Crikey, that’s a bit of a mouth full of blog title. Read on, the post is not as onerous as the title!
A fantastic, good fun and great looking wedding party, Kaikoura scenery and a Ford Thunderbird, now just how good can it get. Cars are a cool wedding accessory, especially when they have some attitude. Classic and red always works and I’m lucky to get more than my share of kick ass wedding cars at wedding days. This weekend was the usual weekend treat. The wedding party were great fun, there were a few of them though and I had to do a quick head count each time before setting into a group shoot! The great thing about a large wedding party is that there is always someone coming up with an inspirational crazy fun idea for us to photograph and the ideas kept on coming this weekend and we soon ran out of time.
Canon 7D review update.
My Canon 7D has had a good shake down now, shot many thousands of images, been used every day since I took delivery and displaced the 1 series Canons that I have in my arsenal. My faithful 1DsII has come back from the Canon hospital with a brand new shutter, I’ve used it for one job but it’s big and heavy, the AF isn’t as snappy as the 7D. There always seems to be dust on the sensor no matter how often I get it cleaned and although the files are always crisp and clean and colour accurate, for the work I do the 7D files are perfect and I’m going to have this damned thing worn out in no time at all.
With my style of photography I choose to shoot in manual mode all the time which means I cannot comment on the metering capabilities of the 7D.
I’ve shot several hundred portrait shots with studio light in jpeg and found the histogram to be accurate for good file results.
I’ve used the 7D for weddings since I got it and I’m loving it.
Why I like the 7D for wedding photography.
Mostly for the reasons I outlined in the first review, but to reiterate:
Ergonomics and handling, including the weight compared to a 1 series Canon.
Big, bright viewfinder.
Snappy AF, works great in low light and with a Speed light is brilliant.
Performance (shoot rate)
Canon 7D workflow
There still seems to be some hiccups with the 7D workflow.
The Canon supplied software is not really an option for a professional workflow, although it produces quite nice files it is too clunky and slow for high volume use.
My 7D workflow at the moment goes like this;
Photo Mechanic for ingestion, selection, file naming, IPTC and Ex if meta-data.
RAW Developer for processing of RAW files to JPG usable files.
Adobe LightRoom for fast cropping, applying effects and cataloguing files.
Photoshop for any major editing or effects.
I convert all files to jpg with an sRGB profile straight from the RAW file unless it is some super duper image that I want to do a heap of work to. It is pointless to clutter your system with huge tiff files with Adobe RGB files when 99% of the worlds printers do a perfect job of printing with an sRGB profile and a jpg file with a compression of around 10.
In conclusion
Isn’t it so cool to every day be able to use the most amazing, cutting edge technology that mankind has devised! When I look back 10 short years to using film cameras compared to the most incredible technology and image quality we now have available I have to think that everything is just so perfect and how can we ever complain about the shortcomings of the amazing equipment we have.
And now – what you’ve been waiting for, the good looking people!
Thanks Guys for sharing your day with me and for all the laughs and great times.
Kaikoura has to be one of the most stunning locations for a wedding…
Big blue sea and sky, mountains, stony beaches, even a sandy beach or two!
We have well equiped venues and facilities to cater for either small or large weddings.
Kaikoura is centrally located between Christchurch and Picton and has good road, bus and rail access from these centres.
With amazing ecotourism activities, fine resturants, relaxing accommodation, a winery and unmatchable scenery, it’s little wonder Kaikoura is becoming increasingly popular as a wedding and event location.
Making your day easy and fun
Wedding photography that’s creative and fun.
You’re sure to have some ideas about the images you would like to have of your day, I can help you develop and create these ideas turning them into the stunning images you will enjoy for years to come. And it’s all easy and fun.
The way I photograph weddings
Every wedding is a story that can’t be told in 2 hours, this is the reason I don’t have hourly packages. I do one wedding in one day and put all my energy into it. It can be quite hard work walking, running, squatting, lying on the ground, laughing, crying and carrying camera gear that weighs a ton.
Spending the day with you gives me a feel for who you are and I can capture and tell the story of your day as it unfolds.
For a while it will feel like I’m in your face with my camera but pretty soon you won’t even notice I’m there. That’s when the magic starts and I coax you into doing little things that will make you look like the stars you are.
I use lights a bit, to make dramatic images in our dramatic environment the use of lighting and a couple of favourite camera lenses help do the job.
Not sure how you would classify my photography style, it’s a mix of photo journalism, semi-formal, maybe it’s freestyle.
Wedding photography is about fun, telling stories and wowing people with your images.
Four main photography packages cater to the needs of most wedding couples. These all include free consultation, extensive photo coverage, a proof book, an online gallery and a variety of print and album options with no hidden costs.
Wedding pack information is avaliable for download at the bottom of this page.
If you have requirements not covered in the regular wedding packs please enquire as we can tailor a plan to your needs, it’s your day and we’ll do what you want.
Do I travel
Yes, no problem. I quite like to get out of town every now and then.
Queensberry Albums
Queensberry are what we use and we love these albums, they are elegant masterpieces that are built so well they will last a lifetime.
Can I get the High Res negatives of my wedding
Yes of course, these are available on a nicely presented DVD at a very reasonable cost, licensed for you to use forever and will allow you to go wild with your printing (print to 8 X 12 (A4)), digital displays or whatever grabs you.
$250 for a 200 image photography pack DVD.
$350 for a 400 image photography pack DVD.
Wedding pack download
Submit your details below to immediately recieve the wedding pack PDF download link.
If you would prefer a real paper copy, email us your address and we’ll get it in the post.
For wedding, people and commercial photography – Andrew Spencer Photography
Beautiful, creative and dramatic wedding photography, stylish portrait photography and high impact commercial images by an experienced and enthusiastic Kaikoura Photographer.
I can help you…
enjoy stunning images of your Kaikoura wedding day
have timeless, stylish portrait pictures
make your business stand out from the crowd
see Kaikoura’s unique scenery and wildlife with Kaikoura images
Kaikoura Wedding photography that’s creative, original and fun.
Kaikoura is very accessible and a great place for a wedding. I will make beautiful, creative and original images of your special day, and we’ll have fun doing it. wedding info>>
Portrait photography that you’ll enjoy every day, forever.
Spend an afternoon making beautiful, stylish, timeless images in one of the most stunning locations there is, you’ll enjoy the pictures forever. portrait info>>
Commercial images that add impact to your marketing and sales program.
Need to spruce up your business profile or selling something, images will help do the job better. commercial info>>
Images that capture the essence of Kaikoura.
Prints and images that give you an insight to the unique wildlife and scenery of Kaikoura. the shop>>
By an enthusiastic and experienced Kaikoura photographer.
Hi, I’m Andrew Spencer, freelance photographer in a little town called Kaikoura in New Zealand.
I’ve been into photography since I received a Diana camera for a christmas gift as a child. This toy plastic camera set off a lifelong passion for photography, I now spend all my time making pictures and Kaikoura’s scenery and nature are continual inspiration.
I am available for a range of photography work including commercial, event, people and I love to photograph weddings. Kaikoura has scenery that makes an amazing stage for wedding and portrait pictures.
Using high end Canon cameras and lenses, a colour managed workflow and with extensive photographic and image processing training and experience, We produce high resolution print or web ready, colour accurate images.
Hi, I’m Andrew Spencer, freelance photographer in a little town called Kaikoura in New Zealand.
