Smacked in the kisser....a stag-do stunner! :: Adam and Andrea's wedding sneakypeeks!

At Adam's stag-do, his mates instigated a game of bullrush.  It was fab fun for a while, until Adam found that some of his friends were a little bigger than they had been last time they'd played (at primary) and bang, crash, ouch! found himself in a car on the way to hospital where he need 16 stitches to mend his split lip. 

Not the best thing to happen just before your wedding day!

Luckily the injury is recovering fast, the stitches have been removed and most importantly it didn't stop Adam from kissing his new bride Andrea on their fabulous 27 November wedding day.

Coincidently, the date is also the wedding anniversary of Andrea's parents; Marie and Bob Proudfoot who celebrated 41 years together at their daughter's wedding.

Adam and Andrea were married at St Mary's Church surrounded by family and friends before enjoying a fabulous night at the Bushmere Arms where they performed the best wedding dance I've ever seen!

Here's a couple of sneak peeks from their day...

(click pics for a bigger photo to view)

Adam relaxes with his friends and brother a few hours before the ceremony begins...

Pre-wedding and Andrea is glowing in her mum and dad's back garden.

The beautiful Bushmere Arms rose gardens were a cool and relaxing spot to take some final location photos before the bridal party returned to their guests on the other side of the hedge!

Veils! They are my all time favourite bridal accessory!

This is one of my favs and would look fab blown up super large on the wall.

Adam dips Andrea making a beautiful contrast to the gritty urban alleyway.

I had some serious shoe-jealousy going on...

Thanks guys I had a blast!

xCat

Gisborne wedding : Bridgette and Grant : sneaky peeks!

...or Bizza and Grantos as they are so fondly now known to me.
I LOVE making new buddies, and I am so happy to say these two lovely peeps - who I had the GREAT honour of photographing on Friday - have firmly found a little nest of love and happiness in my heart.
And what a day for a wedding it was on Friday! The sun baked, the bridal party frolicked, the corks popped and the Pacific Ocean gleeeeeamed above the Makarori Headland where the couple shared their vows.Gizzy pulled one out of the hat for these fantastic folks who are off to Sa Sa Samoa tomorrow for a fabulous honeymoon in the sun. I hope you have the bestest time ever!

How fab does Bridgette look! AND I thought Bridgette's hair was fantastic (it was handy having the super-talented Petrece on hand as personal hair stylist AND bridesmaid!) and her eyes looked AMAZING and sparkly in the sun.

Bridgette's bridesmaids Petrece, Briar and Marg were SO fabulous and FUN! I just love the glasses they were wearing!

This giant log washed up on the beach and was spotted by bridesmaid Briar while she was out on a run, a few days before the wedding. It made the perfect spot for some stunning photos. I really love the line of the log through the image, and Bridgette's body, then Grant's. I think it makes a great pattern, 

The gorgeous couple !

More beachy happiness

Super happy Grantos and beautiful Bridgette

The start of an ICE CREAM fight! Marg can't resist and gives Grantos a cool down, while Fred's about to wear a Mark Ferris special!

As the sea haze came up and the sun went down, I could see this would be the perfect spot for a gorgeous moody photograph, and tried to sneak the couple away from the reception to shoot this delicious photo. 

And special thanks to my amazing friend Christopher John Saggers (of Kotahi Longboards fame) who helped me out on the day, cooling me off with waters and lugging my gear around. And shout outs to the gorgeous Sarah, owner of Studio 38 and a super talented makeup artist and professional beauty therapist extraordinaire, who I had super fun getting to know on the day.

xCat

Vamping up your Gisborne twilight this summer... photo special!

Super Gisborne portrait deal - all summer long!

Dusky portraits, low golden light...mmmmm gorgeous!

All summer long, on Tuesday's and Wednesday's at the most beautiful time of day - twilight - I will be having portrait sessions for couples, families, kids and pets right here in Gisborne.

The sessions will be alfresco in any spot you like from 6-7pm.
I'll have just two spaces a week for these sessions so it's first in first served :)

For the super bargain deal of $150 (normally $270) you'll get a fabulous photo session, editing, plus two 8x 12 inch prints from the session - with the option of larger prints, canvas or high res digital images if you want them (these cost a bit more).

