Hyde End Studios Blog

11th November

2009-11-11T11:00:00.001Z

A couple of years ago, I travelled through Northern France to photograph the area, the old battlefields and to record the legacy of the Great War. I was stunned that so much of that conflict remained, there was so much evidence even after all this time.

There's a low lying track that ran parallel to the trenches on the Somme battlefield called The Sunken Lane which was used as a start point in the early hours of the battle. I'd read up on my history of course and knew a little about the area near Beaumont Hamel and photographed this image of the sunken lane on my first day in France

When I got back from France I found this footage on Youtube which kind of stunned me because I had walked that road a few days before. It really brought the whole thing home to me like nothing else. Most of the lads there would have died - that first day of the battle the British suffered over 57000 casualties. In one day. It's almost beyond belief.

Below is another image from my trip. Often the lines of trenches are visible through the undergrowth. You can see the distinctive zigzag of the trenches (dug like this to avoid bomb blast damage along the line of the trench). It seemed incredible to me at the time that this was still there after 90 odd years.

Thanks for looking.

Happy Birthday Blog!

2009-11-08T10:37:00.004Z

So it's a whopping five years since my first blog post. I think it was probably uploaded from a ZX Spectrum or something, it seems so long ago. It's funny how blogging, twitter etc. has become such an integral part of online life, it seems impossible running a photography business without these tools. At the end of the day however, my product comes down to the tangible hand made print, album or frame. I don't think these things will ever change. None of us really knows how digital media will change but I think that photographs of our younger selves, our loved ones (whether still with us or not) turn into some of our most treasured possessions. Here's to the next five years.

Have a happy halloween

2009-10-31T11:29:00.002Z

Have a great time if you are out partying tonight. Me and the Mrs. are going to see a concert (kids at the grandparents - yippee).

The only flimsy excuse for posting this beach landscape is I noticed I took it exactly a year ago (well a year and 3 minutes ago according to the timestamp).

Vicky and Nick's Album Design

2009-10-29T16:09:00.008Z

Just completed, Vicky and Nick's album design from their wedding at beautiful Avington Park. I love the opening page (below). I've designed the left hand page with detail shots of the venue. It really brings it to life and if you hadn't attended the wedding, gives you a really good idea of what kind of location it is. The finished leather album will be 12" high by 24" wide (opened up) and is going to look stunning. In my humble opinion :)

**CLICK HERE** to view the album design slideshow!

Julie Walters

2009-10-14T19:26:00.010+01:00

Today I had the pleasure of photographing Julie Walters at Grayshott Spa near Guildford. She was great, lovely to work with. We had about half an hour which was great and took a little walk around the building. I took a pile of lighting equipment, just in case, but ended up shooting everything by natural light. It was a nice soft overcast day, almost perfect for shooting portraits. Here's a few favourites.

She's a great interviewee, very expresssive which makes for great pictures :)

Here's Caroline from Health Magazine conducting the interview.

Here's a mockup of the cover, the issue is out in early January.

Alan Hudson

2009-10-13T20:20:00.001+01:00

Alan is a standup comedian and magician who has performed at the Edinburgh Festival and in Hollywood amongst other places. He asked me to shoot some images to update his website and publicity materials. As always, it makes a nice change and is also a a chance to try some different styles of photography. Here's a couple of favourite images.

Surrey Wedding Photography - Emma and Richard

2009-10-10T22:39:00.008+01:00

So Autumn is finally here and the change in the weather brings new challenges in wedding photography. The trick I discovered years ago is to go with the flow, working with the light whatever qualities it might have on a given day rather than trying to fight it. Today I was at the beautiful Clandon Park near Guildford for Emma and Richard's wedding. For various reasons we hadn't been able to meet up before the big day but E & R couldn't have been nicer, it was a great afternoon and a good time was had by all. Here's a few images - just some favourites - we will upload all the pictures when the new Mr. and Mrs. get back from their honeymoon in the Far East. If you'd like an email when the gallery is available, please click here.

(L) It's Autumn (R) "Someday the people of this valley will know justice..." (gravelly voiceover and cue Sergio Leone music).

A promising start to the day then...

Some of the relations and friends arrive in the Marble Hall.

Richard...ten minutes to go...

A bunch of bouquets belonging to the beautiful bridesmaids (try saying that after a Babycham and lemonade).

I hope Richard doesn't mind me posting the following image. There are a few fleeting, never-to- be-repeated moments during one of the biggest days of your lives and I always think those few minutes for the groom before the bride and her father come down the aisle is one of them. It's often pretty similar for the bride as well and I think you never know exactly how you are going to feel beforehand, even though you might think about it quite a lot.

It's always a privilege to be present at weddings I think, and wonderful to be there to capture little moments like this.

Another favourite ceremony image.

The Tapestry Room.

In the film days, this effect would have been created with infra-red film. Digital photography makes it so much easier, in-faux-red if you like.

Shiny new wedding rings.

A couple of candid reception images.

Richard goes in for the kill.

And into the meal at the end of the afternoon.

Thanks again Emma and Richard, see you when you get back!

West Sussex Wedding Photography - Sarah & Russell

2009-10-02T23:45:00.004+01:00

I first met Russell a few years ago at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey. Russell works for the hotel group and I'd bump into him frequently when I was shooting weddings or corporate work at the hotel. It was great to be asked to shoot his wedding to the beautiful Sarah this weekend at South Lodge Hotel in West Sussex. We were blessed with a beautiful afternoon, the blue skies were amazing as you can see.

Here's a few favourites that caught my eye. The complete gallery will be uploaded when Sarah and Russell get back from honeymoon **CLICK HERE** if you'd like an email when that happens.

A couple of favourites from the morning.

Sorry Mary - I know you won't be impressed, but I like this picture :)

Meanwhile at the church, Russell and the lads. The album cover.

Sarah and her Dad arrive at the church.

There's that moment again, I remember it well from my own wedding, those few minutes at the front of the church just before the bride enters. Scary stuff.

Freshly married and released into the wild.

Off to South Lodge Hotel.

It's a little like Butlins around here :)

I liked this candid shot from the wedding meal.

I thought this would make a great ending shot. I have to admit I cheated a little and shot this earlier in the day at the hotel and applied a little Photoshop to the image.

Thanks for looking! Have a brilliant honeymoon Sarah and Russell, see you when you get back.

Surrey Wedding Photography - Chrissie & Nick

2009-09-26T23:13:00.001+01:00

Coming soon...

Hampshire Wedding Photography - Victoria and Nick

2009-09-12T22:28:00.009+01:00

Victoria and Nick got married today at Avington Park today under a cloudless blue sky. The venue of course was fantastic, beautiful inside with lovely grounds. Such a joy to be able to photograph outside although if it had been rainy we would have managed just fine inside. The ballroom is justly famous for it's fabulous decoration; a memorable experience getting married there.

Vicky and Nick should be in Kenya en route to the Maldives by now - just the thing to cheer me up sat here in front of my computer :) Have a brilliant time V & N (if you read this) and give me a call when you get back.

Here are some images that jumped out at me going through the pictures from the day. As usual the complete gallery of images will be available on t'interweb just as soon as the bride and groom have seen them. If you were at the wedding and would like to know when the gallery is available **CLICK HERE** and I'll send you an email.

An Autumn wedding venue. Victoria heading up the stairs.

