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WPPI Category winner for album by a single photographer.
It is still sinking in. Ian Baugh from Queensberry contacted me this evening with this picture and his congratulations from Las Vegas.
This is our trophy!
I want to thank Queensberry and my beautiful wife Jo Grams for all their support.
I also need to thank Virginia and Richard the beautiful bride and groom.
see also this award
Last month I had the pleasure, again, of doing some family photographs for the Eastern.
The Eastern family (includes Banjo)
They have a new CD out
The Eastern 'Arrows'
buy it now ... no questions!
These guys deserve success ... they work hard and they sound great!
Say no more.
Look here for all February weddings
Not much more than 28 days ago it was the beginning of February.
8 weddings later I have much to catch up on .... my apologies to everyone for not giving you all separate posts. Actually in compiling this one it becomes very obvious that each wedding is unique. My aspiration is that I treat them all individually to meet the needs of each couple.
WEDDING ONE
February started with the wedding of Jacqui and Henry ...
Jacqui at Muddy Waters
and
Jacqui in the vines
and then
Jacqui and Henry
finally
It was the most beautiful day
WEDDING TWO
The next weekend was a wedding at Newbery Lodge with Sheryl and Mike
Sheryl and Mike were married at Newbery Lodge, Christchurch
and
Fab cars and a huge boat
Sheryl not running away
The boat and the bridal party
WEDDING THREE
two days later we went to the wedding of Jacqui and James in Queenstown at Stoneridge
Jacqui looked amazing in her Louise Anderson dress
Skippers Canyon was a perfect setting for drama meets beauty.
The image says it all
Not forgetting James
Jacqui, James, and Skippers Canyon
Thanks to the people at Heliworks for getting us up there
Heliworks took us to Skippers Canyon
and then the sun went down ...
Sunset photo #1
And they had fireworks
WEDDING FOUR
Then a wedding in Hororata for Adam and Jenna
Another hot and sunny day ....
Jenna looked stunning
The cemetery at St John's Anglican church in Hororata
The light worked with us ...
Not to forget Adam ....
and then the reception in this fabulous marquee from Hyde Park Hire catered by White Tie in famous style
Marquee at home in Hororata
WEDDING FIVE
From rural Hororata to an hour South West of Auckland, at Castaways, near Waiuku, for the wedding of Gabriel and Janet.
Gabriel and Janet were married on the 22nd of February 2010
Colin, the unlisted bridesmaid, proved his worth and athleticism during the photography
Janet
Gabriel we had picked out as the energetic type, but Janet impressed (and surprised) us with her 'no mountain too high to conquer' attitude in getting to this amazing spot.
Janet and Gabriel
Photographing weddings is a mix of many skills. The test of a really good photographer is their adaptability to changing conditions.
light, water, a tailored suit, and a fabulous gown
Many photographers 'pooh pooh' the sunset photograph .... but sometimes you just have to ...
Sunset #2 .... dare I say it
WEDDING SIX
Then out to the Rakaia Gorge (Terrace Downs) for the wedding of Katie and Simon
Katie and Simon were married on the 26th of February 2010
Katie at The Rakaia Gorge
Katie
....and Simon of course
... I nearly forgot to mention the chopper ride from Terrace Downs along the Gorge ... brief but very cool
WEDDING SEVEN
The next day was at French Farm (under new management) with Jeremy and Jayne
They had an interesting bridal party
... Jeremy was in charge of catering
Canterbury gave us great clouds and some 'not too bad' light.
Happiness is the greatest compliment to beauty
They feasted into the evening on fine foods, stories, and great wine .... long table style.
French Farm
WEDDING EIGHT
Although this was the beginning of March, it brings me up to date.
The wedding of Kate and Greg in Winchmore
Kate saw these sheep and chased them down for our picture ... I was impressed!
From sheep to veils ...
and in spite of the rain ....
Greg and Kate
The day started off with rain ... but we got lucky .... as we always do.
Thanks to everyone for a crazy beautiful month ...
We had a lot of weddings .... but that is the thing with this time of year ...
What is important for us is that each story is different, and the images are too.
We pride ourselves at Moda Fotografica in treating each couple uniquely. This is my point.
The weather was predicted to go bad .... REALLY BAD.
