• hello friends..


    welcome to my personal blog - things i like - music, photos, architecture, design, & words - from my brain (and other people's brains).. all images here are taken by me (some awesome wedding pics from Alyda too), unless highfives are very gladly given to the author of some things i wish i had made/created/recorded/thought of/seen..

    ps.. I'm a wedding photographer.. so if you're planning to marry your lover, & you like what you see/feel here, you should contact us very soon.. we take limited bookings for wedding photography each year & we book out early.. (& i'm not just saying that to make you call us) :]

    here's a movie we made to introduce our little friends to the world.. ---->



emma + ben

emma & ben… they represent for me, the perfect modern wedding..  ok, so generally speaking, you have a couple, & they are excellent people with vibrant & passionate personalities.. then you have their wedding – the event..  the event is separate to them.. they attend their own event along with all their family & friends, and yes, they (the couple), do play an integral role in the planning of said event – (of course they do)..  and, at every wedding we photograph, we see pieces of our clients in their event.. it’s great.

today i give you exhibit A.. emma & ben, they completely and absolutely nailed it..  they were the wedding & the wedding was them..  there was no distinction or separation.. every place i turned, every sound i heard, every thing about their wedding was so them.. awesome to see, and to record.. it’s not about having a budget of $infinity, or being well connected, or making sure your wedding is better than your friend’s.. it’s about doing what feels right for you..

so, if you’re looking for ideas while planning your own wedding, remember this.. Stay true to thy self.. include things that you love & have always loved.. include things that you know your fiancé loves & has always loved.. express yourselves through your wedding & your guests will be talking about how awesome your wedding was for a very long time.. (and your photographer will be eternally grateful)

emma & ben.. thank you many times for choosing us.. you guys are ace!

big thanks also to: the Regal Twin cinema for letting us in (organized by emma), & Mirra (super venue)..  (ps.. all stationary, styling, & print work was designed & produced by emma)

 

..:: toddness

show hide 17 comments

16 May 2012 - 7:49 pm

Jason starr - Ah t and a you guys just keep getting better.

16 May 2012 - 4:52 pm

Dan Smith - You guys rock! I know todd gets all the credit but you’ve got some mad skills too Alyda. Looks like a very cool wedding. Really cool work once again… still got all your shots around our home. Couldn’t have made a better choice for our wedding.

16 May 2012 - 4:52 pm

Kirsty Aksentiew - VERY VERY VERY cool :)

16 May 2012 - 12:52 pm

Dan O’Day - google “rad central” and a whole bunch of pictures of army drawings and maps and necklaces and an apple tattoo come up… but I am sure it is only a matter of hours before this blogpost pops up as well… love the skills that you possess to pay those bills… xoxo

15 May 2012 - 11:00 pm

Andy Gaines - Long time no blog! Awesome skills as ever – love that popcorn cinema shot!

15 May 2012 - 11:00 pm

Drew W - If your photography was a food, it’d be my favorite sushi roll

15 May 2012 - 10:34 pm

Scout - Fanbloodytastic!!!

15 May 2012 - 9:43 pm

seth - Ahhh McGaws you’ve done it again! (said in Aussie accent)

15 May 2012 - 8:54 pm

Simon - Very cool!!!

15 May 2012 - 8:53 pm

Dayna - ADORE groom’s house shots. And pretty much everything :)

15 May 2012 - 8:50 pm

Emma - Awwww, no thank you! So special to relive it again tonight and so many other nights for the rest of our lives. Which, is exactly the reason we have wedding photographers and we are forever grateful to YOU for doing such a ROCKIN’ job :)

15 May 2012 - 8:43 pm

Tricia Itchy Eyes - I think Ben and Emma are not the only people who nailed the wedding! There is so much that is right about those photos. Flippin’ amazing.

15 May 2012 - 8:39 pm

Denton - Love it guys! I look forward to each and every new blog post as each one is so different and so fabulous!

15 May 2012 - 8:05 pm

Nicole - Amazing photos. Love the theatre shots and the second last one.

15 May 2012 - 8:02 pm

El - You guys are such clever little chickens! What a great wedding! I adore the grooms facial expressions. Fav is the bridge shot: so so pretty. xoox

15 May 2012 - 8:00 pm

Chloe - Rock, rock, rock the blogophone indeed. I love this set-each photo feels like a little sound capture. I’m not sure that makes sense, but it is a good thing.

