My weekend

Well I did not have any weddings over the weekend, but I met with two couples. Georgina and Trevor, who were married on 19th May, came across on Saturday morning for a viewing session. It was a chance to see all their pictures - all 432 of them - on big screen (I have a projector set up, which is used to play back the images), and also to think about their album choice and images for the album. We made a lot of progress on the morning. When left to their own devices most couples find the task of picking out the pictures for their album difficult and often lengthy. I have recently introduced viewing sessions for couples - I leave to them to sit back on a cosy sofa to view the images and then we talk through albums and picture selections. It takes a few hours from start to finish, but it saves time later and it is a nice way for couples to view the images, in addition to having them on CD for home viewing.

I also arranged to meet Tina and Simon, who are getting married at Lambley in Notts on 30th June. I met with them at Simon's parent's house in Lambley, then to the parish Church and then onto Cockliffe House Hotel, where the reception will be. Cockliffe House is a delightful hotel and they will have the run of the place on the Saturday. All the arrangements sound great, so I am really looking forward to photographing the day for them. It is very helpful to meet with couples after they have booked, as we can finalise the arrangements for the day and it is a chance to build a rapport, which helps immensely on the day.

I've picked out a handful of images from Georgina and Trevor's wedding, the full set can be seen in the client gallery. Pictures by me and Samantha Hook.


Samantha took this picture - I love it. Georgina looks completely stunning, the contrast in black and white is compelling


This was taken whilst I was walking backwards and trying not to fall over. It has captured a nice moment and I like the long line of guests.


This is also a picture by Sam, taken whilst I was setting up a group photograph. It shows the strength of two professionals at the same wedding. The light and the expression are timeless.


In flow during the speeches - sometimes it all works for the photographer, as it did here - lighting, composition and expressions.


This picture was taken by Sam and what a picture. It is like someone has cut the end of the marquee off to enable the picture, like on a film set - only it was taken from the inside.

Client Blog - only 2 months to go!

(from Natasha - 11th Aug 2007) - I'm very excited. Only two months to go and it seems there are so many things left still to arrange and we are having a slight panic about all the stuff we have to do. So I'm going crazy and drawing up lists. Lists of things to do. Lists of lists to make. Glen is cool though. We are meeting up the day before the wedding to confirm all the arrangements for the day. Now all I have to do is find slow moving confetti for that perfect post-wedding shot!

It's been a long time...

...since I last posted and a lot has happened. My two elder daughters bought my wife and I tickets on Eurostar to Paris for Christmas - which was very nice and a big thank you. So, we went in late May and Paris was great: we enjoyed walking around the city, taking in the culture and the change of scenery was good. The food was very expensive - you can easily pay 250+ Euros for dinner for 2, but suffice to say we found some better value but still very nice restaurants. There is a great McCafe on the Champs Elysees which does a very nice coffee and a cake for 2 euros, with free wireless internet, which was a good alternative to 60 euros for breakfast at the hotel.

Then we came back and Samantha (my business partner) and I had 4 weddings on the run - Saturday, Sunday, Monday and also Tuesday. We've been busy ever since getting all the pictures sorted. One of the weddings was asian, a hindu wedding - Dipti and Vin (hi to Dipti and Vin if you're reading this) were lovely and so were all their guests. We had a great time and I'm really looking forward to seeing the all the pictures.

I've recently been working on the pictures from a wedding in mid May, Georgina and Trevor (hi to Georgina and Trevor too if you are reading this). You can see the images in the client gallery - please do have a look, they have some really nice pictures. They had a really lovely day - it was very much a village style wedding, Georgina was able to walk from home to the church and then back home for the reception, held in her parent's garden, complete with marquee and sunshine, which was remarkable as it was rain all around except there. It is always a nice feeling to have captured someone's special day and to see the pictures when they have all been put together.

I have another wedding this coming weekend, one of my daughters (I have four daughters, all of which I love immensely) is getting married on Sunday 24th June. They are getting married in York. Obviously no official photographs from me, but I am looking forward to the day - it will make a change from being behind the camera.

Off to do some shopping, which makes a change for me on a Saturday.

Why have two professional photographers at the same wedding?

One of the reasons why I have decided to join businesses with Samantha Hook is because of the pictures we can get when we both attend the same wedding - they are in a different league. It takes time to work as a team and develop a good working partnership. We have done around 10 weddings together, and the pictures just keep getting better.

Use the link below to see a slideshow from a recent wedding.

Slideshow of Jenny and Bruce

The wedding is of Jenny and Bruce, which had been booked through Samantha Hook Weddings but I joined Sam throughout the day. The location for the service and reception was Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire. If you are viewing this page and you know the family and would like to purchase prints, then please visit

Samantha Hook Weddings

oh, I turned 40 today... i suppose it has to happen someday.

