Wedding Vendor Interview:
ONE WILD COLLECTIVE
At the end of the year, I had the opportunity to interview Rebel, the owner, founder and lead photographer at One Wild Collective. Starting when she had her first baby in 2020, she has since rebranded and is now obsessed with making memories for the beautiful humans who hire her. Whether you’re needing photos for your wedding day, newborn or a generations session with your Grandma, Rebel is down for anything!
Other than taking photos, Rebel is an avid watcher of home organising shows, is a lover of green V and is a wife and mama to two beautiful little girls who will now have to forever deal with being her little models.
How long have you been a photographer and what made you want to start shooting weddings?
I started shooting photos in 2010, but only took on paid work in 2019 because I used to shoot all of my friends and family for free. In 2019, I got hitched to my amazing hubby Will and to be frank our photographer was a total waste of money, time and energy. I won’t go into detail (otherwise I’d be here all day), but let’s just say it was so bad that I spent a few nights in tears and I never wanted anyone to experience what we felt so in 2020, One Wild Collective was born and I have loved every moment since!
Which part of a wedding day is your favourite to shoot?
The whole day is just one high to another; I think I live for the adrenaline rush of a wedding day. I thrive in chaos so when my clients book me, they know I can handle just about any crisis that may arise. If I had to choose just one moment in particular though, I think it would have to be either the speeches for their hilarity and the beautiful emotion or I absolutely LIVE for the reactions; whether it be brides with their first look or a husband at the end of the aisle or a Dad seeing his baby girl all dressed up; it’s the absolute best part of any wedding because it’s when you see and experience the love in people’s hearts and capture it in their eyes as well. The room fills with love and you can physically feel the warmth.
What do you look for when scouting for bridal shoot locations?
Most wedding photos these days are the same; standing in a field of long grass looking at the camera, posing like you’re constipated or cranky; I like to aim for the exact opposite. I tend to look for fun spots with beautiful natural light or unusual props. Some of my gallery favourites are taken on tractors, under windmills, against boats or trees. There is always something unique at every wedding and I try to do my absolute best to capture that for my clients so that everyone remembers the fun little details and they’re captured forever! (Just saying, I hired a jumping castle for my wedding and it was DOPE).
What has been the most memorable wedding or venue to shoot at?
Most memorable I would have to say for SURE is a wedding shot in the Kooralbyn Valley just outside of Lamington National Park. It was a surprise wedding and we took photos with semi-trailers on an airstrip; the aviation geek in me absolutely loved that! And watching everyone’s faces when the bride announced was just absolutely priceless and I totally teared up.
Are there any stand-out moments you’ve witnessed at a wedding that have made you laugh or cry?
I’ve had my fair share of both these moments; from a pooping ring bearer pup to a very drunken Eagle Rock performance where someone dropped one too many pairs of pants. And also such beautiful ceremonies like a traditional Haka performance that made me bawl, intimate religious ceremonies with everyone praying over the newlyweds and I think I’ve cried at just about every wedding during the vows, the speeches, the first dances and every single groom reaction. What can I say; I do it all for the love of love!
What is next for your business and what can we expect from One Wild Collective in 2023?
I am definitely keen to take this international baby! I have a wedding in Queenstown coming up that I am SO excited for but I also would love to fly to Europe or Asia. Just about anywhere to create beautiful memories for my amazing peeps who book with me! It truly is my absolute passion and I love being able to travel and capture love as well! As for 2023, there might just be something incredibly exciting already in the works. It’s not to do with photography though. It’s brand new and I’m terrified to take the leap but hopefully everyone will love it!
STORYTELLING IMAGES FOR THE
WILDLY IN LOVE
If you’re in the middle of wedding planning and looking to solidify your absolute dream team, Rebel is your go-to! With so much passion for capturing those wildly in love, you will walk away with your most treasured memories captured perfectly forever! Based in Brisbane but willing to travel GLOBALLY, get in contact with Rebel here on her website or here over on Instagram.