A couple of detail shots:

Aren't they ee-yoo-ti-ful?

In the ballroom looking up (reminds me - must get the Dulux out for the ceiling in the loo).

Nothing like unwrapping new shoes (L) Vicky's dad (R) taking a day off from the farm

Nick and entourage arrive at the venue

A weird grab shot but I like it

Nick - a single man (for the next 20 minutes anyway).

The Avington Park Ballroom

The new Mr. and Mrs. sweep down the stairs after the ceremony

Great looking canapés eh?

A few minutes together

No special effects, flashes or fancy borders, just a couple of simple, soft informal windowlight portraits.

The lace detail in the dress was amazing and I really liked the choice of flowers for the bouqet

A couple of reception images. The drinking starts (L) and the jazz trombonist (R) who was acually pretty good despite the untucked shirt :)

That's a "Yeeaahhh.....rrright." expression.

The speeches start...

..Victoria wishes they would finish :)

I don't usually post group shots on my blog but I loved the way the light kicked off the front of the building here to beautifully illuminate the bride and groom and guests.

Thanks for looking!

Surrey Wedding - Carly and Mark

2009-09-05T23:06:00.008+01:00

I had the feeling today that the Summer was on the wane and Autumn would soon be here. Mark and Carly's wedding however was blessed with blue skies and sunshine. A good day to get married. The reason I say this is that today was also my wedding anniversary. Needless to say I have a very understanding wife to be OK with me working all day on our anniversary, but she has had 17 years to get used to it :)

The wedding was in Horsell, at St. Mary's at the top of the High Street and afterwards at the beautiful Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot.

Carly and Mark had six bridesmaids and five groomsmen so plenty of help was on hand. The wedding was great fun to photograph, Carly and Mark were relaxed, moreso *after* the ceremony for Mark :) and everything went terrifically.

Here's a few favourites from the day to be going on with. I am processing the rest of the images (all our pictures get lovelingly tweaked and polished before you see them) whilst C & M are on honeymoon.

If you'd like an email when the gallery goes online - **CLICK HERE** and you'll be the first to know.

Yup, it's the 5th of September (L) and Carly's beautiful dress (R)

The beautiful bride. Fabulous hair!

Make-up is a spectator sport.

A warm welcome at the church :)

The boys. Or should that be "Da Boyz"? I'll have to ask a young person.

"If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire..." (cue cheesy music).

A couple of images before the ceremony. Bouquets available on the way in (L) and Mark's Dad with a few words of advice.

Paperwork eh? The deal is sealed.

Mark and Carly at Pennyhill Park.

The brand new Mr. and Mrs.

In case you were wondering, Simon Alexander was the cause of much merriment. He's brilliant, if you're planning a wedding, give him a call.

A couple of favourite detail shots.

I love receiving lines. I feel a caption competition coming on...

There are few things more scary than the Powerpoint presentation of embarrassing photo's. Best Man Richard takes to the stage.

The happy couple take to the dance floor.

Thanks again Carly and Mark, have a brilliant time in the Far East!

Random Picture of the Week

2009-08-31T18:47:00.000+01:00

Normal Service...

2009-08-29T13:35:00.003+01:00

...has been resumed.

After a short-ish break, I am back in the saddle so to speak and wading through my index. We had a brilliant little family break in Wales and, if you can bear the suspense, I will post some images soon.

Victoria & NIck are going to get married.

2009-08-12T22:47:00.003+01:00

I am shooting Victoria and Nick's wedding next month and they dropped by today to run through the arrangements and to take some relaxed portraits. We decided to do these outside of the studio as it was a nice afternoon. It was great fun, like most people they weren't sure about being photographed but as you can see they're looking laid back and totally fine! The wedding is going to be great.

Here's a few favourites.

Gareth and Rachel - Highfield Park Wedding

2009-08-08T17:05:00.006+01:00

Gareth and Rachel got married today at Highfield Park, they were blessed with beautiful weather, pretty rare so far this year. I photographed their engagement pictures a while ago at Highfield and it was lovely to be back again today.

Here's some of my favourite from the day, a fraction of the complete gallery which will be uploaded when the couple come back from honeymoon in Malaysia. Let me know if you would like an email when the gallery is active.

A couple of little detail shots photographed in the bar at Highfield Park.

Getting it all together at home before the ceremony.

I love the light in this shot; Rachel ready to go.

The relatives gathering before the ceremony.

Gareth being interviewed by the registrar. Talk to the hand.

1 minute to go. Gareth has the best laugh ever.

Rachel seals the deal.

A couple of reception shots:

Some of my favourites of the new Mr. and Mrs.

A spectacular creation by the Cake Fairy!

Have a brilliant honeymoon, R & G, see you when you get back :)

Erica and Simon's Wedding Day

2009-08-01T23:59:00.009+01:00

Saturday dawned a little cloudy for Simon and Erica's celebrations in Oxforshire but I was pleased to see that it was pretty much dry for the important parts of the day. S & E were very relaxed and easy to photograph. I think you can tell from the images that they really enjoyed their day despite the on-and-off rain. Also, an auspicious day to tie the knot (at least according to the FTSE).

As usual, a few images that caught my eye from the day. You can email me if you would like to know when the complete gallery will be uploaded.

Erica getting ready to leave the house.

The beautiful little church was on hill in Clifton Hampden overlooking the river. I love this image of Erica and her Dad (below) arriving for the ceremony.

Escaped bridemaid alert (L) Into the car head of the raindrops (R)

Erica!

The bride and groom get to be first to the alcohol :)

Simon gets snapped.

The beautiful bride. One thing the clouds do bring is nice soft light, perfect for a few informal portraits.

I turned around and realised you're never alone photographing a wedding :)

See what I mean? Luckily everyone wes inside by this time.

Erica's Dad Ollie warms the crowd up.

A couple of favourite reception images at the Springs Hotel Wallingford.

An anonymous guest immortalises the happy couple (L) The new Mr. and Mrs. take to the dance floor (R)

Now that's just showing off.

It's a zoom burst, something I haven't done for years (probably just as well).

Thanks again for being so great to photograph S & E, have a brilliant time and see you when you get back.

Hayley and Fraser get married!

2009-07-31T23:13:00.008+01:00

A beautiful bright breezy day today for Hayley and Frasers wedding celebrations. Although I carry maps in my car one of my most important photographic devices is the mighty satnav. The church was in the appropriately named village of Soulbury and tucked away in the wilds of Buckinghamshire was Nether Winchendon House where the reception took place. Leaving ludicrously early is all part of wedding photography though so all went fine on the day. Here's afew pictures from the day that I liked.

I started the morning at Hayley's parents house.

L). One impressive frock :) R). Bridesmaid Lucy gets sorted.

At least 3 admirers of the shoes.

The latest in bridal hairstyles. Sorry Hayley, you knew I was going to blog this picture didn't you?!

Almost ready for the veil...

Meanwhile Fraser manages to escape from the pub.

Meeting his mum at the church.

Fraser and the lads. The new album is out soon.

A couple of images from inside the church.

The vicar was brilliant. Here he is getting Fraser's name wrong. For the third time.

Hayley in the car.

Arriving at the reception.

Hayley amongst the...(wild guess) Hollyhocks? Foxgloves?? Help me out here.

A couple more favourite images of the beautiful bride.

No idea. If it wasn't for the teacup I would hazard a guess that it's probably something to do with excess alcohol consumption.