The Twilight photo sessions will run until the end of March and make excellent gifts for Christmas, or just a treat for yourself or the family! Mmmmm treats.

To book just call me on 06 8686700, or 0211548540, or email me on catbrownphoto@xtra.co.nz

Gisborne Weddings!! Your new place to go online!

It's the only place to go on facebook for cool wedding advice, photos, goss, and more - JUST for Gisborne woohooo! Finally a Gisborne wedding community site for everyone to use and enjoy!
GO Gisborne Weddings!
Gisborne Weddings

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Greetings from Crete

I popped by to see my mum today because she's been feeling a bit under the weather with a change of season cold. Of course being my mum, she still prepared lunch and a pot of coffee.
I swear, even when she's feeling unwell my mother is a complete energiser bunny.
A load of wood was delivered while I was there which I offered to help her stack, but even that was turned down, 'I haven't exerted myself in days and I need the exercise,' she said, 'I'll do it later, so just leave it for now.'
Still, I could tell my mother really wasn't feeling that well.

After visiting, she walked with me to her gate to say goodbye. At the bottom of her driveway she checked the mail and in her letter box was a postcard from my cousin Fi who is on holiday in Crete.
Fi's note was short; news of an emerging sun tan and daily dips in the island's azure blue waters.
But even so, I noticed that as she read the card, my mother starting looking quite a bit better.
I thought, how amazing. A thing as small as a postcard can make a difference in a person's entire being.
Fi wouldn't have known that mum was feeling ill, but somehow, even from as far away as Crete, her action of buying a card, writing a short note and posting it to New Zealand, made a difference.
I might send a postcard tomorrow.
You never know, someone might just need it.

x Cat

Learn how to choose a great wedding photographer

I video I made to help out anyone choosing a wedding photographer
x Cat

What's your wish? And the 'family cake'

Not last night but the night before we had a special birthday dinner for my fantastic, dreamy niece Penelope.
When it was time to blow out the candle's and make a wish, Penelope took a really long time. I meant a really, really, REALLY long time.
I think she thought so long and hard about what she wanted because when you're little you KNOW what you wish for is going to come true - AND - you only get to do it once a year, so you'd better make it a goody.
I think when we get older, sometimes we stop making wishes, or we become a little bit too realistic for our own goods. When I saw Pp (we've called her this since she was little!) really take time and effort over deciding on exactly what she wanted for her birthday wish, it made me remember how important it is to have wishes and really believe that they can happen.
Sometimes I get a bit jaded and ho hum, and sometimes I need Pp to remind me that for beautiful things to happen sometimes all I need is a little bit more faith. Thanks Pp, beautiful girl!

(That's my mum in the background, and in the corner of the photo you can see the little 'family' that mum cut out and put on the cake...)

I've just got to tell you one more little story...because I think this is SO lovely...

The family cake 


My mother had a plan for Pp's birthday cake : chocolate.
On the morning of Pp's birthday mum actually asked her if she had any special kind of cake that she really really wanted (so she could make a last minute flavour change if necessary!), and Pp said she wanted a 'family cake'. A cake that represented her family!
After some thought mum came up with this fantastic idea...she made a teeny tiny family of Pp (on a horse because she's been learning to ride), her little brother Jeremy, her mother Rachelle and my brother Romilly and put it on top.
What do you think? I think it's amazing!
My mother is so clever and thoughtful!

Have a great day and don't forget to make a wish!
x Cat

Just can't say no!

Lordy, you know you have a problem when you come home with a bag full of paua and kina shells.
And I don't mean ones that you've picked up during a romantic stroll along the beach - no, I mean ones someone else is THROWING AWAY.
And why?
Because I can't say no to free stuff.
I think it's part of the same sector of my brain that makes me keep those little bread plastic do-uppy things, which quite frankly you just never know when you're going to need.

At the moment my mother is doing a fabulous spring clean and in the weekend she was in her sewing room collecting up old piles of knitting needles to give away and I nearly asked for some...and I DON'T even knit!

Having said that...... how cute are these shells...I wonder if she has any more...

PS .... I'm in total bliss, I can hear a lawnmower in the distance, and a tui in the oak tree right outside and sunshine is streaming in my window .... mmmmm spring is here early :) Beautiful Gisborne!

