On the 9th of December, the SA ABIA 2020 Wedding Awards were announced, and I’m happy to say SvenStudios has once again come out as one of the best wedding suppliers in South Australia! SvenStudios has come runner up in both the wedding photography and photobooth supplier categories, meaning that as judged by our delightful bridal couples throughout the last year – we were just pipped at the post in attaining the title of wedding phtogroapher and photobooth supplier of the year!
2020AbiaRunnerup
2020AbiaRunnerupPbooth
The ABIA awards are a nationally-run organisation that give awards to wedding vendors a little differently than many other awards organisations. As a photographer I tend to take the AIPP photography awards quite seriously as that organisation awards the technical prowess of a photographer in capturing a scene – where as ABIA awards wedding vendors based directly on the feedback of a business’ every day clients.
One is judged by professionals based on technical ability, where as the other is based on the personal experience that a client has had directly with the business.
As a result my previous year’s wedded couples rated their customer satisfaction with me at a whopping 99.8% which has ranked me as the runner-up at the SA ABIA 2020 Wedding Awards. I’ts a little bit dissapointing to miss out on top spot by such a small margin, but that’s just the way it goes I guess!
Thank you so much to all my wedded couples who took the time to register their recommendation and reviews! It always helps out a lot!
Finally—you’re engaged!, and nothing could be more exciting! For most couples, this time as an enormously stressful one, especially with the wedding planning going on left and right.
One point of contention amidst the flurry of organising the wedding is whether or not an engagement photoshoot is necessary. You may ask yourself if it’s really worth spending your money on. Engagement shoots, however, are more than just nice-to-haves in the grander scheme of things; it can actually have several practical benefits.
6 Reasons Why an Engagement Shoot Is a Must Have
To emphasise this point, here are six reasons why an engagement photoshoot is a must!:
Tiwi Islands Engagement
You can get comfortable with the camera
A situation wherein either the bride or the groom doesn’t feel at their best on the big day because they’re incredibly camera-shy is something the couple and the photographer want to avoid. An engagement shoot is a perfect opportunity to warm up to the camera and get some practice on comfortable poses in. Doing this before the big day can make you feel much more relaxed, and the photos will turn out much better.
Some photographers will get on with a couple swimmingly while others will have a different style that doesn’t quite match. Remember, you must choose your wedding photographer carefully, as it is a significant investment, after all!
It’s not enough to simply browse a photographer’s portfolio. If you can, book a session with them to see if their work fits your preferences. While some photographers offer free or discounted engagement photo sessions, it might be worth spending just a bit more to make sure the photographs are to your liking.
Not only will this ensure that you get the results you want, but your overall experience will be more pleasant too. Building rapport with your photographer is important, as they will be with you for many hours. As they get to know you as a couple, your wedding photographer will also understand how to capture the both of you in the best way possible.
Surprise!
You’re celebrating an important milestone
The wedding itself often eclipses engagements, but they are nevertheless a milestone that should be celebrated. Being engaged tells everyone of your commitment to one another forever as future husband and wife. It is a beautifully unique period between being in a relationship and getting married that you’ll want to capture in photos.
One Tree Hill Engagement shoot
You can combine it with your hair and make-up trial before the big day
Before the wedding, there’s always a trial day for the bride’s hair and makeup. What better way to capture how they’ll look in photos on the wedding day than your engagement shoot? This kills two birds with one stone and can save a lot of time and effort in scheduling wedding preparations for the wedding on different days.
makeup
You’ll have photos to use for the wedding day
By doing a photoshoot early on, you’ll have pictures to use for your save the dates, invites, or on the day itself. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone!
It’s quite a common thing I’ve seen recently where a couple who had done an engagement shoot had a large printed photo on display above their wishing well at their reception. It’s a nice way to personalise the space!
The Final Word: Are Engagement Photoshoots Worth It?
Engagement photoshoots are not just nice-to-have, but they have a suitable place for your wedding plans too. It can act as preparation for the big day, especially where actual wedding photos are concerned. Besides being an opportunity to commemorate your engagement, engagement photoshoots make part of the wedding planning process easier, and with beautiful photos, to boot!
Are you looking for wedding photography packages in Adelaide? Sven Studios offers professional wedding photography services to capture your special day in the most natural way possible. We cover weddings all around Australia, including Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Canberra, and Perth. Visit our site today to view our wedding photography packages!
Outdoor family photos are a great alternative to the traditional studio photo. After all, outdoor photo sessions are often more relaxed, lively, and can feel more authentic than studio photography. With your family in a more comfortable and less restrictive environment, they are much more likely to show their real personalities through their body language and facial expressions.
