Category Archive: Reportage wedding photographer
Highclere Castle wedding photographer | Wedding 365#87
There’s something quintessentially English about this wedding photograph captured on the lawns of Berkshire’s Highclere Castle. Guests and their attire interest me and many scene setter images I capture hone in on this aspect of the wedding. Highclere was bathed in sunshine on this occasion and you can see by the depth and length of the shadows that close-up work minus fill flash could present its own set of lighting issues. Working wide in conditions like this prevents panda eyes; where the shadows directly beneath the eyes leave a subject with little or no defined eye sockets, or equally where the eyes themselves just look like buttons. There’s a reasonable amount of light being bounced back from the Castle itself and so fortunately I’m able to go about my work without great bursts of strobe announcing my presence. I tend also to steer away from reflectors, another obtrusive tool when working in a reportage wedding photographer style.
BERKSHIRE WEDDING VENUE: Highclere Castle near Newbury
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, Hampshire wedding venues, Wedding Photographer
Tagged 365 wedding project, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venue, Documentary wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding venues, Highclere Castle, Reportage wedding photographer
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Reportage wedding photography | Wedding 365#84
In composition terms this image wouldn’t win a heap of wedding photography print competitions. Geometrically it breaks several rules on that count. But if there were a ‘grab shot’ category, well, maybe it would fair a little better. This is a photograph that describes my photographic approach to reception shooting, which in colder months can often be quite a cosy affair. The grand vistas that frequent the summer catalogue are replaced by nooks and low lit saloons. These are the times I opt for shorter focal length lenses, such as my workhorse kit glass; the 24mm prime F1.4. I can get in tighter, move around in space that can be cramp as guests mingle in rooms that were not necessarily designed for that many people all at one time. Ears are as useful as eyes at this point and mine are tuned to listen for excited chatter, laughter, conversation; expression that gathers what I refer to as character shots. This is an example of that. Their faces are lit by pin spots in the bar and perhaps a faint dab of the back screen illumination from the camera they’re looking at. The girl has noticed my presence, but I don’t think that steals away the focal point of this photograph; the amusement they are receiving from whatever it is they’re looking at. It’s a grabbed moment, though there is a little injustice in that description. It’s grabbed from an awareness of my surroundings and understanding of light (there’s no flash deployment).
BERKSHIRE WEDDING VENUE: The Olde Bell, Hurley
Posted in Berks wedding photographer, Berks wedding venues, Berkshire wedding photographer, Berkshire wedding venues, The Olde Bell, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer
Tagged 365 wedding project, Berkshire wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photography, Low light wedding photography, Reportage wedding photographer
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Rivervale Barn | Wedding 365#79
The guests had been seated, the wedding breakfast was about to commence. I looked out of the window on to Rivervale Barn’s courtyard and saw this. It’s a documentary wedding photograph shot through a glass door at 30 feet or so, I guess that by the lens data. The succinct portrait session earlier had yielded some similar shots, but none so honest as this.
HAMPSHIRE WEDDING VENUE: Rivervale Barn, Yateley
SHOOTING DATA: Canon 5D Mk2, 135mm, F2.2, 1/6400, ISO 500, under by a third.
Posted in Hampshire wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding venues, Hants wedding photographer, Hants wedding venues, Reportage wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photography, Rivervale Barn, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist
Tagged 365 wedding project, Documentary wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Rivervale Barn, Wedding photographer Hampshire
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Wedding photographer Hampshire | Wedding 365#78
I have learned that what you see and what you record, can be two completely different disciplines in wedding photography. Prior to having children myself I may have seen this image as ‘hug from auntie meets a little reticence from niece.’ But now I see unreserved love and compassion – and I mean that in a genuine sense as a parent. Much of my time during a ceremony is spent looking for emotional connections and that doesn’t just emanate from a bride and groom. This is one such classic example. Look past the ceremony table and you’ll see it unfold, row by row.
