For the first time, we had one of our photographers take part in her very own Travelshoot experience whilst on holiday in picturesque Queenstown with her wife. We spoke with Danielle about her experience once she arrived home, and what it was like being on the other side of the lens.
We know a little about you, but tell us a little about yourself & your wife, Mands! What do you do for fun? Do you have any pets? How do you like to spend your weekends?
Mands and I met in her hometown, Edinburgh and will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this July! We moved to Brisbane - my hometown - back in 2010 and now settled here with our three cats and three hens! Mandy is a Personal Trainer and we are both football (as in soccer) crazy - we both play at our local club and when we’re not playing football or working, we’re watching football. Our next big holiday is to France in 2019 for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
What took you to Queenstown? Was it mark something special, or just a getaway?
It was Mandy’s 50th last year and neither of us had been to Queenstown before. Everyone raved about it and the more I looked into it, the more excited I got! We had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the scenery, but also had the opportunity to do Ziplining, a helicopter tour, Shotover Jet and the amazing Onsen Hot Pools under the stars.
Being a photographer yourself, how often do you actually get photos with you in them? Have you had professional photos before?
Ah, unless we are counting selfies - never! When we travel back to Edinburgh, I always take my gear and get some beautiful shots of Mands and her family, but rarely am I in the frame. Actually, the last time we had professional photos together was on our wedding day!
Talk us through your shoot in Queenstown and how it all went down! Did you have fun? Was it a strange feeling being on the other side the lens?!
The whole experience was incredible. Our photographer had great local knowledge and it ended up being more than just a photoshoot - it was an entire experience where we learnt more about Queenstown. The weather had been a bit temperamental the week we were visiting but Thomas knew a range of different places so on the day of the shoot, we had so many options to still get stunning images. It was very odd being on the other side of the lens, but I 100% trusted Thomas and actually enjoyed being able to switch off and just be guided by someone else. I also loved the fact that my gear could stay at home and I could just concentrate on the landscape and most importantly, being with my wife!
Finally - what’s your favourite shot from your Travelshoot? Why do you love it?
This is so hard to choose! In respect of showing off the landscape, I love the B&W shots with the Remarkables (and that low lying cloud) behind us. But in terms of really capturing the two of us, I adore the ones where Mandy is trying to prove how strong she is by giving me a very, very unexpected piggy back!
