Daniel Chafer Photography

I’d describe my work as editorial, cinematic and documentary at heart. I love creating beautiful, considered portraits, but I never want the day to feel like a photoshoot. My approach is about giving you a little direction when it’s needed, then stepping back and letting the real stuff happen. I’m drawn to movement, emotion, great light and all the little moments happening around you. I also shoot 35mm film alongside digital, which brings another layer of softness, character and nostalgia to the final gallery.

For me, it’s as much about the experience as it is about the photographs. I’m not interested in spending your entire wedding day telling you where to stand and what to do. I want you to actually enjoy it. I’ll help when you need it, keep things moving when they need moving, and then disappear into the background when the good stuff starts happening. I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings, so I know when to step in and when to simply let a moment unfold.

You don’t need to be good at having your photo taken. Honestly, most people aren’t. You also don’t need to plan your whole day around photography. My job is to make the experience feel easy and natural while still creating photographs that have that editorial edge. I’d also encourage you to look through full wedding galleries rather than just Instagram highlights. You want to make sure you connect with the way a photographer sees an entire day, not just their favourite ten images.

This is probably one of the biggest things couples worry about, and it’s usually the thing they end up enjoying most. I don’t expect you to suddenly become models. I’ll give you some gentle direction, create a bit of movement and give you things to do rather than just asking you to stand there and smile. Then I’ll give you space to forget I’m there. A lot of couples tell me afterwards that they were surprised by how relaxed and fun the photography actually felt.

Absolutely. I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings, so I’ve seen just about every version of a wedding day timeline. I’m happy to help you work through the flow of the day and make sure there’s enough breathing room for the things that matter, without making the whole day revolve around photographs. I’ll also help you work out the best time for portraits, family photos and those beautiful pockets of light, so you can get the photographs you want without missing your own party.

I don’t work to a strict number of photographs because every wedding is different. The size of your wedding, the amount of coverage and everything that happens throughout the day all play a part. As a guide, a full wedding will generally result in 700+ edited images, and it can be considerably more when there’s a lot happening. I’m not interested in holding photographs back just to hit a particular number. If it’s a great image and it helps tell your story, I want you to have it.

Yes. I shoot a combination of digital and 35mm film throughout the day. Digital gives me the freedom to move quickly and document everything as it happens, while film brings a slower, more intentional quality to certain moments. I love the softness, grain and character that 35mm adds to a gallery. The two formats work really beautifully together and give the final collection a mix of polished editorial imagery and photographs that feel a little more nostalgic and imperfect.

Absolutely. I’m based in Byron Bay on the NSW North Coast, but I photograph weddings throughout Australia and internationally. I’ve always loved travelling, and there’s something pretty special about arriving somewhere completely new and figuring out how to photograph it. That said, the location is never the most important part for me. Whether it’s a Byron Bay hinterland wedding, somewhere interstate or a destination wedding overseas, it always comes back to the people, the atmosphere and the story unfolding in front of me.

There’s a good chance I have, particularly if you’re getting married around Byron Bay, the Northern Rivers or the Gold Coast, but I’m also completely comfortable photographing somewhere new. I don’t believe you need a photographer who has memorised every corner of your venue. I’m looking for good light, interesting spaces, movement and the little moments that make your wedding yours. If I haven’t photographed your venue before, I’ll do my homework and arrive ready to make the most of it.

I’d recommend getting in touch as soon as you have your date and venue locked in, particularly if you’re planning a wedding during the busier months. I only take on a limited number of weddings each year because I want to be properly involved in each one, rather than shooting as many weddings as possible. That personal approach is important to me. If you love the work and think we’d get along, it’s always worth enquiring even if your date is relatively close — you never know what might be available.