Ellie's Portfolio...

 Ellie needed some new natural light shots for her portfolio so we took advantage of the stunning surrounds of the UQ campus at St Lucia...

Scarborough Sunset...

 Spectacular skies over the boat harbour at Scarborough on the Redcliffe Peninsula...

Barbara & Robert's out of this world wedding...

 It's true that all weddings are completely unique, but sometimes there's something extra special about a day that makes it even more memorable. I don't think I'll ever forget Barbara & Robert's day because it's not all often that you get to capture a ceremony "in space" with an incredible, high-definition view of Saturn as the backdrop. No, sadly, there was no ride on a rocket, just a quick drive up to the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium at the Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens, but the views available in their dome are, quite literally, out of this world. And although we had to come back to earth for their photo session around the gardens, the heavens conspired to create an outstanding sunset at Scarborough Boat Harbour before the reception at the Water's Edge Venue...

Formal Photography...

As COVID restrictions continue to ease it has been fabulous to see normality returning, no more so than for the year's Grade 12's who have had a final year at school like none before them. One of the big milestones is the Formal and it was fantastic to be able to be able to capture some memories of this occasion for Dannielle, her family and close friends...

The Art of Dance Sport...

October has been an incredibly busy month, particularly with dance sport, with the BJP Physie Queensland State Championships continuing across two weekends in the middle of the month. This time it was the turn of the Ladies and also the teams which provided the opportunity to capture some fabulously elegant patterns in their performances...

From this day forward - a day to remind us all what weddings are really all about...

I go to a LOT of weddings! Of course, as a wedding photographer, you'd kind of expect that, but even in a year where weddings have taken a back seat to social distancing, I've managed to attend over twenty, which is, I think you would agree, a fair few considering the challenges 2020 has presented.

Every wedding has it's unique, memorable moments, but just last week I was invited to capture a very special occasion, one in which the vows, particularly one poignant line, had me thinking long and hard about the true essence of a wedding and how that meaning is sometimes lost in the hustle and bustle of "big" weddings.

Vicky & Ross are a mature couple who were married at home, on a Tuesday in a northern suburb of Brisbane surrounded by a handful of family and friends, but joined by guests from across the world via Zoom.  Now, none of that is in anyway unusual, especially in the middle of this pandemic, however, they did have to bring the wedding forward a couple of weeks. And the reason for that, and why a particular line in the vows struck me so deeply, is why this story is so important.

You see, the reason they had to bring the wedding forward is that Ross has a terminal illness. The wedding took place at home because that is where he has chosen to spend his final days. What I witnessed though, on this incredibly sad, yet utterly joyous day convinced me that we have to look long and hard at the way we celebrate weddings going forward. We have become far too obsessed with the material aspects of the day, not the words two people say to one another during the ceremony or what those words actually mean.

All you need to have had for a completely successful wedding day is a warm glow and piece of paper that says you are legally married to someone you love with all your heart - everything else is just fluff. Yes, some photos of the day are a wonderful reminder, especially if you choose to say "I do" in a beautiful place, but all the rest, the outfits, the cars, the flowers, even the party, are all just unnecessary accoutrements we have come to believe we need. But it isn't really what we need or what is important. What's important is the commitment you are making to another person, and that is what is getting lost in the whole industry that surrounds weddings today.

So please, when you are planning your wedding, and especially when you're writing your vows, just take a few moments to think about how it might feel if the person  you were saying 'till death us do part' only had a few days left to live and you might begin to realise how nothing else but the time you spend together actually matters...