Reportage or "Snapography"

We often have this discussion with couples. There is a strong preference for natural pictures amongst many couples and it is easy to think that these are taken naturally - snaps. For those who have either tried themselves to take natural pictures or have looked at different styles it will be very clear that this is a much harder ask than it may seem. For those who have not, it is easy to think that natural pictures are simply taken with little effort, after all they are just natural pictures.

Taking snaps is one thing - and you can tell when photography is portrayed as natural but in reality it is just some snaps. No, good reportage photography is a whole skill on its own. Much of this skill is about learning when NOT to photograph - it is easy to go around taking 'natural' snaps, but many if not all of them will be that, snaps.

We take the view that couples will have many guests with digital cameras and they will not be short of snaps. They don't pay us to take even more - so we don't. Our time and effort is spent getting great natural pictures. I'm not blowing my own trumpet, because simply that is what people are paying for - a professional service to provide professional images of their wedding, and good reportage photography is a skill in its own right.

One of the problems with wedding photography is that it is relatively easy for someone to buy a digital camera and set themselves up as a professional - it can make for a nice part-time income, but I'm sorry, you can tell the difference between a snap and good reportage photography.

So what makes a good reportage picture. Composition has a large part to play, taking the picture so that it is not cluttered or confusing, so that it tells a simple message not a crowded one. Second, use of different lenses makes a large impact, whether using a wide angle, shallow focus, low light or telephoto - they all have their role dependent upon the situation. Most of my lenses cost around £1,000 each and they are all professional grade - which means they are big and heavy as well as expensive. Being in the right place at the right time is a large factor and this is about being able to anticipate where the best shot will be, from what angle and using what lens.

So the next time you are looking at natural photography, why not pause for a second and ask if this is a snap or something more.

Lucy and Dean

It is always nice to meet up with couples after their wedding and see how they are getting on with life. I met up with Lucy and Dean on Saturday, who were married last May. I dropped off their wedding album (yes, it had taken them a while to choose their pictures).

Anyway it was very nice to see them again. They had had a lovely new kitchen fitted, which was a present from all the guests at the wedding - which I thought was a rather nice and very practical gift. It is a very homely and inviting kitchen.

For their album they decided to have an art book album, which I have made using photographic paper. The album is laid out liked a matted album but you can also have pictures that cover the entire page. Lucy is very into creative design - being an art teacher - and so she took my initial layout, which gave her a basic idea how to layout an album, and then made her own changes. The resultant design is very nice and is personal to them. Click on the link below if you want to see what I mean:-

slideshow of Lucy and Dean album layout

Here are a few pictures from their day:-

Fleur

Some light relief from wedding photos:-

Now for those who have read my earlier posts you will know that Fleur is a 6 month old small poodle, a very small poodle. She weighs in just over 2 kg, that's a couple of bags of sugar. She had fits when she was a puppy, a very small puppy, and again about a month ago. She has to take drugs each day to keep her stable, but apart from that she is fit and well.

Now she may be small, but she is no angel. You could call her a minute T-rex or a small dog who thinks she is really a big dog. Here are a few pictures of her in the garden this afternoon.

For those technically minded, about cameras not dogs, these pictures were taken on an Olympus E1 with a 35-100 f2 (70mm -200mm for 35mm equiv). They were taken at F2.8, 1/200th and ISO 200. The last picture was taken on a 11-22mm wide angle (22mm-44mm for 35mm equiv) at f2.8. The Olympus camera produces some real nice colours and the f2.8 aperture throws out the background to give a nice pleasing feel to the picture and some depth.

We've just chosen our wedding photographer

I'm so relieved and absolutely thrilled to have found and booked Glen for our wedding. Everyone else we looked at was either booked, too expensive or not quite right. When I saw Glen's pictures I knew he was the right one, I just had to hope my fiance felt the same way. You can see from his pictures that he likes weddings, he likes taking pictures of people's weddings and he has a natural empathy with everyone involved. I'm really thrilled he'll be there because I know he will get a fabulous result and I don't have to worry in the slightest.

posted by Natasha

Guest posts

One of the joys of wedding photography is getting to meet so many people; one of the frustrations of being a wedding photographer is that you have to meet so many people! You see, there is very little repeat business - for obvious reasons. So I have very many, satisfied but once time only clients.

So, I have asked couples who know something about me to send in a post. It is entirely their words not mine. Over a period of time this will build up into a collection of comments, and useful tips and advice for prospective couples. A big thanks in advance to all those who are kind enough to set a little bit of time aside and send in a post. If you would like to and I've not asked then simply send me an email and i will tell you how.

best wishes, Glen

Seeing all the images from a wedding

A couple recently asked me if they could see all the images from a wedding. Many people advise couples looking for photography that it is one thing to put together a sample of images from many weddings, it is another to produce consistent results throughout a whole wedding. So here are two links for slideshows for all the images from 2 weddings I did last year. They both contain around 400 images each, so be warned it may take a while:-

slideshow of Lizzie and Ben

slideshow of Helen and Andy

happy viewing!

