A year has past since Gilda and Tim tied the knot - congratulations on you first year of marriage! They married at St John's Church in Launceston, Tasmania on a rather hot and sticky day. I felt for Tim's groomsmen in their suits, but they happily persevered, and continued to look quite dashing through out the shoot! Having some time to photograph their bridal party at the Launceston Gorge was a lovely cool relief, the purple hue of the hydrangeas setting off the girls' dresses beautifully. I'll let their photographs tell you the story.......
It was on a bright sunny day, just like today in fact, that Havva and Huseyin tied the knot in Kettering, Tasmania. They were such an elegant couple - Havva's dress was of ivory lace encrusted with shimmering swarovski crystals, and Huseyin charmed us all in his tailor made leather tails suit. Wow! After the garden ceremony (with breath taking views over the bay), we headed down to the mariner, up to the Margate Train and to Franklin square for some photographs and some rest time. Their Turkish relatives and friends certainly knew how to practice good hospitality and celebrate - it was going to be a big party that evening! We laughed a lot, especially at Huseyin's acrobatics and cheekiness at the train!
What a way to usher the new year in Havva - with all your friends, family and your husband! Congratulations again to you both, and all the very best for a happy 2012! :)
I really wish I could have seen this exhibition - if you live in Melbourne you must see it! Seen and Unseen - photographs by Lex Mrocki ends tomorrow, so be quick (it's closed today, open Sunday 10-5pm). I used to work with Lex at Camera Action-Camera House in Melbourne and he always inspired me with his passion for documentary photography. Sadly, he passed away suddenly only a few years ago.
Jewish Museum of Australia 26 Alma Rd, St Kilda (About a 2 minute walk from tram stop 32 on St Kilda Rd - Routes 3 or 67)
From the Jewish Museum's website -
Lex Mrocki - Seen & Unseen
Curated by Emmanuel Santos, in consultation with Lex Mrocki's family, this photographic exhibition is a homage to photographer Lex Mrocki, 1964-2009. This month for the first time ever, alongside his journalistic body of work, Mrocki's personal collection of photographs will be on display at the Gross Gallery. The exhibition includes a collaged mural of Australian Jewish News front covers spanning more than a decade, portraits of noteables including Bill Clinton, artists, leading community figureheads and community events and stories. Capturing both the daily news and cultural happenings across the Jewish community, from Talmudic scholars in class to bar and bat-mitzvah events, Mrocki injects a spiritual sensibility across all his work. From Melbourne to New York and Israel, Mrocki's creative and quirky eye documents cityscapes, communities and the seemingly domestic and mundane, in a uniquely warm, inquisitive and beautiful way.
If you missed my two photos that featured in the recent Weekend Australian you are forgiven. I was very excited to have two postage-stamp-sized pics of celebrant Belinda Kendall-White marrying Kasmira and Chris. The 'dream job' story outlined the many crazy adventures Belinda has taken in order to officiate a marriage - after a climb up Mount Kosciuszko, while hot air ballooning, even while on horse back. Crazy, huh! Great job Belinda!
Well, the wedding season of 2010-2011 is finally winding up. Phew! What a season it was! Only two weddings are left to edit now - two fun loving (and sometimes crazy!) couples celebrating their big days in very different ways. I will share with you once they have seen them (bride and groom always first!)
Now is catch up time - I have so many gorgeous photographs to share and stories to tell! I'll start with our now dear friends, Amy and Chris.
Amy and Chris are a loving and kind couple who we are very greatful to have met, and can now call our good friends! They met at university and fell in love. Amy, a very talented painter (see below for one of her stunning works!) and Chris, a scientist, had been working on their PhD's as well as juggling their wedding plans. I tell you, I don't know how much writing I would have achieved if I was in the same boat! :) They decided to have their ceremony on a beautiful property on Bruny Island, the big trouble was choosing which stunning backdrop to have - the grassy hill top with panoramic views, the grand old house, the old english garden, or the beach! Even though it had been so wet in the weeks leading up to the big day, there was no way walls could replace such picturesque spots. Clear skies and bright sunshine greeted us (hooray!) all of the guests traveled down with Amy on the MV Excella (certainly the most pleasant way to travel to a wedding), and after a short walk arrived to the grand old house where Chris was dressed up, excited and waiting for his bride to be...... and I better let the photographs show you how the rest of the day unfolded!
I was fortunate to photograph my childhood friend Megan's wedding in Hobart recently. She moved to Adelaide a few years ago and met Adam. He is such a gentleman, very kind and caring - I am so happy for them both! :)
They married at The St David's Park Rotunda, which looked especially romantic in the misty rain around us.
I have been a little quiet in blog world lately, but as I said last post - wedding season has now begun and it has been cRaZy! Of course, that is crazy in a really wonderful way! Being a part of someones big day is a real privilege, and to be able to stalk, share, celebrate and make lovely pictures with them makes my job the best in the world (I don't mean to boast!)
Well, I feel a little overwhelmed with all the photographs I want to share, so I will start with the lovely Bronwyn and Adrian from Melbourne. Their ceremony was in front of an old oak tree at the Chirnside Park Golf Course. It was so romantic! I don't need to say much more - check out the photographs below. Isn't Bronwyn beautiful! More to come soon.
