Shannon and Brett, Engagement Portrait

It was perfect photo weather on Sunday, overcast but no chance of rain, nice cool breeze, but not windy or hot, just the sort of day i love.



We headed off to the park with their gorgeous dog Porsha, who looks kinda scary but is a total sweetheart. She was a little more interested in checking out the park than having photos though...



I love getting natural laughter, it makes for the best images. If people are feeling maybe a little nervous about having their photo taken a good belly laugh makes everyone feel at ease. I got Brett to whisper sweet nothings in Shannons ear..apparently he was going "whisper whisper whisper...." LOL





Porsha found the lake.....so soggy dogs have to be dried off before the trip home! Thanks guys for a lovely afternoon, will be seeing you in less than a month!!

Baby Cruz

I'm in LOVE!!! (don't tell my hubby......)

I met the totally adorable Cruz this morning, and was so excited about the photos I couldn't wait any longer to get them up.







When I saw the leopard skin rug...I went..YAY!!!





A joint ROARING :)



He has the most expressive eyes......







All tuckered out. Being adorable is hard work!




Thankyou Peta and Cruz you were wonderful models :)

(I think it may be time to hit the hubby up for an offspring! I'm getting far too clucky for my own good.)

Kristy and Derek, 14th March 2009

I got this post up super fast, because the lucky ducks are off to Europe for 9 weeks!! SO JEALOUS!!!

Kristy and Derek were married last Saturday on a BEOOOTIFUL sunny autumn day. You couldn't find too more lovely people...or two people more in love.

Ceremony - St Josephs, Busselton
Locations - Harwoods Cottage, Dunsborough and Canal Rocks, Yallingup
Reception - Whyndam Resort, Dunsborough
Transport - Gannaways
Reception Decoratiors - Wez Enterprises



I met the boys in Busselton already dressed!! I was most impressed with their punctuality! They looked VERY swish i have to say. We had a play with the pool table and the car (awesome car fellas) and then off to Vasse to see the lovely ladies!



Kristy looked STUNNING. We had a few laughs getting her dress on. It is kinda hard to put a wedding dress on at the best of times...but putting it on backwards...well that had a few extra laughs to be sure!



We had some photos with Kristy's Prize Winning Baby...and her first love... What a Beautiful Boy!



The ceremony at St Josephs was lovely. I was quite impressed with the Priests sermon/talk as it really struck a chord with me. There was so much love in the church....





Off for some fun!! We started at Harwoods Cottage, an absolutely beautiful Farmstay property, that has the original Quindalup Post Office. Totally cool.



And then off to Canal Rocks, a place special in Derek's heart. (great fishing spot apparently LOL)This one was actually one of the Groomsmen helping Kristy up the rocks...but its so great I couldnt help but keep it in....







I stayed a little longer at the reception so we could capture the speeches and cake cutting. Being the major wuss that I am...I of course cried during the very heart felt speeches... and the first dance....my word...lets just say that talking photos while you cant see though your tears is kinda difficult :)



Now for the Slideshow!



It was an absolutely fabulous day, and if your considering a reception at Whyndam Resort...YES DO IT! The food was YUM! Thanks so much guys, and have a spectacular Honeymoon!!

Chelsea and Troy, 28th February 2009

The last day of February was a tad hot.... but it was a beautiful day for Chelsea and Troy's wedding in Bunbury.

Ceremony and Reception - Sanctuary Golf Resort
Locations - St Marks Tree, Old Post Office, Back Beach and Funky Blue Wall!



I went to visit the Boys first, as I usually do if they are not too far away, and captured some lovely images with Troy and His Family...then off to the other side of Austalind to see the girls! Chelsea looked amazing!!



The ceremony was beautiful on the putting green of The Sanctuary Golf Resort. Its such a beautiful view over the lakes. Afterwards we ventured into town for a bit of fun!





The sky looked amazing on the beach. Fantastic cloud formations....





