Tip #2 – While wearing the aforementioned glasses. Make sure you can actually SEE when you are in shopping centers. The first time you bang in to a wall it’s okay, any more than that and security start to follow.

We say goodbye tomorrow. I’m not ready to say goodbye. I just want him here. With us. With his fiancee, with his kids.

I’ve spent 35 out of the last 38 hours making a slideshow to show tomorrow. It was the hardest thing I’ve done. it hurt so bad to see his smiling face and know that I’d only be seeing in photos from now on. I hope the rest of the family like it.

Love you always.

xxx

My children lost an uncle. My husband lost a friend.

My sister in law lost her life partner. My niece and nephews lost their Dad.

Hold close those that you love.

Make time to see those that you miss.

Cherish every.single.moment. that you share.

Love always.

It seems to surreal to be sitting here typing. How can the sun still shine, the earth still rotate. Life as we know it has changed. There is a big, huge gaping hole that will never be filled.

Oh Chris. How I wish you were here and I’d punch you in the face for putting us all through this. Dude. I miss you so much!

Thank you so much to those who already known and have sent gestures of support. It means more to me / us than you could ever know.

If there was one thing Chris would say it’s “family”.

“Family comes first”.

In light of these recent events I’m going to be taking a couple of weeks off.

Thanks guys.

xxx

Noah Christian. My nephew. This is what love is.

I have recently come across this fabulous article from Swoon.

The points in the article really can make (or break) a photo! Enjoy!

Every photographer is different. Once you choose the artist who will be photographing your day, the number one thing you can do to get the best out of them is *trust them.*

But, here is one photographers personal guide to what helps create the right environment for FABULOUS wedding photos. It goes without saying that some wedding days are easier to shoot and achieve magnificent results than others. Some of those reasons are outlined below. It is the professionals job to create professional results, no matter what the shooting conditions but remember they can only shoot what is already there.

If you’re unsure ask *your* photographer. What you read here is opinion, not gospel truth.

1. Light is EVERYTHING when it comes to photography. Don’t get ready in a house with no natural light. Choose a spacious well lit room or better yet, a fabulous hotel room. It will make such a difference to your photos
2. Natural light coming from open windows or doorways creates pretty soft FLATTERING light. Thinks lots and lots of soft pretty natural light. Your skin will look better, your details will look better, *everything* looks better in soft pretty natural light.
3. Don’t hang your dress in some dark spare room with mess, boxes and crap everywhere. Before the photographer arrives, hang it somewhere dramatic with lots of natural light. Maybe hang it from a ceiling hook, ceiling fan or a light fitting or a pretty doorway. If you want to see your photographer pass out with excitement, be brave and hang it from a tree in the garden.
4. Have all your details — like perfume, earrings, garter, shoes, brooches etc etc somewhere so the photographer can find them easily without disturbing you each time for a new item. Most likely, the photographer will want to start the coverage by shooting details. make it easy for them to find everything
5. Your bridesmaids might be really protective of you and get frantic about getting your dress dirty. Tell them to trust the photographer. Fussing bridesmaids can be annoying. Yes, your long white dress will probably get a little dirty during the day. You only wear it ONCE, so make it count.
6. A co-operative bridal party makes the day flow SO much better than a bridal party who doesn’t want to co-operate with the photographer. Ask them to be courteous to the professional who is putting their heart and soul into creating beautiful images for you.
7. Reconsider having a fake tan. Orange, orange, orange.
8. Veils are wonderful “props.” Consider having a more daring veil for the photo session. Less traditional and more “out there.”
9. Think about props. They don’t have to be cheesy. Bocce, bow-ties, braces, wellington boots, a bike, basket of flowers, cupcakes, vintage books if you love reading, chairs in the middle of a field – anything that is really you and portrays your personal style.
10. Think about being unique. Don’t do what your friends did, or what people tell you to. It really is true when they say, “It’s your day!”
11. Your priest may hate photographers. Your photographer may not be able to choose where they can stand in a church.
12. Dappled light (uneven light coming through trees) can create some very dodgy looking photographs with a mottled effect. So can gazebos where the backdrop with be very backlit and the foreground very dark. There are ways of means of getting around this but do consider the lighting at your ceremony. Ask your celebrant to place you out of dappled / mottled light. If you are standing in full sun, squinting in real life, you will be squinting in your images. Remember the photographer can only shoot what is there already. The BEST light for shooting an outdoor ceremony is even shade.
13. Don’t feel you have to smile in every image as soon as you spot the photographer. You don’t! Be yourself. And pretty please don’t tell kids to “smile!”
14. Wear shoes or accessories in colours other than white!
15. Some photographers prefer a lot of time for the photo session. Other photographers (like me) like less time — it’s all about STYLE and APPROACH and every photographer is different and there is no right or wrong way. Ask your photographer how much time they prefer in order to achieve their photographic style.
16. Ask your photographer to recommend a videographer that matches their shooting style. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
17. If you are OUTSIDE your hair might be windblown. Not a bad thing, just be aware of it.
18. Think about having a pretty pair of flat shoes for the location session (or the whole day if it’s your style). Your feet will thank you.
19. In terms of locations think (in my opinion) quality over quantity. Do you really want to spend the majority of your wedding day in the back of a car?
20. Do your first dance as soon as you enter your reception. Don’t sit down, just start dancing! Guests love it and your photographer is usually still there to capture it.
21. Get your DJ to really get everyone in the party mood before you enter your reception. I have seen brilliant entrances and super quiet ones. The great ones are usually where the DJ has pumped up the audience.
22. Choose a dress that suits and flatters your body type. Not one that makes you feel self-conscious and shows off areas of your body that you feel embarrassed of. If it’s a strapless dress, consider a bolero or a shrug. Add a sash in a bold colour. Select a dress that flatters your figure and makes you feel comfortable inside yourself. Consider a gown in a colour other than white.
23. If you choose the beach as a location it might be windy / sandy / hot and uncomfortable. It might be beautiful but it might be “the worst location in the world.” Ask your photographer and go by the weather conditions and light on the day. Sounds obvious, but if it’s hot and windy and you’re uncomfortable, this will affect your images.

