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Little Maliah – Wollongong Baby Photography – Lifestyle Portraits

Posted by Ela on Sep 5th, 2010 | no responses

Fathers Day celebrations called upon a family morning tea at the In-Law’s house, 2 very cute infants to photograph and a stomach load of scones and tea.. mmm.. As you know I never leave the house without my camera so I had a little fun with my ever so gorgeous niece. She’s a total gem. Grandma & Poppy (one of my two favourite people in this world) came down for Father’s Day and to meet Baby Jamie for the first time. So you could imagine the sighing going on this one Saturday morning. Poppy is wonderful.. we were looking at Dave’s new tattoo of Jamie’s name on his...

Introducing My New Baby! – 50mm 1.2L & 5DMk2 – I never leave the house without it!

Posted by Ela on Sep 3rd, 2010 | no responses

Although my dog is adorable I am actually here to blog the announcement of my very new Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens! Woohoo! I have been waiting for this baby for a while now, I finally gave in. After much deliberation as to whether it should be an investment of the present.. Here I am with a big smile on my face blogging it’s existence. I have been loving the bokeh of this lens since I got it. It’s sharp and I love it on my 5Dmk2 :) ..My Old 50D would limit the angle of view on my old 50mm lens and now putting my favourite items together, I really can’t put it down :\ I carry it wherever...

Lyra & Lowell Wedding – Panorama House & Novatel North Beach – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Sep 1st, 2010 | no responses

Lyra & Lowell’s wedding was on the 28th August 2010. I was counting down the day to this wedding as I was looking forward to the view the beautiful Panorama House had to offer. I had never met the couple before this wedding, but after chatting with Lyra on the phone a few weeks before the wedding.. we discovered we both had philippino heritage. I don’t speak tagalog (their language) but sometimes I could understand words here and there. It makes me want to take lessons now.. Imagine, being able to speak in amother language where none of your friends comprehending what you say...

Dance Portfolio Shoot – Wollongong Dance Photographer

Posted by Ela on Aug 24th, 2010 | no responses

A month or so ago, I went out to Wollongong CBD to shoot model and dancer, Becc Paulson. Trying to find some great tunnels and scenes for using off camera flash we found this great stair case just across from Spotlight on Atchison St. Now I have finally gotten around to blogging this one :D The shoot was a hip-hop/ballet theme, minus the blistering cold and Becc dislocating her knee :\ (which mind you I feel a little bad about.) I got to know Becc on the way home and it turns out we had a fair bit in common. Thanks for a great shoot Becc! You’re one dancer with attitude. Enjoy! This one...

Baby Jamie – Finally Arrived – Wollongong Newborn Photography

Posted by Ela on Aug 23rd, 2010 | no responses

Well.. he’s finally arrived after 9 months of anticipation. Our beautiful nephew Jamie Robert Oppel was born yesterday morning at 5:45 am. He’s just a darling. I met him for the first time today and couldn’t stop making this high pitched sound. I could just stare at him for hours. He took my breath away. I just had to get photos of him only just a day old.. The only thing that ruined the mood was the 10 block hike Paul and I took through the streets of to Wollongong Hospital. No carparks much? Grrr.. But on a more positive note, introducing baby Jamie.. who WILL be the most spoilt...

“Attitude is Altitude” – YouTube Video – Inspiration.

Posted by Ela on Aug 18th, 2010 | one response

So I ended up finding this on a colleague’s wall on FaceBook. I thought it was so inspiring. It brought tears to my eyes.. and to think I have ever been ungrateful in my life. After watching this I now strive to be a better person and have a new lease on life. Words can not describe. Just watch it. “Look at yourself after watching this” Share on Facebook

Feature Article – Illawarra Northern Leader – Bit by the Shutter Bug

Posted by Ela on Aug 13th, 2010 | no responses

Hi Guys, Just thought I would share this article with you. If you haven’t read my bio on how I became a photographer you can read it here. So this article was printed late last year and I was honoured to be interviewed for the Illawarra Northern Leader on the progress of my career so far. Read it for yourself here :) Share on Facebook

Corporate Photography – Ontera Modular Carpets – Interior Photography

Posted by Ela on Aug 13th, 2010 | no responses

Sometime ago I got a call from the Marketing Communications sector of Ontera Modular Carpets Pty. Ltd. Corporate shots of their product was requested and that I go out to Kollaras Group‘s (est 1960) Albion Park office and work some magic. So along I went, packed my bag (over-packed with equipment as usual) and headed off to meet with Cris Hofman from At Home Interiors. The office was clean, tidy and had a fabulous feature wall just beyond the waiting room. See below. Shot on a 17mm focal length. Ela Photography will be expanding business services to the following: -Interior photography,...

