As promised here is the second installment of my winter trip to New Zealand. What an amazing country. So much variety in such a small place. I can’t wait to add a North Island photographic trip to the agenda. Maybe in a year or two.
Photography has been my full time profession since 1997. More than 600 weddings and many portrait sessions keep me very busy. Photography is also my passion and winter 2011 saw me enjoying an amazing (and cold) 3 weeks in the stunning South Island of New Zealand. I travelled with my lovely friend Dianne who is as passionate as I am when it comes to landscape photography. When I get the chance I am slowly editing my favourites and I shall share them in my BLOG. This is the first installment. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.
I have been recently approached by Cosmo Bride http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/cosmo-bride.htm to supply some images from a wedding I photographed in Karijini National Park in the stunning Pilbara region of Western Australia. Cosmo Bride will be running a feature on destination weddings and this issue will be out on October 31st 2011.
This got me to thinking that I should have a post on my BLOG to assist those who are having or considering having a destination wedding. I will add a few of my thoughts here (along with a selection of the Karijini images taken at Jen and Chris’ wedding). If you have any questions you are welcome to email me at info@caroldarby.com and I will add the replies to this post.
I will just be covering the photography aspect. Though it goes without saying that you will need to work with a company that specializes in weddings in the area you wish to have your ceremony and reception. As far as outback weddings go you can’t go past the Karijini Eco Retreat http://www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au where Chris and Jen had their reception. There were plenty of accommodation options for their guests and these ranged from budget camping to upmarket eco tents. Whether an outback wedding or one at the beach or on an island most of these hints can be adapted to suit.
First and foremost you will want a photographer who not only can photograph people well but also be a pretty decent landscape photographer. Beautiful wedding photos are obviously the priority but you will also want a collection of fantastic images that really show off your stunning location. You don’t want to be going to all the effort of arranging such a unique wedding and then having photographs that could have been taken anywhere. Start your search nice and early so that you have plenty of time to make the right choices.
You must be prepared to pay the photographers reasonable costs such as travel (including flights if need be), accommodation, meals etc. If this travel takes considerable time there may be an additional fee on top of their normal packages. It may be just one day of actually shooting your wedding but it could mean 2 days or more away from their studio and the photographer missing the chance of booking other work during that time. Remember, it is not a holiday for them. However do discuss your needs and a compromise can probably be reached – one that you are both happy with.
Once you have decided on a photographer communicate with them. Let them know your wishes and expectations. But also be guided by them. Some of your expectations may not be realistic and they can be an invaluable help as to logistics and timing. By working together you will achieve the images that truly reflect your special and unique wedding.
You may wish to consider booking the photographer for additional time at your destination. Prior to the wedding you can take them to the areas of the ceremony and location photography. They will be better prepared on the day and become familiarized with what will be happening. They can advise on positioning to make the most of the light and also the landscape. Most city based weddings involve locations that the photographer is already familiar with. However a destination wedding may be somewhere totally new to them and the opportunity to check out things in advance can really pay off.
You may also consider booking the photographer for the day after the wedding. The actual wedding day will go so fast, especially with the added travel time that is often involved. Jen and Chris enjoyed what is commonly known as a “Trash The Dress” session the day after the wedding. This doesn’t mean really trashing the dress but you aren’t going to worry so much if it gets a bit dirty. This gave us the opportunity to visit some special locations without the rushed timeline of the wedding day. It was a lovely relaxed time and made for some beautiful images.
Please enjoy these images and contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss your “Destination Wedding”.
This has been a busy year for me. After 20 years living in Karrinyup I have now moved to a new home in nearby Gwelup. It has been fun setting up my new studio and work space. When I get the chance it is nice to wander around my new area. Across the road from home is Lake Gwelup reserve. The lake has been dry for months as we have had a very hot and drawn out summer and autumn. But good rains during June has seen the lake gradually become a puddle, then a pond and now a lake again. Regular walks around the lake saw the transformation and it was amazing to watch.
The birds have returned in their hundreds. My favourites are the black swans and it is lovely to watch their interaction with each other. Last Monday I did an early morning walk and took my trusty Nikon D700 along with me. There was a little frost on the ground and a lovely mist over the lake. I am so glad it was a walk with camera. It is something I plan to do on a regular basis as I want to build up a folio of Lake Gwelup images taken through the seasons. I hope you enjoy these images from the first collection.
I hope you enjoy viewing this selection of images captured during a mini visit to the beautiful south west region of Western Australia. They were taken in January 2010 but it has taken until now to finally find the time to edit them. My wedding and portrait work takes priority of course. But it is nice to finally have a bit of time to dedicate to my landscape and personal photographic projects. I hope to share a few of them in the coming weeks before the busy wedding season takes hold.
The long skinny images are make by joining 3-4 images together. Precise shooting using a tripod is required to get the desired results.
The virtually black image with the glow in the sky is actually moon rise. We were lucky to be there during the full moon.
The image with the streaky clouds and little dots in the sky was taken well after dark. It was a long exposure and the little dots are actually stars. The scene was lit by the full moon.
Photography isn’t just my occupation. It is also a passion. So when I go on holiday my cameras are there with me. May 2010 saw me travel north for 10 days. The main focus of the trip was the magnificent Karijini National Park in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Add the varied little towns on the way north, the magic of our unique coast and the star laden skies and you have a stunning variety of locations to choose from. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did taking them. As I have time to process them I will be adding to this collection.
