Anastasia Photography - Wedding and Family Photographer Sydney Australia Worldwide » Wedding Photography Sydney

Celebrating the Love

Anastasia — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:42:01 +0000

“We were given: Two hands to hold. Two legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find”

– Anonymous

It was a middle of summer. They said the day would be hot, very hot. But instead, as if by magic, the temperatures stayed comfortably warm, and then the afternoon clouds rolled right before the ceremony began. As the bride and groom linked their hands at the altar, the rain started hammering the roof of the church, making everything new, washing away the old, celebrating families joining together.

And later, after Maria and Jun were pronounced husband and wife, after the hugs and kisses and happy tears were shared with the family and friends, everything around got basked in the most sublime, soft, golden light.

Every moment of the day was filled with love. And laughter. And beautiful energy.

My absolute favourite photographs from the day are the ones of just the two of them, right after the sunset, outside, away from everything, where the soft pastel colours of summer evening became the perfect backdrop for the tenderness and sweet emotion, and the connection Maria and Jun have.

I would like to say a very big thank you to Andrea who joined me on the day as a second photographer.

Reception Venue – The Grange Marquee

Videography – Indulge in Style

Make-up – Make Up Mode

Happy Valentine’s

Anastasia — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:37:04 +0000

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

- Paulo Coelho

My favorite image from a recent wedding of two beautiful people.

It’s all about Love.

Happy Valentine’s. Spoil your loved ones you today, more than any other day. Tell them what you have deep inside your heart, don’t hold back. Because love must be celebrated.

Connected

Anastasia — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:26:00 +0000

“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.”

- Judy Garland

Sweet moments of connection.Those quiet, lovely seconds when you look into each other’s eyes and see that you don’t have to say anything at all, when all that’s inside your heart, inside your soul is known, is appreciated, is understood by this beautiful person in front of you. You have a secret language that noone else speaks. Every touch is overflowing with tenderness. Your hands are always linked, creating your own little circle that holds a whole world inside. This is love.

And the big day is getting closer and closer, the day when you will stand in front of your family and friends and pronounce the words that will tie the two of you together for eternity. And you will hold your hands, like you always do now. From that moment long time ago, when you first held on tight to each other, riding the bike across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and into forever.

You have found The One.

While we were wandering around Botanical Gardens and The Rocks, and then watched the sunset from The Observatory Hill during Maria and Serge’s engagement session, and as I was capturing their sweet moments I got simply blown away by the connection these two amazing people have. And I am so looking forward to photographing their wedding in January.

Mr and Mrs T

Anastasia — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 09:14:15 +0000

“Once in awhile,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life,
Love gives us a fairy tale”

- Anonymous

You know that feeling when things just fall in place like pieces of a puzzle, fitting together perfectly, creating a story?

These two beautiful people are writing their love story, every day, the story that will be told to their children and grandchildren, over cozy dinners and at bedtime. How they met in Sydney and fell in love. And created a new life. Because their story is nothing short of a fairytale.

When I look at these images, I get lost in time. I am not sure what year it is… It can be 19th century Australia, or early 1920-s, or modern days. Because love is timeless, love is eternal.

Nature did not hold back on that day. That sunset was a gift, a spectacular show, something that will be remembered forever.

My dearest Mr and Mrs T, I am honoured to have been there to witness and record the magical connection between the two of you.

It was a perfect day in Sydney.

This Marriage

Anastasia — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:33:49 +0000

“This marriage be wine with halvah,

honey dissolving in milk.

This marriage be the leaves and fruit

of a date tree. This marriage

be women laughing together for days

on end. This marriage, a sign

for us to study. This marriage,

beauty. This marriage, a moon

in a light-blue sky. This marriage,

this silence fully mixed with spirit.”

- Rumi

No my words tonight. Only Rumi’s. And one frame from me. Because sometimes you have to be silent. Because this picture is so much more than I can say in any language.

Effervescence

Anastasia — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:59:49 +0000

‘Love of man for woman – love of woman for man.

That’s the nature, the meaning, the best of life itself”

- Zane Grey

It was a sparkling, glorious, quintessentially Sydney day.

A calm but still slightly nervous, and very handsome groom was waiting for the love of his life at the altar, surrounded by his dearest. His beautiful bride entered the church, her hand held tenderly by her father.

The vows were said, the happy tears were shed. And then there was joy, pure joy, as the new husband and wife walked along the aisle towards the bright Australian sunshine, hand in hand.

At sunset Sydney Harbour bathed the newlyweds with its shimmering golden light. Effervescent. And it was only the beginning of everything.

I had an absolute pleasure of helping my dear friend Richard Alma at this wedding. The day started with a ceremony at St Mark’s church in Darling Point, and the reception was held at Club Rose Bay.

