A dog of a wedding

I've learned over the years that you should never close your mind to the opportunities that present themselves. That is especially true of photography. Your options for photographs should never be limited to the actual reason you may have turned up anywhere.Case in point...

While photographing a wedding recently, I found myself being followed around the house by an old mutt that seemed to have taken a shine to me. While doing some candid photographs around the house, I turned to see the dog behind me, on the floor. I lowered my camera to its perspective and without even my eye to the viewfinder took this portrait. Its a great stock shot that could find itself on a calendar or greeting card, perhaps with a funny caption...

Either way, it was an image I had no intention of taking on a day when I was there to do everything else but portraits of a dog..

So, keep your eyes open folks!

I agree with you, W.C!

W.C Fields is renowned for saying "never work with children or animals'...and I have listened to his advice as often as possible. Not that I have anything against children, or animals. I have been known to eat a few, ah, animals that is. But I have avoided photographing them as much as possible. Its just not my thing.

But, wouldn't you know it? Kodak Australia needed some images, supplied the baby, and off I went. While I naturally went about capturing the smiling baby images they required, I also managed this one too. This is probably one of my favourites from the shoot, not that Andrew wasn't cute. He was very cute. Its just that this is a departure of the smiling baby shot I was hired to capture. Its more about that beautiful little crop of hair babies have...and that baby smell...

OK, now I am just getting all girlie on ya...

An Australian Icon

I had the privilege this week of meeting and photographing an Australian Olympic legend, Cathy Freeman. Cathy is an Olympic Gold Medallist and has represented Australia and won medals in many international running events. She is well known for her victory lap draped in the Aboriginal flag, a symbol, as she said, of her origins and one of the most Australian things she has done.

I was asked by Penguin Publishing to cover the official launch of her autobiography, Born to Run. For a woman who has seen and stood in so much limelight, this friendly and unassuming lady was so unaccustomed to it, and her humble, natural manner was refreshing and new. I asked my old friend and offsider, Greg, to take a picture of the two of us.

Jasmine and Vince

One reason I enjoy wedding photography is the opportunity it provides me to experience and learn from other cultures. Vince and Jasmine's wedding was just that opportunity. I have been to Vietnam twice and I enjoyed it very much. The photography in that land is wonderful. But this is the first time I have been to a Vietnamese wedding.

Vince and Jasmine's wedding took place over two separate days. The first day I covered the ceremonies, in which offerings were made to ancestors, families were officially welcomed and introduced to each other and all wore traditional Vietnamese ceremonial attire. The second day was more like the weddings I am used to covering here in Australia. Jasmine wore a white dress and we went into the Dandenong hills to do some photography before heading for the reception.

It was great fun, and I enjoyed it very much, even though they worked me like a soldier! ;-)