OK, so getting stitched up by one best man is bad enough. Here we have two. With matching books.

I love the expressions in these two images.

I look forward to posting the full and complete gallery of images when Mr. and Mrs. C. get back from their African adventure. If you'd like to get an email when that happens then clickez-vous ici.

Charlotte (and family).

2009-07-27T20:43:00.004+01:00

Viv and Andy got married a couple of years ago and I was lucky enough to photograph their wedding.

Today they asked me to photograph their new arrival, little Charlotte! Isn't she lovely? It is of course great to see my brides and grooms at the next chapter in their life together. Portraits at home are especially nice as it's a chance to include the surroundings - so much more meaningful with pictures of young children as in a funny way, the portraits are really for them when they grow up and reach their parents age.

Here's a few I particularly liked.

The armchair is where Charlotte gets to hear a lot of stories so it was nice to use this spot for some images.

Ickle feet.

My favourite!

Looking for the remote and the bag of popcorn.

Lights, Camera....

2009-07-23T19:21:00.006+01:00

Simon Burgess is head of www.sugarsnap.tv, a digital video production company based in Marlow and today he commissioned me to shoot some images of himself for his new website. Simon shoots and produces some superb commercial video work and it was a little daunting being given creative control over his portrait session.

The brief was for a relaxed, approachable look enhanced with some careful lighting to provide a selection of portraits for the new site. We met at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley, chosen as it provided an interesting but not overpowering backdrop for the images.

Typically I would be shooting this kind of image at a wedding so it was cool to photograph someone who hasn't got to face the vicar in 10 minutes and great to have more than 90 seconds (on a good day) to take the pictures :)

Here's a few favourite from the shoot.

Wayne the Mystifier (!)

2009-07-21T21:17:00.012+01:00

Today I had the pleasure of photographing Wayne, a self-styled "psychological illusionist". He has a new website and needed some edgy, slightly unsettling images to help portray his character. Wayne entertains at parties and events with his own brand of slightly weird illusions, mind reading and other strange stuff.

After shooting some pictures in the studio we went to a dilapidated farm near my studio which is pretty run down and has seen better days - the farm that is, not my studio :)

Hope you enjoy the pictures - different to my normal work and great fun to shoot.

I like the background in this image - with most of these pictures I made the colours a bit muted and cool.

I found a discarded roll of barbed wire and hung it on the wall, I think the halo effect is pretty interesting as Wayne's illusions are based around the workings of the mind.

I like the way the flash has lit the grass - it gives the image quite a surreal look.

We found this old fork in the corner of the abandoned barn. Wayne can turn on this disquitening stare like a light switch...I like the way the fork looks a bit like a mask or the bars of a jail.

Thanks for looking!

Louise and Neil - The Wedding!

2009-07-18T22:20:00.004+01:00

Louise and Neil are a great couple. I photographed their engagement pictures a while ago and knew then that the wedding was going to be fun.

The day before featured a deluge of biblical proportions but I think it was a relief to all (me included) that the wedding day was cool, breezy and a beautiful soft light through a thin cloud cover - ideal for photography :)

Here's a few favourites - hope you like them. The full gallery goes up when Louise and Neil get back from honeymoon. If you would like to receive notification of the gallery going up **CLICK HERE** and I will send you a swift email.

A couple of favourite pictures from the morning.

I love the lines in this image.

Showtime.

A swift drink for medicinal purposes for Neil and his Dad.

Neil and the boys.

Neil and Louise in the mirror.rorrim eht ni esiuoL dna lieN

A few from the reception that I liked.

Some favourites of the new Mr. and Mrs.

It's those pesky rabbits again.

Louise and Neil are announced into the meal. I love the expressions in this pic.

The top of one tasty looking cake.

Thank for inviting me along, L & N, I had a great time - enjoy the honeymoon :)

Catching up

2009-07-14T13:53:00.005+01:00

So I have been a bad blogger lately so in an attempt to catch up, here's a few recent images.

The lovely Hannah.

Gareth and Rachel at the bar, then getting friendly on the stairs. From their engagement shoot session.

Baby Evie, what a cutie :)

A couple more.

Breaking portrait rules. Helena in the harsh windowlight.

Normal service will be resumed when it calms down a little :) Thanks for looking.

Some Commercial Work

2009-07-03T14:33:00.002+01:00

My speciality, it might be obvious, is people photography. Whilst 95% of my work is wedding and portrait, I occasionally find time to shoot some commercial photography. It's mainly for websites these days and we provide web ready images as well as the full size files for print use.

Tuesday was spent in subtropical Oxforshire at the Weston Park Hotel. The last time I was here was for a December wedding and needless to say, it was slightly different this time. Today's client needed mini-portfolios for 12 of their new sales team. We did some inside shots and then I took them outside for individual portrait sessions. Their idea, and it's a nice one, is that their website will have microsites dedicated to each person. So that was my brief today. We finished off with relaxed group shots before I completely melted in the heat.

Number 160

2009-07-01T18:00:00.004+01:00

This year saw the 160th Henley Royal Regatta and I was asked by the Leander Club who hosts the race, to photograph the event on the opening day. 170 is the other number that sticks in my mind today - the number of steps up the 16th Century bell tower at St. Mary's Church over the river. I climbed the bell tower to get a panoramic view of the club and the the river. The image below is stitched together from five separate images.

Here's a few images that caught my eye during editing. Definitely some cool photo opportunities here today. I have dozens of pictures of boats and rowers but it was nice to shoot the people attending and working at the regatta as well. A few of my favourites:

Amie and Craig get married

2009-06-27T20:45:00.010+01:00

Craig and Amie tied the knot today in Croydon. The wedding was at the Salvation Army Church and it was a really nice service. No Sally Army ceremony would be complete without a brass band and the band playing today was terrific - I think it's a really nice sound and it certainly added to the atmosphere in the church.

As I'm sure you know it was a belting hot day but beautiful weather for spending an afternoon on the terrace at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot.

Here's a few favourites from the day, more to come when Amie and Craig are back from honeymoon in Mauritius.

A couple of images from the morning.

Who knew this was one of the bridesmaids duties? :)

Craig and the boys.

Minutes to go...

Megan shows the way.

Amie and Dad feel the pressure...

A little ceremony detail.

A couple of my favourite images of the new Mr. and Mrs.

I love these reception images.

Thanks again, Craig and Amie...

...see you when you get back :)

Chris, Sarah and Family

2009-06-16T14:31:00.001+01:00

Here's a little slideshow of Chris, Sarah and family. I photographed their wedding about six years ago and have photographed the children before. It was lovely to see them all today and take some pictures in and around the house. The beautiful weather helps of course but the kids were great too.

I always think that family photography at home has totally different feel to studio portraiture. It's always much more personal and I think that somehow the images will have more value in years to come when the children are older because there is so much of their childhood in the pictures. Not only the favourite toys but the background, the garden and the world from their point of view.

Photobooth!

2009-06-15T18:02:00.006+01:00

I've just received a video of the photobooth we did at Greg and Donna's wedding shot by talented videographer Richard Wakefield of FX Films.

Click play (it'll take a few seconds to load) and check it out! If you are interested in a photobooth at your wedding, click here and I will send you more information. More photobooth pictures here!

Hyde End Studios - Photobooth from FX Films on Vimeo.

