to Valentina's pitch in Italiano (I could infer terms like "workshop" and "filmmaker" because of hand gestures.) they said "Yes", not "Sì"; their english was spot on! And, guess what. They [also] visited Vienna a month ago. No BS. Easy icebreaker again. This time, we talked about how Italian coffee (the original espresso, of course!) is way better than Viennese coffee. I believe in Divine orchestration - "qarah" - not coincidence. And, seeing how things turned out, I'm glad that our models did that last minute cancellation. Our good Lord to the rescue. For the nth time.

redsheepphotocinema wedding filmmaking workshop and mentorship program + mock pre-wedding, engagement session and couple photos in Verona, Veneto, Italy. October 2017. Leica M. Sony A7R II. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe 160M++ July 2023.

Our nth elopement wedding. But our first ever outside the Philippines, just comfortably nearby though, in neighboring Vietnam* ** - our first elopement wedding in mainland Southeast Asia.

Our nth, where { n | n ≥ 15? 20? } I don't know. I stopped counting.

There. n. Where n stands for n-e-thing but numbing or "not again" or "next...".

I just love how my “elopees”, despite them having similar reasons for taking the off the beaten path to matrimony, still allow their relational-emotional nuances as a couple to take centerstage. The presence or absence of something - like “holy moly that’s the biggest hedgerow ever” (the former) or absolutely no wedding ring photos or bouquet shots (the latter) - how everything else, takes on a supporting role.

I’ll let Chris & Brooke’s wedding film speak for itself. Enjoy!

* And so, it’s undeniably unadulterated Grace after all. Not SEO.
** cà phê đá in Ho Chi Minh for the win.

50 cinematic elopement wedding photos and video from Chris & Brooke's cliffside exchange of vows ceremony at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Da Nang, Vietnam. Candid and reportage wedding photography & cinematography with original musical score x destination wedding photographer & videographer @redsheepphotocinema. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K + Sony A7III and Voigtlander primes. Color graded using redsheep Chromavibe 160M. October 2019. Color remastered July 2023.

I haven't seen anything like it. And I'm not talking about Seiya & Zynn's traditional Japanese wedding ceremony at Kushida Shrine - visually appealing kimonos, utmost silence and all. Or how the food was prepared in such an artisanal way, with all the intricacy and none of the Andersonity of the sushi scene from Isle of Dogs. It wasn't that super amusing voice-controlled sumo game during the after-party even. I'm talking about 02:28. And I was at a loss on how to articulately and artistically describe it, I defaulted to something as straightforward as a situational meme: When your husband is a hairstylist and he gives you an entirely new haircut for your second look at the reception.

Seiya & Zynn. Traditional Japanese wedding in Fukuoka, Japan. 福岡 結婚式 ビデオ. Filmed on location: 櫛田神社 Kushida Shrine, 日本の料理屋 Imuri and ルーリー Luree, 福岡市 Fukuoka, Japan.

redsheep original music. "Discovery 103-2-1" (Our first full length track!) (c) 2018 redsheepphotocinemusic Sony A7S II. VSCO frame x frame grading. Final Cut Pro. HolyGrain 4K Grain.

https://redsheepphotocinema.com
https://redsheepphotocinema.com/originalmusic/

#福岡 #結婚式 #前撮り #東京写真部 #結婚式準備 #ポートレイト #ウェディングフォトグラファー #ウェディングフォト #結婚式写真 #結婚式カメラマン #持ち込みカメラマン #外人風ヘアメイク #ロケーションフォト #ビーチウェディング

50 candid, moody and cinematic travel couple adventure photos from Johnny & Sylwia’s honeymoon in El Nido. Travel & lifestyle photography in Southeast Asia x @redsheepphotocinema, featuring location photos of Lagen Island Sandbar, Snake Island, Dibuluan Island, Pinagbuyutan Island, Small Lagoon, Bacuit Bay and Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, December 2019.

Special thanks to Lagen Island Resort / El Nido Resorts, as always! Color remastered, August 2023.