We had a bit of time left so I suggested a rather strange location....Discount Auto Parts!! People think I'm strange when I suggest weird places, but believe me...they work!





Back to the Sanctuary for the reception.... and as always the room looked beautiful, and dinner smelt amazing.

Check out the slide show for a little extra yumminess.....



Thank you Chelsea and Troy...it was a most enjoyable day!

How to REALLY find your Wedding Photographer

I found this awesome article on a colleges site today. They are based in the US, but the points are still 100% valid here in OZ.



There are many articles out there that will give you a long list of questions to ask your prospective photographer. You can find them any of a zillion websites as well as wedding planning books and organizers. The answers to these questions can undoubtedly give you tons of information but let’s concentrate on what really matters first before we get lost in the details. There are really three basic questions that need to be answered before you can decide if a photographer is right for you. Do you like the pictures they take? Do you like the photographer’s personality? Do they fit your budget?

Do you like their images?

This should be obvious. But it’s not really as obvious when you look at it closely. First of all, you should educate yourself a little about photography in general. Look at lots of different wedding photographs. Check out your friends wedding albums. Search online for photographers websites and go carefully through their online galleries. Don’t limit yourself to photographers in your area. The idea is to get a feeling for the different styles that exist and to find out what means the most to you. Ask yourself how the pictures make you feel. Which kind of photos would you like to see yourself in?

It’s also good to find out what “good” photography is. You want images to be properly lit, in focus and well composed. Well, what the heck does that mean? Photographers go through years of school, read books and attend professional workshops to get a good handle on this subject. For your purposes, looking at a lot of different photographers can give you a better feel for what a good image can be. You want a photograph to have detailed dark areas and detailed light areas. You don’t want large areas of plain black or white anywhere in the picture because they do not print well. Obviously you don’t want blurry photos. You want to look for nice, crisp focus on most of the images in the galleries. Composition is harder because it is mostly subjective. If the images make you feel strongly, the composition is probably working for you.

Once you find out what you really like, you can start narrowing down your choices. You can choose from photographers in your general area or nationwide. Many photographers are willing to travel to different locations. An extra charge will probably be involved, but if there is someone out there who’s photos knock your socks off, it may be worth it to transport them in for your big day.

Do you like the photographers personality?


Photographers are the only wedding vendor, except maybe the videographer, who will be with you for the whole day. That can be 6 to 12 hours! It is very important that you choose a person who makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. You should feel confident that they are capable professionals who can perform their jobs with little direction from you or your guests. They should also be people that you really like.

The best way to find out if you truly like them is to tell them about yourself. Let them know how you and your fiancé met. Let them in on your plans, even if you are just in the hoping and dreaming stage. It is easier to discover whether you connect with someone if you show them what excites you and see how they react. Many of our clients become friends because we connect on such a deep level. If a photographer cares about you as a person, they are more likely to want to take extra special care of you throughout the process.

Do they fit your budget?

Now, before you meet you need to be sure that you can afford your favorite photographers. Some photographers list their prices on their websites or will send you pricing information as requested. It is probably a good idea to know at least what range of prices and packages the photographer offers before you meet with them so that there are no unpleasant surprises. You can go over the specifics at the meeting, but going in with some idea is always a good plan.

Make sure you understand exactly what is included in the price. Is there an album? How big is the album and what kind of options are available and do they cost extra? Do the negatives or digital files come with the package? Are they available at all? Is that important to you? Just know what it is you want to get out of your wedding photography and make sure that it is part of the deal. If you are someone who wants a large canvas print to display over your fireplace mantle but you really don’t care for an album, make sure you hire someone who has canvas prints available and not someone who includes an album in every package.



I totally agree with everything in this article. Its SO important to have an affinity with your photographer. You have to get along and enjoy each others company because that hugely influences your images. No one wants their wedding day to be full of stress and uncomfortableness (is that even a word?) or having to deal with people you don't really like. I do believe that the first two points are FAR more important than the third, so make sure you LOVE your photographer, both their personality and their images, because the impression they make sticks around far far longer than the cost ever will!

