Every year, during the off-season, I spend a lot of time hunting out locations that I can use for the coming seasons weddings.

For instance, after the Awards in Wellington this year, I will be stopping off at New Plymouth, Taupo, and Rotorua to search out locations for weddings I have there. Usually I spend about 3-4 hours reccying each wedding, looking for wet weather photography locations as well as best case scenario locations. I like to be extremely well prepared for whatever the day might throw at us.

For the weddings I have in the South Island and overseas, I get there the day before and do the reccy, then come up with the shot ideas that night before the wedding the next day.

For me, continually looking for the next awesome shot, is part of my business model. I don't want to be using the same spots and just putting different couples into them. Because I shoot quite a few weddings in Auckland every year, I am always on the look-out when I am driving around the city. But nothing beats getting out on the streets on foot.

Which is precisely what I did yesterday...

A good friend and fellow photographer, Gary Hewlett (dodgy wedding and portrait photographer), joined me for a wander around the cbd.

We found lots of new photography locations. Some that I am really excited about.

Here are a couple that I have done a little work on:

 

You can imagine a bride and groom in these can't you?

It is so cool finding a location, forming an idea for a image, shooting it, and then turning it into a fantastic wedding photo that a couple will love and enjoy for years to come.

Cheers

Steve Sharp

www.shots.co.nz