What a great day! Rosa is one of those brides who doesn’t realise just how stunningly beautiful she is - which only makes her MORE attractive to the camera! And don’t even get me started on her dress. She was just the picture perfect package.

The ceremony was held at Mary Immaculate Church at Annerley. Afterwards, with a directionally challenged limo driver at the helm, we headed into the city for our formal photo shoot in and around the Botanic Gardens. 

The Botanic Gardens on a Saturday afternoon in September is mayhem! You’re likely to leave with a different bride than you came with! Bridal parties pass eachother and offer congratulations, while photographers nod politely and say hello - when they’re really checking out eachothers equipment and thinking “my camera is better than YOUR camera”. I like to play that game, except I’m thinking to myself “my bride is hotter than YOUR bride”. Have all the equipment you want - if you don’t have an absolutely smokin’ bridal party, it won’t get you far. And I ALWAYS get the hot brides!!!

My bridal party today were nothing short of AMAZING. Nothing I asked of them was too much, and they did it with a smile on their face, and a great attitude. I’d work with more people like these anyday!

Today’s wedding featured people who are really really really good looking. But that’s not hard when your hair and make-up artist is Toula Fillippoussis (www.beautifulimages.com.au). In my opinion, Toula would have to be hands down the best hair and make-up artist in Brisbane, she never fails to deliver. Book her, book her NOW!!

Adam & Emma are just a gorgeous young couple, and so much in love! For the second time in a week I was back at St Bernard’s Church at Mt Gravatt for another beautiful ceremony, before making our way to Bowen Terrace for some formal shots featuring the Story Bridge. After a brief stop at the Botanic Gardens, we arrived at Oxley’s on the River for the reception.

The guys had arranged for me to stay on to shoot the reception, which I always enjoy. A lot of people think its a big party for me shooting the reception - but its hard work. Your back aches, your feet are killing you, and your hand begins to cramp from the 1500th time you’ve pressed the shutter that day. So why do you do it? For moments like these… 

Just a daddy’s girl at heart…

Big thanks go Oxley’s for their amazing service. Most vendor meals I’ve had consist of nothing more than a plate of sandwiches. Tonight I was served sirloin on a bed of potato mash, with sweet potato chips and onion for garnish!!! They ROCK!!!

One of my neighbours told me a few days ago, that someone had seen a snake outside our building. I’d totally forgotten all about it, until this afternoon I went outside to the mailbox and nearly stepped right on top of it!

Growing up on a farm, snakes were a regular part of life. But I have never before seen a snake in this part of suburbia. As kids, we were brought up to be very aware of snakes. This was your regular carpet snake, which are actually good to have around, and help keep the rat and mice population down. But the suburbs are not a safe place for this guy, so the experts were called in.

Geoff Jacobs from Qld Wildlife Solutions (www.snakecatcher.com) arrived soon after and made quick work of catching our visitor. Upon closer inspection, Geoff said it appeared the snake had been attacked, most likely with a shovel. It was heart breaking to see, because these animals are harmless, and are actually very beautiful. Hopefully with some tender care from Geoff, he will be back in the wild in no time.

I went to bed last night with somewhat of an itchy eye, and woke up with full blown conjunctivitus. On the day of a wedding, anything that doesn’t present itself as just a common cold, or a headache, I take very seriously. So it was a quick trip up to the hospital at 7am, to get myself seen to. Otherwise I felt fine - I could still see perfectly, was in no pain, I just happened to have a right eye the size of a golf ball. But none of this will stop me from doing what comes naturally!!

Natasha was very relaxed, and you could tell she just wanted to get to the altar, and marry her man. There was no stress, no panicking over minor details, it was just all about the two of them. I love days like these.

Matt was beaming as his bride walked down the aisle, and before too long, they were man and wife. The service was held at St Bernard’s at Mt Gravatt, before we headed to the Kangaroo Point lookout for an informal bridal party shoot. The boys forgot to bring a bottle opener for their Crownies, but fortunately that’s one of the attachments on my Lara Croft Tool Belt, so I found myself some new best friends!

We had them delivered back to Oxley’s on the River bang on time, for a well deserved celebration!

Special thanks to Rick Faulk for once again saddling up to assist me today. My thanks must also go to the staff at Greenslopes Private Hospital, in particular the dreamy Dr Grant Coome, who can gaze into my eyes any time he likes. Trust me ladies, the visit is worth every cent!!!

