Photographer Pete

Taronga Zoo Wedding – Marina and Michael

Pete — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 05:40:04 +0000

Who loves Lions? How about Hippopotamuses? Want to get hitched at Sydney’s local animal kingdom? A wedding at Taronga Zoo might be up your alley! Located within a stone’s throw of the Sydney CBD, just down the hill from Mosman on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, and amongst some of the best wedding photography locations in Mosman; is the Taronga Zoo wedding venue. Marina and Michael’s wedding at Taronga Zoo started with their pre-ceremony coverage. Both Marina and Michael stayed at Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Retreat. It’s a brand new hotel built around wildlife enclosures. You can literally wake up with Koala’s looking right at you! The rooms have good light and it is a great option for morning bride prep, especially the suite on level 4! Taronga Zoo also has a lovely location for a wedding ceremony at their Bird Amphitheatre. The only issue with a wedding ceremony at Taronga Zoo is that the Bird Amphitheatre is in use by Zoo staff during the day, and so you might be limited in time slot availability, especially if you would like to take your wedding photos after your ceremony and before your reception. To solve this, I suggest that couples consider either having a ceremony elsewhere (such as right down the road at Bradley’s Head), or going with a ‘first look’ wedding schedule. You can read more about the benefits of a first look wedding over in this blog article. I was delighted when Marina and Michael decided that a first look wedding would suit them. So, after they both got ready, we went to Georges Head Lookout for some portraits.

Wedding photography at Georges Head, Mosman

Georges Head Lookout is located at the end of Suakin Drive in Mosman. It has a contemporary character with a pale gravel path that leads to a raised marble stage, with views across the harbour and towards the city to the west. Michael was already there when Marina arrived, and after seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day we captured some portraits with their bridal party in tow. We walked down the stairs to the cliff edge to capture the city backdrop, before heading back to Taronga Zoo for their wedding ceremony at Bird Amphitheatre. Now, I know that I said earlier that time constraints might limit options if you choose a wedding ceremony at Taronga Zoo, but as Marina and Michael decided on a first look wedding schedule, the Bird Amphitheatre option worked because their wedding photos in Mosman were done and dusted. The sunset at the Amphitheatre is pretty spectacular. Guests receive a 180-degree view of the city skyline as the sun sets behind the Harbour Bridge. Check out some of the photographs below.

Taronga Zoo Wedding Reception

One key benefit of the first look wedding schedule mentioned in my earlier blog post is that you can maximise the time that you spend with your guests. In the case of Marina and Michael’s wedding, because they had already completed their wedding photos in Mosman earlier in the day they needn’t leave their guests to enjoy drinks and canapés without them. The maximised their time enjoying the company of their family and friends. The evening went really well. The venue has wrap-around glass so that guests can take in the vista during lunchtime receptions, and although the view is partially blacked out at night (due to the dark sky and the effect of reflected light inside), the venue has a great location above the wildlife enclosures and a nice balcony so that you can easily step outside and take it all in. If you’d like some more information about photography for your wedding at Taronga Zoo, or natural wedding photography in general, feel free to contact me via the contact page on this website.

From a Canberra Wedding Photographer’s Perspective, Nadia and Josh’s Wedding was just so Beautiful

Pete — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 05:21:07 +0000

Each year, I hit the road south out of Sydney on my way to Canberra. It’s a fairly regular occurrence, and I love it. Canberra is full of photogenic backgrounds and is highly suitable for photography as a city backdrop. Canberra is a planned city, so there is lots of symmetry that contributes to visually appealing photographs. And so, this autumn in 2022 I put on my Canberra wedding photographer hat, and I drove down the Federal Highway for Nadia and Josh’s wedding at the Royal Canberra Golf Club.

