Travel Diary Archives - FIRE, WOOD & EARTH

Amy + Kevin (New Zealand)

August 21, 2018

“Raw and Soulful Engagement Portraits in Queenstown New Zealand”

Photographer: Andre

// This session was FEATURED on The Wedding Notebook. Click here to see the featured post. //

You know the feeling when you meet or talk to certain people for the first time and you just know that they’re your kind of people? That’s the vibe I got from Amy and Kevin! I always believe that one of the most important things in doing my job is the chemistry between me and my couples. Somehow we could tell how comfortable and strong the bond between the photographer and the couples from the captured moments or expressions in the photographs.

This destination pre-wedding shoot to New Zealand with them didn’t feel like a work trip. It was really more like a fun trip that we do with our close friends! There were 4 of us, Amy, Kevin and Amy’s best friend, Shae who joined the trip as well. It’s weird that I instantly felt connected to them like I’ve known them for a long time. Maybe because they came from Australia so I felt more relatable, or maybe because we share the same types of jokes like what I usually do with my wife, I am not sure! They are super easy going, super fun & hilarious people to be around with. I wished my wife had come with me there because I know we would all get along very well together.

Our base is in Queenstown, we shared a lovely airbnb home together. We explored gorgeous places in our list by doing road trips everyday. But of course the highlight was when we hiked to Roy’s Peak in Wanaka. It took us around 5,5 hours return hike and it was so worth the effort. The view at the top was nothing like we’ve seen before, truly magnificent! We were blessed by the beautiful weather most of the time, but there was once when it was stormy and raining, and I was quite bummed because I couldn’t do the shoot I wanted. Funny thing that Amy was the one comforting me instead of the other way around, haha. The rest of the shoot was very enjoyable and relaxing. I guess it’s really true; it’s not where you go but who you travel with that really matters.

Japan Spring / Part 2 / Osaka – Kyoto

June 22, 2018

// Japan Spring Trip – Part 2 //

By: Andre & Agnes

Osaka – Kyoto – Fushimi Inari – Gion – Arashiyama – Kiyomizu-dera – Himeji

(Continued from Japan Spring / Part 1 / Tokyo – Nara)

Japan is like a whole different world..at a higher level from the ordinary world we live in. The people, the culture, the food, the technology, the landscapes, everything is so impressive. It is like we are travelling to the future. It is so modern, yet so conservative at the same time. What was so impactful for us is the fact that the whole country gives off such a serene vibe, which we strongly felt when we were there. It was like a perfect and peaceful hiding place to escape from our reality.

14 days in Japan went by so fast. The next time we go there, we’ll make sure to leave our work at home so we can focus more on relaxing and enjoying our time. We’ll see you in a different season, Japan!

Japan Spring / Part 1 / Tokyo – Nara

June 22, 2018

// Japan Spring Trip -Part 1 //

By: Andre & Agnes

Tokyo – Kawaguchiko – Yoyogi – Harajuku – Ueno – Akihabara – Kawagoe – Dotonbori – Nara

It was spring 2017, and it was our first time visiting Japan. The main reason we came to Japan was for clients’ pre-wedding photoshoot, but we extended our trip for a little bit of travelling too. We were so excited when planning the trip. We got all curious about this particular country because people around us kept saying about how amazing it is to be there. There was no single negative review about Japan that we heard from our friends who have been there. Some of them even got addicted to keep visiting and we didn’t get why..at first. But now we clearly understand why.

(Continued to Japan Spring / Part 2 / Osaka – Kyoto)