What is your most memorable wedding?
All our weddings have been memorable and special for all sorts of different reasons. Three which particularly stand out are Emma & Andy's wedding who we photographed on the shores of Lake Windermere. More spectacular still was Lisa & Alex, who commissioned us to travel all the way down to South West France to photograph them in an 18th Century Chateau. However, perhaps the best was David & Eleanor's wedding who we photographed in a beautiful, small church in the Cotswolds. They were fantastic fun whose families were so friendly and helpful they made us feel like long lost friends. Being made to feel so welcome makes our work so much more of a pleasure than a job inspiring us even more to create a beautiful collection of photographs for them. Eleanor works as a railways signalling engineer and wrote to me afterwards to tell me that even her toughest railwaymen colleagues were brought to tears by the photographs we created for her. She said we more than exceeded her ludicrously wild expectations! She added that it just couldn't get better than that!
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Relaxed; Fun; Unobtrusive; Helpful; Empathetic.
What about your business are you most proud of?
Creating a collection of wedding photographs where our client's immediately feel transported back to all the emotion and excitement of their Big Day.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Research and Book your Wedding Photographer as soon as possible. The best photographers will always be booked well in advance. Choose a photographer who is very experienced and someone you feel you can trust. Bear in mind that price isn't everything. Ask to see examples of complete photography collections they have shot of a single wedding as well as their 'best shot' portfolio's. You will get a much better idea of their style and ability.
Why not take a look at our sample video slide shows uploaded to Bridebook. We create this short, personalised video slide show, personalise it and set it to music. They always feature a small cross section of the photographs we create put together as a story of a wedding day. Its a great way of getting an idea of how we like to photograph weddings...
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
Very hard to say. I have seen so many!
Describe your typical process with a couple.
Once a couple has asked to meet me, I like to arrange somewhere informal (such as a Coffee House) so it can be friendly and informal and most importantly free and without obligation. I like them to lead the conversation and chat through their plans for their wedding day; most importantly find out what kind of photography coverage they would like. I always take a couple of physical wedding books
What is the No. 1 photo that you think every couple should take?
Without doubt, the moment when the bridal couple look into each others eyes at the begininng of their Ceremony
What is the most original photo you’ve been asked to take at a wedding?
The venue for the Reception had a luxury Swimming Pool - our couple asked me to photograph them all around the poolside area.
What do you recommend for a rainy day wedding?
As experienced wedding photographers in Britain, I always plan for rainy day weddings - especially for Autumn and Winter Weddings. Using additional studio style lighting, I can still create wonderful photographs indoors.
Describe how you got into photography.
It sounds like an obvious cliche but in my case, it is true to say that photography has always been in my blood. I first picked up a camera when I was just 14 years old.
I continued my formal photographic education at th age of 19 at the esteemed Blackpool College of Art and turned pro at the age of 22.
Since then, I have never stopped working in the industry. My profession has, over the years, given me opportunities and experiences I could never have imagined. From working in the Ministry of Defence photographing all sorts of weird things military in the west of Scotland; to running my own photography studio in London; to working all over the Caribbean, Scandinavia, Russia, South Africa; the West Coast of America, Hawaii and Alaska, to running my business in Berkshire, I owe it all to my love of photography.