About this blog...

***** THIS BLOG HAS BEEN REPLACED IN 2012 ***** If you've come aross this blog site by accident, pop over to www.krystaguille.com for my current one *****

One lazy day in 2009, I decided to embark on a photo-a-day-for-a-year challenge. I set myself a goal to upload a different photo every day - some are of my gorgeous clients, some are of my ever obliging family and friends.

Well, I reached the end of the challenge year, and while I didn't quite succeed at a photo-a-day, this blog became part of my weekly routine.

And so I continue...at a new location.

www.krystaguille.com/blog




Dec 30, 2010

Goodbye 2010...

Traditionally a time for reflecting, this year-end is a prompt for me to take a look through my files & relive some of the stories I've told through photos.  

Overwhelmingly, this has brought such  a strong feeling of gratitude to my clients & business cohorts.  I'm so incredibly lucky that they have had such faith in my ability (even when I, myself had doubts). They've made it possible for me LIVE THE DREAM! Thank you thank you thank you!

I invite you to relive some of these moments with me - not necessarily the most perfect photos - just ones that represent precious, significant & hilarious moments for me in 2010.

It doesn't get more significant than this! Being part of the first few days of a little person's life.
And then they get active.  I had to have my skates on to keep up with these little cuties!


There weren't too many beetroots left in the garden after I left this house after taking some photos for The West's 'Dream Homes" lift-out due out early next year.

They say you should never work with kids or animals. How boring life would be!
The look on the little man's face sums it up... "what's that doing here?"


I've said it before & I'll definitely say it  again, dogs make me smile!
And weddings make me cry (especially father-of-the-brides when they first see their little girl)!


Its been great to still be involved in marketing / publicity. First there was Mercedes Benz Magazine.
Then Scoop Magazine... twice.
And then my favourite - the Albany Traveller magazine
I'm especially grateful to Sandy from Alkoomi, and Annette Davis for encouraging me to step out of of my comfort-zone & exhibit as part of the Southern Art & Craft Trail.  And it was nice of the agency to put my billboard where I would see it everyday!
And I've been thrilled to be working with some of Albany's very talented women producing the Ella Rae knitting books.
Events!
Sharing the big moments!


2011 has lots of exciting things in-store for me!  Whilst I feel I've made leaps & bounds this year,  I certainly aim to make loads more improvements to my photography & other aspects of my business.  Ooooo... so many ideas!!

My year kicks off on 1.1.11 with my the first wedding of the year in Perth - for a couple who I know will be LOADS of fun - can't wait to share.  (I'm especially excited about the venue for the wedding photos  - an incredible home in Mosman Park - stay tuned!)

Hope you are also planning an awesome year!  

Krysta

Dec 24, 2010

Merry Christmas...

Thanks for making 2010 an exciting year.

Your support has made it all possible. I've enjoyed building a "home" on my blog & I appreciate the feedback & encouragement you've shared with me. I promise 2011 will be jammed with more fun photos,  insights & tips.

Wishing you and your family peace, love, light and happiness this holiday season.

Dec 20, 2010

Businesses I Adore ... Jetset Travel

One of the best thing about getting married, in my opinion, is the honeymoon!

Meet Nilla Spark. As co-owner of Jetset Albany with her husband John, Nilla has experienced some incredible parts of the world, so I can think of noone better to shed some light on how to book a Honeymoon

When I called by her work to take this photo, I was thrilled she was wearing this bright top - because it is so "Nilla". Vibrant, warm, nurturing, sparkling Nilla Sparks!  Here's what she had to say...


Nilla, tell us a little about your business...
Jetset is a travel agency whose philosophy is to use travel & travel experiences as educational & life transformational. I never consider this as a business; it’s a way of life, a passion & a place that I love to come to every day to be amongst family (my girls) & friends (our clients).

You’ve been in travel for 30 years now, what has been the most unique or extravagant honeymoon you’ve booked.
A few years ago a client came in to see me saying that he wanted to surprise his “new bride” with something really special and we had to keep it a secret…I loved the process, so what we did was arranged a combination of Mauritius and Africa. Africa was her dream, and we arranged a luxury tent safari plus the luxury of Mauritius… it was a surprise until my client bought his new bride in the office and we went through their documentation together…One very excited couple and an even more excited travel planner…ME!!! The whole time I was planning I was there, and put together what I would have loved to have done myself…
What have you noticed about the honeymoon trend lately?
Honeymoons are so personal; it depends of what is important for the couple and fitting into their criteria i.e. budget, time and experience. One thing that we do in our office is offer a Bridal Registry card that they can put in with their invitations so guests can contribute to their honeymoon.
How would you best describe your service philosophy?
Ask questions, listen, advise, get excited, inspire and do all to make our clients experience one that they will always remember…
What one tip would you give any reader who is planning a honeymoon? 
As weddings can be very stressful, so much planning so much love, heart and thought has gone into that special day that the honeymoon should be (in my “romantic” opinion) firstly romantic!!!   What do I mean? That you spoil yourselves for at least the first few days in a peaceful, beautiful and restful place, time to “get” to know yourselves again.
What are your dreams and plans for Jetset Albany?
Use and leverage our travel knowledge and expertise that we have accumulated over the past 30 years.  Our dream is to share this knowledge either via personal contact, social media presence, creating both in the office and online presentations. Our online presentations are in the process of being produced at the moment and will be able to be viewed on our site www.yourtravelplanners.com.au
How can our readers find out more about Jetset Albany?
Well, if I have inspired your readers to learn more about Jetset Albany we would love to meet them at 151 Albany Highway, Albany (0898424900), I have a facebook group - Your Travel Planners, we have a regular full page in the Albany Advertiser, and our website which we are constantly adding new content to…we are also producing on the site a TV show entitled “A Week in the Life of a Travel Planner” where I let you know what we have been up to so that you get to know the behind the scenes of our agency. Would love to hear your thoughts and have you subscribe to our newsletter, go and have a laugh as you watch me on www.yourtravelplanners.com.au/travel-tv/

