After having been their wedding photographer at their wedding in Renmark back in October, 2017 – I was privileged to recently head to the Belair National Park to conduct a bit of a maternity shoot for them before their new bundle of joy comes along later this year. I was looking forward to using the sun shining through the trees of the National Park as I had so often done before for wedding shoots, however the day turned out to be rather miserable in the afternoon, but this turned out to be pretty advantageous, allowing for some soft, dreamy scenes throughout the forest.
Belair National Park Maternity Shoot
Molly and Ian had booked me for their South Terrace Engagement shoot a while back, but were thwarted by bad weather for a couple of weeks before we finally met up. The day we did meet up wasn’t really much better, with the temperature on the chilly side, and the heavens continually threatening to open up on us. That being the case however, Molly and Ian’s demeanor was fun and bubbly all throughout their shoot which made it a whole lot of fun!
After meeting in front of  Himeji Gardens where we spent around 30 minutes taking photos within the gardens, we head over to Veal gardens just up the road where we walked a lap of the area.
Here’s a small preview of some of their photos taken on the day, and I’m looking forward to their wedding even more now at the St Francis Winery next September!
South Terrace Engagement Shoot
It was a lovely sunny afternoon when Chloe, Alex and I headed out to South Terrace for a little engagement shoot before their wedding in July. I really wanted to make use of the wonderful winter sun shining through some foliage, so I suggested heading to South Terrace to make use of the stunning Himeji gardens, and Veal gardens. Chloe and Alex also wanted to head to a beach for some sunset shots, so towards the end of the engagement shoot we headed down to Brighton beach.
I offer my wedding couples the option of having an engagement shoot before their wedding day for a few different reasons. In Chloe and Alex’s case they wanted some nice photos to use on their thank you cards directly after their wedding so they didn’t have to wait too long before they were sent out. But other reasons would be to use on your ‘save the date’ cards or your invitations, they could also even be used on your wedding’s website if you choose to have one made. They also look fantastic printed and put on display at your wedding reception.
South Terrace Engagement shoot
Himeji Gardens
We started out at the picturesque Himeji Gardens, and despite the chilly weather, the gardens were quite busy so we had to be careful on which direction we were shooting. The beautiful foliage in the gardens combined with the setting sun made for some wonderful scenery.
Veal Gardens
Just down the road, on South Terrace is Veal gardens, a popular wedding venue close to the city that boasts a lovely meandering man-made stream and small ponds, dotted along the walking path. The well manicured gardens always provides for a lovely backdrop for a photoshoot!
Brighton Beach
As the sun was setting at an alarming rate, we jetted off to Brighton beach where Alex and Chloe staged a bit of an engagement scene. It was quite entertaining as many passing onlookers congratulated them thinking he had just proposed, despite them already being engaged 🙂
The entire shoot was over in around 90 minutes and was a tonne of fun! I’m looking forward to their wedding even more now!
It was quite an exciting time when Rya contacted me from Indonesia asking me to shoot her engagement shoot as she was coming out to Adelaide specifically to use the Autumn colours around the Thorngrove Manor for her engagement shoot. I had never shot there before, but I had seen it’s beauty in the past through other wedding photographer colleagues in the AIPP. Rya was quite keen on having a castle-style photo shoot and chose the Thorngrove Manor as her ideal location. She also originally planned to go on a whirlwind tour of Adelaide, shooting at the Manor, Mt Lofty Botanic Park, then head up to Cleland nature preserve to hug a kangaroo, and also head into the city to use Veal Gardens and North Terrace, all within 3 hours. We ended up only going to two of these locations, but I think they turned out great!
Thorngrove Manor Shoot
The Thorngrove Manor is a small luxury hotel located amongst the side streets of Crafers. Despite it’s medieval looks, the hotel was actually built relatively recently, only around 32 years ago. The hotel is billed as one of the most romantic and intimate places to hold a wedding, or photoshoot as the surrounds are something out of a fairytale. It really is quite an incredible place to shoot at.
Mt Lofty Botanic Park Shoot
After the shoot around the Thorngrove Manor, we head down the road to the Mt Lofty Botanic Park to make use of the waning autumnal colours still present around the gardens. With the sun popping over the hills, the colours came to life quite quickly however and created some lovely bright  scenes – much to the delight of Rya. 🙂
It was a lot of fun shooting at the Thorngrove Manor and I hope Rya and Evan enjoy their photos! 🙂
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