Category Archive: Silchester House
Silchester House wedding venue | a love story | 365#125
Silchester House, Holly Lane, Silchester, I even know the postcode; RG7 2NA. A wanton piece of optimisation if ever I saw one, you may cynically suggest. With respect, incorrectly. I know the address very well, as do I a date; Saturday 14th October 2006, as this was the wedding venue for Sam and I, and the date of our wedding in Berkshire. So it’ll come as no great surprise that I have a special relationship with Silchester as a venue. I’m a fan. So for this 365 image, it may seem at odds that I’m selecting a picture that doesn’t necessarily say wedding, or indeed Silchester. There’s no obvious bridal gown, no ceremony table, no clasp of floral arrangement, none of the accessories you may immediately associate with my task of telling wedding stories by individual posts and pictures during 2012′s 365 series. Actually upon closer inspection there are even some technical flaws; heavens forbid, no! It’s focally soft. But it does retain something I hold dear in wedding photographs, and certainly in terms of the venue; closeness. As I made my way through the marquee just prior to the speeches I spied this couple. They weren’t posing for a photographer, me or otherwise, they weren’t exaggerating a PDA, they were just – being. Just being, is what weddings are about. It’s a day where for most, a bubble descends. And then, you’re in the bubble. The World outside is still there, but it’s like being on holiday. You’re in a bubble of emotion that’s frankly infectious. Most weddings will yield a photograph of a couple that aren’t bride and groom sharing the bubble and it’s a composition that attracts me. I passed by this couple, quietly and without that flourish of activity usually associated with ‘photographically working the room.’ Three tables away and this is how they looked. Two tables away, they remained motionless. One table to go, I set aperture and considered a composition. I stopped, shot a couple of frames. Her eyes didn’t open. This is Silchester.
BERKSHIRE WEDDING VENUE: Silchester House
SHOOTING DATA: Canon 5DMk2, 50mm, F1.2, 1/200, ISO 800 over exposed by two thirds.
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, Documentary wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photography, Grab shots, Silchester House, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist
Tagged Floral arrangement, Silchester House Holly Lane, Wedding venue
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Wedding portraits | Wedding 364#65
WEDDING 365 PROJECT – 365 days, 365 wedding images.
SHOOTING DATA: 5DMk2, 70-200 at 70mm, F2.8, 1/2000, ISO 800
VENUE: Silchester House
ETHOS: The more I photograph weddings, the more I appreciate the importance of being professionally brisk at some points, whilst maintaining a creative and instinctive eye for the craft. My own wedding passed in the blink of an eye and I often hear guests advising the bride and groom to; “Stop and savour the day every now and then, it’ll be late evening before you know it.” And so I return to the conversation of wedding photography portraits. Whilst championing the genre of documentary wedding photography, coverage that doesn’t require me to orchestrate too much, I also appreciate the opportunity to record key parties on the day and that clearly includes the bride and groom! The ‘portrait session’ whilst key to one documentary aspect, in my mind shouldn’t take the entire drinks reception. This time is often referred to, incorrectly, as the photography time. I like to think of it as a time where I may ‘borrow’ key players away for a few moments, and equally return them to the party as soon as creatively possible, so that I may continue to photograph in a more informal fashion. Of course every couple will have their own feelings about how long they wish to spend being photographed in a directed fashion, and for some couples, this time actually is ‘photo time.’ But for me, fifteen minutes of portraits seems appropriate and ample time in which to record them against the backdrop of the day. The example above develops the idea that other photographers around you can actually make an extremely positive contribution when trying to create a less contrived portrait too. I posed the couple then simply asked them not to look at me, but to the small bank of friends who were busily ‘snapping away.’ I stepped two to the right, composed so as to include other guests and the busy-ness of the day, then shot. A natural looking wedding portrait, I hope.
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, Documentary wedding photography, Silchester House, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer
Tagged 365 wedding project, Bijou weddings, Silchester House, Wedding photographer Berkshire, Wedding photographer Reading, Wedding portraits
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Silchester House wedding photographer | Steph and Chris
“It’s been almost eight years since I fell in love with you. And if I could go back and tell my seventeen year old self that I would marry you, I think I would just about die of happiness. As I read these vows, I know that before me stands a man who has captured my heart with all his brilliant light. I promise you all my heart’s devotion, and a hand to hold yours through each tomorrow. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give, completely and forever, in sunshine and shadow. I promise I will laugh with you, not just at you, and to make your dreams as important to me as my own. I promise to bake you lots of brownies, and to always kiss you good bye before you go to work. You are my pillar of strength, my soul’s fire. I love you.”
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, Documentary wedding photography, Silchester House, Wedding Photographer
Tagged Berkshire wedding photographer, Civil wedding ceremony, Documentary wedding photographer, Jewish ceremony, Jewish wedding ceremonies, Wedding photographer Berks, Wedding photographer Reading, Wedding photojournalist
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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.
Silchester House wedding photography – Chris and Natalie
January and February are usually quiet months in my diary and a time devoted to marketing, sample album design and the odd private client shoot or three. There’s been a touch of fashion and even some time in front of food with a macro lens. Having said that, the last three Saturdays have seen a return to weddings ahead of what will be our busiest year in the nuptials industry since launching this side of the business. So, congrats to Valentine couple; the new Mr. and Mrs. Sharp (above), married at St. Mary’s Silchester. It’s always intensely satisfying and flattering to be selected to photograph a wedding for a couple who on any other weekday would be artistically directing high fashion or commerce shoots for a range of worldwide advertising clients.
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, Silchester House, Wedding Photographer
Tagged Available light wedding photographer, Black and white wedding photography, Wedding photographer Berkshire, Wedding photographer Newbury, Wedding photographer Reading, Winter wedding photography
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Silchester House wedding photography – Alex and Emmie
When I’m asked for favourite wedding venues photographically, I’ll respond with; “They’re all elegant and absorbing photographically for their own respective reasons and features.” Now I realise that must sound like I’ve perched myself atop a very comfortable fence and is one strong step towards a career in estate agency, but I really do mean it. That’s what makes my job of photographic wedding coverage so incredibly compelling. Last year in ’07, I photographed weddings at a varied collection of venues, from stately homes that are the playgrounds of the rich and famous, to good honest ‘no frills but plenty of character’ public houses. However… (you could sense a ‘but’ about to be popped into the column) Silchester House remains an exceptionally precious wedding venue, due to the simple fact that I enjoyed my own wedding reception there. I often comment to couples in football terms, that it feels like we’re ‘playing at home’ the moment we pull into the driveway. It’s a light and welcoming house, with sizeable grounds for photography. Here are some shots from Alex and Emmie’s recent Silchester wedding.
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, Silchester House, Wedding Photographer
Tagged Wedding photographer Berkshire, Wedding photographer Newbury, Wedding photographer Reading, Wedding photographer Royal Berkshire, Winter wedding photography
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