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Backstory

I’d love to say that I’ve lived and breathed photography since I was a kid – that I found it and never let it go. Truth be told it found me. I’d bought a digital camera back in 2002 (yes it was only 4 megapixels) and played around with it a bit for fun. Back then I was a graphic designer and it would usually be sitting on my desk while I worked. One day a photoshoot was scheduled but alarmingly the photographer was sick – my boss saw the camera on my desk and told me to be the photographer. Talk about jumping in the deep end!

Since then I developed a solid grounding in commercial photography shooting but I still felt like I was missing something… that is until one day a friend asked me to shoot their wedding – and I haven’t looked back. Now my career is focused on weddings because it’s just so fun. It’s never the same. It always challenges me. It always inspires me. I love it.

Random facts
  • I have a lab at home where I develop all my film both colour and black and white
  • I’m a little obsessed with photography
  • I love to paraglide
  • Occasionally I’ll hire a harley and go on a roadtrip
  • I’m building a house by the beach where I plan to get old, wrinkly and brown.
Approach

The thing I love about shooting weddings is that it’s always the most important day in someones life. It means the energy is always there for me. It’s contagious. That being said – part of my approach is melt away into the background when I’m shooting most parts of the day. It means I’m able to capture those special moments that happen spontaneously. The real stuff. Allow things to unfold naturally without imposing myself too much. Usually the only time I pipe up is when I’m having to direct group shots, or if I feel like the couple need a bit of guidance on the location shoot to get them into the zone. Everybody’s different so I tend to adjust my approach according to who’s in front of the lens. I’ve covered many disciplines in photography in the past – and I like to draw on this experience at weddings. I’ve done lots of fashion editorials for wedding magazines – so I like to sprinkle my location shoots with this – and mix it in with more candid stuff. I’ve also done a lot of event photography in my early 20s – particularly in places that are poorly lit, so I had to learn how to shape light with both natural and artificial light early in career.

Most importantly though it’s important to have a great relationship with people who are in front of the camera – in order to get them at their best. It’s amazing how much psychology comes into play with photography – if you can’t enjoy a drink with your photographer, them they probably aren’t the right person to shoot your wedding. I find being a people person really helpful for this.

Experience

I love shooting for wedding magazines. It allows me to keep up to date with the latest trends, and it’s always fun seeing your work in print. Some of the mags I’ve shot for include:

White Magazine // Hello May // Essential Bride

This job has allowed me to travel to many beautiful parts of the world. Some locations I’ve been lucky enough to shoot are:

USA // Indonesia // Thailand // Fiji // Vanuatu // Italy // New Zealand

Before I committed to wedding photography full time some of my commercial clients have included:

Lexus // Sanitarium // Manser Saxon resorts // New Black Industries // Out of the square media // Enigma

Want to know more? Check out some past clients words:

James Bennett Photography. Sydney Wedding Photographer. Wedding Photographer Newcastle, Hunter Valley & Beyond

Address: 4 Whale Street, Catherine Hill Bay NSW.

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