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Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Engagement Shoot – Olivia & Dimitri

May 31, 2020/0 Comments/in Engagement, PhotoShoot /by Steven Duncan

Olivia & Dimitri
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Engagement Shoot

It wasn’t the nicest day to go out and do a photo shoot out and about high in the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, but I’m so glad Olivia and Dimitiri were keen to head out anyway as the colours you can get here are just incredible! Also the rising mist from early in the morning just made the feeling of their engagement photos that much more surreal!

Olivia and Dimitri were umming and ering over where to go for their photoshoot, thinking maybe a beach, or the Belair National Park but in the end were very keen on heading to the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, mainly due to it was where Dimitri had originally proposed.

As this engagement shoot was happening only a few weeks after when they were supposed to be married, I thought this was quite appropriate! Olivia and Dimitri had had to postpone their wedding due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

Once a location was chosen, I really wanted to make use of the lovely light either in the late afternoon for the golden hour, or early morning.

We ended up getting up early on the freezing morning for the gates to open at 8:30 as the COVID-19 restrictions had just been lifted and we expected the Botanic Gardens to be packed with people trying to get out and about a bit! The early start, coupled with the drizzly weather meant we had the whole Gardens to ourselves.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Engagement Shoot

We began our photoshoot walk at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens lower carpark, nearby the dam wall. Our first reaction when arriving was that we were super lucky to still have some colours in the autumn leaves that made these botanic gardens so magical! I was kind of hoping to get a bit of fog into their photos, but it was fast rising.

We quickly hopped up the nearby hill to make use of some trees that were losing their leaves, then head down to the water’s edge as I wanted to use my favourite tree in all of the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, but unfortunately it had already lost all it’s leaves 🙁

Cuddles by the water

Walking together in the Autumn colours

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Autumn colours

Holding one another at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens

Close up of engagement ring

Walking along the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens dam

Laughing through the red leaves

Olivia and Dimitri certainly made it easy as their carefree attitude was present all throughout the photoshoot and they had plenty of smiles on their faces!

We then head across the dam, which I feel is always an awesome shot to get, making the couple feel as though they are out in the middle of nowhere on ther path way. It’s a very tricky shot to get though as usually the dam walkway is always full of dozens of other people walking across!

Walking along the Mt Lofty Botanic Dam

Couple on the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Dam

The big draw of the Botanic Gardens are the wonderfully vivid autumnal colours you can get at this time of year, and thankfully we were able to capture some before they all fell from the trees. The colours, coupled with the misty morning really made for some wonderful scenes!

I had a blast taking photos with Olivia and Dimitri during this weather, but it’s so rare to get a couple to get up this early and head out in bad weather like this! 🙂

Just have a ook at the types of unique scenes you can get in weather like this! from fog, to muted autumnal colours!@ It’s a great time to take photos! Just not so great if you want to stay snug and warm :/

Couple under the yellow leaves

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens Bridge

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens in winter

Couple under the orange trees

Laughing and playing

Hugs under the yellow leaves

Walking together with the mist

Hugs under the maple leaves

Looking at the camera under the maple leaves

Looking at a flower

I’d like to thank Olivia’s sister in law Thalia whose engagement shoot had been given to them by her mother for giving Olivia and Dimitri their engagement shoot! It’s always nice to know that people appreciate their photos so much they have their family and friends also have their photos taken with me! 🙂

Belair National Park Wedding – Ellie & Nick

May 19, 2020/0 Comments/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Ellie & Nick
Belair National Park Wedding

It was a wonderful day that was laid out in front of us for Ellie and Nick’s Belair National Park wedding! The sun was out and everyone involved had a wonderful day celebrating the coming together of these two wonderful people! They turned out to be very lucky with the timing of their wedding being only a week before the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in South Australia.

Preparation

My day started by shooting photos of Nick and his groomsmen who were being prepared at a house in Ingle Farm. Nick and his groomsmen were having a bunch of trouble tieing their ties before Nick’s best man and father stepped in to help! It was important for Ellie and Nick to get some shots of their dog in some of the shots too, so we had their fur baby model for us occasionally 🙂

Nick was a little distracted while getting ready partly due to nerves, but also because one of this groomsmen had a shirt that was a little too small for him – so they had to rush off and get a new shirt quickly before the ceremony.

