"Standing a few feet away from Ben while he performed his groom’s due diligence with the best men, I was amazed at his coolness when it transpired the wedding rings had been left at the hotel..."
Read moreA fly on the wall for Marriot Hotels
For a photographer who is at his most stimulated when shooting people, the opportunity to float around the periphery of a bunch of people who totally ignore you is manna from heaven...
Read moreHappy Christmas memories, and not a mask in sight...
"... It doesn’t take much to figure out I relish working in low light. A flick through the blog posts and portfolio reveals the majority of content in shadows or lamp-lit rooms - the intention to emphasise atmosphere and feeling - key elements of any wedding day..."
Read moreWedding photography at Kew Gardens
“… This wedding was a blast t shoot. Great summer light, a lovely and fun group of people, and a wonderfully happy married couple who just went with any small changes to the plan, not letting it get in the way of savouring the day. Bloody good for them…”
Read moreEngagement photography in Paris...
“… I don’t like to over plan any day of photography; an approximate outline with plenty of room to breathe is my preferred MO and it’s usually the same for those who employ me…”
Read moreWedding photography at Fetcham Park...
"Whether in her traditional Chinese dress during the morning, or in her wedding dress, she was the epitome of a calm and happy bride, savouring the company of family and friends..."
Read moreThrough the lens: The Bedeken...
... I didn’t reveal to them just how nervous I was to get this right. Capturing the tone of such a personal family time can be tricky. Get this wrong and you’ll stick out, get it right and you have a little bit of gold, the significance of which galvanises over time.
Read moreSocial Media Holdout? Too right.
"But post a tweet, and everyone knows what you’re doing at that moment: idly looking at a screen, chasing after notice... "
Read moreWedding photography at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel...
"With drinks over, I shadowed the wedding party all the way to check-in for Paris..."
Read moreWedding photography at Fulham Palace
I distinctly recall Christina’s tone. It was almost cautious. “The chapel will be candlelit," she said. "Will that work?”. Of course it would...
Read moreWedding Photography at Kew Gardens...
"Jana is my new crazy Brazilian friend. Why crazy? Together with Rob, she lives in California, but this couple braved cool, festive London drizzle for their big day. Anybody’s definition of bonkers, surely..."
Read moreFrom the archive... #26
"I'm also sure I overheard one of the service staff suggesting he should just have water - because he'll easily be able to turn it into wine..."
Read moreWedding photography at The Dorchester...
"Shooting a small wedding party is always enjoyable, but it was a real thrill be spend some time in the top floor penthouse suite at The Dorchester..."
Read moreFrom the archive... #24
I love that the Sydney Opera House is something you always see from the side and at first glance appears to be one building (not so). So come Tom & Kim's wedding day, during a warm Aussie Easter, it was nice to try and portray the sheer scale of this spectacular building.
Designed by Dane, Jorn Utzon, in the 1950's, and opened in 1973, it comprises numerous huge pre-cast 'shells' (in some cases over 75m high) and covered by over one million tiles, dominating Circular Quay in central Sydney. I'll feature the wedding at a later date, but for now I really like this alternative view of a world famous landmark, with the happy couple giving it some scale.
For me this wedding was unique... much more about that soon...
Wedding photography at The ICA, London
I love The ICA. It’s a crisp, clean canvass on which to paint. Shelley and Alex obviously felt the same because their extremely laid-back wedding could easily be pictured in the Oxford English Dictionary under “cool”.
At every pre-wedding meeting, we would usually spend about 45 minutes chatting about stuff in general - then fill the last 10% of our time actually speaking about ideas and timings for their day! These guys are stylish: their main brief was that there was no brief.
After half an hour or so at the stunning St Martin’s Lane Hotel shooting the preparations it was a short walk across to the ICA in Carlton House Terrace to catch up with Alex and record the final few moments before the ceremony.
I always revel in the countdown nature to this part of the day. It goes from quiet, to a few people, to everybody - and then that wonderful wedding day tension reaches its climax with the arrival of the Bride. Suddenly there are pictures everywhere and it’s like trying to keep plates spinning.
I’ve been working in London for over twenty years, but every time I walk under Admiralty Arch and down The Mall, it hits me what an amazing city this is. This point is surely never lost on family and friends attending a wedding at The ICA, located at the very epicentre of our famous capital. Buckingham Palace five mins down that way, Churchill’s bunker and war rooms across the road, Horse Guard’s Parade behind that - all with Big Ben and London Eye watching over the scene. Amazing.
This day just flowed. Everything gelled happily and, departing mid-evening, I felt I’d seen a wedding exactly as it should be done. As little fuss as you can make it and as much enjoyment as you can pack in. Good for them.
Below, as usual, are only a few from the overall commission. Click any thumbnail to enlarge...