I'm not criticising the judgment of weather forecasters but it created an unnecessary sense of foreboding for the day as ugly weather was on its way (supposedly). The ugly weather never showed .... Ballantynes made a few extra umbrella sales that day.
I love the crazy unpredictable energy that happens at the time I arrive at the brides place. My arrival is an undenible signal that there is not much time until she has to get out there and sign the contract.
Everybody deals with that differently.
Zoe had a calm approach to it. Maybe because she's a doctor, maybe because a little bit of rain was no worries compared to her dress getting lost in transit from Australia ...
It was a wedding that had personal and special written all over it.
Zoe
Nick
The both of them ... I know that seems obvious.
Zoe at one of my favourite spots
At my other favourite location ....
I love shooting weddings ... and I hope that you can see this in my work.
Take care
Johannes
This summer has seen the best and worst of weather in Canterbury.
One day it is sunny then the rest it rains ... well it seems like that
There is a wonderful myth ... we call it an optimistic truth ... that when it rains on your wedding day you will have a marriage filled with good fortune.
Does that mean if you get married on the single day that it doesn't rain you are somehow destined for bad luck?
It rained for Carly and Pete. Their plans involved a wedding in a paddock with a view of the local countryside ... it rained ... no paddock ... and not much of a view.
Somehow the rain worked for us and we got puddles, broody clouds and soft light ... so in truth there was some luck in it.
They had 4 glamourous bridesmaids
There is some great countryside out in Oxford
Carly and Pete
Cheers
Johannes
Time suddenly disappeared as I spent last week photographing four weddings, the buskers festival, and having a birthday.
I have seen enough acrobats and jugglers to see me through the year. Weddings I can never get enough of, And birthdays ... even though I was spoiled, one a year is good enough for me.
I will post some more images from All the weddings shortly but I am compelled to put these up to show that I am still here and very much wanting to get something up.
Backstage at the Isaac Theatre Royal
I love photographing ballet dancers ... especially at weddings.
We had the service at Saint John of God's in Christchurch. followed by photographs and reception at the Isaac Theatre Royal
Martin and Jasmine looked fantastic.
Jasmine was graceful
With every couple we always want to exceed their expectations. To do this we need to get an idea of what their expectations for their wedding are.
Jasmine's father made the painting
People often tell us that they are looking for something different. Different, however could mean so many things. We look for the challenge that makes 'different' also 'beautiful', rather than just plain weird.
Liz did a fabulous job with the gown
And as for the Theatre
The Theatre had its own drama
Jasmine and Martin
Enjoy
Johannes
Actually this was a wedding in two parts.
A Laotion service in Christchurch
Laotion wedding ceremony
Part of the ceremony required the bride and groom to ask their families for forgiveness for any wrong they may have done in their past. This allows them to make a fresh start in their new lives together. Very cool.
Mash and Dala
And a few days later they had another ceremony at the Marae in Kaikoura.
I loved the contrasts and interweaving of traditions with this wedding.
Many thanks to Dala and Mash
Cheers
Johannes
Story telling is a personal passion ... it gives purpose to my photography. I am fascinated by my role as a wedding photographer.
I know that in essence I get to recount a story for a couple. This story is personal and meaningful. It is not laden with special effects. It is a personal truth, possibly glamorised, but still a truth and definitely personal.
I came across this, which is part of a collection of short videos about a photographer/teacher, Dave LaBelle, who puts it all into perspective.
Dave LaBelle | The Lesson from Francis Gardler on Vimeo.
There are a whole series of these and they are all worth a look ... he never even seems to mention the word wedding.
Cheers
Johannes
Christmas happened. Ida (almost seven months) scored well with gifts. Her favourite was the wrapping on the big box.
One of the truly special gifts was a book called a Welcome to the Zoo by Alison Jay.
It is a wordless story book. Alison's work is rich with stories within stories, intriguing personalities, and beautiful imagery.
The thing that struck me the most was the unspoken freedom I had to create my own stories. This is partly due to the lack of words but more-so to the rich content of the illustrations.
Albums can be like this. In fact they should be! We want our albums to tell many stories so that they will endure time and fashion to become the catalyst for many memories but still be personal to the viewer.