The 2010-2011 wedding season has officially begun!
Firstly - many of the popular weekends have already been booked out, so contact me as soon as you have decided the date of your big day to avoid disappointment. I don't like saying no! I wish I could be involved in all of your weddings!
I thought I would post a picture of one of the beautiful lace-look umbrellas a lovely bride donated to me (thank you so much Megan!). If I'm photographing your day and they suit your aesthetic, I would love to lend them to you. There are three in total, all in the same design. The should offer protection against light rain. I'm all up for dancing in the rain!
If a hand crafted material lace parasol is more your style (baring in mind they don't offer any wet weather protection), check out The Lace Shop in Richmond, southern Tasmania - (03) 6260 2493. They specialize in lace doilies and table runners too, so ladies, I would not recommend bringing along your fiance. It wasn't Graham's thing at all :)
I didn't know how to post this without sounding silly, but I love books. Not just the reading of them, or the smell of a brand new one, or the feel of the aged spine of an old favourite, or even the dismembered sculptures some artist's make of them. It's all of the above plus more, I'm just not ready to put my finger on it yet.
Here is a tiny snippet of my book obsession - my recent submission to a mini-book challenge hosted by Interweave America. The brief was simple; to be no larger than 6 x 6 x 1 inch in mixed media materials. Such a vague requirement I think makes it harder, not easier to work with sometimes! I tried to focus on alternative structures for a book, while still keeping it practical and here we are! Ta-da! My first attempt (for this train of thought anyway) - Double Notes in Thirds.
Double Notes in Thirds is also the title of one of the exercises on the music manuscripts that line it, discovered with great joy after modeling my double note design! How awesome is it when things just fall together like that! I wish it did more often. Well it's now somewhere between Hobart and Hawaii I'm guessing, so I'll post a link of other artist's work once they are posted on Interweave's site. I can't wait to see what other ideas people had!!
It's great to be challenged in a creative way, so if you know of any cool projects or blogs that inspire, please post them here for us all to play!
It is pretty exciting! Venus - the lovable guide dog puppy I photographed a few months ago - has made the front page of this season's Puppy Love magazine! She also has a double page spread featuring some of her portraits too.
I love looking through 'old' photographs. I suppose they don't necessarily need to be 'old with time' photos but just ones that have been forgotten, and then stumbled across again. After high school, I adored photographing the local DanceSport events on a trusty Pentax K1000 film camera. I certainly didn't have a good hit rate if the overall clarity and sharpness was judged alone, however the photographs did have a lovely soft romantic feel about them. I hope you like the eclectic mix below!
....and here is another I just found! Crazy colour, I just love it!
The final wedding of the season was certainly a beautiful one! Megan and Ben wed on a chilly Hobart day, one filled with the lovely golden reminders of autumn. They were certainly brave planning it for this time of the year, especially now being Queensland residents! Everything was carefully planned, right down to the groomsmen's socks......well sort of. The cheeky groom Ben ensured he had these covered and surprised his lovely wife-to-be at the alter, revealing a glow of yellow socks! They exchanged vows at St David's Cathedral (where Megan's Parents too were married) followed by the reception at the Cascade Brewery and Visitors Centre.
Congratulations again Megan and Ben!
(More photographs will be uploaded soon!)
UPDATE: Check out Megan and Ben's highlight gallery here.
I couldn't help myself - I had to share some of the gorgeous kittys we met on the weekend at the Hobart Cat Show! Please excuse the haziness in some, they were all resting inside their wire cages as I snapped away.
This little one must be a relative of our little Poppi Cat - she is a British Short Hair kitten too! How cute is she!
Meet Venus. She is a lovely (but cheeky) guide dog in-training, currently being cared for by Katrina and Danny in Hobart. It will soon be time for her to 'further her education' and then head off to care for a blind person in need. A portrait (or 'petrait'!) to remember her sad, but caring puppy dog eyes was a must! Here is a snippet of our play in the park.
Kathryn and Allan were blessed with a beautiful sun soaked day for their garden wedding down at South Arm. Their day flew by quicker than any other I have shot. This may have had something to do with all the laughs we had in the gardens, on the beach, on the gorgeous ship the Windward Bound and the trip across the Derwent River on the Ton-O-Fun to the reception. Phew! What a day! Congratulations guys!!
Tomorrow - Sunday the 25th of April - is a day to remember the brave soldiers for ANZAC day, but also it is World Pin Hole day! After your early start tomorrow morning, rustle up a quick pin hole camera, get snapping, then scan and upload them for the the world to see! Why not combine the two and record the parade if the sun is up and shining bright. Check out the official web page here, it has an awesome resource page, and also these other sites for camera building, exposure guides and ideas.
I had a ball creating my matchbox pin hole camera - the 'MatchFlex' - a couple of year back. Check out some of the photographs in the gallery again under the art projects tab, or click here. (Hope you are not 'linked out'!!) I'll keep you posted on how tomorrow's turn out!