Random Picture of the Week

2009-06-06T20:23:00.000+01:00

Louise and Neil - Engagement Photographs

2009-06-04T21:40:00.000+01:00

Louise and Neil are going to get hitched at Aldermaston Manor House this summer so today we met there to shoot some pictures. One thing I love about our engagement photo sessions is that we have more time than we do on the wedding day. It's nice to take a more leisurely approach to the photography and make some more interesting and unusual images. Here's a few that and I liked and if you're reading this L and A, the complete gallery will be up soon.

At one end of the gardens there is a terrific old, dilapidated greenhouse. The textures and the light inside were great - difficult to resist shooting a couple of images inside. Here's my favourite greenhouse image. I don't think we will be doing this on the day due to various frock related hazards.

A couple of images inside the Manor House. I have given these quite a distinctive look which I think suits the mood of the picture.

Pesky rabbits.

A couple of graphic-style images to finish with.

Thanks again for your time, Louise and Neil, see you at the wedding!

Donna and Greg tie the knot

2009-05-30T23:59:00.007+01:00

Donna and Greg got married today at St. John the Baptist in Windlesham. The hottest day of the year so far I heard. I did notice that come lunchtime, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Today the photography started at the house, it's always really nice to have a 'before and after' aspect to the day and great to give the bride and groom a glimpse of each others morning.

Donna and Greg have three children and it was lovely to see them all so involved in the day. The wedding album is in some ways, a frozen moment in time, and it's great to have children at the wedding as I think it makes the wedding pictures more important as the children grow.

Here's a few favourite images from the day. The full gallery goes up when D & G get back from honeymoon. Let me know if you'd like an email when all the pictures are available for viewing.

What would a blog post be without a shot of the shoes?

Lora did the makeup today.

Donna's Dad gets buttonholed.

Greg the groom and his boys.

Donna's dad checks the speech one last time before the ceremony starts.

The groom keeps cool with a little help from his best man.

Drinking during the ceremony...shocking :)

The beautiful bride. They really should make these table plans easier to read. (R)

The paparazzi!!!

That speech again.

Donna and Greg's Photobooth!!!

A smoochy dance floor moment.

Thanks for booking me Donna and Greg, have a fantastic honeymoon and see you when you get back.

Erica and Simon are going to get married

2009-05-27T23:40:00.003+01:00

I was at the Springs Hotel near Wallingford today to photograph an engagement session with Erica and Simon. They are getting married in August and the reception is at the Hotel. Sadly it was a rainy, rainy day so we were confined indoors but all was not lost as we got some cool shots in and around the hotel. S and E were great to work with, very relaxed. I am looking forward to the wedding.

Here's a few images from the shoot that caught my eye.

I like the clean lines in this shot

In a corner of the hotel restaurant.

A quick photo in the corridor.

What? Who hasn't had a snog in a laundry cupboard before? C'mon....

Thanks for your time, Erica and Simon, see you at the wedding!

Thrive

2009-05-20T23:31:00.001+01:00

Thrive is a charity located not far from me in Beech Hill just outside Reading. I have been helping out there for a few years now and today they asked me to photograph the garden and take some pictures to keep their library up to date.

It's always a pleasure, but more so at this time of year, to be out and about with a camera. Here's a few texture shots from the Thrive garden.

Laura and Alistair's Streatley Wedding

2009-05-16T23:57:00.012+01:00

Laura and Alistair tied the knot today at St. Mary's in Streatley. A couple of months ago we had shot their engagement session in and around the church and hotel and it was a pleasure to return today to photograph the wedding. Laura and Al were great, the rain surprisingly held off and although it was a bit breezy, a good time was had by all. Without further ado, a few favourites from the day.

Some images from the morning.

Al, a single man. For the next 20 minutes anyway.

I love this shot through the church door (L). It's the churchwardens hand on the door that makes it for me (but then I am strange like that).

Now they are married (R) Laura gives Al a quick briefing on "How it's going to be" from now on :)

A wedding guest loses interest in the ceremony.

Wind + Veil = :)

Holly.

Negotiating the puddles (L) and some world class bridesmaiding on arrival (R).

The brand new Mr. and Mrs.

I had a fashion photographer moment in the hotel corridor. Doesn't Laura make a great model?

A couple of reception shots to finish.

Drop me a line if you would like to see the complete gallery (it'll be uploaded on Al and Laura's return).

Have a brilliant time in South Africa and Mauritius L & A and thanks again.

Supplier Spotlight

2009-05-15T17:29:00.006+01:00

Back in October 2007 I photographed Ruth and Richard's wedding at Cain Manor. Shortly afterwards Ruth, a trained graphic designer, started Zingiberi Design and makes all kinds of beautiful wedding stationery, cards, montages and other great products. If you're looking for some original handmade stationery for your wedding, click here to check out her site!

Baby Shelby

2009-05-13T22:34:00.003+01:00

It's always lovely to see brides and grooms back with their new families. Katie and Ben got married a couple of years ago and it was a pleasure to see them back with baby Shelby! Isn't she a cutie?

Karen and Paul's Henley Wedding

2009-05-09T23:07:00.005+01:00

The Leander Club was the venue for Karen and Paul's wedding celebration today in Henley-on-Thames. The wedding was at St. Mary's, just over the bridge so it was lovely to be able walk over the bridge from one location to the other. The day was great, the weather was kind and there were lots of friends, family and children there to celebrate the day with them. The couple are off to Sorrento for honeymoon. I am sure it will be beautiful this time of the year (very envious)!

Email me if you were at the wedding and would like to know when the complete gallery is available online.

In the meantime, here's some images that caught my eye.

The Leander Club from the bridge.

Beautiful blooms courtesy of Sonning Flowers.

The Leander Club Synchronised Buttonhole-fixing Display 2009

ickle shoes

Henry and Iris, the lovely bridesmaids.

Paul, in the natural habitat of grooms...the pub.

Final adjustments for Karen as the boys head for the church.

On the way into church. I love the expression on Karen's Dad's face.

The sun had come out by time we left the church (L). Busted by Ian the Best Man! (R)

It's not often two bridal parties bump into each other. Luckily the ladies thought it was really funny :)

Not surprising the canapés went really quickly.

A few moments alone by the river before it was time for the meal.

Thanks again Karen and Paul, have a brilliant time in Sorrento

Abigail & Graham's Wedding

2009-05-01T23:34:00.011+01:00

Abi and Graham tied the knot todayat Esseborne Manor, a beautiful secluded venue south of Newbury. We had some fun with their engagement shoot a few weeks ago and I knew that the wedding would be really enjoyable, relaxed and fun to shoot.

The weather was amazing, rainy the day before but beautiful on the wedding day. Here's a few favourites from the day. The full gallery will be posted in a week or so, drop me a line if you would like to know when that is.

Graham the Groom. I love the lines in this simple portrait.

The Ransom Note (a long story) (L) and this weeks arty shoe shot (R)

Abi hides from the camera (L) whilst Graham holds up the reputation of blokes everywhere by needing help with his hankie :)

I love this detail shot (Abi and her Dad walk down the aisle). Sometimes when you exclude faces in a photo, it becomes a stronger storytelling shot.

A little mirror shot (L) and the deal is sealed (R).

Abi and Graham just after the ceremony. I love the "We've just done it!" faces.

Graham gallantly helps Abi remove the stray confetti. The expression says it all...