Our Top 3 Tips to Prepare for Your Outdoor Family PhotoShoot
To make the experience even better, here are our top three tips to prepare for an outdoor family photoshoot:
Choose a good location
When it comes to your outdoor family photoshoot, choosing the right location matters! Besides factoring in the time of day and the appropriate light exposure for your images, the specific details about the background can also make for a good story.
Ideally, the location should be accessible. While a mountain trek may be a good bonding experience with your family members and the peak may make for exciting photo composition, you probably don’t want to look all sweaty and huffing in your final photos. That being said though, you also dont want to shoot in a carpark – a short walk through a park, off the beaten track a bit always makes for a much more interesting photo.
There is also a matter of crowd control. Unless you’re willing to rent out a beach resort for exclusivity, the chances are that there are other people strolling around, which will make it more difficult for you to do an outdoor family shoot.
That being said, there are ways to avoid large crowds of people, such as shooting your photo earlier in the morning or scheduling the shoot on off-season months, where there will be fewer people walking about like Olivia and Dimitri’s shoot taken in the rain on the top of Mt Lofty!
Family photography
Choose the right clothes
Family photos portray you as a single and united unit without making you look stiff and forced. This means that colour coordination is encouraged, though this doesn’t necessarily mean wearing the same shade for everyone!
When we talk about colour coordination, we mean choosing those that complement each other in a way that groups you as a unit while still maintaining individuality. One good example is in wearing pastel-coloured clothing.
Pastel colours are hues that have been tinted with white, giving them a subdued but aesthetically-pleasing appearance. These shades work well with natural light and can add a touch of photographic interest without distracting from you and your family’s facial features.
Family photographer Adelaide
Make sure the young kids are full and well-rested
While everybody’s mood will improve when they are not hungry or tired, it’s the young children that you really have to worry about! Hunger and sleep deprivation are young children’s worst enemies, and it will lead to some rather unpleasant experiences during a photoshoot that’s supposed to capture you and your family at your best spirits!
To get a higher chance of having adorable and cooperative kids on your photo session, ensure that they are well-rested and full from eating their favourite food before the shoot. It’s also a good idea to schedule the shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon—after they’ve taken a nap—to lower the chances of dealing with an irritable kid that just wants to get some sleep.
Walking together as a family
Get a professional family photographer
Just about everyone with a camera can claim to be a photographer, but getting a professional family photographer who can bring out the best in you and your family for a photoshoot is rare. Remember that outdoor photoshoots can present so many uncontrollable variables, which is why hiring a predominantly studio photographer used to having control with studio lights may not be the best choice.
An outdoor family photoshoot is an excellent way to capture your family in their most relaxed state. While it can be a bit of an involved process, a professional family photographer will have the necessary skills to produce family photos that are worth remembering and will be cherished for the next years to come.
Sven Studios is a photography studio specialising in capturing natural and fleeting moments that you can treasure forever. Our award-winning family photography services in Adelaide are priced at $260, inclusive of the session itself, the editing of the images, and we offer a wide array of physical products! Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Sheridyn and Chris held a delightfully simple elopement at the Stockade Botanic park in Northern Adelaide on a beautiful, overcast day at the beginning of October!
Sheridyn and Chris opted to split their wedding day into two separate days due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with their ceremony at the Stockade Botanic Park, and their reception at the delightful Inglewood Inn mid next year! Hopefully they’ll be able to invite all their guests then!
Preparation
Both Sheridyn and Chris were being prepared together in a house nearby, while still observing the tradition of not seeing each other while fully dressed in their wedding best before their ceremony. This meant that Chris put on his suit, then helped their little one get ready before heading out to Stockade Botanic Park before everyone else.
Shortly after Chris left, Sheridyn put on her dress and had a bit of fun with the family geting their little one to smile 🙂
Bridal shoes 3
Little one shoes
Wedding dress in window 3
Engagement ring in flower
Wedding bands in box
Wedding rings on tie
Reading wedding cards
Bride looking in circle mirror
Bride using mirror
Helping the bride
Groom putting on tie in window
Smiling groom 3
Groom walking out door 2
Helping the little one get dressed
Groom and little one
Little one looking smart
Smiling grandad
Bride getting ready in the window 2
Brie looking pretty 6
Brie looking pretty 7
Stockade Botanic Park Elopement
The number of people present to witness Sheridyn and Chris was kept to the bare minimum, while having me also act as their wedding videographer making sure they have a record of their big day in order to show all the guests that could not attend.
The park was showcasing some delightful colours, with greens and yellows galor seeping through the overcast sky, and with the area almost deserted, we really had the run of the entire area for Sheridyn and Chris’ intimate ceremony.
