Champagne gold by the water
We started on a timber boardwalk in Docklands, with the water flat and the Bolte Bridge standing tall in the haze behind. Wendy wore a champagne-gold sequinned gown and Peter a navy blazer and bow tie, and they walked hand in hand along the edge before sitting down with their feet over the water. A grey morning sky is lovely here: it turns the water silver and keeps the glass towers calm, so all the sparkle comes from the dress. We shot low along the boards to make the walkway lead straight to them.
Three golden eights
A few steps away, three huge gold numerals stood in front of a black building, and Wendy and Peter kissed beside them while her train spread across the pavement. City details like this make playful frames, and we love building a portrait around a strong shape. Then we headed out of town to a stand of tall, skinny pines, where the light came in sideways through the trunks. Wendy leaned against a tree in her gold gown, and the two of them stood close among the straight lines.
A herd at Gum Gully Farm
At Gum Gully Farm, Wendy changed into a pale blue tulle gown with soft cape sleeves and Peter into a light grey jacket. They sat on a fallen log in the paddock, and within minutes the deer came to them, one by one and then all together, nosing at the tulle and nibbling around the log. Wendy held out a hand and a young deer leaned in to sniff it. We stayed well back on a longer lens and kept quiet, because animals relax when the camera does not crowd them.
A nuzzle and a piggyback
The deer got braver. One stretched up and pressed its nose to Peter’s cheek while Wendy laughed beside him, and another followed them across the grass as they walked hand in hand. Peter carried Wendy in his arms with the herd milling around his feet, and they kissed while the deer grazed in front of the log. Animal frames are all about patience. We crouched to the deer’s eye level, waited for heads to come up, and let the couple simply enjoy the moment, which is exactly what shows in the pictures.
Under one veil
In the gardens we brought out a veil and draped it over both of them, coming in close so it softened everything at the edges of the frame and left only their faces clear. Peter posed alone beside a rustic doorway in his light jacket, and the two of them hugged by a timber fence with the paddock rolling away behind. A veil is the cheapest light shaper there is: it diffuses the sun, adds a dreamy haze and makes a close-up feel private.
Sun through the maples
Next stop was Forest Glade Gardens at Mount Macedon, and another change: a white strapless wedding gown for Wendy and a black tuxedo for Peter. The autumn maples were turning gold and red, and the sun sat low behind them. We put the light behind Wendy and Peter so it lit up her veil and the leaves overhead, then asked Wendy to toss the veil into the air for a kiss. Backlight in a garden like this needs an exposure for faces, not the sky, and the colours take care of themselves.
Stepping stones and a red bridge
Deeper in the garden we found a pond with round stepping stones. Peter knelt on one to take Wendy’s hand, and we lay almost on the water so their reflection doubled the frame. They paused among the clipped topiary and stood on a little red-railed bridge among the ferns. Then Wendy lay down on a bed of fallen leaves with her skirt spread around her and Peter beside her, and we shot straight down from above. Gardens with water and bridges give you a dozen different looks in one short walk.
An avenue of autumn
On the way out of the hills we stopped on a quiet road lined with autumn trees, their leaves rusty and gold against a pale evening sky. Wendy and Peter walked hand in hand down the middle of the avenue, then stopped for a kiss with the trees leaning in from both sides. Long avenues are wonderful for portraits, because the lines of trunks pull your eye straight to the couple. We used a longer lens to squeeze the trees together and make the colour look even thicker.
A dip kiss under Mr Moon
We finished after dark at Luna Park Melbourne in St Kilda, with Wendy in her final outfit: a sparkling navy gown that caught every one of the lights. Mr Moon’s huge face glowed above the entrance, framed by the lit towers, and Peter dipped Wendy for a kiss right inside the open mouth. We stood low on the striped forecourt with a wide lens to fit the towers in, and waited for a gap in the passing crowd. After a whole day of gardens and gums, it was the perfect bright, cheeky ending.