A destination wedding weekend in Venice, Italy. That's all we're allowed to disclose. No names. No date even. The thing is, this is one of the most [effortlessly] beautiful weddings that we've ever filmed.

40 documentary wedding photos and highlights video from a destination wedding weekend at the GranCaffè Quadri and the JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Venice, Italy. Candid wedding photography & videography x @redsheepphotocinema. 2015. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe 160M, November 2023.

I don't know exactly how to introduce Ryan & Angela's Bali wedding film:

...how it was done almost entirely handheld and intentionally without a steadicam, or how Angela and her bridesmaids did their own hair and makeup (and how boys, given ample pool time, will always be boys), or how an intimate wedding with just 14 guests allowed us to give at least a second of exposure for each one of them, or how cool it is that everyone flew in from the US, or how thinking out loud already does the job of introducing Ryan & Angela's Bali wedding film.

50 cinematic photos Ryan & Angela's intimate destination wedding in Bali: photography & videography x @redsheepphotocinema. Featuring location photos of Villa Atas Awan, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia in Southeast Asia, October 2015. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe, November 2023.

50 cinematic photos from Shawn & Serene's solemnisation in Singapore: Registration of Marriage and pre-wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Featuring location photos of Keong Saik Road (Potato Head Folk, early in the morning), the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Michelin-starred The Song of India, 33 Scotts Road, Singapore. January 2017. Color remastered August 2023. Leica M + redsheep Chromavibe 160M+.

A sunset cruise off the coast of Lanai Island with your best buddies in the world? I’d take that over the usual destination wedding rehearsal dinner. Those sun-kissed cliffs against a clear blue sky - even the nearby Nobu on its best day can’t compare.

50 cinematic travel & lifestyle photos from Abram & Rosanne’s destination wedding sunset sail x the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii, United States. Intimate destination wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema, July 2022, Sony A7SIII + Fuji X-Pro 3, Tiffen Black Pro Mist filters. Color remastered, November 2023.

A redsheep pre wedding session in a nutshell? Just happy people being happy people, with one or two artsy moody shots, for good measure. Buzzword-hashtag: authentic/organic.

30 cinematic rainy day couple portraits from Lewis and Siaw Fun's pre wedding photoshoot in Singapore. Engagement photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of East Coast Park, Potato Head Folk and Keong Saik Road, Singapore. October 2017. Leica M + redsheep Chromavibe 160M+ and Luminoir 800, our proprietary signature color grade. Color remastered August 2023.

First photo: The best seat in the house, well, for around 10 minutes or so. And what of that fine Englishman who was sitting there earlier? One latte from the three of us, for responding amicably to my ten seconds of imploring, asking for a good three minutes in the - quite literally - hot seat.

36 cinematic photos from Hisa and Raquel's pre wedding photoshoot + save the date teaser video in Singapore. Engagement photography and videography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Duxton Hill, Tiong Bahru (Tiong Bahru Bakery and Plain Vanilla) and the National Gallery, Downtown Core, Singapore. May 2018. Leica M + redsheep Chromavibe 160M+ and Luminoir 800, our proprietary signature color grade. Original score: “Invisible Horizon” (c) redsheepphotocinemusic 2018 All Rights Reserved. Color remastered, August 2023.

The El Nido sunset that I took for granted.

"Nah. I'll see this again tomorrow. “
”And the week after.”
”And almost every week next month."
”And the month after.”

Then COVID-19 happened and a community quarantine was announced a few days after this.

Although "tomorrow" came to be - "the week after", "almost every week next month" and “the month after”? We all know that's not going to happen.

To all our April and May couples - hold on, keep your heads up high and be steadfast. This shall come to pass. And we'll be seeing you guys again real soon.