The new Mr. and Mrs. pose for their cake cutting photo.

Happily married and released into the wild. I love the depth in this shot. In fact, it's going to be my new blog header!

Can you tell Spring is in the air in this image?

Ermmm....ditto

And now the mighty Hyde End Studios Photobooth :)

Graham shows the way (L). I had to drop this guest from thirty feet up for this shot (R).

Abi and Graham rip off American Gothic for this image. Be afraid, be very afraid....

Best Man Rob and Graham do a very creditable Kray Twins don't you think?

No idea what's happening here.

The brides mother gets kidnapped.

Abi's in charge.

It's a frame up.

Possibly my favourite booth photo of today. Look at their little faces!

A very random photo with a stolen lightshade.

Wedded bliss :)

It's all going downhill now...

If you're of a sensitive disposition, look no further...

A romantic dancefloor moment to finish off with.

Thanks again Abi and Graham, have a brilliant honeymoon and see you when you get back.

The Big Blog Book

2009-04-25T13:15:00.005+01:00

I've been blogging now for quite a while and thought it would be fun to make a book of blog pictures. I took a few hundred and had a hard back book made from them. It's a really nice idea, almost like a diary of my work over the past year or so. I think I'll do one of these every year now as a record of all the great people I've been lucky enough to work for. Ask me for a look at it next time you are around.

Leanne and Jimmy tie the knot.

2009-04-11T17:58:00.009+01:00

Back to Ramsters in deepest Surrey this weekend to attend the weddimg of Leanne and Jimmy. It's been almost a couple of years since I met them last so it was good to see them again.

I was at the same venue a couple of weeks ago and as it was threatening to rain it was nice to know that Ramsters is nice and cosy inside. As it happened, the rain stopped just after the ceremony so we were able to get out and about and shoot some pictures in the garden. Leanne's special guest for the day was Molly, her West Highland Terrier so it was great to shoot some pictures with the three of them :)

As always, if you'd like to know when the the complete gallery is published, drop me a line. In the meantime, here's a few favourites from the day.

During the ceremony

I love this shot of Leanne's shoes. She's sat in this huge chair to sign the register and her feet don't quite reach the ground. Thanks to Sarah, Leanne's sister for spotting this :)

Congratulations after the ceremony and it's outside for a few photos.

A couple of favourite images.

..and the drinks start flowing.

The Lay-Deez!

Jimmy and the boys.

A couple of shots of the beautiful bride.

The new Mr. and Mrs. (and Molly).

Have a brilliant time in Dubai and the Maldives Leanne and Jimmy, see you when you get back.

Creative Assembly

2009-04-08T16:25:00.002+01:00

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Creative Assembly meeting at South Hill Park. Hi to everyone who was there, it was great to meet you all. You can access the images here.

Any problems, just let me know.

The Landlord

2009-03-28T17:39:00.005Z

So on my way back from photographing Laura and Alistair, I dropped in on my younger brother who lives nearby. I haven't seen him for ages so it was nice to have a quick cup of tea and a catch up. He rents his accommodation from Ian who has one of these seen-it-all faces. It's clear he's been around the block once or twice.

He asked me if I would shoot an image to send to his six (!) children so I was happy to oblige. There are different types and quality of light (three to twelve depending on which books you read). I knew at once the way I wanted to light this shot so I drew the curtains in his small front room to reduce the light levels and shot a couple of images (below).

Alistair & Laura are going to get married

2009-03-28T15:23:00.007Z

In May I am going to photograph Laura and Alistair's wedding in Streatley and today we met at the venue to shoot some engagement pictures. The wedding is taking place at St. Mary's and then it's a long trek of, oh, 5 yards or so to the Swan Hotel for the reception. Laura and Alistair were great to photograph, very relaxed and natural together. The wedding is going to be great fun (and hopefully less windy than it was today). Here's a few favourites from the session.

Outside the Morrell Room which is a hall/theatre where L and A did their "courting" :)

A little recce of the church together.

Inside the hotel (L) and a quick picture on the boat moored by the river. See the ducks? That's allegory for you, or depth...or something...

It's nice to allude to the time of year in a photograph (L). A little smooch in the hotel (R).

Thanks again for your time Laura and Alistair - see you in a few weeks :)

Before and After

2009-03-26T19:37:00.008Z

It's been a while since I posted a 'before and after'so I thought I'd use this image of Angelo from his wedding to Lauren last summer at Stoke Park Club. I occasionally used to use infrared film back in the olden days and this look, lovingly recreated in the computer, is pretty close to how those images turned out. It's got quite a dramatic feel which I think suits the fisheye lens used here. Comments? Let me know :)

Kate & Tom's Wedding

2009-03-21T23:13:00.009Z

You might remember Kate and Tom from a couple of months ago when we had great fun shooting some engagement pictures alongside the Thames on a freezing cold January day. I knew then the wedding was going to be great fun. The venue was Ramsters in Surrey and I'm pleased to say the weather was a lot better than at our last meeting :)

Here's a few favourites from the day. As always, let me know if you would like to see the complete wedding online. The gallery will be uploaded in a week or so.

In the meantime - a few favourites from the day.

A little detail shot from the 600 year old tree outside the venue.

Tom, a few minutes before the ceremony. One of those little wedding day moments that pass by so quickly.

Kate arrives - very excited!

Tom holds it together. I remember this moment from my own wedding day so clearly, very scary :)

The Great Drawing Room at Ramsters.

Job done!

Running away for a few moments together.

The new Mr. and Mrs.

L. Hiding from the paparazzi. R. An amazing cheesecake from Jacaranda who did a great job with the catering.

L. Signing the signature book that I made from the engagement shoot pictures. R. The Hyde End Studios Caption Competition. Answers on a postcard please...

Kate throws some shapes on the dance floor!

...not to be outdone by Tom, giving it some stick.

Thanks again for booking me Kate and Tom - enjoy Mauritius!

Becky and Mike's Wedding

2009-03-20T09:41:00.011Z

Wasing Park, Aldermaston was the venue today for Becky and Mike's nuptials. Wasing Park is a beautiful location with it's own church, bar and reception venue.

Mike serves with the Royal Signals TA and had organised a Guard of Honour at the wedding which was a nice touch.

The bride and groom are sunning themselves in the Maldives at the moment and the full gallery will be posted on their return. Drop me a line if you would like to know when that is.

Here's a few images that caught my eye.

Springtime - at last!

I do like an arty shoe shot.

Becky gets ready to roll.

L. Becky the beautiful bride. R. I love the light in this shot

L. Mike gets his uniform on. R. Essential wedding accessories include a top hat,shades and a mini-me.

Becky, her Dad and bridesmaids on the way to church.

L. A hug for the mother-in-law. R. A self-propelled vase of flowers

I love bumping into my ex-brides and grooms at weddings. Here's Andrea and Paul whose wedding I shot almost two years ago.

A couple of favourite images from the day.

It was so nice to be able to shoot in the beautiful spring sunshine, lovely after the last few months we've had.

Thanks Mike and Becky, I had a great time - see you when you get back!

Weirdness

2009-03-12T14:28:00.007Z

My friend Simon Alexander does some very strange things. He is a magician and we regularly bump into each other at weddings and other functions. Yesterday we set out to shoot some pictures of fire. Here's one of my favourite images. No lighting on this shot - just a camera, a candlestick and a man with some very freaky abilities.

