It was a beautifully sunny, and unseasonably warm day the day after fathers day this year, so what better way to enjoy the sunshine than head out for a fathers day shoot? I got to meet baby April, who was five months old and she had given her daddy a bit of a photo shoot for fathers day! Of course it was all Mum’s doing, but that’s not how we are remembering it 🙂
The original plan was to head out to the nearby pond and reserve area nearby my house at 7am, to catch the magical rays of the early morning, similar to what we did with another recent baby shoot I did there. However, the shoot took place considerably later which meant that the sun’s rays were a little bit stronger, causing the photos to become quite a bit brighter than I had planned. however I think they reflected the lovely sunny personality of little Baby April! She was such a good smiley bub!
Baby April’s Fathers Day Shoot
As it is the beginning of spring, we got to make use of some of the lovely wild flowers poppng up around the place, while the grass is still super green from the winter. All this combined with the strong sun made for some lovely airy portraits of baby April and her little family.
As I knew this was a fathers day shoot, I was keen to start off with a bit of a father daughter portrait, and I feel as though that worked out very well, very quickly! Usually the best shots of a shoot happen towards the end as everyone is more comnfortable in front of a camera, but they killed it straight up!
baby April had a number of different outfits to change into during the shoot, so while walking about the pond, we had a bit of fun chaging outfits and shooting some cute family shots.
fathers day photo
Baby with her father
Fathers day shoot 2
Smiling family photo in the grass
Walking along the pond edge
Family photo in the sun and trees
April and her Mummy
Fathers Day Shoot 3
Baby sitting in flowers 3
Family walking though trees
happy bub on a sunny day 3
baby in a basket in the grass 2
Smiling baby in a basket 3
In the studio
After out little walk, we finished up within my little home studio for some neat studio shoots. Thankfully April found my face to be absolutely hilarious so I diddnt have to work too hard to make her show her huge grin! Made for a lovely ending to what turned out to be a beautifully successful fathers day shoot!
Cute baby in pink
Alice in WInderland Baby photoshoot
Mum and bub playing
Family photograph in studio
Kisses for April
Thanks so much to little baby April and her parents for coming in for a fathers day shoot! Was a lot of fun and I hope you treat your photos as beautiful reminders of your little family as it is right now! 🙂
I was so happy to cover Nikki and Toby’s lovely St Helens Park wedding in Prospect, North Adelaide. Their original plan when they asked me to photograph their wedding was to hold a small, breakfast wedding later in the year, only to have it change to the beginning of the year, but then COVID hit. So their little St Helens Park wedding, or rather elopement at the end of July ended up being their big day, and I was super happy for them 🙂
St Helens Park Wedding Ceremony
The plan was to meet at the gazebo at the center of the St Helens Park and sort out where the hold the wedding ceremony. One option was the gazebo itself, while I actually suggested the rather neat old tree nearby to stand in front of. It was a pretty neat spot as the sun was shining through the foliage quite nicely while Nikki and Toby shared their vows.
Nikki and Toby’s congregation was as tiny as possible, consisting only of themselves, their celebrant and a family of friends who acted as their witnesses. They opted to hold their tiny wedding due to the complexity of holding a slightly larger wedding during the height of COVID-19 restirctions. I often think these tiny weddings are much more intimate anyway!
Wedding ceremony at St Helens park
Sun through the tree
Happy bride in Prospect
Smiling bride looking at her groom
Smiling groom looking at his bride
Wedding ceremony under the tree
Wedding ceremony bathed in sunlight
Exchanging wedding bands under the tree
St Helens Park wedding ceremony
First kiss under the tree at St Helens Park
Looking at her bouquet
St Helens Park Wedding Photoshoot
In the early days of Prospect city, the area was a private subdivision of Yatala, which intersected at the village centre, which is now st Helens Park. The center piece of this historic park is a very neat old tree which is perfect for climbing and using as a framing device for wedding photos!
After the wedding ceremony, we went for a little walk around the Park, starting at the awesome tree right behind where they held their ceremony, and did a big lap of the area. We made use of the nice trees and nearby playground before finishing up back on top of the tree where they were married next to the gazebo.
