By Bonny Burrows
Self-confessed hopeless romantic Meagan Goodes is living her dream life.
As a wedding photographer, the Pakenham mother-of-two has captured some of the most intimate moments between two people – a couple’s first dance, the first kiss as husband and wife, a trickle of a tear from the groom as his bride walks down the aisle.
Tasked with the important job of capturing her clients’ big day, Meagan has photographed countless weddings but still gets butterflies and is caught up in the buzz of excitement.
“I’m a romantic and heart, I love being around the happiness. Everybody’s so happy on their wedding day and it’s infectious,” Meagan said.
“It feels like a bit of an honour, to capture their emotions and connections and I love that I am able to provide these permanent memories for years to come.”
The former primary school teacher has only been working in the industry for part-time five years, specialising in wedding and family photography, but has already built up a strong clientele and national recognition.
And on 24 May she was voted 14th in the Australian Bridal Industry Academy Awards for her excellence in wedding photography after being nominated by a former client and bride.
Judged on her quality of product, service, value for money and attitude, Meagan achieved a score of 98.13 out of 100.
The recognition meant a lot to the relatively new photographer, as it “means my clients are happy to recommend me”.
“It’s pretty awesome, especially as it was very, very close. The top 15 were all within 2 per cent of each other,” Meagan said.
“I am absolutely honoured to be among such prestigious photographers to be named as finalists.”
Despite working only part-time, Meagan is in such strong demand that she’s considering capping the number of weddings she does each month.
However, with the typical warmer months of the wedding season, Meagan will get a much-deserved break over winter while focusing on her newborn and family portraits.
But the busy mum isn’t complaining about her hectic schedule.
“I’m busy, but I love it and when my youngest starts school I hope to do it full time,” she said.
For more information of Meagan’s work, visit wwww.magentaphotogaphy.com.au.
Meagan’s top spots for wedding photos.
1. Duck pond, Henry Lawson Drive. This is a very cute little park with a nice little pond and lots of shrubs. It’s very small but has lots of spots to move around and capture different angles.
2. The Lakeside lake. The lake is gorgeous and I take many photos at the amphitheatre.
3. Quarry, Windermere Boulevard. Offers a nice background for a variety of shots.
