Gerry + Sarah | Matilda Bay Restaurant | 31 December 2016 {Perth Wedding Photographer}

New Years Eve 2016 found me here, under the gum trees and paper lanterns at Matilda Bay, with little boats bobbing on the river, and the lights of our city twinkling in the background, providing the perfect backdrop for an awesome end of year party.

It was my little sisters wedding, and she was marrying her super groovy man Gerry.  And I had the priviledge of attending as both guest and photographer, which always makes a wedding just a teeny bit more special for me.  So, surrounded by our family and friends, I set about documenting it all as it unfolded (and chatting a lot in between shots!).

Opting for a laid back, summery beach feel for their special day, Gerry and Sarah enlisted the expertise of awesome vendors Matilda Bay Restaurant (ceremony & reception venue), Bride and Groom Events (outdoor furniture & styling), The Look By Us Perth (bridal hair & makeup), Theressa Designs Bridal (bridal gown), Poppys Flowers (flowers), Wild Strawberry Catering (cake), Jodi Bavin (celebrant) and The Print Fairy (invitations) who all helped create the perfect vibe for a summer celebration.

And Matilda Bay itself should get a special mention too, not only for providing such a stunning backdrop for a wedding, but because it's a little special to our family, as it was named after our ancestral grandmother Matilda Roe, the wife of Perths first Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe.  So I always feel a sense of place as I arrive at this venue and then pass by the photographs of John and Matilda, and the fledgling Swan River Colony, hanging on the walls of the restaurant building.  And I take a moment to picture the scene as they must have seen it when they gazed out over the river almost 200 years ago...

So congratulations Gerry and Sarah, it was a fabulous day, and an awesome way to see the new year in.  And a week down the track, I can finally say I have nearly recovered!

Jon + Jess | Darlington Estate Winery | 19 March 2016 {Perth Wedding Photographer}

Taking time out from a busy motor racing schedule in the US, Jon and Jess travelled all the way home to WA, to tie the knot in front of their family and old friends, at the ever stunning Darlington Estate Winery, set in the bush in the Perth hills region.

And what a beautiful day it was, and such a beautiful time of year too.  March has always been my favourite month in Western Australia.  It signals the end of Summer with its warm dry days, and cool, crisp Autumn evenings.  Although on this occasion, it rained, and rained and rained, a warm, sticky, tropical kind of rain, which thankfully let up by mid afternoon, just in time for the ceremony and reception!

Featuring a bunch of cool old cars, including the grooms very own bright orange mid 70's Ford, a set of blue hipster hightops for the boys, a very special vintage watch, some fabulous rustic DIY details and styling, and the most beautiful beaded bird and flower arrangement I've ever seen on the back of Jess's dress, this wedding oozed love, style, creativity and charm on all fronts.

Congratulations Jon and Jess, it was an awesome day, and a pleasure to be there to document it for you!

Bali + Lembongan | Travel | August 2015 {Avon Valley Documentary & Travel Photographer}

A seemingly endless run of frosty nights and icy days has me dreaming of warmer places, so I'm casting back to a year ago, when I travelled to Bali and Lembongan with my girlfriends from school, for a week of R&R...

No husbands, no kids, just us and a week of lazy days spent by the pool and on the beach, drinking G&T's, laughing till our sides split, and savouring the most amazing array of food this special place has to offer.  Plus a heap of shopping, countless massages, a couple of crazy motorbike rides, and a few random nights out.  And then an ash cloud to keep us there for a few more days! 

So who wants to pack me in a suitcase, take me on their next holiday, and have me document it all in beautiful pictures?

Shaun + Miriam | Quindanning Country Wedding | 27 February 2016 {WA Rural Wedding Photographer}

It was a cracking hot day for Shaun and Miriam's rustic country wedding, held on a beautiful local property in Quindanning WA, in late February 2016.  But that was no deterrent for these two, or for their family and friends, many of whom came all the way from chilly Ireland to celebrate.

Held on-farm in the historic region of Quindanning, this wedding had all the elements of a great Aussie shindig, from the dusty bush setting, to the rustic, purpose built bar, tubs of beer on ice, a rather obliging dog with a go-pro mounted to her collar, and some sweeping sunlit views across a stunning summer landscape.

And the light!  There is nothing quite like the warm, golden, late afternoon light of an Australian summer, so although it was a little hot, harsh and shadowy earlier in the day, it was totally worth waiting for the incredible backlighting we were blessed with during our bridal portraits later in the day.

Congratulations Shaun and Miriam, it was a fabulous day, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it with you all!