HAMPSHIRE WEDDING VENUE: Rivervale Barn, Yateley
SHOOTING DATA: Canon 5D Mk2, 135mm, F2, 1/250, ISO 800, under by a third.
Posted in Documentary wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photography, Hampshire wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding venues, Hants wedding photographer, Hants wedding venues, Rivervale Barn, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist
Tagged 365 wedding project, Natural wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Rivervale Barn, Wedding photographer Hants
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Notley Abbey wedding | Wedding 365#77
Notley Abbey provides a stunning backdrop for outdoor civil wedding ceremonies. Today’s wedding 365 image depicts why the unexpected can create such photographic gold. We’re half way through the ceremony, which readers of this 365 blog feature may recognise; it’s the outdoor nuptials that entertained sun one moment, then a deluge of typically British summer the next. During the ‘dry spell,’ guests were able to enjoy a reading by one of the ushers. It’s being read off camera. The wall you see behind the guests forms the boundary between Notley Abbey and the farm directly behind. There’s a horse on the other side of this wall, and he decides the reading is the moment he should make his presence felt. Neigh. Neigh. Neigh and neigh again. Neigh. Neigh. I think you get the idea. Such an amusing natural moment. As much as I like this photograph, when I revisit this picture I equally wish I would have pulled wide to embrace the image of the usher – though of course the horse, well, he’ll always remain anonymous, until Canon cameras invent a system that can see through walls. As it stands it’s a fabulously characterful portrait and worthy of 365 inclusion.
BUCKS WEDDING VENUE: Notley Abbey
SHOOTING DATA: Canon 5D Mk2, 70-200mm lens at 75mm, F2.8, 1/50, ISO 160, over by a third.
Posted in Buckinghamshire wedding photographer, Buckinghamshire wedding venues, Bucks wedding photographer, Bucks wedding venues, Documentary wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photography, Notley Abbey, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist
Tagged 365 wedding project, Bucks wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photographer, Notley Abbey, Oxon wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Wedding venue Bucks, Wedding venue Oxfordshire
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Rivervale Barn photography | Wedding 365#76
Upon my return from every wedding I start a digital workflow process; it’s a ‘physical mantra.’ I download my camera cards from the day’s events and relive the occasion as it once more unfolds before me. As the wedding is happening I know what I see and what I’m capturing and of course the benefit of digital capture means that I can review it on the go too. But having said that, in the quietness of this initial download time on a larger screen, I meet the kind of images that I go on to refer to as my ‘bagged that’ shots. Often these are the sheer romance captures; the big hugs, the huge smiles, the tears, the laughter. And then sometimes they’re humour driven; ones that create a wry smile. This is one such photograph. Initially I saw the two bridesmaids organising a photograph of their own and I thought it would probably make quite a cute support image for the collection. Immediately in composition I saw this chap, leaning against a beam, taking a cheeky nap. ‘Bagged it.” I just know that the bride and groom will smile.
HAMPSHIRE WEDDING VENUE: Rivervale Barn
SHOOTING DATA: Canon 5D Mk2, 24mm lens, F1.4, 1/4000, ISO 1250, over by a third.
Posted in Documentary wedding photography, Hampshire wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding venues, Hants wedding photographer, Hants wedding venues, Rivervale Barn, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer
Tagged 365 wedding project, Hampshire wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Wedding venue Hampshire
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Dumbleton Hall wedding documentary | A stills film
Jamie and Jennie’s Dumbleton Hall wedding as a stills documentary film, or simply a ‘wedding documentary,’ as I am beginning to title these features. This wedding had it all; tears, laughter and emotion abound. Adding sound to my stills features is a relatively new form of album presentation. My radio background serves me well in this respect as I understand sound recording, compression and editing. The order may dance around to an extent, but I hope you feel the story of their day is recorded well. Let me know by dropping a quick comment below. The wedding venue is Dumbleton Hall in the Cotswolds.
