Emma & David - Upwaltham Barns
Emma & David’s day included a fair bit of rain but, thanks to ingenious eBaying on Emma’s part, there was a considerable quantity of umbrellas to go around. Their wedding ceremony took place at St Mary Magdalene Church in Rusper, another location that is astonishingly idyllic - talk about a beautiful church! Afterwards, we jumped in the cars and made our way over to Upwaltham, stopping at the Duncton viewpoint for a couple of photographs on the way.
David’s speech was one of the most moving I’ve heard in a long while and fantastically delivered too. It had Emma welling up despite herself and it felt pretty special to be in the same room, capturing it as it all played out. Following speeches, the three of us stepped away for some creative portraits. With the weather finally breaking we had a great time in the walled garden and although Emma & David had warned me that they weren’t comfortable in front of the camera they certainly looked it! They’re a fantastic couple and I really enjoyed working with them. Also, Emma has the most flawless skin of just about any bride I’ve ever photographed! A ‘tog’s dream!
Anyway, as ever, a selection of my favourites. Thanks to Emma & David for choosing me as their photographer and let’s all collectively keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t keep raining till Christmas!
LATE AVAILABILITY - 15th September 2012
Due to a postponed wedding I am now available for Saturday 15th September 2012. If you’re getting married on that date, have yet to engage a photographer and like my work, I look forward to hearing from you. Get in touch.
Image of the Week - Wanna Play?
The core of my wedding work is built around observation. Like most photographers I’m a total gear nut who constantly hankers after the latest and greatest cameras, but despite this my most valued piece of equipment is a keen set of eyes. Seeing a scene clearly - as a distinction from simply ‘looking’ at a scene - and constantly being on alert to the situation around you is more important than any camera, lens or accessory. Weddings are incredibly event-rich occasions. From the big obvious moments to the smallest gestures, glances and interactions, there are literally thousands of opportunities an hour. The key is in identifying the interesting ones and building an image around them.
I’ve always been a fan of the ‘sideshows’ at weddings. That is to say the small, often unnoticed events that tell their own stories. They’re simultaneously self-contained but also add detail and colour to the story of the wedding day as a whole.
The image below is from back in 2009 and was shot at a wedding party in London. The bride and groom had been married overseas and were having an evening reception to celebrate with those who couldn’t make it out to the ceremony in the Caribbean. The room was jam packed and although there weren’t many kids in attendance there were a few, and understandably they looked universally bored. Except these two. As the hubbub continued 6ft above, down below knee height this Games Master and her would-be suitor were engrossed in a spot of Nintendo.
I love moments like this. The complete ignorance of the party above and their absorption in the game is wonderful. I love the light cast from the screen onto the girl’s face, the incongruous mixture of casual and formal and the total lack of camera awareness. I got lucky frankly. In another world on another day a photographer crouching to ground level to capture the world from their point of view may well have proved distracting, making the picture less about the moment and more about their reaction to me. Thankfully the game was a good one and the concentration absolute!
This was shot with the Canon 5DII and the EF 50 f/1.4. Exposure was 1/30th, f/2.2, ISO 4000.
Justyna & Tom - Frimley Hall Hotel
Justyna began her day with hair and makeup appointments in Camberley before heading back to Frimley Hall to get ready. The weather on the day was not kind, but then again when of late has it been?! Apparently the weather in Poland was a balmy 27℃ and gloriously sunny but we treated to more rain, dreary skies and the sort of weather we are world famous for complaining about!
There were lots of Polish family and friends in attendance and it was great to sit on one of the mainly Polish tables for a short while during the wedding breakfast and hear epic tales of 7-day Polish weddings! One of the funniest things about the day was repeatedly being asked; “Do English people dance at weddings?”. Despite reassurances that we could boogie with the best of them, skepticism remained high right up until the moment the music started. The English contingent did us proud and while, it has to be said, the Polish had significantly more ability, we put our ultra-conservative stereotypes to bed!
Justyna is an absolutely beautiful girl and very relaxed in front of the camera and both her and Tom were fantastic in making the most of photo opportunities as the rain poured and drizzled and the light toyed with us! Tom’s brother David did a superb job as Best Man and was huge help to me throughout the day - my thanks to him.
Here’s a selection of my favourites from the day. This was my first wedding to be shot entirely on the new Canon 5D MK III’s. They were fantastic and while I am itching to get my hands on the delayed battery grips, the camera fitted into my workflow very well. Enjoy.
Lisa & Tom - Brooklands Hotel
Lisa’s father, Franco, is Italian and rarely have I encountered such immense hospitality. His attentiveness to everyone present was superb, myself included. At one point I assured him that all was well, I was being well fed and watered and generally being looked after brilliantly by the staff at Brooklands and I encouraged him to enjoy his daughter’s wedding. I said something along the lines of “That’s very kind Franco, but please, don’t worry about me, I shoot weddings every weekend and I’m just fine” to which his response was “Ahhh, but you don’t shoot Longobardi weddings every weekend!”. He had a point and it pretty well sums up the welcoming nature of the whole gang - an awesome couple, an awesome family.
Brooklands is an interesting venue and one that’s quite different from the majority of locations I photograph. It’s got a sleek urban feel about it and the opportunity to shoot something a bit different was both a challenge and a treat. The majority of wedding venues are countryside locations, or if not, sport their own gardens. Brooklands is much more stone and steel with little in the way of soft vegetation and I really enjoyed working with such a different aesthetic.
As usual here’s a selection of my favourites from the day, I hope you enjoy them.
For the photographers amongst you, these were mostly shot on the 5DII with a couple shot on the 5DIII (the last three images). I received the 5DIII on the Friday morning and as I hadn’t had a chance to get familiar with it I really only employed it late in the evening when I’d already got plenty in the bag. Lens wise, these include image from the 17-40L, 35L, 50 f/1.4 and 135L.
P.S. I shot this wedding whilst quite unwell. I’d like to thank Juliet McKee, Guy Collier, Chris Geary, Chris Beaumont and above all Kieran Doherty for rallying round and offering to help in any way they could if I’d been too sick to shoot. Thanks also to Charlotte, my awesome girlfriend for offering to carry bags. Finally thanks to Lisa & Tom for understanding the predicament and being so cool. In the end, things were fine, but all credit to them for their taking the situation in their stride.
Image of the Week - The Blessing
Apologies for the delay in posting an image of the week, I’ve been busy getting the wedding season started and enjoying a week away.
This week’s image is from Gabriella & Tone’s wedding back in June 2011. Gabriella’s folks live near Henley-on-Thames and have a wonderfully beautiful garden in which the marriage blessing took place. Two of the main tenets of my approach are to show the day from the perspective of those who were there and to create a body of work that gives the viewer the sense of being part of the wedding, whether they were present on the day or not. This image does both. By getting in amongst the congregation I was able to frame the photograph between two heads, giving a sense of seeing the moment as a guest might have viewed it.