xxx {Melody}

When I found out I was pregnant with baby #4 I just assumed he would “fit right in”. I’d been there, done that. I already had 3 kids, seriously what could #4 possibly throw at me that I hadn’t experienced before?

HA!

Little did I know that Declan Jack aka Baby #4 would turn our lives upside down!

It has been hard. Really hard. HE has been hard work. Really hard work. I used to “suck it up” and smile and say “oh he’s just a tad off today”, “ohhh he’s not normally like this”, “he’s just a baby”. And then cry behind closed doors because he’d done little else than scream for the entire day.

A couple of weeks ago I went and saw Sex & The City 2 with some girlfriends. Apart from the fact that I’m possibly one of the biggest SATC fans (I delayed going to the hospital whilst in labour with Kaity as I wanted to watch the end of an episode) it changed my life. Okay that’s rather dramatic, but it at least changed my way of thinking. (For all of you highly uncultured peeps out there who haven’t yet seen it) there is a scene where Charlotte and Miranda talk about how hard it is to be a Mum. Charlotte admits to having to walk away while her baby screams. Yes I KNOW, it’s only a movie! But it was SO GOOD to hear those words spoken out loud!

It made me realise that I can say he’s hard and it doesn’t make me a “bad mum”, doesn’t mean I love him any less. It just means I’m truthful. Because for every “bad” moment. There is a “great” one! When I look at him and he.is.so.friggen.cute.that.i.feel.like.i.can’t,handle.it.and.am.going.to.explode.

Yesterday I needed to have one of the above moments, so I dressed him up and we went to “play”.

His little overalls are gorgeous OOBI BABY ones. Oobi is by far my favourite brand for baby wear!

Then we went in for an outfit change.

Oh winter sun how I love thee!

“Pussy cat is over there”

And just to show you that it wasn’t all smiles….

But he is my little dude and I simply adore him!

*** Geek Speak ***

All of these photos were shot with my brand new 135mm lens! ISO 100 F-stop 2.0

xxx {Melody}

But all that behind us I’d like to present you with the gorgeous wedding of Zoe & Ben!

I couldn’t have done this with out my good friend Karen. We shot this together and it made the day oh so fun! You can see her images from the big day here. And al this wouldn’t have happened without the amazing Christine who put Karen and I in touch with Zoe & Ben (and who was also one of the gorgeous bridesmaids!).

