Angela Higgins – Lifestyle Photographer » Lifestyle Photographer of kids, babies, families and weddings

Amy knew beyond a doubt that I was the photographer for her wedding that she booked me without having actually met me. I have had a few clients do this and while it is a leap of faith, I am so pleased that Amy took the leap and I was able to witness her marriage to Joe in February.

Amy and Joe were married in Subiaco and their reception was held at the Ocean Beach Hotel. With so many personal touches and many moments throughout the day that honoured Amy’s mother and Joe’s father who had both passed away, it was truly a union of families and a celebration of life and love.

An outtake that I couldn’t bare to throw away that it made it into Amy and Joe’s collection. I wanted to give a shout out to Mr Boogie Board who successfully boogied right into my shot.

While I don’t normally post many bridal party shots, I knew as soon as I captured this one I would want to share it. I love the casualness, the incredible bridesmaids (all Amy’s sisters by the way) and the smooth Groomsmen all bringing together a signature portrait.

As if Von and Conrad hadn’t bought enough to the table for their wedding, but a couple of days after their nuptials we met at Kings Park for a Day After Session.

I highly recommend a Day After Session for those couples that might be time crunched on their wedding day for their on location portraits. This is especially a great idea when you are creating an album as I find most of my couples chose the images from their on location portraits for the majority of their album pages. So if on your particular day you have a short amount of time or perhaps can only squeeze in one location, a day after session might be just for you. You can change it up and perhaps have a more modern bouquet or add in props to the session. In Von’s case she wore a beautiful fascinator that she wore to their reception on their wedding day.

Von and Conrad took the opportunity of their day after session to add more images to their album and just spend some more time together – just the two of them – while I documented it all. I would photograph them every day of the week and twice on Sunday if I could.

The location. The light. Their clothes. Their love. It was bliss.

Von and Conrad are just perfect together. There is a synchronicity between them that speaks volumes about how much they care for one another. The light touch on the small of her back. The glance across the crowd to her groom with a knowing smile. They just get it and they get each other. Conrad looks at Von the way every woman wants to be adored. It is incredible to be witness to their relationship beginning the next chapter.

Von and Conrad are based in Melbourne and were initially supposed to be married at a private property on the outskirts of Perth. As fate would have it, circumstances left them finding a new venue and they came across Mosman’s Restaurant which was fortunately available for their date. Its funny that when I look at these images, each one is coherently Von and Conrad and I can’t imagine their day any other way or in any other location. It was a dream for me to be a part of and their collection is to die for.

I have to mention the time and effort they put into finding locations for their getting ready images that were beautiful as well as well lit was invaluable. As a natural light photographer, I will often forgo an attractive background for the best natural lighting. However, when I arrive to a beautiful home or wedding venue that has natural light pouring through the windows I often breathe a sigh of relief and have an internal “YES!” moment complete with fist pumping the air. It really does and makes my job much easier and creates those signature images that you see on the blog and in my portfolio – captured simply with the light that we are provided by the earth. Naturally.

Bride Getting Ready: Eight Nicholson
Brides Dress: Izaro
Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Wedding/Reception: Mosman’s Restaurant
Flowers: Urban Flowers of Perth
Hair/Makeup Artist: Lisa Chester

I was delighted when I opened Annika and Tom’s wedding invitation. I love it when my bride and groom’s are kind enough to send me an invitation as the choice of stationery and carefully chosen words set the tone for a wedding day. When Tom and Annika’s came it only solidified my belief that this was going to be a day to remember.

Tom and Annika have been together for years. So many years in fact that their friends and family made many jokes during the day that they never thought this day would actually come. It is evident that they are more than husband and wife, but are also best friends. They have that knowing look that couples who understand each other have when they glance at each other and know, without words, what the other needs or wants. Their wedding day was based around them spending as much time as possible with their family and friends that had come to witness their marriage and celebrating their union.

Because of this focus, Tom and Annika chose to have a First Look on their wedding day. This is something that is quite a big trend overseas and I can see beginning to take off in Australia where couples will spend time together before the ceremony for their portraits allowing them to spend as much time with their guests after the ceremony. It is also great when your ceremony is going to be later in the day, perhaps around sunset, where the time directly after the ceremony may not have enough light for the best on location portraits. This is particularly vital with my approach to photography as I work with natural light almost exclusively. Tom and Annika chose to have a First Look for both of these reasons and it was such a great choice for their day and I think it made the day all the more special for them.

Ceremony: UWA Prescott Court
Reception: Matilda Bay Restaurant

Two thousand and nine.

I began this year with hope and peace in my heart at my decision to leave the corporate world behind me and pursue my passion. Photography was calling to me and as I look back over my years work I feel I made the right decision. It has been a hard journey, one that is often fraught with self-doubt but I remain sure that the images I am crafting are making the world, and my clients lives, just a little tiny bit more beautiful.

I am proud to now call myself an artist as I felt I was unable to before. I am finding my feet as a photographer and have gained the confidence to be more experimental in my approach to my work. I have learnt to follow my instincts and they will usually pay off. I see the world with an artists eye and am now documenting weddings and life honestly with this viewpoint. I can see how my work has evolved and how my journey to develop my own style is continuing to evolve with it as I follow my heart.

I set out this year with a goal of documenting 10 weddings. I have surpassed with a total of 12 wonderful clients that opened their hearts and welcomed me into their lives to document their declarations to each other. I am pleased to report that a few of these couples are expecting new additions to their family in 2010 which makes me so happy for them. There are also my portraiture clients (20 of you) who allowed me into their homes to document their lives and their relationships which I am so grateful.

2010 is looking to be just as beautiful, if not more than 2009. The next 6 months will see me document another 5 weddings, travel to Sydney for a photographers workshop, open my residential gallery to my clients and begin the planning stages of our own wedding we are scheduling for April 2011. I am developing a new found respect for my brides (and grooms!) and the effort and time they invest in crafting a wedding.

In the meantime, my resolution for 2010 is to make each day more beautiful than the one before. I have plans to refine my currently mediocre french, experiment more in the kitchen and enjoy the small moments that make life beautiful. I have a couple of other personal goals which I will wait just a little longer to share.

Happy new year!

The following four weddings were just this month and I will share them over the next few months. The last two were actually in the last 4 days so they are very hot off the press

Just a couple of favourites from Chantelle and Simon’s wedding last month at Aquinas College.

Kellie rang me on a Thursday in October. She rang me with a plea to see if I was available to a) photograph their wedding on that following Saturday and b) to travel to Geraldton for their wedding. I can still remember the almost defeated tone in her voice as she asked hopefully “Are you free?”.

Unfortunately, their planned photographer was unable to come due to travel issues beyond anyone’s control. As luck would have it, I was available and was beyond thrilled that I could help them out and let Kellie and James get back to celebrating their marriage with their family and friends.

Dress: Lisa Ho
Ceremony: Guildford Grammar Chapel
Reception: Matilda Bay Reserve
Flowers: Poppy’s Flowers
Cake Artist: Cake Box

I just finished editing Emma and John’s exquisite wedding and fell in love with this portrait of Emma. More to come soon