Groom looking in mirror

Groom and groomsmen on road

Groom putting on jacket

Father of the groom

Groom getting ready

Groom putting on tie

Groomsman helping out

Ellie and her bridesmaids were being prepared at a lovely bed and breakfast along Waterfall Gully road. We were so close to the waterfalls it pains me to know we diddnt use them for any photos! The girls were all in high spirits all morning, singling songs and making Elllie smile while doing silly things, the atmosphere was quite laid back and fun!

Bridal party helping bride get ready

smiling bridesmaid as she helps

wow a ring!

hanging wedding dress

laughing birdesmaids

engagement ring in bouquet

Bride holding bouquet as she gets ready

bride getting her hair done

Rear of wedding dress

Smiling bride as she gets ready

Bride looking pretty in wedding dress

bridal jewellery

bridal party in mirror

bride getting ready smiling

Bridal party in kimonos under tree

Belair National Park Wedding Ceremony

Ellie and Nick’s Belair National Park Wedding Ceremony took place in the ‘Joseph Fisher‘ picnic grounds which boasts some very tall pine trees surrounding a lovely grassy area, perfectly suited to a wedding ceremony. Theres also a covered area and toilets on site. The only issue I had was that as it was a very sunny day, the sun was very harsh coming in one direction – thankfully the ceremony itself too place under the shade of one of the pine trees.

Part of Ellie and Nick’s wedding ceremony included a creation of a time capsule where they will open it again if they ever find the need to remind themselves why they married one another and read love letters they write each other while drinking the wine inside. It’s a nice addition to a wedding ceremony to do this, or something similar as it breaks up the usual talking and reciting of vows. Another way to incorporate a time capsule is allowig youselves to open it each anniversary.

Bridal motorcade arriving

Bride meeting flower girl

Groom waiting

Bride arriving

Grooms first look of bride

Smiling bride looking at groom

Groom looking at his bride

Belair National park wedding ceremony

holding hands during the ceremony

Wedding ceremony in Belair National Park

Belair National Park wedding in shade

belair National park wedding under tree

Smiles all round

wedding ceremony

Nailing the time capsule

Bride and groom exit

Glamour Photos

For Ellie and Nick’s glamour photos we began on site within the Joseph Fisher picnic area and made use of a love heart someone had engraved into one of the trees. Ellie was quite keen on getting that shot here! We then moved on throughout the national park to the Old Parliament House and then on to behind the Belair Train Station for more Belair National Park wedding photos.

The photos at the Old Parliament House were rushed a bit due to a small mix up of times which the area was booked – turned out the attendant on site expected us a good hour before we turned up for our photos – but she turned out to be a good sport and stuck around for us anyway 🙂

Belair National Park wedding photography

Bride and groom walking together

Close up portrait

Wedding photo in the Old Government House garden

Bridal party photo at old government house

Belair National Park wedding photo 3

Belair National Park wedding photo

Bride and groom standing together in forest

Belair National Park wedding photo 2

Bride and groom dancing

bride and groom standing in the Belair National park

Bride and groom standing in the sun

Leaning against a lamp post

Standing together under a tree

Walking together in the garden

Bride and groom in an embrace

The Summit Cafe and Function Center Wedding Reception

Ellie and Nick’s wedding reception took place at the Summit Cafe and Function Center at the Summit of Mt Lofty. It’s a nifty little spot, perfect for photographing the sunset from the top of the tallest mountain in South Australia and also the city lights during the night – although it was fairly cold and windy!

Wedding cake

Mt Lofty Summit cafe and function center

Mingling

Bride and groom cutting the wedding cake

Bride and groom at sunset

Bride and groom silhouette

guests having fun

Bride and groom on Mt Lofty Summit

Head table

Maid of honour speech

First dance

Smiling bride and groom

Nutbush at wedding

Bouquet toss

I’d like to thank Ellie and Nick for having me as their wedding photographer at their Belair National Park Wedding!

Sedan Lutheran Church Wedding – Kirsty & Andrew

April 15, 2020/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Kirsty & Andrew
Sedan Lutheran Church Wedding

It was a stunningly sunny day for Kirsty and Andrew’s Sedan Lutheran Church Wedding. The small town of Sedan, near Renmark in the South Australian Riverland was the setting for this fun wedding where everyone just seemed to want to have a good time! I was asked to be their wedding photographer for their preparation through to the beginning of their reception, so lets jump straight into it shall we?

