How did you end up in the wedding biz? What got you hooked on being a wedding vendor?

I actually kind of ended up in the wedding biz by accident! I was starting out with fashion and portrait photography and started posting some of my early work on my Instagram and some facebook pages in Adelaide, and a few local wedding photographers took notice and asked me to be a second shooter for them. Adelaide is a melting pot of different cultures and many generations of immigrants, and a lot of people love to keep their cultures and family traditions alive there, especially for weddings. 

I ended up shooting and witnessing weddings from a lot of different cultures – Greek, Italian, Chinese, Lebanese, Iranian, Croatian, Albanian, Vietnamese – and fell in love with the documentary aspect of it, and also focusing on simply capturing the love between two people and their friends and family was such a refreshing break from my usual commercial photography jobs.

When I moved to Tassie I decided to just go for it and do wedding photography on my own here, combining my editorial and classic photography background with the stunning landscapes, venues and vendors we have here.

What makes your services stand out in a sea of wedding vendors? Any secret sauce?

My fashion photography background and experience definitely helps to set me apart! Plus it makes posing couples a breeze, as I often have to work with young beginner models and guide them through step by step on how to pose at workshops and test shoots. 

I love working with natural light and architectural shapes and elements, and people often say they want to work with me because of how I use, work with and shape natural light. 

I’m also quite outdoorsy and adventurous, which is why moving to Tassie was so appealing! I’m a keen scuba and freediver and actually shoot underwater quite often and it’s my dream to take underwater wedding photos for someone one day 🙂

Got any wild wedding stories to share? Any crazy challenges you’ve faced on the job?

The most challenging wedding shoot I’ve had so far was a spontaneous wedding portrait shoot in Nepal, on the way to Everest Base camp. I had just happened to sit across the table from a couple that started talking to me over lunch, saying they were on their Honeymoon and had carried up a dress and suit on their trek, but didn’t have a photographer. 

Their original plan was to get their mountain guide to take a few snaps, but fast forward a day we found ourselves doing a 5am photo session at 5000m in 0 degree celsius, all of us struggling with the altitude and the cold, shooting with a camera I didn’t know. I was on a holiday and only had a 120 film & 35mm film camera with me + used their camera too, and we somehow made it work.

When things go haywire or last-minute changes happen during a wedding, how do you handle it like a pro?

Sometimes you just gotta go with it, hey! I’ve had a few weddings where crazy weather got in the way of being able to shoot for a long time, for example with sudden snow storms and it just being really cold and the couple not lasting more than 10 minutes outside for photos. 

Luckily in that case, there usually is a back up location we can work with instead. For example, at a recent Cradle mountain wedding we couldn’t shoot much outside due to conditions, but did a big part of their photo session behind the sun covered windows at the visitor centre, which actually is quite a photogenic building. It wasn’t quite what we were expecting for that day but the shots inside the building are some of my favourite up to date.

Also, I usually carry back up items for a lot of situations in the car – clear umbrellas for the couple in case it rains, thermos with hot water, rain protection for my camera, stain remover, first aid kit, backup equipment, snacks, etc.

Are there any fellow vendors or pros you love teaming up with? How do these collaborations elevate the wedding experience?

I love working with a good videographer, as we can work as a team with poses. My posing is usually quite dynamic & natural anyways and it’s always fun having another creative to collaborate, froth over lighting or bounce ideas off each other. 

Most of my weddings here in Tassie are on the smaller side, but for a lot of the 300-400 guest weddings in Adelaide we often had a team of 2-3 photographers and 2-3 videographers and it’s just nice to work in a team sometimes, considering the rest of my job is mainly me editing on the computer by myself.

I also really enjoy working with a great planner or stylist – those weddings are usually so aesthetically stunning and an absolute joy to shoot!

Any eco-friendly practices you incorporate into your services? How do you keep things green in the wedding world?

This is a big one for me, not just in my business but in my personal life too. I’m actually currently still working on a coffee table photo book about people with a connection to water around Australia, and the profits of that book will go to The Nature Conservancy Australia. 

I try to implement a lot of small changes into my life and to be mindful of what I consume, albeit not being perfect. Some of the things I implement: buying second hand where possible (clothing, laptop, car, some camera gear), using rechargeable batteries for my flashes, plant based diet, electronic communication and image delivery instead of letters & USBs.

I’m also always aiming to educate myself, and am currently doing a course as a bushwalking guide at TAFE, and a big part of the course is how to reduce and minimize our impact on Tasmania’s natural heritage areas and respecting country, by following leave no trace principles, staying on tracks, disinfecting boots etc.

Safety first! What precautions do you take to ensure everyone’s well-being during weddings, especially with recent events in mind?

I stay up to date with my first aid courses, and am currently doing a bushwalking guiding course too, which is all about responding to emergencies and keeping people safe in remote areas. Other than the obvious sanitizing, preparation is key and some flexibility with posing if needed, plus prioritizing looking after my own health and fitness year round. I shot a few weddings in Covid times and it was quite stressful and we had to change a lot of the poses with guests. Luckily Tassie has a lot of outdoor space and mostly smaller groups of guests too.

What’s your favourite wedding gig or the most unique one you’ve ever worked on. What made it so special?

My favourite wedding to shoot and witness was my best friends sister’s wedding in Melbourne. Her family lives apart in 3 different parts of the world (Australia, England, Germany) and I’d known them from living back in Germany still, and also visited them in England. They took me in like one of their own kids when I first came to Australia at 20 years old and let me stay with them for a few weeks like a part of their family. 

I had gotten to know them all individually in their respective parts of the world, but for the wedding they were all united and physically together in one place for once – it was such a special and beautiful thing to see and experience.

Tell us about the most out-of-the-box or unexpected request you’ve ever received from a couple. How did you handle it?

A bride asked to take photos with her wedding dress in the bathtub – we just went with it and had a lot of fun with her photos, and for the photos after! 🙂

Lastly, drop some wisdom! Any sage advice for couples embarking on the crazy adventure of wedding planning?

It’s your big day, so you do you! Only you know what’s important to you and what you care about, so listen to that gut feeling and decide based on that how you want your day to be like, as much as friends and family might have their own ideas and expectations of your day. Just because other people are doing something in a certain way for their wedding, doesn’t mean you have to. Lastly, relax, remember to eat and drink, and enjoy your beautiful day! 🙂