The more the merrier…why extended family sessions are my new fave.

I’ve been photgraphing families, little humans, weddings, newborns, couples etc for nearly four years now and there hasn’t been much I’ve said no to but making the decision to step back and take a break over the summer has really allowed me to figure out what fills my cup creatively.

I thought perhaps I needed to experiement a little more, search pinterest and tiktok for some inspiration, organise a big creative shoot but after putting the tools down for a couple of months, I’ve realised my creativity isnt in new techniques or big creative concepts. It’s connection. Pure human connection. That’s what fills my cup.

And I have realised my most connected sessions are the extended family session. Having siblings, Nanny’s, Poppy’s, Great Pa’s and Grans, Mum, Dad, cousins, best friends (you get the idea) all in one spot is bloody magic.

Now it’s often total chaos with excited kids, toddlers up at witching hour, a baby thats fallen asleep in the car and grandparents winding those kids right up!

It’s parents trying to wrangle grumpy kids, mum or dad jumping around behind me trying to get all 53 of the kids *slightly exaggerated* to look in the same direction.

It’s rocks and sand in a toddlers shoe and pretty perfect bows being ripped out

But it is perfect.

It’s utter chaos and everyone gets in the car a little exhausted but those photos are magic and so so important!

It could be one of the few times your parents or grandparents have all their grand babies or great grand babies in one big photo together they can hang proudly on their wall.

This is also why I put a big focus on family portraits at any wedding I shoot, plus I am a total sucker for your cute little Nan or Pop. They are some of favourite guests.

So I am putting it out into the universe…this is what I would love to do more of.

Yes it is hard to get everyone on board! Yes it is hard to find a date that suits everyone! Yes wrangling lots of family members is hard work. But trust me…you will not regret it.

So wrangle the troops.

I’ll be here waiting.

Tess xx

Why I won’t be just a wedding photographer

Advice.

When you start a business the amount of advice is overwhelming. Advice about programs to use, advice about websites, advice about business names, advice about money, advice about how pricing, advice about ABSOLUTELY.EVERYTHING!!

One piece of advice that comes up quite a bit, for wedding photographers, is to consider having two separate social media accounts. One for your wedding work and one for your other work, families, maternity, newborns, whatever it may be.

Now not only does this give me the nervous sweats because I barely have the capacity to manage one account, it has just never sat well with me.

Yes I do weddings and I bloody love them.

Yes I do families and I bloody love them too.

And I don’t believe they need to be mutually exclusive.

Meet Jordan and Jelena, you will see them feature on my website and socials quite a bit and this is why

I first met them at the end of 2019, we trespassed into an abandoned house and created this magic.

I then shot their elopement a year later. A classic covid wedding tale…they planned a bigger celebration. Covid was an asshat and they eloped instead.

I then shot Jelena’s beautiful bump. Where I made them sit in a river and get soaking wet on a Friday afternoon.

And just this last month I captured them at home with their beautiful new baby Andrei…he was newborn perfection!

And that is why I don’t want to slice the two down the middle.

Each stage…different times but captured with the same intent.

From a photographers perspective not sure there is any greater compliment than repeat clients, as an added bonus it also means I sometimes get to snuggle newborns…and then hand them back!

So if you do choose me as your wedding photographer, just know, I am more than happy to be your third wheel for years to come.

Covid Wedding? No Problem!

Covid hey? What a ride!!

2020 was the dumpster fire for weddings right? Postponements, new dates, more postponements, no dancing, stand still, no wait you can dance now. I don’t need to go over it, I know you guys get it. It was crap!

But out of the sh*t show that was covid and weddings, came beautiful sweet elopements and micro weddings.

And this one may have been the elopements of all elopements!!

Kirsten and Luke, like many others, were meant to be married in August last year. They called the wedding off and just planned on waiting it out, just see what happened.

Fast forward to January 2021, they are heading to Montville for Lukes 40th Birthday weekend. They have a big house, in a beautiful place, surrounded by their closest family and thought what the heck, let’s do it! Their friend is a celebrant, they contact me (spoiler, also their friend) and the ball is rolling. It’s finally happening!! They are tying the knot.

Then Brisbane is hit with a very sudden three day lockdown.

These two could not catch a break!!

We pushed through (don’t worry we were already all there when the lockdown was announced, and doing all the right “covid” things), the celebrant made it from Adelaide, thankfully via Gold Coast (also safe covid things) and this wedding was happening.

And no surprise to anyone really, it rained. A lot. Consistently all day.

Kirsten was the most chill Bride I have ever met.

Her best friend, who was meant to do her hair, was stuck in Brisbane….no worries!

It was raining…no worries!

Place they were meant to hold the ceremony was too wet…no worries!

We found a big old mango tree, where they stood, in the rain, finally tying the knot. Surrounded by their loved ones…it was magic. But just the start of the magic.

They laughed, I laughed, everyone laughed some more. There were a few tears but mainly just dirty jokes and belly wobbling laughter. It was the most joyous event I have been a part of in a really long time and so many times throughout the day I thought to myself “THIS IS WHAT IT IS REALLY ABOUT”.

Yes we were all getting wet.

Yes there were only a few of the people they wanted to include in their day.

Yes Kirsten got leaves and crickets (yes real live crickets) in her dress.

Yes it wasn’t what they thought their wedding would look like.

But it was glorious and so full of love, it was bursting out of peoples faces and smiley eyes.

They did their first dance in a random park in Montville to The Beatles.

Actually they all did their first dance in a random park in Montville to The Beatles

We traipsed around the countryside taking some beautiful pictures, which actually means I made them stand on the side of the road, in the middle of the road and down a bush walking track into the forest.

Again no complaints from either of them about the rain or the wet hair or the dirty dress.

They were just happy it had finally happened…seeing a trend here?

They were happily married standing in the middle of the road.

My goal is to always end up with some killer photos for my couples and I was so honoured to be a part of this day but as the weekend went on, it became apparent to me that I was there to not just capture their love but the love they were surrounded with.

Their family did everything they possibly could to make this the most special day.

You could feel it….all day! And lucky for me, once I hung up my camera straps, I was a part of the party!

So if you are weighing up the options and wondering if an elopement or micro wedding might be for you?

Let me ask you this….

How many weddings have you been where you can jump in the pool and then change into your pyjamas for dinner, a fire ball shot and one hectic game of spoons???