What's in a name?

This is an open invitation for you to influence what we call our new business. It is of course our photography and approach that will define us, but names are important too. So far the thinking is:

Samantha Hook and Glen Ford Photography - a bit long but it says on the tin what's inside. A big thing about the new business is that the real usp (unique selling point) is the power of the team, in that Sam and I working together on a wedding can achieve results that are simply difficult to get using other models, i.e. one pro photographer or one pro + an assistant. So if the main selling point is both of us then why not include in the name, or that's the logic.

Sam and Glen - a shorter version of the above. We'd really like to hear some views on this one - does it work for you, could it work for you, does it really matter anyway?

A name without using our names. This is a real tricky one, because we really don't do cheesy names (no examples for fear of causing offence) or names to infer a more corporate feel - because, well we are not corporate. All ideas welcome, but be warned it is harder than you might think.

If you have any views then email me using the link here Help us to choose a name!

There are no prizes for the winner except the satisfaction that you can say - 'I helped choose their name'. So go on, don't be shy, just send me your thoughts whatever they are on email.

Deadline - well in the next few days would be helpful.

A few of Sam's pictures

I've picked out a few of Samantha's pictures that I really like and say a lot about why her style works really well at weddings. My approach tends to be more hands off, I simply prefer to control less and shoot more - I like to capture the natural moments without too much intervention from me. Samantha is similar in a way but is much better at what we called 'directed photography'. This is very different from the traditional approach, where the pictures are heavily directed and controlled, it is simply giving people a little direction to enable some great photographs.

There is a big trend away from posed pictures and instead to have lots of natural and candid pictures. Our belief is that a mixture of styles is what works best for most people.

Let me show you what I mean:-


Taking a small amount of time with the bride and groom, away from the gaze of their guests can make for some very nice, intimate pictures. This is about setting the scene and then giving a little prompting on how to stand and what to do. I think it works really well.


I absolutely love this picture. The expression, colours, lighting and composition all make for this to be a beautiful and stunning portrait.


This is a more fun shot, but well set up. I'm not a great fan of tilted camera shots but they can work well and this one does. Asking the bride to spin her dress, the setting, timing and composition - and especially the bride's expression - all make for a great picture.


This is a nice picture and could easily have been a candid picture, but was not. There was no heavy control but some gentle direction to help turn what would have been a nice snap into a very nice and pleasing photograph.

Designer Package

More on the new business with Samantha Hook Photography – Samantha and I started to work together last August. We covered around 7 weddings together last year and we were really pleased with the pictures. We work well together at a wedding and our mixture of styles makes for a good balance of coverage on the day. So one of the reasons why we created a new, joint business is so that we could offer a true two-photographer offer – which we have called the designer package.

The benefit of doing this as a joint business is this approach uses two professional photographers who have established a good working relationship – and this is different from just hiring a second photographer for the day. Just putting people together does not make a team, the team comes from working together over a period of time. There is no personal connection between Samantha and I, so people really are getting two professional photographers, because the only basis is a professional one.

Many of our bookings for next year have opted for the designer package, which is a real encouragement to us. We like to shoot together and we love the pictures we create, but obviously not everyone’s budget can extend to two professional photographers.

In essence, the designer package means you get both Samantha and me at your wedding day, with no restrictions on time on the day. The other main element is the photography and the package are built around the couple. The concept is different – because we spend more time with each couple to understand in some depth their day and what they want from their photography. It is more a case of commissioning creative professionals to work with you rather than buying an off-the-peg package. We get more involved in your day and you, which means more time for us and hence a higher cost, but the resultant photographs are the best we can produce. We would like all our weddings to be the designer package, because that's when we take our best pictures, so we don't charge silly amounts but obviously we have to pay two wages from the one wedding.

We often say to couples that good wedding photography is a partnership between us and the couple. We can do our best to photograph the day, but how the day is planned, the setting, and the contribution from the couple and their guests are big factors in the type of photographs we can get. And in short, that is what we do in the designer package.

A busy few days...

It was a full day on Saturday, I was covering a wedding with Samantha at Colwick Hall. This is a great venue and in time I will post some of the pictures. We arrived at Colwick Hall at 11am and the day ended for us at 9pm, shortly after the first dance.

It was then an early start on Sunday, as we were exhibiting at a wedding show at the De Vere Belton Woods Hotel, just outside Grantham. Samantha and I have recently joined forces to create a larger and stronger wedding photography business. We are both based in Newark and we work really well together. Over the past two weeks we had been busy getting some new exhibition displays ready for the show at Belton Woods - new displays, new sample albums, new prints and some new display furniture.