The actual perspective is somewhat different. This was shot on the 135L, my all-time favourite lens, and due to the focal length, the guests in the foreground and the couple in the background have been seemingly brought closer together. This helps with the image by removing the perception of distance that existed between the congregation and the ceremony and accentuating the framing qualities of the two heads.
The weather during the ceremony was touch and go - rain was a real threat - but the cloudy skies and late afternoon timing contributed to some gorgeously soft light. The final aspect was waiting for the connections to appear in the image. It’s sometimes challenging to combine multiple significant expressions into one picture, as people react to different things and different moments; but during the reading Tone’s reflective expression and the eye contact between Gabs and the reader came together. It’s a real favourite of mine.
For the togs out there I shot this on the 5DII with the 135L @ f.4.0, 1/800th, ISO 800. Till next week!
Adam & Karen - Foxhills
Karen & Adam are a wonderfully chilled out couple. Right up until the moment of marriage it was pretty clear that Karen in particular was entirely unfazed and completely confident in their commitment to one another. It’s rare to see such nervelessness in a bride! Adam admitted to a few nerves of his own, but even so he was also remarkably calm. I usually feed off the collective adrenaline, but the pervasive sense of certainty was an interesting and not unwelcome change! Their day was overcast, windy and more than a little cold, but thankfully the rain held off throughout.
I haven’t shot at Foxhills before but it was a fun experience with a tremendous staff. Events Co-ordinator Chris Collard and Ross the Toastmaster did a superb job. Karen & Adam’s church was lovely and intimate though I was limited in what I was allowed to shoot during the service, partly due to space and partly due to constraints placed upon me by the church. The Reverend conducting the ceremony was a hoot, truly memorable and original and he also happened to look just like Bill Gates. See if you can spot the likeness!
As usual, here’s a selection of my favourites and my thanks to Adam & Karen for being such warm and relaxed clients. Best wishes for the future Mr & Mrs H!
Rob & Steph - Clandon Park
Steph begun the day at her Dad’s house - another equally lovely guy - a short drive from both Church and reception venue. After a really great morning, in which I discovered that I’d been to school with some of Steph’s bridesmaid’s friends (small world!), I headed off to Wotton to meet Rob and his groomsmen. St John the Evangelist is a gorgeous church and in the cold bright December light it looked stunning. I tend not to feel the cold a great deal when I’m shooting a wedding and so if in doubt I tend to forgo a jumper. After seeing guests and Rob’s family inside, I stepped outside to wait for Steph’s arrival. It was pretty chilly, but expecting her imminently I figured it’d only be a brief wait. As it happened, half way to church they realised that they’d forgotten Steph’s bouquet and so had to head back to retrieve it! I am convinced this was all a ruse on Steph’s part to keep Rob honest, but she assures me it was a genuine mistake!
I shot the service from the back of the church as I’d been requested to be very discrete. It’s sometimes challenging shooting from the back, but thankfully there were some lovely sight lines that worked well with where Rob & Steph were seated. Following the service it was on to Clandon Park. Clandon is a huge building with an incredible aspect and a magnificent Marble Hall. The wedding breakfast gave way to some first rate speeches and the special guest appearance of Rob’s Super Ted bear - exceptional stuff! The Vaulted Undercroft, where the evening reception took place, is a really fun room to shoot in. It’s curving white vaulting makes lighting it a blast and yet it’s relatively low ceiling keeps things feeling really energetic and intimate. All in, it was a fantastic way to end the 2011 season. Here are some of my favourites from the day, a selection I found particularly hard to whittle down!
Image of the Week - Eye Line
James was one of the most heartfelt Groom’s I’ve photographed and was pretty choked up as Jenny walked down the aisle. He held it together like a trooper, but the emotion was plain to see. I always try and be efficient with my movement during a wedding ceremony, limiting it to that which is absolutely necessary. As such, in some wedding venues, I stay put for most of the ceremony; selecting my spot based on a combination of factors including light, angle of view and scope for variety. As Jenny made her entrance, I’d decided that a shot I particularly wanted was her arrival at the end of the aisle and the connection that would pass between Bride and Groom as James first clapped eyes on his lovely wife to be. The anticipation was palpable, emotion running high and I wanted to show the electricity in that moment.
I shoot with my right eye to the viewfinder and this allows me to open my left eye and see the scene outside the frame. I don’t always shoot this way, preferring to switch between ‘off eye’ open and closed, but in this instance I opened my left eye just prior to Jenny reaching the end of the aisle. I’d been centrally composed on James, but seeing the entire front row craning round for a look, I locked my focus on James’ face and recomposed to include the full complement of ushers and onlookers in the front row. The 5DII is a tremendous camera, but it’s off-centre focus points are not one of it’s strengths. While I might rely on them in bright sunshine, I tend to avoid using them for critical indoor images like this as I find them hugely unreliable. Because of this, I prefer to focus recompose when possible, particularly when I’m in AI Servo mode - as I am for the majority of a wedding day.
When it came to post processing, the main thing was to crop the image down to a pano to further accentuate the linear effect of the turned heads. The black and white treatment is one of my standard b&w presets, tweaked as usual to best suit the image. The b&w helps to further simplify the scene, bringing the faces to greater prominence and stripping away the distraction of an extremely colour diverse frame.
For the photographers amongst you, the image was shot on the 5DII with the 35L @ f/2.8 1/1000th ISO3200. I could have got down to ISO1600 perfectly happily, but the aisle had been shot moments prior and was substantially darker than this scene which was relatively well lit by a high window to the rear right of camera.
It’s one of my favourite images from the day, I hope you enjoyed the story behind it.
Image of the Week - Light & Composition
The last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic with consultations and wedding fairs, hence the delay in posting an IotW. I’ll try and post a second IotW later this week to get us back on track.
It’s sometimes hard, and often counterproductive, to condense the tenets of good photography. Nonetheless, over the past five years I’ve been trying to do just that. Perhaps a better way to describe it is an effort to roughly rank the varied, and sometimes competing, elements that are present in great images. What’s more important, timing or posing, DOF or composition? On one level, these are complete unanswerables, often moot and hugely dependent on mood, intent and subject. Nevertheless, I find the ability to offer some loose ‘sovereignty’ to one area of photography over another can be helpful in knowing where to begin. It helps bring order to the thought process. It’s a bit like getting into a suit. It doesn’t really matter whether shirt or trousers go on first, but if you do up the trousers before you put on the shirt, you’re going to have to undo the trousers to tuck in the shirt. Yet somethings remain pretty fixed. For example, Pants after trousers doesn’t work unless your name is Clark Kent.
It’s taken a long time to hone in on any sort of maxim that holds together, but in the last two years I think I’ve got there. Photography is such an opinion driven subject that an all-encompassing edict is impossible, so unsurprisingly what I’ve settled on is narrow in its scope. Nonetheless, I think it’s useful.