Cheers
Johannes
Suddenly ...like everybody else I am aware that Christmas is upon me ... sure we put up a tree a few weeks ago and we decorated Ida in a Santa suit ... but today ... two days before the big fella drops our presents off I am having an epiphany ...
Santa isn't going to drop off presents (as I had been hoping).
I am going to have to do some shopping on the worst day in the world to do it ... the very same day that millions of other people realised that Santa was never really doing the deliveries and that they only had 1 day to make the substantial purchase which was going to demonstrate, to their loved ones, that they were thoughtful and generous.
Its a big ask! Parking is a nightmare. All the really bad drivers come out to play. The shops are too busy to offer you the amazing service you would expect given the significance of your purchase.
And then people get scratchy ... argumentative and just plane frustrated. All this because the Big guy in the red suit isn't meeting expectations.
Why why WHY?
They all saw Christmas coming ... its not like red is a secret colour! ... and certainly all of that fake snow is a dead giveaway.
Every year it is the same ... and every year we say next year will be different!
So here it is .. "Next year will be different!"
... I hope!
Christmas bests
Johannes
I was on good behaviour this weekend photographing the wedding of Kayla and Nigel Hicks. Nigel works with Queensberry. We both blog for the Queensberry website.
Here are a few images from what started out looking like an ugly rainy day.
Kayla before leaving to the wedding
Kayla and Nigel were married at Cassels
Bethels Beach
It was windy and fabulous at Bethels
Nigel and Kayla at Bethels beach
Nigel and Kayla
Cheers
Johannes
Sometimes we forget who we are. Zack Arias put this together ... its just too true.
Sometimes the pursuit of an identity gets in the way of being yourself ...
Cheers
Johannes
Christmas came early for us this year .... 6 months on .... Ida Valentina makes our lives richer and happier.
Christmas with Ida Valentina
It has been a challenging year for all of us. At Moda we were very lucky to have Susie working behind the scenes to keep the wheels turning whenever we were distracted by our new project (Ida). We quietly introduced our new entity (The Wedding Assassins). Even more quietly we released our 'Cherish Photography' project. We are proud at what we have achieved in what has indeed been a difficult year and we are excitedly looking forward to whatever comes our way for 2010.
We have a couple of special projects in the think tank. (A deep - almost bottomless - vessel full of crazy ideas, hopes, and wishes.) One involves travel, and the other is about education. Actually they are both about education because we always want to learn new things.
... and then of course there will be Ida Valentina .... currently a two tooth ... who will add her own brand of unpredictability to our chaotic lives.
Ida Valentina ... the beginning of the joys of teething.
Anyway I just wanted to say a big 'thank you' for any part you may have played in this exciting year.
All my love
Johannes
Its a rainy Saturday morning. The Wedding Assassins are off in Peel Forest shooting people at a wedding. The markets are a bit slow today and Santa was supposed to do a big gig down at the park tonight. Ho ho ho, not likely. But then Santa is not afraid of a little bit of rain.
Don't misunderstand me, I am not a Santa Cynic but I am painfully aware of the foibles of weather.
This year has seen a fair number of dreary weekends (read as "dreary days for people to get married ")
We live in the hope of perfect weather. For me 'perfect' would be an impending storm with a touch of brightness coming in from the sides, ... or misty.
The trouble with that impending storm look .... is the impending storm ... go figure!
Last weekend I had a short notice wedding in Tekapo ... the weather warnings had spoken of 130kph winds and as I was driving in things were looking grim.
As the afternoon progressed it just got better and better.
Bring on the storms I say!
Ed and Robyn in Tekapo
Robyn and Ed at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo
Robyn
Good luck for everything Ed and Robyn
Here are some images from three weddings in October
and then
The horse was enthusiastic!
and finally
November is pretty quiet for us but we are getting more inquiries for portraits before Christmas. If you need some portraits or reprint for gifts call us or email us.
All the best
Johannes
At the age of 5 or 6 stone soup was possible with culinary flare and oodles of imagination. Eventually the soup from stones becomes tasteless stones boiled in water. As soon as you take away the imagination, and the faith, it all falls apart.