Carley and Troy, 20th February 2009

Fabulous wedding!! It hardly feels like work when i get to go on a river cruise on a sunny Friday afternoon!

Ceremony - Jabe Dodd Park, Mosmon Park Perth
Reception - Matilda Bay
Locations - Round House car park and Old Woolstores Building Fremantle

I had the company of my trusty little Perth assistant Alana, who is learning the ropes at the moment, and we started our day with preparations at Carley's parents house n Mt Pleasant. NICE HOUSE!!! Made for some very tasty images.





We headed off to Mosman Park and the gorgeous Jabe Dodd Park for the ceremony. The view was amazing! The a quick trip to Fremantle, to the Round House and the gorgeous Fremantle architecture.



I wanted to stop off quickly at the Woolstores because i had always wanted to do a bridal shoot there...and they look as amazing as i knew they would.



Carley and Troy wanted to arrive by boat to their reception, so we headed off to the Raffles, where the boat was moored for our quick trip across The Swan! What an awesome way to spend the afternoon :)



The reception at Matilda Bay was as gorgeous as always. They do a spectacular job there. They even had a signature drink!



Check out the slideshow for more wedding-y goodness :)




Thank you for a wonderful day guys!

Oh my What A Weekend!! - And we have 2 Winners :)

Ive just survived the dusk Bridal Fair! HOORAY!!!

It was a fabulous weekend to be sure. I met with hundreds of Brides, Grooms, Bridesmaids, Mothers of the Regular and In-Law varieties...and plenty of new friends!

Here was my booth

- please excuse the baby-cam photos, i think i need a new Point and Shoot digital....

My trusty Husband/Assistant weaved his magical interior design abilities and made my "Theatrical" draped backdrop i was after. I always have wonderful ideas, but then have no idea how to produce said wonderful ideas!

He is also great at fixing slideshows that JUST WONT WORK!

We held a draw for a Free Portrait Session as part of my Bridal Fair special, and we must have received close to 500 entries! I have decided that instead of just ONE winner, we will have two! one for Saturday and one for Sunday.

(drum roll please....)

The winners are Nicole from Cooloongup, and Lisa and Mathew from Applecross! Congratulations!! Your vouchers are winging their way to you as I type....

To all the lovely people who enquired about our packages and prices, I'm working my way though 300 odd enquiries (which as you can imagine takes a little time...:)) But feel free to drop me an email if you think you email may have gone missing in cyberspace, as they sometimes do.

Thanks again for making the Expo so enjoyable and such a success!!!

Jodie and Ben, Valentine's Day!

What a beautiful wedding. I'm kinda biased as Meadowbrook was the location for our wedding...but it certainly was just lovely! And you cant get more romantic than a Valentines Wedding.

Ceremony and Reception - Meadowbrook Estate
Celebrant - Peter Jeffrey Ellson
Location - Meadowbrook Estate and Boyanup Railway

Ben's sister is a very talented makeup artist and did an amazing job on the whole Bridal Party



Can I hear anyone say swaheeeeeeet! Absolutely STUNNING!





The ceremony was held in the Dell, a very nice hidden area in the grounds of Meadowbrook. They were both nervously awaiting the start of the ceremony.....





Jodie and Ben has organised a 3 Petal Cannon Salute at the end of the ceremony...which made me JUMP (and scream a bit I think...sorry for that LOL) It also started to rain a little during the signing...but thats absolutley the best thing to happen at a wedding - brings LOTS of luck :)



We did our photo session in the grounds of Meadowbrook, and then across the road at the old Railway that runs though Boyanup.





My Favorite....





T'was a BIG bridal party, but they were really fabulous! Usually large bridal parties are hard to control, but these guys were absolute angels to work with.



Ben was an absolute crackup!





And check out the slideshow for some more meadowbrook Valentines Action :)



Thanks so much guys, it was a beautiful day. And you will NEVER forget your anniversary ;)