As quickly as it crept up on us, Christmas has been and gone.  The presents have been opened, the pavalova has been thoroughly eaten, and the blinking lights on the ceiling have their days numbered.  It was a lovely day spent with family and friends, and surprisingly to me, my Mum made it to Christmas.  I was fairly sure we were going to loose her last weekend, but as is often the case in my life, I just don't seem to know everything.  In this case it was a good thing. 

So Christmas is 363 days away again, and so now that I have some time up my sleeve I can blog Gwen and Phil's engagement shoot! 

Gwen mentioned that she was keen to have photos by old buildings and grassy fields.  I knew exactly where I wanted to go!  I've had my eye on this area for the longest time, waiting to pair it with the perfect couple.  Gwen and Phil were that perfect couple!

As often as possible, I like to time photoshoots for the prettiest light.  So we were planning this shoot for early morning.  When Gwen mentioned that maybe just before sunrise was a good time, I just about spat my coffee all over my keyboard.  Sunrise was before 6am, and to me that was mighty early.  Gwen wasn't at all bothered by this as she is used to getting up at 4am.  As in FOUR AM!  She milks cows, 1000 of them.  Everyday.  What an amazing woman!

So although it would be pretty at 5.45am, I was willing to just imagine it and we settled to meet at 7.30am.  The light was perfect. 

I love this a lot.  Even without their heads they're cute!

Sure they looked at me funny when I asked them to kiss over there by that dirty big puddle, but they didn't see what I was seeing!

Phil is a softly spoken bloke.  Like a real blokey bloke.  He drives heavy machinery and fixes stuff.  He is everything that my young son, and thousands of other boys, wants to grow up to be.

Hello there awesome ring!

Gwen is such a lovely wee thing.  So perfectly suited to Phil.

Gwen assured me she didn't look any good in photos.  Aha.  Heard it all before!  Glad we disposed of that myth before the wedding!

This is Tee.  Tee was brimming with enthusiasm.  I wish I had a tenth of the energy he has, and the ability to catch a frisbee in my mouth.  Oh no, wait, maybe not the frisbee part.

You can just SEE how much he loves Gwen, can't you?

Gwen and Phil, thanks so much for playing along.  You guys are a fantastic couple and I can't WAIT for the wedding!!

The email started with "I'm an avid fan...."  So, well, she had me with hello. She followed this with exclaiming how much she'd love me to photograph her wedding.  I asked when she was getting married.  Then she admitted she wasn't actually even engaged yet.  There's dedication for you!  As if that wasn't enough, what totally blew my mind was that Heather Ellis is an amazing photographer in her own right! 

I was a little frightened when she drove an 8 hour round trip to come and have coffee with me.  "What if she's a stalker?" I asked Paul beforehand.  You hear stories about meeting people over the internet you know.  I just couldn't fathom why she would make such a big effort for coffee.  Man, it better be a good coffee!!  Thankfully we hit it off right away, she wasn't a scary stalker at all and that one coffee meeting has turned into a lovely friendship.

Fast forward about half a year, and Heather and Doug are in India experiencing the world.  I get an email from Heather who exclaimed that Doug proposed in Agra at sunset across from the Taj Mahal!  I knew what was coming next.  And yes, I'm happy to declare that I'll be shooting their wedding in April!

So they travelled up to Blenheim this weekend, and we planned an early morning photoshoot.  Like 7am early.  None of us are morning people, but we managed to cheer each other up just fine and what followed was three hours of pure fun.

Doug moved to New Zealand from South Africa when he was 18 and met Heather a year later while she was working at Subway.  She was just finishing a double shift and she said she looked terrible.  Doug only noticed her beautiful eyes and smile.  Heather knew that anyone who could see past a dirty-sauce-covered green Subway tshirt and still want her number was someone worth getting to know. 

Like most of my couples, Heather was slightly disappointed with the tree when she first saw it.  "That's IT?!  I thought it was some magnificent big tree on a paddock somewhere?"  No, sorry.  That's it.  But in a photo it looks pretty cool, and thankfully Heather agrees.

I told them to go stand among them thar trees, blend in and pretend to be one of them.  Clearly Doug's tree blending skills are far better than Heather's.  Not to worry, it's probably not a skill you're going to need much in life anyway Heather.

