Northam is a country centre 100kms east north east of Perth in the beautiful Avon Valley. Two weeks ago I went there to assist Chris Brown [Small Package Films] in photographing Benella & Greg’s wedding.

Absolute fabulous day. Touch of cloud that became a beautiful diffuser as the afternoon went on. Just what any photographer will order for some outside park photos down by the Avon River.

Great bit about this wedding was that the guys were ready to go for the pics when I arrived. That was awesome guys. This meant a relaxing opportunity to get some photos without being too rushed. So I’m mainly going to show pics of the guys,… and maybe tomorrow a few of the amazing 1929 Vintage cars tooooo - courtesy of our lovely bride’s grandfather. And it’s true, even for Granddad’s, that a guy has to have his toys :-). Of course, just to even it up I might throw in some of the colour that the ladies added!

Click on Read More below to, well, look at a few more pics.

Well now this is what we call “putting the horse before the cart!” . Yesterday some wedding shots and tonight some from their prewedding Romance session. But there’s a very good reason. I didn’t get home til close to 10pm tonight - budgets and forecasts from the day job! So these were already set to go. That said we had an absolute ball taking these. Hope you enjoy them.

a couple of pics then if you want to see more click on the link “2“.

Don’t go away yet … heaps more fabulous photos if you click on the Read More>> tag below

By this time of the shoot it was totally dark. Still it was great stuff.

Now really,… this guy knows who’s boss already

But in the end such an approach eventually brings much happiness they say

One last one and goodnight til tomorrow. This pic is definitely one of my favourites and so I kept it till last.

Never had a rainy day wedding before. I mean a really wet rainy day wedding. But this one was. 24th May was going to be fine,… at least thats what the forecast said a week before. Then come Tuesday onwards the prediction was R.A.I.N. with a capital R. So Friday I spent 4 or 5 hours making sure all the potentially wet weather photo venues were going to be good. And heaps of people were praying for fine weather.

Well it rained. Lots. But you know the only time got even the slightest bit damp was down in Victoria Gardens. Took shelter under a smallish gazebo. And got this photo. Looks great in colour too but I like the old skool sepia

What a fabulous couple. And what an amazing bride. You know I reckon I have been blessed with all the brides who have such beautiful personality. Just take Felicity [now don't get literal about things - she's married now]. I reckon Brant will wake up in about a years time and it will suddenly really hit home what an awesome wife he has!

Anyway they just took it in their stride and when the rain cleared a tad out we went and we got this one. Don’t ya just love it! And I didn’t have to work hard with those happy faces.

And finally a little detail shot of the bride’s bouquet.

Maybe next week a few more. But for now just a sneak peek at what’s to come. Tomorrow a couple of shots from a wedding I was second shooter with Chris Brown.

I love creating photos. Lots of them. Often. And photoblogs are designed to show photos. Lots of them. Often. Sadly my photoblog has been through a drought.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS is that I have been taking heaps of photos.  Two weddings on my own and several I’ve shot with Chris Brown of Small Package Films.  He’s a great photographer - very consistent in his output.  Shooting with him is really giving me the opportunity to see things from a different perspective.

So this last month I’ve been processing them as fast as I can. So my June 15th resolution is to try to put up at least 10 new posts over the next 15 days.

So today’s post is a few more from the Gingin wedding of Melissa and Sean. And I’ve got 3 more weddings to blog that are in the processing stage. So here goes.

Melissa has an awesome smile - just completely lights up her face. She must have some inbuilt batteries that never run dry!!! This pic was just moments before she walked down the “aisle”.

And not everyone thinks taking photos is a ball of fun

Nonetheless he was great whenever we asked him to participate. And in the end that’s what really matters.

Do you love great kids photos? I must admit I really enjoy taking pics of young kids as they grow.

Well here’s a new blog to keep an eye on. Nils has launched her blog for Fig Tree Photography this weekend. She’s a young mum with an almost 1 year old bub. And she has a fabulous eye for a photo. Launched her business in North Perth.

Can’t believe how well she is doing. But as I said,… she has a natural eye for a creative pic. Go check out Nil’s blog and link to the rss feature to keep an eye out for some great developments.

Here’s a pic I took of her and bub about 9 months ago - must put up some of her and hubby that I took about 4 or 5 weeks ago. They are a fabulous couple.