The show was really good and if we met you there then "hello from us". Working together means we can offer a service where both of us cover the same wedding. This means we can make the best use of time and physically be in two places at once. This works especially well during the preparations - Samantha with the bride and me with the groom - and during the service, with one of us at the front and one at the back. There is also something different about pictures taken by a male and a female, you get a slightly different feel from the image. So, as you can imagine, when we both cover the same wedding the pictures are simply great - even we surprise ourselves. I guess it is the strength of the team approach.

And on Monday I went to meet a couple at Stapleford Park Hotel in Leicestershire, just outside Melton Mowbray. Wow, what a place. I met Kelly and Neil, who are getting married there in June and I am their photographer. I am really looking forward to taking their pictures - they are a lovely couple and have put a lot of thought into the day. It just sounds fab - I'm excited and it is not me who is getting married!

Pictures during the service

The service can be a great time to get some spontaneous photographs, especially during church services, which are normally longer and the setting provides more scope. This is of course the first time the bride and groom meet and there are normally exchanges in body language between them. If there are two photographers, then one can be at the front and one at the back. The contrasting views can make for some really nice pictures. You obviously need to check with the person conducting the service, but most are okay so long as there is limited flash and you do not distrurb the proceedings.

Here are a few of my favourites:-


(above) this is a lovely candid moment, with the bride looking up at her new husband.


I use this picture quite a bit for promotion, as the soft tones and the gentle holding of hands portrays the mood and atmosphere of a wedding so well.


I love this shot, again a candid moment, using a slow shutter speed, so there is a bit of motion in the picture.


The expressions on the faces of the newly weds make this picture. It is a nice informal moment caught as it happened.


The first kiss. I thought this looked better in sepia, as it takes away some of the harshness from the white.

More dog photos

Our house has lots of small dogs, four to be exact. So, they end up getting photographed quite a lot. Their names are Jamie, Sam, Emma and Fleur. Jamie and Sam are King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, Emma and Fleur are small poodles. Fleur is not very well at the moment, she keeps on having fits - so it is a bit of worry, especially as she is only 6 months old. My wife also dog sits on occasions, when someone is going away or on holiday, in place of using kennels. So sometimes they are even more dogs around. I don't mind, as they all seem to get on well and it keeps me fit with the walks.


This is a moody picture of sam, obviously waiting for something of interest to come along.


This is a guest dog, Jaz. Jamie took rather a fancy to Jaz and is looking forward to her next stay in a few weeks time.


This is fleur, playing in the garden.

How much should I spend?

Weddings are expensive at the best of times and deciding how much is the right amount to spend is a tiresome task, especially when it comes to photography. This is not helped by the advent of digital technology and the internet, which means there is even more choice and therefore a much greater spread of abilities and prices.

The largest cost item is by far time. Living and working in the UK is simply very expensive. The more involved the photographer is for your wedding - before the day, on the day and after the day - then the more time he or she is allocating to your wedding, which has a cost.

However, equipment and professional development is important too. It is not just a case of getting an expensive digital camera. My main investment is in a range of professional camera lenses and flash, all of which I simply would not purchase just for personal use. You will have many guests at your wedding with their own cameras and they will take many snaps for you. The reason to hire a professional photographer is to get some truly great pictures, not just more snaps.

If you are reading this and your budget is for £1,000 or less then my best advice is to look around hard. Many traditional wedding photographers – the type of pictures your mum and dad will have had – charge less than £1,000. There are some more contemporary photographers who are prepared to charge this, but it is not enough to justify a full time profession, so the chances are they relatively new or have some additional source of income and are happy for this to be a labour of love. That’s no bad thing but just have a good look at their work first and satisfy yourself with what you see.

If you are looking at spending between £1,000 to £2,000 then it is worth thinking hard as to whether you are at the £1,000 or £2,000 mark, because there is a lot of difference in terms of choice. You will find many photographers with a price in this area, as it is the upper limit of the cheap photographers, the main price for the middle ground and the lower price for the high-end photographers. It can get really confusing, so it pays to do your homework.

If your budget is more like £2,000 and above, then this where you should expect to get real quality, both in terms of the photography and the choice of albums. There are some great wedding albums but they are expensive and it will be difficult to provide these albums at much less than this amount.

The general advice is to allocate around 10% of your total budget for photography. This is good advice, as the larger the wedding in overall budget then the more you will want to capture this with the photographs.

Blasts from the past

I love to look at old family photographs. They bring back so many memories, many of which I had forgotten. I like to capture two aspects in my photography, firstly I like to capture a scene that invokes some form of emotion - a pleasant smile or a special moment - and secondly I like the picture to have a creative, pleasing aspect - in short, something that I will look at and say 'now that's a nice picture'. Just having snaps is not enough, the picture needs to have a clear and simple message - otherwise the scene becomes too cluttered and confused.

