Absolutely thrilled to be announced as the 2025 Wedding Photographer of the Year!
It was such a privilege to stand alongside three other incredibly talented finalists for this title. The NZ Institute of Professional Photography runs an outstanding award system that's open to all professional photographers across the country. Typically, finalists are selected from the live judging at the Iris Awards. The highest-scoring portfolios across all the countries' entries, (usually 3 finalists, this year 4)! ... And from these, the images are rejudged anonymously by a panel of 5 judges to determine the winner. No one, not even the judges, knows the outcome until the announcement, so it truly is nail-biting on the night of the awards ceremony! I've been honoured to be a finalist for this award a few times in the past, but I've ne
Love is most definitely in the air here in Dunedin .. It might be colder temperatures, but that's not stopping these loved up couples!
They are willing to commit to each other in the most beautiful & unique ways!
One of the joys of capturing couples over the years has been seeing how much things have changed - more and more, couples are doing their day, their way!
They a
I'm thrilled to share that I've been invited once again to judge the 2025 Asia Pacific Photography Awards! It's such an incredible privilege to be trusted with this role alongside so many talented creatives. This year, I'll be judging the Wedding, Landscape, Advertising & Editorial, Animals & Nature categories - What a line-up!
I'll also be entering an imag
Capturing an Aurora at home has always been a bucket list dream for me and this evening it happened, only 300 metres from where I live! The Aurora was so fast-moving, with constant flashes and mesmerizing dancing across the sky, that I was left completely gobsmacked. I have been an Aurora chaser for many years, and normally a bright moon would wash out the brightness, but not this
The 2024 Iris Awards are done and dusted and I'm absolutely rapt to get awards on every entry I entered!
All in all a haul of - 1 Silver distinction award, 4 Silver and 10 Bronze Awards across various categories!
I also had the privilege of judging some other categories too, across the 3 days of judging, this was followed by a 2 day NZ Photogshow workshop and conference where I asked to
Have been asked to be a judge at the 2024 Asia Pacific Photography Awards! This is for photographers from all over the world, however the majority of entrants are more from the Asia Pacific region of our beautiful planet.
All the best to all the entrants!
So THIS news was a real chuckle! First time entering a category that was so different to my normal .. & walk out as a Finalist I mean what the heck?! Defo taking this as a huge win as all these images was just me playing on my computer mirroring images that were in camera captures, slow in camera movement and double exposures!
It really is fun to have
So it never rains but it pours right! Simply can't even fathom receiving a Gold award in a category .. and then receiving 3 of them, its INSANE! But it happened! This made me a finalist of 4 wedding photographers, and as we know there can only be one winner! Unfortunately for myself, the judges did not choose my entries this year to be the winner. To b
Oh my goodness the highly anticipated Iris Awards for 2023 have just wrapped up and I have walked away with some incredible results! I entered 12 images into 3 categories and managed to be a finalist in two categories! Wedding Photographer of the Year Finalist and Landscape Open Photographer of the Year Finalist! Absolutely thrilled as I was awarded 4 Bronze, 4 Silver, 1 Si
This was a cute Bronze Award won in the Wedding Category of the Iris Awards .. I simple love this typtch of daughter putting on her mummas wedding shoes! Exciting images to post next few days and other news too!
The annual NZIPP Iris Awards are just around the corner and I am excited to announce that I am part of the judging panel for 2023! With 15 categories to enter, over $30,000NZ in prizes and entry open to photographers across the world, this is a great photography competition to get involved with. The best part - the live judging! You can even tune into You Tube and watch for
It was an absolute privilege to be asked by the Auckland/Northland region of the NZIPP to be able to share my skills and experience of photpgrahing Nature, on the stunning Tiritiri Matangi Island! The attendees were a mix of Nature and NZIPP Photographers that love Nature and wanted to expand their skill set.
We were also very fortunate to have CANON NZ get right on b
Have just got back from an amazing 3 days at Hamner Springs at a photographic retreat! I was asked by the NZIPP (New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography), to share how I do my ICM (Intentional Camera Movement), .. and of course I said yes!
Most of the attendees were professional photographers, and other photographers also joined and were very talented people with the
I'm absolutely thrilled and proud to have THREE of my images to represent New Zealand in the Photographic World Cup!
The images were chosen from my 2022 Iris entries and I'm absolutely gobsmacked to have 3 images chosen in 3 categories!
Am proud to be chosen in to be included in this team as the other finalists are unbelievably talented!