Preparation

I began the day at Kirsty and Andrew’s new house nearby the town of Sedan. I was quite excited to see some awesome gum trees on the horizon and rolling golden hills that I was hoping to use later in the day for their wedding photos.

Kirsty and her bridal party were being prepared here, and the atmosphere was quite laid back, with Kirsty more worried about where her boots were than any nerves she might have been feeling due to her being married a bit later.

As they had just moved into their new home, it was quite a neat thing to have the entire front room quite free in order to use while putting on the wedding dress – made taking photos that much easier! 🙂

Bride hanging her dress

Engagement ring in bouquet

Hanging wedding dress

Putting on makeup

Girls together in kimonos

Laughing bridesmaids on couch

Wedding boots

OMG it’s an engagement ring

bridal hanger

Helping put on the wedding dress

bride holding her hands

bridalparty lacing up wedding dress

Smiling bride while she gets ready

Bride looking pretty in black and white

bride playing with bouquet

Bride holding bouquet

bride on her own under a tree

Bride standing with bridal party

Andrew and his groomsmen were getting ready in another farm house nearby, but this spot had some very nifty old ruins, which of course I made use of in the short amount of time I had with the boys. One thing I found very co-incidental is that Andrew and his boys were enjoying some clay shooting prior to me arriving for their photos, which I had only ever seen for the first time at the wedding I covered just the week prior! Is this a new trend? 😀

Wedding rings on top of one another

Grooms wedding shoes

Helping put on tie

groomsman putting on tie

groomsman standing in front of car

Groomsmen messing about together

Groom and family in ruin

Groom standing with gun

Sedan Lutheran Church Wedding

You simply cannot miss the Sedan Lutheran Church as it towers over the rest of the small town with it’s huge steeple and traditional small town church styling. It’s also located right on the intersection of 4 roads that lead into the center of town. The church itself is a bit on the small side, with only a single aisle leading through the middle of the church. As it was a reasonably hot day, it was a struggle for some guests to stay cool – but it wasnt overly stifling. One neat feature of the inside of the church is the ability for some guests to venture to the upper level – I got some neat shots from up there.

Kirsty and Andrew’s Sedan Lutheran Church Wedding was presided over a priest who was friend of the couple and began with the tolling of the church’s bells, which I dont see very often! It was a reasonably simple ceremony with a number of readings from guests and blessings from their priest.

One great thing about church weddings like this is when the bride and groom exits out the front, and if the guests are keen to help – I can tee up a fun shot of everyone throwing the rose petals over the couple – which of course I did!

Sedan Lutheran Church 2

Bride arriving in front of church

Smiling priest

Grooms first glimpse of bride

Standing together at the altar

Sedan Lutheran Church wedding from above

Bridal party at the front of church

Inside the Sedan Lutheran Church

Exchanging wedding bands

First kiss at the Sedan Lutheran Church

Preist blessing

After the ceremony

Bride and groom leaving the Sedan Lutheran Church

Bride and groom celebrating in front of the Sedan Lutheran Church

Glamour Photos

After the required group photos out the front of the church, we head back inside of the church in order to take a few glamour photos using the pews and interior a little before heading out to the Renmark foreshore to make use of the greenery there. My favourite glamour photos from Kirsty and Andrew’s Sedan Lutheran Church Wedding though were taken on a portion of Kirsty and Andrew’s family land.

We drove to a spot where there was a ruin of an old cottage and barn which we made use of for some great shots, before moving to the nearby hills which I had a lot of fun flying over with my drone! We finished off in amongst the lovely gum trees growing out of a dry creek bed nearby.

Bride walking towards groom in church

Standing together in front of altar

Holding hands on pews

Hugs under the rotunda

Dipping under the Renmark rotunda

Walking along the Renmark foreshore

Groom looking at bride in ruin

Bride and groom hugging in ruin

Hugging bride and groom

Groom picking up bride through window

Groom picking up bride

Bride and groom walking along hilltop

Bridal party on hilltop

Bride and groom amongst gum trees

Bride and groom under the sun

Walking together along the creek bed

Bride and groom under tree in the sun

Close up of bridal bouquets

Walking together

Holding hands Walking together

Fun together in front of bridal party

Bride and groom out the front of the Sedan Lutheran Church

I was with Kirsty and Andrew for the very beginning of their reception at a hall in Sedan before heading off! I’d like to thank Kirsty and Andrew for having me take their wedding photography and I hope they enjoy their photos! 😀

Lot 100 Wedding – Alice & Dion

March 29, 2020/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Alice & Dion
Lot 100 Wedding

Alice and Dion’s Lot 100 Wedding in hay Valley made for a very funfilled day which very much felt like it was over in a flash! Despite me starting the day in Myponga, early in the morning, and not finishing until late at Lot 100, the day seemed to flash by as the whole day was a blast to be a part of! From clay pidgeon shooting, to German folk dancing and some amazing scenes I was able to capture as a wedding photographer!

