2 discoveries from my optometrist trip this morning. 1. I need new glasses 2. The crotch of my bike gear isn't as waterproof as I'd like.
24Jan/11Off
Major Blog Update
Here at Hargreaves Photography we are in the middle of a significant upgrade to the look and feel of our blog to make it a friendlier place for our clients and visitors.
We are just putting the final touches to the design of the site, after which we will be uploading all of the old content and launching headlong into a massive blogging session to show you some of the stunning wedding photographs from recent weddings in Sydney and beyond.
Thanks for your patience while we go about the update, we really appreciate it. In the meantime, if you'd like to see more photographs from recent weddings and portraits in Sydney, please take a look at our Client's page at the website, www.hargreavesphotography.com.au!
18Jan/110
Marcela & John | Observatory Hill & Waterfront Restaurant, Sydney, NSW
It would be safe to say that I love it when there are young children at weddings. Inevitably I find myself sprawled on the ground capturing shots of the children having even more fun than the grown-ups.
At this recent wedding at Observatory Hill Sydney, Xavier shared the limelight with mum & dad, Marcela & John, but only after a sustained period of worm catching with a friend!
Marcela & John's guests had travelled from all over the globe to attend their big day and I couldn't have thought of a better way to showcase Sydney for the overseas visitors than a wedding on Observatory Hill with the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a backdrop.
Guests enjoyed a post-wedding ceremony drink at Cruise Bar, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal whilst we took advantage of the varied backdrops for some stunning wedding portraits in The Rocks.
Marcela & John's wedding reception was held at Waterfront Restaurant within the heritage-listed, 1839-built, Campbell's Stores, which overlook the Sydney Opera House and provide stunning views of Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
18Jan/110
Jana & Jim | Engagement Portraits | The Rocks & Walsh Bay, Sydney
I recently had the huge pleasure of shooting some engagement portraits, for Jana & Jim, in and around Walsh Bay and The Rocks in Sydney. Although this fun couple live in Sydney, later in the year, Jana & Jim will be heading overseas for their destination wedding in Canada.
The plan was to shoot some photographs that were subtly, yet unmistakably, Sydney and to create a engagement book in which their wedding guests could write notes, wishes and hints on their wedding day.
Jana & Jim were quickly at ease in front of the camera and we enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours searching out great light in a range of locations, both modern and heritage. A hot and very sunny afternoon in Sydney posed a challenge in terms of lighting, which, as I hope the following images will show, was handled beautifully.
18Jan/110
Blue Mountains Wedding | Annie & Gene | The Turpentine Tree, Kurrajong
It would be understating things to say that Australia has been a bit wet recently, and my cameras and I have been part of a number of damp weddings. What continues to amaze me is the cool and collected way that my brides (and grooms) have adjusted their plans, shrugged off the weather and continued to smile and laugh throughout their big days. [Photographers actually like overcast days, the light is more even and we don't have to fight the shadows and squinting caused by harsh sunlight].
Annie & Gene's wedding day, at The Turpentine Tree in the Blue Mountains, was one of those typical damp mountain days with patches of cloud and rain rolling up the mountains. Fortunately, The Turpentine Tree has both wet and dry options; under the breathtaking turpentine that dominates the landscape adjacent to the dam or in the stunning pergola. The on-again, off-again rain forced a last minute relocation of the ceremony to the pergola and the owners, Paul and Gerhard, swung into action to set-up in the new location - something that they are obviously very practiced at!
Typically, the rain held off for the actual ceremony, throughout which the stunning bride smiled incessantly with not even a hint of nerves. Guests enjoyed pre-dinner drinks in the marquee and rose garden, whilst Annie, Gene and I, together with the wedding party, explored the extensive gardens in the rain.
18Jan/110
An International Wedding | Malin & Jonathan | Freshwater Beach, NSW
The wedding of Malin & Jonathan, on beautiful Freshwater Beach on Sydney's northern beaches, truly was an international affair. Malin's family attended from Sweden, Jonathan's family flew in from France and a together with mixture of Australians, it made for a very lively reception!
After a week of solid rain and cold Sydney weather, it was a relief to see some blue skies on the morning of Malin and Jonathan's big day. By lunchtime the temperatures had hit 30degrees and Freshwater Beach was full of sun and sea worshippers.
An outdoor wedding in full sun is always an interesting challenge from a photographer's perspective and the flashes were working overtime to fill in the shadows.
The cloudless blue skies provided a stunning backdrop to our formal photographs, which were shot around the ocean pool at Freshwater, a favourite spot for Malin and Jonathan [being just a few hundred metres from their home].