Here are some images to get you thinking....from top: Melbourne artists David Tatnell and Steph Tout, I believe Tatnell uses large format negatives in his process, where Tout produces her beautiful panoramas from a multiple pinholes in a round biscuit tin! American artist Justin Quinnell had the crazy idea of using his mouth as a camera, and finally Russian Anastasia Medvedeva who combines pin-holing with lithe printing. I hope they inspire you!
My brother and his mates love making grand sand sculptures down on Bellerive Beach. I couldn't help but share them! I got a call 3 hours into this build of a giant squid and shark and couldn't get over the amount of people watching on quietly with big smiles from the car park. Joggers sped by and returned with their family's in tow, watching the guys trim down the slightly over weight shark / killer whale into a streamlined beast. Great job Matt, Ben, Aleks, Lansdell and Steph! I wonder how long it lasted.....
Fairfield Boat House is a delightful place to enjoy banana splits, devonshire tea, and....a wedding brunch! Chris and Sara exchanged vows on the banks of the Yarra River on a beautiful summers morn, followed by eggs, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes (mmm!) in good old fashioned charm. Sara even suprised her husband-to-be by her entrance upstream as her father rowed her to the ceremony. We had a lot of fun playing with a Polaroid Camera too - such a fun and creative couple to work with!
(Sara and Chris - congratulations again on your marriage!)
Dave and Nadia were married at St Alfred's Church in Blackburn North, Victoria. It was an awesome service! Following afternoon tea, the bridal party had some wind-down time at Blackburn Lake. Having never seen this nature reserve before I had expected wider more open spaces, but was delighted to find a real romantic whimsical feel as the light and my subjects 'danced' amongst the trees. The afternoon sun trickled through the gum canopy over head, the bride and groom were glowing with joy - it was just beautiful! Congratulations again Nadia and Dave! * * More photos to be uploaded soon! * *
Well, it has been a crazy wedding season....and it is not finished yet! Here is a sneak peak at Aaron and Nikki's recent wedding at the beautiful Saint David's Cathedral in Hobart. * * More photographs coming soon * *
UPDATE: More of Aaron and Nikki's photographs can be now found here in the gallery section.
We have moved! We are now based in beautiful Hobart town in Tasmania......and we are just loving it. Check out what God prepared for us from our balcony. Stunning isn't it!
(And yes - don't worry - interstate enquiries are still warmly welcomed as always!)
It was a great way to begin 2010 - with both Silver and Bronze awards in the recent International Aperture Awards! Hooray! You can check out the Gold award talent by visiting their website here.
Where has the year gone?!! I have been so busy these last few months I haven't been able to share any projects here on the blog - Sorry! I'll start by sharing our little star 'child' Poppi. She gives my husband Graham and I great joy at the end of a busy day with her impish ways and green bean catching abilities. I not so recently acquired a new tool for my tool kit and instead of chasing poor Graham around to trial my new lens (the usual situation), I followed our dear little Poppi. She was a great sport who beamed all her usual cheekiness so I just had to share them! :) For kitty lovers I have a 2010 calendar available which you can check out here.
More soon on recent portrait shoots, weddings and other projects that don't fit in the usual categories....
We all need a bit of fun and silliness in our lives! Whimsical dreams of fun and silliness always feature in the work of German photographer Jan Von Holleben. The adventures his photographs will take you on is the most important element of his work, not the final product. The viewer must use their imagination and memories of their own childhood experiences to complete the picture. In Dreams of Flying (2002-08) Holleben works with children in exploring what it is to fly. There is real joy in their faces, as they really ‘live out’ their dreams. There isn't any attempt to disguise the rubbish bin 'mountains'; digital technology hasn't glossed over them, transforming them into the Grand Canyon. The audience is left to imagine the rest. Check out his web site for more from this series and also many other crazy projects like Superheros (2007), You Count 10, I Run (2004-07) and Great Masters (2007-09).
My time at university has come to an end! After seven years of studying part time a Bachelor of Contemporary Art at Deakin University it is finally completed. Here are some images from the final collaborative unit, where I worked with five talented artists (from a range of disciplines) and together we created the installation piece; See Me Crumple.
From the program; "See Me Crumple is an immersive play space reminiscent of the carnival fun house. This collaboration of artistic mediums threads together the virtual and physical to generate a fantasy world where nothing is quite as it seems, but everything is what you make of it."
On show 15-18th of October, 2009 as part of "Framed 01" at Deakin University Phoenix Theatre Foyer, Burwood, Victoria.
Many thanks to fellow group members - Ren Flannery, Tracie Crockford, Sara Miracola, Sarah Long and Tanya-Sue Uscinas. (Watch out for these names!!)
This was a fun shoot from a couple of weeks ago - thankfully the paint wasn't too cold for Nikki! Check out the work of face and body artist Lynne Jamieson - FaceMagic - for more information on body art experiences. Thanks again Nikki for letting me be apart of yours!
I would like to show you some little snippets of recent projects on the run, as well as images that get me excited. Yes, I can easily get carried away with the delight that some pictures give and thought it would be nice to share with you too.
Thanks for reading......I am not an artist of words by any means so I will say very little - but please visit again to take a look!
