THE SPACE BETWEEN MOMENTS
Born from a desire to create wedding stories that feel deeply human, cinematic and enduring, BARDO is redefining the way love is documented. Blending photography, filmmaking and Super 8 into one seamless narrative, this thoughtful creative collective celebrates the beauty found not only in life’s defining moments, but in the quiet spaces between them.
After building such a respected reputation as an individual photographer, what inspired you to launch BARDO? Was there a moment when you realised the industry needed something different, and what gap were you hoping to fill?
BARDO wasn’t about changing direction, it was about giving a name and a home to a creative philosophy that had been evolving for years.
Throughout my career, I’ve always been drawn to storytelling that feels cinematic, honest and emotionally driven. Photography, filmmaking and, more recently, Super 8 have naturally become part of that process. Over time, it became clear that this body of work deserved its own identity, one that wasn’t centred around me as an individual, but around a collective vision and a team of artists who shared the same values.
Rather than filling a gap, BARDO is about creating space for a different way of approaching wedding storytelling. It’s a brand built on the belief that every medium has its own role to play, but together they should feel like one seamless narrative. There wasn’t one defining moment, but after documenting weddings around the world for more than fifteen years, I found myself asking what I would create if I could distil everything I’d learnt into a single brand. BARDO is the answer to that question, a creative collective dedicated to crafting timeless stories that feel deeply human, immersive and enduring.
BARDO brings together multiple photographers and filmmakers under one creative vision. How do you ensure every artist shares the same philosophy and standard of storytelling while still allowing their own creative voice to shine through?
Technical skill is only a small part of what we look for. We spend far more time looking for people who see the world similarly, artists who are curious, emotionally aware and genuinely care about people.
Every photographer and filmmaker who joins BARDO is hand-selected and mentored. We don’t ask people to copy a style; we teach them how we think. We talk about pacing, observation, restraint and intention rather than just camera settings.
The result is consistency in experience and storytelling, while still allowing every artist’s personality to shape the work. That’s what keeps the films and photographs feeling alive rather than manufactured.
Your work has always felt less about documenting events and more about capturing emotion, atmosphere and connection. How would you describe the BARDO aesthetic, and what do you think separates your approach from more traditional wedding photography and filmmaking?
I’ve always believed people rarely remember exactly what happened, they remember how something felt.
That’s what BARDO is trying to preserve.
Our work sits somewhere between documentary and cinema. It’s observational rather than performative. Elegant without feeling overly polished. Honest without sacrificing beauty.
We aren’t interested in directing every moment or chasing perfection. Some of the most meaningful photographs happen in the spaces between the obvious moments, the quiet breath before a ceremony, a parent’s expression when nobody is watching, the laughter that wasn’t planned.
If couples watch their film or look through their gallery twenty years from now, I don’t want them to simply remember what their wedding looked like. I want them to remember what it felt like to be there.
The collection of digital cinematography, authentic Super 8, photography and social-first films feels particularly relevant for today’s couples. How have changing expectations around wedding memories influenced the way BARDO approaches storytelling, and what role do you see each medium playing in preserving a wedding day?
Every medium has a different emotional language.
Photography preserves the moments that become family heirlooms. Cinematic filmmaking captures movement, sound and atmosphere in a way still images never can. Super 8 introduces something beautifully imperfect, its texture and unpredictability often feel closer to memory itself than digital ever could. Social films acknowledge the way people experience their weddings today, but they’re never the destination. They’re simply another way for couples to relive and share the story.
Rather than treating these as separate products, BARDO approaches them as different chapters of the same narrative.
Having photographed many iconic and high-profile celebrations throughout your career, what have those experiences taught you about creating images that feel timeless rather than trend-driven? Are there creative principles that guide every BARDO wedding, regardless of its scale or setting?
One thing I’ve learnt is that emotion ages incredibly well.
Trends come and go, but genuine connection never becomes dated.