Bride and groom holding one another in St Helens Park
Bride and groom together amongst the green
In amongst the trees at St Helens park
Wedding bands on the tree
Bride and grrom on their St Helens Park wedding day
Bride and groom together in the tree at St Helens Park
Walking together on the grass
Bride and grrom holding one another 2
St Helens Park wedding 2
Bride and groom looking at camera 2
Bride and groom having fun under a tree
St Helens Park wedding photo
St Helens Park wedding photo of the bride and groom
On top of the tree at St Helens Park
Thanks so much Nikki and Toby for having me as your wedding photographer! I had a blast and I hope you enjoy your photos.
Weddings are incredible events. You’ll put on a carefully selected dress or suit. You’ll be surrounded by close family and friends. You’ll be in a place or venue that holds some special meaning for you. Everyone will enjoy the evening partying and toasting your love for you and your partner. The entire occasion will be filled with memories that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your married life.
For a day that requires so much careful planning and preparation, you definitely don’t want to forget how special it is. That’s why it’s so important to pick a capable wedding photographer as you’ll be entrusting them to immortalise your memories.
Wedding planning can be extremely stressful. You might be tempted to book someone just to check this item off your to-do list. However, your photographer will have such an intimate role in your wedding day that it pays to do some research before settling on one.
Wedding cake
What You Should Do Before Picking Your Wedding Photographer
Here are five crucial things you should do before picking your wedding photographer:
1. Figure out your expectations
If you’ve never worked with a photographer before, you should know that one photographer does not equate to another. Everyone approaches their work in a different way and using their own personal styles. Do you prefer more candid photos? Do you want to achieve a certain look? If you’re not clear about what you want, it’ll be hard task picking your wedding photographer.
Try and find a photographer that utilises a style and has demonstrated the ability to form your vision of your wedding photography, and try to stay away from ‘directing’ them too much with requests that may not be a part of the photographer’s usual way of doing things. If you do their work will probably not what you’d expect.
Paxton winery wedding from the air
2. Ask for a referral or two
A good photographer will have many happy clients. Some may have worked at your family or friend’s wedding. A trusted contact will give you an honest review about how they felt about a photographer’s services and if they were able to meet or exceed their expectations.
Reading reviews online help too – but make sure you know what you are reading. Reviews on Google and Facebook can be faked (but not always) and other reviews like those collected by ABIA tend to be more accurate as each review is vetted by a committee.
laughing
3. Review albums and portfolios
Photographers will publish their portfolio and recent work online. If they haven’t, you can definitely ask for one. Each photographer has their own style and technique. Check if their previous work aligns with your taste.
When you meet, try and make a point of viewing an entire wedding album – one they have presented to previous clients as completed work. That way you get a better understanding of the quality of their work, and not just the ‘hero’ shots they might publish online.
They are the ones behind the lens, and they’ll be interpreting the event through their own eyes. If you aren’t a fan a photographer’s work style, it’s best to take them off your shortlist.
Digital Deluxe Album
4. Meet with your shortlist in person
Photography is a highly personal and creative undertaking. You’ll be able to tell more about the person by meeting them face to face. Ask about their work ethic and how they can work discreetly but efficiently. A friendly, approachable, and—most of all—professional photographer will put you and your guests at ease and create a good atmosphere for making memories.
grooms first look
5. Evaluate packages
Ultimately, you’ll need to find someone who falls within your budget. Give yourself time to find options. Some wedding photographers offer engagement shoots and additional services like video montages.
The wedding will only last a day, but the photos will last a lifetime. If you don’t set about picking your wedding photographer carefully, you won’t be able to do a do-over. However, if you’ve done your homework well, you’ll be able to find someone who will help you capture the day’s moments as authentically as possible and give you photos that you’ll be happy to look back on for years to come.
We offer professional wedding photography services in Adelaide and all over Australia. Get in contact, and let us know how we can help you capture your special day!