Blue photo

I just love the blue, and the light catching him while he's floating in air.

x
Cat

Where the wild things are

Clearly, they're at the Gisborne Library.
Well that's where MY favourite little wild thing aka Max's dog aka Penelope Brown has been performing this week with the teeny tiny Unity Theatre group.
Bless!
So courageous!
I admire anyone who can get up and perform in front of others.
It's quite a skill.

Testing times between friends (and family, geese etc...)

I've got a new camera and like all new toys....errr professional equipment...you've got to make sure you know what all the bells and whistles do.
In effect this means I've been carrying it around with me for the last couple of weeks, practicing with it so when I pull it out to use on a job I can use it with my eyes shut (ok, not literally, that would be weird...)
So, thanks to my friends and family who have been in the line of fire while I've been testing things out and here are some of my practice shots:

Here's mother and daughter Anne and wee Eve enjoying a cafe break in Gisborne:

Eve close up


'Ali, can you just sit there for a second while I test this exposure.....'(x1000000000000)
Thanks sweetie!

I don't normally do landscapes at all, they're the realm of the early riser, and that's not me that's for sure...but as this was practice time, then why not! Here's the tide coming in at Kaiti Beach, Gisborne:

Here's a moon palm, along the Turanganui River...

This was taken on the morning of my birthday. Here's my little nephew Jeremy checking out his bday hat in the mirror with my family looking on.

Jeremy at the park...

and with my mother with a nice parallel with the seesaw against the playground boundary line...

At the river near where I live there are two geese that hang out all day and here's one of them looking good in white...

And last and probably least, the very first photo I took with the camera when I got it out of the box...
the obligatory self photo....I'm not smiling but I WAS on the inside because my new baby had finally arrived...!

Yours in sweet shots!
x Cat

Love cool paper products?

I do.
Have a look at Papercrave, it's rad.
x Cat

weddings by cat brown

You may or may not know that I actually (apart from this blog) have two websites for my photography.

One is my mothership catbrownphotography.co.nz and the other is its little sister - my specialist wedding site -  weddings by cat brown.

I've been updating the content of my wedding site at the moment and also updating the piccies, here they are:

I've also written up my own special cat brown photography insider tips tips for couples getting hitched!

You can read them here

Sweet shot!

x Cat

Special 'LOCALS ONLY' Sweet Deal!

We all love a deal right?
Well, this one's pretty good.
To celebrate cat brown photography moving to Gisborne we're having a wicked, never-to-be-repeated offer:
50% off all photos and packages booked before the end of April 2010.
Exsqueeze me?
Yep, that's right...you can save between $75-$2500 on weddings, portraits, event photography...if you book now.

Get more info right here: LOCALS ONLY PHOTO DEAL
Are you interested in booking your wedding? Fabulous! Check out the Weddings by cat brown website here

Call 06 8686700 or email catbrownphoto@xtra.co.nz for more details

Sweet deal!

BMX tricks and an extreme shooting tip

I took this during the summer and I'm hoping to shoot a lot more action like this when I'm back in Gizzy in three weeks!

EXTREME SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY TIP

If it's sunny, and they're jumping - use flash!

This photo reminds how with photography you're constantly in a learning curve... for example, it seems obvious when I write it, but when you're shooting a shot like this with people jumping into the air, the sun is going to be above them making big shadows.
ie: Person above your head + sun behind them = big fat shadows and silhouettes...which are totally cool if that's what you want! But, if you really want to see faces and expressions you need to use flash.

The first time I shot this kind of action shot in a competition  environment I really wondered why all the pros were flashing away - that was until I realised how bad my pics were going to be without attaching a strobe flash!
My pics pretty much sucked! But I learnt a great lesson!

Anyway, I hope that tip helps, and if you're ever shooting your friends or kids, and they're getting into some extreme air action make sure you have a flash attached (If you're using a basic digital camera, workout how to force your flash so you can shoot it when you want to.) Remember: Lots of sun +jumps = lots of flash needed!

