Peter Davin Photography

Shoreditch in Central London. The bride and groom decided to walk between venues through Liverpool St to their reception at the Gherkin, St Marys Axe. They need a quick loo stop on the way so popped into a restaurant. I decided to scout the area for a good shot and was behind Heron Tower now the Salesforce Tower. I was quickly approached by security and had to explain what I was doing. Whilst getting collared the Bride and Groom returned and the security guard turned around and invited us up to a balcony floor in the building. The building was just a shell of pipes and concrete then with a huge door that you stepped out onto a balcony looking down on the Gherkin building and taking in a breathtaking scene of London at night. That was unforgettable.

Hard-working, fun, fast, respectful, unobtrusive

The fun I've had with some great people. Letting me be a part of their day, it's an amazing feeling.

It's not so much a planning tip but the best bit of advice I could give is take your time and look around you.

Take in the day, breathe it in, it will go so fast.

Small Japanese toy favours at a Japanese wedding I photographed in Russell Square.

When an enquiry comes in we have a chat on the phone to see what you require and when.

We'll then organise a time to meet that suits you best. Usually this can involve meeting after work in a bar or cafe, somewhere quiet that we can chat. If all's good we then arrange a time to visit the venue or venues with yourselves so that we can foresee any possible issues and look for the best angles and put together a rainy day plan. I'm then always available for advice or if there's an idea that you'd like to discuss up until the day.

On the day, I arrive an hour early to make sure everything is going to plan.

Then the fun starts and I accompany you through your day with as little intrusion as possible.

When I return I back up all the images that evening or early morning depending when I get home.

The next 2 days are spent editing the images and then they are uploaded onto my website on a secure page for you to view.

At this stage you can let me know if there are any images you don't wish anyone to see .

Once you're happy with the pictures then they are accessible to everyone you wish to view.

A set of 7x5 prints with a key line border are then produced and the images put onto a disk in colour and black and white for you to reprint.

This is all collated into a presentation box.

We then arrange a time suitable to yourselves to meet up and hand over the prints and images.

I then wish you the very best for your future together.

I genuinely believe that every wedding is unique and don't agree with having one shot everyone should take. Be original and spontaneous.

The most original photo I've taken would be a shot of Sri Lankan traditional dancers leaping and somersaulting down the aisle of the magnificent Painted Hall at the Old naval college Greenwich.

A large white brolly and wellies if it's that bad!

I originally trained as a Graphic Designer but found taking pictures a lot quicker than drawing them.

After a period travelling through India I returned to London and was fortunate to get work in a central London Darkroom working with professional photographers. It was a time before digital so I learnt a lot of my skills through traditional techniques in film and print. Working in this environment I felt I'd like to have a go at this, so I did. 10 years later and although photography has digitised, learning the traditional way of photography was in invaluable lesson and one I look back on with fondness.