Gazing over Bonnie Jenkins‘ wedding photography work, I’m aglow with the knowledge that the Sunshine Coast seems to have a knack for attracting the best of the best.
Having been trained as a fine art photographer in Edinburgh, and later completing her masters in Cornwall UK, Bonnie’s work still has a fine art element, which is very much inspired by nature. Back here in Australia, Bonnie taught photography at college for many years before coming back to her true passion – being creative behind a camera. These days she is highly sought after in fine art photography not only in weddings, but travel and fashion. This allows her to dive into her other great love – travel, which sees her jetsetting all over the world.
Bonnie’s favourite countries to visit all start with the letter ‘I’ – Iceland, Ireland and Italy. She loves hiking and exploring, cooking, music and she’s a massive animal lover. Bonnie and her partner Dave took their love of nature and made it their home, which is currently being built on a sprawling 20 acres.
It’s time to hear from the woman herself. Meet Bonnie Jenkins…
Bonnie, what does your process involve on a wedding day?
It varies depending on how long they have booked me for but i really just aim to fit in, capturing the candid elements and important moments throughout the day. During the photo session, i keep it very relaxed and candid but also guide the couple as needed and to fit their personalities. I find the in-between moments are usually my favourites.
What do your clients say about you?
That I made the process so easy and fun, they felt so comfortable with me and that the couple photoshoot was their favourite part of the day.
Tell us about your journey in photography and how you ended up photographing weddings…
When I left high school I knew I wanted to study something creative. I decided on photography, as I wanted to explore my interests in nature and music. During my photography studies I was fortunate enough to train at several different institutes, starting on a practical level at Tafe then onto a more theoretical level at Queensland College of Art and Edinburgh College of Art, eventually going on to complete my masters in Falmouth, Cornwall.
After graduating I prepared for my first solo fine art exhibition, which was an underwater series of portraits. Shortly after this I was offered a position as a Photography teacher at Sunshine Coast Tafe. While teaching was rewarding in many ways, it left me creatively wanting. Since leaving teaching I can honestly say I simply love what I do, weddings allow me to express my creativity, see the world and meet amazing people.
Where is home for you?
We brought our dream property a short time ago, and now we are building our dream home. Its 20-acres of stunning bushland, rainforest, views, meadows and creeks. Having grown up nearby I used to play on it as a kid and (my husband) Dave and I have always dreamed of owning it, we really never thought it would come true so we are pinching ourselves. We are building beside a creek which you can hear trickling away all year round and the house has stunning 180 views overlooking a gully and meadow, I find it the most relaxing place to be.
You have a completely free day on the Sunshine Coast – who are you with and what are you doing?
Oh that’s tough one. Well, I love food so at some stage there would be a yummy cafe ideally with friends followed by some exploring or walking with Dave followed by a chill dinner with friends. However at the moment we are building our first home, so my answer would be doing things on our house or yard work on our 20-acre hinterland property.
Wedding trends you’re predicting for 2019/2020?
I feel elopements are only going to get more popular due to the lack of stress and the intimacy. It also frees up where you can get married, so people are being more adventurous with their plans.
What does the future have in store for Bonnie Jenkins?
I am finding each year I am booking more destination weddings, next year is going to be one full of travel which is great as I love exploring.
No matter where in the world you’re planning to be married, today is the day you should find out if international wedding photographer, Bonnie Jenkins, can be there to capture the day. Click here to make your enquiry.
