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Photography Style
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A wedding brings a lifetime of relationships into one day. Parents, friends, siblings, chosen family, history and future, all in the same space, all moving at once. It goes quickly, and the moments that matter don’t wait around for anyone, they happen once and they’re gone. I’m there to catch them as they’re happening, so nothing important slips past unnoticed.
I photograph with a focus on people, timing and atmosphere. Conversations mid flow, someone’s face changing as they clock what’s happening, the moment the whole room shifts up a gear. The bits you didn’t see yourself but will absolutely want to remember. It’s led by instinct and reading the room, not by control.
On the day, I move at the same pace as everyone else, quick, alert, already in position before the moment happens. When a bit of direction genuinely helps, I step in, keep it clear and quick, then hand the energy straight back so nothing loses its momentum. Couples often tell me afterwards that they felt completely in their wedding, never pulled out of it for the camera. Portraits are the same, quick and alive rather than staged, we duck away just long enough to catch the light and a few honest photographs, then I get you straight back to your people while everything’s still moving.
This way of working only comes together with trust. When the day’s allowed to run at its own pace, the photographs carry more weight, because they’re showing you what was actually happening, not a version of it. So if you’re someone who cares as much about the experience of your wedding as how the photos look, weddings with energy, movement and proper social connection, I think we’ll get on.
Who is Gina Fernandes? I’ve been photographing weddings for nearly a decade. Before this, I was a primary school Deputy Headteacher & teacher in Essex (Greater London) which taught me a lot about reading people fast, staying calm when fifty things are happening at once, and knowing exactly when to step in. Outside of weddings I’m fuelled by music (house, UK garage, 90s & 80s on repeat), a genuine documentary addiction, and travel, all squeezed in around my husband, two kids and a very food-motivated labradoodle.
I work as a hybrid photographer, offering digital photography, 35mm film and highlight films, and I cover everything from full wedding days to shorter, more intimate ones, so however your day’s shaped, there’s a way to work together.
If you’re planning a wedding that’s about people, energy and actually being there for it, not performing it for a camera, I’d genuinely love to hear about yours.
Message from the team
Experience
Do you travel, and does it cost extra?
Yes, I photograph weddings all over the UK, not just the East Midlands. Travel's included up to a point, after that it's a straightforward add-on, no inflated fees, just the honest cost of getting there.
What's it actually like having you there on the day?
Fast when I need to be, invisible when I don't. I'm not the photographer hovering with instructions, I'm the one who's already in position when the room erupts, so you get to actually be at your own wedding instead of performing for the camera. I do talk to guests (I don't lurk! I always think conversation helps guests relax in front of the camera), I'm there on the day to help too.
What do you love most about photographing weddings?
Honestly, the bits nobody plans for. The best man who can't hold it together during the speech, the mate who commandeers the dance floor, the moment a whole marquee goes up a notch with energy, at once. That's what I'm there for.
Describe your typical process with a couple...
Once you're ready to book, we start with a call, phone or video, whichever you prefer. Tell me everything: the day you've got planned, the people who'll be there, how awkward you feel in front of a camera. I'll tell you how I work, what documentary photography actually looks like on the day, and possibly try to convince you my opinion on wedding cake is correct.
It's not only about locking down the when and where. It's about actually getting on before I turn up with a camera and start photographing the most important day of your life. I take on a limited number of weddings each year, so every couple gets proper attention, not a slice of it split six ways.
If you're not sure what documentary-style photography actually looks like in practice, a pre-wedding session is a great way to find out, and to get comfortable with me and a camera before the big day arrives.
What happens if it rains, or the day doesn't go to plan?
Weddings rarely run exactly to plan, and that's completely fine by me. Rain, running late, a speech that goes on twice as long as promised, I roll with it and keep working, because some of the best photographs come from the moments nobody planned for.
Do you photograph all kinds of weddings, big or small, traditional or unconventional?
Every kind. Big marquees, quiet elopements, traditional church ceremonies, weddings that don't look anything like a "typical" wedding. What matters to me isn't the format, it's the energy and the people in the room.
Can we choose how many hours of coverage we need?
Yes, and I'd actively encourage it. Every wedding's different, so instead of forcing everyone into one package, I offer hourly coverage that scales to your day, a few hours for something smaller and more relaxed, or a full day from getting ready right through to last dance.
How far in advance should we book you?
As early as you can, once a date feels right. I only take a limited number of weddings a year, and popular dates get grabbed quickly, so if you've found the venue and picked the day, it's worth locking me in sooner rather than later.
How many photos will we receive, and how long until we see them?
You'll get a full, honestly edited gallery, not a filtered highlight reel, expect several hundred images from a full day. I'll send a handful of previews within a few days so you're not left waiting around, with the full gallery to follow.
Why did you become a wedding photographer?
Before this, I was a primary school Deputy Headteacher in Essex. Then I had my own kids, started photographing our family, a friend asked me to photograph theirs, then another, then weddings arrived and I never looked back. Nearly a decade in, the thing that's never changed is what I chase, the energy in the room, not the pose in front of it!