About

Overview & Vibe

James Bennett has been photographing weddings from the coast south of Newcastle for the better part of two decades, and he still shoots every wedding he books himself. He came to photography sideways - he was a graphic designer whose boss handed him a camera when the booked photographer called in sick - and the commercial grounding shows in work that is composed without ever feeling posed.

Style & Approach

His instinct is to disappear. He melts into the background for most of the day so the real moments happen without him in them, speaking up only to wrangle the group shots or to settle a couple during the location session. Onto that documentary spine he grafts the fashion-editorial eye he built shooting for White Magazine, Hello May and Essential Bride, and he still develops his own colour and black-and-white film in a lab at home.

Ideal For

Couples marrying around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Hunter Valley or Sydney who want a quiet observer rather than a director, and who like the idea of a photographer who hands back a wooden box with a USB and a stack of prints in it. Elopers are looked after too, with a pared-back collection of their own.

The Need-to-Knows

Wedding coverage starts at $3,500 and elopements at $2,500, with an engagement shoot included in every wedding package. Galleries usually run 500 to 1,100 photographs and arrive within four weeks - or inside a week if you ask nicely. He does not publish hour-by-hour package breakdowns, so the detail comes by enquiry, and enquiries go through the form rather than a phone number.

Standout Feature

The home darkroom. Very few wedding photographers still develop their own film, in colour and black and white, and it is the clearest signal of how he thinks about the craft.

Albums & Prints

Wedding Album. Price: On enquiry. Description: A lay-flat album printed on acid-free paper so the colours stay vibrant, supplied in a protective case. Couples can arrange to see one in person before ordering.

Appointment Policy

Enquiries are made through an online enquiry form rather than by phone, and couples can arrange to meet him in person to look through an album before ordering.

Areas Serviced

Newcastle - His home region, and the one he leads with
Lake Macquarie - Where his published address sits, at Catherine Hill Bay
Hunter Valley - Named inside his own no-travel-charge boundary
Sydney - Named inside his own no-travel-charge boundary
Destination and interstate - By quote, with travel costs added

Hours of Coverage

No details available.

Nearby Landmarks

Catherine Hill Bay Jetty - The heritage coal jetty on the headland at the end of his own street
Wallarah National Park - Coastal heath and clifftop tracks wrapping the bay
Caves Beach - Sea caves at low tide, a short drive north
Newcastle Ocean Baths - The art-deco baths whose starting blocks appear in his own wedding portfolio
Lake Macquarie - The largest coastal saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere, just inland

Photography Packages

Weddings. Price: From $3,500. Description: Coverage runs from shorter wedding coverage through to full-day shooting, with a pre-wedding engagement shoot included in every package.
Engagement Shoots. Price: $700. Description: A relaxed photo shoot before the wedding day, included at no extra cost in all wedding packages.
Elopements. Price: From $2,500. Description: A pared-back package for couples who want to escape and marry simply.

Photography Style

documentary
candid
editorial
natural
film

Price Notes

An engagement shoot is included in every wedding package; booked on its own it is $700.
Only the entry prices are published - he asks couples to get in touch for the full options.
Payment is by online direct deposit or credit card (Mastercard or Visa).

Services Offered

Wedding Photography
Engagement Shoots
Elopement Photography
Destination Wedding Photography
Wedding Albums
Editorial Photography

Starting Price

From $3,500

Travel & Destination

Destination and interstate weddings are quoted individually, with airfare, accommodation and usually a rental car on top.

Turnaround Time

Wedding galleries take up to four weeks, and he can turn one around in as little as a week on special request.

What You Receive

High-Resolution Digital Files
USB Stick In A Wooden Box
Five By Seven Prints
Five Hundred To Eleven Hundred Edited Photographs

Similar businesses

Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Contact

Website: jamesbennett.com.au

Hunter Valley, New South Wales Open in Maps

James Bennett Photography