This article was in the Business section of the Otago Daily Times and The Star - was lovely to be asked to share info on how the wedding industry had been the last couple of years over Covid and how it is now bouncing back!
So THIS is rather amazing! I entered only 3 images into the Landscape in Camera category of the NZ & Australian Iris Awards .. (This category is more purist, and no photoshopping, layers etc is allowed).
The way the scoring works is that, if the images are judged well and gets awarded high, the top 3 images from the top 3 finalists (all done on a point score), gets the entr
Had the most exciting time at the iris Awards this year! I panel chaired and judged a few categories, and also had my own work judged (obviously not in the categories I was judging! And guess what?! Finalist of 3 in the Nature Category! You will have to go to my Facebook and Instagram links: Instagram natures__studio to view the images as I had 3 images in that catego
The highlight of the year photographically is coming next week .. well apart form actually photographing! Its the 2022 Iris Awards, held in Nelson this year and is also the deciding factor on who becomes both 2022 Australian and New Zealand Photographer of the Year!
The New Zealand Photo Show is also being held, so its non stop for 5 days with 3 days of live judging accross 3 spaces
Our amazing Aurora lights have not been too active the last few years.. so when I wasn't sleeping one night, (2am) and a freezing winters night, I read the Aurora app on my phone and it was reading a strength of KP7! Thats a hugely high strength and I spent the next half hour being totally unprepared and trying to find all my camera kit needed for capturing the night skies! It was
Ok, so I'm trying not to use exclamation marks finishing my words .. and its never easy for a photographer when talking about great light, amazing scenery, stunning loved up couples and putting them in amazing locations for the magic of light to unfold around them .. and that winters light has that thing about it, omething not tangible but at the same time its like an atmosphere that
When Winter starts, it always feels like a mixture of excitement and wonder as to what the weather is going to throw at us! The light is always stunning and as long as we rug up well, we can go out and capture some amazing local scenes like this one. This is only 5 minutes from home on the Otago Peninsula.
Some couples wonder what it is like getting married in Winter? For one
I was up photographing a wedding in Rotorua recently (just under a month actually, as the wedding images should be arriving on their doorstep today)! But check out these girls! The entire wedding party, parents, family and friends were all invited to LUGE down to the wedding! Of course there was a nice sedate way to also access the ceremony and venue but it was the coolest thing
This beautiful scene is in the Waitaki Valley on Lake Benmore. It is immediately beside the main road, a place called Sailors Cutting. When I captured this, it was this time of year, around Easter, and it was a freezing cold chilly morning, the beauty of mist always gets me.
This image went on to win some awards also.
But here's the thing. Those
The coolest thing ever is seeing couples connect and realise their photo session was so much fun! So much fun that they can't wait to have the photo session included on their wedding day!
What a way to use the beautiful light we get here in Otago too! Makes for great images!
Very thrilled to be asked to be included as part of the team for New Zealand, for the World Photographic Cup 2022!
If I was honest I dont feel my nature image will make it to the top ten finalists in the world as all the other countries involved (35 countries), have submitted mostly heavily worked digital images, where mine is very purist according to NZ rules. But i
Feel very privileged to be asked to be on the Panel of judges for the Asia Pacific Photography Awards!
Judging is now being done and it is a big job but rewarding.
This award system is open to any photographers around the world and its a great way to pit your skills against others in your genre drom all over the world! There are 13 categories including an under 18, so every
Two bars to my Masters with Distinction, highest ever score given to a Nature Image at 97. What a great start to an evening! More to come .. but if you look closely at this image, you might guess ..!
It's been a hugely exciting week in Nelson at the 2021 Nikon Iris Awards!
One of the biggest highlights so far is that all 4 of my Nature entries received awards! 2 Bronze awards, One Gold Award .. and drumroll.. A Gold Distinction at 97 points! This is the highest score ever given to a Nature entry so I am thrilled!
Now the finalists have been announc
The NZ Photorgraphy Show is being held in Nelson 26-30th July! Cant wait to get there and spend time with old and new faces in the industry, bring it on!
Here is a schedule of events during the week, the Live Judging is particularly amazing to listen to if you cant get thre yourself in person.
www.nzphotoshow.co.nz
Like many in the country, I jumped out onto my deck and fortunately had a perfect clear view of the Blood Moon Eclipse last night. There was supposed to be an Aurora also, so had plans for that I guess, but as Lady Aurora wasnt in the mood to dance, I stayed home and took a cruisy image instead from the comfort of 3 metres from the lounge.