Here are a few of my favourite old family pictures.


(Above) This is my daughter several years ago. The light is great and creates a nice modelling effect.


This picture won a competition at the time. This is another one of my daughters, the picture was taken over 10 years ago. She was always very curious and obviously wondered what happened to the washing - a great candid moment.


For those of you who have been to Toronto, Canada, you will recognise this as the CN tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, with a 60's style revolving resturant part way up.


This was from a family holiday in Italy. We were standing by a vast lake and I wanted to take some scenic pictures, but large lakes are always a real challenge for photography. I then saw this jetty nearby and it made a great landscape feature. The reflections work well too.


This was from another family holiday, on Maderia. You can catch a ride down a very long, steep hill in these baskets. The men were waiting. I thought it would make a nice portrait. I like the composition and the balance of light.

Claire and Nigel

Claire and Nigel were married a few years ago - in August 2005 - and I took their wedding pictures. Shortly after the wedding they had quite a tough time across their family, including the death of one their close relatives - a disabled boy who was much loved by the family. And so it was some time before they were able to think about their wedding photographs.

I have put a link below to a slideshow I have recently done for them, well the shortened version. They are a lovely couple. Claire is a primary school teacher and Nigel is a policeman. I remember when I first spoke with Claire, way back in 2004, she was keen to have natural pictures rather than the more traditional type of wedding photographs.

Many people comment about my photography that I manage to capture the atmosphere and character from the day; it gives them a sense of what it was like to be there on the day. Well here is the link for the slideshow:-

Click here for slideshow of Claire and Nigel's wedding

The Meal and Speeches

The speeches can be a great time for informal photography. The day is in mid-flow, the nervous parts of the day are over - well for some at least - and people are generally much more relaxed. In many weddings the photography stops when the meal starts, it is the traditional divide that signals the end of the day for the photographer. I normally stay through to just after the end of the meal. It means a few more hours but I find photographs during the speeches in particular - of the guests and the bridal party - can make some fantastic pictures.

Here are some of my favourites:-


(above) This is a candid potrait of a bridesmaid taken during the meal. There is something about this picture in black and white that I like.


A classic reaction picture. The bride is holding her hands at some youthful story told by her dad!


This shot makes for a relaxed picture. It was during the speech by the best man.


One of those 'corker' moments - when I believe the best man came out with a great line. Being in the right place at the right time is key to getting these shots.


Again, a candid portrait. This is the bride's mother at the table.

Samantha Hook Weddings

Today marks the start of new month and a new venture. I have been working with another photographer in Newark (Samantha Hook) for the past 6 months and from this month onwards we are business partners.

It has been a real privilege working with Samantha and I have really enjoyed having another professional to work alongside. We are both professional wedding photographers and separately moved to Newark about 2 years ago. Samantha gets on well with my wife, Janet, whom she met at the gym, LA Fitness in Newark. After several coffees and chats it made sense to join forces.

We have done about 6 weddings together and we work well as a team. This means that we can share some of the costs - marketing and overheads - and can also offer couples the option of two professional photographers at the same wedding. This means we can capture formal and informal shots at the same time. Samantha can spend a bit more time with the girls whilst I spend some time with the boys, and so forth. We make a good combination and this makes for some great pictures.

It also means we can help each other for creative development and help make better business decisions. This is all great news for our customers, as this means they have the benefit of a larger and stronger business - but we are still small enough to remain personal and friendly. We cover weddings all across the East Midlands and will go further afield also.

Here is a link to a slideshow for a wedding we did together in December last year. The wedding was Rachel and Matt. They were married in Nottingham and had their reception in Southwell.

Click here for slideshow for Rachel and Matt

Black 'n White

Many couples say they prefer black and white pictures. Of course everyone wants to have certain pictures in colour, but there is something about black and white that has wide appeal. Somehow the picture has a more creative feel when there is no colour - you are drawn to the shape, mood and texture of the picture - there is simply so much more emotion.

Here are a few pictures:-


(Above) This is a very simple pose - but I love the expressions. I prefer this picture in black and white, it just seems to work better for me.


I like this picture in black and white - my eye is drawn to the veil and the outline of her dress. The black and white texture gives a greater sense of beauty.


The bride loved her shoes, they were the highlight of the day! The texture and grain in this picture, aided by the soft light, makes the picture work.


This is a classic black and white picture, using natural light and strong shadows to create added depth and appeal.


Soft window light helps to make this a simple yet beautiful image, which is aided by the gentle black and white tones.