Sweeeeet shot

x Cat

Light me up (soft) rocker

 

Photographers will all tell you that light is pretty much the most important thing when it comes to taking a good photo...and strangely one of the best places in my house for taking photos when it comes to light is our stairwell....don't ask!
It's good in a mishy mashy light way - ie the light blares up the stairs and then shoots from the side and then bounces off this white wall and if the overheads are on you get that too ... anyway, it's something I like because you get cool side and backlight and everything else tends to look good too.
The other day Ali and I were going to a party and just before going, our pup Blue was having one of those psychic - I know you're going out and I'm going to be all alone - sad-dog-look moments so Ali picked her up to say goodbye.
My camera was right beside me so I quickly picked it up and took this pic without them noticing.
I know I have a vested interest in this shot but even if you didn't know Ali or Blue I reckon you'd think it was kind of cute!

Sweet shot!

x Cat

Mean Maori Mean!

I took this photo during the official welcome at Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne, NZ and although I LOVED many of the musicians at the festival - this is by far my favourite image of the event.
I wasn't in the photographer's pit when I took this shot ... in fact I'd been held up mightily by the loooooooooooooooooong, dehydration-inducing disorganisation on the first day at the main gates ..... however, a bit of a sprint down the hill once we were through, and just a mild stop-off to laugh at the first of many nude sliders down the water shute.... and I managed to get into place to take this shot.  Mean shot!

Greatest American Hero (GAH) x infinity

When I was a kid I LOVED the Greatest American Hero, it was by far my favourite TV series.
I loved the fact that he couldn't always fly and that he really had to believe in himself to make things happen....this appealed to me soooo much.
The curly blonde fro, not quite so much.

Sooooo you can imagine my delight when I saw multiple GAH's on the Wellington waterfront Sunday.

All I can say is bless the sevens!

x Cat

He's flyin'

 

CLICK PIC FOR BIGGER VIEW

I'm a big fan of skating, and I especially love it when young kids just go for it.

This guy must have been about 8 and he was TOTALLY wrecking the Wellington skatepark this afternoon.

I was walking to the supermarket to get some bits and pieces for the barby and I just had to take some snaps! Sweet shot!

x Cat

It's a new logo!

So sweet
so orange
it's the new sweet shot logo
Love to know what you think!
x Cat

Jumping horse

CLICK ON PIC TO SEE BIGGER VERSION

Ever seen a horse do this before?
Hmmmm, neither.
When I was little I ALWAYS wanted a pony.
I didn't get one, but I'm still holding out some hope.
In the meantime this is from the Gisborne rodeo ... I have lots of other great shots of cowboys and bullriding and barrel racing women and kids but this one is my favourite.
The rider is long gone...
...go pony, you show them!

Sweet shot!
x Cat

In the media...

I got paid out by a friend for not mentioning the Wiggles in the article. Although I've photographed them too, strangely they didn't come straight to mind when I was talking to the reporter!

The sweet shot of me is by Ali Balkwill super photographer!

Shut your eyes

This one goes out to all my Wellington buddies ... perhaps if we collectively remember what the sun is like it might come out again!
How long's it been??
Anyway, to start us off, I've attached my last memory of sun in Wellington...
Fingers to temples...
Hot thoughts...
Come on Sun!

CLICK PIC TO VIEW BIGGER VERSION
This photo: I was strolling along Wellington waterfront when I saw this guy on the building roof under the big sign that said, 'don't jump from this building'.
Say no more.

Sweet jump shot!

x Cat

New Wellington colourcity::velocity mini movie on youtube

This my new promo for my range of limited edition prints, cards, posters, giclee canvas prints that celebrate Wellington's wicked design and colour. Hope you enjoy!
To look at all the prints and order just go to my main webby: www.catbrownphotography.co.nz
sweet xx cat
PS if the movie looks cut off in this screen just DOUBLE click the white title to see the full size in youtube! nice

Hotstuff

CLICK PIC TO VIEW A BIGGER VERSION
This maybe a repeat for those of you in Gisborne over the New Years break (because it appeared in the local rag) but I think this is a pretty cool shot.
I had been on the beach taking the previous sunset shot when I saw helicopters and smoke coming from a neighbouring suburb and by the time I was in a good position to take a photo the sun had gone down and the flames were sky high. I was a good 100 or so metres away using a long lens - but still it was scorching from where I was standing so these brave firefighters must have been super hot. It was a scrap wood yard that went up in flames but the good news was that no one was hurt and no houses were burnt. Phew!