Latest Work

Today I found out that I’ve been awarded the “Global Photographer of the Year” in the People and Travel catagory. I am very honoured to receive this award and thank all of the judges for the recognition. Thank you!

Tom Hall

These days I get less and less time to do portraiture. It’s something I absolutely love. Here are a few frames from a very recent shoot I did with actress Jade Paskins.

As I edit these images I can’t help but smile. Sarah and Mitchell were born to meet. Their love for each other is undeniable! Their day was perfect. A stunning bride, a charming groom, two proud families and friends who’s faces beamed as the two exchange their vows. Everyone there knew this was meant to be, including me. The room was filled with undeniable joy as each person intently listened to every word and shared in what was a very happy and beautiful wedding. The setting was heavenly and the weather was perfect for a beautiful group of people to all enjoy such a wonderful day. I am blessed to have this job!

This is a letter I just received from a couple whose wedding I recently photographed. This is exactly why I do what I do. I am constantly in search of joy and when someone tells me how happy they are with my work I can’t help but feel like I’ve found it! I also can’t help but feel a real sense of purpose and pride. Thank you Nigel and Kylie for allowing me to share this letter and thanks for these beautiful words!

“Hi Tom

We wanted to write to tell you how much we love the photos. They are incredible! It was great to have had you photograph our wedding. Everyone has commented on how lovely you are. The piano playing, singing and guitar playing while we were all getting ready was so enjoyable and I feel like having you there really made our day so special.

It is through meeting people like you Tom that reminds us of how God selects people to give such gifts of artistic talent knowing they will share that talent with others.

I was wowed in Paris seeing the original works of Monet, Renoir, Rodin, Ruben , Da Vinci and so many other amazing talented artists.

I must say I am wowed seeing how you have expressed through your art of photography the amazing eye you have to capture a single moment and turn it into a masterpiece that I am proud to hang on my walls.

I can’t find the right words to express my gratitude to you for all you have done.

Thank you just does not seem enough.

All the best regards

Kylie and Nigel.”

Don’t book me if you’re not in love with each other!

I’m a professional photographer and it pays my bills – and I need bookings as much as the next guy, but I am also passionate about what I do and the reasons for it; the most important being that I find it highly rewarding. I shoot weddings because love fascinates me. I could’ve become a landscape photographer and made a killing doing that. I could’ve jumped on the pet photography bandwagon and made $1200 per frame. I could’ve even become a famous boutique portrait photographer and made $1m/yr, but I chose weddings because I live to photograph people who absolutely love each other! I feel a sense of honour that I’ve been asked to capture the kind of bonds that are so strong people are compelled to commit for life! I shoot weddings because I want to create the kind of photos that couples can look at and be reminded of the joy they share and the fact that out of all the billions of people they could’ve ended up with, they found and chose to be with one another. Please know this: If you’re getting married for any other reason than true love then I’m not the person to photograph you and you should book someone else – someone who doesn’t care about why they’re a wedding photographer. The paths in life we choose in my humble opinion should be based on so many more elements than just how much money we’ll make from walking down them. Like all of us I need money – it’s important, but I also need to be true to myself. Photographing two people who have no chemistry and no obvious passion for one another is not something I’m interested in. The knowledge that what I do is valued and treasured is something I find more rewarding.

Cheers

On Thursday I got to do something I’ve always had a real interest in, but very rarely get the time to do (cause I photograph so many weddings) – photographing fashion! My focus for this shoot was to do something really refined. Tone and detail were a main part of the agenda while keeping the light soft and flattering to both the garments and the model. I’m sure designers would agree that they don’t spend weeks, even months creating garments only for them to be photographed in a way that doesn’t show off all the work they’ve put in. I hate nothing more than to see images of a dress where the details have been blown out.

For those people who aren’t familiar with the term “blow out” it means to over expose the image which eliminates otherwise visible details within the frame.

So with this shoot I tried my utmost to ensure the details of the dresses were always visible even though I was adding elements to the shoot…. like smoke and backlight.
It was the first time I’ve worked with model Natalja van der Lei. Obviously being a Dallys model she knows her craft. She’s excellent at taking direction, but I discovered Natalja also has a natural ability to add her own embellishments in a way that adds to the shoot instead of taking away from it. I found her to be incredibly creative and inspiring. When I get inspired by the people I create with, I work at my best.

There’s nothing like working with a team of professionals and I would like to thank mine for their great work on the day. Dress Designer: Célina Rutter (Label: Celina K). Stylist: Thea Rowan. Makeup/Hair: Sue McLaurin. Model: Natalja (Dallys Models). Assistant: Sarah Hall. Yes my wife Sarah came to the shoot and I loved having her there. If she could work with me at every shoot I’d be in heaven! Every now and again she’ll quietly suggest something and it’s always bang on! She has such amazing ideas. She’s also pretty crafty with a smoke machine :)

So here are a few frames that I’ve happened to edit thus far. I actually ended up with 80 images from the shoot that I simply couldn’t cull which just shows how beneficial it is to work with an experienced  team. Thank you to everyone involved and for helping me create these images.

I’ve discovered I love it when a storm is approaching just near the end of the post ceremony portrait session. I would have to say that Saturday’s weather really delivered way more bang for buck than I’ve been accustomed to on a wedding day. Just after we finished capturing the last images before the reception the massive storm front we’d been watching approach finally hit, and it was intense.

It was the first big storm of the season and it really put on a show!

As we were driving back to the reception at the Maleny Manor the rain was falling so hard that cars weren’t exceeding 30km/h. As quick as the storm came though, it left and the evening went on in perfect fashion.

Later that night as we were leaving the reception the storm could still be seen moving away on the horizon so I took the opportunity to photograph it behind the spiral stairs of the wedding venue.

People have asked me what my favourite light is and like most I’ve always replied by saying, “I like it overcast”, however after Saturday’s wedding I’d have to say you’ll find my favourite light under dark, dark storm clouds. There’s just something so incredibly even about it. It is as soft as light gets in my humble opinion.

Melanie and Danny I’m sure prayed for a lovely day, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were caught off guard even a little by just how perfect it really was.