Getting Married Down Under- wedding images from Australia

This image is from my wedding in Australia a few years ago that I shot for Mike and Melodie on Manly Beach.  Yes, the clouds are real.  We had an amazing time and this image is going up on the new website, so I'm excited to share it with you guys!

Next Workshops:

• Morgantown, WV- October 22-24
• Myryle Beach, SC- November 6-7
• Tampa, Florida- November 13-14

Camera settings: Nikon D3, 1/1600 sec at f/4.0, 20mm at ISO 320, flash did not fire.  Taken at 3:16pm on May 1, 2009 by Jason Lanier in Manly Beach, Australia.

Halo- the wedding story of Mike and Melodie Thompson

CLICK TO VIEW SLIDESHOW!

I am very excited to release the slideshow of the wedding story for Mike and Melodie Thompson shot in Sydney, Australia last month!  I have shot so many weddings and I truly love each and every one of them.  This wedding is definitely one of my all time favorites and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to share this day with this wonderful couple.  One of the reasons I loved this wedding so much was because the family was just so welcoming and honestly wonderful.  We also had the opportunity to do extended shooting after the wedding which you will see in the slideshow.  

I love preparing and sharing slideshows because I think from a photographic standpoint it is the closest thing to attending the wedding...especially if you weren't able to attend.  With all the destination weddings I do there is almost a certainty that someone from the family or a friend can't make it....and that's why couples hire me....so I can take their most special day and preserve it in a way that anyone across the globe can feel and share.  I hope you enjoy!!!

Sydney- Here Comes the Sun

We had an amazing rainstorm during the end of the Reception...and just as the Reception ended....so did the rainstorm.  I took Melanie and Mike outside because the scenery was straight out of a movie.  So much about photography is taking advantage of what is available to you...and that was definitely the case with these shots.  When you get dark rain clouds fighting with a fierce sun...you can get shots that are fantastic.  Another big thanks to the bride and groom for being willing to get out there to make these shots happen!!!

Skiff Harbor View

This shot was taken from a window of the reception hall where the wedding took place during the reception.  A huge rainstorm came in and started pouring water all over the area.  As is the case in Australia the rain comes and can quickly go...so I waited for it to stop to grab this picture.  As soon as the sun started coming through the clouds I snapped this shot.  

Some of my personal favorite shots that I love to put in my office are of landscapes taken through windows still showing the window frame.  That way every time I look at the picture I feel like I'm looking through a window back to the place no matter how far away it may be.  I hope you enjoy!

Manly Beach with Mike and Melodie

These pictures are from the shoot we did after the ceremony.  The wedding was held in Manly Beach which is about 25 minutes from Sydney.  After the ceremony we took the Bride and Groom to this amazing location that I had found the day before.  It really was as beautiful as the pictures show....the clouds, the sky, everything....all natural.  

It's so important when you're shooting a couple that they have a chance to flirt and have fun....that is when you get the best shots.  Mike being Australian was such a gentleman and kept us laughing from start to finish. Melodie was just radiant...it was almost impossible to take a bad picture of her.  Most importantly is that these two are really in love....and that is exactly the element that I tried to capture in these images.  I hope you enjoy!

Cinderella

I'm very excited to release my first image from my most recent wedding in Australia!!!  I have named this image, "Cinderella" for obvious reasons.  This is one of the last images I shot as part of the wedding. As a photographer there are a few distinct areas of the world that you have to shoot before you consider yourself, "Complete."  For me the Sydney Opera House was and will forever be one of them.  

This unbelievable piece of architecture creates lines for photography that are out of this world. It is also one of the most recognizable buildings in the world...and I was determined to get this shot.  I can't thank the bride and groom Mike and Melodie enough for working so hard with me to get this shot.  I also can't thank Kara and Cameron for providing the lighting that made this work.  A shot like this takes many people to create...and for me it took our team to make it happen.  1 Photographer/Director (me), two lighting assistants (Kara and Cameron), and the bride and groom....a total of 5 people....but it was worth it....I truly love the shot and I hope you do too!  This will be my first entry into the WPPI competition coming it.  I hope you like it!

Sydney Wedding Interview

I still have a few days to post from our adventures in Australia but I'm really getting the itch to post some wedding shots....those will be coming shortly.  To help scratch the itch I wanted to post a picture of the interview we did on the Harbour in Sydney with the ocean and Sydney Opera House in the background.  It is the most stunning place we've ever done an interview. Cameron was shooting the video while Kara held the video light and I got this shot on a remote trigger using my D90 while my D3 was on the tripod firing at the same time.  

So much about photography is related to finding the perfect location, and ensuring that the lighting is working the way it should to get what you want.  I'll use any kind of light; car, video, building, natural, etc. to get the job done.....I love natural lighting and with the D3 I can use natural lighting better than any other camera on the market....but sometimes you need more.  I find any flash on top of the camera to be the least effective of any alternative lighting sources available...and I do love the Qflash....it works great.  I'll never forget doing this interview and this wedding....just unbelievable.