Category Archive: Cain Manor
Cain Manor wedding | Wedding 365#59
WEDDING 365 PROJECT – 365 days, 365 wedding images.
SHOOTING DATA: 5DMk2, 50mm, F1.2, 1/320, ISO 250, over by a third.
VENUE: Cain Manor
ETHOS: The cheeky eyes say it all. There’s a simplicity to the capture of this photograph that I’m pleased with. Whilst bride, groom, mother and father are concentrating upon a reading, the two bridesmaids cast their individual emotions upon proceedings. Which one would you image is the bride’s sister?
Cain Manor wedding photographer | Wedding 365#55
WEDDING 365 PROJECT – 365 days, 365 wedding images.
SHOOTING DATA: 5DMk2, 50mm, F1.4, 1/640, ISO 1600, under by a stop.
VENUE: Cain Manor
ETHOS: A posting from one of this weekend’s weddings, this one from Cain Manor near Farnham. I have a feeling this will become one of my favourite documentary wedding photographs of the year. There’s a patience involved with photographing people. My ears are one of my primary reportage tools. I tune into sounds broadcasting impending ‘somethings.’ At face value sat on a sofa it’s no more than five wedding guests chatting, until this moment. I’d recorded a handful of photographs from this scene from my low camera angle, designed to hide myself in the room so as not to draw attention. The room is fairly dark. Low ceilings. Minimum light being sucked from a window camera right. And then this. Body shape connects the male conversation to the female one. There’s a sense of amusement between the two men and I’m left wondering if they are discussing their female companions at close quarters or exchanging an entirely unrelated tale. The girls share a similar pictorial interest. There’s a mirroring occurring. Are they arm wrestling? I don’t know. I simply love the soft humorous nature of this photograph.
Posted in Cain Manor, Hampshire wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding venues, Surrey wedding photographer, Surrey wedding venues, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist, Winter wedding photography
Tagged 365 wedding project, Cain Manor, Documentary wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Surrey wedding photographer, Wedding photographer Surrey
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Cain Manor wedding photography | Chris and Ginnie
Often the stories unfolding immediately beyond the bride and groom are as focally apposite as those directly in front of one’s nose. They narrate much about the occasion and key ‘cast members’ within it. Melding into a homely reception room with low beamed ceilings and roaring fire, a few of my favourites from Chris and Ginnie’s Cain Manor celebrations. Beginning with a bridal prep moment; you’ve got to love that cool winter window light.
Cain Manor wedding photography | Peter and Angela
Fingers crossed the material posted within this blog reflects an evolutionary approach to my wedding photography. I have (and I can recognise one such image in this post immediately) a handful of ‘signature approaches’ to composition, but I certainly don’t work from a set list or tick list of shots. The idea of thirty poses in ten minutes repeated over and over with each wedding commission has never sat comfortably with me. I didn’t get into that habit, and probably to be honest, that’s because my memory has never and still doesn’t operate that way. Also, and forgive this glaring statement of the obvious, each wedding is different. If you employ a set list of shots, I would imagine it would be hard not to start moulding the wedding into how you feel your client’s day should unfold, rather than documenting what actually happens before your eyes. For sure I have favoured portrait poses, but I like to think they’re quite informal and softly posed. And because I’m occasionally asked by fellow pros and peers, I’m going to to broach a technical enquiry in this post; “What lens combos do you mainly use at a wedding?” Now I don’t play golf, but if I did, I reckon there would be a correlation to photography in terms of lens (club) selection. Right now in my evolution it would be true to say that I like to work close to the action. So the first lens I opt for, is my trusty 35mm F1.4. It’s quick to focus, sharp and draws me physically and creatively into the scene. You can’t stand a hundred meters off with a 35mm mounted on a full frame DSLR. You have to become part of the occasion. During those moments though where you can’t impose in quite the same fashion, it’s another prime Canon lens; the F2 135mm. There’s no I.S. system, so you have to brace yourself in low light conditions, but it’s a great portrait and documentary speech lens. If Tiger became a tog, I think his kit bag would feature those two surely. Peter and Angela’s Cain Manor wedding is a perfect example of this combo in action. Wide open available light shots. With the bonus that their brief was to capture the wedding minus much of the formality of group shots and portraiture. I hope that what’s demonstrated shows proper close up, belt and braces, get in there with your shirt sleeves rolled up, editorial documentary wedding photography. It was a pleasure being there for you both.
Wedding food photography
It’s not possible at every venue I visit and Chef decrees the verdict as to whether my macros can come anywhere near his or her souffle. That said, if I have the right access and when working with a documentary album in mind, part of that wedding photography work may be something akin to a cookbook. Now as most of my friends and certainly my wife will testify, I ain’t no Jamie Oliver! So my inspiration for food photography shots comes not from my knowledge of how a dish comes together, but how I can make it glisten on a window ledge, or perhaps more importantly how I can shoot it within 20 seconds before the commi whips it away for the top table. Like most things in a wedding photographer’s day, there’s a limit to how long you have to capture. This is certainly not the life for a commercial photographer! Every year I maintain that a wedding photographer’s work should mature and develop. I’m trying to think back to how this has happened in my own portfolio. My memory being consistent with that of a 40 something year old, I can think back 24 months! Two years ago I was shooting brides under street lamps after tiring with the stark napalmed look of flash – Nikon became Canon in my kit bag. Last year it was fast lenses and close up portraiture. This year has definately been the year of documentary and food. Next year? I may even learn to cook. Dishes prepared by chefs at Cain Manor, Notley Abbey and Silchester House, venues within the Bijou Wedding Venues group.