The Bride and Groom

The highlight at a wedding for me is the bride and groom together - the day is a celebration of their commitment and love for each other. Every couple, and every wedding therefore, is different. My personal aim at a wedding is to capture these moments. Reportage photography does not do everything here - as I find the bride and groom do not naturally spend a lot of time together on their wedding day, because there is so much going on and so many guests. So I try and spend a little time at every wedding with the bride and groom to get some lasting pictures of them. Here are a few, some are reportage photographs and some are posed:-


(Above) This is a posed portrait. It was taken towards the end of the day and I asked the bride and groom to go to the top of the stairs and then look down at me. I think it makes for a really nice relaxed picture.


This was a completely candid moment caught from some distance during the wedding service. The couple had a fleeting kiss which I caught on camera. The slight movement is because there was so little natural light that I had to use a slow shutter speed.


This was a set piece picture. I had asked the guests to form a tunnel for the bride and groom to walk through whilst people threw confetti. The picture makes for a great scene that is not too formal and captures some great expressions.


This is also a posed shot, taken at the end of the day - it was dark outside and the only light was from an overhead outside lamp. I like the embrace and the natural expressions, and it is not too cheesy either - it makes me think of a young couple in love.


I love this shot. It is slightly set up - in that I asked the bride and groom to walk down the path from the church together, but the expression between them is completely natural. It has an innocent, 'young love' feel about it - it just seems to capture the moment, and the day.

Newark Wedding - Sarah & Darren

Sarah and Darren were married in December 2006 in Normanton and they held their reception at Newark Town Hall, above the Buttermarket. The main photographer at the wedding was Samantha Hook and I worked with her to provide some additional reportage photographs. Samantha is a great photographer and we get on really well (from April this year Samantha and I will be working together). Newark town hall is lovely inside, as you can see below. I met Sarah and Darren a few weeks ago. They are a lovely couple and Samantha and I had a great time taking their photographs.

Here are some of the pictures:-


(Above) this is inside Newark Town Hall. The decor and the layout for the room is beautiful, a lovely setting for a wedding.


Some friends taking pictures outside the church. I love the expressions.


This is a completely candid moment - the bride was not aware I was taking this picture.


This photograph was taken by Samantha. It was almost the last picture of the day, taken right at the end of the evening. It was one of those pictures where you say "shall we try this" - what a great result, this is a stunning picture.


This is a candid picture of the bride walking into church and shows off her lovely wedding dress.

Grooms

So let's take a look at photographs of the grooms. This requires some reportage wedding photography and some more natural poses. The main focus of a wedding is of course the bride, in her beautiful dress, but it is also a special day for the groom. Taking pictures of the groom tends to vary according to the groom and the setting. Some are more relaxed in front of the camera and some less so. The skill of the photographer is being able to adjust accordingly. You will see all of the pictures selected are black & white - they just seem to work better with grooms.

Here are a few pictures:-


(Above) This is a simple and common wedding picture, but if taken right it still makes for a nice picture. The key is in the expressions, which in turn is linked to the timing of the picture and the way it is taken. This picture was taken during the drinks reception, when everyone was feeling rather jolly, as you can see.


This composition normally makes for a good picture. It is a posed picture but the main element is the expression of the groom.


Walking shots of the groom and the groomsmen is a favourite shot these days, perhaps too much so. But they can still make for a nice relaxed shot of the 'walking to church' story - and this case walking from the pub!


I like this simple portrait. The use of the nearby wall and the shallow focus adds depth to the picture. The sepia look provides a degree of grit and texture to the image.


This is a simple but effective portrait. Whilst it is obviously a wedding photograph, of the groom waiting at the church for his bride, it nonetheless makes for a nice portrait. In years to come the groom - and his wife - can marvel at how slim he was on his wedding day!

Traditional or contemporary?

Are you better going for traditional wedding photographs or reportage wedding photography? The answer to this question depends upon a number of things. The typical cost for traditional wedding photographs will be around £800 to £1,500, depending upon the photographer and the package. You will get a limited number of very well taken and well presented photographs. The people in the pictures will be you but the setting and the type of picture will be a familiar format. So if you just want a few traditional wedding photographs and your budget is within this range, then traditional may well be for you.

If traditional wedding photographs are not your thing, if you really want a selection of natural pictures from you wedding day, along with some more formal pictures, then you need to do something else. However, the cost for good quality contemporary photography is more - and typically you should expect to pay at least £1,500. The reason is quite simple, the task is much more involved, a photographer will only do 1 wedding on a day, he or she will be taking many more photographs, and therefore the albums tend to be fuller - and this all means higher cost. You pays your money and takes your choice.

Be wary of packages at low prices offering natural photography. There is a huge difference between quality natural photographs and snaps. One of the regrettable features of the current trend towards natural photography and the abundance of good quality digital cameras is that taking snaps has never been easier - but snaps do not make timeless memories from your wedding day - they just make snaps.

