Mary Sylvia Photography

Jacqueline | Auckland Wedding Photographer | Mt Eden

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:03:15 +0000

Oh my goodness; would you look at this beauty?

My wedding photography editing workspace/studio

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:10:49 +0000

This blog is primarily a vehicle for displaying the results of the weddings I shoot week to week, and for celebrating the love of those good people who hire me to capture and tell the story of their big day. I love my work, and this forum will always be more about my clients than me.

That said, it’s sometimes cool for people to be able to get behind the creative process, especially when they’re looking at working with someone. For photographers, and others working in the visual design medium, a big part of that creative process is about space.

This is my work space. Simple, neutral tones. Lots of light. A dog. That’s really all I need, which is lucky because I spend A LOT of time at this desk. The one piece of flair is the print by James Jean, which was bought for me by my husband Sam.

The dog, little delight that she is, is named Meadow. She thinks she is my boss.

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Anna & Duncan | Zealandia Wedding | Karori

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:36:03 +0000

Anna and Duncan married in the rich green oasis of Wellington’s Zealandia, with the beauty of their ceremony easily matching that of the natural surrounds. A cheeky duck made for an impromptu guest (clearly thinking itself important enough for a prime spot on the aisle) and other visitors included a set of hungry kaka and the sanctuary’s resident takahe, who bobbed around the wedding party as they enjoyed a few nibbles at the lake edge.

It was certainly a day reflecting the very best this country has to offer: brilliant flora, unique fauna and two people very much in love. Congrats guys! Thanks for letting us be a part of it.

April & Steffan | Raglan Beach | Wainui Bush Reserve

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:47:00 +0000

An exhilarating time frame was put to work by a fantastically organised bride and groom at April and Steffan’s beautiful Raglan, Wainui Bush Reserve wedding. The day’s coverage was compressed into just five hours, but thanks to our relaxed couple and a bit of logistical planning we managed to capture the full range of events, from getting ready to the ceremony, creatives (traversing a number of different locations), family shots and the start of a beautiful reception. A huge thanks to the couple, and to lovely Raglan and many, many good wishes for your future together.

One year

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:06:16 +0000

Happy anniversary, Sam.

Thank you for what has been, actually, the best year of my life.

Sneak peek | April & Steffan | Raglan Wedding Photography

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:12:37 +0000

Even the inclement weather on the North Island’s west coast couldn’t subtract from the beauty of April and Steffan’s Raglan wedding. If anything, it only made us all that much more determined to find the shots as we traversed forests, beaches, hilltops, tidal estuaries, boardwalks and pohutukawas. These are just a fraction of the results. Congratulations you two! You looked stunning.

Leah | Contemporary Dancer | Wellington Dance Photography

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:14:06 +0000

This is a a bit of an unusual post for me. I specialize in weddings and I love doing so. I put every hour of my work day into photographing couples in love, editing the images, and then working on upskilling myself to do a better job the next time.

But every now and then a chance comes along where I get to be fully pushed out of my comfort zone and do something entirely different, this is one of those. Leah is a fantastic dancer with a background in ballet and contemporary, although she now loves hip hop. When she and I got talking about the creative art of dance all I wanted to do was capture it. Fortunately for me, Leah was up for the challenge. We only had a couple of hours and a little old school hall available for the one window we could both squeeze into our busy schedules, but Leah rocked it beautifully.

PS: Leah did all this on a recently sprained ankle. Commitment much?

One frame | Who needs a studio | Contemporary Dance Photography

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:54:43 +0000

For dancers, studios represent the best possible environment in which to practice their craft; same goes for musicians in their studios, photographers in theirs, painters in their art studios and gymnasts in their gyms. But sometimes great art happens away from those perfect, controlled environments. Sometimes a dusty old school hall on threadbare carpet has to suffice. For great artists, like Leah here, that will be more than enough.

Waaay more to come from this very talented dancer, Leah Rennie.

Melissa & Nick a few frames | Otari Wilton Bush | Dowse Art Museum Wedding Photography

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:35:07 +0000

The Saturday was one of those days Wellingtonians dread; a southerly storm ripping through the city, tearing tree branches down, threatening big sheets of rain, but from the calm and happy look on Nick and Melissa’s face, you’d never have known it. Nick and Melissa were married at Otari Wilton Bush Reserve, a gorgeous little basin among a back drop of protected trees, hundreds of years old (one of which decided to snap under the winds right in the middle of the vows!), and again, Nick and Melissa were the picture of happiness, in their own little calm amid the crazy weather.

With so many indoor spaces closed for Christmas, the Dowse Art Museum came to the rescue, who, on seeing the awful weather, kindly let us use their gorgeous gallery to take some photos after the ceremony, before we headed to The Jetty for their reception.

Marc & Danielle | Houghton Bay Moa Point | Engagement Photography

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:31:49 +0000

Someone pointed out to me the other day that I don’t blog chronologically, but whimsi-logically. She’s right, and I’ve no idea why. I guess I’m so big on client deadlines and being super punctual that it’s fun to have a small part that’s not so time-bound and where I can be a bit more creative with what I post (I’m such a rebel aren’t I?). So, in true whimsilogical fashion, here’s a late December engagement session of the lovely Danielle and Marc. Next week I’ll be blogging an October wedding.

Danielle and Marc chose a dynamic southern beach on the North Island. The thing that I love about the Southern beaches around here, if you stand on them and look South, is there’s only ocean between you and Antarctica. You have to be a bit courageous and adventurous to have your engagement session here, because you really never know what the weather will do. But I think the sun loves to shine on love, and so it did here.