At the same time, we don’t believe timeless has to mean serious. BARDO has a real sense of energy to it. We love movement, spontaneity and the feeling of being right in the middle of the celebration. Some of our favourite images are the loud, joyful, slightly chaotic moments, the packed dance floor, the wind in a veil, friends erupting with laughter, champagne flying through the air. Those moments are just as much a part of the story as the quiet ones.
Beautiful styling matters, but people are always the story. Our goal is to create work that feels elevated yet alive, images and films that capture not only how a wedding looked, but the excitement, connection and atmosphere that made it unforgettable.
What are you seeing emerge in wedding photography and filmmaking right now? Are there any trends or shifts you’re particularly excited by, or perhaps others you think are beginning to lose their appeal? Looking ahead, where do you see the industry evolving over the next five years?
I’m excited to see couples moving away from perfection.
There’s a growing appreciation for authenticity, for photographs that feel lived in rather than heavily curated. That’s part of why film photography and Super 8 have experienced such a resurgence. They remind us that imperfections often create the strongest emotional connection.
I also think we’re seeing couples become more intentional about experience over production. Less pressure to perform and more freedom to simply enjoy the day.
Over the next five years, I think storytelling will become even more important. Technology will continue to improve, making technical excellence more accessible than ever. What will truly differentiate artists won’t be sharper cameras, it will be empathy, intuition and the ability to recognise moments before they disappear.
BARDO already works across New Zealand, Australia and the United States, with an appetite for travelling further afield. Are there destinations, venues or cultures you’re especially excited to document in the coming years? If you could choose one dream wedding to capture anywhere in the world, what would it look like?
One of the things we’re most excited about with BARDO is having a collective of photographers and filmmakers based across New Zealand, Australia and the United States. It means we can travel easily and intentionally, documenting celebrations wherever our couples choose to get married while bringing together the right team for each story.
We’ve always believed that incredible weddings aren’t defined by a postcode. Some of the most memorable celebrations we’ve documented have happened in places we never expected. It’s rarely the destination itself that makes a wedding extraordinary, it’s the people, the culture and the story unfolding there.
That said, we’re naturally drawn to places with a strong sense of identity. Whether it’s a vineyard in Tuscany, a ranch in Montana, a riad in Morocco or a remote stretch of New Zealand coastline, we love locations that become part of the narrative rather than simply the backdrop.
If we had to choose a dream wedding, it wouldn’t be about one destination. It would be a celebration that’s deeply personal, where the couple have created a day that genuinely reflects who they are, surrounded by the people they love. Those are the stories that stay with us long after the wedding is over.
Choosing the right photographer or filmmaker is one of the biggest decisions a couple will make. Beyond loving someone’s portfolio, what advice would you give couples when they’re deciding who to trust with documenting one of the most important days of their lives? What qualities should they be looking for that they might not immediately think about?
The portfolio gets you interested, but it’s the person & team behind the camera who shapes your experience.
Your photographer or filmmaker will spend more time with you than almost anyone else on your wedding day. They need to know when to guide, when to step back and when to simply let life unfold.
That sense of trust changes everything. When people feel comfortable, they become themselves and that’s where the most meaningful photographs and films are created.
We love the name BARDO. We understand it comes from the Tibetan Buddhist concept describing an ‘intermediate state’ or the space between two moments of being. It feels particularly fitting for a company dedicated to documenting life’s most significant transitions. Can you tell us about landing on this name? What does BARDO mean to you, and how does it shape the way you approach storytelling and the experience you create for couples?
The name resonated with us immediately because weddings exist in exactly that kind of space.
They’re a threshold between one chapter of life and the next a brief moment where everything changes, yet time somehow feels suspended.
That’s what BARDO represents to us.
For us, BARDO isn’t just a name. It’s a reminder that the most meaningful stories are rarely found in the obvious moments they’re also found in the spaces between them.
ABOVE Jonny Scott of Bardo Films
For more information visit bardoweddings.com and @bardo.weddings. Explore more of Bardo Films in the Together Journal Online Directory.
Bardo Films