Here are a few photographs that caught my eye:-


(Above) This image was taken with an ultra wide lens - then lens alone costs £1,500 to purchase. I saw the composition of the best man (who looks like the groom in this picture) and the bridesmaids waiting by the door of the church. I realised the lighting and the composition, combined with this extreme wide angle lens, would make a good shot. It is not a 'snap', that is for sure.


This image was taken without flash in what was a relatively dark church, although I know it looks well lit. I used a special lens that lets a large amount of light into the camera - again this lens costs some £1,000 to purchase - so that I could take the picture without camera shake and without a tripod. The quality of the lens means the picture is sharp and rich in colours. The composition provides a balanced picture. It captures a special moment in a special way.


This was a set piece photograph. Set piece in that the walking was done only for the camera - but they still had fun doing it. It makes for a great, relaxed shot. I used a professional zoom lens for this picture, so I could adjust the lens as the group walked closer to me. The difference between a professional zoom lens and one you might buy in the high street is the sharpness of the image and the focusing speed. This is also a £1,000 lens.


There is much more to this picture than you might think. I was doing this wedding with Samantha Hook Weddings, so there were two professional photographers - Samantha Hook and me. Samantha was setting up a formal shot of the the boys and during the set up they were having a laugh and some fun. Whilst Samantha was busy setting up the formal shot I was able to focus on the boys having fun. The lens is again high quality and hence the sharp focus on the groom and the feeling of depth in the picture. This is another £1,000 lens, but different from the ones above.


This is a slightly different group shot. I was standing on the church wall for this picture - only about 4 feet from the bride and groom, although it looks further - and had arranged the group and the bride and groom. I was using the same extreme wide angle lens mentioned to above.

Pictures that inspire me

I love photographs. Reportage wedding photography has the ability to capture life and make it seemingly immortal - a small treasure of moments now past yet still alive in our memories. They bring back times and thoughts that we had long forgotten - but when remembered they bring a cheer and a smile to our faces. Such is the power of photography.

Photography is, therefore, a subjective matter - what inspires one person may do little for another. Yet, there are certain photographs that transcend this barrier and have universal appeal - beyond the people who are directly involved in the photographs.

I used to think the art of photography was the ability to capture great moments, to be in the right place at the right time: to be there when there is a great sunset or a shaft of light coming through the woods, illuminating a flower within the undergrowth. I then found there is another side to photography, the ability to look at normal, everyday situations and to create something timeless. This is what I love most about photography, to use creativity to convey the best from what is around us.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures:-


(above) I took this picture through the door window of the wedding car, and hence the reflections. The picture has an expectant look - a "I'm just getting married!" look.


I often find that flowers look great in real life but rarely make good pictures. This in an exception, for me at least. I find the contrast in colours and the sharpness of the picture very appealing.


This is a very simple but effective picture. The bride's figure is beautifully shown in a straightforward composition, with the holding of hands the main point of focus.


Children can make great subjects - and that is certainly the case here. These two children were more than a handful at the wedding and this is a rare moment caught on film.


A candid moment - but the beauty of the bride is stunning. The soft colours and focus add to the appeal of the picture, giving it a natural feel and attraction.

Brides

One of the great things about being a wedding photographer is the chance to take pictures of brides. Reportage wedding photography means that you can take many more natural pictures than with a traditional approach. A wedding is of course about many things but most people would agree that the centre of attention, and quite rightly, is the bride, as she is given away in marriage to her husband. It is a beautiful sight and a privilege to take the photographs. Well, that is what I think anyway.

So here are a few pictures of some of the brides that I have photographed:-


(above) I love this black and white image. It was taken a few years ago with window light only. I used a high grain film to provide the textured look.


I know this picture includes the groom, but the bride looks fantastic.


This is a candid moment, just after the service. The bride did not know I had taken this picture. Her expression is great, with people in the distance looking on.


This was also a candid moment, later in the day and a different wedding. The bride was blowing some bubbles - a perfect moment to catch on film.


This is the same bride from above. She looked stunning and this was a relaxed pose for the camera.

Wedding Portraiture

The current trend for reportage wedding photography has meant a decline in the call for good quality, and perhaps old fashioned, wedding portraiture. I think this is a shame. Many of my best pictures are portraits - not stiff, rigid poses, but modern and contemporary photographs. What I am trying to say - and perhaps not very well - is there is still a need for well composed wedding portraits. A few well-taken photographs will outweigh several hundred snaps.

Here are some of my favourite wedding portraits:-


(above) Everyone loves to see a picture of a beautiful bride and it is always nice to capture some full length photographs of the bride.


A traditional bride and groom photograph may seem a little uninspiring but I think they can make really nice pictures, if taken well.


I call this a walking portrait. I had asked the bride and groom to take a stroll and captured them in mid-action. The picture looks like a reportage photograph, partly because of the black and white texture, but it is a portrait.


