Nelson Photographer

Commercial photographer helping to grow your business by creating images that elevate you above the crowd.

Not just any Nelson Photographer

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Welcome to Wise Dog Studios, Nelson’s newest Commercial Photographer. I hope you are here because you are looking for a photographer that you can work with to create images that will have you barking from the rooftops.

Being the newest kid on the block doesn't mean that come with no experience, far from it. I’ve been capturing images since the days of film, darkroom and chemicals.

If it’s product photography, or event photography, or brand asset photography, or if you are looking to update your headshot for social media or if you are looking to capture you and your team at play or work, or it could be a combination of all the above. Photography is my passion, and capturing the perfect image is my drive.

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Kismet Cocktail Bar & Ardbeg Whiskey

Dark Circus Evening

An incredible evening of fire juggling, sword swallowing, bag pipe playing, hula hooping, singing, dj-ing, fortune telling, drinking and dancing.

All at Kismet Cocktail Bar in the heart of the best city in the world. Sponsored by Ardbeg Whiskey, check out more amazing images.

Headshots and Portraits

At work, photography of yourself and your team at work is also known as environmental portraits. 

They are far more valuable than stock images because they show real people doing real jobs. Remember people buy from people. 

Original images convey true emotions, building a deeper relationship with your customers and prospective customers, ultimately helping to generate sales.

Not everybody is comfortable in front of a camera, myself included. Sometimes pressing the shutter is the easiest part of the job. What makes me stand out from your average photographer, is the ability to work with all of your team and bring out their true personality no matter how shy and awkward they feel in front of my camera.

Work Portraits

Many hours of organisation are put into making an event successful. Sharing that event on social media, or more traditional media is what event photography is all about. Capturing your event would be my absolute privilege.

You sometimes want your photographer to be front and centre, capturing the critical moments of your event.

Sometimes, you want the photographer to blend into the background and capture attendees relaxed, having fun, and taking in the event.

I cover conferences, awards celebrations, themed events, networking, workshops, product launches, openings, trade shows, graduations and many more.

Event Photography

A Few Kind Words

Couldn’t recommend Steve any higher. He is great, personal and very much gets the best candid shots you could want.
— Nick, owner of Kismet & Mama Cod
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I can’t recommend Wise Dog Studios highly enough. Steve totally blew away my expectations and made the whole process so easy and fun.
— Lesley, owner Lesley's Flowers
I am grateful to Steve at Wise Dog Studios for the fabulous photos he took at my book launch party. Masterful and intuitive in his work, Steve magically captured the spirit of the event.
— Elizabeth Gould, Author

If music be the food of love, play on As quoted in the first line of William Shakespeare’s play ‘Twelfth Night’. You gotta love live music even more.

  • Festivals

  • Indoor arenas

  • Intimate backyard

  • Local small venues

  • International superstars

  • Local heroes

Each and every gig is a pleasure to capture. Full rights usage on all images, to promote future gigs, social media teasers, press releases, etc.

Working quickly within the standard gig guidelines to capture the true essence of your performance.

Music/Gig Photography

How much for a photographer?

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Ah, the tricky subject of money.

Let’s get straight to it. Each and every shoot is slightly different, but to give you some guidance, here are some example pricing;

  • Single-person headshots in the studio are $95.00. I like to spend time getting to know you and working out precisely what you are looking for. So work on being in the studio for 40-60 mins. You will get 6-8 digital images in various formats, from social media ready to large files for printing.

  • On-site headshot for 10- 20 staff - $750.00 This includes set up at your location, working with the staff on 2-3 poses, 6-8 digital images in various file formats from social media ready to large files great for printing. There will also be a small travel charge for booking outside of Nelson.

  • Events, $90.00 per hour. How long you need me at the event is your call. Depending on the type of event, you will be looking at approx 150 images in various file formats, from social media-ready to large files, which are great for printing. You will be granted a licence to use these images on any platform. There will also be a small travel charge for booking outside of Nelson.

Again, the above pricing is a guide; please drop me a line for a complete quote.

Occasionally, I will have flash sales on headshot photography on location and portraits in the Wise Dog Studio.

Drop me your email address here to get first dibs on that special pricing. I won’t bombard you with emails; you will probably get one or two per month at most.

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Meet your Photographer

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Steve, aka Sid.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who grew up to be…

a father, a traveller, a terrible bass player, a friend to all animals, an addict to light & shadows and a little obsessed with waterfalls.

Trying all my life to describe the beauty.

Made the mistake of telling my daughters that I had the nickname ‘Sid’ when I was in the Royal Navy due to my musical taste. Now they think it’s fun to call me Sid whenever we catch up, so it’s kinda had a second life.

After returning to New Zealand in August 2021, we settled in the best city in the country, sunny Nelson.

Why the name Wise Dog Studios, well let’s just say I’m not a young pup. I may have travelled around the world a few times, I may have a few experiences under my belt and most of all I love dogs of all kinds. Each year I donate 10% of the profit from the business to an animal charity related to dogs. In 2024 it will be the Nelson SPCA

So how do we do this, well it’s quite simple, either pick up the phone or drop me an email and let’s start the conversation. Or if you are feeling a little shy, head over to the contact page and drop me a few details.

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