Wedding & Portrait Photojournalism

Nov 20, 2008

far from ordinary

Time is such an interesting concept. As our days transition into an undiscovered future we embrace the present. With the passing of time, people, relationships and families blossom with memories of the past instilled in the mind and etched onto photographs. As the sands of time flow we take heed that babies bloom into children. The love we share and the events we take part of unfold before our eyes and shape all of our lives. As adults we grow in love, marry and create families of our own. The cycle continues through generations forming a bond we call heritage. It is my mission to preserve this heritage though my craft.

My name is Tovis Bratsburg, my team and I would love to photograph your wedding or portrait session. As a wedding photojournalist, I believe that weddings should be photographed without script. A wedding photographer should be ready to capture real moments, know how to compose images instantly, handle constant changes without hesitation, and should be approachable by anybody at your wedding. Our industry demands that we have top of the line equipment that we know like the back of our hand. I love what I do. I have a 4 year college education in photography and 8 years of experience to back it.

As a portrait photographer, I want to couple aesthetics with your personality as close I can. My business shies away from the sterile revolving mug shot session dubbed “standardized photography.” I photograph portraits all over the state and usually each are at different locations. I believe a portrait photographer should be able to work under numerous conditions which is why I do not photograph at the same locations every session. The state is a beautiful place with a lot to offer, why limit it to a backdrop or the same park. Feel free to call or email me, let me know what you like and lets make it happen.

While I am a wedding and portrait photographer based in Grand Rapids, my team and I are available to service the entire state of Michigan and beyond. So if you're looking to hire a professional, on site Michigan wedding photographer, or desire a completely custom portrait that best represents you, your family, or your child then you have come to the right place and I would love to hear from you. Kiwi Sun Photography is proud to provide DVDs of all images, prints at cost, and copyright releases to all of our clients. We also have our own Facebook Application to make it easier to share your images with friends.

Recent Sessions:

Berens Engagement
Hamilton, Michigan

Fulford Engagement
Grandville, Michigan

Gibbs Family
Grandville, Michigan

Norder Family
Grandville, Michigan

Harris Engagement
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bolek Couple
Manistee, Michigan

Guikema Family
Rockford, Michigan

Hahn Christmas in August
Southfield, Michigan

Godi Family
Brooklyn, Michigan

Gasper Family Camping
Traverse City, Michigan

Maring Family
Jenison, Michigan

Dewinter Wedding
Byron Center, Michigan

Dewinter Engagement
Grandville, Michigan

Hempel Wedding
Grayling, Michigan

Finney Family
Big Rapids, Michigan

Testimonials:

Tovis spent an entire afternoon with us walking all over Grand Rapids to get all the shots we wanted! It was incredibly casual and comfortable so all of our shots look really natural - just Kev and I being ourselves with each other, not really formally posed. As a result, our friends and family look at our engagement photos and just smile and say how the photos show how in love we are with each other and how good we are together. Thanks, Tovis!!

Kate Geskus
Allendale, Michigan

I was the Maid of Honor and I loved the photos you took of everyone! You were willing to take anything if anyone just asked. Thanks for working with us and thanks for taking such spontaneous pictures those were the best! Awesome job Tovis!

Leanne Suchecki
Fruitport, Michigan

I attended the DeWinter wedding and was amazed at how beautiful the pictures turned out. I saw him all over at the reception snapping pictures and i loved the fact that he tried to get pictures of everyone at the wedding. It's hard enough these days finding a decent photographer and when Mrs. DeWinter let me in on the services and prices i was blown away. I can't wait to use Kiwi Sun Photography for my wedding when it comes around! Keep up the AMAZING work.

Rochelle Jager
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Tovis Bratsburg captured all of the special memories of our wedding. When we looked at the proofs for the first time there were many moments that we had missed at the wedding, but later were able to see. Tovis hurried from place to place to capture different scenes. He took a TON of pictures to choose from. His work was very creative and meaningful. We were VERY pleased with our wedding photography and got many comments from wedding guests on what a great job he did.

Jennifer and Nick Kamps
Muskegon, Michigan

Tovis Bratsburg has a natural talent when it comes to capturing genuine moments. It's easy to see the beauty of the subjects in the pictures. There are a few pictures in particular that stand out to me. Not only are his pictures of high quality; Tovis himself is a very genuine person as well. He was very caring and easy to work with.

C. McIntosh
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Mr. Bratsburg has an uncanny ability to capture the moment. We had been trying for months to get a good photo of our youngest child, but whenever the camera came out her personality seemed to disappear. We had taken her to other people to have professional photos taken - we were unhappy with the results. Mr. Bratsburg was with her for a short time, yet was able to capture the perfect, personality depicting photos!

I am very happy with the end product and would highly recommend him to anyone wanting moment capturing photos (weddings, graduations, new baby, etc.)

Angel M Abshire Shadoff BS RD
Buckley, Michigan

Tovis is a wonderful photographer that goes out of his way to make sure that the photos he takes are always of the best quality. He will take his time to get to know you so he can deliver the type of picture you are wanting. He thinks of creative ways to get real smiles out of his subjects so you can tell they are actually having a good time and they are not forced smiles. I will always go to Tovis for any of my photography needs.

Rachael Ashiwer
Grand Rapids, Michigan

I was looking for a certain artistic approach for the photographic presentation of my company’s products. Tovis was very patient and really immersed himself in the project. It was clear that Tovis truly cared about the job he was doing and took the time to make things right. He saw the big picture of helping me to achieve my business goal and really made it happen.

Thanks for all your hard work Tovis!

Heather DeVaul
West Milford, New Jersey

Tovis works magic with his camera! He has a special gift for capturing people in a very natural way as they relate to each other and to their environment. Tovis has photographed our children and grand children and we are very impressed with the finished product.

We would recommend him for any pictures you might be considering, whether it is for a wedding, or a family picture, but also for birth announcements, family reunions, or just because you want a picture of your loved ones to treasure for years to come.

Patti Gasper
Tustin, Michigan