A casual looking portrait of the bride and groom. I was about 50 yards away with a long range lens. This meant that I was not so "in their face" and helps to create a more relaxed wedding photograph.

Reportage Photography

Many bridal couples ask for reportage photography today. The term reportage is used to describe photographs that are natural and capture events as they unfold. People have become rather fed up with only traditional poses and want to remember more from their day - they want to remember the emotions and atmosphere from the day, the details and the moments which can become so easily missed and forgotten.

Reportage photography is a skill rather than just a photographic technique. It is much more than snaps. It is about capturing natural moments in a creative way, not just taking a picture of what is around you. If you have a look at various photographs, you will see the difference between "snapography" and reportage photography. The trick with reportage photography is to be able to capture photographs without too much intervention but in manner than still makes it a great photograph, not just a snap - and this is harder than you might think.

Here are a few reportage photographs:-


(Above) This photograph was a candid moment that the bride had no memory about. As she looked in surprise, I was able to take the photograph with the groom just behind her. I could not have set up this picture, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.


This is one of my favourite pictures, a true reportage photograph. As the bride and groom entered the reception, I moved my camera to follow them and took a picture in mid-action. I knew the moment would happen, it was a case of making sure I was in the right place when it did.


The lady clearly knew I was taking this photograph but it is still a reportage picture, as it is capturing the event and tells part of the story. It brings back the memory of all those ballons!


The framing of this picture works best for me and the glance by the groom to his new bride. The black and white texture also adds to the picture.


The classic picture of the bridal party walking to church. I really love this picture. The glances from the bride and father of the bride makes we wonder what they would have been thinking - one looks like he is enjoying a very proud moment and the other seems a little nervous, glancing down to check all is okay. Who knows really, but I still really love this picture. It tells a lovely story.

Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire

Here are some pictures from a recent wedding at Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire. I shot this wedding in conjunction with Samantha Hook Weddings. I get on really well with Samantha and she takes some lovely pictures, and so it was great to shoot this wedding with her. The whole wedding, service and reception, was at Colwick Hall, on Saturday 6th January 2007.

I also ended up providing another service - Alison (the bride) has a dog and she wanted to find a local dog sitter. My wife received a call the week before the wedding from Alison's mum - neither of us knew each other at this point - and it soon transpired that i was taking the wedding pictures. So, they received an extra picture of "misty moments", who took a fancy to one of our dogs, Jamie. So we nearly had two romances.

Here are a few pictures:-


(Above) Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire is such a great venue to get married. This room is simply wonderful.


A very typical picture of the bride!


I really like this picture. It is a candid moment caught during the marriage service, just about to kiss the bride. The clapping hand in the left of frame helps to frame the moment. There was no flash, just natural light.


A nice picture of the bride and groom. I call this a modern pose - perhaps it is not modern but it has a modern feel to it!


Often the boys pictures can be rather formal, catching them when they are having a joke can be much better. This is a candid moment of the groom having a chat with his mates. The chap in the foreground and distance help to give this picture some depth.


Here is the picture of "Misty Moments" (in white) with her new but rather reluctant boyfriend.

Welcome

Hi and welcome to my blog. First, a few brief details:-

I am married with four daughters and I am just about south of 40, but not for long. I live in Newark, Nottinghamshire. I provide wedding photography across the East Midlands and further afield.

My style of photography is natural and relaxed. I like to capture pictures with style and impact. I think pictures should convey emotion and invoke a response from the viewer. This can be achieved with creative style or sentimental appeal. This may involve reportage photography or created poses.

I provide a contemporary approach to wedding photography, including reportage wedding photography and a fresh approach to portraits. My main focus is to capture the expression and atmosphere from the day, whether I am taking portraits or reportage pictures. I mainly work in Nottinghamshire but I also cover weddings in Lincolnshire and further afield.

Here are just a few:-


(Above) I like this picture because of the delicate colours and the simple composition. The picture holds my attention for ages as i look at the texture of the petals and soft colours.


I like this picture of Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire, because it is such a great room. It is a wonderful setting to get married. The side windows let in so much daylight, which is beautifully captured by the decor.


This is a couple madly in love, just about to be declared "husband and wife". The wedding was in Lincolnshire in 2006. It was a candid moment and is portrayed in simple black & white. There was no flash used, just available light in the church.

Dogs

Okay, this one has nothing to do with wedding photography. These are a few pictures of our dogs. We have 4 small dogs, 2 are Kings Charles Caviler Spaniels and we have 2 poodles. They are all very sweet. Here are a few pictures:-


(above) - Dogs can have such great expressions. I love this curious look.


This is our newest edition - she was only a few weeks old here.


And she is a bit older here.


This is Jamie, our eldest dog, in his favourite location, sleeping on the sofa.