Mmmm weddings

I never would have thought I'd be so into being a wedding photographer.
I surprise myself! I just can't wait for more more more!

Can you FEEL this photo?

It's that feeling that feeds me.

When I've just shot a wedding I can't wait to go through the images, edit them and look at them, over and over again.
I guess it's about the beauty, the joy - I love looking at what I've done.
It's not like I'm being egocentric, there is some little bit of magic between me and the final shot that takes a bit of 'me' out of it.

Here are some favourites from Kath & Dave's wedding last weekend.

There is much you can't control, such as the light and weather, the people's love, the natural expressions and the way flags get held, just right.

It makes the world of difference photographing people that are full of feeling.

I need to be the fly on the wall to allow the experience to occur.

As Kath's sister, Janine wrote to me "It's as though you were wearing some sort of cloak of invisibility - I'm looking at them and thinking I don't remember her taking that!"

I need to be aware of angles and a hundred things going on at once. It just occurs in my mind very quickly so I don't miss a thing!

Sometimes you see potential and you just give it a little encouragement.

And other times you choose everything to be perfect but still let the moment breath.

But it's also fun to entirely stage something with clear direction for ultimate effect.

This was the secret 'posh' shot for mum.

With every wedding I do, I carry the experience of all those that went before. When you keep doing something, you just have to get better right?

As Jappalin, the incredible florist for Kath & Dave's wedding said as she gushed down the phone last night, "The future's looking bright!"

[current mood] Whirring computers in Armidale, NSW & Ryvitas for breakfast, lunch and tea.

Wreaths or Meat Cleavers for Weddings?

This is what my house can look like prior to a wedding shoot...
The mess of me creating accessories and props.

Last week I scoured op shops for fake-flowers so I could create wreaths to use in their wedding booth 'studio'. I asked the couple if they wanted a silly booth or a sophisticated one. They said "definitely sophisticated". So I went in search of things that would be classy... or at least pretty.

I made a backdrop with sheer curtain and some branches and blossoms.

It was just me and Oscar in the house so I had to use us both to test how it looks under the lights.
Oscar takes a good pic!

I just loved making these floral wreaths, so much that I started coming up with another creative-business-venture-concept. One of twenty circulating in my head right now...

Weddings are really occupying most of my brain capacity currently. When one is approaching I become immersed in it's details, ideas for locations and ways to uniquely shoot this couple.

The wedding was Valentina & Amnon. Here are a couple details.

I'll show you more next time, but here is another favourite:

mmm how tender is that!

And okay, just one more that shows some of my prop-work.

I went in early and set up the photo booth.

It looked lovely in the afternoon light as guests arrived.

I love creating spaces with decor that adds to the mood of the party.

Here are the two shots that used one of my three wreaths:

The groom had re-thought 'sophisticated' and picked up a few extra props which ended up being the most loved by the guests. Of course! Mixing virgins with devils... how can you resist?

Or virgin's with (now) necklace-wreaths and he-brides.

Or meat cleavering vikings with sophisticated blondes...

I might have to re-think my beautiful flower wreath idea and work on more devilish and raunchy concepts!

[current mood] New Orleans jazz permeating every space & scallops

I heart my wedding card

It took me some months, but I finally pressed 'PRINT' on my wedding photography cards.

They are on a Dalton boxboard stock with a grey brown pantone ink AND super spunky pink metallic foil.

It's near impossible to photograph a foil well because however it catches the light makes it look flat, so to show you I took a series of photos and animated it. So, you can see how pretty it is to play with in the light.

I'm now sending them out to folks who can pass them on to prospective couples.
Know anyone? Want some cards? Email me your postal address and how many you'd like.

I'm also making little concertina fold out samples. A lot of love is going into these so they're for venues and wedding suppliers and folk that can show future husbands and wives. If you would like one, please email me!

I've just featured one of my latest weddings on my website.
I make up names for the pages, so rather than "Alicia & Shane", I've called it Fall: In love.

[current mood] The best (and only) pumpkin soup I ever made & B B B Benny and The Jets

How you make a gorgeous magnetic chalkboard

Go to a regional opshop and find the old pictures in frames, tucked into the dusty corner.

Pull it apart, if painted just double check if person is famous now, otherwise discard...

Choose your most gaudy golden frame, bigger the better.

Find a lovely chap to cut you a piece of steel. This was Tony's computer's CPU (in a former life). Lightly sand it and ensure it fits in your frame.

Spray with primer - I used SLS Etch Primer "rust guard" by White Knight.

Spray with Black Chalk Board Paint and when dry, reinsert.

Stick on your magnets, add your chalk and be photographed!

Hang it on the wall for notes and messages and PLAY.

I'm using this tomorrow at a wedding...

