What is your most memorable wedding?
I treat each wedding individually and strive for perfection, but one weddings comes to mind where unfortunately it was torrential rain all day, but I managed to get some amazing shots of the bride and groom in the rain under umbrellas. I got soaked but I got the photo that's what matters!
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Classic, fine art, reportage,
What about your business are you most proud of?
That I built it from scratch, no qualifications, self taught, just word of mouth and hard work.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Have an Itinerary on the day, covering key timings, this itinerary can be flexible but it covers the main parts, so the pressure is taken away on the day and your photographer can run timings to plan. Also detail detail detail, the more detail I know about the better!
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
Tough one, but the groom sang to the bride at a wedding I captured and it was brilliant, so personal, a special moment.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
First I would talk to them over the phone and arrange a convenient date that I can come out and have a chat about their photography requirements. I find a face to face meeting is best in covering all questions the bride and groom may have. At the start of the meeting I go through a brief itinerary of the day and this in turn leads me to the type of coverage the bride and groom want, it also covers a lot of questions that come up naturally. I then show my bride and grooms albums and montages (www.weddingmontages.com) which are optional. I then go through the quote with them in person and back this up with an email within 24 hours with a copy of my contract (including terms and conditions). If the couple are happy with the quote, they sign the contract and pay the £150 booking fee which is taken off the overall fee (the booking fee safeguards the wedding date, so no one else can book me).
What is the No. 1 photo that you think every couple should take?
I find photography is subjective, my style fits into my bride and grooms style as I like to capture the wedding they want. My favourite photos are my time with the bride and groom one on one and I keep it natural with photos of them interacting with each other with a few prompts :-)
What is the most original photo you’ve been asked to take at a wedding?
A photo of the bride and groom riding a cow! Well you did ask!!
What do you recommend for a rainy day wedding?
Planning, planning, planning!! As detailed above we would meet at the venue and discuss options should it rain, I want all the pressures taken off on the wedding day, so my itinerary would have options for good and bad weather. I have never captured a wedding (60+) where I have not been able to get outside at some point. Communication is also key on the day, I would never aks the bride and groom to do something they are not comfortable with.
Describe how you got into photography.
As with most photographers my work began as a hobby, I loved taking artistic images of the amazing sights I have seen whilst travelling which for me preserve the memories of great times and look great in our home.
I owe a lot of my breaks into the photography industry to the loyalty of amazing friends who have employed me, promoted me and connected me to others and I have hopefully repaid them with great images to treasure.
For me this is really where my passion lies in the capturing of life, of recording events however big or small. It is wonderful then to be able to look back at these moments such as with my daughter who is 5 years old to see how much she grows and changes.
A photograph is a moment of time which is frozen, but a great photo can forever evoke emotions such as joy, tenderness, admiration and even sadness.
I shot my first wedding in 2008 and my business has mainly grown through word of mouth and recommendations since.