Australia's Top 10 Photographers
Wedding photography has become a field with an increasing amount of artistic talent. Photographers and videographers in Australia have been recognised as some of the world’s most awarded time and again.
Competition is steadily increasing, but award winning wedding photographers are still a rare find. Couples realise that it takes more than just a camera to create the story of the special day. In years past, a friend or relative with a camera might have been pressed into service, but those times are fading fast and couples understand that professional service is required.
How can one determine which photographers best represent the talent available in Australia? Wedding photography is a major cost when planning nuptials, so you would want an award-winner. Here we have listed the cream of the crop, based on a history of satisfied customers, the artistry of the work, and their expertise in the field.
#1. Jerry Ghionis Photography:
Jerry Ghionis is a prime example of Australian photographic talent. He has been recognized by the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) as one of the world’s top 5 photographers. Though based in Melbourne, Mr. Ghionis works worldwide. In 2007, he was the only Australian in the American Photo Top Ten list. In addition, he is one of thirteen (and the only non-American) Microsoft Icons of Imaging, and has won the Wedding Album of the Year six times. When he isn’t shooting weddings, he runs a nonprofit charity, currently focused on housing for Cambodian children.
#2. Yervant Photography:
Another award winning photographer from Melbourne, Yervant is considered one of the top five international wedding and portrait specialists practicing today. Yervant earned honours from Capture Magazine, being named Australia’s Number One Wedding Photographer three times. Other accomplishments include the Lifetime Achievement Award from WPPI and Photojournalist of the Year recognition from both WPPI and AIPP. His tagline of “Fashion Meets Wedding” indicates the high style and imagination of his work.
#3. Xtraordinary Photography:
Xtraordinary Photography, based in Sydney is a multiple award winning company that travels all around Australia and internationally for weddings. Xtraordinary’s team brings 15 years of experience to each wedding. Their techniques are based on fashion photography and photojournalism, which supports the current industry trends for a documentary approach. Xtraordinary is highly regarded for its ability to capture wedding moments on the fly and creating masterpieces with their expertise in lighting.
#4. Studio Impressions – Marcus Bell:
The photojournalistic style is gaining popularity, and is used in nearly 50% of weddings. Marcus Bell of Studio Impressions, Brisbane, practices this style. Mr. Bell has been named one of the world’s top ten wedding photographers by the BBC, honored by AIPP as Australia’s Wedding Photographer of the Year three times, and authored “Master’s Guide to Wedding Photography”. Like many of his peers, he spends time on workshops and seminars to share his expertise. His art also includes portraiture and landscape photography.
#5. XSight Photography:
XSight Photography is a group with studios in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, and outside Australia. Nick Ghionis, brother of Jerry Ghionis, works from the Melbourne location, and is highly regarded in his own right. He was the 2011 AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) Wedding Photographer of the Year and the 2010 WPPI Fashion Photographer of the Year. XSight excels in a combination of video and photography services for weddings.
#6. Dreamlife Photography:
Current wedding trends incorporate both video and photography, but not all providers can supply both. Couples could face separate suppliers who have different aesthetics for post-production. The photos may not have the same general style as the video. Dreamlife Photography (working from Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney) offers both services. The professionals at Dreamlife pride themselves on balancing the traditional nature of photography and the vibrancy of high-definition video that you will enjoy again and again. Dreamlife is recognized by the WPPI, AIPP, NZIPP and ABIA as an outstanding member of the bridal industry.
#7. Daniel Griffiths Photography:
Many photographers started out with portraiture and wedding photography, but others took a more circuitous route. Daniel Griffiths (Daniel Griffiths Photography) of Sydney was a photojournalist for more than 16 years before moving into wedding photography. Many suppliers use assistants and second photographers, but Daniel Griffiths continues to shoot all of his events personally.
#8. David Oliver Photography:
Like the Ghionis brothers, other photographers bring a family approach to the business. David Oliver Photography of New South Wales is the studio of David Oliver and his daughter, Clare. David Oliver is a Grand Master of Photography and Fellow of the AIPP, and a former AIPP Australian Photographer of the Year. His minimally-intrusive style and limited posing increase the natural ease of the shoot.
#9. Blumenthal Photography:
It is high praise when a photographer’s work is on the cover of internationally syndicated magazines. Blumenthal Photography, based in Sydney, has won multiple covers on Cosmopolitan Bride. With a background in fashion and photojournalism, Blumenthal’s work has a very natural and un-posed look that provides a timeless elegance to the photos.
#10. Sterling Studios Photography:
Rounding out our list of Australia’s best is Sterling Studios of Brisbane. This family-owned business has been creating memories for more than 30 years, but has still kept up with the latest in technology and trends. Their expertise creates heirloom photographs, and clients rave about the albums prepared by this team. Chris Knoblauch and Sonia Sutcliffe of Sterling were recently recognized as 2011 Masters of Photography by AIPP.
While all of the mentioned talents are widely acclaimed, the two from this list who were recognized by American Photo Magazine in 2011 are Yervant and Marcus Bell.
