1st Nov 2010, 9:18pm

 I love asking people how they met so I asked Mary and Frank.  They have been married for 43 years and all of their history together started when Frank called the nursing home where Mary was studying.  But the funny bit of the story is that he was calling for someone else :-)  The someone else wasn't there of course and Mary was.  They got chatting and decided to meet for coffee and there you go!  It's kind of incredible the moments that change your life...they're not always the ones that seem big and important at the time.

I am so pleased Tanya was able to talk her parents into joining us at the studio, we were able to capture them all together...

and then they brought in their dogs too (because they are part of the family too, right?)

Love that sequence!  As always you can check out a few more on Facebook.

29th Oct 2010, 5:25am

1.  Kids can be really kind and supportive...I don't know if these kids are unusual in this but they were amazing.  Photographers are busy patting themselves on the back at the moment about how sharing is the new black (like that's a new concept?!).  These kids blew me away...they totally know this already (the future is in good hands) :-)

2.  Yummy home baking cancels out all the extra walking :-(

3.  Sometimes the next step is too hard to do on your own and you need a hand...

(Thanks Robin Mills for this pic)

4.  The bed by the heater is definitely worth fighting for :-)

5.  And you should always say yes to the flying fox :-)

(Thanks Kristen McDonald for this pic)

27th Oct 2010, 11:21pm

This thread on the weddings.co.nz forum got me thinking some more about one of my fav topics...the historical value and the longevity of wedding photos.

How can we make the wedding images we take today interesting and relevant to the people who are (hopefully) viewing them in 50 years time?

I think it's a cool idea to include significant landmarks and places of interest, the fashions will change of course and at some point it's pretty much guaranteed you will wonder what you were thinking about something.  The cars will be interesting and the clutter in the background and all that stuff.

But more than anything else I reckon your kids and grandkids want to see that you were just like them...young and head over heels in love and full of hope for the future.  No matter what else changes, some things stay the same.

I have a photo somewhere (and I am embarrassed I can't find it easily enough to post here) of my grandparents standing proudly outside their first home...I see a lot of myself in the image and it's that connection between the generations that makes it so precious.

I think what will turn out to be the most 'historically interesting' stuff in wedding images will be the connections and the stories.

26th Oct 2010, 9:30pm

Bright, fresh, floral gorgeousness from Wedding Flowers by Karen...

And the beachy theme carried through to the tables settings at the beautiful Waoku Lodge...

24th Oct 2010, 9:22pm

When they first came to see me ages ago Erica and Daniel talked about their wedding plans and they used words like 'intimate' and 'relaxed'.  And they told me they were having just 15 guests (later downsized to 14 when one Grandma couldn't make it).  They have been together for 11 years already and they wanted their day to be about their families...the people who are most special to them.

And so to make sure they had as much time as possible with their guests they asked about doing photos before the ceremony.  Could we do photos in town first and then head out to Raglan?  YES PLEASE!  I just love the whole urban wedding thing and when I saw Erica's gorgeous vintagey dress I knew it was going to be awesome!

Just a taste...

And then there was loads of time for those special guests :-)

We feel so lucky to have been part of this lovely wedding...thanks for having us!

 Check 'em out on Facebook too :-)

8th Oct 2010, 11:02pm

Just for a change :-)

I've been loving the black and white portraits so much lately but I think it's time for some colour.

I shot these on Wednesday while I was doing a completely unrelated commercial job :-)

8th Oct 2010, 10:41pm

Tyler was a total star when he came to see me in the studio earlier this week.  That's the thing about being nearly 3, you're all about being yourself and having some fun...which makes you an excellent photography subject!

Of course those amazing eyelashes help too :-)

4th Oct 2010, 2:36pm

Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that from time to time I have spaces in between studio portrait sessions that I like to fill at the last minute with portfolio sessions for my own entertainment (or you can call it professional development if you want lol).

Hazel and Jesse were quick to volunteer last week when I had an unexpected gap come up.  I asked for a couple and Hazel replied on behalf of her and her partner Jesse.  I asked her to tell me a bit about them.  When she replied that Jesse is an accountant by day and a heavy metal guitarist by night...oh and they have a few tattoos...well you already know how excited I was right?

Add to that their beautiful little boy Echo and the obvious devotion they have for each other...well, see for yourself...

As always there are a few more pics on Facebook :-)

25th Sep 2010, 9:34pm

I've decided I'm going to try and tag a portfolio shoot on to the end of my regular studio sessions...so many times I have ideas buzzing around that I just need to shoot...or lighting setups I want to try (when I have time to fail!)...and while I'm there it's a perfect opportunity.  These sessions are free and I give 2 8x12 prints (or equivalent value) in exchange for a model release (you're welcome to purchase more if you wish).  And I'll be advertising these sessions on Facebook as they come up...so hop on over there and 'like' me to be first to hear about them.

When I posted my ad last week for two siblings to model for me at the hideous time of 6.45 I wasn't sure anyone would be keen.  I know how my kids are feeling by that time and trying to get them to pose for pics would not be a good idea! 

But Zanthe and Shelten were awesome...I had some quite specific goals from this session and they were brilliant at listening and following my (sometimes slightly vague!) instructions.  I asked them to bring their favourite outfits and something special to them, working on the theory that how we choose to dress when given no rules and the things we hold dearest express a deeper level of who we are.

And check out these dance moves!

Thank you so much Zanthe and Shelten, you are stars!

25th Sep 2010, 9:00pm

Usually when I go to the studio to do portraits I take a bus load of stuff; couches, my 'wooden' floor, you name it...but this time I decided I wanted to get back to basics.  Maybe it was all the discussion after the Iris Awards about the purity of photography or maybe it was the influence of Marti Freidlander and Diane Arbus whose work I've been looking at recently but I wanted to try to strip away all the other stuff and capture just what my subjects brought to the session. 

And I have to say, the Nyika's were the perfect subjects for this approach because they are so full to the brim with life and personality and enthusiasm...they really did 'bring it'...

Thanks so much guys, I had a blast!