Outstanding photography begins with two simple elements: great light and great composition. If you combine these two elements and forget the rest, I’d argue that you won’t go far wrong. Light is the magic element in photography but its texture, colour and consistency varies immensely. Great light brings great drama. Composition on the other hand is the photographer’s primary art and what separates us from someone who simply points a camera.
For an Image of the Week post it may seem like I’ve spent a long time talking about something other than the picture at hand but, to be honest, everything I said above is condensed in this week’s photograph. Great light and composition are the making of this picture. It was shot at Hampton Court House during Emma & Justin’s wedding last August. It was shot at about 7pm, just as the ‘golden hour’ was starting. The golden hour is a term that refers to the hour or so prior to sunset when natural light’s colour temperature warms and, when the sun is out, goes golden. It’s a fantastic time to shoot as the light is less stark than when the sun is high in the sky and the colour brings life to an image.
These two little flower girls were absolutely adorable however all the being good had rather taken it’s toll! The Guests were finishing their meal and so when the opportunity to play outside presented itself it was far too good to resist. Hampton Court House is a bit like the book Watership Down - bunnies are EVERYWHERE. The gardens are literally awash with them and they hang about until you get very close indeed. This shot was after a couple of informal group photos with the girl’s parents and with the light so lovely and the bunnies in the background it was simply a matter of arranging the elements in a workable composition. I placed a bunny between the girls to give the sense that they were looking right at it and made sure not to disturb them. I wanted to bring an undisturbed quality to the picture.
A great image is often a simple image and frankly, the light and composition are all that this image required. It’s one of my favourites from the day because when I look at it, I literally feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and find the sense of peace and tranquility is palpable. I hope you enjoy it also.
Image of the Week - Wave!
This is the second instalment in the on-going image of the week series. Zoë & Ben’s wedding was back in June 2011 and was one of my favourites from last year. After getting married in St James’ Church in Elstead, the plan was for Ben and Zoë to lead a convoy of cars the short distance back to Zoë’s parent’s gorgeous home for the wedding reception. The distance was pretty short, so a convoy seemed totally plausible, and they had just the car for the job. Ben’s Mum owns a gorgeous vintage Morris - my research suggests it’s a Model 8 Series II - and thanks to a family friend it had been lovingly restored for their wedding day. Trust me when I say, this car oozed style.
When Zoë first explained the plan for this part of the day, along with thinking how fun it’d be, I really wanted to try and capture it in an evocative, motion filled shot. A convoy is all about movement and Elstead is a lovely picturesque spot. I know it relatively well as we go for the occasional chinese there and I drive through it quite often on the way to my girlfriend’s sister-in-law. There’s a great narrow bridge where the road out of the village crosses the river and it’s surrounded by all manner of rich vegetation and leafy trees. The shot I had in mind included the speeding Morris, an excited couple, a road stretching out behind and a sense of motion.
One of the parts of a wedding day that I worry about most are the logistics. I’m constantly anxious about uncontrollable elements such as traffic jams, parking spots and breakdowns. Thankfully, in Elstead, I didn’t have to worry too much about traffic and I drive a new reliable car. Nonetheless it’s a small village and finding convenient places to leave your car can be tricky. When considering this shot my main concern was getting from the church to the end of the bridge - where I wanted to shoot the picture from - in time. The post ceremony period of a wedding is normally a pretty excited, fast flowing affair and I didn’t want to miss it to get in position for the convoy shot. That said, getting into and out of a car, while carrying two cameras and a bunch of lenses takes a small, but not insignificant period of time. To this end, I figured it’d be quicker to walk from the church to the photo spot rather than get in the car, drive the short distance, park, get out and then walk to the exact spot.
This plan would have been ideal save for one mistake. I seriously underestimated how far it was on foot! What I thought would be a 3 minute walk was more like a 10 minute jog! As I walked and realised that the bridge was further than I’d imagine, I decided that missing this shot was simply not something I was going to let happen. As such I broke into a camera laden jog. Fine over 10 or even 50m but over the 700 odd, that Google Earth informs me it was, distinctly less so. The entire time I feared the sight of a Morris racing past or the sound of a vital piece of camera equipment detaching itself and bouncing loose. Luckily the gods were good and neither occurred. I arrived with no sign of Morris in sight.
I found my spot, which I’d scouted in a previous recce (though not the route march to it!) and selected my 17-40L. I wanted a wide angle to show the road stretching away behind Ben & Zoë and intended to wait till the car was as close to me as possible before pulling the trigger. As my breathing and heart-rate normalised, I stood and waited. And waited. And waited. I begun to worry that in my focussed, head down run I’d missed my targets as they’d gone sailing by. Considering this I came to the conclusion that it was highly improbable and that they were probably behind me. After a few more minutes and following a few false alarms, the distinctive maroon nose of the Morris appeared, horns tooting, bouquets waving.
I love Canon’s 5DII dearly, it is my favourite camera and arguably the best camera body I’ve ever used. I’ve used the layout for such a long time that I find it extremely instinctive. Nonetheless, it has it’s weaknesses and frame rate is one of them. Even at a relatively slow 30mph, through a wide angle lens like the 17-40L the car starts very large and then becomes very big very quick. I didn’t want the Morris too deep in the frame but neither did I want to catch only half of it. With only 3fps or so, I couldn’t afford to machine gun the shutter and so it came down to timing the composition. Thankfully I got lucky and as promised Zoë was whisked past waving like her life depended on it. The delay, it turned out, had been due to the
difficulties assembling a multi-car convoy in the confines of a small village green. Understandable really!
I was pretty pleased with the way the image turned out, it included all the elements I’d hoped for, had been considered but not staged and the fun and excitement of the moment shines through. I shot the image on a 5DII using a 17-40L wide open at f/4 with a shutter speed of 1/320th, ISO 200. I wanted a touch of motion blur, hence the choice of shutter speed and I panned with the Morris as it sped past. The 5DII gets a bad rep as far as AF goes and I’d love to see it improved in a forthcoming replacement (please Canon) but it does a decent job and hung on during this fairly difficult scenario of closing speeds, panning, busy scene and shifting light.
I’ll be back next week with another Image of the Week, if you’d like to see more of my work, then please take a moment to view my portfolio.
Image of the Week - Castle Steps
This was one of my favourite images from 2011 and is from Lucy & Ollie’s wedding at Gorey Castle in Jersey. Mont Orgueil, to give the castle its formal title, is a vast coastal fortress and the walk from bottom to top is considerable. Wedding day or not, the only way up is via the steps. I’d flown out to Jersey the day before the wedding to recce the locations and I’d really liked the look of the winding steps that linked the higher Grand Battery to the lower areas of the castle. On the day itself the majority of the guests made their way up to the Grand Battery for the drinks reception fairly promptly while Lucy & Ollie remained at the bottom for a few minutes.
