The Best Wedding Photographers in South Western Sydney

When you are looking for a wedding photographers you expect to get someone who knows what they are doing, They must be qualified, right? Like a plumber or a carpenter...Sadly no. There is nothing stopping anyone from setting up shop as a wedding photographer, qualified or not.

  If you've been searching for a wedding photographer for any length of time, you may have been surprised by the enormous number of advertised wedding photographers to choose from. Most of these are people with an interest in photography who shoot weddings cheaply on weekends to supplement  their real job - a paying hobby.

Wedding photography can be an attractive option for amateur photographers wanting to turn professional.The amateur who can't compete with the professional on quality or service realises that brides, are easy to target on price, because they don't understand what a professional wedding photographer actually contributes on a wedding day or delivers afterwards. 

The good news is that there are professional wedding photographers available. They are often easy to pick because they have professional qualifications and registrations, but not always - photography is not a highly regulated industry, so wedding photographers can choose not to take on training or professional membership - but the best photographers do tend to join one of the reputable organisations, because they are committed to improving and developing their art and their talent.  Membership is not cheap, and not just anybody can join the top Pro Organisations, but photographers  who want to stay connected to the training, criticism and networking that keeps them fresh are willing to put their hands in their pockets.

Even so, with all the hundreds of photographers touting their so-called awards and experience, it can be hard to find the talented and the reliable wedding photographers. You should ask your recently married friends about their experience at their own wedding -  but that was just one day with one photographer. 

- As soon as someone knows that I am a wedding photographer, they trot out stories about their wedding day; often they share their wedding photos with me, usually with pleasure and some with pride (and sometimes they ask me if I can fix them!). About half tell me who took their photos, the rest have forgotten. But no-one forgets the let-downs; All of this adds up to a pretty broad experience to draw on....

I also means get to see the work of my colleagues and competitors, and not just the photos they are proud of.  I get an understand of their attitude towards their clients and I see the quality of their work. 

Put that together with their reputation in the industry and you have the basis for list of people to trust. And there is another source of feedback that I trust, too - whenever I go to a reception, the MC, the DJ and the Venue Manager are always keen to talk about the photographers they wish they could warn couples off... not based on the quality of their photos (which they seldom get to see) but on the basis of their attitude, work ethic and people skills - they see wedding photographers at work every week, they know what should be expected of them, and they know who fails the test. I work in the Macarthur Region - South West Sydney - and I reckon I know which photographers would be at the top of my list if i was getting married this year or next.; I know who I would hide from, too. And while I am not willing to risk a law suit by naming the duds and incompetents, here are the ones I would approach - nice and early, before they get booked.

Sarah Lamond:, Artsnic Photography does weddings, boudoir, babies and family portraits; a pre-wedding session is included in all Sarah's wedding packages, her prices are mid-range and her style is relaxed, romantic and full of Style. A visual reflection of her personality. You'll find her at Camden NSW where she has a bricks-and-mortar studio. Sarah is a member of the most prestigious Australian pro photography association, the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers.

Also in Camden you will find Marions Photographics. Marions is a very different style of business to the typical Wedding Freelancer. A family business that has been operating since the 1970s. Impressive when you think that most family wedding businesses are lucky to survive past 5 years. In all the time I have been working in this field, I have never met any of their clients who were not satisfied clients, happy to recommend them to their friends.

It's embarrassing but that is not just my short list: it's my entire list! Just two names on it. Not that there are no other good photographers in the Macarthur... but the majority either don't do weddings, or do too few to count. 
There are plenty who advertise in the area; some do not have a local presence (their studios are in Penrith or Sydney or somewhere else hard to visit to inspect their work or get to know them); others have a nice portfolio but a poor reputation; some are easy to work with but their skill and knowledge of photography is limited -  if you don't  know the difference between hyperfocal distance and a hypersonic drive, you should only be shooting a wedding if you can guarantee nothing will go wrong; sadly, I never attended a wedding where something unexpected didn't happened.

Of course there may be other good wedding photographers that should be on the White List, but I don't know anyone else I would stake my reputation on - If you know any (or if you are one) you are welcome to add the name as a comment to this post... If any one photographer gets a lot of mentions, maybe that will be recommendation enough to encourage people to hire them!

The Most Romantic Wedding Day

Is there a more tender, emotional day on which to celebrate your love than Valentines Day? 

Of course not! And it has the practical advantage that you are very unlikely to forget your anniversary.... 

Share with Joe and Luz in these photos from their Gibraltar Wedding - no: not that Rock perched off the coast of Spain. 

There is another Gibraltar in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales in Australia - above the township of Bowral, the Heights of Gibraltar command a spectacular view of the township and lands around.            The hotel which bears its name is rather spectacular in its own way, too. 

It sits on a golf course, with all you would expect in such a place: rolling hills, lakes, sand traps, wooded areas and open fields (well, fairways) - and all just made for a bride, a groom and their photographer.


The interior  of the Country Club is very modern, and unlike many hotels and resorts, the rooms are expansive and filled with natural light. 

With such a beautiful, happy bridal party, and this idyllic setting, you have all the ingredients for a wonderful wedding and a Happy Valentine's Day.  

Our bride and groom chose to merge their respective South American and South African heritages in a real Aussie marriage. It was a privilege to spend the day with them!