Pete & Em :: Checking In

They tell us it is a good idea to keep the people behind the brand to the forefront. With this in mind, we thought that it is about time we checked in.

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For your information, we consolidate all posts about us in this one:

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In short, it has been an exciting start to 2020 for us.

We have captured this beautiful wedding with more to be released in due course:

We have had the following features released during January & February with another one (exclusive content) lined up for release next month:

We have shot two new editorial shoots so far. One celebrates one year since a shoot we did at Fort Lytton. We teamed up with our friends at Emunah Events again and created some magic with a fun team of vendors. We are looking forward to sharing it soon! The other one, alongside an epic team of vendors including lovely Magnolia Studios, was a niche project; we’re pretty tight-lipped about that one and will share as soon as possible! <3

We have been working hard.

We have been chasing dreams.

We have been creating beautiful memories with outstanding vendors, clients & friends.

(The images below were taken during backpacking adventures around Belgium.)

Information :: Pre-Wedding Cafe Date with Pete & Em

Hello!

If you are considering booking your wedding photography with us, can we strongly recommend a pre-wedding cafe date first?

Some of the reasons for why we recommend this in-person meeting are:

  • We get to meet each other and see if our personalities mesh - that is, if we are the right fit

  • You get to fill us in on your priorities

  • We can discuss logistics, lighting, point of contact(s) and all the things that are pertinent to smooth running on the day

  • We can address any concerns (wet weather, family dynamics, and so on)

  • You get to see some of our previous work in-person

  • You can ask us anything!

Some of our favourite cafes are:

As we state in our FAQ page:

We have never met you and we want to be sure that we're a good fit. Are you happy to meet up in person?

Absolutely! You will feel more comfortable and relaxed if we have already broken the ice. However, travel restrictions do apply. Our clients must be able to meet up within a 10 km radius of Brisbane CBD. Aside from that, we are more than happy to meet for a coffee or a chai latte to see if we are a good fit for each other.

Information :: Consolidation

We were recently bringing our Facebook page up to date and created an “About Us” album in the process. We included a few links containing information about us and realised that it has been a little while since we have consolidated it all in one place on our blog. So here we are:

Us - Pete & Em - living our best life in Karnataka, India, on Christmas Eve, 2014.

Information :: What Motivates Us

Hope this finds everyone well and happy! :)

We have recently shared a few things about us and our priorities, including this list for why we provide two shooters as part of our wedding package. However, one topic we have not discussed yet is what motivates us in this field of wedding photography. So, we sat down and came up with a few primary motivators.

Therefore, please find below just some of the things that motivate us:

  • The fact that documenting your love through visual storytelling is a huge privilege!

  • The people we shoot with - encompassing both clients and fellow vendors. You are all a source of inspiration and never-ending wonderful ideas.

  • The creation of something that we want you to look back on for years to come and enjoy. This is crucial for us. We choose not to get swept up in current editing trends or genres, for example, as it is only a matter of time, and that particular style will no longer be in vogue. We want our work to be as timeless as the choice you make to love each other.

  • Working with the numerous factors that come into play - in most cases - for an image to be memorable (lighting, composition, and so on). Working within these well-documented parameters to create something magical & unique is an opportunity we welcome.

  • How easy it is to get lost in the moment. It is not uncommon for us to find cuts and bruises that we didn’t realise that we had acquired during a shoot! We honestly just get lost in the moment and the combination of the distraction & the natural high kicks in.

  • We are both romantics at heart; weddings are so full of energy and love, and it is hard not to get excited about that.

  • The personal challenge to create something fresh. Part of the work that goes on behind the scenes is researching whatever venue we are shooting at, for example. We do this so that we don’t overlook anything our client might want. However, we also do this to challenge ourselves to produce something we didn’t find in our research. Ultimately, we don’t want to get lost in the crowd.

  • Our beautiful city of Brisbane, Queensland! So many photogenic nooks and crannies in and around our hometown. :)

Oh, and detail shots of delicious food… but that’s more me (Em) talking here ;)

Information :: Why We Provide a Second Shooter

We introduced ourselves here. We shared a little about our personalities here. We included a list of 10 random things about us here. Today we want to share 10 reasons for why we provide two shooters on your wedding day. It has been well-documented that many couples regret not spending more on photography (base assumption being that greater value would equate to higher quality). While the appropriate compensation for photography services is subjective and dependent on key factors such as experience & expertise, there is one thing for sure at Poppy & Sage Photography: we want to go above and beyond to ensure that you love your images. We want to exceed your expectation for quality. One way we strive to meet this goal is through the provision of two shooters. Why exactly? Well, here are 10 reasons:

  1. One of us is responsible for the shot list provided by the client & meeting standard composition requirements; the other typically focuses on candid photography & creative composition (everything comes back to our questionnaire, though, and the priorities that you have detailed!)

  2. Second set of eyes = different perspective (for example, height differences; there is a foot between us!)

  3. Bride & groom are at 2 different locations? No problemo! (In the event of one photographer, it would be necessary to stack getting ready sessions = adding extra time to the day)

  4. Ability to split up timeline so one can focus on the bridal party, for example, and the other on the couple portraits (especially useful when timelines can run behind on the day or we need to meet specific criteria, such as couple portraits at golden hour)

  5. Technology can fail; nice to have built-in back-up with a second shooter as part of risk management

  6. Bigger wedding (100+) with a lot going on (getting ready, a first look, details, family portraits, and so on)? We’ve got it!

  7. Larger venue where you can’t possibly run back and forth to see from both side (or if you did, it would be pretty distracting)

  8. One can focus on the couple and the other on guest reactions (while walking down the aisle, for example)

  9. Two photographers typically shoot with different settings, such as aperture - this can make a huge difference to the overall feel of the image

  10. We have different strengths and interests - this is represented in our individual work and complementary perspectives

  11. We enjoy working together… oh, wait - that’s 11! We’ll stop. ;)