Here I am with the other photographers at the Jasmine Star Workshop.  Jasmine has a great post on her blog about our wonderful day in Christchurch.

I also want to thank Louise Anderson once more for these amazing bridal gowns.

This Saturday I headed out in the early morning sunshine for a fun lifestyle session with Mandy & Jimmy, who recently got engaged.  Lyall Bay was the perfect spot for some photos and it’s great for them to have a little local flavour

Here are a few favourites from the day.

Love how funky this statue looks

Out there it’s good views in just about every direction:

Love the colours in this – and it’s so cool to have pics at an iconic Wellington location:

The sweet couple:

I love getting crazy sun flare effects like this when it’s bright out:

And of course I love a grungy, bright coloured door

Taryn & Craig – 20 June 2009

Hair: Blue Cactus

Makeup: Bobbi Brown

Ceremony: Old St. Pauls

Reception: Wine Loft

I was lucky enough to attend Taryn & Craig’s gorgeous wedding yesterday.  Despite a freezing cold Wellington day, everything went very calmly and smoothly, and these two seemed just so happy to be getting married.

And although I kept having weird and wonderful technical difficulties that I’ve never had before, we got loads and loads of fun photos.  Winter weddings can be a real challenge due to weather and available light, but we managed to have a great day full of photos.  Taryn & Craig chose to have a First Look session for their official photographs, and got together at the Museum Hotel to see each other before their ceremony, and we headed up to Wellington High School and Parliament before we headed to Old St. Paul’s for them to get married.

So, onto the pictures, of which I’m adding loads this time!

The gorgeous bouquets – love how creative these are:

After everyone was ready and Taryn & Craig had seen each other, we grabbed a few shots in the lobby of the Museum Hotel, which was gorgeous and went really well with Taryn’s classic look.  I went for a vintage Hollywood kind of feel for the images:

This is probably my favourite – just love the colors and the whole look of this one:

During Taryn & Craig’s wedding ceremony, there was a piece that the celebrant read about their personality and individuality.  I’m pretty sure we managed to get that down in the pictures as well – I asked them to rock a bit of a photo booth look for me here, and they really pulled out their awesomest silly faces for me:

And the grooms party:

And of course one of the most important parts of the day – the super-cute flower girl (in one of the cutest flower girl outfits ever):

A couple more of the bride and groom:

After a very sweet ceremony, everyone headed back to Wine Loft, where they partied the night away after some gorgeous speeches and toasts.  Thanks so much Taryn & Craig for letting me document your day!

I have shot little Devon several times now, so it was fun to shoot a few today at her first birthday.  She has grown so big now!  Here she is when she was younger, at our first session:

And again this past Christmas when we got some beautiful shots:

And here she is today:

A sweet one of her and her mum:

How cute is it to see how she’s grown up?

When it comes time to plan out your wedding, the whole process is pretty complicated – lots of people to meet, lots to think about.  So, some tips from me on what you might want to keep in mind when it comes to your wedding photography.

• Having a planning consultation is a great idea.  I’ll happily meet up with you and go over your schedule for the big day, your photo locations, and where & when we’ll need to work together on the day.  I’m also happy to come to your rehearsal if you want.
• DO take a look around for inspiration on your wedding photography – if you see something in magazines, on the internet, or from family or friends that you like, grab a copy and show your wedding photographer.  I love it when couples can give me some direction about the type of thing they’d like, and I’ll absolutely try and incorporate it in the day.
• Along similar lines – on the day, if you have a great idea for a pose or shot you’d really like, don’t hesitate to speak up.  We can definitely give it a go!
• Make a list of the formal shots you’d like to get – gran & granddad, your favorite uncle or nephew.  Then nominate a bridesmaid or family member to handle the list on the day and help round people up to have their photo taken.  That way the whole process will run more smoothly and won’t take up as much of your time.
• Put some real thought into your locations for the day – take a look at some wedding photos and see what you like.  The Wellington area has so many beautiful and amazing spots, so beach shots, fabulous architecture, urban effects and rural photography are all possibilities. I have a lot of suggestions if you’d like some help, and I recommend choosing at least two different spots.
• It’s natural to want to rush back and spend time with your guests on your special day.  But try to allow a good chunk of time for your shots together – these are the ‘special’ shots that will grace your walls and look amazing in your wedding album.  It’s also a great chance to spend some relaxing time together to enjoy the day without the frenzy of people around you.  You can consider a ‘First Look’ session, in which we get you together privately before the ceremony for a personal, intimate photo-session.
• Consider an engagement portraiture session. The session fee is included with any of my wedding portraiture packages, and it’s great chance not only to get some wonderful casual photos of the two of you, but also to learn to have fun and be comfortable in front of the camera.
• Don’t worry too much about posing or smiling straight at the camera.  Just enjoy the day, and we’ll take care of making the photos reflect it!

it was oliver’s first birthday party this weekend, and he’s definitely grown a lot since i got some pictures of him when he was just a few weeks old.

here’s him all the way back then…

and here is the birthday boy now:

the whole family was there to celebrate too.  here’s a sweet shot of oliver with mum & dad:

these two girls had a lot of fun having these shots done today – i think you can tell   they both look gorgeous too…

I am so happy to announce that my new portfolio website is now up.  http://www.kathrynwilsonphotography.com is now a Flash-based website with a selection of my photos and information.  I am continually adding to it, and have yet to put some of the information up about my winter sessions.  The blog will still be updated with photos from new sessions and I have heaps of those coming up, so keep checking back!

i was out and about near the beach again today, and had heaps of fun looking around all the side streets at garages and doorways before we headed to the pier.  here are a few from the day.  quite a few actually….

loving the black on black:

we found quite a lot bright color, like the yummy purple:

some classic brick wall schtuff:

the light was fantastic since it was such a nice evening so i got lots of nice light and airy stuff like this:

i could not believe this little broken down bit we found with this cool door.  photographer’s paradise

more gorgeousness:

and last but not least some stunning beach-side shots:

Thanks to Kayla who did a fantastic job and looks amazing :)