Charming young couple Iain and Michelle asked me to come up from Sydney to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains to photograph their wedding. It had been raining all morning but had miraculously cleared up in the afternoon. With trepidation the whole wedding party ventured outside for a beautiful garden ceremony; however halfway through it began to rain again so we were all ushered back into the house. Despite very close quarters indoors, everyone was beaming and united in celebration of Iain and Michelle’s marriage. Take a look at some of the photos from the day.

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Playful and adventurous couple Mark and Arezou asked me to cover their full wedding day. We traversed all of Sydney, starting in the early afternoon with some “getting ready” shots at their homes in Earlwood, then to St Georges Anglican church for the beautiful ceremony. We continued on to Lavender Bay near Milsons Point and Luna Park in North Sydney for some gorgeous shots in the park and by the water.

The reception followed at the grand Anahita Persian restaurant in Lane Cove, which was filled with smiles, wild dancing (even from the grandparents!), laughter and genuine heartfelt speeches. I then followed Mark and Arezou to Sheraton on the Park in the heart of Sydney city, where I took some shots of them in the breathtaking multi-level hotel lobby. Despite it being a very long day and night for all of us, the energy and warmth of Mark and Arezou kept everyone in high spirits. Check out some of the photos from the day and night.

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Exciting news! Lonely Planet, publishers of world-renowned travel guides, have commissioned one of my photographs for publication! It is for the 2008 edition of their Sydney city guide. This is the photo they selected. Look out for the Lonely Planet Sydney guide in book stores February.

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I was very excited about photographing this wedding. Having visited Long Reef near Collaroy in Sydney’s Northern Beaches for the first time only a week before, I was taken aback by the magnificent views from the top of the hill. I could easily see the coastline north and south for several kilometres, and the dramatic clouds rolled overhead. I couldn’t wait to take some photos at this beautiful location, and was rewarded with some great shots. Take a look at some of the photos from the truly spectacular and fun-filled day wedding and night reception at the Collaroy Beach Services Club.

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Last weekend Ben and Miranda were married in an intimate gathering of close friends and family. They were wed in a very photogenic part of Sydney - a small park by the water at Milsons Point in North Sydney near Luna Park. A huge old tree sheltered us during the ceremony, and afterwards I sneaked away with the newlyweds to get some shots of them beneath old archways and in front of historic sandstone walls. Miranda’s rich ruby red wedding dress stole the show - I’m still in awe of its original design and opulent beauty. Check out the photos from the day here.

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Hot new Sydney live dance act the Gauge Breakers invited me along to take some colourful and unusual shots of their energetic live DJ set at Sydney’s lively Havana Club De Luxe in Sydney’s Kings Cross. Check out the photos here.

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I’ve decided to take my wedding photography to the next level. I just picked up a brand new Canon EOS 40D digital SLR today and am eager to become familiar with its wealth of new features. I’m expecting better image quality, faster focusing (for more “keepers” at the weddings I shoot), low-light quality (for dimly-lit churches) and faster frame rate (to get some great shots of the bouquet toss and garter toss). Here is my initial review of the Canon EOS 40D along with some test images for comparison.

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I’ve put up brand new galleries of two weddings I photographed recently. One was at Star Room - 6 levels above ground next to Sydney’s famous Imax theatre in Darling Harbour. The second was at Sydney’s Historical Rocks - I photographed the couple against a breathtaking sunset backdrop accentuated by the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Check out gallery 1 and gallery 2.

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This is part 3 of the digital photography tips series. In this tutorial I talk about keeping your lines straight, effects using camera tilt, focussing on eyes, and including floors in your people photography. Read take better photos in 4 easy steps - part 3.

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In the past few weeks, search engine Google has changed something in its algorithm. As a result, I’m proud to announce that PhotosByJay is ranking higher than ever. Read more about what happened and my take on the new changes, plus get an insight into how I designed this site with users and search engines in mind.

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I’ve put up two new galleries of an Indian engagement and Indian wedding ceremony I photographed recently. The vibrant colours and festive atmosphere of an Indian event always provide a visual feast and a really enjoyable photographic experience! Check them out on my photo gallery page.

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Last week Brian Auer from Epic Edits (a great site with lots of free photography tips and resources) posted a list of the best 59 blogs about photography. I thought it prudent to post this as a follow-up to my tip on the 32 best photography sites in 2007. I’ve browsed most of these sites and they provide a great range of high quality photos and tips from active and passionate members of the online photographic community. Take a nice long look at the 59 top blogs about photography.

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Over my many years researching photographic equipment, learning from photography tips and browsing galleries of others, I have visited literally thousands of photography sites. I have distilled and compiled a list of the best of the best photography sites which I think you, too, can use to improve your photography, inspire you, and gain a valuable insight into the wonderful world of photography. Check out The 32 best photography sites in 2007.

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As the sun rises in the morning, the sky is brilliant with hues of lavender and crimson. At noon, the sky is a glowing light blue, offering opportunities to photograph your subject against a clean background. As the sun begins its slow descent to herald in the evening, there is a brief window of magnificent photographic opportunities that are gone in the blink of an eye. Twilight. Read on…

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Bharatanatyam (also Bharat Natyam) is a classical dance form originating in Southern India. Originating in ancient times, it involves a series of physically challenging postures and movements mimicking heavenly sculptures. I was asked to photograph the debut (Arangetram) performance of this high-speed and endurance testing dance by Shruti Krishnan, a young south Indian girl who had been training for many years. She danced beautifully and with amazing precision. View the Bharatanatyam gallery.

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This is some of the best fun I’ve had taking photos. Joe and Carly asked me to take some photographs of them to be used on their upcoming wedding invitations. Their young and playful personalities were a perfect match for the location: Newtown in Sydney’s Inner West. The old graffiti adorning parking lots, the makeshift rusted corrugated tin fences and the old stone cemeteries and churches helped lend a distinct charm and character to the photos. Take a look at the results of the shoot.

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I recently had the pleasure of being able to trial the new Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera on Wednesday. Read my Leica M8 review along with lots of high-res sample photos.

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I have in my hot little hands the coveted Leica M8 digital rangefinder with 35mm/1.4 Summilux lens. It’s on loan from L&P digital photographic in Artarmon. I’ve taken some shots this morning and at lunch, and I’m quite impressed so far. I’m shooting around Crows Nest’s back streets tonight and will post up a gallery and a review in the next few days.

Edit 29/03/2007: update! I managed to get my hands on the Leica M8 for a day. Read my Leica M8 review along with lots of high-res sample photos.

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Last weekend I photographed the wedding of Carla and Chris Vandenheuvel. The wedding was at Santa Sabina College in Burwood, Sydney, and the following reception was at Drummoyne Sailing Club. It was a beautiful sunny day and there was a real sense of togetherness of friends and family. The shots came out great and I received great feedback from both sides of the family as well as many of the people who attended! Browse through some of the photos from the day.

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A good photographer will find order amongst chaos. In something as complex as a jungle or crowd, they look out for patterns and symmetry in colour, shapes and patterns. When translated to a photograph, this results in a visually striking image that causes you to look twice. Read more on this digital photography tip.

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Next time you’re about to press that shutter release button on your camera, just stop and think. Will the scene I am looking at translate to a good photograph? In photography there are no hard and fast rules, but from my experience I have found these sure fire ways to take better photos. Complete with lots of sample photos and easy-to-follow steps. Explore this digital photography tip.

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