The Batblog by Photobat | Portrait and Wedding

Renee and Nathan may look familiar to a few people, you may remember there from this wedding photo. That was years ago and now they have added Lachlan to the family. As per the wedding, standard location was thought about and then dismissed for something unique and a bit more meaningful. Enter Salamanca Market, the biggest and busiest market in Tasmania. So along with a cute 11 month old and 2 adoring parent we also had a few hundred Hobartians and tourists to work with. It was a bit of fun, one point I was walking backwards up the hill into a throng of small tourists who really were more interested in looking side to side at wooden fruit than straight ahead at the rapidlt approaching photographer in reverse mode.

Lachlan was awesome, such a great kid. This is really the best part of my job, hanging out with clients on their wedding days and then coming back and meeting the new additions when they turn up.

Susanna and Dave dropped by for the standard planning session and in the usual chat the happens in every planning session it came out that David proposed on a roof top with a surprise picnic. Than it came out that they have had many other roof top picnics and experiences. It got me thinking about where we could do their first family portrait with Mariella. I didn’t have to think too much because outside the office window the view is dominated by the Mecure. A phone call and some meetings later and it was all set, sunset on the rooftop.

Susanna also took the nesting process to a whole new level turning their bed into a real nest with willow branches!

When I first read that there were Turtles in Vanuatu I was excited, I really wanted to get as close as possible to an animal I hadn’t seen before. I like turtles, but it’s been at a distance. That all changed on Moso Island.

We read that there was s Turtle Rookery on Tranquility Island (also known as Moso). We wanted to get there but really didn’t want to do the half day tour and see things that didn’t really interest us before we got to the rookery. After mentioning this to the guys at Havannah (the best place we have ever stayed) they arranged a trip for us on their little speed boat across the harbour to have our own look at the rookery.

I didn’t know what to expect, and after trekking through the jungle from the jetty we emerged into the rookery. Essentially it’s a heap of big white plastic tubs filled with turtles. The turtles are collected by local villages when they hatch and are bought to the rookery where they are paid for and then looked after until they are big enough to have a better chance of surviving in the wild.

The Hawksbill Turtle is critically endangered meaning that the species numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations. So that means there isn’t that many about. To be in a little area with over a hundred of this amazing and beautiful reptile was fantastic.

The little ones are fragile and not able to be handled, but as you go down the tubs they get bigger and bigger until you get to the 2 year old turtles in the final cement tanks. These larger turtles are ready for release. The rookery relies on tourists coming by and sponsoring the turtles and releasing them. Of course, we had to do this. We picked up, measured it up and Vikashni walked it down beach and released it. TM (As we called it) was tagged and each time it is seen thy researchers will send us an email to let us know how it’s going. Very cool.

I hope TM is out there having a great time in the sea eating lots of jellyfish

Saturday was a long day, no wedding so it wa a full day of shoots in Hobart. And all over the place too. We started with Kim and Eliza down at Clifton. They bought along Dukkah and it was his first time at the beach. He loved it, all the other dogs to play with and the sand to dig.

Then off to Barry and Allana’s for their engagement shoot about their flat. I had to hold myself back, too many good shots to be had there. I have to save something for the wedding!

Then off to catch up with Dain and Lauren in Fitzroy Gardens… and someones driveway. This shot is a bit serious, but there are heaps more mucking about ones too. Dain made fun of me before i got a chance to make fun of him… just wait till the wedding Dain…

Then to finish off the day, a sunset shoot with Mark and Jacqui down on the waterfront. I love exploring the same place over and over and finding new ways to shoot it.

So that was my daylight shooting in Hobart. 4 really great shoots, i can’t wait to show and post more from these sessions, it’s going to be hard narrowing down everything!

5 Silvers for some prints and another silver for a wedding album. The wedding album went on to take out 2010 Tasmanian Wedding Album of the Year. Second time in a row i’ve picked up that one. Very happy about that. I’ll post the wedding album in it’s entirety soon… maybe even make it a slideshow.

Thanks to all the great clients who he were involved in making these shots happen!

Little bit ont he busy side but really wanted to get these ones posted. It was great to mess around with Andy and Allana whiloe we were shooting. I’m not sure if you have noticed… I really like shooting couples!