This not only allowed me to race to the top but also allowed the stairway to clear of people. I positioned myself towards the landward edge of the Battery, which looks down onto the steps, and while keeping one eye on the stairway photographed the guests mingling and the band entertaining. When I spotted the Bride and Groom approaching I turned round and made sure they weren’t looking. The shot I had in mind was observational rather than interactional and what I envisaged was a birds-eye view without direct eye contact. The edge of the Grand Battery overlooking the steps has a low wall. I’m quite tall, but it was certainly beneath waist height for me. I’d pre-framed the image and found that I wanted as wide an angle as possible to include as much of the sweeping, curving steps as possible. However, to get the angle just so and to include as little of the wall closest to me as possible at the bottom of the frame I found I had to lean out a fair bit! With the low wall and the issues with framing, I found myself adopting a rather unusual, somewhat hilarious, semi squatting, semi spread-eagle position as I effectively gripped (read ‘humped’) the curved wall in front of me with my legs and knees. Thankfully guests were too absorbed in having a good time to notice…
The frame was shot on the Canon 5DII with a 17-40L at 17mm. I wanted to include a reasonable amount of detail in the rising walls so I shot the image at f/5.6. Although they didn’t spot me, Lucy & Ollie had the good form to walk hand in hand, in a perfectly centred spot midway between the two walls. As I saw the Bridesmaids following on behind I chose to wait until they entered the frame. The distance between the two pairs was simply good fortune but made for a nice balance to the frame. The final timing of the shot came down to two things, firstly gait - timing the shot such that the Bride & Groom were in a nice spot in their step pattern - and the unknown quality that may or may not appear. As luck had it, just as I pressed the shutter, Lucy held her bouquet out the side as she linked arms with Ollie. It’d have been a nice shot without this, but the action adds a certain quality, both in isolating the bouquet and emphasising the couple.
I’m predominantly a fan of this shot for its composition. I love the snaking line of the steps, the separation of Bride & Groom and the bridesmaids, their central placement on the walkway and the texture of the stone. It’s always satisfying to see an image ahead of time and then for it to come together in the camera. Planning played a part, but luck was a massive factor too, both in terms of the timing and in the placement of the subjects. I could have staged it, but that’d have run counter to both my nature and detrimental to the ‘truth’ of the image.
If you’d like to see a larger version of the image it’s currently featured in the initial slideshow that visitors can find on my website homepage.
Dan & Nicole: Noir Collection - Fentafriddle, Cornwall
This was a very special wedding for me. Dan and Nicole are great friends of mine and two of the loveliest people you could ever hope to meet. Dan’s a superb sculptor, artist and cracking photographer while Nicole’s an illustrator of rare quality. These are artistically gifted people. Dan’s brother Fred is no slouch either - he’s an astonishingly good film maker. You may have seen his black and white Take That Reunion documentary “Look Back Don’t Stare”. He’s not half bad with stills either. Understatemento.
Given all this, I was chuffed to bits when Dan & Nicole asked me to photograph their wedding. They knew what they wanted from their pictures, and run-of-the-mill it was not. The clarity of vision was so refreshing. After discussing the style they wanted in their pictures, I was given a huge amount of freedom to shoot what I saw fit. I was aiming for a tight, observational, quirky, humour-filled, photojournalistic set.
The initial plan was to shoot the entire wedding in black and white. An October day in coastal Cornwall contained the possibility of quite awful weather and grey and more grey was what I’d envisioned. However, come the day itself, it was sunny, dry and very very warm! Cornwall in the sunshine is a riot of colour so after much thought I decided that the best approach was two distinct edits. The original concise b/w set - the Noir Collection - and a second cut, including colour - the Colour Classic Collection - with a more conventional treatment. Below are excerpts from the Noir Collection. I’ll post some favourites from the Colour Classic in due course.
Dan & Nicole’s wedding was my idea of how a wedding should be photographed. The focus was on friends, family, the day and the celebration. The photography happened, but it wasn’t the ‘event’. The wedding was allowed to be itself. Dan’s parents own the highly wonderful Fentafriddle near Tintagel and after a service at St Michael, Porthilly we all made our way back there for the reception. It’s three months on and the hairs on the back of my neck still stand up when I think about photographing this wedding. It was brill. Thanks to Dan & Nicole for letting my photograph such a particularly awesome day.
For the photographers amongst you, these images were shot on a Canon 5DII, a Canon A1 and a Fuji X100. I used a 35L and 135L on the 5DII, and a 35mm and 24mm on the A1. The film stock was a mix of Tri-X 400/100 and T-Max P3200.
Here are a selection of my favourites from the day, I hope you enjoy.
Heads of Security
Featured on Style Your Wedding
While I am not Dina’s wedding photographer - she’s chosen a great guy called Gary Lashmar - she asked whether she could feature me on Style Your Wedding. I was happy to oblige and the feature went live the other day. It includes an interview in which I discuss how I became a photographer, my style, the highlights of my job and some words of advice to those on the hunt for their own wedding photographer. There is also a selection of shots from my wedding portfolio and a couple of non-wedding related images. If you’re interested in reading a little more about me and my photography, head on over to the article at Style Your Wedding.
Many thanks to Dina for inviting me to be featured on Style Your Wedding, it’s turning into a great blog - well worth a visit. I’d like to wish her the best for her own wedding, I look forward to seeing the pictures!
Emma & Justin - Hampton Court House
Justin is American and a Michelin-starred chef. Despite the haut-cusine, Emma has my sympathy. If organising a wedding isn’t stressful enough, an American fiancé entails the need for the mind-bogglingly complex and highly stringent “Marriage Entry Clearance” - the requirements are simply astounding. Given these dual stresses, Justin must have been terrified of the ire of his future wife when he decided to fall of his motorbike a few months prior to the wedding! All joking aside, it was great to see Justin whole and healthy come the wedding day. It must have been an extremely anxious time for all involved so well done to Justin for doing his bit and making a good recovery!
This was the second time I’d shot at Hampton Court House and it really is a wonderful venue. Let me list some of the reasons I love it so much:
- It has a huge garden that includes two amazing ‘grottos’ and more wild bunnies than Watership Down. The place is overrun (in a good way) and they’re all incredibly bold.
- The interior is superb. The main hall complete with minstrel gallery, a huge red dining room and a conservatory/orangery that is probably my favourite place to shoot dancing anywhere.
- It sits alongside Bushy Park which, as you will see, has it’s own particular benefits!
The day was a huge success and the weather kind once again. Every wedding day is different from the last and although photojournalism is my bread and butter, in the evening, I like to sneak off with bride and groom for 20 or 30 mins and shoot some portraits. I always have my own personal favourite elements from the day and photographing Emma & Justin in Bushy Park’s evening light with an honour guard of red deer made for a particular highlight!
Emma & Justin’s wonderful flowers were done by Steph Turpin of Fairy Nuff Flowers. Steph is one of my twitter amigos and, if you are social media inclined, she is well worth a follow. Her username is @fairynuffflower.