As a photographer I would hope that I was always looking for new and imaginative ideas, and that I was able to walk freely in a world governed by the rules of science and administration. I would hope that today's stone soup is tomorrow's nest of dinosaur eggs, and the third day's Stonehenge. As we do more and more of what we do ( photography) it is possible to become immune to the beauty and wonderment of the fine 'world for a day' of someone's wedding. I never want to lose sight of that beauty. I never want to be unexcited. I want every wedding to be different in its own way. This is the personal challenge I give myself. This is why I love shooting weddings. The challenge is always there.
Cheers
Johannes
Somebody of questionable etiquette once said you can’t truly know somebody until you have slept with them.
For my entire digital career I have been a Canon loyal. That’s not to say that I never looked over the fence for greener grass, but essentially I have had Canons as my weapons of choice at weddings.
About a month ago I played with somebody else’s toys.
I took the new Leica M9 for a drive around somebody else’s wedding.
With no responsibility and a finely tuned pixel writer in my hands I had an excellent chance to momentarily decisively capture somebody else’s dream. (As a bystander)
There were several things in play here. It was not my wedding. It was not my camera. and it was not the first time I had ‘slept’ with a Leica.
Brett Prestidge kindly let me ride shotgun at his wedding.
I realised that we had different ways of doing our own ‘wedding thing’
That was a big lesson.
Brett briefed me on driving the Leica and then set me loose.
This camera is agile.
It is not for everyone.
It changes the way things happen.
It changes how you impact the wedding.
Suddenly I felt free.
Suddenly the technology did not rule the imagery.
It was strange because it took me a while to shed my Canon ways.
The freedom and agility took my breath, and then became the way I breathed. This of course will sound weird to anyone who has yet to have the experience, but trust me, it is real.
The urge to almost dance with a Leica is undeniable. The interesting thing was the difference between our dancing styles. Brett was a quiet and respectful dancer, gracefully moving from scene to scene gently aware of the people in his peripheral vision. I was more of the crazy dancer with erratic moves briefly flirting with the audience in my excitement of the new freedom I had ‘discovered’.
Who would have thought that a camera could do this to you.
The real lesson I learned was about different shooting styles. We all have our own way of doing things and can easily become myopic in our opinions and methodology. Having the opportunity to observe others in action allows us to get a better idea of other possibilities.
Thank you Leica. Thank you Brett.
We went away to Byron Bay (Australia) for a break (our first family holiday) before the wedding Season got out of control.
We stayed at a wonderful house on the beach in a place called Suffolk Park.
Our accommodation had private access to the beach.
On the 5th day there I went to the beach via the public access and saw this sign.
Tallow Beach
It was still a great beach ... but oops!
Well several .... and a Miro.
While in the UK I spent one night in the home of a couple I had photographed two years earlier.
They were both paper conservators. One of them was restoring a series of Picasso pieces and a Miro. His workroom was also the spare bedroom. You get that in places where space is at an expensive premium.
So the journey was a mixed bag of accommodation as I tripped around the countryside. From two stays in smokey old rooms at two Hilton hotels that had seen better days, to a very agreeable but brief stay in a hotel in Falkirk. Two nights in the home of a friend when I first arrived shell shocked from lack of sleep, I had kicked baby Oliver out of his room, and was not very sociable. A, thankfully, brief stay in a dodgy hotel in the centre of Edinburgh proved the well worn theory of 'you only get what you pay for' .... dare I say 'I should have paid more' (a lot more). Jo hunted out a more agreeable bed at the Hudson Hotel that proved the theory that a comfortable bed (with clean sheets) in a tiny room is endlessly better than a scary one in any sized room. I developed a theory about the evaluation of accommodation. The true measure of a decent Hotel is one where you go to sleep at night not thinking about how many people may have slept there before you. From there it was a small olde English Pub in the Lakes District .... modest was my best description ... then a bed and breakfast where I had the privilege of sleeping in the room (and bed) of the owners deceased parents. It was the biggest bed of all and strangely comfortable. Finally I get back to sleeping with Picasso .... I was well looked after and slept soundly oblivious to my salubrious company.
I was lucky to have had the variety (because that is the spice of life) ... but I did feel like a bit of a bed slut by the end of it all.
Thank you to my friends for keeping me sane.
All the best
Johannes
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