50 cinematic elopement wedding photos + video of Kash & Agnes's beach ceremony in El Nido, Palawan. Destination wedding photography & cinematography x @redsheepphotocinema. Filmed on location: Pangulasian and Miniloc Island, El Nido Resorts, Philippines. DaVinci Resolve 16. March 2020. Original score "Glitter Path" by redsheepmusic. Color remastered, February 2022.

25 cinematic adventure honeymoon photos - Kash & Agnes's island hopping tour in El Nido, Palawan. Travel couple and lifestyle photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Filmed on location: Cadlao Island, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Entalula Island and Pinagbuyutan Island. March 2020. Special thanks to Pangulasian Island Resort/El Nido Resorts. Color remastered, February 2022.

So here's what we did: 

(And by saying "here's what we did", I don't claim this to be an ultimate fool-proof travel guide of sorts. This is not a definitive 5-day South Island New Zealand itinerary.)

Day 1: Auckland
Arrive in Auckland late afternoon. Just enough time to take an evening stroll and enjoy a local burger joint (BurgerFuel!). Our trip also coincided with the British and Irish Lions Tour so I had a glimpse of Rugby Fever in Auckland that evening.

Day 2: Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
Early morning flight to Christchurch. They're strict with carry on baggage so here's a lifehack: wear a jacket with pockets big enough for cameras and lenses. *smart ass wink*

Arrive in Christchurch. Pickup the pre-booked rent a car. Not as photogenic as we wanted it to be, hence the lack of exposure for this shoot. Note to self: get a vintage-looking camper van next time.

3-hour drive to Lake Tekapo. In hindsight, we should have taken the more scenic inland drive instead of Highway 1. Took us four hours with occasional shooting stops along Highway 79. Not bad though.

Arrive Lake Tekapo two hours before sunset. Just in time for a golden hour shoot, rack of lamb for dinner and qarah ("right place right time, God-orchestrated") Milky Way shots. The Church of the Good Shepherd's silhouette + dark sky conditions + winter time = astrophoto perfection.

2-hour late night drive from Lake Tekapo to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. I slept almost the entire time. Jet lag, just a few hours of sleep the night before and the very cold weather. Arrive midnight, feverish, but excited nevertheless. 

Day 3: Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
4:00AM. More Milky Way shots before sunrise (which was at 7:00AM). This is what we came here for. A quick morning session near our log cabin, followed by a hearty-hefty lunch buffet at The Hermitage Hotel. Hike-cum-shoot to Instagram staple Hooker Valley Track. Leave for Queenstown shortly before sunset, but not after I take my bucket list shot of two people walking down an empty road with Mount Cook's prominent peak in the background. You can do that on your way down 20-minutes from the National Park. 

Dinner at quaint Arrowtown, 1 hour shy of Queenstown. Really good artisanal pizza and craft beer (IPA!) at The Fork and Tap to end the day. Late evening at our Queenstown Airbnb. Best. Airbnb. Ever. Watch The Killing Joke on Netflix before hitting the sack.

Day 4: Queenstown - Lake Wanaka
Morning Airbnb shoot. Late lunch drive to Lake Wanaka for “That Wanaka Tree”. Consider spending a night here if you want to shoot at Roys Peak. Back to Queenstown for dinner and a late evening city shoot. (Fergburger! Give 'em a call instead of falling in line. Shake Shack is still better x far.)

Day 5: Auckland
Early morning flight back to Auckland. Enjoy a 12-hour layover - lunch at Depot Eatery, enjoy two local coffee shops - Mojo & Remedy - late afternoon catch up with a friend - before flying back home.

36 cinematic adventure engagement photos from Charles & Nikki’s pre wedding shoot in New Zealand: prenup photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Canterbury - Lake Tekapo - Aoraki / Mount Cook Nationa Park - Lake Wanaka and Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand. June 2017. Color remastered, February 2022.

A collection of redsheep elopements, pre wedding + engagement sessions and intimate destination weddings in Southeast Asia. Wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema, color remastered, February 2022.