15 May 2012 - 7:58 pm

Trish - You gotta be kidding. This is rockstar cool :D

cuba

our 5 week adventure is nearly spent.. & it’s been completely amazing.. mine eyeballs have feasted on some spectacular places & we’ve met some incredibly incredible people.. i’ve been talking with a lot of people across 3 different countries over the last few weeks, & they are asking… “what’s been your highlight?”

Havana Cuba.. It’s one of the most amazing places i have experienced.. Havana is old, it’s crumbling, it’s dusty, it’s dirty, it’s smelly, it’s brutal, hot, scary, guarded, noisy, dark, crowded, & cramped..  AND (not but)..   it’s warm, it’s welcoming, it’s humble, it’s rebuilding, it’s colourful, friendly, loud, tense, crazy, funny, relaxed, musical, beautiful, embracing, & engaging… it’s utterly captivating.

i witnessed some pretty amazing human interactions here & this Cuban experience has affected me deeply..  such an amazingly strong sense of community & support for their fellow citizens, yet contrasted with what i see (on a local community level), as a somewhat fierce, raw, & very direct ‘street’ based justice.. so so interesting to me coming from a society of first world problems like “when the hell are they going to make a 3D TV that doesn’t need me to wear 3D glasses already!”

 

the following agenda items have recently been bumped wayyyyy up my high priority ‘to do’ list:

 learn spanish

 go back to Cuba

cubacuba photographerhavana street photographerhavana restorationcuba photographerhavana old cartodd mcgawhavana street photographerhavana peoplehavanahavana carshavana street photographerhavana street photographercuba tobacco cuba photographervenales valley cubavenales valley cubahavana buildingshavanache guevaracoco taxi havanahavana street photographer

..::toddd xoxo

show hide 28 comments

16 May 2012 - 7:45 pm

Jason start - F-ing sic dude.

11 May 2012 - 10:10 pm

Molly - These are brilliant, what an amazing experience for you!

28 February 2012 - 7:13 pm

jazzy - <3 all of these photos!!!

28 February 2012 - 11:35 am

kt - amazing colours… geez these would make a fantastic collage in your home of your travel memories :)

27 February 2012 - 9:57 pm

Sidd Rishi - Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing :)

25 February 2012 - 5:28 am

Lyndzee Ellsworth - I’m with Rog. I’ll go topless for a day as well. We’ll do it together. In your honor.

Amazing you guys.

24 February 2012 - 11:46 pm

Shane Shepherd - These here shots are off the charts. The cars there are so old! spin out! They look like they should be in museum’s, and the architecture is a photographers dream. Glad you guys have had a good time ;-)

24 February 2012 - 7:33 pm

Jeremy Beasley - Y’all gots some skills! Perhaps y’all need a name change from ‘team mcgaw” to “team amazeballsphototakingwizards”

24 February 2012 - 5:33 pm

Caroline Anne - Super amazing. Y’ALL are so awesome.

24 February 2012 - 3:53 pm

Nick Evans - V Nice… You got the eye to make great pictures!

24 February 2012 - 2:19 pm

Deb - I badly wanted to go to WHATIF and Cuba – now Im kicking myself. Thanks for sharing this amazing place and glad you came away with more than just great pics.

24 February 2012 - 2:11 pm

Kirsty Aksentiew - beautifully captured, makes me want to jump on plane and get my Cuba on :)

24 February 2012 - 1:40 pm

Sally Ogilvie - Great images Todd – and don’t forget to take us with you next time!!!

24 February 2012 - 1:40 pm

john benavente - muy bien señor, puedo enseñarte español todde huntero mcgawrito

24 February 2012 - 12:59 pm

Christine - oh my eyeballs!!!! what a treat, my talented friend. you’re such a gifted storyteller with your words + images… i LOVE these so very much. should you chose to send along a print for our baby’s nursery, i shall hang it with PRIDE!!! :) loves you!!! :)

24 February 2012 - 12:56 pm

It’s me Dan - Loooooooooooooooooove you guys….. almost as much as I love this pictures! freeking amazing work.

24 February 2012 - 12:49 pm

Mem - Yep, well done on convincing me, too. Wasn’t on my list before. Is now. (Also – I LOVE TRAVEL CATS.) xx

24 February 2012 - 12:39 pm

Chris Prestidge - well captured guys, epic trip, amazing images – beautiful people with hearts of gold!