Well this guy has been building and repairing his web for some weeks now. Started out just a little garden spider and now has a massive web and huge food storage supply. Rain and wind has not dislodge him.

But today we noticed that he is a she. There are little spiders circulating around her web. No wonder he [she] is about 10 times large now. And we have noticed that there aren’t many mosquitoes and other insects around at the moment. So at my daughters urging I got close with the new 100mm f2.8 macro canon lens. Hand held and as close as I could get without losing focus.

Don’t know if there is a Mr Garden Spider around,… have only seen one.  So I guess the wedding photo is of her on her own!  The Web has to be her Veil maybe…!

Wedding photography is a team game,… a two way street .

It’s not only the photographer’s perceptions and influence but it’s also the expectations and participation of the various people involved. Since doing some second shooting at weddings [where I assist the contracted photographer - Chris Brown ] I’ve spent some time contemplating / analysing / reflecting on my experiences when it comes to shooting the guys in all the weddings I’ve shot.

Hmmm! Often it’s been less than relaxed. Chaotic even. More intent at burning off the nervous energy than getting ready for pics. At the same time you have this photographer who can make the mistake of assuming they would keen to get their faces into a digital image.

What’s the answer? Clarity in pre-planning with the groom and communicating that first up with all the guys. A bunch of guys on a wedding will, if there is no direction, go in all directions at a whim. It’s a team thing. At this wedding I talked to each of the guys as I took their individual photos first up. Told them what the pics were going to be used for.

So guys, this is what I had in mind with those first pics - simple portraits with a purpose. Sure we took heaps more pics of you during the day. But you got into game right from the start. It’s not just about the glamorous girls mostly but not all.

Now here’s a topic to create huge division in Australia,…. just talk about politics and politicians. Everybody has an opinion about politicians in general. And everybody has an opinion about our leaders. Even I have an opinion.  So here goes.

I got to go listen to our Prime Minister at a breakfast in the Grand Ballroom number 2 at Burswood this morning. A few others also came [about 650 others]. I have two impressions to convey. First reflects a personal opinion on public speaking.   Second reflects my response to what I heard.

1.  PM Kevin Rudd is not too bad a speaker,… in terms of political figures in Australia who are all very careful not to veer off the beaten [or written] track. There’s safety in a carefully cultivated creative writing. That’s the way it is nowdays with everyone ready to pounce if a phrase is ever so slightly open to interpretation.  Sadly the loss of eye contact with the audience is a victim of the current climate. Politicians should go listen to some of our contemporary Pentecostal Pastors and learn how to really communicate to the hearts of people.

2.  Nonetheless he spoke with conviction; with a degree of passion and a steely commitment to the long term future of our country. I couldn’t help but continue to gain the impression that not only had we voted for a change of government at the last election, but we had also received a generational change. He might only be about 15 years younger than our previous PM, but he is a generation of difference.

If that was all I got out of this mornings breakfast,… well it would have been sufficient. For me there was a sense of hope, a perception that all will be well in the next few years with Kevin Rudd at the helm. It’s something that I had been feeling since before the election. It’s something that reassures my heart as a father that my daughters’ future in this country remain bright.

But then who really cares what I think. Here’s a pic I took, from the middle of the Grand Ballroom Number 2, of our Honourable Prime Minister this morning.

Go for it Kevin.  Make your own daughters proud of you.  And continue to give my daughters generation hope for the future.

Sean was just a tad nervous. We used all the blues of the room and furniture as a calming effect for a pic full of smiles that actually camouflage the reality of inner butterflies. We guys don’t like to admit such a thing though!

WoW! My blogging has been a bit spasmodic for the last few weeks. Time to get a few pics up more regularly.

Been proofing weddings and preparing family shoots for printing and such - and getting company financial reports done for my day job. Nonetheless have heaps of fab and fun pics ready to blog.

Tonight 3 pics from the pre wedding preparations. Of course the beautiful bride Melissa, and then all the girls showing their enthusiasm and pre-ceremony butterflies by flexing their muscles. Add then one of the youngest groomsmen,… doing me a favour by sitting where dad will sit and being my model during the set up.

Lots more coming so keep checking back for more of the wedding - nearly finished proofing and then lots more will be up on the gallery for family and friends. And coming up are some different shots of Julia in front of Perth City [ a week before she left for USA] , a pre-wed shoot of Brant and Felicity, and more.