Archive for January, 2009

falling from the sky…

January 31, 2009

This family session had it all: gorgeous kids, devoted parents & BIG branches falling from gum trees! I think the recent hot weather took it’s toll on Umpherston Cave’s big old gums. No one was hurt, thank goodness.

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The below photo is a little blurrier than I would normally allow, but it was such a beautiful capture that I had to include it. These are the kinds of moments that us mums just love to hold on. Who wants to forget the joys of raising a child up in your arms just to hear them giggle and see them smile. Beautiful.

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And this one, well…it speaks volumes. This little girl loves her Daddy. I don’t think Miss T let him out of her sight the whole day. Dad was equally adoring!

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Thank you for a fun morning out. That cool breeze was just delicious amongst the shade of the trees and you guys were a pleasure to hang out with.

Donna xx

Posted in children & families | 2 Comments »

a new favourite…

January 17, 2009

I know I’ve already shared my fave’s from this particular wedding, but whilst editing I stumbled across a few that I think I *heart* even more! It’s amazing how every wedding brings new challenges forcing me to think a little more creatively than I would otherwise. In this case, it was a particularly sunny day. Most people think a sunny, cloudless day makes for the perfect wedding, but let me tell you…cloud cover creates a more even light and makes shooting a breeze. The lack of clouds creates all sorts of lighting challenges. There are a number of work-arounds, but I think my favourite is shooting into the sun. A rustic, sheltered setting comes a close second! :)

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This last photo (& the second) have been sweetened with a gorgeous, patterned texture overlay. A little different & a great way to make photos stand out from the ‘crowd’.

Donna xx

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summer days…

January 11, 2009

I was thrilled to photograph my first wedding of 2009 for this delightful couple. They were perfectly relaxed and completely organised. Everything went to plan (except maybe being a little behind the clock here and there, but ‘hey’ what wedding doesn’t!?). Mt Gambier is rarely sunny, but it shined like there was no tomorrow for these guys. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the bride “planned” the weather as every detail was perfectly executed.

As I watched the family and friends throughout the day, it became blatantly obvious they were all ecstatic to be there and share in this beautiful occasion. Their enthusiasm was evident by the packed dance floor the second the bridal waltz ended. And did I mention the superb bridal waltz?…these two carved up the floor, I’m telling ya!

All in all…a beautiful day. Congratulations guys and thanks for allowing me to come along for the ride.

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Posted in weddings | 5 Comments »

holiday snaps…

January 4, 2009

I’ve been thorougly enjoying my break with the kids. I, like all of you, love to have photos of my kids, but as a pro photographer sometimes carting my kit with me makes the whole thing feel a little too complicated, plus I like the knowledge that my equipment is safely tucked away at home.

I get many emails from people all over the world asking me what camera I recommend for the average family and while there are plenty of inexpensive DSLR’s out there now, for the general user I can absolutely recommend the camera that has captured the below shots. It’s a Canon G9 and the predecessor to the newer G10 (unlike the rest of my gear which is all Nikon), but I love it. It has many more features than I will ever use, but does allow me to shoot in Manual mode and therefore gives me a whole lot more control than other point-and-shoots. It also lets me shoot in RAW which is a good thing if you have some raw conversion software on your pc (PS Elements, CS3/4 and Lightroom are the main ones). There are many reason to shoot RAW, but I’ll let you all Google that if you feel so inclined.

I also use this camera as a video camera and have some brilliant video captures of the kids with enough resolution to show them clearly on a big screen tv.

If you’re looking for a point-and-shoot that is small enough to fit in your bag, but not too ‘plasticky’ with plenty of features and suitable for beginner to advanced users…then perhaps take a look at this camera or it’s newer version (the G10). It’s not entirely cheap, but the main point here is that it is small, yet highly effective.

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