+62 Bali, Indonesia
Ryan & Angela’s intimate destination wedding, Villa Atas Awan, Ubud

+84 Vietnam
Zachary & Savannah’s elopement wedding, Aravinda Resort, Ninh Binh
Chris & Brooke’s elopement wedding, InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort

+65 Singapore
Clarence & Tiravan’s pre wedding shoot, Marina Barrage
Ibuki & Emi’s pre wedding shoot, Little India
Boon & Lynette’s wedding at The St. Regis
Shawn & Serene’s ROM solemnization, The Song of India
Lewis & Siawfun’s pre wedding shoot, Potato Head Folk
John & Fiona’s pre wedding shoot, Eunos
Hisamisu & Raquel’s pre wedding shoot, Tiong Bahru
Shawn & Serene’s wedding, Armenian Church of St. Gregory
Erik & Shirley’s engagement proposal, Upper Seletar Reservoir


+63 El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
Mael & Anais’ island hopping adventure session
Kyle & Michelle’s adventure elopement, Cadlao Island
Bem & Kat’s intimate wedding, Miniloc Island Resort
Jamie & Natasha’s elopement, Miniloc Island Resort
Ronald & Johanna’s wedding, Lagen Island Resort
Kash & Agnes’ elopement, Pangulasian Island Resort


+63 Northern Palawan, Philippines
Craig & Marbie’s elopement wedding, Amanpulo
Henrique & Evelyne’s elopement wedding, Apulit Island Resort
Struan & Nedal’s elopement wedding, Apulit Island Resort
Mirek & Kristyna’s elopement wedding, NoaNoa Private Island

+63 Siargao Island, Philippines
Sebastian & Maria’s travel couple photoshoot
Geo & Bianca’s elopement wedding, Nay Palad Hideaway
Mace & Leda’s intimate destination wedding, Isla Cabana

+63 Bohol, Philippines
Dennis & Alyce’s intimate wedding, Amorita Resort

+63 Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Renaud & Kat’s Island Hopping Engagement Session
Renaud & Kat’s Club Paradise Palawan Wedding

+63 Boracay, Philippines
Eric & Sabrina’s engagement session, White Beach Station 1
Gabe & Liane’s prenup shoot, White Beach Station 1

Going on an island hopping adventure shoot in El Nido? Which boat tour? Should we get a private one instead? What’s the sand like? Are there palm trees there? What about limestone cliffs? And the sunset? And what time should we go there for the best lighting? Hip and off the beaten path or touristy? Just some of the questions that we intend to ummm, shed light on in this concise, photographer-centric, übervisual guide to island hopping and photoshoot spots in El Nido Palawan, Philippines. No, I don’t want to use the words “ultimate” and “definitive”.

These photos were taken during our elopements, destination weddings, adventure engagements and travel couple shoots from 2013 to pre-COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Big Lagoon
Small Lagoon
Pinagbuyutan Island
Entalula Island
Snake Island
Hidden Beach
Helicopter Island
Cadlao Island: Beaches & Coves
Cadlao Island: Paradise Beach
Cadlao Island: West Beach
El Nido Resorts: Miniloc Island Resort
El Nido Resorts: Big Lagoon Beach
El Nido Resorts: Lagen Island Resort
El Nido Resorts: Lagen Island Cove 2
El Nido Resorts: Lagen Island Sandbar
El Nido Resorts: Pangulasian Island Resort
El Nido Resorts: Entalula Beach Club
Three Coconuts x Skipper Charters
Star Beach x El Nido Yachting Club
Bacuit Bay
Nacpan Beach + Twin Beach
Corong-Corong Beach
Las Cabanas + Maremegmeg Beach
Papaya Beach
Lio Tourism Estate
El Nido Town

You’re welcome, I guess.

Chapter 1
I have a problem. A good one. I'm running out of shooting spots in El Nido. I've been shooting almost every week since the year started and I want to give my clients something more than my usual Bacuit Triangle: the coconut tree-lined shores of Pinagbuyutan Island, the Lagen Island Sandbar - easily the best place to shoot an hour before sunset thanks to Lagen Island's silhouette - and the third vertex, the west of Bacuit Bay sunset cruise, for inside-the-boat golden-to-blue hour shots. Those three, Cathedral Cave, and, tide-permitting, Snake Island. Secret Beach, because of sheer distance and practicality, is out of the question for after-wedding portraits.