Dec 19, 2010

Sneak peek from Denmark wedding...

Here's a quick one from yesterday's wedding in Denmark, taken just as we left for the church (for the most entertaining sermon I have heard... but more on that later).  

I think my brother/second shooter, Ben summed it nicely when he said it would be pretty hard to take a bad photo of this Bride.

Dec 17, 2010

Friday's Family Photo Tip No. 8

Negative space

Negative space, in photography, is the space around & between the subject(s) of an image.  This empty space can seem like an unimportant waste of ... well, space. But it is this emptiness that adds an important element to the composition of your photo. See how much of an effect the extra space has on the photo below?


Almost every picture has negative space, but it is not every image that uses that negative space as a strong, even dominant element of the composition.

Have you used this technique before?  If no, have a try!

Dec 14, 2010

The Dog's a Dude...

I've just been out doing a photo shoot for another of the Ella Rae knitting books.. .this time a whimsical garden tea party with two gorgeous teenagers - can't wait to show you!  But as I'm downloading the photos, I'm having a chuckle at this happy chappy.  His name is Merlot, which makes sense since he lives at Oranje Tractor wines. Does he make you smile too?

Dec 13, 2010

Businesses I Adore ... Catherine Ross Collections

I feet like getting married.
Again.
Just so that I can wear one of these veils.  

It was like stepping into a dress-up-box-for-grown-ups. Today Catherine showed me her collection of stunning veils. Breath-taking. I was truly surprised by the variety of styles she has created from a 1950's influenced scull-cap style to quirky whimsical feather numbers!

If you're getting married, even if you thought you wouldn't wear a veil, do yourself a favour & visit Catherine Ross anyway ... you might just change your mind (or get married again!).


Tell us a little about Catherine Ross Collection’s veils…  
My veils are all hand made using various laces, organza, fresh-water pearls, Swarovski crystals and feathers. All the lace is hand sewn which may take 8-10 metres. They are all unique.

What inspires your unique designs? 
I have always had a passion for any forum of art / painting & intricate embroidery / textiles so I have combined the two to create my intricate veils.

Noticed any wedding veil trends lately? 
Each bride is unique in her taste & style so I think there really isn’t so I think there really isn’t a trend in a certain style. There are so many veils & other bridal headwear that a bride will easily find the veil that will suit her.

What five words best describe your service philosophy? 
special – satisfied – individualistic – unique - incomparable 

What one tip would you give any readers who are planning a wedding? 
I would tell them “go with your hearts & create a date that you will love and cherish forever”. 

Any dreams for the future of Catherine Ross Collections that you can share? 
To continue creating unique veils that brides will love to wear. 

How can our readers find out more about Catherine Ross Collections? 
My website will be coming soon. For Private Viewings, call me on 0408 932 912.

Dec 10, 2010

Friday's Family Photo Tip No. 7

Shoot lots!


This week's tip is a continuation from last week. While kids move quickly, their expressions can change in a nano-second.

When you shoot multiple images quickly of a person, you can sometimes get some surprising & spontaneous shots that you’d have never gotten if you shot just one. Switch your camera to continuous shooting mode & shoot in bursts of images & in doing so you’ll increase your chances of that perfect shot.


These two were snapped just seconds between each other as this little Girl Guide was performing in the Christmas Pageant. But there are six others with her eyes shut or face looking awkward. I like the first one best.

Dec 9, 2010

Itsy bitsy album...

This little a 3.5x5" album comes in a very cute box & is the prefect size for a hand-bag.  We call it the
Brag Book but maybe it should be called the Bag Book?

Dec 7, 2010

Sock it...

If you're not from Albany, you may not see the humour in this photo I took at this year's  City of Albany Christmas Pageant on Saturday.



I don't normally get political on this blog, but let me quickly fill you in on the story so far...

For almost fours years, our precious Middleton Beach had become the home of a very big & very ugly vacant block because The Esplanade Hotel (home of many summer Sunday Sessions) was bowled down by developers of a new 5 star resort.  One problem - they forgot to build the  news resort.  