Posted in Cotswolds wedding photographer, Cotswolds wedding venues, Documentary wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photography, Dumbleton Hall, Reportage wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photography, Sound and pictures, Stills Films, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist
Tagged Cotswolds wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Sound and pictures, Stills movies, Wedding documentary photographer
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Orchardleigh House | Wedding 365 project#74
I could so easily have titled this 365; “But Mummy I’m nervous.” 74 days in to this and the feature is developing as indeed my documentary wedding photography style has, so it’s been a timely departure from more recent weddings to visit the 55th wedding I shot, which was back in August 2007, at Orchardleigh House in Somerset. I see the very raw and early stages of reportage developing from a more traditional style of work I presented at the time. What was happening? The bridesmaid is the bride’s daughter and just prior to departing for the ceremony, she was engaging in a little ‘but I’m too shy for this’ moments. Sensing the slight tension in the room I sidled over to capture the image. Two things occur as I revisit this wedding photograph from 2012. A wider shot may well have shown the size and majesty of the room, which would only go to reinforce why a child may feel slight apprehension over the size of her task ahead. The second factor is sound. As I develop my sound product where I record elements of the day as a ‘radio documentary’ to later sit beside stills of the day, the soft reassurance and nature of this moment would have been complimented with audio.
SOMERSET WEDDING VENUE: Orchardleigh House
SHOOTING DATA: Canon 5D, 24-105mm lens at 55mm, F4, 1/125, ISO 640
FURTHER FEATURE NOTES: Please click the comments link below. Happy to hear more about how you view the images within this daily catalogue feature.
Rivervale Barn wedding photographer | James and Lucy
As a documentary wedding photographer, emotion is a key creative driver. I know that if I witness scenes such as this opening post picture from Rivervale Barn at the weekend, something special is about to unfold. Asked why I photograph weddings when I could use my reportage passion in various fields, I will always point toward captures such as this. I’m a soft centred soul myself, so it fuels my affection for matters emotive. James, Lucy, wonderfully honest wedding at the weekend, and I’m genuinely privileged to have been there for you both. Here’s a few images to remember the day by whilst the post processing of the others takes shape.
Wedding photography in church
There have been some interesting additions in comment terms to my wedding article originally published in Professional Photographer upon the subject of wedding photography in church. In documentary wedding terms, photographing the church service is key to the overall story of the day but what do you do if that’s not a view shared by clergy. This link back to the original post revisits the piece written with comments made by photographers and ministers alike. As always I’d welcome your thoughts too.
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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Documentary wedding photography | WEDDING 365#35
WEDDING 365 PROJECT – Latest image, front end of February – one taken from today’s Wokefield Park wedding.
SHOOTING DATA: 5DMk2, 24mm, F1.6, 1/100, ISO 2500, underexposed by a third.
VENUE: Wokefield Park
ETHOS: It makes sense on days where I’m shooting a wedding, to upload a photograph from the current catch. I’m keen to promote that wedding photography should not follow a spreadsheet of capture. I have in the past been offered tick lists diligently cut from various wedding journals suggesting photographic must haves. Anybody who has ever written a list like that in a magazine, has surely never shot a wedding, well, certainly not from a documentary stance. I used to politely accept these lists. I now politely decline. I’m not at heart a detail recordist. Yes I will photograph the dress, yes the shoes – if they’re there, yes the flowers and so on, but I don’t spend hours fulfilling the requirements of a check list. Do that and you stop watching the day as it unfolds. I spend many hours studying work online of other wedding togs, genuinely intrigued by their blogs and portfolios, and I’m surprised how some seem to be mainly collections of wedding accessories delicately posed and arranged. They are of course trinkets of the day and important ones at that, but whilst all this arranging is happening, what real action is being missed? What’s happening to the people that make this whole story sing? For me that’s the magic. Morning preparations are one important facet, it’s my ‘finding feet’ part of the day and I enter the arena, open minded. I don’t want to muddy the waters of creativity by simply seeking a mirror shot, or setting up garter images etc. I’m hoping to capture fresh angles in what can often be similar and familiar scenes. This one above is not necessarily ground breaking, but it does show my desire to seek an unusual composition among banked standards. I love the way ‘Mum’ is delicately shaping the rim of her hat whilst make up is applied; instantly two stories in one image. Then there’s the draw of the netting texture, shooting through the round of the material, framing her head with the hat. I think it’ll make a good decent addition to the preparation chapter in the documentary book I prepare for the couple. A hat that’s ‘doing something,’ not just posed upon a box by a window.