Surely, there's more to El Nido than these spots, so I was looking for logistically feasible options that are quite near to the usual beach wedding spots: Big Lagoon Beach in Miniloc Island and Cove 2 of Lagen Island.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not tired of shooting in El Nido, and I don't think I ever will. And I've mentioned that it's always like the first time given how dynamic the lighting and weather here is. I've seen El Nido's bright sunny best and stormy/trade windy worst!

Chapter 2
Enter: this. Tour D, which addresses two issues spot-on:
One. It features locations that I haven't been to - Bukal Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan Beach, Paradise Beach, all of which are in Cadlao Island, the poster boy of Bacuit Bay - and my new personal fave Ipil Beach. I've been to most of the islands in Tours A, B and C.

Two. Most are a few minutes by speedboat from Big Lagoon Beach making them feasible for post-wedding portraits.

And so I went that Sunday morning, on a private island hopping tour. Private. Trust me, it's worth every penny, particularly if you're taking lots and lots of photos.

Chapter 3
Ah, but wait. Who will I shoot? The elopement that I'm shooting isn't until the next day, and I don't want to shoot my elopement couple Rudy and Francesca on a two-fold unfamiliar ground. First, the new locations - I wasn't sure then if they were worthy replacements of my usual favorite spots, and second, I was using a new GoPro thingie that allowed me to do those half-and-half [ half surface-half underwater ] shots that one would typically see on IG: a GoPro dome. Surely I don't want to use it for the first time on a commissioned shoot.

I didn't want to do a "models wanted" or "couples wanted" post - in the same way that I don't like mainstream advertising, announcing my travel schedule guns blazing and whatnot. Nothing wrong with it. It's just. Not. Me. (Well to each his own.)

And so, I decided to let the good Lord do His thing: put me at the right place at the right time. Qarah in Hebrew. Strong's H7136. Like what He did for me during the filmmaking workshop in Verona, Italy, or the wedding in Venice. Or those Milky Way shots in Mauna Kea or New Zealand. Or finding my missing car keys in Iceland. Or that time when I was in a van going to El Nido. Then this guy starts drawing me - beard, earphones and all - on his "Mol-uh-skeen-uh" (i.e, Moleskine). Using a just a black Sharpie. Candidly, like a taste of my own medicine when I do street photography. With artistic prowess. While on a zigzag road somewhere in Northern Palawan. And so we chatted, exchanged travel stories, and hours later, I gave them my usual "Beta" of El Nido (cocktails and tapas at Republica and pizza at Altrove!), then, after a few disclaimers, there. Done deal. Van and Aiza - a hip, like-minded and typically "redsheep" couple, ready and willing to join me in a private island hopping tour. Well that time was this time.

Appendix
25 cinematic and minimalist adventure travel couple photos in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. GoPro Hero 5 Black + Shoot Dome Port 5.0 + VSCO Film + lots and lots of HSL adjustments. Plus some Sony A7RII shots. @vanhoangart and @msaiza (No, we're NOT hipsters. All three of us!). Love that Patagonia LoPro Trucker Hat BTW! Van & Aiza's private island hopping tour (Tour D) and adventure couple session. Travel photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Ipil Beach 2 and Paradise Beach, Bukal Beach and Cadlao Lagoon, Cadlao Island in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines in Southeast Asia. March 2018. Color remastered, February 2022.

40 moody, cinematic and black & white couple photos from Abram & Rosanne’s destination wedding weekend at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii, United States. Honeymoon photography x @redsheepphotocinema, July 2022, Sony A7SIII + Fuji X-Pro 3 + Hasselblad 907x, Tiffen Black Pro Mist filters. Color remastered, September 2022.