Aside from the wedding programme, dress, cake, buffet, and décor, you should also invest money and time in hiring a wedding photographer that will help relive your special day through the photographic art they create. More than anything, wedding photos are something you can keep years after the wedding that will help you reminisce your special day. They narrate the important scenarios in your wedding and capture intimate moments.
If you are getting married soon, and you still can’t decide what kind of wedding photographs you would like to have, here is a list of sevendifferent wedding photography styles to help you narrow down your options. While a wedding photogrrapher might lean towards using mostly a single style – they are all part of a competent professional’s repatroir.
7 Different Wedding Photography Styles
Style #1: Traditional or Classic Shots
Traditional shots pertain to wedding photography that your parents or grandparents most likely had. These shots are straightforward and are typically captured at eye level. Most of the time, wedding celebrants and guests pose for this kind of photography.
Best for:
Family portraits after the ceremony
Timeless photographs
Bride and groom standing together in forest
bride and groom in the long grass
Giving each other hugs
Style #2: Photojournalistic Shots
Photojournalistic shots epitomise mordern wedding photography in my opinion. These photographs capture stories and moments in your wedding that you would most likely miss as a bride or groom, and therefore has become quite a popular way to approach wedding photography in modern times.
Best for:
Capturing candid and heartfelt moments
Telling stories through emotions or actions
Unfolding memories of the wedding years after
Bouquet toss
Bride and groom holding one another on driveway
Bride about to leave for wedding ceremony
Style #3: Editorial Shots
If you and your partner like to pose on cameras, this style is the best option for you. It is great for a wedding that has a specific theme, as you can use these photos on your wedding invitations, wedding favours, and thank-you and appreciation cards.
Best for:
Themed weddings
Couples who like to have prenup shoots
Paxton winery wedding 2
Bride and Groom together in the vineyard
Inglewood Inn Wedding Photo
Style #4: Landscape Shots
Many couples today take their engagement and wedding photos with landscapes. This style is great if you want to feature the location of your wedding ceremony, whether it is on a beach or mountain. The beauty of the landscape also adds drama to your photos, making it look more intimate. Not to mention that it would look great when you decide to print a photo book of your wedding.
As with landscape style, using modern technology like drones, a photographer is able to capture a wider view of your wedding location. Capturing your wedding from a wider perspective can make the people looking at the picture feel that they are part of your precious wedding.
Best for:
Featuring scenic wedding location
Capturing meaningful moments of the wedding such as ceremony exits
Drone shot from above
Ekhidna wines wedding at sunset
Middleton beach Wedding
Style #6: Dark and Moody Shots
As the name implies, it is dark and moody, but it does not mean that the photographs will look sad and intense. Instead, these kinds of shots can make your wedding photos look more dramatic and intimate.
Best for:
Couples who would love to break wedding norms
Wedding locations that have great lightings
Bride and groom through the window
Wedding dress hanging in window
Belair National Park wedding photo 2
Style #8: Black and White Shots
If you want to have classic-looking and elegant wedding photos, then you should do this style. With these shots, photographers focus more on capturing moments and making them look dramatic through editing.
Best for:
Timeless photographs
Highlighting emotions and actions
Bride and groom through the window at Paxton Winery
bride and groom under Gollops Bridge on their wedding day
Tieing tie in front of window
There are many different wedding photography styles, and this list only barely scratches the surface of them all. If you want to have classic wedding photos, you should do traditional or black and white shots. For dramatic and intimate stills, photojournalistic, landscape, and aerial styles would be best for you. You can also do fine art, dark and moody, or editorial shots if you want to have themed and creative wedding photographs.
The easy part is finding a style of photograph you like, the hard part is matching your tastes with a photographer! If you are looking for a wedding photographer, get in touch with us today. We offer high-quality photography services that can help capture and relive the precious and intimate moments on your wedding day!
Things Wedding Photographers Should Always Prepare For
Wedding photography is entirely different from studio photography. At a wedding, you can’t tell your bride and groom to redo their poses if you messed up your shot. You’re dealing with live moments, and you need to act fast.