Canberra Wedding Photographer

As a Canberra wedding photographer, I’ve shot several nuptials in the Nation’s capital. You can see some of them here. But this would be different. This wedding was captured during a time of conflict in Europe. Nadia's family is Ukrainian. Whilst I did anticipate Ukrainian traditions at this wedding, the love and support for her family back home and those that made it to Australia for this celebration were heartwarming. More on this below. One of my favourite locations to shoot, although not the subject of this blog post, is within the Sky Garden structure at the National Gallery. It’s a surreal location; tall triangular walls that give dramatic light reflected off a central water pool. Very cool! On this occasion, however, Nadia and Josh wanted to shoot at the National Carillon on Aspen Island. I drove down to Canberra on Friday afternoon, with enough time to walk around Aspen Island and scope some locations for photos. It’s a great location and I’d love to come back again.

Nadia and Josh’s Ceremonious Nuptials at Royal Military College, Duntroon

It’s not every day that you get to witness a wedding celebration at RMC Duntroon. I have several friends who have been through the Australian Military, and this isn’t the first time that I have visited Duntroon. I remember seeing friends parade their way around on their first year in pristine outfits (with ultra-polished back boots - my favourite part). Nadia and Josh held their ceremony at the Military Chapel, and after the ceremony, their colleagues performed a guard of honour to welcome the newlyweds out of the church. It’s a ceremonious occasion and the guard was a fitting occurance for the day.

Wedding Photos at National Carillon, Aspen Island

What is a Carillon? A Carillon is a large musical instrument that contains several (around 30-35) bells that are tuned by pitch. The bells are played by a keyboard and struck by timber. Another way of thinking of a Carillon is that it is essentially a large version of a chime (and has more than 23 bells, but otherwise is technically a chime). Carillons are large and are considered to be one of the world’s heaviest instruments. As it turns out, the National Carillon on Aspen Island Canberra was a gift from the British government to celebrate Canberra’s 50th birthday. The National Carillon was built in 1970 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The brutalist style is classic in the area and is yet another example of why Canberra’s streetscape, including the Carillon, creates interesting photogenic backgrounds. When we arrived at Aspen Island, we started in the park on the eastern side of the bridge. With drinks in hand, we captured a few group portraits. We shot on the footbridge on the way over the Carillon, on the small beach with Parliament House in the background and captured a few more static frames to build up the variety. This location is a great example of the architectural features that I look forward to photographing as a Canberra wedding photographer. I took Nadia and Josh along the garden path to the north to capture some portraits with just the two of them. We timed the portrait session perfectly so that shadows were not too harsh, the afternoon sky was blue and clear, and some light remained for sunset at their wedding venue - Royal Canberra Golf Club.

Wedding reception at Royal Canberra Golf Club

On arrival at the Royal Canberra Golf Club, we were greeted with golf buggies (I freakin’ love golf buggies!). The whole bridal party drove up the hill to the southwest, where can captured a few last portraits with the setting sun, before heading on into Nadia and Josh’s reception in the clubhouse. I mentioned above that some of Nadia’s family made it out of Europe and into Australia. I'm not going into the specifics of this, but there were some very special people to Nadia (of a very young age), that are now in Australia and could share in the day’s festivities. The reception featured lots of beautiful Ukrainian colour, music, dance and Horilka (*I think it’s called ‘Horilka’; a traditional strong Ukrainian spirit). We heard messages from close family and friends, drank a few shots (one aspect I love about Canberra wedding photography is that I stay down for the weekend) and celebrated Nadia and Josh’s wedding day. If you’d like more information about a Canberra wedding photographer, or natural wedding photos in Cenberra more generally, please reach out via the contact page linked here.

The Grounds of Alexandria Wedding: Carolyn and Robert

Pete — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 05:55:55 +0000

The Grounds of Alexandria - a very popular wedding reception venue in Sydney’s creative hub. I’ve photographed several Grounds of Alexandria Weddings, including Natalia and Matthew’s show-stopper of an afternoon (linked here), and Grace and Daniel’s party to the moon and back (linked here), to name a couple. Most of the time, I’d say, the weather in Sydney plays its part. However in the summer of 2021-22, La Niña is causing havoc for wedding celebrations, and the weather Bureau is forecasting several more months of precipitation. With this in mind, I thought that I’d share this wet weather wedding at the Grounds of Alexandria. After shooting their pre-wedding portrait session (linked here), Carolyn and Robert trusted me to think a little outside of the box, and we took a different approach to capture wet weather wedding photos on this occasion. Read on to see our plan of attack…

