Do one thing a day that scares you!

 They say ”Do one thing a day that scares you” – so on Monday 23rd May I shot a wedding.

I had avoided weddings for years as I feared them- the pressure, bridezillas, inclement weather, equipment breakdown, nerves (they’re not just for the bride and groom) and the stern looks as I try to covertly duck in and out to get the best shots.

Life has a crazy way of showing you where you need to be. I spent years in Paris to find out that the Yarra Valley was where I truly belong. The journey’s lessons were not lost on me, but I am certainly glad I found out sooner rather than later what makes my heart sing and how to spend every day with a different song. A favourite customer at the bar I moonlight at found out I was a photographer and decided there and then that I would be her wedding photographer.

The day rapidly approached (as they tend to do) and suddenly I was in the thick of the wedding morning flurry – the hair, the makeup, the last minute sewing on of bows, the stress of a brother stuck in traffic somewhere on his long journey. I was asked to decorate a three-tiered ‘naked cake’ with ‘greenery’ – handed a pair of scissors and directed towards the rose bushes. Of course I obliged, any creative task floats my boat. This was out of the ordinary, but ordinary is boring. I came back to the house with arms full of pink and apricot flowers (and a few prickles), peeled the stalks with a potato peeler and then pinned them winding up the cake with bobby pins (initiative / Macgyver). Suffice to say the bride loved it.

The day flowed on from there, deliciously diffused light spilled from the heavens and the wonderful bridesmaid acted as stylist / portrait co-ordinator, making my job a breeze. Why I feared this huge segment of the photo industry I can’t really remember but I will certainly be shooting more weddings. Turns out they are heaps of fun and a great creative challenge – my happy place.

Thanks to Clara and Wayne for entrusting their special day to me, it was a pleasure to share in such a wonderful love story.

X