Our Hello Vendor profiles give you the chance to meet the people behind the brand and today we are pumped to introduce you to She Takes Pictures He Makes Films, the brainchild of Melbourne folk Lucy Spartalis and Alastair Innes. We take five with this playful pair to find out all about work, weddings and stealing steak.
Talk us through a typical day in the STPHMF office? Lucy: Ali makes me tea every morning, and after showering and a tonne of Weet-Bix we get to work next to each other a really welcomed change from sitting in a office alone all day! Alastair: It makes such a difference. We bounce ideas off each other, help each other out when we hit obstacles, offer opinions on each others work. And listen to good tunes all day.
Worst thing about working together? Alastair: Sometimes she’ll hit a wall with editing and decide to focus her energy on annoying me, much like a small child. Lucy: He’s so freaking zen all the time it can take a long time to actually annoy him. But once I get there, it’s so worth it.
Explain to us why having both a photographer and a cinematographer is a smart move? Lucy: Your day is going to go by incredibly fast, you’ll miss so much of what’s going on. And whilst photos always capture amazing moments, they can’t tell the same stories that films can and once the footage from your beautiful day is accompanied with gorgeous music, it takes the storytelling to a whole new level.
Do you only work in Victoria? Lucy: No! We love to travel and have bookings coming in for around Australia and overseas. We can and will go anywhere.
Do you have a favourite venue to shoot at? Lucy: So far, Stones of The Yarra Valley. We’ve shot there a bunch of times and it’s incredible every inch is photogenic, the staff are lovely, the light is glorious… and the food. My god. Alastair: I think Lucy got into the wedding industry for the food.
Any funny stories to share from the road? Lucy: At Loz and Shock’s amazing bushland wedding, we’d climbed onto a pile of tree trunks and branches to set up Ali’s cameras for some time-lapse photography. Half an hour later we realised we’d set it up on top of the bonfire. Luckily we worked it out a few minutes before the fire was lit.
Any words of advice for couples nervous in front of the camera? Lucy: Whilst we will help you pose for the portrait session, we mostly just thrive on capturing the real stuff natural, candid moments of you and your loved ones enjoying your day. We always get feedback saying, £we didn’t even know you were there! which makes us very happy. After the first few minutes you won’t even realise we’re doing our thing, so you can just focus your nerves on saying your wedding vows!
Favourite food served at a wedding? Lucy: All food is good food as long as there’s a lot of it. Alastair: Lucy’s a pig.
Last time you cried at a wedding was… Lucy: Every wedding. Alastair: That time Lucy stole my steak. Lucy: If you leave the table it’s fair game. Even if it was to shoot the speeches.
You can check out one of our all time fave She Takes Pictures He Makes Films weddings here… the lovely Loz + Shocks bush wedding will blow your mind with it’s awesomeness. You can also scope out a few more of their video’s below and see more of their photographic work here on the Hello May directory.
CREDITS Profile photo John Possemato // Cinematography She Takes Pictures He Makes Films.