As always these are a selection of my favourites, thanks to Justin & Emma, the UK Border Agency and the red deer!
Rachel & Stewart - Dulwich Picture Gallery
The wedding morning was a taxi-fest of epic proportions. With Rachel in one flat, Stewart in another, parking always dubious and a hairdressers and pub to also visit prior to the commencement of ‘events formal’, I felt a bit like David Cameron on a busy day. It was actually immensely good fun and made for an interesting dynamic because I didn’t spend long in any one place.
Rachel & Stew were incredibly good fun and great to work with. A race to the cake (and then back again) ought to be compulsory at every wedding! Amongst heartfelt speeches, Stewart’s was particularly poignant and after some very powerful words and not a dry eye in the house the tears were stowed and some exceedingly funky dance moves showcased. Thanks so much for letting me shoot your wedding (and for picking such an excellent venue), it was a blast!
My thanks also to Lucy at the Picture Gallery and the Rod the custodian for being incredible warm and helpful.
As always, below are a selection of my personal favourites.
Lucy & Kel - Stoke Charity
Lucy’s aunt owns a lovely house in the gorgeous village of Stoke Charity, near WInchester. The village church of St Mary & St Michael is just a stone’s throw away. A more convenient and quintessentially English setting for a wedding you’d be hard pressed to find. St Mary & St Michael is not the biggest church by any stretch of the imagination and, when packed with guests, the pews were jam-packed as were most of the aisles with additional chairs. I tend not to move a huge amount during church anyway, but I simply didn’t have the option in this case!
I photographed the day from the watching of home movies in the morning through until the close of celebrations in the evening, as the dancing wound up. After speeches, Lucy & Kel’s guests lit chinese lanterns. These are a reasonably familiar sight at weddings these days, but they also had a huge bonfire, an event that I’ve not seen at a wedding before and a great incentive to stay outdoors as the evening turned chillier! The 14yo pyromaniac in me enjoyed it immensely!
Many thanks to Lucy & Kel and all their family, friends and guests for being such fun. Now then, how about some pictures?!*
*Of late, my wedding write-ups have been getting longer and longer. I’m going to reverse that trend as I’d like the images to do most of the talking!
Emma & Richard - Gorcott Hall, Warwickshire
The day started at Gorcott Hall where Emma, her bridesmaids and much of the family (from both sides) were staying. Gorcott is an interesting venue. It’s a family home which once a month is vacated for the purposes of weddings. With a large kitchen and an excellent staff busily preparing breakfasts, the calibre of which cannot be truly appreciated on the nervous morning of a wedding, the sense of home away from home was disarming and delightful in equal measure. Once Emma was made up, hair-doed and into her gorgeous dress it was time for me to dash off to church. With Gorcott Hall to the south of Birmingham and the church to the North, I was somewhat concerned with the possibility of temperemental traffic causing a nuisance. Thankfully the roads played ball throughout the day.
Emma & Richard’s priest, Father Michael, wins the Tony Hart award for best character of 2011. Father Michael is of Vietnamese origin and his marriage service a sight to behold. He is a gifted public speaker and though he struggled with the pronunciation of Richard’s middle name I have rarely see a congregation so attentive and engaged. He’s also a genuinely lovely chap and it was a pleasure to photograph a wedding in his church.
Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches present uniquely different challenges. R.C. Churches tend to be larger, more recent and more structurally-open inside. Anglican Churches sometimes have more picturesque settings, but the R.C. Churches tend to be infinitely lighter and tend to allow for much better lines of sight. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy photographing weddings in Anglican Churches because I really do, but it’s a welcome change to have access to the more sympathetic angles that are so common in R.C. buildings. On arriving at the church, my first port of call was rigging a remote camera to get an elevated angle of the aisle from a location that I wouldn’t be able to access personally (and quietly) during the service itself. I place a lot of emphasis on discretion in church - the day is about the couple and not the photographer - and so being able to move noiselessly and reducing movement to a minimum is important.
Following Church it was back to Gorcott Hall for the wedding reception. As I mentioned before, Gorcott Hall is an easy place to miss. On my first recce earlier in the year it took me two sat-nav’s, a Google Map and about 20mins to find the place. It’s elusiveness lies in the placement of it’s entrance - directly off the latter stages of a slip road onto a fast dual-carriageway. While everyone else is busy speeding up, you’re trying to swing in Gorcott. Tucked away it may be, but the time you invested in finding the place is rewarded upon arrival. It’s a gorgeous house that feels roomy and large, but not excessively so. It has grandeur and homeliness in fine balance.
Emma & Richard’s reception had some great touches. Garden games in the form of croquet, giant jenga and giant connect four, a hog roast buffet for the evening and a very distinctive band who sported a singer with a truly amazing voice. I particularly enjoyed shooting the dancing at Emma & Richard’s wedding. The arrangement of band, dancefloor and the geometry of the room seemed to work well from a photographic point of view.
Anyway, enough chat, it’s time for some pictures. As usual a selection of my favourites from the day. Emma & Richard were particularly keen on having a larger percentage of colour images than I normally deliver. I believe I achieved this in the full edit, but the selection below seems to be about half and half. This, I think, says a lot about what I am personally drawn to! Many thanks to Emma & Richard for choosing me as their wedding photographer, I hope you enjoy the selection.
Lucy & Ollie - Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey
Mont Orgueil, or Gorey Castle as it is know to the natives is one of the most fascinating wedding venues I’ve ever shot at. Any archeology geeks may have seen it on a recent BBC TimeTeam programme that aired earlier this year. Located on Jersey’s east coast the castle looks out towards France and has what may loosely be described as a ‘commanding’ position! It’s simply a highly impressive place to stage a wedding. With Lucy working in London and Ollie based in Jersey, the preparation and planning that went into their day was considerable. Nonetheless, cometh the hour, cometh the bride and of all the weddings I have shot this year, Lucy & Ollie’s sticks in the memory.
Jersey isn’t exactly the other side of the earth, but overseas weddings always bring with them a particular logistical challenge and it was interesting to see how this played out in Jersey. I hadn’t had any opportunity to scout the area before arriving but luckily the weather was fine and the beauty of the island made for a permanently stunning backdrop. The wedding was my first visit to the Channel Islands and I was curious as to what to expect. It took all of 24hrs to fall head over heels in love with Jersey. As someone who has only fleetingly seen the draw of big city life, the relaxed vibe and beautiful scenery ticked all the right boxes for me. It helped that the sun blazed and the wedding was extremely charming, but trust me, Jersey is worth a visit.
Lucy & Ollie’s day itself couldn’t have been better. The day prior it chucked it down all day and the wind on the castle was easily gale force. Luckily come the wedding day the skies cleared and the howling wind was replaced by a warm and gentle breeze. After a quick early morning recce thanks to my ace island guide in the form of Ollie’s father I met Lucy at Ollie’s flat for her bridal preparations. Her sister’s boyfriend Ryan is a chef but he could as easily be a florist. He spent the morning preparing the bouquets as if he’d been doing it for years.