From Renaud & Kat [not in verbatim]:
“We wanted something not just about us — something a little bit more travel adventure-y. Perhaps imagery that would compel our undecided wedding guests from France to fly 11,000 km all the way to Palawan. Something that would evoke a non-negotiable ‘OMG-I-MUST-GO-TO-THAT-WEDDING’ feeling. Like your usual photos.”

And so, here’s a little bit of something for everyone: for the “composition is king” camp; those fanatic about framing and all things geometric; or to the “emotions above all” type, adherents of the #loveauthentic and #momentsovermountains movement; from the travel-adventure-y to the GoPro dome underwater-y; foreground blur fiends; street reportage meets soft glam; team #tinypeopleinbigplaces; everything that we normally do (minus the night sky shots); all these, woven together by organic storytelling and authenticity, as always.

30 cinematic prewedding photos from Renaud & Kat's adventure session in Coron: pre-wedding and engagement photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of the Twin Lagoons, Kayangan Lake, Club Paradise and Malpagalen Island, Coron & Busuanga, Northern Palawan, Philippines, Southeast Asia. Leica M240. Color remastered February 2022.

Pick the odd one out.

Going... Going... Gone.

Pencils up!

The last photo. All of these are generally candid-organic photos from this quick, easy going sunrise photo session in Siargao Island: just Sebastian & Maria being Sebastian & Maria - board shorts, tank tops and all, baby. The last one, however, you can file it under the "solo adventure travel" and “#instagramtrap” category.

[ Ice breaker round, usually during the first set. Small talk. But not about the weather. About your home city or country for example. ]

G: "Hey guys, I know another German word..." [ other than the usual pleasantries ]
M&S: "What?"
G: "scheiße" [ Thanks Liane Cartman! Eric Cartman’s mom.]

*laughs*

G: "Do you know where we're to going next?"M&S: "Where?"G: "Cloud Nein."

*laugh track disabled*

The 2nd one didn’t happen BTW. But it’s still better than telling your couple to do a ‘fake laugh’ for the camera. IMO. Oh the heck no. *cringe*

25 cinematic couple photos from Sebastian & Maria's travel adventure and sunrise shoot in Siargao: lifestyle photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of General Luna and Cloud 9 in Siargao Island, Philippines. March 2019. Color remastered, February 2022.

Well - this just proves that we’re not weather jinxes. Here’s best-case-scenario El Nido weather for you: clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds, a warm sunset with matching glitter path. Name it.

50 cinematic wedding photos + highlights video of Elliott & Laura's sunny beach elopement ceremony in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. Candid and chill elopement wedding photography and videography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of El Nido Resorts Pangulasian and Miniloc Island and Cadlao Island in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines, May 2019. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe 160M, April 2022.

36 cinematic travel couple adventure honeymoon photos in the Philippines: Ivan & Juliya’s El Nido, Palawan island hopping Tour D adventure session. Travel photography x adventure pre wedding photographer @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Cadlao Lagoon, Austria Beach, Paradise Beach, Bukal Beach in Cadlao Island, Ipil Ipil Beach and Las Cabanas Beach in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. Sony A7III. February 2019. Color remastered, February 2022.

Jacob & Sabine's picture-perfect garden-in-a-castle wedding was held at Schloss Nikitsch in Burgenland, 98km south of Vienna, just a stone's throw away from Austria's shared border with Hungary. Auf wiedersehen Wien. Hallo Austrian countryside.

Our portfolio entries are anything but detail intensive, but heck, this just might be enough to compensate for all those times wherein we opted to leave them out. Couldn’t help it. Everything was just eye candy - simple yet elegant - basking in gloriously warm summer light.

