Dirty Dancing….nobody puts baby in a corner!
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The Beach with Lien-ardo DiCaprio
Here are a few shots from Graham & Lien’s wedding at Lusty Glaze in Cornwall. And as you can see ‘fun’ was the order of the day 
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Reportage vs Traditional – How do you want yours?
Ahh the good old ‘vs’ battle has raged for many years now, PC vs Mac, Canon vs Nikon, Xbox vs PS3, Daddy vs Chips!
The wedding photography industry is no different with the two contenders being, simply put, “how would you like your wedding to be photographed”?
In the red corner we have the ‘traditional’ style. This involves a more formal style of photography whereby images are created by the photographer by giving direction to the couple.
In the blue corner is the new kid on the block, the ‘reportage’ style. This style, also known as ‘photojournalism’ involves little or no intervention from the photographer, they simply catch what is going on at the time without getting directly involved.
Since the advent of digital cameras the wedding photography industry has evolved beyond recognition. It wasn’t that long ago that a wedding album would compromise of a set of ‘posed’ shots of the bride and groom standing in line with their family and guests and the odd ‘reportage’ shot thrown in for good measure.
Digital cameras however provided the photographer with the freedom to record the wedding without the constraints of worrying about how many rolls of film they were carrying in their camera bag. This allowed for a new way of thinking and a completely different approach to wedding photography, allowing the whole wedding to be captured and thus tell a complete story of the day.
Many photographers now advertise themselves as ‘reportage’ photographers and I myself love this style of photography as it captures the essence and emotions of the day. However I believe that there is still a place for the traditional images and I’ll tell you why.
Your wedding day is probably going to be the most amazing and memorable day of your life (with the exception of having a baby). You will have spent a small fortune on your venue, hair, makeup, dress, suits, rings, car etc and will both be looking a million dollars! Why then not spend some time creating stunning and romantic images of you both together, in the best way possible, on your best day ever?!
The amount of time spent on these images is entirely up to you but usually only takes about 15-20 minutes, making the best use of your venue and lighting etc. It is also a great way for you both to take a breather after the excitement and emotions of the ceremony and enjoy some time alone together to take it all in.
These images are then blended in perfectly with your reportage photos so you have a complete story of your day. 
You’re having a laugh!
If I did have a ‘Mission Statement’ I suppose it would say something along the lines of “make sure everyone has fun”.
My goal is of course to provide my clients with stunning images that not only tell the story of their day but include all of the excitement and emotions as well.
However, my ‘mission’ is always to make sure that you, your family, your guests, the venue, caterers, driver, videographer, dj, everyone, has a fun and positive experience from meeting me.
That means listening to what you want and how you want it, always being friendly and polite, always being punctual, understanding everyone elses needs, working with everyone else, communicating effectively, being professional, and last but by no means least enjoying myself. That bit’s easy as I love what I do and that buzz shines through in the photos I take.
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The Best Man’s reaction – Priceless!!
This has to be one of my favourite photos of the 2011 season.
The look between the couple tells you all you need to know about how they feel for each other, the proud father in the background looking upon his son, and the reaction of the Best Man……..priceless!!
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The Commitments 20th Anniversary Gig – The o2 – Dublin
This was one of the livelier Photo shoots I did for Blues & Soul this year.
It was the day after St Paddy’s, Ireland had just stuffed us in the Rugby and The Commitments were doing a reunion gig after 20 years in the city where it all began, Dublin.
I have never experienced such an incredible buzz anywhere, ever!
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The road to becoming a wedding photographer
There are undoubtedly a multitude of routes and opportunities for becoming a wedding or portrait photographer. This account is therefore based solely on my experience, and for me the reason for becoming a successful photographer is due to one person and one person alone, and her name is Jenny Tremlett.
It was many years ago that my wife dragged me to a wedding for one of her work colleagues. I was adamant I wasn’t going as I was basically the +1 and wouldn’t know anyone else attending, but after much ‘discussion’ I agreed to go along.
As soon as we arrived at the ceremony I recognised the photographer (Jenny) who had been a very good friend of mine from years back but we’d lost touch. We quickly got chatting and Jenny allowed me to chaperone her for the rest of the day, explaining what she was doing as she went along. It was like a light bulb going off in my head as I realised that this was what I was meant to do.
I’ve always had a passion for photography and had done the occasional wedding for friends and family, but it’s thanks to Jenny that she took me under her wing and showed me not just the technical aspects of wedding photography but the in’s and out’s of running a business successfully.
It was her ability to mentor me in all aspects of the business that allowed me to develop and gain the confidence to eventually strike out in business for myself. In tandem with this I was reading every single magazine article, book and publication I could get my hands on. Attending every training session and conference going, and even paying for specialist 1:1 training with some of the world’s best wedding photographers. But it was Jenny’s guidance and training that built the foundation from which my business grew.
All of this was twinned with my total passion for photography. The buzz of creating images which can move people to tears (in a good way!) is something I strive for and it is that passion that drives me to excel every time I pick up a camera.
I am also very lucky to have such an understanding wife who puts up with my compulsion enthusiasm. I am always looking for the perfect shot (in everything), whether that’s going to the beach for the day or simply food shopping in town. There’s a photo to be had everywhere! I imagine I can get quite frustrating at times but she loves that I love it!
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Professional Studio Photography – what’s it all about?
I have a lot of sympathy for the ‘High Street’ portrait studios. In the current economic climate they have a hard job of convincing customers to part with their hard earned money for a simple photograph in an age when it seems that everyone owns a digital camera.
However there is nothing simple about a photo taken in a professional studio setup and add in the cost of wages, equipment and rent it’s easy to see the pressure they are under.
Many of my clients previous experiences with these studios is thus unfortunately one of disappointment as they are rushed in and out at their alloted time and presented with whatever results the studio has captured.
I think the reason my portable studio business has been so successful is because I don’t have the time constraints of a typical studio. My portrait sessions are booked by the hour and the length of time is up to you. This is particularly useful for baby photography when little Charlie decides to throw a paddy at the first sight of a camera. We simply take a break, have a cup of tea whilst Jnr has a feed or a cuddle and off we go again, all smiles and laughter.
The studio can be set up in as little as 10ft x 10ft so you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home. Plus you get every image taken during the session on DVD.
I mentioned earlier how there was nothing easy about professional studio photography. The images above were shot using 5 seperate strobes (1 main light, 1 fill light, 1 hair light and 2 background lights) all of which have to be calibrated and positioned correctly. There is nothing easy about studio photography! Then again there is nothing quite like the results.
BTW these shots also required the bribery of a mini Milky Way bar!
Singing in the Rain – Gene Kelly eat your heart out…
Believe it or not this shot is completely unposed. Taken on a stormy Saturday in July at Nonsuch Mansion in Surrey, we were dashing in and out of the reception at the mercy of the British weather.
During one foray in to the gardens we were caught out by an extremely heavy downpour and were thankfully rescued by the chief bridesmaid who ran out with a couple of umbrellas for the couple.
I was making a dash for the Mansion when Joe (the groom) decided rather spontaneously to do a Gene Kelly impersonation. It was a one-time-only affair and thankfully I had my 70-200mm to hand to capture the moment perfectly.
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