Preparation

Dion and a group of his friends all congregated in the early morning at Myponga to go Clay Pidgeon shooting together on a nearby farm. I had never even been present when this sport was going on, so I was quite excited for it – certainly made for a different change in pace to what I’d usually be taking photos of while the boys were getting ready! Dion even gave me a turn at trying my hand at shooting, and it turned out I was pretty good at it! Gave a new meaning to the phrase ‘out shooting a wedding’. 🙂

Groom shooting before his wedding

Chatting amongst the guys

Out shooting before the wedding

Groom taking it easy

Safety watcher looking on

Groom with headphones on

Shooting in Myponga

Clay pidgeon shooting

Alice and her bridal party were being prepared at a bed and breakfast in Stirling. It was a delightful little cottage with an intimate green garden full of little nooks to have details shots done of the rings, shoes, etc. The inside of the house was also well set up to take photos as there was some like windows around on plainly painted walls that just work very well for this kind of thing. Along with Alice’s bridal party there was also Alice’s brother there making sure everything ran well, but also there to provide some friendly, brotherly fun. 🙂

Bridesmaids helping put on dress

Bridesmaids dresses

Helping put on wedding dress

Engagement ring in roses

wedding dress hanging in tree

Having fun with the champaigne

Bride standing in room

Mum helping out

Bride looking out window

Engagement ring in between wedding shoes

group having a chat in the garden

Smiling bride with bouquet

Wedding rings in boxes

Bride looking in mirror

Wedding dress hanging in window

Bride about to leave for wedding ceremony

Lot 100 Wedding Ceremony

The location where Alice and Dion chose to set up their Lot 100 Wedding ceremony was on the sloped grass behind the main restaurant on site. It has a bit of a slope to it, but not so much that people could not stand straight. It was also great as there was a wonderful backdrop of tall gumtrees in each shot. The only unfortunate thing was that because it was set up that way, the sun was directly in Alice, Dion’s and the celebrant’s face – but the guests were more comfortable!

The ceremony itself was nice and simple, with a reading from a friend and a bit of laughter all round as the celebrant retold small bits of Alice and Dion’s relationship up to now.

Groom waiting patiently

Alice and Dion’s wedding sign

Bridal approach at Lot 100

Groom’s first lok of bride

Laughing groom

Set up for a Lot 100 wedding ceremony

Behind the celebrant

Celebrant

Lot 100 Hay Valley Wedding Ceremony

Speaker

Celebrant running things

Smiling bride during ceremony

Lot 100 Wedding

Groom looking at his bride

Exchanging wedding rings

Wedding at Lot 100 Hay Valley

First Kiss under the gum trees

Just married couple

Glamour Photos

A rather unique part of Alice and Dion’s day was the after effects of the large bushfires that were raging on the nearby Kangaroo Island, causing smoke to waft up through the valley and cause the backdrop of most of their photos to be quite hazy. It made it very easy for me to create a beautiful set of wedding photos that really isolate Alice and Dion, but also incorporate the stunning surrounds of their Lot 100 wedding day.

We began their glamour photos using the trees nearby where they had the wedding ceremony set up. I wanted to use the valley as a bit of a backdrop with the bridal party and also use the sun shining through the trees a bit to create an ethreal feel to the shots. We then moved up the hill a bit with the bridal party and took a few more shots on a giant felled tree trunk, which was pretty enat to arrange a group shot like that.

Finally we hopped into their 4 wheel drive and drove around the huge paddock on site, towards a magnificently huge gum treeright in the middle of it all. While doing this I also had the drone flying about as the scenery was absolutely epic from the sky. We finished off by using the small forrest of gum trees situated at the top of a nearby hill, where I was looking forward to again taking shots looking through the trees.

