As you can see, we have decided to intensify our website with a dash, or two, of neon orange.  Be gone boring pale green – cowabunga with bright, neon orange!   We um-ed and ah-ed about changing it – (well actually Jason did, I was way more gung-ho.  Typical!) but seeing as I am totally obsessed with bright orange at the moment we just had to give it a go.  What do you all think?  Does it make you want to slow down and pull over?  Or are you digging it as much as I am?  And keep your eyes posted on our facebook page too – cause the times they are a changing…

It never ceases to amaze me how, with each and every wedding, I am floored by this amazing, amorous, beautiful, brilliant, crazy, desirable, embracing, exciting, funny, fabulous, fantastic, giving, glorious, gleaming, happy, hopeful, intimate, intriguing, intense, joyous, jolly, kind, kindred, lilting, momentous, magical, natural, necessary, open, potent, powerful,  permanent, quizzical, quiet, realistic, romantic, radical, super, sacred, terrific, terrifying, thoughtful, undying, uplifting – it is so very wonderful, with all its unknown x-factor and zany qualities – it is, of course, love.  Because it all starts with this little thing we call love.

I know everyone sees Valentine’s Day as a time to spend with your significant other doing typically romantic things – going out to dinner, receiving and giving flowers, partaking of chocolates – but for me it is, and always will be, about my wonderful groups of friends that I love and who love me.  Jason and I have plenty of time to be romantic with each other (heck every day should be Valentine’s Day around here!) but how many days in the year do you stop and say “I love you” to your great and wonderful friends?  The ones who add so much sparkle and joy and laughter and strength to your life?  So (and yes, I KNOW I’m a day late with this one, but hey, my friends totally understand, don’t you guys???) I would like to say I love you guys – you have offered so much fun and advice and comfort in the last year I could not have done it without you!  Thank you, so much, from the bottom of my heart.  Of course, I wouldn’t want to break with tradition too much so, um, where’re the chocolates?

I am poorly painting my nails (OPI Hot and Spicy for anyone who cares), sitting silently in the office, reflecting on my weekend while Jason is meeting with clients.  Our Sunday has been pretty great, a nice balance between planned and unplanned, relaxed and structured!  Because I have been cat sitting for a friend, this morning I made a delicious (or disgusting depending on what species you are!) prawn, chicken and gravy puree with a drizzle of anchovy oil for little Miss Issy’s breakfast, randomly met up with some much loved friends at my new favourite coffee place, Shucked Espresso, and did a spot of silly shopping in the city.  All round a fantastic Sunday.  So, as I wait for my nails to dry, I felt I needed to share my good Sunday vibes.  Sending the love out to you all and I hope everyone is having a great, great day!

If you are our friend on Facebook you would know that Jason has been away on a road trip with a couple of his photographer friends.  Marcus Bell, Greg Gibson and Ian Wilkinson to be precise.  Greg was in Australia speaking at the recent Hair of the Dog photography seminar and wanted to “see a kangaroo”.  Well now – how can you say no to that?  So a raod trip was devised and a route (loosely) prepared and off they went.  They meandered their way from Brisbane to Byron to Tenterfield and back – stopping and starting, shooting and walking.  A trip that, between you and me, would have driven me slowly and quietly round the bend.  I’m a get-there-and-get-there-fast kind of girl so it sounded like a living hell but they all agreed that they had a great time!  I promise I will do a longer post but, for now, I thought I would post a quick shot to mark the end of the week and hope it inspires you to get out of your usual weekend vibe and take in some of our unique flora and fauna…heck, I might even head out there myself…

Getting engaged is one of the BEST THINGS EVER!  You are just giddy with excitement, looking forward to your life together, making plans and just basking in that I-just-got-engaged glow.  It can also be over in a second – everyone asking you when are you getting married, where and how, when are you going to have kids, where and how many!  I remember when we got engaged it was almost in the same breathe as ‘congratulations’ people were asking me what I was going to name my children!!!  Seriously people – slow down – I JUST got engaged!!!  I guess that is why Jason and I think engagement portraits are so special.  Before the madness of a wedding, a honeymoon, a mortgage, and, deep, deep, breathe, children – it was just the two of you.  And we want to capture that for you so you can look back at that exact moment and remember when you were just beginning.  These pictures of Matthew and Emily give us just that – the moment in time before the madness of life carries them away!