Chinese Wedding Door Games and Tea Ceremony

Carolyn and Robert’s morning essentially comprised of getting ready, in preparation for some hilarious door games. I’m a huge fan of door games! Ok, so the premise here is that the bride and her bridesmaids are kept away inside a home. The groom’s task (with his Groomsmen) is to approach the bride’s house and gain entry to the house by performing several outrageous tasks to the satisfaction of the bride and her bridesmaids. In the past, I have seen these games get outrageous and almost to the point of being competitive. I’ve seen grooms have to take shots of ‘interesting’ substances, and in some cases have to drink straight lemon juice, fish sauce, and other strange liquid concoctions that the bride creates the weeks beforehand. I’ve seen grooms and their groomsmen have to lick “baby poo” (i.e., Nutella) off a baby diaper. Strange things, indeed. If the guys fail, they pay in red envelopes containing cash. Simple. You’d want to have a strong stomach and be fairly fit on your wedding day.

Wet Weather Wedding photos in our Photography Studio

Carolyn and Robert ideally wanted to shoot their wedding portraits at Centennial Park. Unfortunately due to the weather, this wasn’t possible. So, I thought, why don’t we shoot wedding photos in our photography studio? Studio photography isn’t typically used for wedding photos because normally there is some other favourable location in the great outdoors that a couple prefers. Take a look at some frames below. We created an awesome, intimate setting with some props. We used some of our confetti canons to create fun and captured a great set of portraits for Carolyn and Robert with their bridal party. Wedding photos in a photography studio do create some challenges because working with strobes (flash equipment) can be difficult to endure for members of the bridal party. After a while, fashion models need a break from the flash exposure, and this would be amplified at a wedding due to the volume of frames I normally shoot. The great thing about our photography studio is that we have couches for guests to chill and enjoy a drink. There are also ample facilities including a makeup station, bathrooms and a kitchen! These are small indulgences but it makes a difference on your wedding day - remember, I want you to enjoy yourself!

Wedding Reception at The Grounds of Alexandria

The Grounds of Alexandria, as I’ve mentioned before in several blog posts, is a favourite amongst newly engaged couples looking for rustic charm in a wedding reception venue. A wedding at the Grounds of Alexandria will suit those who love the inner Sydney location, balanced with exposed timber beams, vintage and rustic decor, but a good menu that widely appeals. I think every time I photographed a wedding at The Grounds, couples have chosen to do a night shoot. Carolyn and Robert also wanted to capture the evening colour in a night setting, so between speeches, we ducked off into the laneway to shoot 10 minutes' worth of evening portraits. After Carolyn and Robert’s first dance, and shooting some dance floor action, we wrapped up. If you would like more information about natural wedding photos or your wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, please reach out via the contact page on this site. … And before I forget, check out the film we produced for Carolyn and Robert's wedding below. Enjoy!

Kristy and Greg’s Unbelievable Circa 1876 Wedding is one to Remember

Pete — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 12:22:33 +0000

There are some beautiful locations to marry in the Hunter Valley, including the Circa 1876 wedding venue. Bound to the west by the Pokolbin State Forrest and the south by the Watagan’s National Park, the Hunter Valley is filled with prime agricultural fields, homesteads, creeks and tree-lined streetscapes. In the central area of the valley, to the north of Cessnock, is an area known as Lovedale. To the west of Lovedale is Pokolbin, and it is within these two beautiful settings that I found myself on a clear, cool Autumn Saturday morning for Kristy and Greg’s Circa 1876 wedding at The Convent, and Lovedale Chapel.

The Hunter Valley - a Picturesque Wedding Region

As a Hunter Valley wedding photographer, I’m lucky that I have the opportunity to shoot some fantastic weddings up here every year, and every time I’ve been here it has been at a new venue. You can have a look at some other weddings I have photographed in the Hunter Valley at Mindaribba House and Wallalong House on my blog. One reason many couples love a Hunter Valley wedding is that guests can head out of Sydney for the weekend, and enjoy a short trip away with friends. There are lots of hotels and boutique venues to rent and share with your mates. You can join a round of golf at the Oaks Cyprus Lakes or the Crown Plaza, or head to a local spa for a day of relaxation. And in the afternoon it’s easy to find a warm spot by the fire at the multitude of wineries.