Wedding Design and Planning: A Very Beloved Wedding (@averybelovedwedding)
Floral Design: A Very Beloved Bloom (@averybelovedbloom)
Photography: Ashley Ludaescher (@ashleyludeascherphoto)
Cinematography and additional photography (these photos): redsheep (@redsheepphotocinema)

Make-up and Hair Stylist: Strahlkraft
Ice cream: Hoxton & Hill
Venue: Nikitsch Castle
Cake: Das Tortenstudio (@dastortensutdio)
Rentals: Rotfuchs (@rotfuchs_moebelvermietung)
Stationery: Milia Ink (@milia_ink)

Wedding Gown: Pronovias (@pronovias) & Fine Dress (@fine_dress)
DJ: Face II Face (@face_ii_face_djs)
Catering: Theuer & Punzet (@theuerpunzet)

36 cinematic photos from Jacob & Sabine's country garden wedding in Schloss Nikitsch: destination wedding cinematography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Nikitsch Castle, Burgenland, Austria. Color remastered April 2022.

"G-j, we just wanted to let you know that we're awkward - as in really awkward - in front of the camera."

I get that all the time. 

OK, not ALL the time. Maybe 90% of the time to be more accurate. It's either that, although not verbatim, or something like "We don't know how to pose." Good. Because I too am, errrr, awkward in front of the camera. *high five*

Tell you what: we won't do a photoshoot. Yes, "won't". We'll just "hangout". The camera that I use is rather small and is anything but intimidating. And the most that you'll hear from me are instructions on where to sit or stand, or where to walk. The exactly what, how, and how often, it's all up to you. Truth be told, making people look good through posing isn't my gift. I thrive in spontaneity. I'll throw in what you call moment bait from time to time, if needed. Essentially, it's just you guys being you guys.

Case in point: AC & Winona, after that oh so damn good brunch at Jack's Wife Freda, then wandering around SoHo and Nolita, just "hanging out", talking about, errrr, stuff in under an hour and a half, walking, bathroom break and Sunday coffee at #SaturdaysNYC included.

25 cinematic couple photos from AC & Winona's candid, casual and chill city engagement session in New York City. Pre wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Saturdays NYC Crosby St and Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream in SOHO and Bowery and Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. December 2017. Color remastered, March 2022.

One of the shots in my bucket list is a photo of someone on an empty street in New York City: think "I Am Legend" but a lot less apocalyptic, "Vanilla Sky" but a lot less Tom Cruise-ey. In order to achieve that, you have to be in a Universal Studios backlot with matching green screen, CGI and all as in the former, or you would have to be a hotshot Academy Award-winning Hollywood director with enough calibre to be given the privilege to *actually* shutdown not a few New York City blocks on a particular weekend -- the latter. It's either those two or you have to be the POTUS himself, or perhaps just have him in the same hotel as where you are on the morning of your wedding day.

And that's exactly what happened: President Trump was attending a Republican event at The Pierre, and, as protocol would dictate, they had to shut down a few city blocks within the vicinity. (Sorry Carissa, but when you called me up the night before, I was actually stoked!) And good thing Pao and Carissa were perfectly cool, calm and collect with it, not sulking over walking a few blocks up instead of getting picked up by the bridal car directly at The Pierre's driveway. You guys are awesome. 

Photos and video from Pao & Carissa's wedding in New York City. Wedding photography and videography x @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of The Pierre (A Taj Hotel) and St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Manhattan, New York City USA. Color graded using redsheep Chromavibe 400M+. December 2017. Color remastered, July 2020.

Preparations: The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York Ceremony: St. Ignatius Loyola Church Reception: La Grenouille & Restaurant DANIEL (Michelin Starred Cuisine by Chef Daniel Boulud)Makeup: Lilian YeungHair: Jay WeeGown: Vera WangSoundtrack licensed under the Music Bed. Instagram soundtrack by redsheep. That was our 6th original music track and the first one featuring the Roli Seaboard Block (the intro's very [very!] subtle steady glissando part) and the Korg nanoKEY2 (the intro's arpeggio pattern). "Untitled redsheep track no. 6", or, as I fondly call it, "Metropolis pt. 3". Best enjoyed with 🎧. But that's already asking too much from you guys. *chuckles*

But first, let's backtrack one day earlier.