Wedding family portraits | WEDDING 365#27
WEDDING 365 PROJECT – Daily choice of a wedding photojournalist image selected from my catalogue, collated from time spent documenting these unique events. Ethos provided for prospective brides and grooms, shooting data for the togs intrigued by that kind of information. Please comment, it makes a World of difference.
SHOOTING DATA: 5DMk2, 24mm lens, F1.2, 1/1000, ISO 1000
ETHOS: First up, from a technical standpoint I wouldn’t make a habit at shooting family groups with such a shallow depth of field. This would certainly support the composition. It’s obvious when you see the top of a head (bottom of frame) that this was captured with family connection as a consideration, more than the thought of family portraiture. For me though it’s become the perfect portrait and with a slight crop, presto, it will be. It’s about the boy. I have two young sons, and I know how my boys would feel on such a busy and important day. There’s so much going on, such a lot of attention being showered on him by all and sundry, that the comforting reassurance of parents and one big sis leapt out at me as a ‘must capture moment.’ And so often these become the day’s portraits. How much more refreshing to encapsulate real spirit in a photograph than a ‘smile for the man’ alternative.
Documentary wedding photographer | Update to Alex and Kerry
I’ve received a handful of mails with regard Alex and Kerry’s wedding slide show and one of the final slides featuring fireworks. Click below to read more and you’ll see the image in question, plus a handful of selected black and whites that describe the day pictorially.
Posted in Sussex wedding photographer, Sussex wedding venues, Wedding 365, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist, Winter wedding photography
Tagged Available light wedding photographer, Documentary wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Sussex wedding photographer, Wedding photographer, Wedding photojournalism, Wedding photojournalist, Wedding slideshow
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Rivervale Barn wedding photography | Raj and Charlotte
I had dinner last night with Steve; best man at my wedding six years ago. See, this wedding thing, it’s all Steve’s fault. He’d insisted I shoot his brother Nick’s wedding a year before my own. He’d not accepted my protestations that I shot only portraits. He refused to believe that I couldn’t turn my creative eye to wedding photography. I quoted £200 as a gesture relating to experience – and I shot that wedding. And so now in 2012, I find myself as a professional wedding photographer by trade, and that’s pretty much my bag. We mused over that fated request last night whilst wrestling the last serving spoonfuls of my wife’s infamous chilli dish, and I repeated a conclusion I’ve made in mantra like fashion of late; no other form of photography that I’ve practiced, is so down to earth honest, variety driven and personally emotional. I’m an old softy at heart and so watching Raj with their son catch Charlotte’s eye as she processed down the aisle was and always will be bound to stir emotions. Wedding photography, and particularly documentary wedding photography is a much misunderstood genre of capture. There is a craft in capturing decisive moments. I genuinely become emotionally connected during a wedding, it’s inevitable, and I hope that comes across in the images presented. At Rivervale Barn, the reception continued – and with a banquet room dressed fittingly for a Christmas wedding only the hardest of Dickensian hearts could fail to be emotively captured by Raj and Charlotte’s poignant celebrations. Dr. Raj, Charlotte, congratulations. You had me at; “Please stand for the arrival of the bride.”
Posted in Hampshire wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding venues, Hants wedding photographer, Hants wedding venues, Reportage wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photography, Rivervale Barn, Wedding Photographer, Wedding photojournalist, Winter wedding photography
Tagged Documentary wedding photographer, Hampshire wedding photographer, Reportage wedding photographer, Wedding photographer, Wedding photographer Berkshire, Wedding photography, Wedding photojournalist
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