Lucy & Ollie were married in St. Martin’s Parish Church which has a lovely long aisle and an excellent choir. One particular highlight of the day was the abundance of quality motor cars. Lucy was delivered to the church in a gorgeous red Morgan before being whisked away in an equally handsome blue one. In addition the bridesmaids arrived in considerable style by way of a huge vintage Cadillac. Following the ceremony we took the scenic route to the castle with Ollie’s brother and I leading the way in the ‘camera car’. Sitting on my knees on the passenger seat of a drop-top SLK, arms wrapped wrong the headrest for frankly quite minimal safety while shooting out the rear is certainly the most adventurous wedding photography experience of the year. Before setting off I asked Ollie what the Police were like in Jersey. “Relaxed” he assured me. “If it’s a Wedding, we’ll be fine”. Luckily we didn’t encounter any officers and therefore didn’t have to test his confidence in the local establishment…
The drinks reception was held on the castle’s Grand Battery, a huge open topped area with stunning views. Frankly, the whole thing was a photographer’s playground. My only disappointment was that I only got to shoot for one day! The wedding breakfast took place lower down the castle’s main structure with a surprise fireworks display to follow and as much riotous dancing as could be possibly wedged in.
This was one of those weddings where I truly sat back and said “Wow, I love my job”. Thanks to Ollie and Lucy for letting me shoot their wedding, it was an immense privilege, they were model clients and just a joy to work with. As ever, here are some of my own, personal favourites from one of my favourite weddings this year.
Nicola & Tom - Hook House Hotel
Nicola & Tom were married in the peaceful and secluded Dogmersfield Church nr Hook in Hampshire with a reception just round the corner at Hook House Hotel. It never ceases to amaze me just how many wedding venues there are in this neck of the woods. I’m familiar with many of the local venues, but Hook House was a new one for me. It’s a real gem, a classic Georgian building with extremely well manicured gardens.
The day had a couple of unusual and notable moments. Firstly, shortly after I’d arrived at the church, as the first guests were arriving, the RAF Red Arrows could be seen flying in the distance. Hook’s not far from RAF Odiham so my guess was that they were practicing their display in the vicinity of the airfield. A short while later, just as Nikki’s Bridesmaids were arriving we were treated to unusual occurrence number two. The church is situated next to a field which surrounds the driveway of the adjacent Dower House. The field had been recently mowed and there was a fair bit of dry cut grass sitting loose. Nikki and Tom were blessed with great weather, and the combination of warm, still air combined to form a brief, but rather impressive dust devil. It was genuinely one of the weirdest sights I’ve ever seen - like something out of The Wizard of Oz. At first my eyes couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing, but with Bridesmaids arriving in the opposite direction I didn’t have long to gawp. Nonetheless, amazing!
Finally, shortly after our arrival at Hook House Hotel, as if timed to the minute, the Red Arrows flew directly over the assembled wedding party and their guests. I went to school with one of the pilots, Red 5 Flt. Lt. Zane Sennett and I can vouch for the fact that a flypast like this, when arranged, costs a pretty penny. It was a superb sight, and lent a real buzz to what was already an amazing day.
My thanks to Nicola & Tom for being such a lovely couple to work with. Nikki had expressed some concern to me prior to the day that she was quite seriously camera shy. I assured her that she wouldn’t spend the whole day feeling like she was being photographed, and I hope that shows in the images. To my eye she was a natural in front of the camera and like most Brides spent the whole day smiling broadly! As ever, here are a selection of my favourites.
Gabriella & Tone - A Garden Wedding
Gabriella has one of the most interesting faces of any bride I've ever photographed. She's beautiful and hugely expressive - a face which, alone, I could have photographed all day. Add to that two stunning bridesmaids in the form of Camilla and Nina and from a photographers point of view I was completely spoilt! Tone isn't too shabby either. He bears a striking resemblence to a famous rugby player. I spent ages trying to figure out who he remind me of, only to have this cleared up during the Best Man's speech. Clearly I wasn't the only one to spot the similarity - let me know if you can name his doppelgänger!
The ceremony was at 6 in the evening so there's quite a few shots from the gorgeous, leisurely, bridal preparations. These are a selection of my favourites, I hope you enjoy them.
Lucy & Ollie - Jersey, A Sneak Peek
Zoë & Ben - St James' Elstead
Zoë & Ben's wedding was all about the fun. Zoë's parents have a gorgeous house in Elstead and having met Zoë & Ben there twice for our consultations I was pretty excited about the day as I saw all the preparations coming together. Zoë spent the morning at her parents house before heading off to St James' Elstead for a stylishly late arrival. We'd been worried all week about the weather but as she arrived at church looking truly stunning the clouds parted and the sun shone!
Wedding days mostly follow the same pattern but it's the small differences and details that really make each one personal and unique. From saying "I do" when you mean "I will" to a set of superb readings and a cameo of tremendous organ freestyling by the Best Man, Zoë & Ben's service flowed between the intimate, joyful and downright funny in all the right ways. I was sporting a massive grin throughout!
Following the service we headed back to the house in a convoy of cars back lead by Zoë & Ben in Ben's mum's recently refurbished, and achingly cool, open top Morris. I had a shot in mind of the Morris whizzing past me on the bridge out of Elstead. I got it, but I didn't bank on how far away the bridge was on foot. I figured it'd be quicker to walk it than load the car, drive down there, jump out and shoot the picture, so like a fool I decided to walk it. With only a couple of minutes headstart and realising it was more like a 10min walk than a 3min walk I decided it was time to break into a fast jog/run for fear of missing the shot. Clearly those days of my youth spent in the cadets saved me. Running while laden with two large cameras, lenses and a belt pack is remarkably similar to a tactical march with rifle and bergen! I apologise Elstead. The sweaty photographer of some weeks ago was I.
The run was worth it. Zoë & Ben came flying past, hooting and waving, the top down and rain nowhere to be seen!
The reception was held in a wonderfully decorated marquee at Zoë's parents. Zoë's mum Gillia did all the floristry - which looked superb - and the combined team effort that went into themeing and decorating the garden was fantastic. Zoë's dad and brother were putting the finishing touches on things when I arrived in the morning, but not a moment of panic or time pressure was evident and we arrived back to a seriously funky reception.
The evening was a complete blast. One of the best receptions I've ever shot. Amazing energy, fun, good times and love shared by all. As for the speeches, everyone killed it. In particular Best Man Dan produced a blinder with a speech so good I think he should start writing for the Queen at Christmas.
I know I've written a mini-essay here, apologies for that. It's really down to the fact that I simply loved this wedding. It's always nice to work with a couple who have a real vision for their pictures. It really helps when you know that you're on the same wavelength as your clients. Thank you to Zoë & Ben for letting me be a part of their day, for being truly welcoming and utterly game when it came to pictures. I immensely enjoyed myself and I hope you did too.
