Desert Days and Egyptian Nights, by Eric Ronald [Rf Wedding of the Week]

November 11, 2016

By Laura Brauer

From the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Markets of Cairo and La Maison Bleue Resort in El Gouna for a stunning reception, couple Susi & Omar’s wedding (shot over three days) was an exotic and lush wonder to behold, says photographer Eric Ronald, who is based in Melbourne, Australia with his partner Katie Harmsworth.

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All photos © Eric Ronald

Susi (who’s German), and Omar (Egyptian) met while she was working in Egypt several years ago. They are a gorgeous couple and had a non-traditional Western wedding, which is quite rare in Egypt. The ceremony and reception was held on the beach at dusk and was very casual. Despite Omar being Muslim and Susi being Christian, they decided to do away with any religious elements in their ceremony.

SusiOmar_Day1-315SusiOmar_Day1-286SusiOmar_Day1-111SusiOmar_Day1-265What really helped put the couple at ease, according to Susi on Junebug Weddings‘ blog, “One week prior to the wedding, Eric and Katie arrived and we were shooting for two days in Cairo. It was great fun and it was perfect because we were able to get to know each other, we understood Eric’s style of shooting. It was an awesome experience. Eric and Katie worked very professionally and had great ideas. Eric’s way of shooting is very natural and easygoing. We felt comfortable before the camera all of the time (which normally isn’t the case). Shooting with Eric and Katie was very spontaneous—whenever we saw a nice place to shoot, we stopped and got out of the car. Egypt can be surprising. You never know what is around the corner.”

SusiOmar_Day2-64SusiOmar_Day2-300SusiOmar_Day2-334Adds Ronald, “Shooting at the pyramids was the experience of a lifetime. Logistically, though, Katie having to ride on horseback with our gear was quite difficult, and at times pretty scary, too! On the ride back to the stables after sunset, the horses were eager to get back and started to gallop downhill on the rocky sand. With no horse riding experience at all, I was just trying to hold on for dear life while my gear was flying all over the place. It’s funny looking back now, but my life really did flash before my very eyes.”

SusiOmar_Day1-248The resort where the wedding took placed was located in a fairly Western-style, gated resort community called El Gouna. “The resort itself was beautiful, and the beach location for the ceremony was amazing, however during my location scouting, I struggled to find any locations for the portrait session that grabbed me,” Ronald says. “After lots of research online and asking around, I discovered there was a Bedouin village located only about 15 minutes from El Gouna. It was there that I found a location that I connected with and inspired me, and I’m so glad Susi and Omar trusted me enough to let me take them there. It was a good reminder for me to never settle for what is put in front of me. Always push yourself to see more and to do more to create the best pictures that you can.”SusiOmar_Day1-93SusiOmar_WeddingDay-27SusiOmar_WeddingDay-55SusiOmar_WeddingDay-72SusiOmar_WeddingDay-173SusiOmar_WeddingDay-173bSusiOmar_WeddingDay-129SusiOmar_WeddingDay-206SusiOmar_WeddingDay-198SusiOmar_WeddingDay-459SusiOmar_WeddingDay-483SusiOmar_WeddingDay-533SusiOmar_WeddingDay-509SusiOmar_WeddingDay-534SusiOmar_WeddingDay-560SusiOmar_WeddingDay-556SusiOmar_WeddingDay-503SusiOmar_WeddingDay-405 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-430 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-716 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-697 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-683 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-633 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-626 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-588 SusiOmar_WeddingDay-584 SusiOmar_Day1-424b“With recent issues of terrorism and political unrest,” Ronald explains, “Egypt has suffered a significant decline in tourism. As Australians, we were advised by our government to ‘reconsider our need to travel.’ However during our time in Egypt, we were met with nothing but first-class kindness and hospitality. Locals we encountered constantly went out of their way to help us, including even assisting us crossing the busy streets of Cairo! All they asked for was for us to encourage our friends and family to travel to their beautiful country and assure everyone that it is safe to do so. In our three weeks traveling throughout Egypt, we barely encountered any other Western tourists. So anyone that has ever wanted to visit Egypt, now is the time! Egypt is a place that is very different to home, and that is what makes it so special. I can assure you that you will be welcomed by warm, friendly and hospitable people.”

GEAR FOR THE DAY

Cameras: Canon 5D Mark III (x2)
Lenses: Canon 24mm f/1.4L, Canon 35mm f/1.4L II, Canon 45mm TS-E f/2.8, Canon 50mm f/1.2L, Canon 85mm f/1.2 L II, Canon 135mm f/2
Lighting: Canon 580EX II Speedlites (x2, for first dance and dance floor only)

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Libby Peterson or Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.