Photo Live Magazine First Issue

NICK
T he Wedding Master...
Ghionis
Q - Tell us about that fateful day in Fiji
where it all started.
Like many who travel overseas, Duty
Free is an attractive proposition to
buy and save.
Possibly not so much these days
with the internet, but back in 1985
the savings were considerable. So
I decided to buy my first camera,
which was a Pentax MG.
I never really photographed before
then, and I never owned a camera.
It was when I processed the images,
that I fell in love with Photography.
I saw these sunsets that I had photographed
and crystal blue waters
with palm trees that looked like postcards.
I thought to myself WOW, I did these
great photos, and I didn’t even know
what an aperture or ISO was.
Imagine if I knew how to use a camera,
what the possibilities would be.
I was never a good student at school
and I didn’t really know what I wanted
to do.
So began the journey, where at 21
years of age I absolutely devoured
every photography magazine and
books I can get my hands on.
The Pentax didn’t have the ability
to shoot manual and I had realized
shortly thereafter that if I needed
to be serious about photography, I
needed to buy a new camera.
Buying an Olympus OM1, and after
working 5 jobs to save money, I eventually
bought my first medium format
camera Hasselblad 500CM.
Assisting and working for free, just so
that I can learn and get some experience,
I did this for just over 2 years.
By 1989, I had accumulated some
more equipment by way of flashes
and lenses and built my third Darkroom
along the way.
Q - Why weddings, what got you inspired
to shoot what some consider
is the biggest day of someone’s life?
I didn’t actually set out to be a wedding
and portrait photographer. When
I first started photographing, I would
go on trips and shoot landscapes
and street photography.
I even secured a job as a security
guard at a Melbourne newspaper in
the hope that I can get an in with the
photography department.
I realized that a cadetship with the
newspaper meant that I would be on
minimum wage, and at that time I had
a mortgage and wasn’t in a position
to take a drop in salary.
I had a friend who’s father was a wedding
photographer and who needed
photographers, my uncle too, was a
wedding photographer.
It was an avenue that enabled me to
make money from a hobby that depleted
ALL my savings.
I mentioned earlier that I would have
5 jobs at any given time, and most
of them was in the hospitality business.
My family are also in hospitality,
which meant that my people skills
was pretty good.
An asset when photographing people
of all walks of life. To this day, I
would only hire photographers who
have an outstanding record with
people. You can train someone to
take a photograph, but you can’t
train a personality.
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