Circa 1876 Weddings at The Convent, Hunter Valley

Kristy chose to stay and prepare for her Circa 1876 wedding day at The Convent. The Convent is a delightful and beautifully restored building, once home to the Nuns of Brigidine from Coonamble. The Convent is large with 19 guest rooms and is surrounded by a wrap-around balcony, and decorated luxuriously in dark tones with gold and marble detail. During the morning, I captured a few details and candid photographs of Kristy and her bridesmaids at The Convent. We used the balcony for some extra variety and also for some portraits with family members. Greg and his Groomsmen got ready for the day at the Crown Plaza. The Crown is a popular location for groomsmen to spend the night before. It has a good central location with an 18-hole golf course (and plenty of beers!). The rooms on the grounds are a decent size and have good light for morning wedding prep photos.

Wedding ceremonies at the lovely Lovedale Chapel

Lovedale Chapel is a cute, newly built white weatherboard chapel just up the road from Pokolbin. The chapel was built in 2004 but is constructed in a style reminiscent of English churches of centuries past. With a capacity of around 110 guests, it’s a good size for the average Hunter Valley wedding guest list.

Circa 1876 Wedding Photos

Circa 1876 is located in an old restored cottage on the grounds of the Roscrea Estate. The cottage has an old lounge area in the front room, a large dining room at the back for around 150-200 guests, and is surrounded by well-maintained kitchen gardens. After Kristy and Greg’s nuptials at Lovedale Chapel, we returned to Circa 1876 for canapés, an awesome champagne tower and also some locations portraits around the grounds of The Convent Circa 1876 with their bridal party. We also captured some regal images in the front lounge. As a relaxed natural wedding photographer, I find that location photos around a wedding venue can be laid back and is enjoyable for couples because there are no time pressures to return to a cranky venue manager awaiting your arrival. We just walked around the grounds and shot photos with a variety of nice backgrounds. The staff at Circa 1876 are lovely and were very accommodating to us at Kristy and Greg’s wedding. The photos below show some of the locations we visited. There was no way I was going to not include the awesome tree-lined drive that leads up to the entrance of The Convent in some Circa 1876 wedding photographs. This was a must-have! After location photos, we returned to Circa 1876 for a candle-lit wedding reception with a delicious menu. We heard from near friends and family (including some recordings of those who couldn’t make it) before lighting up the dance floor. Enjoy browsing the images below, and as an extra, check out a neat little slideshow I put together for Kristy and Greg. If you’d like more information about Hunter Valley wedding photography, a relaxed approach to your Circa 1876 wedding at The Convent or natural wedding photos more generally, please reach out via the contact page on this website.

Allegro Kenthurst Wedding: Nadia and Steve

Pete — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 04:20:16 +0000

Sydney’s northwest features spectacular landscapes of rolling hills with large estates. Drive along some of the winding local roads to see grand ‘homestead-like’ dwellings wrapped in elegant post-and-rail fencing; similar to working farms from further west. Allegro Function Centre is just outside of Dural, amongst these properties, and this is where Nadia and Steve held their Allegro Kenthurst wedding.

Weddings at Allegro Function Centre

Allegro Kenthurst Function Centre is a lovely Mediterranean-style villa set amongst towering gum trees in the valley of Ohara’s Creek in Sydney’s northwest Hills District. The Venus is 35 minutes from Sydney - so not too far for guests to travel, but far enough out of the city to feel as though you are further from home. Allegro weddings have the option to hold their ceremony on the grounds, which is what Nadia and Steve planned. Allegro has a low-set terraced area with a white gazebo for document signing, and there is plenty of room for seated and standing guests. And once you are happily married, there is a ton of room to get some creative portraits both on the grounds, and beyond - more about that below. Allegro is a family-run business. Glenn, the owner, coordinates Allegro Kenthurst weddings and events with their awesome team. But Glenn is also the MC who does a great job running the evening. Nadia and Steve’s wedding ran super smooth - probably one of the smoothest weddings I’ve photographed in recent years. Guests enjoyed pre-dinner drinks on the large balcony overlooking Ohara’s Creek, keeping warm in winter by open fire pits and outdoor heaters (and the balcony makes a great backup wet weather ceremony location too!). The menu is good and the dance floor goes off at night!

