Bess & Jack's pre-wedding photoshoot at Christchurch in Wimbledon

"The most wasted of days is one without laughter" (E E Cummings)

I met Bess in a pub in Clapham to discuss her wedding day and to run through the timings, planing and ideas that she had generally and what she was looking for from me as a wedding photographer.  A couple of glasses of wine later and a lot of laughter we were marginally closer to forming a wedding plan.  (We had also hatched lots of other plans such as starting a POD to make sociable guerrilla bags, making cycle clothing and designing logos!!)

I first met Bess' fiance, Jack, at Christchurch in Wimbledon when he and Bess had come for their pre-wedding shoot (or engagement shoot as they are more commonly known).  Jack and Bess areare instantly likeable and the kind of people that make you feel completely at ease.  It felt like I had spent more time laughing than taking photographs.  I just love my job as a portrait and wedding photographer! 

Engagement photographs are a great idea for camera shy people or when timings are tight on the day as there is time to run through different couple's poses in a relaxed environment.  It also meant that Bess and Jack can see what works for them and how they want their wedding pictures to look on the day without taking them away from their guests for too long.  The engagement pictures can also be used on the wedding day as decorations, for example as the cover of the guest book or a framed photograph for all the guests to sign.

A pre-wedding shoot at the church is also a great opportunity to meet the vicar to check any church rules and how the service is to run so we can plan the church photographs.

The full selection of poses, from the more traditional styles to some funky ones involving gargoyles (!!) is here. 

I'm not the center of the universe!!?!

"To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom." 

Bertrand Russell

The thought of photographing strangers on the street has always terrified me.  I have looked at professional travel photography with awe, thinking that I'll never have the confidence to photograph people that I don't know.  Steve McCurry's 'Afghan Girl' is always the portrait that springs to mind when I think of such photographs and how far I am from being that kind of photographer.

So when I saw a tweet from Digital Photographer magazine asking if anyone wanted a street photography tutorial, I jumped at the chance.  As I was waiting for Carlo (my tutor from The Round Peg) and Claire from DP magazine to turn up, the realisation of becoming a London Street Photographer for the afternoon dawned on me and I thought about doing a runner!!

When Carlo and Claire arrived, they were so nice I couldn't think about leaving (also they had wedged me in, so I would have had to leap frog one of them!). We spent the first half an hour discussing some of the theoretical side, such as the legal position and image rights.  In short (and having trained as a lawyer, this does not come easily to me) it seems (another lawyer favourite: never commit to anything) photographing people on the street is permitted as long as it is not for an excluded reason, such as for commercial photography purposes or it amounts to harassment.  There is a great article on Siromo Photo's website here that summarises the law.  Although from a bit of research it seems that the UK courts are taking a slightly more relaxed stance to the European Courts, and so we may see a shift in the UK towards furthering an individual's right to privacy.

Carlo gave me loads of other great tips (which you'll have to go on his course to discover!), but the main ones were really to smile and not to think that everyone is looking at me.  He pointed out that I am not the center of the universe (errr what!?!) and that most people hadn't even noticed me taking their portrait.

There was one situation where the people being photographed got a little angry (see the picture of the nice man putting his finger up at me!) but generally people were more amused than anything.  The people that noticed that I was photographing them, smiled or gave me quizzical looks; some thought they were in my way, so quickly moved.  I had a great time as a street photographer.  It is easy to capture relaxed and interesting photographs in London as there is such variety in people, places and attitudes.  

I got to put my training into action at the Balham Street Festival.... more to come on that in the future blogs....

Joss and Ed's wedding photographs

What can I say?  This was such a magical day and so lovely of Joss to ask me to photograph her wedding in Guildford, Surrey.  Joss spent the day telling her guests that we used to play post offices when we were little.  I'm terribly embarrassed that she remembers, because I was pretty strict about my post office and not letting anything get out of order.

I hadn't seen Joss for about 20 years (when we last played post offices!) and she had changed a little.  Aside from being taller (!), she was the most beautiful bride and so easy to photograph.  Joss and Ed got married in Guildford Registry Office which is a lovely little venue, with great light falling in through the window onto the bride and groom to help make the wedding album look even better.  

The day began with a couple of hiccups: the hairdresser missed her train, so off I dashed in the car to grab her, and bride's brother getting locked in the car and an emergency rescue mission being launched (i.e. his mum dashing back to unlock said car and whisk him back to the waiting registrar and bridal party).  But other than that, the day went smoothly.

The wedding breakfast was held at Gate Street Barn wedding venue in Bramley.  The Barn is tucked in the Surrey hills to give a very intimate feel, but with enough space to take lovely relaxed wedding photographs.  Fortunately, I grew up in the area so was able to be a Guildford Wedding Photographer for the day without getting totally lost on the lanes that aren't even on the map!!!

So as usual, I've posted a selection of the Guildford wedding photographs above, but the full album is here.

Wedding photography at All Saints Church, Putney and the Star & Garter

Juliet and Guy's wedding was superb and I hope you can get a glimpse of that from the wedding photographs.  This is just a tiny selection; the full set are here.  It began with the preparations at Juliet's parents' house in Putney, before moving to All Saints Church on Putney Common.  The weather was beautiful, Juliet looked lovely, and the champagne flowed.  The service was give by Revd Chris Eyden.  It was a really interesting service about the symbolism of hands in marriage.  Revd Eyden talked about the exchange of rings to be worn on the ring finger of the left hand.  The reason, he explained, was that traditionally the right hand was the stronger, fighting hand, and the middle finger is the strongest, the pinkie is the weakest, the wedding ring sits in between the two.  Revd Eyden suggested this might be to symbolise the protection that marriage can bring and the strength your partner can give you when you are at your weakest.  What a lovely and comforting thought.

Interestingly, there is some disagreement about which hand the wedding rings should be worn.  The belief that the ring should be worn on the left hand can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times.  Egyptians represented eternity with the sign of a circle, and they chose the left ring finger as they believed that the vein came straight from the heart and was therefore known as the 'vein of love'.  This belief then seems to have been adopted through the ancient Greek times to current times as we know them.

Way back when the symbolism began, the ring would have been made out of reeds, or other biodegradable material.  It wasn't until much later that precious metals were used.  Interestingly Irish folklore says that it is bad luck to have a wedding ring made of anything but gold.  So remember that one girls, when he tries to give you a Haribo ring instead!!!

The wedding breakfast was then held at the Star and Garter in Putney.  What a fab location!!  It is right on the river, with a beautiful room and lovely staff (who went out of their way to find me some delicious grub!)