The photographer
Hi. I'm the person behind Studio 81.
Christchurch-based photographer. Over a decade of weddings, families, and honest moments across Aotearoa.
My approach is simple: I try to disappear. The best photographs happen when people forget the camera is there. I work quietly, move quickly, and wait for the honest moments rather than manufacturing them.
I shoot a mix of digital and film depending on the project. Both have their place — film for its grain and warmth, digital for reliability and volume.
Based in Christchurch, I travel throughout New Zealand for weddings and destination shoots. My clients often say the same thing: they forgot I was there. That's the goal.
If you're after perfectly posed portraits and studio lighting, I'm probably not your photographer. If you want images that actually feel like the day — I am.
Shooting style
Photojournalistic
I observe first. The candid in-between moments — the look, the laugh, the tear — are almost always better than the posed ones.
Light-driven
I chase quality of light obsessively. Golden hour, open shade, window light — these aren't clichés, they're the craft.
Minimal direction
When I do direct, it's about creating conditions for natural moments — not choreographed poses. Move here, look there, now forget I'm holding a camera.
Recent Studio 81 shoots
Holidays on film
7 July 2026
During a recent roadie around NZ I had the chance to take a few snaps along the way.