Allegro Kenthurst Wedding Photos

After Nadia and Steve’s Allegro Kenthurst wedding ceremony on the outdoor terrace, we captured some family photographs. The light was genuinely beautiful on this particular afternoon and the ceremony timing was perfect - we timed it just right to capitalise on sunset for portraits. We captured some bridal party frames at the swing next to the terrace and cracked open the champagne, before setting out around the grounds. We set off up the driveway, and across the road. We found an empty estate with some long grass that looked attractive. It looked like no one had lived at the property for ages so we captured a few images in the grass at the front gate before returning to Allegro. Once back at Allegro, we shot some portraits under the fairy lights, and also out the back of the venue in front of the timber store. Down the end of the long driveway, some super tall bamboo hedges called for a few images, before Nadia and Steve joined their guests at the reception. During the night, we had a little time for a night shoot outside under the lights, and also captured some frames inside the lady’s bathroom (yes we made sure it was vacant first!) - check out some of the images below with Nadia and Steve in front of a triangular window. If you’d like some more information or ideas for your own Allegro Kenthurst wedding feel free to reach out via the contact page linked here.

Tanya and Tyson’s Northern Beaches Wedding in Newport

Pete — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 07:51:15 +0000

The Northern Beaches of Sydney - synonymous with Australia’s chilled-out surf-culture. Relaxed warm afternoons by the beach, casual drinks with friends, and celebrating life’s special moments in a relaxed atmosphere; are all elements of a Northern Beaches lifestyle. And this was true, too, for Tanya and Tyson’s Northern Beaches wedding in Newport. Tanya and Tyson held their Newport wedding at the Metro Mirage Hotel - a classic venue on the water’s edge with views up the Pittwater reminiscent of somewhere much further away (check out some Lake Como-esque photos below from the their roof-top ceremony location).

Roof-top Wedding Ceremony at Metro Mirage Newport

The Metro Mirage wedding ceremony location is lovely. The ceremony location is above the venue on a terracotta tiled platform, facing west to capitalise on the setting sunset and guests are treated to beautiful views up the Pittwater, across the bay towards the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Scotland Island. In the afternoon as the sun goes down, the location is well placed to take advantage of the sunset over the bay.

Wedding Photos around the Northern Beaches

Don’t get me wrong, when you think of the Northern Beaches of Sydney there are many backdrops that come to mind for natural wedding photography. Manicured gardens around Manly Point, ocean baths, rock pools, and don’t forget the endless supply of sandy beaches up the Peninsula. However, it has been a very wet summer for 2022, with seemingly endless heavy down pours, and flooding in many areas around Sydney. The ground is sodden and ultimately it was far too saturated for wedding photographs at lots of the usual places. For Tanya and Tysons’s Newport wedding, we needed to find some locations that were above sea level, with an optional backup for wet weather wedding photos on the Northern Beaches. Low and behold, right next door to the venue is the Newport Ferry Wharf. The wharf has a small jetty with a cute blue timber shelter. When discussing the location with Tanya and Tyson, I thought; “Beauty! This location will help in case we needed a shelter from the rain during their wedding photo session. As it turned out, Tanya and Tyson’s wedding day in Newport was lovely - the sun was out and the sky was a bright pale blue. We captured photographs as the sun went down at the Newport Ferry Wharf before their reception. The Northern Beaches has some great locations for weddings, and Tanya and Tyson’s wedding in Newport goes to show that you needn’t go far to capture some great images. If you’d like further information about weddings in Newport or natural wedding photography in general, please contact us using the details on this page. Earlier that day...