A good wedding photographer knows how to adapt to any situation, and they know what to do when something goes wrong with their initial plan. This is a list of a few things that wedding photographers should always prepare for, but it isnt a list of common sense items like extra batteries or a second or third camera body as backups.
This is more of a list of things wedding photographers should prepare for that you might not have thought of yet.
4 Things Wedding Photographers Should Always Prepare For
Outdoor photoshoot using natural lighting
As a wedding photographer, you should know when is the best time to do outdoor wedding photoshoots. Taking outdoor photos is more complicated than staying indoors as you will never know how much light or how good or bad the weather is on the day of the wedding.
I always hope for a little bit of cloud cover making the outdoors closer to being inside, but when it’s super sunny – as it so often is in Australia – I like to use the shade a lot.
Most non-photographers don’t know that taking photos at noon is not ideal since the sunlight is very bright and harsh. Unlike during the golden hour, the light is more flattering for the couples. If you can, talk to the bridal couple beforehand and request to take the photoshoot at a specified time of the day.
To help you out, here is a detailed comparison between midday and golden hour that you can share with your client:
Midday – the sun’s peak
Shadow is not flattering to the body
Creates shadows in the surroundings
Overhead light creates a strong shadow on the face
Hot temperature leads to sweaty and shiny skin
Light is strong and harsh, making the couple squint
Overall: awkward, over-exposed, and unflattering images
Golden Hour – one to two hours before sunset
Soft light keeps the face free of harsh shadows
Lower temperature relaxes the couple
Less intense sky is flattering to the face and body
Warmer tone light creates an intimate and romantic look
Overall: relaxed, flattering, and romantic images
Inglewood Inn wedding photo at the cottage
Bad weather conditions
Weather is unpredictable, so you must always anticipate possible scenarios. Having a back-up plan for bad weather is one of the things wedding photographers should always prepare for. It is crucial that you know how to shoot in all weather and are prepared to get a bit wet sometimes.
Here are some things that you should have, in case of unwanted weather disasters:
During warm seasons
It’s going to be bright outside so try using an ND filter to keep your depth of field soft
If you have an assistant, carry a reflector to direct some light to the harsh shadows
A drink bottle to hydrate!
During colder seasons
Lighting equipment for dimmer locations
Bring umbrellas for the birde and groom and possibly your camera
Extra batteries as the cold weather drain the battery faster – but you should be doing that anyway.
Lightning
Camera angles
Before the ceremony begins, make sure to check on the location regardless of whether it is outdoors or indoors. Assess the place and see what position captures a good shot of the bride’s entrance, the taking of vows, the wedding kiss, and other highlights of the ceremony.
Also, consider the lighting in the area, where is the best place to get a shot of the faces of the bride and groom, etc? Plan out how you will move around the place while the ceremony is on-going. If you have a team with you, it will help if you assign designated areas to each photographer.
Burbrook forest wedding tree
Use of fill-flash
Fill-flash can also be used outdoors while the sun is up. Typically, a wedding photographer would not recommend a shoot at midday, as this creates sharp shadows in the face. However, the light from the flash will help fill out the under-eye shadows of the bride and groom. It also helps balance images that have backlighting.
As a wedding photographer, you should know when to use fill-flash to balance out the light to your images. It is not always necessary, in fact I try not to use it during the day as much as possible, but it is better to equip yourself with knowledge and proper gear in case it is needed.
Under a weeping willow
Wedding photography is a hard task because you are dealing with real-life events. If you messed up or missed a good moment, you will never get a chance to capture it again. Thus, wedding photographers are skilled and experienced professionals that anticipate every scenario to make sure that everything is in their control.
Hopefully this list of things wedding photographers should always prepare for has alerted you to some of the things you may not have thought of yet before heading out to shoot a wedding. I’ve tried to include points that arent in other, similar lists, so hopefully it was some help 🙂
If you or you know someone who is looking for an Adelaide-based wedding photographer, contact us at SvenStudios today – we can help capture precious and intimate moments on wedding days!