Albany's Urban Sock Bombers had successfully created a loud but  peaceful protest on the ugly fence surrounding the sad, neglected site by stringing socks along the perimeter.  It was quite impressive & had even become a tourist attraction in itself - I've seen many a hire-car parked alongside with cameras out.  

However, recently, surprisingly, the City of Albany removed the socks & vowed to remove any new socks placed on the fence. Read the full story on Jon Doust's blog, Sock It.

This pageant entry was a fabulous reaction to the sock-removal, and the City of Albany named this entry joint winner in this year's parade.  I love this town!  Where else in the world is politics so much fun?

If you'd like to see more of the City of Albany's  Christmas Pageant, watch this video.

Dec 6, 2010

Businesses I Adore ... Morgan Annie

Meet Kylie Apostoles-Nevile.  She's the brains behind Morgan Annie - All Natural Beauty.  Yes, she actually developed her own range of make-up ... I can't even begin to imagine what a huge accomplishment is. She's totally focused on creating products that contain no mineral oil or petroleum & that are free of harmful chemicals & preservatives -100% natural.

(Kylie tells me that there's soon going to be an announcement of an award... but she won't tell me any other details!  I'll keep you posted...)

Kylie is also a trained hair-dresser which means she's pretty handy to have around on your wedding day.  I asked Kylie a few questions about her weddings.



First, tell us a little bit about Morgan Annie
It is all natural beauty!  A full range of 100% Pure Mineral Make-up. Creates a beautiful all natural flawless finish without sacrificing the health of your skin.

You've been doing hair and  make -up for weddings for 15 years now.  What was your most memorable "wedding moment"? 
Every wedding is memorable as each one is special in its own way. Spending the morning with the bride & being part of her special day... lots of laughter & some tears.  Weddings just bring out  all the emotions...AND definitely the moment the Bride walks out with her gown on for the first time - seeing her face glow with happiness..

Noticed any wedding makeup trends lately?
Hair - soft, tousled & a lot on the side ... more red carpet hair!
Make-up - dewy & flawless, eyes defined but more smokey browns and greys ... and LASHES, beautiful full long LASHES. I use the single eyelashes which is more natural but makes a BIG difference to the eye.  Lips - soft pink nude lips.

What 5 words best describe your service philosophy? 
I think I need someone else to answer this!   calm - helpful - creative - passionate.  I can only come up with 4.  (Note from Editor; I'll add one - knowledgeable)

What one tip would you give any readers who are planning a wedding?
Have a good beauty routine, have your trial 1-2 months before, & make sure you have pictures of looks you like & don't like.

Any dreams for the future of Morgan Annie that you can share?
Morgan Annie -all natural beauty has been a dream come true. Educating women and young girls more about using 100% Pure minerals and teaching how to apply mineral make-up to enhance your own natural beauty and making them feel good about themselves. I would love to take Morgan Annie nationally and internationally..

How can our readers find out more about Morgan Annie?
Very soon you will be able to buy Morgan Annie mineral makeup from The Hair and  Beauty Company in Albany. I also do Mineral Make-up make-over parties..  And soon I will be launching my new Morgan Annie website - www.morganannie.com.au

Kylie's email address is kylie@kylieapostoles.com

Dec 3, 2010

Friday's Family Photo Tip No. 6

Quick Tip Number 6 -  Wear Your Running Shoes


I probably don't need to tell you that kids move fast.   It's a good thing that they tend to run in circles, otherwise we'd be hard pressed catching them in photos.

There are a few techniques you can apply to overcome the blur that fast kids create. The most important way is VALIUM by adjusting your shutter speed.  Using a slow shutter speed will only blur your object.  As to which precise shutter speed is appropriate, it differs with cameras & situations.   Get out & play when they are playing!

If you have a point-and-shoot, look for the "sports-mode" control - it has a little picture of a man running.  If you're shooting with a DSLR, start with a shutters speed of about 1/200  of a second & experiment until you get the appropriate one.

This photos was taken on a very overcast day with a shutter speed of 1/500 sec at f1.4 ISO 800.  I make my camera work hard!!

Dec 2, 2010

Kym + Laurent, 20 November 2010 {wedding}

Photos & Slide Show
 
Laurent is a Frenchman, and many of the wedding guests, including his groomsman-brother and flower girl-niece, had travelled from Europe for Kym + Laurent's marriage.    And what an afternoon Perth put on for them on the banks of the still-as-still Swan at Matilda Bay.

The day before, the temperature had reached a blistering 39 degrees., and we were all  a little nervous.  Kym was 6 months pregnant so we were all praying for a cool change.  Well, our prayers were answered,  so we had to switch our prayers to a request for a no rain... and we were blessed.
It was a stunning afternoon for this tres chic couple.  I loved the simplicity of this wedding - no fuss, no fluff - so elegant!  It must be a French thing... 









 Kym + Laurent - thank you for inviting me to record your wedding - and good luck with your little family!

If you'd like to see more from Kym + Laurant's wedding, here's a slide show...