From the archive... #22

February 17, 2015 Mark Bothwell

Photographs are pure, honest memories. They transport us back to times we've recorded and (hopefully) enjoyed.

While the same applies here in this simple, quiet shot of Julia's morning preps at The St Pancras Renaissance, there's a second wedding which pops into my mind - that of the make-up artist, Elisa.

Quite by chance our paths crossed again without warning and after a double-take (on my part) as soon as I entered the room, it was a lovely surprise to recall her commission three years ago. Small world.

On a pure photographic level I like the picture very much. The loose composition on the 50mm lens leaves space for the bloom of the desk lamp, and the mirror feels to me like a doorway, where in actual fact the girls are to my immediate left, not in front of me. If I stare at it hard enough the lampshade in the background would begin to bother me - but such is life!

I also see it as a kind of distant cousin to From the archive #21 - you'll see what I mean...

From the archive... #21

January 4, 2015 Mark Bothwell

Sometimes a memorable photograph is all about what you can't see. And what nobody can view in this shot is my sheer relief, because I'm on the cusp of a brief sit down and bite to eat following 8 hours solid photography at a shoot in central London the day after Boxing Day.

As the guests seated in the ICA's stunning Nash Room for their wedding breakfast, I just loved the way the light hit the walls and overall quiet nature of the shot. Of course, wander back into the room and you would be hit with chat, music and atmosphere - but from only a few feet outside it's a much calmer scene.

About 90 minutes later the room would erupt to the sound of applause and laughter during the speeches - but by then I'd had my sandwich and espresso and all was once again right with the world...

Wedding photography at The ICA, London

December 13, 2014 Mark Bothwell

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...

From the archive... #20

December 5, 2014 Mark Bothwell

If you live long enough, you see everything... women wearing canapés! Yum?

This shot was taken at a recent commission at One Marylebone where my role was to shoot a pretty lavish birthday party. The design and planning of the evening was undertaken by the terrific Cranberry Blue Wedding & Events.

I'm hoping to write a little piece about the detail and superb look of the main dining room itself, but in the meantime imagine the welcome drinks being livened-up by pretty girls displaying nibbles about their person, in this case via a two-tier 'neck brace'.

If that isn't a thought to keep you warm during a cold weekend, then nothing is...

Engagement portraits on Box Hill

November 25, 2014 Mark Bothwell

There is something wonderfully romantic about winter weddings. Their cosiness and candlelight make a lovely change to the brightness and light of summer season shoots.

Preme and Phil will be married just before Christmas at the lovely Fetcham Park, and to underline the winter theme we set off to Surrey's famous Box Hill one morning to capture some simple and atmospheric shots.

It takes a brave couple to head out into the November cold for their engagement shoot - and this was a really awful day of weather. Mercifully, Preme and Phil's 'can-do' approach ensured a lovely set of shots, completely capturing them as a couple, in my opinion.

I'm a great believer that 'fortune favours the brave' with photography. It can be over-thought and excessive planning often hampers the moment. By all means, have a rough idea of what you'd like to do, but leave as much as possible to chance - it brings nicer results. In this case, the steady drizzle, low light and mist swirling around the last of the Autumn leaves merely added to the final pictures.

Below, as usual, are only a few from the overall commission. Click any thumbnail to enlarge...

Wedding photography at The St Pancras Renaissance

November 15, 2014 Mark Bothwell

Looking back at this commission, the timings and sheer ambition of the day makes me shake my head slowly with a wry smile. You know, I'm just not sure how we got it all done. And by "we" I mean 'Team Madhavi & Harry', because this one was about teamwork.

On the face of it the plan seemed pretty straightforward; everything would be happening at London’s spectacular St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, one of my favourite places to shoot. But just because it was in one place, didn’t mean it would be easy. There would be: guys’ preps, girls’ preps, a civil service, a Jewish blessing, an Indian ceremony then the wedding breakfast. Oh, and did I mention TWO drinks receptions? Just typing it is tiring.

In reality the shoot was never less the exhilarating. Madhavi and Harry were always brilliantly communicative with their ideas and the overall make-up of the day - and this is key - because the end result is always the sum of its parts. I feel the final selection really captures the atmosphere and emotion of these two wonderfully welcoming families simply having a ball!

Below are 100 shots, bigger than my usual posts, and these merely provide a taste of a terrific wedding with a very, very generous couple... I thank them greatly for asking me to be involved.

Click any thumbnail to enlarge...

From the archive... #19

October 22, 2014 Mark Bothwell

Kids at a wedding: honest, unpredictable and always great value for a photographer.

