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]

Here’s a quick preview of a model-portfilio shoot that I did with Tav a couple of weeks ago.

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

Christmas is one of those times when you sometimes realise that it’s the first time in a long time that the whole family has been in the same place at the same time.  This was one of those times.  The Brebners asked me to photograph a family portrait of them all as their eldest daughter had just come home from overseas.  Tauranga had turned it on for us over Christmas, and this day was no exception.  We found some shelter from the unforgiving sun under these beautiful trees and got some great photos.

Every now and then I get the rare treat of being able to take photos of kids that LOVE to be photographed. This was one of those times. Sam and Rosa couldn’t get enough of the camera from the minute I pulled it out of my camera bag. They were all smiles and laughs and fun and games. They were also natural, not forced, cheesy smiles. You can tell they are just happy kids.

We spent a couple hours walking around the Botanical Gardens in Wellington. There is so much to do there, especially for kids, and it’s a photographer’s dream. Beautiful gardens, obviously, but also a huge variety of props, backgrounds, and distractions! After playing for awhile, we finished up with ice-creams, which is guaranteed way to get kids to stop and chill out for awhile (and makes for some hilarious photos).