I had the pleasure of shooting Kate and Matt for the second time a few weeks ago. They first appeared here in February last year when they asked my to shoot their engagement session (here). I have known Kate for a number of years, and have had the pleasure of getting to know Matt more recently, so I was stoked to be able to be a part of their wedding in Whiteman’s Valley, Upper Hutt (just outside Wellington). Kate is somewhat of a creative genius, and she had poured crazy hours into designing and creating one of the most beautifully detailed weddings I have seen. From the Tea Party to the reception, the day was full of fantastic little details that are a photographer’s dream!

Thank you both for such a wonderful day, and congratulations on your wedding! You both looked amazing, and it was a privilege to be a part of it.

[geek note] I have tried something a little different with this blog post. I have inserted images in a gallery format (called ShadowBox for fellow geeks) rather than large images that slow down page loading time (just click on thumbnails to view large). I would love any feedback about whether you like it or not. Comments are always welcome and appreciated! [/geek note]

Jamie and Helen are one of those couples with a really cool story about getting together in high-school, going their separate ways, then finding each other again a few years later. As Jamie is my brother, I was super-stoked to have the privilege of shooting their engagement session after they announced their engagement.

They were so easy to photograph, and we had a lot of fun doing it. We did half of the photos by the river in Lower Hutt, and the other half on a family weekend up in Tokaanu, which is at the south end of Lake Taupo. They love to laugh and smile, and are all over each other, making for some great images.

Congratulations on your engagement, Jamie and Helen. Thanks for letting me celebrate it with you!

Justine and Rowan are one of those interesting couples you meet sometimes that surprise you. I’m not sure quite what I was expecting when I first met them, but whatever it was, it wasn’t the crazy couple that I spent the evening photographing! They both have so much personality and quirkiness that they made the whole shoot really relaxed and fun. Countless shots were ruined due to one or both of them cracking up or making stupid faces!

We met for a coffee at my local (fantastic) Elements Cafe before heading down to Lyall Bay for some shots of Justine and Rowan on the little boardwalk jetty, walking down the beach, and trying to find shelter from the southerly in the sand dunes. When the sun got low enough, we headed around the coast a little to Island Bay for some sunset shots.

As a side-note, after we finished up, my beautiful assistant and I headed into Island Bay shops looking for food and discovered The Cheeky Pipi. The pasta and the seafood chowder was INCREDIBLE! We managed to avoid the rowdy drunken teachers who were dancing out the back, fortunately. Check them out if you’re in Island Bay foraging for food.

Thanks to Justine and Rowan for such a fun e-session. And congratulations on your engagement!

Thanks for having a look. Don’t forget to leave a comment

Here’s a shot from Justine and Rowan’s e-session this week.  I’ve used a photographic technique that has become known as the ‘Brenizer Method’, being invented by New York wedding photog Ryan Brenizer.  It blends a bunch of images (six in this shot) to create a very unique look with a very small depth of field that would otherwise be impossible.  I hope you like it.  More to come soon.  I love comments, so feel free to leave one if you like

I have known kate and her family for a few years, so when she told me she and her partner Matt were engaged, and asked me to shoot an engagement session for them, I jumped at the opportunity. She lives on a small farm in Whiteman’s Valley, Upper Hutt, so I decided to head out there to use the property for the e-session. We picked the right evening for it, but I didn’t realise how much shorter the days had become over the last couple of weeks, so the light was disappearing quickly and we had to work fast!

We made the most of hay bales, the tractor (which they REALLY wanted photos with), their private creek running through the property, and empty rural roads. We had a lot of fun, and it was a nice way to send them off on the three-month trip to the UK that they were leaving for the next day. Enjoy, and please feel free to leave them a comment!