3+1 Reasons You Should Hire A Professional Wedding Photographer

Your colleague Ann, has a new DSLR, she could be your wedding photographer in Sydney. Besides, her Instagram pictures are always stunning! So why not you think…

Giving in to the temptation to have a non-professional shoot your wedding is risky. Aunt Sara, your colleague Ann, and even your photography fanatic cousin, Mary are only casual photographers.

For your wedding, hiring a professional wedding photographer will ensure a seamless, stress-free experience on your big day and of course, photos you will cherish for a lifetime.

Matchless Quality

Sydney wedding photographers will offer you high-quality photography. That’s guaranteed. Can you say the same for your cousin Mary? If you’re looking for photography that will blow everyone’s minds, if you’re looking to get a hand-picked collection of artistically illustrated unrepeatable wedding moments go with a professional.

Stress-Free Experience on Your Big Day

Wedding photography Sydney is more than the clicks and flashes, it’s about a photographer who’s proactive and insightful and has everything organized so no minor or major surprise can ruin your day.

A professional in Sydney wedding photography will have thousand dollars’ worth of backup cameras, flashes, lenses, memory cards, batteries, and charges. He will anticipate rain so he will bring several umbrellas and a ton of tissues for when things get too overwhelmingly exciting.

Say it starts to rain while you and your guests are outside the church having your pictures taken. What would cousin Mary do? Probably desert you and your guests and sprint away. A professional photographer is seasoned in anticipating surprises and knows how to handle these effectively without you even noticing on your Big Day.

Choose experience and creative flair

A professional wedding photographer in Sydney on average shoots 20-30 weddings per year. That’s a lot of experience and wisdom gathered which ultimately it’s what makes all the difference.

Why risk getting your weddings pics from someone who doesn’t know how demanding a wedding shooting is? A wedding photo might take up to 15 hours, is your non-professional photographer willing to commit?

Professional wedding photographers in Sydney have been formally trained and have significant knowledge when it comes:

- ever-changing natural light,

- wedding photography techniques and approaches,

- creative posing for the couple and the VIP wedding people

- flash principles and,

- many other do’s and don’ts for the various wedding stages: the bride and groom     preparation, the ceremony, and the party. All these stages call for different settings and a Nikon DSLR no matter how intuitive cannot live up to the demands of a wedding. Remember,

Experience + Training x Artistic Flair  = Exceptional Wedding Pics

Go with a pro

It doesn’t matter how cool cousin’s Mary new camera is. She doesn’t have the knowledge necessary to pull off a wedding photography shoot.

Go with a professional wedding photographer to get pictures you will be proud of, pictures that will fill you with warmth and joy each time you look at them because they perfectly epitomize your Big Day’s purpose, the celebration of love.

Professional Sydney photographers that specialize in wedding photography abound. Do your research and find one that you feel comfortable and confident will meet your wedding day demands.

In this day and age, with everyone owning a smartphone and tablet, you will collect a decent amount of non-professional images from friends and relatives. These will offer a completely different angle of the wedding and some will actually be exquisitely beautiful. But… ..for the truly memorable, awe-inspring wedding pictures, call in the big guns.

5 Fantastic Family Portrait Ideas

Looking for some family portrait inspiration? Aren’t you tired of the same old, same old family portraits with matchy-matchy clothes and rehearsed, forced grins? We know we are. 

Your family portrait doesn’t have to be a run-of-the-mill portrait. Let go of “blah” rehearsed themes and try some “Wow, that’s one fun family!”portrait ideas.

A Fun Ride

Photos of your family having genuine fun are often the most beautiful and heart-warming pictures. Discuss with your Sydney family photographer your ideas for a fun photo shoot. 

For instance, ask your photographer in Sydney to take pictures while you’re preparing for the photo session or while having a break. Unexpected incidents like an ice-cream little van passing by, a butterfly landing on someone’s shoulder, such impromptu “accidents” result in the most authentically fun family portraits. Genuine expressions of joy make for the most touching photos.

Even if nothing exciting happens during a photo shoot you can always schedule it. Have your photo session at an Amusement Park, have a paintball day or just go out in nature and show your true selves, unrehearsed, silly and authentic.

Silhouette

Highlight picture-perfect bone structure and well-shaped noses with a Silhouette family portrait. Your photographer will place one in front of the other in age order so that each person’s profile is slightly half hiding the other person’s face.