A Beautiful Micro-Wedding at Pilu Freshwater: Nathan and Kanako

Pete — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 02:49:04 +0000

Looking for a wedding venue that can cater for around 15 people; just your nearest and dearest friends and family? Looking to wow your guests with a great location, excellent service and a delicious menu? Looking to balance your choice of wedding venue with a great wedding ceremony backdrop and also some interesting backgrounds for some wedding photos? You have just found it - Pilu at Freshwater is a great option for Micro-weddings on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Read-on to learn more about this micro-wedding at Pilu, and how we photographed it. Nathan and Kanako’s micro-wedding started just before lunch on a Sunday. Pilu’s hedge-lined entrance guides you up to the terraced garden at the front, where guests are waiting to greet you. Freshwater Beach is a lovely backdrop and iconic in the area. After Nathan and Kanako’s ceremony and some family photographs, we took a walk down to the beach and rock pools to capture a few portraits. Lunch for Nathan and Kanako’s Pilu micro-wedding was served in the Balcony Room, to the right as you enter the venue. Guests enjoyed drinks on the private balcony whilst we captured portraits. Once seated, Pilu staff served up a delicious degustation.

Elopement Sessions and Micro-Weddings

Our Elopement Session was plenty of time to capture everything mentioned above and shown in the below photographs, providing 2 hours of continuous coverage. For this micro-wedding at Pilu, we adhered to the below schedule (which can easily be modified):

20 minutes ceremony coverage
20 minutes of candids, family and group photos
50 minutes location portraits
30 minutes candids with guests

For longer coverage, additional time can easily be formulated into a custom package for your wedding plans. Please contact us for more information using the details on our contact page.

Katherine and Matthew’s Wedding at Pilu

Pete — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 12:18:04 +0000

It’s been a strange, very busy summer. It’s been a very wet few weeks, with a La Niña weather system causing higher than average rainfall across Australia’s East Coast. I’m making a concerted effort this year to create more content on this blog; to publish more wedding day stories featuring lovely couples who have had awesome wedding days. So what in mind, what better wedding to share with you than Katherine and Matthew’s wedding at Pilu, Freshwater.

Weddings on the Northern Beaches

The Northern Beaches is a lovely place to tie the knot. There are a wide variety of wedding venues available for couples, with beautiful backdrops that open to both vivid green environments and also sandy beaches (so many beaches!)

The one factor to consider for a wedding on the northern beaches is a wet weather backup for your ceremony and also your wedding bridal portraits. This year, I feel, was a real wake-up for me. The number of weddings this summer that have involved rain-day backup considerations is more prevalent than in other years. I’d have to give it to Katherine and Matthew - the couple in this story. At the very last moment were able to secure the Manly Sailing Club as their backup ceremony venue. Little Manly Point Park (only 300 metres up the hill) was scheduled to host their nuptials, but rain in the summer of 2022 forced their hand into nominating and actioning a backup wedding ceremony at the Manly Sailing Club.

Wedding ceremony at Manly Sailing Club

The Manly Sailing Club might not be your first consideration when it comes to a wedding ceremony location on the Northern Beaches, but it sure is an ideal location if the weather is poor. The Manly Sailing Club is central to the Northern Beaches, located on East Esplanade a short walk from Manly Wharf. Katherine and Matthew were able, at a moment's notice, to shift their ceremony from Little Manly Point Park to the Sailing Club to escape the weather forecast. The Club has a reasonably large covered deck that overlooks Manly and the passing iconic Ferries.

Wedding Photos around Manly

Due to the rain, we were slightly limited in locations for Katherine and Matthew’s wedding photos in Manly. Ideally, we would have captured wedding photos at Little Manly Point Park however due to the inclement weather (and also the humidity that the current weather system brought with it) we decided to capture wedding photos at the Manly Sailing Club jetty just below the clubhouse. We spent around 30 minutes shooting some variety with their bridal party, and a few images on their own, before heading over to Pilu at Freshwater for their wedding reception.

