Stories. The invisible threads that tie our cultures and worlds together.
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Stories. The invisible threads that tie our cultures and worlds together.
Amea is a young woman with a mission to change education in the Gulf of Papua New Guinea. Her own schooling was erratic and she had to persevere through many challenges, like absent teachers and a lack of resources. Throughout all this, a firm resolve grew that one day she would do what she could to make schooling better for the little ones in her village. Her chance came when she was sent by her village church to attend a short training course at Kapuna Life School. Here her passion for teaching flourished and she was invited to be part of a one-year teacher trainee course. This course, supported by Kapuna Life School, taught teachers how to use Uniskript (Uniskript idea comes from University of the Nations (YWAM) www.uofnkona.edu/ministries/uniskript/) to help children learn to read and write in their own language, making the jump to mastering written English much more manageable. Amea took hold of this as a key that would help her children to succeed. Now, Amea can be found teaching her fifty-eight students using reading books she writes and illustrates herself. The thankful parents in her village bring her crabs, sago and bananas from time to time to show their appreciation. It is Amea’s love for her children and her faith that God is good that keeps her going.
I love how warm and homely this little wedding was. Everything had a touch of love and handmade thanks to the handy work of Gary and his Dad. Set in snug in the heart of Martinborough , Lismore house was the perfect venue for this beautiful union, surrounded by vines and lots of room to enjoy games while getting a good dose of that exceptional Wairarapa sunshine(even when its pouring with rain in Wellington, it always seems to be perfect out here). Just arriving everyone seemed to be more relaxed, maybe it was the vines or the wine, but both were grape ;)
There is a love stronger than the chaos, running underneath us - beckoning us to go below the skin-deep externals, beyond the wind, even into the eye of the storm.
— Jon Foreman
Phillip & Laura’s New Zealand DIY Wedding was a wonderful celebration of over a decade of love and friendship from these high school sweethearts, it was beautiful to see them celebrating what they had together and how much more they have ahead.
Being together for 11 years there was a tender yet familiar nearness between these two beautiful souls and their two adorable children Luka and Indy. Through the day it was clear to me how close this family is and the deep connection and love they have for each other and it wrote it self all over the images.
The whole day was simple and beautiful with a tremendous focus on the details. The whole theme stemmed from the choice of wedding gown, a Grace Loves Lace, Inca gown, which complimented Jacqui's natural, elegant beauty and looked effortlessly cool. That dress is a piece of art.
I had such a blast documenting this wedding, the bridal party were fantastic fun and the bride and groom were so natural and present on the day, soaking it all in. Exactly what makes the best weddings.
The Women of the Delta is a series on the women of the Delta in the Gulf of Papua New Guinea.
While I was on a work trip in Papua New Guinea (checking up on a sanitation project in a rural village), I overheard one of our local team talking to a mother from the village about how the woman of the area take their children with them when they go out to the mud flats looking for crabs. I had to know more.
“It is by loving, and not by being loved, that one can come nearest the soul of another; yea, that, where two love, it is the loving of each other, that originates and perfects and assures their blessedness. I knew that love gives to him that loveth, power over any soul be loved, even if that soul know him not, bringing him inwardly close to that spirit; a power that cannot be but for good; for in proportion as selfishness intrudes, the love ceases, and the power which springs therefrom dies. Yet all love will, one day, meet with its return. ”
― George MacDonald, Phantastes
A perennial love.
As someone who is not married, it is always intriguing to see what characteristics make great couples work so successfully. Alex and Izak share a wonderful relationship built on loving transparency and constancy, and it has been evident as I have got to know this beautiful couple. As high school sweet-hearts their relationship has all the looks of "in love bliss" but is seated in a deep devotion and loyalty, qualities that will carry their marriage, no matter what. I can't wait to see their marriage bear all the fruits of commitment and loyalty. A rare thing in a world of fast passions.
Jessie & Nick
As wedding photographers, our dream is to capture the core of who the couple is in the moments that are photographed. The core of who this beautiful couple is was clearly on display, making my job super easy. Everything about who Jessie and Nick are was a part of their wedding day. Their faith was at the core of it and the people they surround themselves with were all reflecting their love and devotion and sharing about how Jessie and Nick's lives embody those values.
The wedding day was filled with beautiful people and wonderful sounds. There was music all through the day, from a stunning Paraparaumu choir to a beautifully written and sung love song by the groom. What more could you ask for? Just when we thought it couldn't get better, there was perfect sunset lighting up the cliff line giving the couple a backdrop they will always remember.
I had the pleasure of photographing Emily & Andrew's New Zealand wedding in October. What a stunning wedding it was! It showed off some of my favourite off-the-beaten-track elements of New Zealand and the raw beauty of Wellington's coast line.
“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”
― Timothy Keller
Here are some special moments from the day. Enjoy.
I have been working on this project for a while now and we are nearly there. I am super excited to share it with you all soon!! If you would like to be kept up to date with progress, sign up for my refreshingly infrequent email updates.