24 February 2012 - 12:24 pm

Jakob - Okay, I’m convinced. Have to visit Havana. Awesome photos, my friend.

24 February 2012 - 12:16 pm

em - love love love you long time mr and mrs mcgaw! these photos are amazingly fabulous with inspiring reflections too .. can’t wait to hear all about it, and see more photos! :)

24 February 2012 - 11:43 am

Alex Kennison - Awesome shots dude. Very jealous. :)

24 February 2012 - 11:02 am

Lucent Imagery - I’ve been hanging for these cuba photos. Awesome. So many colours and textures. Was that cat blind? Have a safe trip back to Australia-land.

24 February 2012 - 9:10 am

Andrew Cahill - awww man makes me wanna go even more lol.

24 February 2012 - 8:38 am

Tenielle - What a beautiful place, what a beautiful people. So amazing to experience a part of the world that stops you in your tracks, that kind of travel reaches far beyond a few days. Can’t wait to hear about it in person guys! Enjoy the rest of your well deserved adventure xo

24 February 2012 - 8:26 am

Tim Harris - Fantastic captures guys.

24 February 2012 - 8:23 am

David - Todd! These are incredible. The light. The mood. The stories. Absolutely amazing work!

24 February 2012 - 8:20 am

jeff marsh - bangarang. rufio. i want a print of all of these in my office.

24 February 2012 - 8:13 am

Rog - This makes we want to go topless for the rest of the day in your honor. 9th one down is my fav. Lady in a hallway.

susan & tom..

young tom did thushenceforth propose to the lovely susan that they be wed.. she was well pleased & agreed whole-heartedly.. & so they were married.. their wedding was very excellent, but before i show you my report, here’s some pictorials from their portrait session in a forest we prepared earlier..

.

..:: t

show hide 10 comments

1 May 2012 - 9:40 am

Jack Chauvel - Haha love the animated GIF but lovely location too :)

28 February 2012 - 1:49 pm

Kristen - So pretty, where is this magical forest?

21 February 2012 - 9:40 am

Matilda Beezley | Bundaberg Wedding Photographer - DUDE! Awesome awesome love the gif at the end. I nearly fell off my chair laughing. How are you two doing over in the US? Still having a blast I hope. :) Matilda

17 February 2012 - 3:49 am

Natalie Champa Jennings - My favorite kinds of photographs are in the trees. I really liked this post!

16 February 2012 - 6:04 am

Lyndzee Ellsworth - I love these. My favorite is the wide shot of them walking away. You guys nailed it. of course. :)

13 February 2012 - 7:39 pm

Nick Evans - I agree with Enqrique! Great work!

13 February 2012 - 10:08 am

Scarlet - Great shoot!! Sweet couple and beautiful capture :)

13 February 2012 - 9:48 am

enrique pulgarin ramos - Enhorabuena por estas imagenes. Son muy hermosas y de una sensibilidad muy exquisita. Me encantan todas. Un abrazo a todos

13 February 2012 - 9:47 am

It’s me Dan - love city! oh yea…. miss you guys

13 February 2012 - 9:46 am

Scout - great shots team.

love the gif :)

quotes from the masters #50

“you come up with all these ideas, & plans &… yeah, all of a sudden you don’t have a life..”

- Peter Di Antoni (COG magazine)

.

i really felt this when peter said it.. he was talking about making his magazine & the freedom that working for yourself brings, & yes, i well and truly feel that freedom, like a dog with his head out the car window… but i also have felt the burden to which peter refers..  every job has good and bad things about it.. the goal is to maximise the good & minimise the bad right?..  the awesome thing is that i have the control to do this.. but the crappy thing is, i also have no excuses – good and bad.. funny hey

actually do it..

ever felt like you wanted to escape from something? explore? carve a new path?

there’s nothing stopping you..

 

awesome film by the theory.. a beautiful little story really..

..:: t

show hide 3 comments

3 May 2012 - 9:50 pm

Marissa fleming - Love that so simple but sweet story, well executed.

28 February 2012 - 10:10 pm

jaffa - Great thing.

15 February 2012 - 8:32 pm

Emma - Awww this film is adorable, I actually found myself making emotive sounds as the lights spun around in the night time and then the back lamp lit up as the sun rose, SO clever! Thanks for sharing!