The thing I love about weddings is just “watching”. I love to see how people act, what they do, and what they say. The stand-pout thing for me was simply how much Zoe’s friends and family just adored her. Everything was done with love, and big smiles on their faces. It was simply perfect.

Brides are ALWAYS vibrant and glowing on their wedding day, but that, teemed with the pregnancy glow, well it just made Zoe positively radiating!

Now onto the gorgeous couple themselves. They decided to do a “first look”. It’s not standard practice in Australia, and in fact I’ve never ever done one, but boy am i sold! The look on Ben’s face as he awaited the first look of his glowing bride, oh it was priceless!

They are a seriously cute couple!

Check out Ben whispering “naughties” into Zoe’s ear!

Then we had to separate them for just a bit to do the girls & boys shots!

Then back together for some more “loving”.

Ben’s dad had the cutest little buggy you have ever seen! It made for such a gorgeous wedding car!

After the ceremony as the our day was just finishing (but I’m sure the party was just starting) we finished off with a big bridal party shot,

And the gorgeous couple,

Zoe & Ben, thank you so much for allowing me to share your beautiful day with you! I wish you all the best for a wonderful future together and it wont be long at all before you hear the tiny pitter patter of little feet!

xxx {Melody}

I was lucky enough to work alongside my good friend Karen of Karen Pfeiffer Photography Which just helped make the day all the more wonderful!

For a few days beforehand Adelaide had been throwing around some pretty crappy weather. It would be safe to say I was worried! However come this special day and all grey clouds vanished and the sun came out to play.

The attention to detail was just divine. Zoe and Ben got ready on the most cutest little property in Gawler. Full of character.

I shall tease you all today with the details, and save the rest for another day!

Did I mention that Zoe is gorgeously pregnant?

Check back soon for the rest of the images!
xxx {Melody}

We had an amazing line up of models who were just fantastic to work with on the day. If you’re in Adelaide and interested in hooking up with some other photographers, look us up!

Thanks so much to the amazing Cindy Lee for all your effort in setting up all he behind the scenes stuff. As well as Rob for encouraging us all to push our boundaries! *On a side note* Rob’s gorgeous wife Chione is just the most fabulous shoot director you could ask for!

It’s so far removed from what I normally do! So let me know what you think!

And just to show to show that we had fun too…..

Till next time!
xxx {Melody}

I love what I do. Love it so much sometimes I feel that it’s wrong.

However every year around the same time I’m left feeling uneasy. There’s always so much more I want to do, so much more that I want to achieve. I used to think I was alone in these struggles. Until I came across this wonderful video by Zack Arias You may remember I was lucky enough to meet Zack last year at Inspire Me Anyways you can watch it here. Transform

So what do I do? I shut my doors, turn off my phones, walk away from the computer and try to “re-invent” myself. This year that has included de-activating my Facebook account (Oh shock horror! – Don’t worry, I’ll be back, but more about that in another post) – Revamping my blog and completely analyzing and reanalyzing the way I shoot.

My bestie Shana calls it “My Wilderness time”, She says it’s when I take a trip into the wilderness to find myself. I think she’s pretty spot on! During this time I shoot, a lot. But for myself. Sometimes I delete straight off the camera, sometimes i take it in to photoshop and have a little play, other times I “see” in my head what I want an image to look like so I set about making my photo into that vision.

Here’s a few I have to share.

I’ll catch you on the “other side”!

xxx {Melody}

It was a simply gorgeous day. Kate who is the other half of Head In The Clouds was in the wedding party and was looking mighty fine I might add!

I was so honoured to not only witness this amazing wedding, but have the honour of capturing it too.

Here are some of my favourites from the day!

After the ceremony Sahm & Trent went for a walk just by themselves. It was so beautiful and romantic. Meanwhile all the guests were asked to find pretty looking rocks and stones to put in a blessing basket for Sahm & Trent.

The bridal party were all so much fun!

Such a gorgeous couple.

Sahm & Trent, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day! It was truely beautiful to witness the love you two share.

Merryn & Kate, thanks for allowing me to tag along with you guys! It was an awesome experience!

xxx {Melody}