worldskills

what i love most about my job is the variety i have.  to say i get bored quickly is an understatement, so to be able to shoot a wide variety of subjects in any one week, makes my world. 
i guess my interest in all things different, partially came about when i was working on documentaries with robyn scott-vincent, or maybe that just reiterated how interesting i find the world around me and all that is in it.
a bi-annual event, worldskills nz nationals is a competition for young people(basically just entering their trade of choice) to compete in their chosen skill to be nz's best, with then the possibility of competing at the international level.  the majority of the competition was trades based this year, and watching the skill involved in each trade was awe inspiring.  when you actually take the time to watch and learn what is involved in any particular trade, it definitely makes you think twice about the work that goes into fixing your car, building your house,
fixing your drains.....etc etc.  much like a professional photographer really.  we make it look easy, but there is a skill involved ;)

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squeeze

i did a shoot back in september that i squeezed in for a family visiting from australia.  it was during a week that i already had shoots (sometimes more than one) on every day...i was frantic. 
it was a very random meeting of an acquaintance of mine that they came to me and  i had organised someone to do the shoot for them, but bless them, they wanted me to do it.
it was a stunning, but very chilly morning (esp as they hail from the sunshine coast).  i was freezing and i was dressed much more appropriately(not having to be in front of the camera) than they were.  but they were troopers, even when i was fussing trying to find the right light, they just hung on in there.
gorgeous story, this couple were over with their daughter celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary.  they had eloped all those years ago and were married in hagley park under a stunning old oak tree. 
they were also the first wedding for wesley of "punting on the avon".... oh how i love me a good story.
thanks for sharing your story with me anita, craig and layla. 
 

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Curtains

prior to the big quake, i did a shoot for the performing arts school at CPIT, NASDA. in all my time at polytech, i have yet to be to one of their shows, which really isn't good enough in my books. so i offered my services for their final production for the year, the third year's musical 'curtains'.

i had so much fun. it's hard work shooting a two hour show, but so exhilarating.

i shot these at their dress rehearsal the thursday night before the 7.1 hit. alas the show was cancelled, which was so unfortunate as it was a great show. but i heard towards the end of last week that it is now going to be performed as part of the ignition festival at the end of the year and it will now be at the isaac royal.  pretty exciting.

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extremely overdue

some serious catching up is needed here!  but in the meantime - head over to here for my take on the christchurch earthquake 2010.  it's been a tough week, but for me it's been NOTHING compared to what others are going through.  it's grim for so many...it's not pretty.

i'll be back online, in proper, soon.

i hope you are all well and for those that are in christchurch and/or have family in the area, i hope they are safe.

kia kaha

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ben & lou

it seems kind of ironic that i have never seen the need to get married (except for that slight slip up many years ago), and yet i am compelled to record the weddings of others.  maybe i'm getting too soft in my old age, but it isn't the most conducive job to ensuring i don't get panda eyes, as without fail my eyes well up at least once during the ceremony.
this past weekend was no exception, when photographing ben & lou's ceremony.
lou is the elder sister of a good friend of mine, yet i hadn't met her until she was looking for a photographer for her wedding.  talk about clicking immediately.  our first meeting we couldn't stop talking and managed to talk away 90mins while barely touching on the wedding.
most of our communication since then has been via email, with her & ben being located in auckland and obviously i in christchurch, so as her and ben's wedding drew closer i got more excited about seeing her again and meeting ben(the opportunity hadn't arisen before hand)
the day was gorgeous, as were the bride and groom.  it was a long shoot day, but it still went so quickly, i can't imagine what it was like for those more involved in the day....it must have truly flown by!
love you guys, can't wait to catch up when you are back in the '03'

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a little while back a friend asked me if i could create some photoblocks for her for gifts that she needed for a school trip.  these were to be given as gifts to a group of australians, so, as one would, i aimed for an nz theme.
as i have already established, landscapes aren't really my thing, but i had a go.  below are the resulting images, all of which were taken in the surrounding christchurch area.

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jumping outside the rectangle

it's good for one's soul to look at things outside their normal boundaries.  i'm not so good at this concept, so when i was up very early one very crisp, clear morning recently i did wonder for a moment(or three) that i was perhaps mistaken about this.
i had been commissioned take a photo of cass bay, one of the many bays on lyttleton harbour.  i think seeing the same landscape so often, you forget about the beauty of it.  but once you start to actually look at it in details you realise what a stunning country we live in.
i managed to please the client, so i was happy.....maybe i have a new avenue to pursue

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