Frequently asked questions

Documentary style means that there is minimal to no direction given and photographs are taken of what is happening naturally. This means you are free to enjoy the day that you’ve put so much work into organising and spend time with each other and you’re family and friends.

If you are a courageous couple who value authenticity over everything else, this style of photography will work really well for capturing photos that actually reflect your wedding day. They are not the same as wedding photos where situation A = pose B and you can see this repeated in other people’s wedding photos. This makes your photos much more individual and unique.

You sure can but you don’t have to. It’s your wedding so you can do what you like. If you choose to have some direction to make sure you have some photos that meet your need for these more posed shots, I’m more than happy to provide this. As weddings are such a big occasion, sometimes it’s the only time when a family or group will be together so it makes sense to consider this when making this decision.

Yes I can travel to you destination if it fits with my schedule. If you are within an hour of Gisborne, Victoria there will not be nay travel costs. Outside of this, please enquire and I will provide a quote for your consideration.

This depends on what package you create or choose. Details about this can be found on the Wedding photography pricing page. As a guide, an 8 hour package will deliver approximately 600-800 images and these will be delivered within 4-6 weeks of your wedding. I deliver a sneak peak within 24 hours so you can share these with family and friends or make an official announcement if you like.

Diversity and equity are at the core of my work, so much so that I have a statement about what you can expect from me. You can view this at the bottom of the FAQ’s.

I hope so! The only way to find this out is to shoot me a text on 0407 869 968 or send a message via my contact form.

I will photograph the parts of the day that you would like. This could be all day from getting ready to leaving your wedding venue. You might choose to have less photographed and therefore reduce the size and cost of the package. I have a Build Your Own bespoke package option where you can clearly see the cost on an hourly basis and add any add ons such as prints or albums. You can find these answers on the Wedding Photography pricing page.

If you’re worried you will feel awkward in front of the camera, you are in good company. Most people do feel this to some extent. The good thing about documentary style photography is you can truly forget about the camera being there at all. You will be too busy enjoying your big day.

If you chose to have some couple portraits or family/group photos then I will be very happy to direct these where needed to ensure you get the photos we’ve discussed beforehand.

I prefer to photograph details with heart, meaning that getting close ups of these important aspects of your wedding is in the context of the day, rather than a still life type of image. If this isn’t possible, then I will take a more traditional image of these details to ensure you have them.

ou will have access to a professional print lab to order a range of products ranging from high quality framed fine art prints to custom albums handmade in Australia and everything in between. One of my favourites is a folio box filled with matted prints that can be displayed and easily changed over so you get to enjoy more of your photos more often and can easily share them with friends and family. These products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee for your peace of mind.

I have public liability insurance and can provide a certificate of insurance to you if needed. Some venues ask for this so please check with them to see what is required.

Lifestyle photography tells a story of how life could be, documentary photography tells a story of how life is.

In Lifestyle photography, you get ready to look your best and have your family doing the same. The scene is staged or at least tweaked, activities and interactions suggested all of which can look good for the camera. Sometimes different lighting is used depending on your home or chosen location.

In Documentary photography, nothing is moved or altered in any way. It’s a type of photo journalism, recording and preserving the way life actually is. The context is just as important as the people, the surrounds form part of the story. The interactions happen without direction from me. I won’t use additional lighting, I will move myself, rather than anything in your home to get the best images.

Your little person or people are learning, growing more independent, trying to express their true feelings in the best way they know how. To expect otherwise is unrealistic and honestly not fair. We often expect more from kids than we do of ourselves. There is no pressure or expectation for your child/ren to be anything but themselves. Depending on the age of your kids, you might like to tell them that I’ll be hanging out with my camera in your home. You can tell them that they can pretty much ignore me and just do what they normally do. You can also mention that I won’t be asking them to do anything in particular and I certainly won’t want them to be pretending to be anything they are not. That includes not pasting on a cheesy grin for the camera!

Where possible, I will meet you and your children before the day when I bring my camera with me. We can make friends, hang out and play for a while.

I am a qualified early childhood educator with a gazillion years of experience with kids of different ages. When kids feel my genuine interest and are allowed to warm to that in their own time, they are free to just be themselves. Of course being in their own environment helps, it’s familiar and comfortable.

Because I won’t be asking your kids to cooperate in any way, there is zero pressure on your little people. This approach avoids most issues but if you feel your child has a need that can be best met in a particular way, I’m all ears!

No stress, as there is no pressure for you or your child to be or act in a certain way, everyone is free to manage anything that happens in the usual way. I will be sensitive to everyone’s feelings and not add to any emotions that are being experienced.

You can do whatever you like. If you are normally organised in this way, you can go right ahead. If you are not and struggle just to get yourself and the kids dressed in something, anything, then no you don’t need to change that. If they get dirty, they can stay dirty or you can change them, whatever you would normally do. If they love that new fairy dress that they got for their birthday and want to wear it, they can. Remember this is a real life story, not a fabricated one.

No, you can let your kids do whatever they need to do and whatever they would normally do. We can discuss normal routines beforehand when planning the shoot time. If they sleep at some stage they will wake up and might share a drowsy cuddle. At some stage, you’ll need to refuel so you can eat and drink whenever you need to.

There is no for need for this. As we won’t be making them do anything they don’t want to, just for the camera, you won’t need to feel pressured to bribe them in any way that is out of the ordinary for your family.

As we will be in your home, documenting your usual day, the timing depends on you. There is no best time for this type of photography, we won’t be dragging kids out at dinner time to catch the sunset or avoiding the harsh midday sun. Whatever the light is, it is, I will make the best use of the natural and available light.

If you feel that you want your real and true story captured, it is absolutely right for you and your family. If you value living life in the moment over posting on social media about how your life is perfect, it’s a great choice.

This type of photography suits people who are courageous and willing to be their authentic self. It suits people who don’t want to engage in the stress of pretending life is something it isn’t. If you are someone who doesn’t want to compete online and want to give your metal health some breathing room, this type of photography could work well for you.

If you are the type of person who values your peace and privacy, want less anxiety, less stress and feelings of inadequacy, this is type of photography is definitely for you.

Yes, documentary family photos are edited to ensure that they accurately represent the true picture. Camera lenses don’t see the world the same way as our eye’s do so editing is necessary to ensure what you see is closer to what you get.

There is no one right way to edit photos as this will vary in every different situation. Some look great in black and white, some need the vibrant colours. You will likely receive some of each. What you can be sure of, I won’t use a one size fits all preset to make your photos look the same as everyone else’s.

There is no set amount of photos that you will receive. I will provide you with an entire gallery that represents the time I spend with you and your family. There will be no need to choose which ones you will receive, only which ones you would like to print from your collection.

I prefer not to set an amount of time for photographing your family as this will vary according to what happens on the day. I will stay as long as I need to in order to provide you with the quality and quantity of images you will be expecting.

I do offer a choice of a ‘little’ and ‘big’ packages with approximate times, as well as add ons that you can decide on after you receive your images. No pressure. You can find out more on the Documentary Family pricing page.