Below is an extended selection of my favourites. Enjoy!
Hannah & Oliver - St Matthias & Old Finsbury Town Hall
St Matthias' is a lovely church to shoot in. Wide, open sight lines, plenty of light and a clergyman (Father David Lambert) who is very accommodating of photographers makes for a cushty shooting environment! The reception was at the Old Finsbury Town Hall on Rosebery Avenue. During the week, the OFTH is better known as the Urdang Academy, or simply 'The Urdang', a performing arts school. On my recce visit a few weeks prior to the wedding it was really interesting to see the academy in 'work mode'. The pupils were incredibly polite and friendly and clearly they do some stunning stuff there. As a wedding venue it's really unique. Grade II* Listed, the building is an unusual mix of architectural styles and flourishes. The brick structure is in the Free Flemish Renaissance style while in the porch and countless areas inside Art Nouveau touches abound. The Great Hall is one of the largest reception rooms I've ever shot in. When you're popping out a 300mm lens to shoot candids of the top table between courses, you know it's a big space!
Many thanks to Hannah and Oliver for being such great subjects and all of the wedding party and guests for being so welcoming. Here are a selection of my favourites from the day. For the 'togs out there, these images here were shot with a mix of 17-40L, 50 f/1.4, 35L and 135L lenses on 2x 5DII.
Dan & Gemma - Hagley Hall
The day started with me covering Gemma's bridal preparations at her parent's home just down the road from the wedding venue, Hagley Hall. It was a really relaxed start to the day with loads of time to get ready, drink champagne, eat breakfast (note that the champagne came first!) and generally be in nothing even approaching a hurry. As you'll see from the images below it was a mirror-laden morning. I tend to prefer to let things follow their natural course with minimal intervention on my part and with mirrors left right and centre, many of my favourites seem to be reflection shots!
Hagley Hall is a large private house in the Palladian style and with the rather beautiful Hagley Church only a stone's throw away it's a really superb wedding venue. The state rooms are large and bright and the renovated downstairs area makes for a first class location for a proper party. The weather, though otherwise fine, was punctuated by some seriously strong winds. Despite wearing a veil, Gemma did an excellent job of controlling the situation!
Weddings can be nerve wracking times even for the most laid back of guys, but on arrival at the church I found Dan - always a man with a ready smile - on fine form. Gemma turned up in style, in her Father's Maybach. I nearly spat my breakfast when her Dad showed me round the car. I'll admit that I initially thought he was joking when he mentioned that this would be her mode of conveyance!
I've met some seriously lovely people so far this year, and at Dan & Gemma's the prize was a three-way tie between Gemma's two lovely bridesmaids Emma and Rosie and Dan's brother and best man Joe. Despite spending 3 years of Uni together I'd not met Joe prior to the wedding rehearsal. Joe should start running classes in 'Best-Manship' - he was that good. He was attentive to the needs of everyone on the day, delivered a fine speech and has the gift of being able to talk to just about anyone while putting them all that their ease in an instant. Cheers guys for being such a terrific wedding party.
I've shot wedding for people I know before, but rarely in front of so many friends that I know personally. It was an interesting proposition and one that, though by no means unpleasant, made me feel distinctly 'watched'. There's something very different about standing up in front of crowd you don't know and another where you've shared so much with so many faces. It was an intriguing experience!
Right, enough waffle from me. As ever, below are a selection of some of my favourites. Dan & Gem - thanks very much for letting me cover your day, I hope you're thrilled with the pictures!
Marianne & Mark - Odiham All Saints
Marianne and Mark were married at Odiham All Saints on 20th May. The extreme wind of recent weeks was relenting on the day and the weather played nice. Following the ceremony we headed 3 mins down the road to Marianne's Matron of Honour's stunning house. As an avid rider, Claire has lots of land and the marquee and open space was the perfect setting for a warm spring wedding. Mark and Marianne are a brilliantly energetic couple (as the evening pictures show!) and shooting their day was a huge amount of fun. I'm particularly happy with the evening portrait set we shot. We were really pushed for light and ended up shooting just after sunset. Photographers go on and on about the 'golden hour' before sunset, but shooting after sunset (the 'blue hour' as a photographer friend of mine named it) was a real revelation. The light was soft and gentle and though a challenge for my equipment I'm really happy with the results! Twilight ftw!
As usual these are a selection of my favourites, starting with the morning coverage through until the end of a truly raucous party. Fully Funktional, the band on the night, were one of the best groups I've come across in my time, friendly, talented and with bags of musicianship. I highly recommend them. Anyway, without further ado, some pictures:
James & Jenny - Loseley Park
This wedding was full of great moments and extremely emotional. A real heartburster - the love between these two was totally palpable! Jenny looked stunning in an extremely elegant dress with a long sash and was attended to admirably by Bridesmaid's Caroline and Chrissie. James and his Ushers looked equally dapper in really classy morning suits. I approve lads!
Jenny's father David was a particularly excellent host on the day (I seem to be having superb luck with Bride's Father's of late!) and worked tirelessly trying to offer me drinks and excuses to avoid my duties! Despite heavy rain forecast for the following day we got really lucky and had fine weather throughout. Thank you to James and Jenny for being such a terrific couple, a pleasure to photograph and for allowing me to share in their day.
As ever, these are a selection of my favourites. For the 'togs amongst you these were shot on two 5DII's with a mix of 35L, 135L and 17-40L lenses. I also used a 50D as a remote camera.
P.S. Thanks to Corinne for making the downright moreish Macarons!
Danielle & Rick - A Wedding Celebration Sneak Peek!
On their return Danielle & Rick planned a wedding celebration party at the Hadlow Manor Hotel near Tonbridge for everyone who couldn't make it out to Sri Lanka. I was lucky enough to shoot the party yesterday evening, and had a blast doing so. Wedding celebrations/parties are always slightly different to shoot than a standard wedding. It's hard to put my finger on exactly how they differ, but there's subtle difference beyond the obvious lack of a marriage ceremony. More laughter, less tension/anticipation and a slight change in general mood. It's interesting.
Danielle & Rick were awesome and I couldn't have been luckier, they were both lovely and their families likewise. A warmer, more welcoming set of people you'd be hard pushed to meet. The whole thing was extreme fun times! Anyway, time for some images, below you'll find a selection of some personal favourites from the evening.
Photographers P.S. One of these is shot with the X100. Can you tell which without checking the EXIF?
The Wedding of Michelle & David
It's worth mentioning that, I've shot at a number of golf clubs in my time, and I've not always been impressed with the staff and general approach to weddings. The staff at Woldingham however were awesome. My thanks to Angie in the weeks beforehand and Jan on the day. Extremely helpful people who are a real asset to the course. Thanks guys.
Michelle & Dave - A Sneak Peak
New Year's Promotion
Happy New Year! Welcome 2011! I hope you all had an exceptional 2010 and a really wonderful Christmas.