Bridal couple in front of bridal party

Kisses amongst the gum trees

Bride and groom sillouette

Bride and Groom together on their Lot 100 Wedding day

Bride and groom kissing on hill

The whole bridal party

Bride and groom between the trees

Under a fallen tree

Groom carrying bride

Bride and groom with the bridal party

Walking together on the grass

Walking together at their Lot 100 wedding

Bride and groom standing in front of bridal party

Bride and groom against a gum tree

Bride and Groom under the Lot 100 Gum Tree

Bride and groom under a fallen tree

Bride and groom walking through paddock

Standing together under a tree

Silly bridal party photo

Bridal Party

Giving each other hugs

Laughing bride as she’s carried

Lot 100 Wedding Reception

The Lot 100 wedding reception area is a beautifully set out restaurant enclosed within a modernly built structure lined with windows all around. The center of the restaurant is the bar where they serve a huge amount of different craft beers and wines. Alice and Dion had their dance floor set up at one end of the area.

A huge standout of their night was the German dancers Alice and Dion had organised to come in and perform for their guests. The dancers made a bit of a mockery of Dion in good spirits while they also demonstrated their skill with some highly complicated dancing and music! Was a sight to see!

Another stand out for me was the fact that their night happened to be on a night with a super full moon, so we made sure to get out and make use of the moon while it wasnt hiding behind clouds. The smoke from the fires also made it a rusty orange colour! Really quite pretty!

Bride and groom entrance

Table setting

Cutting the wedding cake together

That’s a knife

First dance closeup

Bride’s speech

Wedding Favours

Bride and Groom under full moon

Dancing guests

Holding one another on the dance floor

Wedding invite

Beers

Full Moon at Lot 100 wedding

First dance twirl

Groom doing some German dancing

First dance at Lot 100 wedding

German dancers

Guests joining in on the German dancing

Groom lifting the German dancer

Bride listening to grooms speech

Groom speech

Table number

Wedding Cake on top of barrel

I’d like to thank Alice and Dion for having me do their wedding photography! Was a great day and I hope you enjoy your photos! 😀

Inglewood Inn Wedding – Kasia & Ben

March 12, 2020/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Kasia & Ben
Inglewood Inn Wedding

I’d been looking forward to being Kasia and Ben’s wedding photographer ever sinse Kasia had asked me to do it several months prior as I grew up with Kasia’s brother throughout High School and knew they were a wonderful bunch of people! It was a super hot day for Kasia and Ben’s Inglewood Inn wedding, but the heat really did not stop the jovial nature of their wedding guests. The whole day was full of laughter, joy and intimate moments that just makes being a wedding photographer all the more worthwhile.

Preparation

Ben and a few of the boys were being prepared at a house on the other side of town. If Ben had any nerves he certainly wasnt showing them as he was quite keen on making the preparation time quite fun by having photos done in his jocks, and throwing banter about with some of the other boys getting ready there.

Wedding rings together

groom affects

Groom getting ready

Closeup of cufflinks

Groom wearing a tie

Helping out with tieing a tie

Putting on jacket

Groom walking out front door

Groom and best man walking together

Groom and best man

Groom thinking about life

Kasia was being prepared in a hotel room at The Watson, North East of the city. The room was light and airy with a huge window at one end of the room which made for great natural light to seep through and illuminate everthing. Kasia was getting prepared in the same room as several others, including her brother who was also acting as her ‘Man of honour’, and ‘Flower Man’ during the cermeony.

Wedding dress hanging in window

Engagement ring in Australian flowers

Bridal affects

Looking on as bride gets ready

Putting on the makeup

Girls having a chat

Man of honour popping the champaign

Smiling Dad

Hugs from the brother

Girls helping put ont he wedding dress

Happy girls helping

Taking the wedding dress for a spin

Dad’s first look of dress

Family hugs

Bride holding bouquet in window

Inglewood Inn Wedding Ceremony

The day was so hot that it was an absolute blessing to have the canopy of stunning oak tree foliage covering Kasia and ben’s guests during the ceremony. I really felt bad for Ben and some of the other men through in 3 piece suits! I even had some of my secondary equipment fail on me due to the heat it was that hot. Luckily, when holding an Inglewood Inn wedding ceremony, usually the whole ceremony takes place in the shade. Also, it certainly did not put any hamper on processings as Kasia and Ben’s ceremony was full of heartfelt vows and readings from important members of the family. Even their celebrant was a friend of the family!

It was lovely to be a part of 🙂 It’s also a lot of fun to see a grown man act as the ‘flower man’ rather than a little girl – always puts a smile on everyones face!