Wedding Reception at Pilu, Freshwater

Let me just start by saying this: Wow! What a wedding reception! Let’s start with the venue: Pilu is a multi-award winning Sardinian beachfront restaurant in Freshwater on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Pilu has sustained culinary excellence, winning two chef hats between 2005 to 2020. I’ve personally dined at the venue and the menu is excellent. Pilu operates from within a heritage-listed Hamptons beach house located on the waterfront at Freshwater with uninterrupted ocean views of Freshwater Beach and the surrounding landscape. The venue is an icon on Sydney’s Northern Beaches for its charm, customer service and culinary experiences. And boy, they sure turned it on for Katherine and Matthew’s wedding! The venue has a beautifully paired back yet refreshingly contemporary character. Pilu uses the interior of their heritage building to their advantage to display a white canvas that does not need many (or any) additions. Katherine and Matthew’s florist provided some table arrangements at a suitable level and let the inherent building shine. Guests arrived at Pilu, greeted by canapés and an Aperol Bar on the terrace, before moving on in to be seated for the evening. During the reception, we heard from the bride and groom’s family with touching speeches and remembered those who couldn’t be there in person. After delectable dishes by chef Giovanni and the team, the dance floor opened, with music from Max Music Collective. Katherine, Matthew and their guests partied hard right through to the end - shirts very saturated by the end. If you’d like further information about wedding photography at Pilu Freshwater please contact me via this page.

Carolyn and Robert – Pre-Wedding Photos at The Rocks

Pete — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:25:13 +0000

I photographed Carolyn and Robert’s pre-wedding portrait session at The Rocks earlier this year. I thought that it would be an opportunity to highlight some of my engagement photography locations within The Rocks; our iconic and historic precinct in the heart of Sydney.

Photography on Observatory Hill

Head to Observatory Hill (located at Upper Fort Street, The Rocks) for some massive fig-trees, sandstone walls, winding paths, a cute gazebo and great views of the western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Observatory Hills is commonly packed with wedding couples and their photography studios on Saturdays, capturing a lovely westerly aspect with harbour glimpses and terraced house rooftops. It is also a location to capture warm light from the setting sun in the early evening. Observatory Hill is also a great meeting spot for couples to meet up at the start of a Sydney portrait photoshoot. I like to shoot here at the start, and also at the end of engagement sessions because it is a suitable location accommodating natural activities that I use to break the ice. I am completely aware that not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera. I understand that it takes a little time to get accustomed to being photographed. Don't worry - we go for a walk and get you used to the experience.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Pedestrian Underpass

Located near Observatory Hill (at the intersection of Upper Fort Street and Watson Road, The Rocks), is a bluish-grey concrete opening that connects the eastern and western pedestrian underpass underneath the Cahill Expressway. On the western side, it’s a bicycle crossing (so be careful not to access the bike lane or risk security telling you off!). The location can seem a little messy at first, but it’s all about the light that comes in through the concrete arches on the south side. The cooler colours and side-light is great for pre-wedding portrait photoshoots The stairs are great for a rest with your partner and we can get some variety from some interesting angles.

Argyle Place Park Stairs and the Argyle Cut

Argyle Place Park Stairs and the Argyle Cut are nearby. They are best accessed from Watson Road. Head down the stairs for a few portrait photographs with some symmetric lines. Both the top and the bottom of the stairs are nice but expect to need to give way to passers-by because the stairs are a shortcut to access the pedestrian crossing mentioned above. Walk a little down Argyle Street and you’ll be in the Argyle Cut. I say “in” the Argyle Cut because the cutting is the large underpass under the Cahill Expressway and Harbour Bridge. The cut is simply a massive sandstone wall with cars parked on both sides, but it can be shot nicely between stationary vehicles. There are subtle variations in sandstone colour at either end of the cutting, and you attract nice soft light entering the underpass. The location works well for engagement photos at The Rocks.

Trinity Avenue and Lower Fort Street

Between Argyle Place Park and the Argyle Cut, on the opposite side of the road, you’ll find a small lane that leads to Trinity Avenue. It looks a little small and messy at first but head on down the lane and it opens up to a wider dead-end road. There are some cool doorways and also a playground that produces some nice shots with the afternoon light. The park works for almost every portrait session at The Rocks (including families, bridal couples, and engagement sessions/pre-wedding photoshoots) because everyone loves a swing-set and reminiscing of their younger years. Continue down Lower Fort Street and you’ll pass a manicured traffic divider and also the corner of Downshire Place. This corner had a “London look” to it, with renovated terraces, sandstone road gutters and black iron fencing. It's a good location for another rest with your partner. I usually stop here with my clients before continuing.