Heather and Doug are perfectly suited to each other.  I mean perfectly.  You can just tell they're best friends.  The way they play and have each other on.  The way they look at each other, even when my camera isn't pointed at them.  Yes siree, they belong together.

I call this my needy neighbours shot.  Priceless.

Then the field of yellow flowers.  I've seen this yellow field a lot lately, and just ached to use it.  I haven't a clue who owns it, and neither do the neighbours.  So I'm hoping it was ok to walk through it.  I was feeling a little Bonny and Clyde to be honest...

I love this.  Love love love it.

This was the first time I've met Doug.  I like him a lot.  He has become Heather's second shooter, much like Paul is mine.  He's charming and funny and laughs at my jokes.  Bonus points for anyone who laughs at my jokes.

Heather also laughs at my jokes, and has good jokes of her own, so I like her too.  I also love her work, it's fresh and full of personality.  If you happen to be anywhere near Christchurch do look her up!

I had asked Heather to step forward, but she didn't quite hear me right and did this.  Maybe she thought I said forehead?  Either way, it's way funny.  I love the look on their faces.  They'll do what I ask, even if it makes no sense at all.

Cuteness.

Next we went cherry picking.  You can't come to Blenheim in December and not go cherry picking.  It's like an unwritten rule.

We assured Doug that this shot was worth lying in the wet grass for.  See Doug?  It totally was.

I can barely stand the wait for Heather and Doug's wedding.  HURRY UP AND COME QUICKLY APRIL!!

They met at University many moons ago.  Neither would admit to who liked whom first, but that was ok, because you could sure tell they like each other now.  On Saturday they get married, and I, for one, am VERY excited about it! 

When we talked about where they'd like to go for their prewedding shoot, they both agreed they'd like urban and funky.  Neither of them like stodgy photos, and they said they weren't afraid of been seen by the public - so BLUE WALL it was!  

They've been living in England for the last five years, and I loved hearing about how different life is over there.  How things are so fast paced and interesting.  Bummer about the lack of sun though... I think I'm happy staying right here!

This is one good looking couple.  Saturday is going to be greeeeeeeat!

I know, I know I've got this low down angle thing going on lately.  Just indulge me.

Anita is going to be a gorgeous bride, no doubt about it.

And with such a great sense of humour, these guys are going to have a really fun time.

See you soon guys, bring on Saturday, let's do it!

Every now and then I come across someone who is inspirational to me.  Last night I stumbled across two such people - not literally, thankfully.  Cute and friendly and fun, and totally into each other, Krissy and Brendon are everything you want in front of the camera.

They were born only five days apart, in the same town, in the same hospital but only met when they were 16.  Like all of the best love stories, they were best friends long before they fell for each other. 

This is Buddy.  He totally knows how to work it!

Completely fabulous, you'd never have any idea of the hard work that's gone on behind the scenes for them to look this good.  Krissy has lost 40kg, let me write that in words in case you missed it.  FORTY KG.  That's 88 pounds.  Brendon has lost 33kg!  Any of us who are battling with a bit of extra winter weight will appreciate how much work that will have taken.  These guys are legends, and a total inspiration to me.

I totally want to be like them when I grow up.  Totally.

They laughed the entire evening, and the time just flew by.

I love Brayshaw Park, it's got so much character!

Then off to the riverbank where the setting sun lent us some of its beautiful light.

I had asked Brendon to kiss Krissy's cheek.  I tried to explain to him exactly what I meant, and thankfully Krissy stepped in and gave him a demonstration of what I was after.  Awesome.

These guys are great fun.

Beautiful!

After an hour or two of romance, I asked them if they could be a little more fierce.  I love this!

I've somehow missed this factory thing in Blenheim all these years.  I have no idea what it's even for, but it makes an awesome backdrop!

Brendon, Krissy and Buddy - you guys are awesome.  Thanks so much for all of the fun we had.  March just can't come soon enough!

I love to photograph people.  It might seem like a funny opening statement, but there you have it.  I love it.  I think what I like most about it is the surprised look on people's faces when they see themselves on a photo that they actually like.  You see, most people don't like photos of themselves.  They don't like getting their picture taken, and they'd rather get their teeth pulled then smile for the camera.  I totally get that.  I'm just the same.  But that's ok, at least I know I'm not alone.  The challenge is just to let go and have fun.  Once you start having fun you have that spark in your eye, and that's always a winner.  Sarah and Callum had that very spark whenever they looked at each other, they were so cute together!