Their ceremony was beautifully simple, with contributions from mother and father by providing a short reading and acting as ring bearer.
Stockade Botanic Wedding ceremony
Stockade Botanic Elopement
Groom smiling during ceremony 3
Bride smiling during ceremony 3
Stockade Botanic Elopement ceremony
Exchanging wedding bands 3
Stockade Botanical park elopement
Smiling bride while signing registry
Smiling groom while signing register
Bride and groom under petals
Glamour Photos
The glorious thing about the Stockade Botanic Park is the beautiful green foliage flowing from the trees located within the retaining walls at the center of the park, while enjoying the ambient sounds of the waterfall located in the corner of the park.
After taking a small amount of family photos, and trying to get the little one to smile, we utilised the park to take some beautiful glamour photos!
Bride looking pretty standing in the Stockade Botanic Park
Bride and groom in the Stockade Botanic Park
Bride and groom under the veil 2
Bride and groom against a tree at the Stockade Botanical park
Bride and groom under the leaves at the Stockade Botanic Park
Smiling bride and groom in the flowers
Bride and groom headbutt
Stockade Botanic Park Wedding photo
Bride and groom having fun under a tree
Bride and groom leaning on a tree at Stockade Botanic Park
Wedding bands on hands
I’m very much looking forward to covering Sheridyn and Chris’ reception at Inglewood Inn later next year!
A woman will not be pregnant forever, and believe it or not, it is a life stage that will fly by quickly even though during the hard parts it can seem like it’ll never end. To celebrate this momentous event, women often have a maternity photo session. It allows them to document their precious moments and the magical journey that their bodies go through as they create a new little life. Photos from the shoot will serve as a forever reminder of the excitement and joy of bringing a child into the world.
Whether you are a photographer looking for some maternity photography tips to make this photoshoot session a success or an expecting mom looking for some pointers on how to take your self-portrait or act in front of a camera, here is some useful information that can help you refine the experience.
Maternity Photography Tips
On Composition
Some women love seeing their pregnant figure, including all the extra weight. To capture this look, opt to shoot photos at eye level. This composition will put your client’s face and body front in the centre of the shot.
Other clients are the exact opposite. They are conscious of their body and weight, and some are even bothered by the added puffiness on their faces. In these scenarios, try to shoot from an angle above the model. A distance of around one or two feet will do. It will slim down all her features, giving her more flattering photos.
Belair Maternity Shoot
What to Wear
The truth is some expecting moms do not feel beautiful about the changes their bodies go through. As a result, some may try to cover up by wearing loose or large clothing. On the other hand, others will want to pose nude or close to it.
Every client is different, so it is essential to make sure that what they are wearing makes them feel comfortable. If you feel that the client needs a little confidence boost, encourage her to wear something elegant and beautiful. Putting on nice clothes can immediately add a certain level of sophistication to the shot and the woman’s self-esteem.
Reminders for the Maternity Photographer
Understand Maternity Poses
You might have come across this a lot: a mother smiling while her hand touches her belly. That is the usual pose that people expect from a maternity shoot. While this is an almost mandatory shot that a soon-to-be-mom would expect to have, the photographer should not only get her into the pose. They have to capture her in that position while ensuring that she is comfortable and beautiful as well.
Direct Your Client
Finding the right poses that your client can execute well can be challenging since not all moms are professional models. That being the case, you need to unleash your direction skills. Prepare for this by researching the different poses your client can imitate. Come prepared with not so much instructions on how to pose her body, more some activities that someone would be doing while on location, where she can look, what to do with her hands, and what expressions to put on her face. An example light be to simply walk through some trees while flicking her hair or something.
I find the most beautiful shots are taken during some sort of action – this is a good tip to understand, not just when thinking about maternity photography tips!
Make sure not to be so strict or bark out instructions to your client to avoid making her feel miserable. You can start by going over a few posing ideas you have so she knows what to expect from the shoot.
Always Consult Your Model
You can always discuss the composition and types of poses you want your client to do, but if she gets uncomfortable with any of them, you need to have backup plans. There will always be a time when looking relaxed and smiling for a pregnant woman can feel unnatural. Remember that she can be in pain during the whole process. What you need to do is check on her frequently and ask whether she is comfortable with what she is doing. She may also have some ideas to make both your lives easier.
Leaning against a tree
Over a pond
Amongst the tall grass
These friendly maternity photography tips and reminders can make the whole maternity shoot session a victory. The main idea is to always keep your client happy, and just remember traipsing around a forest in lingerie isnt exactly the most natural feeling in the world, so try and make it fun! Put these tips into practice to capture a great photo that will serve as a remembrance of this special period.