Random Picture of the Week

2009-03-01T19:55:00.003Z

Nope. I can't thing of anything to add to this image...

Clive

2009-02-25T10:03:00.001Z

Some prestidigitation and legerdemain today in my studio as I photographed Clive, a magician who provides entertainment at weddings and parties. Here's a few favourites from the shoot. The idea was to provide a pile of interesting images that Clive can use for his soon-to-be-launched website.

February 14th - Catherine and Richard

2009-02-14T18:15:00.008Z

Today's wedding was in south London. Catherine and Richard live in New York and were back in the UK to tie the knot. Here's some favourite images and more to come soon. Sorry for the brevity of this post, it's late, late, late in the evening but I like to get some images up as soon as possible. Watch this space :)

Rich at the church, the impressive Sacred Heart in Wimbledon.

Right on time... (no chance for Richard to sweat).

See, I told you the church was impressive...

I love the lighting in this shot at the church door.

Stuart gets his picture taken.

One of my favourites from today.

The beautiful Catherine (check out those sizzlin' Christian Louboutins).

Valentines Day eh?
Have a brilliant time in Thailand C&R, looking forward to catching up with you before you head back to NY.

Valentines Day

2009-02-14T17:35:00.001Z

I hope you all had a great Valentines Day. I was shooting Catherine and Richard's wedding (pictures coming soon)in Wimbledon but was back early enough to enjoy dinner with my lovely wife. I'm pleased to say I gained maximum brownie points with this home made card.

Zara

2009-02-11T10:56:00.005Z

I photographed Angela and Martin's wedding in 2004 and today it was a pleasure to see them again and shoot some pictures of little Zara. It's always lovely to see ex-brides and grooms, especially when they have beautiful babies :) Here's some favourites from the session.

Twitter

2009-02-11T10:14:00.003Z

Not sure I understand all of this but if you are extremely bored or you do indeed Twitter yourself you can now follow us on Twitter by clicking right here.

If you're not a with-it teenager or indeed, at one with the zeitgeist, Twittering is like mini-blogging, a way of keeping up with friends and colleagues. Apparently it's the next big thing :)

Film is a four letter word

2009-02-06T09:57:00.008Z

So I have been shooting digitally for more than six years now. Prior to that I shot weddings for about ten years on film. There's no argument that digital photography has so much more flexibility than film ever had, the state of the art cameras that I shoot with now are simply amazing in terms of their capability. It's wonderful to be able to shoot handheld images at winter weddings that would have required a tripod and five seconds of exposure time just a few years ago. Added to that, things like the ability to post a complete set of images for viewing worldwide, is incredible given the limitations of the older analogue technology.

That said, there is a certain quality to a film image that can't be replicated using digital capture. I find it hard to express, perhaps it is just imaginary, but there is a elusive feel to a film image that is simply different to one produced by pixel power. I don't think it's a case of better or worse - just different.

I have a few film cameras left so I dug one out and paid an exorbitant price for some black and white film and tried to remember how to load it. Weird shooting a roll of film for the first time in years. Here's a favourite frame.

I'll post some more as I put another couple of rolls through.

Kate & Tom

2009-01-31T21:49:00.004Z

This morning found me on the banks of the chilly Thames outside Weybridge with the lovely Kate and Tom who recently booked me to shoot their up coming wedding. The plan was to shoot some nice relaxed pictures along the river and withstand the cold for as long as we could. Kate and Tom were great, up for anything, even involving shopping trollies...not the best idea as we were about two feet from the water :)

I am looking forward to the wedding, it's going to be a fun day!

Valentines Day

2009-01-29T11:40:00.002Z

In celebration of Valentines Day we have a special portrait offer on at the moment. Your session is photographed free of charge and the first five bookings will also get a beautiful 8" x 6" hand made print absolutely free :)

Call me on 0118 9885088 or clickez-vous ici to register your interest.

An Album Page

2009-01-20T09:42:00.005Z

I just wanted to share this album page from Luke and Georgina's recent wedding. The book is a 12" x 12" Art Album in dark brown Italian leather. I've just finished designing it and this double page spread will go at the beginning of the 'church' part of the book. St. Lawrences in Hungerford holds special memories for George; her parents married there, she was christened in the church and now of course her wedding was held there.

I'm of the opinion that wedding albums are much more valuable a few decades after the wedding than when you first receive them. How we remember things is often fragmentary in nature, we rarely hold a scene or experience in our minds in a complete and seamless fashion, it's the little pieces of the experience that stick in our minds and trigger off other parts of the memory.

I wanted to represent this visually, so the right hand spread as you can see has 12 little detail miniatures shot in and around the church - the church door handle, the ribbon from the bay trees fluttering in the breeze, some architectural details etc.

I think a page like this adds immeasurably to a wedding album and I hope to feature this idea from now on. I'd like to think that in years to come it will be a lovely way of recalling a particular time and place, a way of triggering the emotions you felt at the time.

Comments? I'd love to hear them :)

06:45

2009-01-18T19:00:00.006Z

06:45am. Staggering downstairs this morning I saw my 7 year old, Evie, was up early as is usual in this house. She's pretty good though, entertains herself until she gets hungry, which is usually about two hours later.

Thank God for the Nintendo DS. I think that when mothers leave hospital they should issue these devices as standard. I love the way her face is lit up in this image. You can just make out the dog on the floor at the bottom of the frame. Normally I need four cups of coffee before I can form a coherent sentence but fortunately I can take pictures in my sleep :)

Email down :(

2009-01-15T15:42:00.002Z

Yet again. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please email me via simonkemp@mac.com if you're trying to contact me.

Thanks.

Corporate Photography

2009-01-12T22:06:00.003Z

I don't do much commercial photography these days, my wedding and portrait work keeps me more than busy but I was pleased when James, whose wedding I shot a few years ago, asked me to photograph him and his fellow directors for a new website and brochure.

The idea was to shoot some interesting images with a contemporary feel to coordinate with the new website. Rather than tedious passport style images we decided to shoot in a more interesting style and produce some eye catching images.

Here's a few of my favourites. Comments as always are welcome :)

Sally and Noel

2009-01-10T23:33:00.004Z

My friend Rob asked me to shoot alongside him today. I was happy to help out - his wife is almost 9 months pregnant and I was there juuusst in case...

Rob is an accomplished photographer and didn't really need me there, but of course I shot some pictures as well. We were at the Elvetham in Hartley Witney, just down the road from me. The hotel looked great on this frosty January day, the open fires were particularly welcoming. Noel and Sally were very laid back and easy to photograph, we had a good time and as always it was fun working alongside Rob. Here's a few of my favourites from the day.

Becky and Mike

2009-01-05T11:42:00.005Z

So here is some images from the engagement shoot I did for Mike and Becky on Saturday. As mentioned, it was a freezing cold morning but somehow it didn't matter a bit. It was lovely to capture some images before the wedding in March. Usually life gets so busy about a month or so before the wedding and afterwards time tends to speed up and engagement portrait session is really nice idea, if only as a record of that time when you were boyfriend and girlfriend :)

Mike and Becky were great together. In some of my favourite images here they look like they are in their own little world, despite the frost and the cold. I am looking forward to the wedding in March. I've had a word with the vicar and he's going to organise 28 degrees of sunshine and a light breeze. Probably.

A few favourites from the session.