Shadows, Reflections and Light Dancing

Let natural light and nature be an integral part of your family portrait. What looks like a rainy day messing up your photo shoot, offers a great reflection family portrait. Get your photographer to capture your family’s reflection in a lake, or a puddle of water.

Reality Slice

You can get a family portrait to look as if the photo was not planned or that the subjects were unaware. 

Think of a day in the park playing around; your princesses feeding the ducks while you and your beloved wife are sitting comfortably on the bench. A “voyeur” type of photography is natural, looks unrehearsed and let’s your family’s true soul shine through!

Most family photographers in Sydney will already have some ideas to offer, but feel free to provide yours on how to pose!

Make Photoshop your friend

Make a fun, Sci-Fi, eccentric family portrait. Babies flying in midair, dinosaurs in the background, volcanoes erupting next to grandma. Just a thought.

A family portrait is your time to have fun, be creative, and express your passions. Don’t be reluctant to pitch your family photo ideas to your family photographer in Sydney. They would love to help you make it true.

Family photography in Sydney offers plenty of creative, imaginative photo shoot themes. Break from family portrait ideas that give family photos a bad, boring reputation and go for clever themes! 

Forever Beautiful Images specializes in Sydney photography services for families and would love to hear your family portrait ideas and help you decide on one!

Select The Right Photo Size For Your Home

Deciding on the right photo size for your portrait is crucial. A gigantic image that barely fits above your fireplace mantle makes the whole thing daunting and hard to look at. I mean, have you ever walked into a room and fell as though the close-up, ginormous portrait was watching you? That’s the result of having chosen the wrong print size for an image. It can get creepy.

On the other hand, ordering a portrait a size too small carries the risk of hardly anyone noticing it. Ask your photographer in Sydney what’s the best print size for your photo if you’re in doubt.

It’s not difficult to pick just the right photo size for your home. Consider the following:

Face size

First, to be able to figure out the ideal print size for a photo you need to determine the face(s) size. If you have a close-up photo of your baby, its print dimensions shouldn’t be bigger than 11x14 inches. This is the ideal size for putting it in a bedroom, hallway, or on a large desk/table, many Sydney photographers would advice.

Your goal is that people seeing the photo from up close do not feel daunted by its size. So, as a rule of the thumb, a person’s face in a photograph shouldn’t be larger than it is in real life because you risk it looming over a room in domineering way.

At Forever Beautiful Images, a Sydney photography services agency, we recommend that for family portraits where more than 4 people are in it, you can go big. But, hold your horses.

Unless you have a 30 ft high ceiling, your family print photo shouldn’t be bigger than 24 x 30 or 24 x 36. This is a photo you will usually hang above a couch, bed or fireplace mantle. It has a dominating size and it will catch the eye of every person entering the room so don’t overdo it.

Choosing this print size for a family portrait ensures facial expressions are easily discernible within viewing distance and one doesn’t have to get close up to the photo to make out beautiful photo details.

If you want to hang a family portrait in a bedroom, playroom or hallway the ideal print size is in the range of 20 x 24 and 16 x 20, considering the viewing distance is normally about 8 to 10 feet. To calculate viewing distance estimate the distance between where you usually sit in a room and where the photo will be placed.

Room/Wall Size

Context is also important. A 13 x 18 sq ft living room cannot host a portrait that’s 24 x 30 inches. It will be too big for its own good.

Consult your photographers in Sydney to determine the best photo size for your rooms. While you can choose whichever size you please, professional photography services in Sydney can help you make the best decision.

Forever Beautiful Images offers photography services in Sydney. After your photo shoot we can consult with you on what’s the appropriate print size for your images and ensure it blends well with the décor, style and colors of the room you’re planning to place it.

7 Top Family Photography Locations in Sydney

Family photography doesn’t have to be boring and predictable. Sydney is home to mesmerizing locations that can be the backdrop of memorable family photos.

We present you a handpicked collection of the best family photography hotspots in the wider Sydney area. 

Narrabeen Beach in New South Wales

A 3 km long coast stretches out and offers a serene but playful backdrop for your family photos. If you choose the North Narrabeen Rock Pool then you’re in for creative family portraits you’ll love showing off to your house guests.

The Rock Pool is a unique construction and one of the most striking pools in the entire Northern beaches.