Thrilled to be awarded an Associateship with the Photographic Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) - These are the images that made that happen!
At this time of year, we all hope for cool winds and no predators. Really isn the middle of Summer?! An incredibly exciting and nervous time for all involved. The chicks take days to hatch and are at their most vulnerable. There is the risk of predators, fly strike, even their own parents big feet! The Royal Albatross Colony is an absolute hive of activity at this tim
We live in an amazing city. This is the Precinct area of Dunedin, which, over the last 10 years or so, has been "upmarketed".. is that a word?! Once, a very industrial area, now its is full of cafes and small businesses (some large too)! Pictured here is Mike & Grace, just outside the Vogel Street Kitchen .. which was once a wool store, carpet storage, carpark, etc
With a very crazy year coming to a close, thought I would post an image that was a tad carnage, but with heart.
Usually every year I have the privilege of capturing the graduating nurses and it is always a highlight to watch the excited faces of all the graduating Nurses, the proud expressions of the family and loved ones attending the celebrations, ceremony and generally everything to do
Drum roll!
One of my images that did well at the 2020 NZ Iris Awards in the wedding category has been chosen to represent a "Team NZ" in the 2020 Photographic World Cup! 16 images were chosen across a range of photographic genres. Am rather thrilled my amazing Groom and groomsmen styled so well for me :-D
Here are the images if you would like to view. 38 co
If any would love to leran a bit more on posing familes and weddings, am giving a presentaion tonight at the Dunedin Photographic Society tonight at the Mornington Community Centre at 7.30pm, 16 Maryhill Terrace, Mornigton. Visitors are always welcome :-)
One of the nicest things about being a photographer is being able to share your experiences and knowledge of different genres of photography, from wedding, astro, nature, portraiture, even capturing the stuning Royal Albatross on the peninsula at Tairoa Head on the Otago peninsula.
But "what has this got to do with eating cake", you wonder?
The Balclutha Cam
I'm off shortly to Balcutha to visit the most lovely Photography club. We have a great Club here in Dunedin, but these guys bake the moct AMAZING Chocolate Cakes for their visitors. We need to up our game here in Dunedin!
Tonight I will be talking and showing a slideshow, of the two year project I had of capturing the lifecyle of the Northern Royal Albatross on
For couples getting married in our beautiful surrounds of Dunedin or Otago, they have the incredible opportunity to take advantage of our amazing night skies! Sure its cold, sure its dark, but images like this dont take long to capture! Rug up in a warm coat and snuggle with your beloved while all your guests are dancing away inside the reception venue .. they wont even noticed you hav
Who would believe this image of a beautiful Royal Spoonbil was catpured only 3 mins drive from our beautiful city of Dunedin! Our #dunnerstunner bird and all his brood literally fly from location to location around the Otago Peninsula, .. which is wonderful to see them and their quirky ways with their unique bills! Such comical birds but combined with their grace are valued so much by
The time we spend with our family is so precious. Over this time (and we have had a lot of it, some more than others), we can reflect on the most important things in our life .. Our loved ones! Currently taking bookings from Level 2 - to capture the most important things in your life .. your family. Autumn is ideal as the colours are incredible! Portraiture sessions and fa
With the amount of rain we have had lately, just thought I would add that there is soo much amazing opportunity to do great photography! Please do not worry, as it would give me more time to play with the beautiful soft light that a rainy day provides :-)
Sure you will have to be a little more careful with location choices etc, but your Plan B will rock believe me!
Vernon & Michelle. These two are so iconically Dunedin in style. Low key. Modest. And so darned themselves. I absolutely loved shooting these two on a perfect Dunedin beach late in the day!
So guess who got to capture an amazing WEDDING PROPOSAL?!
Every year I have the privelege of capturing these amazing nurses graduation photo. What a bunch?! We will all be in safe hands with these nurses!
How is everyones plans going? Dont forget to drop me a line and we can have a great catch up with the plans of your big day!
I am totally thrilled to announce my portfolio of printed images entered into the 2021 NZIPP Nikon Iris Awards, has given me the title of 2021 Nature Photographer of the Year! The Nature Category is sponsored by NZIPP and I am so very thankful to have wonderful support from our sponsors!
The 2021 Nikon Iris awards were hosted in Nelson, and is an intense, nerve wracking time fo
Who wants this job?! MEEEE!
+64 21 245 7599
Dunedin, New Zealand
