Our History
David Paillas the Wedding Photographer
At the age of 10 my parents went on a holiday to Norfolk Island. I was a keen surfer and couldn’t wait to go surfing there only to find out on arrival that all of the waves were off sharp coral reefs miles out to sea. Understandably my parents didn’t want me disappearing out to sea so they purchased me a camera to break my boredom. I really took to the camera, I remember photographing cows, and waking dad every morning to photograph the sunrise with the Norfolk pine trees usually being a silhouette in the foreground. I was and am still a nature lover, I remember photographing a bird on a hill which was so exciting for me back then as I got to climb all the way to the top and look out over Norfolk’s dramatic coastline. It was Norfolk where the seed was planted for my career as a photographer.
"Over the years I have built the business through offering only quality product and exceptional customer service, hence achieving growing popularity over time"
As a teenager I elected to do photography at school, I had an enthusiastic teacher named Brian Scott who I am still great friends with. It seemed every photographic competition I entered I won throughout school. Warilla high school was soon to be recognised as a centre of excellence in photography.
At the end of year ten I participated in some work experience at the Daily Telegraph then onto The Illawarra Mercury newspaper. I was then offered a job at The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper as a junior photographer just before I turned 17. I also worked for the local newspapers the Lake Times and Kiama Independent on weekends and after school.
I had already shot my first wedding at Dee Why on Sydney’s northern beaches at the age of 16, then went onto being the photographer at friends weddings years later while starting my own wedding photography business. Over the years I have built the business through offering only quality product and exceptional customer service, hence achieving growing popularity over time.
Throughout my twenties I used the photo profits to backpack through countries like Nepal, Kenya , Zambia, India, Turkey, Morocco and Indonesia. Travelling is one of my passions along with surfing, racing yachts and keeping fit. I particularly love going to remote places backpacking and photographing people and the way they live. I was privileged to be invited to a Berber tribespersons wedding high in the Atlas mountains of Morocco, where I witnessed traditional Berber cooking, music, chanting and singing. I also got to see a goat sacrificed for the wedding guests all of which I photographed and filmed after building a strong rapport with the Berber nomads in previous years.
In 2005 I started a tour group to undertake charity work in Morocco, I took donations, got some people together and participated in building additions to a Berber persons home in the Sahara desert along with distributing children’s clothing to the many small villages I had previously visited . My aim was to provide washing facilities for the children and to make the family more self- sufficient all of which was achieved.
My other passion is being a successful wedding photographer, spending time with couples on their big day is special to me. Handing over images that people are so happy with that they get tears in their eyes is an amazing experience. Watching proud parents, bridesmaids cry and men hug what could be a more rewarding job than this. Thanks to everyone who’s allowed me into their lives on this amazing day.