I’m usually not one for making new year’s resolutions.  I find they put way too much pressure on me so that when I fail (and most of the time I do) it can take the better part of the new year to recover.  But this year, 2012, it is going to be different.  I have been making a really concerted effort to make these resolutions stick, and stick HARD.  The first one is to drink more water.  I have always been, prior to 2012 that is, the human equivalent to a camel.  It is not uncommon for me at the end of the day to realise that I have not had a single glass of water.  Lack of water contributes to the amount of headaches I get (which is quite a few) as well as the lethargy and tiredness I feel most of the time.  However, since the new year started and I have been drinking more water, I have been feeling so much better.  Now when I feel a little tired I grab a glass of water rather than a gooey chocolate brownie or a cup of coffee and, so far so good, it seems to be working!  Yay for me!  My second resolution has been to eat more vegetables.  I am a vegetarian who actually eats very few vegetables.  Embarrassing but true.  I have been the butt of many a joke because of this but no more I say.  I have been making sure I get some kind of vegetable (other than potatoes) every day – the more colourful my plate the better.  I can’t really say that it has made that much of a difference (not like the water which was pretty much instantaneous) but I have been feeling very smug and angelic with my plate of vegies.  (Like I can see the heaven’s open up every time I sit down to eat releasing a flock of white doves and to a beautiful chorus “Oooommmaahhhh!”)  I guess time will tell on this one – no overnight health sensations – but, you know, it just has to be good for you!  The third resolution has been to stop complaining how busy we are – especially, especially, on the blog!  I can almost see a collective roll of the eyes from you guys every time I say it – like, there you are, all nodding your heads in unison looking at each other and saying “We know, Sal, but can you just get on with it!”  So on with it I’ll get – and I won’t say how long ago Jason shot this wedding because that would be saying that we have been incredibly busy and I don’t say that anymore, not in 2012 I don’t!  I give you Shane and Samantha’s wedding – romantic, refined, elegant and stylish. Samantha, you look simply stunning!Beautiful Brisbane night.

It is that time of year again (and you didn’t even have to ask for it!) when we pull together our list of the best images of last year. Putting together a list like this is a great way to see how your photography has grown and to take stock of where you are going for the new year ahead. I won’t say there’s been tears but we have been having lively, heated, strong debate about what should be in and what should be out. I love pulling this list together (even though I dread it as well) – it simply reminds me of all the great clients we have had and how lucky we are to do what we do. So here is the list – in no order – let me know what you think?

From the beautiful, contemporary wedding of Thomas and Emily…

To a chic city wedding for Josh and Jemma…

To the wide open spaces in Cameron and Claire’s country wedding…

To the ever hip and stylish wedding of Steve and Erin (and let’s not forget Bosco!)…

To classic romance of Adam and Allison’s wedding…

To the wedding of Troy and Fiona – full to the brim of vintage charm and glamour…

To Liam and Kim’s super fun and relaxed wedding…

To the simple, casual elegance of the wedding of Damien and Alison…

To the blue skies and happy faces of Reece and Maria’s beachside wedding…

To classic and gorgeous Jason and Felicity and their hinterland escape wedding…

To Kell and Melissa’s cheeky yet tradition full wedding…

And lastly, Kelso and Sepi’s lovely and love filled wedding.  Each and every one of these weddings is different and unique like each of these wonderful couples.  Thank you all for sharing in 2011 and for letting us capture your wedding day.  Bring on 2012!

Yesterday Jason’s sister Kelly married the love of her life, Cameron.  And here is a sneak preview.  Congratulations Cameron and Kelly – we know your life will be filled with love, laughter and happiness.  Forever.

Things have been flying at us so thick and fast that I can’t believe it is almost the end of January! Seriously where did it go???? Are you guys feeling the same? I promise (cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die or even pinky-swear) to start posting regularly again in the next week or so when things (hopefully) start slowing down. Please don’t hate me! As a little token to help you get through your wedding withdrawal I give you a brief snapshot from Ryan and Hayley’s beautiful wedding. Simple, elegant, timeless…my favourite kind of wedding.