So The Story Goes.. – Personal

Posted by Ela on Aug 11th, 2010 | no responses

An inside story of how I became a photographer.. By Pamela Aurino. It was a warm summers’s evening.. Ok scratch that it, was a really cold Tuesday morning on the way to the University of Wollongong. Second session has just commenced and I had just spent about $634 on textbooks that also made great paperweights. You see my brother and I share this love hate relationship where I love him and he hates me.. LOL Ok it’s not really like that. We have our moments but we’ve made some unforgettable memories together. The very morning that changed my life… My brother offered to drive...

Engagement Ring – Kiama Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Aug 11th, 2010 | no responses

I shot Sarah & Sam’s engagement party last year in August to capture their traditional Lebanese festivities. I love this ring shot to date, amongst a few others. I guess it’s because I’m a pink junkie. I mean, when I was 16 I asked my mum if I could paint my room hot pink and lime green. At first she was reluctant to allow such a ridiculous request.. but she came around and I love her for it. My brother made fun of me for a whole year calling my room a watermelon. You see we lived in this 40 year old house with cornices and skirting boards just below the ceiling, so we painted...

Sarah & Sam – Engagement – Engagement Photography

Posted by Ela on Aug 11th, 2010 | no responses

Well as you know I only introduced a blog to my website a month or so ago and ever since I have been hooked! ..So everyday I am constantly trying to balance my time with searching my hard drives for past shoots/weddings I would love to share with you guys. How could I forget the engagement part of Sam & Sarah. I loved being at their engagement party for 4 hours ..it flew! I remember sitting down for not even 15 minutes during their dinner break (I’ve gathered people don’t like to be photographed when they’re eating), and recall having about 7/8 people with no more than 2 minutes...

HDR Image – Illawarra Photographer – Landscape

Posted by Ela on Aug 9th, 2010 | no responses

Hello again! Just a quick one today. I have neglected the blog a little over the weekend, but never fear, I’m back into the swing of things tomorrow :) I decided to do a little location hunt down tat Berry and I found cows, cows and more cows!! Country side air & mud everywhere.. I loved it! I saw this cute little bridge on the way to the Lolly Factory and slammed on my breaks! LOL Shot it in burst, 2 stop intervals and 3 frames, merged in photomatix pro and get this! I love it. HDR’s make me calm. If you’re not sure what HDR means I introduced it into my first few landscapes...

Dave & Paul – Out on the soccer field – Personal

Posted by Ela on Aug 3rd, 2010 | no responses

Just thought I would post something on the personal side of things this time. It’s nice to be brought back down to earth sometimes and me.. well I spend alot of the time with my head in the clouds. Nothing really that interesting in the life of Pamela :) but feel free to read along if you’re vegged out on the couch with your laptop. Which reminds me, I could go with some cookies & cream Ice-cream right about now. mmmmm. Anyway, enough food talk.. On a Sunday afternoon, I followed Paul & Dave to the soccer field in Albion Park and took a break from behind the screen. I was starting...

Bec & Chris – eSession – Kiama Wedding Photography

Posted by Ela on Aug 2nd, 2010 | no responses

Headed down to the beautiful Kiama Blowhole yesterday afternoon for some pre-wedding shots. Bride-to-be, Bec and her fiance Chris were a blast to hang out with for a few hours shooting in Bec’s hometown. I shot a wedding here back on Valentines day weekend and loved the textures this location had to offer.. when I knew Bec was from Kiama it was the first place that struck me. Having only met Chris for the first time yesterday, I found him to be a wonderful person, a bit quirky but obviously in love. In between shots they would giggle, crack rude jokes *too explicit for the blog* and could...

Beauty Shoot – Retouch Test

Posted by Ela on Jul 30th, 2010 | no responses

Hi there! Was playing around with some retouching techniques a few weeks ago and thought I would give it a go studio style. Now I am absolutely no studio photographer which I can accept. I draw the line with my translucent and reflective umbrellas and eventually maybe a Lastolite EzyBox softbox.. But no oversized beauty dishes or large softboxes, because let’s face it, I like to keep it mobile and I’m fairly weak in the muscle department to lugg around such heavy equipment. ..Now Jonathan Dear from Vibrant Photography on the other hand has every light modifying tool under the sun and...