Thanks for your time this morning Becky and Mike, see you soon!

This morning

2009-01-03T19:05:00.008Z

Parky. There's a word you don't hear much anymore. This morning was decidedly parky. Five below according to my cars thermometer.

Today I was at Wasing Park. The lovely Becky and Mike are getting married there in March and we met this morning to shoot some relaxed engagement pictures in and around the wedding venue. The picture below was what caught my eye as I pulled up. It's the building they use for wedding receptions and apparently it's a converted piggery. The former inmates have been rehoused and it's been tidied up a bit. Isn't the exterior beautiful? It looks like a Moorish palace or somewhere in Morocco. You wouldn't believe I snapped it at 10am this morning in Aldermaston :)

The engagement pictures are coming soon!

Happy Christmas

2008-12-24T12:54:00.002Z

Thanks to everyone who I have worked with this year, I'm looking forward to 2009 with some exciting new products and services in the pipe line.

Have a happy and peaceful Christmas :)

Sarah & John

2008-12-19T23:59:00.014Z

Today's wedding was at St. Peter's Church Hersham and Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot. I was photographing the lovely Sarah and John. I'd already shot some engagement pictures last month so I knew today would be great to photograph. It was a really good day, you never know what weather to expect this time of the year and we actually did pretty well, not too cold and quite bright and sunny. John and Sarah were very laid back and easy to photograph.

Today was also the world premiere of the Hyde End Studios Photobooth! Sarah and John (and their guests) were great sports and I'd like to say thanks to everybody who participated in the inaugural Photobooth, it was a blast to photograph, great fun.

Their full gallery will be posted after S & J have seen the pictures so email me if you'd like to know when the pictures are available for viewing.

In the meantime, here's just a few of my favourites from the day.

Sarah showed me this image of her with her Mum and Dad - it's lovely to connect the old and new like this on a wedding day.

"So that's 24 12" Pepperoni Pizzas at the church at 1.30 - thanks..."

Sarah and her Mum sort out the beautiful veil

Blomster Designs arrive with the flowers

John shows off just one of his amazing super powers.

Eyes down for a full house...

In ten years time we'll be laughing at the size of the phone

Cute bridesmaids shoes

I love this image of Terry, Sarah's Dad

Arriving at the hotel in the very swish Rolls

The beautiful Sarah

What? Who hasn't had a snog in a phonebox before?

The premiere of the mighty Hyde End Studios Photobooth! **CLICK HERE** if you'd like details of this addition to our normal photographic coverage. Warning! Not very sensible pictures follow...

Thanks so much for booking me, Sarah and John, see you after Christmas!

Random Picture of the Week

2008-12-17T20:36:00.004Z

I was in a church last week and I think this gentleman was waiting for his two compadres to arrive for rehearsal. At least I think so, it didn't see polite to ask. I pressed the button without looking through the camera and left him to it.

iPhone

2008-12-12T14:56:00.011Z

I didn't have a camera on my old phone so I was pleased, when I got my iPhone just over a year ago, to see it had a camera. It's pretty mediocre but great to have with you all the time.

Top tip: leave your iPhone in your pocket all the time, the lens gets gungy and you get a beautiful soft focus effect - no Photoshop :)

I saw this bus whilst walking the dog..very odd. You get a prize if you can tell what the two album covers are.

New Blog!

2008-12-10T22:51:00.009Z

My blog has had a facelift, courtesy of the talented Zofia. I hope you like the new simplicity of it. It'll be tweaked a little over the next week or so but comments as always are welcome.

Georgina & Luke

2008-12-08T12:31:00.017Z

Today I was in Hungerford to photograph George and Luke's wedding at the beautiful St. Lawrence's Church. The coldest wedding so far this year for me, but the light was lovely, crisp and bright. Here's a few favourites from the day!

St. Lawrence's Church. I'd arrived early and shot this scene setting image from a hill just outside town.

I love this picture - Georgina, her Mum and Gran.

The boys arriving at the church.

The dapper Luke, looking far more relaxed than any groom has a right to :)

The ladies, escorted by George's Dad, walked to the church from home which was a really nice thing to do (and really brave, given the temperature).

My favourite ceremony shot.

The reception was at Wormstall Park House, a fabulously characterful venue, near Hungerford. I love the background on this image.

One of my favourite images.

Gorgeous George

Favourite shot of the day, I like the shape the plants are making above their heads.

Now that's what I call a canapé.

The meal room was beautifully decorated, all warm and cosy and Christmassy (is that a real word?)

Starters, ready to go.

George shows off her marvellous ball control (note to self - think of a better title for this image)

The fist dance, and great last image (if I say so myself).

The full gallery will be uploaded soon, click here if you'd like me to let you know when that is.

Wedding Ideas Magazine

2008-12-04T10:36:00.007Z

Another publication for me this month as Wedding Ideas Magazine have two double page spreads on a wedding I photographed last year at Pennyhill Park Hotel.

Katie and Ben's Christmas wedding was lovely, it's really cosy and Christmassy at the hotel in December, lots of opportunities for atmospheric, candlelit shots. Katie's top wedding tip? Spend your money on the location and photography, save elsewhere...

Catherine and Richard

2008-11-25T19:51:00.006Z

Another engagement portrait session at Pennyhill Park today with the lovely Catherine and Richard who are getting married on Valentines Day next year. It's always nice to have some cool images to look back on when you were "courting". :)

Thanks for your time Cat and Rich - I'm looking forward to the wedding!

Before and After

2008-11-11T22:39:00.007Z

Time for a 'before and after' - I shot this image in Whitstable a couple of years ago and found it recently thinking it would make a nice black and white print. I have way too many BW 'recipes', in the age of digital imaging there is always so many different ways of doing things. I decided to keep it simple and make a nice contrasty black and white. The darker sky just made the building a little more menacing which looked good for some reason.

A weekend away

2008-11-02T21:00:00.008Z

Yay, no weddings this weekend! (only joking, I love weddings...honestly).

Seriously though, it's a been a long summer and this weekend it was really nice to get away for a couple of days to the coast for a bit of R&R. I don't mind the seaside this time of year, no tourists, a bracing wind and deserted beaches. Black and white is made for this type of landscape I reckon.

Sarah & John

2008-10-28T19:27:00.003Z

I am shooting Sarah and John's wedding in a few weeks so I thought I would post a few images from their engagement shoot. We took a walk around Pennyhill Park Hotel (the location for their wedding reception) for some nice relaxed images. They are great together, as you can see, very laid back. I'm looking forward to the big day :)

A Family Portrait

2008-10-26T20:09:00.004Z

I love family photography, it's something that people only get around to doing after much effort coordinating everybody and organising it all. Just enough room here for all 108 members of Andy and Sandra's family, and some snaps of the kids as well.

Helen and Barry

2008-10-25T23:36:00.005+01:00

Today I had the pleasure of photographing Helen and Barry's beautiful wedding at Pennyhill Park. They were both so friendly and happy on the day it was a pleasure to be there. It was clear that a lot of hard work had gone into organising the day and it was great that the late October weather behaved itself and family and friends were able to enjoy some time on the terrace at the hotel,

Here's a few images from the day that caught my eye. Let me know if you'd like to be informed when the complete gallery is uploaded.

Beautiful handbags of petals for the bridesmaids

Helen sports the very latest in white towelling bridal dressses...