Ferry Lane

One of the last spots of the portrait photography session is usually along Ferry Lane. Take a left turn off Lower Fort Street (either down Downshire Place or opposite the Harbour View Hotel) and you’ll end up along a tiny footpath that overlooks the Walsh Bay area and old piers. It’s not immediately a great backdrop and varies in quality with lighting conditions, but it has some interesting features along the path that create some unique perspectives. Head to the southern end for some textured backdrops such as rustic old walls and peeling painted surfaces. That’s the end of this engagement photography tour of The Rocks, Sydney. Enjoy viewing some images from Carolyn and Robert's pre-wedding photoshoot below. For an engagement or pre-wedding photography session in Sydney please reach out using the details on the contact page linked here.

Brittany and Hamish’s Moby Dicks Wedding

Pete — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:52:33 +0000

Moby Dicks Whale Beach is a reception venue I had heard a lot about but never visited since starting my photography career. It had the reputation of being a relaxed, coastal venue with a great atmosphere, with plenty of excellent photographic backdrops nearby. I was super delighted to be involved in Brittany and Hamish’s Moby Dicks wedding and finally have the opportunity to shoot at the venue. Of course, more than just shooting at their venue, I was mostly looking forward to capturing Brittany and Hamish’s wedding day! I first met Hamish when he was a groomsman for Edith and Lochie’s wedding at Mindaribba House (linked here). When they booked (which was several years after Edith and Lochie’s wedding), I didn’t immediately meet with Brittany and Hamish at the time. Whilst it’s not uncommon for couples to book us without a first meeting, I did recognise the name. It wasn’t until around 6 weeks before their wedding day that Brittany, Hamish and I meet in Dee Why for their pre-wedding production meeting, where I put the pieces of the puzzle together and joined the dots.

Wedding ceremony at Moby Dicks

Brittany and Hamish’s wedding ceremony was held on the upper terraced areas of Moby Dicks Whale Beach. It’s a cute area surrounded by manicured garden beds. Their florist decorated the arbour, and guests surrounded the aisle and staircase awaiting the arrival of our bride. Brittany arrived with her bridesmaids to Hamish and his groomsmen, and the ceremony got underway. After the nuptials and to celebrate the newly married two, guests threw confetti to produce an awesome photograph, shown in the blog post below.

Wedding Photography around Newport and Palm Beach

For Brittany and Hamish’s wedding photos around Newport, we took a drive up to Pittwater Park and Snapperman Beach (strange name for a beach, right?!). After cracking open some champagne and toasting the occasion, we captured portraits on the beach steps and the lawn areas. We waited for the ferry to leave before heading onto the Palm Beach Ferry Wharf for some more portraits. Wedding photos on the Palm Beach Ferry Wharf lends to a relaxed backdrop with the rolling hills of the Western Ku-ring-gai National Park and West Head in the background. The calm waters of Pittwater and Careel Bay play a chilled backing track to the portrait session and give you time to take a break from the chaos of a wedding day. The old pier and timber decking work well in colour and black and white photographs and provide honesty to captured frames. After an hour or so of portraits with their bridal party, Brittany and Hamish returned for their Moby Dicks wedding reception.

Moby Dicks Wedding

Located near the top of the Northern Beaches peninsula, on a small beachside embankment overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean is Moby Dicks at Whale Beach. The venue is known for its charming white and spacious interiors, with white timber panelling and pale-toned striped wallpaper decor. As guests walk into the venue they enter down the front staircase, across the dance floor and into the main room, wrapped by fantastic views over Whale Beach. During the night, Hamish; an experienced musician, stole the show on the drums, rocking it out with Kieran on Guitar. Brittany and Hamish originally booked with us in early 2020, and so after several COVID-19 related postponements this wedding day was a long time coming, and they made the most of the celebrations. For more information on wedding photography on the Northern Beaches please get in touch with us via the contact page.