Walk Trough a Wedding Workshop with Justin & Mary

Anastasia — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:56:35 +0000

A few weeks ago, I spent two most unusually warm May days learning the secrets of wedding photography from Justin & Mary at their Sydney Walk Through a Wedding workshop. If you haven’t been to their website yet you must go and see it now: http://justinmarantz.com. These guys are the most open-hearted, warm, experienced, willing to share their wealth of knowledge and help others to grow, wedding photography teams I have ever met. Things they do for the industry are generous and game-changing. Their passion and dedication to what they do, how they live their lives (and you can read all about it on their blog), their professionalism and their photographic vision are my inspiration every single day. Mary blogs daily, and one of my most favourite things during my mornings is to make a cup of coffee and immerse myself in her witty and cozy writing.

Learning from this team was one of my dreams (and goals for 2012) that came true. Those two autumn days were so full-on and action-filled that my head and my notebook were both exploding with all the priceless information that Justin and Mary shared with us.

But my favourite moment of the workshop? It was when all us were sitting in a circle crying our eyes out while sharing the stories about what the most cherished picture in our possession was. Why? Because great photography is exactly that – capturing precious, full of emotion moments that might never ever come back, never be repeated, that are a part of our life and our present that are very soon to be our past.

And I am forever grateful for meeting a group of beautiful Aussie photographers who attended the workshop. We shared laughter and tears and plenty of pizza with over those days. Ladies, you are amazing, and I am looking forward to connecting with all of you again. And our gorgeous models (and real life newlyweds), Kellie and Nicholas, you guys rocked.

Justin and Mary (and Julia!), I would like to express my deepest respect to you for every single thing you do and how you do it. Thank you.

And a couple of photos from behind the scenes:

Sebel Pier One Wedding

Anastasia — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:17:37 +0000

“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”

- Leo Tolstoy

I second-shot this warm and gorgeous wedding for my friend, the most talented Richard Alma (please explore his travel galleries… They are absolutely amazing!).

Every moment fell perfectly into place. Beautiful ceremony happened in St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church in Redfern, and reception was held at Sebel Pier One in The Rocks. And in between the moving ceremony and reception filled with Greek dancing and hilarious speeches and family hugs, Alexandra and Jamie wandered the cobbled streets nearby, quietly sharing the sweet emotion of the day.

And how stunningly elegant was Alexandra’s dress?!

The Importance of Magic Hour – How to Get the Best Pictures on Your Wedding Day

Anastasia — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:42:06 +0000

Every bride wants to have gorgeous pictures from her wedding. Every photographer wants the very same for her bride. Weddings are often hectic, very busy: there is a schedule that you have to keep up with, places to drive to, reception to enter on time. But this is not what is important. Sweet moments of two hearts joined in union for ever, and people closest to your soul that surround you two on your wedding day, that what it is important. Our job as photographers is to capture those moments, record the full force of emotions that will run high on your day and deliver it to you after the big day so you have something that will help you relive it, come back to it over and over again, be it your wedding anniversary, or the question of you future children on “what was yours and Daddy’s wedding day like, Mommy?”.

But as anything in life, good things require to stop and breathe and be in the moment. And that is why putting plenty of time aside for your photography on your wedding day is crucial. Magic happens when two newly married people are whisked away after the exchange of post-ceremonial hugs and kisses with family and friends, driven off to a “secret location” with just a photographer and maybe a limo driver, so new husband and wife can be away from the friendly crowd and just be with each other. I will be there with you, capturing those sweet precious minutes, recording, observing, witnessing. During that time, please do not think about the fact that you will need to get to the restaurant on time. Just enjoy, and be, and create memories for your new family.

The light is at its very best in the last hour before sunset. Quite often this is the time when reception starts. I highly recommend thinking about your wedding day schedule very early on, checking the sunset time for that day, and keeping in mind that you and your photographer will sneak out to take a few more pictures. Please, please, please, talk to your photographer and discuss the schedule, as we, people with cameras, often measure the time in different units – not minutes, but moments when the light is magical. Teamwork is important! And if you didn’t check the sunset time for your big day, trust me, I will!

All written above does not necessarily have to happen at sunset. No. Magic hour in this particular post means the time you and your new husband embrace each other quietly, and I capture that moment.

Happy planning!

The Rocks, The Bridge, The Lovely Couple

Anastasia — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:08:41 +0000

“As long as there’s the two of us

We’ve got the world and all its charms

And when the world it through with us

We’ve got each other’s arms”

- The Glory of Love by Billy Hill

Gorgeous light, beautiful people in love and Sydney. What can be more perfect? Introducing one of my most favourite couples, and their engagement shoot that happened in The Rocks. Ah, that sunset….