9:00AM MSK (Moscow Standard Time) Marry the love of your life then catch a flight from DME to MNL a few hours after the ceremony.

Check.

Fast-forward. Music video montage trope, optional.

11:00AM PST Arrive in Manila.

Check. *Goes further down the list*

Heck yeah honeymoon in Cebu, Coron & El Nido!

1:00PM PST McKinley Hill Airbnb check in. Freshen up.

Check.
Check.

3:00PM Late lunch in BGC. On the fly.

3:40PM. Shoot in BGC, street style, coffee and all.

Check.

5:20PM GrabCar for three from BGC to EDSA/Orense Pedestrian Overpass for a more immersive and authentic shoot.

Chhhhecckk yeah.

6:10PM. Walk all the way to Power Plant Mall via EDSA/Estrella.
On the fly. Wrap-up. Done.

Part Two. Shoot in El Nido. *check box left blank for now*

30 cinematic photos from a travel couple's honeymoon trip in Manila: Ivan & Juliya couple photo shoot in the Philippines. Travel photography x lifestyle photographer @redsheepphotocinema. Shot on location: Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and EDSA in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Sony A7III. February 2019. Color remastered using redsheep Chromavibe 160M, March 2022.

A Tale of Three Milky Way Photos
Part One: "Spoon-fed, from a Silver Platter"
Dark sky location, check.
Above cloud cover, check. (9,300 ft above sea level!)
Low humidity, check.
Good weather, check. 
Away from artificial light with virtually zero light pollution... Check. Even with a bright quarter moon, you still have a fighting chance - definitely the right place to shoot a Milky Way. In fact, this is one of the best places in the world to do this. You just have to be there at the right time to shoot the Milky Way's Galactic Center: that insanely picturesque and ethereally beautiful cloudy cluster of red giant stars. (See those storm clouds in some of the photos? Without their torrential rains driving us out of the coast, we wouldn’t have gone up all the way to Mauna Kea.) And being there at the right time without planning for it? That's a God-orchestrated "qarah" moment.

36 cinematic photos from Ryan & Angela's adventure engagement photoshoot in Hawaii (The Big Island), featuring location photos of Honokohau Beach, Kona lava fields, Downtown Kailua-Kona and Mauna Kea Observatories, and Kona-Kailua, HI, USA. September 2015. Destination pre wedding photography x @redsheepphotocinema. Color remastered April 2022.

Number of elopements that we've done in the Philippines?
Quite a lot, actually.
All of them in Northern Palawan.

Number of *FILIPINO* elopements that we've done in the Philippines?
One.
Just one.
This one.
Our first.
And our first elopement in Siargao as well.

And I must note that the sunrise ceremony in Nay Palad - beautiful as it was*** - was just the tip of the iceberg. Island hopping (and not a few shots of gin) figuratively (and literally) blurred the lines between wandering and working. Oh wait. Who's working again?

A shout out to Nay Palad for 'em Swan Oyster Depot-tier oysters. That's a compliment. And thank you, Jeo and Bianca for such an awesome time!

***The moon and sun sharing the same sky?
A visualization of “When Dream and Day Unite”?
Just. Wow.

50 cinematic sunrise wedding ceremony and island hopping photos from Jeo & Bianca's Siargao Nay Palad Hideaway Siargao Philippines adventure elopement. Destination wedding photography by @redsheepphotocinema featuring location photos of Nay Palad Hideaway, Naked Island, Corregidor Island and Malinao Paradise (Secret Beach), Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines, Southeast Asia. Processed using redsheep Chromalicht 160M++ Leica M240 + Sony A7III. February 2020. Color remastered, February 2022.

100 light and airy vs dark and moody destination wedding photos from Ralph & Eunji’s intimate garden ceremony at Amorita Resort. Destination wedding photography & videography x @redsheepphotocinema. Shot & filmed on location: Amorita Resort and Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines, March 2023