40th Year Anniversary – Couple Shoot

Posted by Ela on Jul 26th, 2010 | no responses

I’m speechless. You know I had a conversation with her and she told me the history between them. It turns out they were kids having fun in the start and what sparked into a magical fairy tale they are still living today. She gave me some advice as I mentioned my other half Paul to her during a conversation. She said to me “I’ve learnt that .. As long as you are best friends along the way, through thick and thin everything will work itself out.” She turned to her husband, grabbed his hand and said “I can honestly say he is my best friend & that’s what has...

Danielle & Geoffrey – Wedding Slideshow – Wollongong Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jul 19th, 2010 | no responses

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Geoffrey & Danielle – Wedding Day – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jul 19th, 2010 | no responses

Geoffrey & Danielle’s Wedding was nothing short of unforgettable. The location portraits were full of random laughter from the bridal party, Dani’s urge to pull faces in photos, and on my part.. fading-light phoebia (I don’t think there’s a formal name for that). But nowadays, daylight savings sets out to make my job just a tad bit harder by the sun setting no later than 5:30 if we’re lucky LOL. So off we went to Wollongong Little Lighthouse, then to Port Kembla’s outer harbour to take advantage of the rustic scenery (again hehe) but keeping the sun in mind. The...

Editorial Shoot – Sharna – Illawarra Fashion Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jul 14th, 2010 | no responses

Shot with Olivia Clee and Ulladulla model, Sharna on the weekend for an editorial shoot. We searched the streets of the Wollongong CBD and found all sorts of cool textures – red bricks, rusted window grates and the slats outside the Ibis Hotel Wollongong. We shot for aroun 2.5 hours, it rained on and off, but Sharna was a trooper so she didn’t let a little flyaway frizz worry her (true spirits of a real model). Basically what I did here is set up my ring flash to camera left, at 45 degrees. Had the aperture on f/1.8 which I could get away with because the Orbis ring flash can lose up...

Daniel & Rachel – Wedding – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jul 10th, 2010 | no responses

Continuing Rachel & Daniel’s wedding day story.. Rach got ready at The Salt Apartments, just around the corner from Flagstaff Hill. It almost seems to be a traditional now. Salt Apartments + Flagstaff Hill Ceremony + City Beach Function Centre = Happy Wedding Day smiles :D If I have to shoot another 50 of these sequences I won’t get bored, the locations are beautiful in Wollongong and there’s always a new perspective I get everytime I visit the Harbour. I loved this window, it left in a shaft of light from the eastern side of the building which helped me create this shot....

Michelle & Glenn – Novatel North Beach – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jul 7th, 2010 | no responses

The wedding day of Glenn and Michelle.. Amazing! From their rockin’ HUMMER, to their beautiful reception at Novatel North Beach and to their stunning ceremony on Flagstaff Hill.. Now me being a wollongong wedding photographer, I have shot many weddings at Flagstaff and am familiar with how beautiful the entire atmosphere of the lighthouses and the harbour is. So here we go, Glenn and Michelle, two very amazing people. I first met them at their house in Flinders and as I got to know them I found Michelle to be very much like me! Cheeky-crazy, craves attention after stubbing her toe.. and totally...

Family Portrait Session – Mt Warrigal Jetty – Wollongong Portrait Photography

Posted by Ela on Jun 28th, 2010 | one response

We went out to Mt Warrigal jetty yesterday afternoon to photograph a lovely family foursome. Anthony & Lauren and their two daughters Laelia & Tahlia were so playful and had been counting down the days to the photo shoot. With the cold weather against us but the afternoon light for us, I thought we’ll pull it off! :) So to the jetty it was, even Anthony’s dad, Tony, jumped in a few shots.. he also made a good assistant. The sounds, noises and faces he made to make the girls laugh while he was standing out of the shot were unforgettable. He sounded like a hungry, flying-purple-people-eater.....

Baby Hunter – Autumn Session – Wollongong Portrait Photography

Posted by Ela on Jun 27th, 2010 | no responses

I recently shot Rachel & Daniel’s wedding back in February on Valentines day (oh the depressing weather on valentines day weekend made my heart sink to the bottom of my thoracic cavity). But none-the-less Daniel and Rachel still went ahead with their Flagstaff Hill & City Beach wedding.. It was a glorious day to celebrate their love and devotion to each other. Now onto Baby Hunter.. Rachel’s Nephew. Bub’s are cute, precious and so pur.. what is there more to say? They are the world’s miracles and happen every single day! I enjoyed shooting hunter in the colours Autumn...