[current mood] Soundtracks for USA Road Trips & Cajun Pork Ribs

The Wedding Bells Are A-Ringing

Weddings: When it rains (rice), it pours!

I decided to start photographing weddings a year ago, and whenever I am thinking about such things, the phone begins to ring.

I've gotten so smitten with it that I've even created a website for my work iheartweddings.com.au

Here are some of Sophie & Ben's wedding. It certainly helps that they look gorgeous and that their minty car and vintage-style clothes tie in together. But it was raining a little and windy a lot, so the pictures also capture the mood of our afternoon in South Fremantle.

[current mood] Jessica's Baking & Oms That Make Your Hands Tingle

Film Noir Photo Booth

I like a black wedding...

Where the cheek and the raunch comes out to play.

For Caz & Nick I set up a photo booth as a silent film set with DIY subtitles.
It ended up being a lot more cabaret than class and the guests had a mini-riot grabbing at boas, top hats and rope.
I see it as a creative installation that adds another entertainment experience to the reception for those to enjoy between drinks and dances. I like how some people won't go near it and others come back with a different guest six times.
Hoorah for the Nat-ness I can inject into my wedding photography!

The groom and his mother - my favourite shot.

In-jokes may not translate, but this one is about how he once (drunkenly) climbed a pole as the best man and yet the groom who berated him used hand puppets in his speech.... so he considers his crime far less worse.

It really helps when the guests are sexy,

playful (per chance gay)...

and prepared to go where others might not.

It was even a family affair (PG rated)

The bride and groom getting in on the action.

It still cracks me up that I raided my folks' cupboards for props and discovered this baby doll (wtf are they doing with this?) and threw it in the bag of tricks. 

The bride's idea to provide Movember Moustaches (chocolate on a stick) also proved very wise for role reversals.

And others just laid on as much of the goodies as they could.

I wonder how they'll feel about these shots now....

I can't stare at my 'test shot' too long without cringing, but it's fun to throw yourself into the album!

Thanks goes to my gorgeous Narelle for being a stylist on hand (and for above shot).

[current mood] Gifted Herbal Tea & Dedicated Country Radio Stations

I DO love weddings

They never looked more beautiful and I get to take photographs for the whole darn day.

[current mood] Banana A'la Orange Syrup Cake out of the oven! & Fleet Foxes

Alana and Stevie Wedding

This was a most stunning wedding at the Packing Shed in the Perth hills.
A photographer's dream... featuring rustic country decor, garden games and a hazy sky from a far off fire.

And those hot red shoes...

Now I'm scouring the Queensland Sunshine Coast for wedding photography locations, planners and celebrants so that I can do the same over here.

[current mood] $2 bags of Local Avocados & Sqwarking Black Cockatoos

The Look of Love

I love how each wedding I shoot has it's own definite look. Combine the couple, their style, the location, weather and decor, and you end up with a look that is so distinct, beyond what is planned to be so. I know that a couple may decide on a colour scheme, flowers and their bridal party look, however it's all the little things that create the 'package' look which is best seen through the collection of photographs afterwards.

Yasmin & Tommy's style was further defined by the curving limbs of the Morton Bay Fig tree and its golden back lit leaves. Even the crunchy brown leaves on the ground and stone of the church complete it.

Glen & Ali's gently overcast day gives their wedding a soft look, no harsh shadows. The colour is muted with the subdued green hues of the vineyard. The simplicity of their black and white scheme and paired back style looks very classic against the winery textures.I enhanced this by pulling back the magenta tones and creating a set of old style photo frames.

Then I took my favourite black and white shots and placed them together as a group. I toned them to enhance the established scheme.

[current mood] Burt Bacharach & Pills glorious Pills (ie health supplements)

Wedding Messages

At Glenn and Ali's wedding I brought along a chalkboard for a 'roaming photobooth'. I encouraged guests to write secret messages for the newlyweds. They don't even know I've done it. So they'll see them first here...

It's an idea you can only do once really... as from now on, my couples will know of this idea beforehand.

Finishing with one from me!

I enjoyed how the whole process was a form of entertainment for guests. I like adding more to the night than just the taking of photographs. Gotta bring my community artsworking skills into it!

The board brought out varying responses. From their initial verbal reaction, to how they think with a piece of chalk and a blank board (and a few wines) when you leave them with it. The biggest challenge is how you can encourage some people to participate even if their initial reaction isn't so keen. Just a few people in a group will always have that instant 'no' reaction because they have a 'i can't draw' or 'i'm not creative' mentality. Their habit is to shy away from such creative exercises. It's rewarding to see these people find a voice, laugh at a pose concept and be a part of the messages. (Almost as much as those that run away with the board and draw up detailed illustrations beyond your own imagination!)

[current mood] Pear and Chocolate Muffins & I need some new music