Elton Anderson » weddings. lifestyle. fashion.

When Ayesha Onyekwelu, of Bedazzled Photography, contacted me to shoot her wedding I was excited for so many reasons. The first being that she is an awesome photographer and I’ve been a fan of her work since I started 2 years ago. Another obvious reason being that her wedding was in Jamaica! Even in my excitement I could have never prepared myself for such a perfectly, beautiful weekend.

Ayesha and her new husband Chinedu have such impeccable taste. The location, the colors, the food and every detail you could imagine all came together perfectly. The most refreshing part of the whole weekend…. Ayesha took her photography hat off and was simply a bride. I am beyond flattered that Ayesha trusted me with one of the most important days of her life and allowed me to tell her wedding story. Check it out below!

*Sidenote: If you know anything about Ayesha, you would know that she could not have found a more perfect wedding shoe, lol*

Venue: Moon Dance Cliff Resorts

Wedding Planners: TiannaVivienne Events (These ladies are AWESOME)

The reception was amazing… they even hired a fire eater!!

Ayesha and Chinedu were every photographer’s dream couple. They were down to wake up at 6 am the next morning and do a portrait session with me. What happens next is some of my favorite wedding portraiture ever!

My trip to Nigeria was truly amazing for so many reasons. Being an African myself (Liberian to be exact), the experience tends to be more special when you return to your ‘Motherland’. I was there for 7 days and I completely immersed myself in the culture. I wore the traditional clothes, ate the local food and interacted with every Nigerian I could. I have a ton more pictures to share, including Uju and Obi’s beautiful wedding, but I wanted to start with Nigeria’s greatest treasure — their children.

The more I travel, the more I find that kids are the perfect subject for pictures. They have no insecurities or hesitation in front of the camera and they really help tell the story of wherever you visit.

By the way, the shot below just might be my favorite picture of all time. The simplicity of this moment is something I can’t recreate and he was such a cool little dude too.

Summer Travel Schedule:

June 19th – Fort Lauderdale, FL

June 27th – Savannah, GA

July 3rd – West Palm Beach, FL

July 10th – Negril, Jamaica

July 17th – Atlanta, GA

July 23rd – Philadelphia, PA

August 1st – Orlando, FL

August 7th – Riviera Maya, Mexico

August 12th – St. Lucia

August 14th – Washington D.C.

August 21st – Princeton, NJ

I dubbed this little test shoot ‘Chasing the Sun’ because in life we are all chasing something: money, love, success, fame… pick your poison. As a ‘professional picture taker’, its ALL about the chase because there are a billion moments for me to capture. With that being said, I love when I have a chance to do shoots that I create myself. My team and I get together to create the concept, choose the models and bring the story to life. This particular story is about youth, friendship and time when the only thing you chased was your dreams.

*Special thanks to everyone who helped make this happen*

Check out the full story here: http://eltonanderson.com/slidingstories/chasingthesun/

My first trip to Arizona was a great one! Esme and Ronald were the ultimate hosts and this shoot started a whole new direction for my engagement photography. We wanted to tell so many different stories — how they met in high-school, starting their new life in Arizona, the night they got engaged and even some intimate moments. The fact that they are a great looking couple didn’t hurt either!

We’ve all been great friends since high school and it’s so amazing to see how far they’ve come together. I couldn’t be happier for Esme & Ron and I hope you enjoy the peek into their love story.

Being a Miami-based photographer has truly spoiled me. I have grown so accustomed to warm beaches, sunshine and smiling models that my recent trip to the “Concrete Jungle” was like a kick in the gut. Picture it: It’s the middle of January by the Hudson River at 9 am… needless to say my camera finger was frozen for a few days. Check out Joe and Justin, two rising stars from Red Models… no smiles but great models nonetheless.

Check out their full story here: http://www.eltonandersonblog.com/slidingstories/redmodels/