The Turimetta rocks are right next to the Narrabeen beach. The mossy rocks are a marvel to look at, let alone photograph.The idyllic Turimetta rocks is a favorite hotspot for photographers who come here when the tide’s low to fully leverage the textures and colors of the mossy rocks.

Fagan Park, Galston

The Fagan park offers great photography backdrops by the lake and ponds. Fore more culturally-rich family portraits Fagan Park boasts of its nation-themed gardens, including the Japanese, Chinese, and African gardens for more creative family portraiture!

Tamarama Beach

This exotic beach is a must for family photography in Sydney that’s breathtakingly magnificent. Located between the Bronte and Bondi beaches, Tamarama beach will bring out your family’s playful, feisty soul.

This popular seashore spot plays wonderfully with the two headlands that surround it and gives plenty of room for family portraits on the golden sand brimming with smiles, laughter, and pure delight.

Centennial Park

This is a natural, peaceful sanctuary where you and your family can have spectacular photos taken among the extraordinary flora and fauna that it hosts.

The Centennial Park is home to an assortment of trees, from gum trees and Holm oaks to Norfolk Island pines and as such, it’s an ideal set for family photography in Sydney.

Apart from the various parks, the park’s ponds are another popular hotspot in Centennial Park for family photography in Sydney. Whether for a sport activity or picnic themed photoshoot, the options the park provides are boundless.

Strickland house, Vaucluse 

This is a popular photography spot for wedding and family photography.  

Photography options at this 19^th century historic house abound; a photo capturing the Harbour is a must, as one on the 10-acre long lavish gardens enveloping the Strickland house.

A family portrait session at the Strickland house lets you have fun family activities and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge right after your photoshoot.

Everglades gardens, Leura

The Everglades historic gardens appeals to young children and adults alike thanks to their multifaceted character that combines Danish landscape traditions with an Australian flora and fauna.

Have your family’s portrait taken by the famous Grotto Pool or on the Cherry Terrace and the Garden open Theatre.

Manly Beach and Cabbage Tree Baths

This is a favorite location among Sydney photographers that offers plenty of room for original and fun photo takes.Open space abounds, letting you and your family create memories that will be forever captured in this family-friendly coast in Sydney. The backdrops that can be part of your family portrait are both stunning and great in number so that you can choose one that suits you best.

Want a family portrait for you and your family? Get in touch here.

How To Choose A Family Photographer

Family photo by Kanwal

You’re all keyed up. Your baby is now an official member of the family and it’s the perfect time to forever capture this moment in your life. In other words, it’s time for fun shoots with your precious Ella, your beloved husband and Wiggle butt, your awkwardly adorable corgi.

But who’s going to take your family portrait?

Hmm...

Your niece is pretty good with her Nikon and your friend from the office has many Instagram likes, that must count for something right? If only you knew any good Sydney photographers…

It is true that, in this day and age people have become very proficient in their use of cameras, but still, family pictures should be assigned to professional photographers to ensure quality results.

When it comes to family photography, Sydney boasts of a wide range of specialists and great outdoor photoshoot locales. But who’s the best? A photographer must possess the following qualities,

Vision

Choose a creative photographer. A photographer has to communicate your family’s heart and soul, all in a single shot. Can your Nikon-using niece achieve this?

Family photography shouldn’t resemble those stock photos you get with a photo frame; flat, emotionless and rehearsed. It should vocally express the love and quirkiness that is your family.

A family portrait encapsulates the individuality of each subject. It magically brings out people’s features and character in a way words cannot.

Artistic Discernment

Photography is art. A photographer that doesn’t listen and just does her own thing, cannot express the soul of your family.

A photographer with artistic perception can discern your family’s nuances and subtle emotional relationships and highlight these in a photo.

Forget family photographers with fancy equipment and impressive qualifications — although they wouldn’t hurt — go for photographers with a soul full of artistic flair and an emotions-driven eye.

Customer Service

When choosing a family portrait professional you want someone collaborative and friendly. After all, it’s family photography you need.

Choose a photographer that’s willing to meet in person to discuss your needs. A person that so customer-centric that goes the extra mile in advising you on what to do to get the best picture, what to wear, what theme and setting would work best for your family. In other words, choose a photographer that’s passionate about their job, not one after easy money.

Takeaway

Choose a family photographer that’s perceptive enough to capture the vibe of your family. More importantly, choose a photographer that’s creative and willing to go to great lengths to give you an above par family portrait.