This little fella was getting itchy pants awaiting the bride and simply wouldn't keep still. I hesitate to use the word 'stalk', but I did track him around the church in a weird game of 43 year old cat and 4 year old mouse. The old cat won...

This image is also a perfect example of where monochrome really brings more to a shot than colour. A bright background and low-light foreground emphasise contrast, and in this situation colour would soften the effect and lessen the moment.

Wedding photography at the St Pancras Renaissance

October 3, 2014 Mark Bothwell

London boasts many grand locations. And while many have significant individual strengths like location, decor and history, I think The St Pancras Renaissance is one of very few in the UK capital to have it all.

I greatly value my position as an official supplier to the hotel; working there is always a delight. It’s also yielded some of my favourite wedding commissions over the last couple of years since the hotel opened after a lavish upgrade.

So, a great venue was in the bag. Now, enter Paula & Sam - and these guys are cool. Whenever we’d meet they would burst through the door, scooter helmets in hand, happily windswept and keen for a chat. From our first meeting on a freezing winter’s night, I knew these two would make great subjects.

Their day was an eclectic mix of personalities, fun, emotion and that oh-so-rare thing - laid-back formality. With everything wonderfully overseen by the events team at The Renaissance, the day zipped along at a pace with not one dull moment.

I’ll let Paula explain - how from their perspective - they felt it all went…

…………………………..

“As soon as Sam and I met Mark we knew he was the right person to photograph our wedding day. Relaxed, warm and an exceptional listener, he instantly understood our brief and never tried to change our vision, rather offer support and work with our ideas.

We started the journey together and our subsequent meetings (always with a coffee and an exciting story to tell) were filled with enthusiasm and a comfort it was going to be okay on the day. His photography is incredible – a beautiful mix of formal, black & white and our favourite – capturing special poignant moments throughout the day...”

…………………………...

In fact, for me this wedding had only one downside: suit envy. Now, I’m pretty sure Sam put his trust in Burberry on his wedding day. And I am therefore planning an intense spot of January sales shopping.

As usual here are only a handful of my personal memories as seen through the lens. Click any thumbnail to enlarge...

Through the lens... the media stampede

September 26, 2014 Mark Bothwell

I lost count of how many txts I received that day. No, not invitations to dinner and drinks; it was because my face had popped-up on the lunchtime news - busily shooting in the background of the shot below. Fame at last. Sort of.

Early in 2013 I'd been shooting material with Sir Chris Hoy, Britain's Olympic track cycling hero and all-round terrific bloke. The commission, at The London Bike Show at Excel, was for Jaguar, with whom I was working closely. Jaguar does lots of really creative PR with Sir Chris on both their product range and via his involvement with The Jaguar Academy of Sport.

The day was rocking along nicely: the shots of the new Olympic kit were done, the press conference and Q&A went well and my set-ups with the snazzy new Jaguar Sportbrake were in the can. Then the TV teams went into overdrive. As they always do.

Sir Chris was ambushed on the way out and pushed for a quote on the unfolding Lance Armstrong doping scandal (Armstrong’s interview with Oprah had aired in US the night before). Of course, he didn't want to get involved, but the questions kept coming. Eventually he stated his position and left. Caught up in the TV camera scrum I was cornered behind Sir Chris. So I had only one option: to record the scene because you never know when these shots might be useful in the future.

Having got their sound bite, the media pack fled to the nearest wifi and things calmed down. But around about then my phone lit up with txts with friends complaining I'd ruined their lunch...

From the archive... #18

September 9, 2014 Mark Bothwell

It's not just social media obsessed teens who love a good selfie! #grandma #fun

Cool stuff: Evernote...

August 24, 2014 Mark Bothwell

At school I liked a tidy pencil case and took more than a little pride in having books neatly stacked in my bag. I got annoyed when brand new jotters and pads were scratched. A pretty scary primary school kid.

Fastforward slightly to a young freelance photographer making his way and I recall a time when everything was printed out and chucked in a manilla folder (further fuelling my silent hatred for filing cabinets). Such actions were/are plodding and dull, with no latitude to fine-tune to your personal taste.

No more. Business life is now wonderfully digital and I am convinced Evernote was designed for me and me alone - the fact that millions of others use it every day must be a profitable bonus for the programmers. At the risk of coming across like a teenage girl on WhatsApp - I really couldn't get through a day without using it...

The key here is simplicity, because let's face it none of us have the time to faff.

In the office we have our entire client filing system on Evernote. To the extent that if I'm abroad I can instantly call up any invoice or doc relevant to any client. I can then resend it, annotate, or simply react to an email with info plucked from their contact history. This info is synced across smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop.