I went out to their property for our engagement shoot, it was early evening and the light was just perfect.  Vineyards as far as the eye could see, it was absolutely gorgeous!

Callum proposed to Sarah at a picnic on the beach (awesome!)  Sarah said she didn't even see it coming - well done Callum, extra points for that one!  The wedding is in a few weeks, and I'm soooo excited about it.

I love this one.  I love love LOVE it.

Such a gorgeous couple, it's going to be a beautiful wedding!

Ah yes, here are those vineyards I told you about.  How's that for a backyard?

Jack joined us for the first few photos, but as he was just a little bit too enthusiastic, he was tied up for the rest of it.  Poor doggie, you can just see the 'woe is me' look in his eyes.

"Pleeeease love me."

In his spare time, Callum makes his own wine too, in his man shed.  Could this shed possibly be more awesome?  I don't think so!

Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous property with me Callum and Sarah, and being such great models.  I'm so excited about the wedding just around the corner!  See you soon!

She was the third child in a brood of seven that took the long trip from Holland to Australia to start a new life.  It wasn't too many years after they had settled in that baby number eight came along, another little sister (ME!)  Annemiek loved that little critter from the start and would do as much of the mothering as she possibly could.  Soon after I came along, our family became a travelling music band, and although I hardly knew what was going on, I was most definitely the cutest.  (sorry guys, my blog, I can say whatever I want)

This was us performing in Amsterdam over 30 years ago.  I was the teeny tiny one there and Annemiek is the one on the far right (as well as two other sisters and my Mum).  These were the days when wearing matching clothes was hot, and you scored bonus points if they looked like curtains.

This is Annemiek now.  Married to Robert for the last 25 odd years, they're great fun to be around.  They've been performing music together as long as I can remember, although always in Australia.  They're such great entertainers.

Annemiek and Robert moved to Nelson six months ago when Mum was first diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.  And they'll be moving themselves and their music to Blenheim this Summer.  *cue little sister happy dance*

Robert is the most amazing guitarist.  And, as if that's not enough, he does some fantastic art too.  Cartoony kind of stuff, with real personality.  He's such a funny guy, the good kind of funny, not the strange kind.

They've called themselves MOODSWINGS, you can check them out at www.moodswings.co.nz.  Go on, have a look.  I think they're pretty darn awesome!  There's more of these photos there too, as well as sound clips.

Their kids have all grown up and left home now, so all they've got left is this little fella.

It's allllll about the guitar.

Oh yes, not to forget Widdles, their dog.  They love this dog so much that they actually flew him over from Australia!  How's that for true love?  I can't really blame them, Widdles is a pretty nice little dog.

So if you're around Blenheim this FRIDAY (29th) and SATURDAY (30th) evenings, Moodswings is performing at The Clubs of Marlborough.  Stop on by, it'll be fun!  The more the merrier!

I love the way they just lie there, doing nothing.  I love how their little knees tuck up into their chest when you cuddle them.  I love the smell (mostly...), I love the tiny noises, the way they just fall asleep for no good reason at all.  Ah, newborns, I love them.

Meet Stella.  She's as yummy as they come.  All of nine days old, and utterly adored by her proud parents Glenn and Carina. 

Don't you just love how they fold right back up when you put them down?  Amazing.

Glenn and Carina have the most stylishly decorated house, Stella's room is just to die for.

Could they be prouder do you think?  Doubt it.

Harry seems fine about the new addition to the family.

Carina looks fantastic, really really great. 

I love baby crying photos - they're a lot quieter than the real thing.

Beautiful little family!

Babies seem to have this inbuilt rulebook about pooing.  'When possible one must poo on the whitest thing one can see.  If Daddy is around, he should also be pooed on.'  Carina could hardly contain herself laughing.  Thankfully Glenn saw the funny side of it too (after the shock wore off slightly), and I was able to capture an entire series of it.  I love this even more than the posed baby on Daddy's chest images.   Welcome to parenthood guys!

Thankfully parents have an amazing propensity to forgive.

Thanks so much for inviting me into your home to capture your beautiful family.  I feel utterly blessed to have been able to photograph your engagement, wedding and now your perfect little girl.  It's been an amazing year!