To usher in the New Year, I'll be running a promotion offering a 10% discount for any wedding coverage booked during January 2011. The rules are simple - if you book between January 1st and January 31st I'll offer you a 10% discount on either my Classic or Premier coverage packages. The promotion is valid for weddings on any future date as long as the booking is made during January 2011.
So, if you're on the search for a wedding photographer, please take a moment to view my portfolio and consider making an enquiry. If you're within an hour and half of Camberley, Surrey, I'm always happy to drive out to visit you. Initial consultations are always free and there's never any pressure or obligation. They tend to be a good opportunity to discuss things in greater detail, for you to view some sample albums, and to ask any outstanding questions.
The January Promotion makes my Classic Coverage £855, (a saving of £95) while the Premier Coverage is only £1080, (a saving of £120). If you'd like further information, then visit my contact page to make an enquiry. I'll be happy to reply with my PDF wedding brochure and answer any questions you may have.
All the best and have an absolutely fabulous 2011, I hope the headaches aren't too bad today!
Recent Testimonials
"Have I mentioned I bloody LOVE them??? Good. I LOVE THEM!!! You are so talented. Thank you so much. You worked so hard, and we really appreciate it! We'll be recommending you to everyone we know."
Beth Gorman
"We just wanted to send a quick e-mail now to say that we're absolutely bloody delighted with these photos. You've captured some fabulous moments and brought an amazing day back to life for us. Thanks."
Dave Gorman
"We just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for the amazing photographs.... We’ve been looking at them all weekend and absolutely love them. You’ve done an amazing job and everyone we’ve spoken to has commented on not only what a massively talented photographer you are but also what a lovely guy you were and how unobtrusive you were through the day! We didn’t even notice you most of the time (in the nicest possible way!) yet you have some incredible shots. The church photo’s are stunning, I cannot tell you how much we love them. It was also brilliant that you stayed right until the end of the night, some of the party photo’s bring back instant memories of the day so thank you for putting the hours in!"
Peter & Kayla
"We just got back today - wonderful time, but completely exhausted - just had to look at the photos before we give in to the tiredness... and they are absolutely fantastic!! Thank you so much! You've captured so many of those tiny special moments which I had forgotten about, but which are just wonderful to see again! We love the ones of the little ones (Samuel and Mia), all the family shots of everyone enjoying themselves - and the photos of the church are amazing too - the sky looks amazing!!"
Caroline & Darren
Rob & Alanna's Wedding - Farnham Baptist Church & Alton House Hotel
My thanks as always to the couple, they were both brilliant people and Rob is the most organised groom I've worked with to date. He's a manager by day and his attention to detail was impressive to say the least! A particular note of credit to Rob & Alanna's magician Will McDermid. He was brilliant and his manner impeccable. Anyway, on to the pictures. As always, here are some of my favourites:
Lisa & Luke's Wedding - Guildford, Surrey
Just to give you an idea of how wet it really was - I came inside after shooting pictures at the castle and my fingers had gone all pruney. Like when you spend too long in the bath. Also, despite using rain covers, one of my Canon 5D Mark II's started misbehaving due to moisture. Folks, it was a deluge! Nonetheless I think we got some good images, particularly as we braved the rain at Guildford Castle. These are some of my personal favourites.
Peter & Kayla - All Saints, Binfield & Stirrups Country House Hotel
The day was gorgeous weather wise - one of the best this year and it was unseasonably warm for much of the day. Kayla and Pete are an absolutely lovely couple and their guests really knew how to party. A special shout out to the chap in the waistcoat who was busting the most incredible dancefloor moves all night. You sir, have my respect.
Debbie & Graeme - St Nicolas, Cranleigh & Wildwood Country Club
The whole day was very touching. Debbie and Graeme are such a genuine couple and I loved their down to earth nature and friendly approachability. It was good fun from beginning to end. Thanks also to their guests who were hilarious and great to chat too in equal measure. Good times.
For the camera geeks, these images were shot mostly on the 5DII with a few on the 50D using Canon 50mm f/1.4, 135L and 17-40L lenses. As always, here's a selection of my favourites:
The Wedding of Alice & Paul
Paul has a share in an aerobatic biplane and his friend Simon flew his own aircraft, the stunning Extra 300, for a jaw-dropping aerial display. The weather also relented enough for the lighting and departure of chinese lanterns. This was a real highlight for me as a photographer and something I've been wanting to shoot for a while.
Paul & Alice - Sneak Peak
The Wedding of Caroline & Darren
Lydia & Nikos' Volcano Wedding - Thursley
So, slightly desperately, I googled “Photographers, Guildford” expecting to have to call a huge list of people in order to find anyone that would be available, let alone someone I was happy to take our photographs.
I spied a name on the google-list that somehow appealed - Tony Hart. I called him without even looking at the pictures and, purely by chance, he was free. We chatted, we shared a few common views on how wedding shots should be taken and we agreed for him to come out and meet us. What serendipity! I then looked at the pictures and found that he was exactly what we were looking for - lots of simple, unposed shots, often in Black and White, which caught the moments of the day perfectly. They were taken candidly, and often without the subject knowing the photographer was there. I think it was fate!
And, happily ever after, the family did make it to the wedding, but I’m so glad we had Tony there, he was a consummate professional and his shots capture all the special moments of a happy day.
Shoes - from Pinet in Bond Street, London. A lucky find in the sales! Dress - Design by Jenny Packham, found in Clifton Brides in Bath. It was the first I picked out and the last I tried on. It was perfectly simple and so elegant. The silk chiffon moved so beautifully. Bridesmaids dresses - I suggested they stayed with my colour scheme of pale and bright pink and pale green but they chose their own dresses. I didn’t see them until the day. They both chose Coast, Daisy in dashing bright pink and Eleanor elegant in long pale pink.
Groom’s suit, shoes, shirt and tie - From Reiss, their cuts really suit Nikos’ build. I was there to give advice but in the end it was Nikos’ choice as to what he wanted to have. Good choice I think! He insisted on wearing stripy socks of blue, yellow, pink and white. Flowers - masterminded by my mother, I only stipulated the colours. She, along with two family friends did all the church displays which were in a soft, English country style. Bouquets, button holes and marquee flowers were done by florist Angela Weaver.
The wedding was held in St Michael and All Angels, Thursley, Surrey. My godfather Reverend Peter Muir conducted the ceremony. We then moved on to an English pub lunch in the Three Horsehoes, also in Thursley. The food was amazing, especially the spit roast beef! - Lydia Mina
Great Fosters Wedding - Ade & Sheila
As for Great Fosters, I'm a massive fan of the venue, both for it's intrinsic beauty and also for the quality of its staff. They seem to have a significant number of those rare individuals who are both consummate professionals and incredibly personable with it. My thanks to Jill and Martin for making my job easier and for being so helpful.
