Weddings On Waiheke » personal

Camping around the Coromandel…

Emma — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:01:48 +0000

We did a fabulous wedding on the weekend; just gorgeous – stunningly elegant bride, lovely families, very stylish, lots of fun and happy people all having a great time; all the good stuff that makes me LOVE my job. I wish that I could share some of the images but the bride and groom have opted to keep their wedding out of the blogisphere. So… sad for you viewers, but instead I bring you, da dum da daaaaaaa… Our Family Campervan Holiday Photos. Lucky, lucky you.

We had a great time away – Wellington for Christmas, then we flew back north and drove in Mango Tango (not her real name) to Miranda Hot Springs (ahhhhhh), traveled through Thames and up to Coromandel Town, across the 309 route to Whitianga, followed by Whangamata. After that, Rotorua and Mt Maunganui.

We did some indoor rock-climbing, played mini golf, walked to waterfalls, visited swimming pools and a few dozen playgrounds/skateparks (as anyone with children knows, these are high on the list of attractions in any new town), got wet at Waterworks in the Coromandel (highly recommended), got extremely wet at hot water beach along with a gazillion other tourists … what is with all the rain this summer?

Had my first – and possibly last – ‘V’ slushy, went glass-bottom boating (Jessie snorkeled with the fishies because she is not a total cold water wuss unlike the rest of the family a brave adventurer), ate Thai from a RSA ‘restaurant’ (not recommended), did The Twist and a few other unrecognisable dance moves at a dine & dance for New Years Eve, frolicked on the beach, drew in the sand, lost some teeth (the kids)… Yep, all in all it was a goodie!

Happy Campers!

Emma — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:07:13 +0000

We are nearing the end of our family camper-van trip around the coromandel (and rotorua/tgaranga). It has been such a treat to be on holiday at a time that is usually so busy for our studio. Feeling very lucky about now. Back at work from the 9th Jan so will post a few photos from the trip soon…
Hope everyone has had a great start to 2012!

Fathers Day

Emma — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:14:19 +0000

We had such a lovely day spoiling Lance on Fathers Day this year; just hanging out and relaxing, making him breakie in bed, brunch in the sun, wine and cheese in the arvo and a specially requested Roast Lamb for dinner. Yep, you heard right – breakie AND brunch, cos that’s just how we do Fathers Day in our house. Sticky sweet pastries, bagels, cream cheese, salmon… you get the idea I am sure!

Actually, it sounds like we pretty much just ate all day which is kind of true, although he also squeezed in some recreational gardening as well (total mystery to me how gardening can be considered anything but a complete chore but then I am a non-gardener, which I imagine you would have gathered from the comment!).

To save you from being subjected to photos of our gluttonous eating spree (or Lance’s gardening for that matter), I have unearthed one of my favourite shots from soon after our daughter Jessie was born, a gorgeous moment which always reminds me how delicate and yummy those first few months are with a newborn.

Happy belated Fathers Day everyone.

I just won the 2011 Wedding Album of the Year!

Emma — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:28:24 +0000

Wow. Just returned from the NZIPP annual convention and Iris Awards where I was awarded the Wedding Album of the Year trophy for the second year in a row! This year I also received another ‘bar to my masters’, and was one of three finalists for the Classic Portrait Category, a new category this year which celebrates a ‘straight’ capture, i.e., an image that has not been digitally manipulated like so many of the current awards images are.

The convention itself was fabulous – a real treat, with heaps of great advice and inspiration from some awesome speakers. Will post more info over the next few days along with my successful awards images and the details of the wedding album pages for those that have been asking me on FB. Until then though, you will just have to look at my smiling (and slightly ‘stunned mullet’) face…

winter break ahead….

Emma — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:30:26 +0000

Yeeehah!! We are on the road taking a well deserved winter break. OK, there is a wee bit of work thrown in for good measure but only the kind of ‘work’ that is pretty good fun anyway so it doesn’t really count! This year I am really excited to be part of the judging team at the NZIPP Iris Awards, which are being held in Rotorua in early August. Exciting and slightly scary fun; can’t wait!

Apologies for any inconvenience if you are trying to reach me – I will be doing the occasional email session so feel free to send me a message and I’ll answer as I am able…

Auckland Photo Day…

Emma — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 01:18:10 +0000

I was pretty chuffed to find out that one of my images made it to the Top 30 in this years Auckland Photo Day. Part of June’s Auckland Festival of Photography, the photo day is a designated 24 hours in which Auckland’s photographers capture their city and all it means to them. My shot of my gorgeous daughter Jessie leaping over a little beach stream was selected from over 1350 entries… choice!

All the winning photos can be viewed HERE

…

Emma — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:27:55 +0000

“Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again”. Henri Cartier-Bresson

Auckland Festival of Photography 2011 – The Waiheke Photographers Collective Exhibition

Emma — Sun, 29 May 2011 00:05:11 +0000

The Waiheke Photographers Collective exhibition is showing at Toi Gallery for one more week so pop on in and check it out! The show is a mix of professional and amateur photographers so is quite varied and well worth a look…

[Thanks to the lovely Linda Young for taking my photo]

It’s a small world…

Emma — Sun, 15 May 2011 22:37:52 +0000

I received this lovely email from one of my brides last week… it made my day so I thought I would share it!

I kept meaning to tell you at the wedding – Just after I booked you a year before the wedding, I was in this gorgeous designer bridal store in Dubai called Frost and the Lebanese owner was asking where I was getting married. Long story cut short – when I said New Zealand she said the most stunning wedding photos she had ever seen had been of a bride she sold a dress too who got married in New Zealand, but she couldn’t remember where or any of the details.

Even though I was telling her I’d already booked my photographer (didn’t mention your name) she keep persisting that I find this “amazing photographer” and so she ran off back to her office to find out the details. Mean while I standing there thinking “There’s hundreds maybe even thousands of wedding photographers in New Zealand… what’s the chance…” A few minutes later she appeared with her laptop and a shot of this bride at Mudbrick by Emma Hughes!
I nearly fell over!

Just thought you’d like to know how amazed people are with your photography – worldwide!
Have a great day!
Pepita

Lovely.

And since a post is not really the same without a photo, here is a studio portrait I shot recently of my dear friend Selina Tusitala Marsh…

Selina is an exceptionally talented poet, whose live performances are just amazing; evocative, emotive and downright moving. She was wonderful to photograph. This portrait is part of a group exhibition from the Waiheke Photography Collective which opens at Toi Gallery on Waiheke Island this coming Friday at 6pm… all welcome.

getting some air

Emma — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:44:57 +0000

Thanks for the patience of those of you who have been trying to reach me for the last week – our family was whisked away on a week long holiday to celebrate my parent’s 40 wedding anniversary… SUCH a lovely holiday and our kids had a ball swimming around and visiting the theme parks of Surfer’s Paradise with their cuzzies.

No sign of the floods where we were although we saw some pics out of Ipswitch in the papers and it all looked very frightening. Crazy to think we were so close and yet so removed from it. Lance was actually born in Ipswitch and remembers the 1974 Brisbane floods quite vividly even though he was only three at the time. Our hearts go out to those in need over there.

OK, am beginning to attack the mountain of emails now…