Saving the day…(even with my freakishly hideous eye!!!)

Such a beautiful day for a bayside wedding! Mari got ready at a picture perfect B&B at Wellington Point, with spectacular ocean views. We almost didn’t want to leave! Well, almost.

After the ceremony at Iona College, we wound up at Pandanus Beach for the formal shoot. The wind was blowing a gale, and wreaking havoc with the girls hair, but they took it all in their stride!!

There’s nothing I won’t do for my brides, including allowing them to wipe their sandy feet off on me!

I have twin sisters, who funnily enough, both turned 30 today!

Whilst one lives interstate, Cherie is reasonably local, so we all met back at my place and headed out for an impromtu dinner at the Norman Hotel. The Norman never fails to deliver, yet again serving up the best steaks in Brisbane.

The birthday girl….

My family…

So on our way out we stopped at the drive-through bottle shop, and the attendant was wearing a kickass “Canadian Club” hat. CC is my drink of choice, and Dad doesn’t mind one every now and again, so we asked if we could have his hat. Turns out you have to buy a bottle of CC to get the hat - not a difficult task. Two bottles of CC later, we proudly donned our hats and headed home, much to the embarassment/entertainment of our back seat passengers!

Often, when I meet with prospective clients, one of the questions asked is “What if you’re sick on the day”. And that’s a good question because its not like I can phone up that morning and say “I’m not feeling well, I’m not coming in today”. So what do you do? You suck it up, and get on with the job. Which is pretty much what I had to do today after being struck down with the flu for the second time in a month. Luckily I had super nice people to work with, who made it easier!

Lisa and Jarrod were married in a lovely ceremony at the Gardens Cafe in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, which was also the location for their reception. For our formal shoot we went over to Captain Burke Park, where the boys climbed some trees, and dazzled us with their BlueSteel impressions.

Congratulations Jarrod & Lisa, and three cheers to Codral Cold & Flu!

Making myself useful…

José & Venny share a love story that spans 18 years, and spending even a little bit of time with the two of them, you just know that they are meant to be.

I’d been looking forward to today since I first met these two, because they are two of the most easy-going people I have met. It was one of the easiest days I’ve had, where I hardly had to work, they were just pure photographic magic and really knew how to work the camera.

After the wedding at the glorious Greek Orthodox Church in South Brisbane, we waltzed on over to my favourite location, Captain Burke Park, for a relaxed formal shoot. After stopping at Rydges to freshen up, we made our way to Oxley’s on the River, for the reception.

Thanks guys, you ROCK!!! (own it….work it!!!!)

Lying down on the job again…

One of my brides said to me the just the other day, “Do you ever get time off?”. Well of course first I laughed at her, and then it got me to thinking seriously about that statement. I did some number crunching, and for 2006 I have 48 weddings on the calendar. Now, there are 52 weekends in the year, and I purposely remove December from my diary. I also remove Easter, because frankly I like to spend 4 days stuffing myself full of chocolate, and candy eggs (my favourite).

So that reduces me to 47 available weekends for the year, and with 48 weddings, well I won’t do the math, but that’s one a week on average. Combined with editing, album creation, meetings with clients, holding down a part-time job, and trying to maintain some sort of social life - no, there isn’t a lot of time off!! But I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it.

So when the universe opens up and presents me a gift like not having a wedding on a Saturday in the middle of September, I grab it with both hands and run with it!! My friend Brett was up again from Sydney, so we went out, hit the town and danced the night away!

Brett & I…

Belinda & I…

A Brett Sandwich….(ask for it at your local Subway)

Congratulations must also go out to my friends Kim & Rohan who welcomed their daughter Eliza into the world this afternoon. Hopefully it won’t be long until she gets the Toni Snell treatment, so watch this space for updates!!

My good friend Courtney and I had long been discussing the possibility of doing an intimate photo shoot for some time. It was one of those things you always talk about doing, but never get around to actually doing it. So we finally bit the bullet, and scheduled time in our diaries.

Courtney is such a beautiful girl, both inside and out, and I’m so honoured that she allowed me to capture that. Let’s face it, an intimate session leaves the subject pretty vulnerable, and at the mercy of the photographer. Courtney put her trust in me to help her reveal herself and her beauty, and I think the results speak for themselves.

I think I know one guy who is going to have a pretty good birthday present this year!!