Just a few years ago a filing system this powerful would have meant commissioning a specialist firm to create a bespoke software package. Assume a budget of tens of thousands even for a small business.

Try it, it's genius, and for lower usage users it's absolutely free!. Get a feel for the system via this video - or read this excellent New York Times overview

Wedding photography in Italy

August 7, 2014 Mark Bothwell

Virtually everything I shoot these day is stimulating and enjoyable. But Jess and Andy certainly raised the bar by which all other destination shoots I attend are currently being judged.

Italy, a vineyard, walking distance from my hotel and a chance to play a little more with my BA iPhone app - where’s the downside?

Melanie Helen of Cranberry Blue Weddings, one of the industry’s leading organisers, introduced me to Jess and Andy during the early stages of their wedding preparation. From the very first drink we were all on the same page and it was set to be a terrific trip. I recall thinking I ultimately wanted to hand over the photography as kind of a creative box of goodies, all wrapped-up in a bow which was to be Italian countryside.

I’m a great believer that any wedding shoot needs to place the viewer right there in the location, not just show the attendees - and luckily for me, their plan allowed me to paint on a pretty broad canvass. The spectacular Villa Sparina, an hour north of Genoa, was the base for the wedding. Save for a 200m walk to the church, everything would take place at the Villa. With many venues this would mean turning around spaces for multi use, but here the garden drinks reception and candle lit wine cellar wedding breakfast provided amazing contrast, not to mention many opportunities for atmospheric photography.

I really hope the feel of the day comes across in the handful of images below. A fantastic time was had by all, and that’s in no small part due to the generosity and consideration of the couple themselves and their family support, in particular Jess's Mum's sartorial creativity. To their massive credit, Jess and Andy toiled away for quite some time, naturally with Mel's input, to ensure this wedding would provide unique memories for family and friends alike. From my viewpoint this was achieved, and then some…

Below is just a fraction of the overall set. Click any thumbnail to enlarge...

From the archive... #17

August 5, 2014 Mark Bothwell

Morning preps are one of the nicest parts to shoot of any wedding day. It's a gentle hour of detail and quiet shots which virtually nobody else sees.

This little scene is my vantage point through a connecting door to one the grand suites at The Renaissance Hotel, St Pancras. Hair is virtually done and the donning of the dress is minutes away - so I kept my distance to ensure the moment wasn't lost.

I think of it as a 'doorman's eye view'...

Behind the scenes: Mirror Mirror Couture studio shoot...

July 31, 2014 Mark Bothwell

Blame Star Wars. I was 7-years-old when I saw the movie. Try as I might, I couldn't get my own head around the fact that this fantastic sci-fi world came out of one guy's mind. And I don't mean George Lucas. I mean his conceptual artist, Ralph McQuarrie.

From then on I only ever wanted to do something creative for a living. Photography ran in the family and so it was decided. The problem is that professional photography - in whatever area you work - is wildly different to what you might expect. Nearly every job becomes an (enjoyable) battle against time and logistics. As anyone who works in the creative industries will tell you: there’s a lot of frustration along the way.

So when you get a day in a studio when there's latitude to get things just right, via the help of a great team of people, you grab it and try your very best to end the day with absolute creative satisfaction. This was the case when I shot the new Couture range for Mirror Mirror Bridal at the stunning Renaissance Hotel, St Pancras.

The brief was to produce a simple, clean, stylish set of images which were all about the dresses, but it's surprising just how much work and tweaks are involved to create an end result which looks like, well, as if there was not much work and not that many tweaks required.

The designers, make-up artists, hairdressers, my assistant and an organiser overseeing the running of the schedule, all listed below, made my life incredibly easy on the day and I think the results really hit the mark. Less is most definitely more. The dresses are sublime but their aesthetic appeal was absolutely heightened by terrific models Tabitha Hall, Tijana Tambric and Emily Steer - all of whom were a joy to shoot.

Designers: Maria Yiannikaris & Jane Freshwater at Mirror Mirror Bridal. Wardrobe: Natasha Yiannikaris at Mirror Mirror Bridal. Hair: Anna Acerbi & Michele Antiga at Hair Supreme. Make-up: Andrea Flynn, Pamela Skantzos at Pamela & Andrea + Andrea Elsby Jones at Mirror Mirror Bridal. Stylist: Penny Cullen at Love Scarlett. Studio assistant: Alexandra Nicolaides. Hotel coordination: Clare Legg at The Renaissance, St Pancras.

Click any image to enlarge, or enjoy the 'behind the scenes' video produced by the terrific Kissing Gate Films

From the archive... #16

July 10, 2014 Mark Bothwell

Enough said...