ARTICLES

Master Photographer Greg Mace Talks About Weddings and Photography in Byron Bay
 
What’s So Different About Greg Mace Wedding Photography?
 
Widely regarded as Byron’s most in demand wedding photographer, Greg has been living and photographing weddings in the Byron Bay area for the past two decades.
 
Greg’s is one of the very few photographers whose wedding work is instantly recognisable, the spontaneous look of his images have a carefully planned compositional aspect as well as the ‘decisive moment’ captured with great precision, emotion, detail and mood.
Producing extraordinarily beautiful and honest images.
 
“I have been told that over the years I have photographed more weddings in Byron Bay than all the other photographers in the area combined, probably correct,” says Greg.
 
“During the past 20 years my wedding clientele in Byron has included couples from all spectrums of life, fashion designers, descendents of Italian royalty, Byron Bay locals, Hollywood actresses, French yoga instructors, Druid hippies, New York stock brokers, Dutch graphic designers, Mullumbimby sexagenarian’s, London bankers and backpackers, Australian television actors, local surfing couples, you name it, I feel very blessed and privileged to have been involved in such a wonderful and important part of so many peoples lives”
 
“I have found over the years that I always seem to be photographing wedding’s for people who are looking further into the photographic image. I always look forward to creating something special for my clients, wedding photography is my passion and my knowledge”
 
“I have been taking photographs since the age of 8 and have been a professional photographer all my working life”.
 
A former recipient of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) Wedding Award, Greg has also been represented in the Hasselblad Masters National Exhibition, Nikon ANMN Awards and the 2001 National Frank Hurley Award winner.
 
“To win the Frank Hurley Award was a major event for me as I have always regarded Frank as one of the worlds great photographers.
I remember viewing his Shackleton Antarctic expedition series of images when I was in my teens and thinking then how incredibly powerful those amazing black and white images were. Frank was fearless, innovative as well as a great image maker, no expedition photographer has ever produced such a legacy”
 
“Another major influence on my life was meeting Perth photographer, John Whitfield-King. John’s wedding images and my introduction to the classic Leica Rangefinder camera became a whole new road for me to travel along.  I quickly came to realise that wedding photography could be done the way that I wanted to do it, honest, real, capturing life in flight, responding simply and deeply with heart and mind. To create powerful images that will be always be treasured, honoured and an important part of my subjects family history”
 
“As mentioned above my photographic style has been strongly influenced by the use of the Leica camera,  the operational speed, quietness along with it’s low light capability and only working with a single lens, the Leitz Summicron 35mm, has really defined my style and approach to wedding photography”.
 
“During the past decade with the advent of digital photography I have noticed that a lot of wedding photography in this area has a very contrived artificiality about it. Now anyone can take a reasonably good photo. The common acceptance of photo editing software  has seen many photographers manipulating photographs, creating artificial scenario’s and enhancing otherwise mediocre images, a cover-up for poor photography”
 
“My wedding clientele, as I mentioned previously are people that are more discerning and looking further into the photographic image”.
 
“They want a true record of the occasion, done with integrity and honestly, that’s why my imagery has been so successful”.
 
“I often get asked what I think about digital cameras and digital photography, it is only now with the advent of the Canon EOS full frame digital camera system that I am finally happy to shoot a wedding digitally”.
 
“The Canon EOS produces remarkable images as good as if not better than film-based technology. I do no digital enhancement with my style of wedding photography and I still have my Leica M7 for the
astounding black and white images that only the Leitz lenses can record”.
 
Wedding Photography With a Difference You Will Treasure.
 
Greg Mace M.Photog.
 
2006.