Leisa & Jay – Wedding – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 25th, 2010 | no responses

Where do I start? Leisa aimed for her wedding day to be a little different instead of the non-traditional cake, she went with chocolate covered strawberries, instead of reception photography she hired a funbooth for 4 hours (for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s unreal! Fun fun fun! they don’t call it funbooth for nothing! lol) and lastly Leisa is going to Trash her Dress! Yeowww! Now Trash the Dress, in a nutshell, is a pretty ‘out-there’ thing to do, only the most daring of brides step out of their comfort zone and actually smuther their dress in dirt/water/sand...

Family Portrait Session – Antonelli Family – Illawarra Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 24th, 2010 | no responses

Hey guys, just a quick one today as I have a to-do list a mile long so here goes!! weeeee! Went down to Killalea state park for a portrait session a while ago and thought I might give you a sneak preview of what I was getting myself into.. utter cheekiness from the littlest one Amali made me smile :) When I first met Alesa at her house in Black butt I walked in to find this cheeky little girl trying to climb the furniture. She looked up, giggled and chuckled the ever most adorable laugh from a 1 year old you have ever heard.. to put it in a nutshell.. you could just eat her! (figuratively speaking). Now...

Tayma, Dean & Laura – Family Portraits – Illawarra Portrait Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 23rd, 2010 | no responses

A cheeky trio of siblings shot at Sandon Point. What can I say guys? You made me feel for a split second, that I wasn’t working! That’s how fun it was :) Will never be able to describe how saw my jaw was when we finished up!.. stories, anectodes and memories relived whilst we were shooting! ..They kept laughing about all the fun times they’d shared together. Come to think of it.. I wonder what would have happened if I were a middle child? I mean if there was another sister/brother after me. Now MY brother and I shared what we call a love-hate relationship. I love him.. he hates...

Glamour Shoot – Illawarra Photographer – Make Up Artist / Olivia Clee

Posted by Ela on Jun 22nd, 2010 | no responses

Welcome to the extended blog post of my collaboration shoot with Make up artist – Olivia Clee. This was shot in Olivia’s side yard, a little empty block of grass next door. I was so happy to see the 4pm afternoon light peeking over the horizon, it created a block of yellow warm light .. mmm. I was aiming for a low contrast natural look to her head shots and limiting the half/full body shots. Showing off Olivia’s expertise was my main priority, and ofcourse Sarah didn’t make it hard for the images to look absolutely stunning! First shot – I believe this one set me back...

Official 2010 Formal Photography Package – Pre-formal photo sessions

Posted by Ela on Jun 21st, 2010 | no responses

Ela Photography has finally released it’s 2010 Formal Photography Packages. Promotions will be distributed to all the local schools in the Illawarra and will be taking bookings until October 2010. Don’t miss out! Contact us today! Your Illawarra Photographer! Ela! Share on Facebook

Graffiti Shoot – Illawarra Fashion Photographer – Wollongong

Posted by Ela on Jun 20th, 2010 | no responses

Headed out to shoot some graffiti shots to test some off camera flash. Use two canon speed light 580EX2′s with my trusty manfrotto tripod. Just about a 10 minute hike from Figtree Westfield, this location was amazing! graffiti everywhere kilometers long! As I am getting into more and more off camera flash as opposed to the more durable natural lighting, I am loving the lack of editing required for such easy lighting set ups. My great friend Steve Broadbent showed me an image with a motorcycle and it’s owner.. I said wow! how long did that take you to photo shop? ..He said I hardly...

Bridal Shoot – Bombo – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 14th, 2010 | no responses

And this weeks test shoot was a bridal shoot featuring Bombo Quarry, about a 10 minute hike from Bombo beach. I first saw this location a year ago when Mark Nolan shot down here. He ever so kindly let me tag along and learnt a fair bit from him just from this one shoot. Amongst many other things I learnt the purpose of a strobe grid ..and that Bombo is infested with mozzies.. I decided to shoot a bridal down here to test some off camera flash. We tried mounting the light stand with rocks and loose pebbles but seeing as though I had to do without an assistant to hold it, we scrapped that idea the...

Private Pre-Formal Photo Sessions – Wollongong – Lake Illawarra

Posted by Ela on Jun 9th, 2010 | no responses

Wouldn’t it be nice to capture all your memories from your last school year? Year 10 and 12 formals are just around the corner so why not let a professional capture the essence and fun of your circle of friends. Fun, flirty or a daring photo shoot where you go out with a bang! I personally had one for year 10 where my 3 best friends headed down to the beach and had all the images on a DVD to remember the great times we had together.How often is it you get to dress up in a beautiful gown or suit pampered two hours before, spend a small fortune on hair and makeup to have it disappear in...

Fashion Shoot – Kim – Mt Annan

Posted by Ela on Jun 8th, 2010 | no responses

Kim and I have been through so much together like: - being yelled at by dominant males who love their golf turf and specifying why high heels on the new green is a bad thing LOL -Being approached by disgusting port men with no teeth asking for a fan shot lol -Jumping into pools on freezing cold days (well not me, just kim hehe) -And almost breaking my neck in her bathtub during our second shoot lol We adopted each other on a modelling site a year ago and fell in love at first site.. with collaborating that is :) since then I’ve been proud to call her my girl .. Luv ya kimmy! Now this first...

Wedding Slideshow – Leisa & Jay – Illawarra Wedding Photography

Posted by Ela on Jun 8th, 2010 | no responses

Slideshow from Leisa and Jay’s Wedding day from March 20th ..now I was going to go with the traditional wedding song of theirs (If I ain’t got you) but then couldn’t locate it anywhere for purchase as it as an Usher version. So anyway emailed Lisa and asked which song she would like.. she insisted on ‘Down’ by Jay Sean, I said ‘ah yes the slow version is beautiful! Perfect!’ But Leisa insisted on the fast non-candlelight version LOL Now she’s a pretty cool bride, but to have a hip/hop up tempo song to her slideshow hehe .. well it’s non-traditional.....

Wedding – Nan Tien Temple – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 8th, 2010 | no responses

First time I met Jo and Dave at Lee and Me last year we sat and talked about randomness for 1.5 hours.. not yet to beat my record of a 3 hour consultation LOL. Getting around to the wedding details, the three of us discussed ideas for photos around the Nan Tien Temple at Berkeley. Small intimate wedding of 50-60 guests it was simple and still very beautiful. I called Jo and said ‘I’m just pulling up the car now, I’m wearing black pants and a blue shirt’ she then replied ‘I have red hair and a grey shirt on’ ..Little did I know to expect the most luscious cherry...

Family Portraits – Killalea State Park – Illawarra Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 5th, 2010 | no responses

Tammy and her gorgeous family.. shot at 8:00 in the morning just before Christmas last year. The light was warm, the clouds were formed to perfection and the sea mist rode the morning swells.. Nothing better than a family portrait session before the working day starts. Classic shot below.. Had a bit of trouble getting the kids into the swing of our morning portrait session, a shot worth capturing. I spoke with Tammy 6 months later and she said ‘I love that shot! I still have it as my desktop wallpaper’ lol. Now it occurs to me more every day that memories aren’t about flawless...

Wedding – The Rocks – Illawarra Wedding Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 4th, 2010 | no responses

The wedding day of Andres and Stephanie.. where do I start? I walked in to her house to find a quirky bridal party, a beautiful house (minus the scorching skylight that almost burnt off my face hehe) with pre-wedding behaviour ;) as well as a bride who couldn’t wait to walk down that aisle.. I’ll have you know now, Stephanies sister, Brooke, is so down to earth and now share a very close relationship.. via FaceBook. Haha well it still counts. Actually come to think of it, technology isn’t too far off from turning us into low self-esteemed, anti-social people. Hmm.. well my dear...

Family Portraits – Kiama – Illawarra Portrait Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 3rd, 2010 | no responses

Hey guys! Just uploading shoots to my new blog, which I am officially addicted to! LOL this portrait session was shot just before Christmas last year and just had to share it with you guys! ..Beautiful family shot down at Kiama’s south side of Bombo beach. And the first shot.. what can I say? Just walking along the banks alongside a channel I focused in on Baby.. I love the clarity of this shot and the bokeh. shot with my 70-200mm on f/4. Holding hands Simple shot of Belinda and her 8 month old baby boy.. these shots are my favourite kind.. the candid one :) *sighs Laughter Nothing says cuter...

Pregnancy Shoot – Berry – Illawarra Photographer

Posted by Ela on Jun 1st, 2010 | no responses

What beats the gift of life?? Absolutely nothing! .. Ashleigh was glowing in her 3rd trimester when we shot in the quiet town of Berry last week. The leaves were a surreal orange colour, the air was crisp and the light was warmer than a hot fudge Sundae on a cold winter’s morning (just in case you didn’t get my drift.. that is some pretty awesome light!). When we first arrived at the local park, my eye was caught by this giant tree taller than a skyscraper (ok maybe I exaggerate a little LOL) of the most vibrant colour. We started to shoot a few naked belly-bump shots (so pretty!)...

First Blog Post

Posted by Ela on May 18th, 2010 | no responses

Greetings Everyone! I am pleased to announce I have added a blog to my Ela Photography site. You know what that means! ..Oh yes, more anectodes in the life of Pamela! Stay tuned! for photography ..never sleeps! muahaha Share on Facebook