Barry talks with a friend in the bar, just before the ceremony.

Barry and the boys

Helen and the girls make a few last minute ajustments.

Shot during the ceremony

I love this picture - job done!

And out to a well earned drink

Barry and Helen return to the reception.

A little smooch by the window.

Some of the beautiful stationery at the reception supplied by Izzy B.

Tasty starters, ready to go.

The groom's speech

Thanks for choosing me Barry and Helen, see you next week!

Bad Blogger

2008-09-29T17:52:00.001+01:00

I know, I am very behind with blogging at the moment. I have a lot to catch up with so thanks for your patience :)

Vinny and Michelle - The Slideshow

2008-09-17T19:35:00.013+01:00

The End of the Road

2008-09-17T19:35:00.012+01:00

The End of the Road Festival :)

It's been a really busy summer and this weekend was my first weekend off in ages. We dropped the kids with the grandparents and had a brilliant time in Dorset at a fantastic music festival. I am a little behind with work and blogging etc. so pictures from the weekend coming soon (when I have caught up a bit).

Aprajita and Matthias

2008-09-06T23:59:00.002+01:00

A few favourites from Aprajita and Matthias' wedding at Keble College Oxford.

Happy Anniversary (to me).

2008-09-05T23:59:00.003+01:00

It would be remiss of me to forget to post about my own wedding which was sixteen years ago this very day, when my beautiful wife said "I do". I have never known anyone with so much patience and love (not to mention powers of endurance) so I am posting to say THANK YOU! for everything!

Here's an iPhone snap I took of us in town a couple of months ago.

Kathryn & Jamie

2008-09-05T23:24:00.002+01:00

I am late this week blogging; it's the time of year when everything seems to catch up so apologies, Kathryn and Jamie, for being slow with the pictures...

K&J got married at Guildford Register Office. I shot my first wedding there about fifteen years ago. Just to make me feel really old I remember it was with a Mamiya Twin Lens Reflex camera which took rolls of film with a whopping 12 exposures and was so sloooow to use.

Things have changed so much over the last ten years or so. Those old cameras were so difficult to use in the rain, so I was pretty glad to be there today with my D3's.

The rain couldn't dampen the occasion though and after the ceremony we departed for Pennyhill Park Hotel, where the sun came out and the new Mr. and Mrs. and their guests had a great time on the terrace.

By contrast from their leafy, Surrey wedding Kathryn and Jamie are off to darkest Africa for honeymoon and their complete gallery will be uploaded on their return. **CLICK HERE** and I will let you know when that happens.

In the meantime, a few images that caught my eye from the day.

Jamie, Anthony and Jamie
A little close-up shot during the ceremony

Kathryn holds it together :)
Dodging the raindrops at Pennyhill Park Hotel

A couple of moments alone...

...well almost.

Shiny things

The beautiful bride

Check out the pose :)

Two's company...
The amazing Balmoral room at the hotel was the setting for the meal

Hope you have a brilliant time Kathryn and Jamie, I am sure you will enjoy the sunshine. See you when you get back :)

Michelle & Vinny

2008-08-30T23:59:00.007+01:00

So what happened to the weather today? I can't believe how beautiful it was, it felt like a foreign country, the light was so clear and crisp.

Michelle and Vinny live in Epsom with their boy Frankie and the ceremony was held just down the road at the Christ Church and afterwards at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot. The three of them are sunning themselves in Crete at the moment and I am looking forward to showing them the pictures when they get back. Here's some that caught my eye when I was downloading the images after the wedding.

The beautiful dress. I love these kind of scene setting images.
In a similar vein, here's a close up of Michelles lilies (or is that 'lilys')? Someone help me out here.

Frankie. Just after a snack - could you guess? This is real life, folks.

Yay, granny's here :)

Vinny and the boys.

Hard work, getting married. Vinny feels the pressure.

Frankie makes a break for freedom.

"Are we nearly there yet?"

The "I can't believe we've done it!" moment.

Freshly married and released into the wild. I love the backlighting in this picture.

The new Mr. and Mrs. arrive at the hotel in style.

The gorgeous bride.

I knew my high jump skills would come in useful one day.

Come to momma!

The official post wedding family picture.

Have a brilliant time in Crete, thanks for having me along on the day - see you when you get back :)

Caroline and Andrew

2008-08-29T23:10:00.005+01:00

My single best photographic purchase of the last few years has to be the mighty Satnav. Today I headed to the wilds of Dorset to help my friend Rob photograph a wedding just outside of town. I understand the argument that the noble Tomtom inhibits awareness of surroundings and can occasionally mess up in spectacular style but believe me, when you have miles of twisty country lanes to contend with, it's truly a blessing. That said, it couldn't help me with the horrendous holiday traffic (apologies to any caravan owners out there, but really - what exactly is wrong with hotels?) Despite this, it was a great day, the weather was fine and it was fun photographing with Rob. Caroline and Andrew (the B & G) were great, very relaxed. Here's a few favourites, more from the wedding will be appearing on Rob's blog.

We pick up our story immediately after the ceremony, Andrew wondering where the nearest drink is.

I love confetti

You'll have noticed I have graduated from the standard 'couple in the mirror' shot to the more advanced 'back of the couple in the back of the mirror' shot.

Look at these guys. Anybody would think weddings are for enjoying yourselves - it's a serious business ladies and gentlemen - behave, please.

The beautiful Caroline.

Andrew looks on embarrassed as Steve, the Best Man practices 'throwing some shapes' (as I believe the young people call it these days).

I noticed the cake looking a little lonely.

What a great room eh? Check out the...

...fantastic ceiling. (Believe me, you get some very odd looks taking shots like these).

Rob set up a terrific shot by the window so I went for this alternative view in a handy mirror.

A little clichéd I know but I like it.

The girls head up hill, impressively outpacing both Rob and I. In high heels too. (Uh, the girls that is...).

The meal begins.

Nicky and Andy's Wedding

2008-08-24T23:10:00.011+01:00

Nicky and Andy got married today at St. Annes Church in Bagshot and in case you are wondering about the picture above, they organised a Spitfire Flypast (as you do) to commemorate the event. Kinda scary, as the fastest thing I normally photograph is a five year old sprinting onto a dance floor or a bride who is very late for her wedding.

The bride and groom have been together a few years and have a beautiful daughter, Amelia, who was pretty good during the day (better behaved than some grownups I have seen at weddings)!

Nicky was very laid back and organised in the morning as I shot some pictures at the hotel and she arrived early (!) at the Church. The vicar gave a really nice sermon and It was a nice, relaxed afternoon as the wedding party retired to Pennyhill Park Hotel for the reception.

Here's a few favourites from the day.

An arty flower shot
Amelia. Isn't she a cutie :)

Andy - a single man!
Your Special Day :)

A fisheye shot from the church floor
The new Mr. and Mrs.

I do like a nice silhouette shot at the wedding.
You can almost feel the sunshine in this shot.
I love shooting detail shots, here's a few at the reception.

Not sure what was funny, but I love the expression :)

Nothing wrong with a traditional cake cutting photo :)
Thanks for choosing me, Nicky and Andy, can't wait to show you the rest of the pictures.

Lauren and Angelo's Wedding

2008-08-23T23:32:00.006+01:00

Lauren and Angelo tied the knot today at the beautiful Stoke Park Club and it was a pleasure to be there to photograph the wedding. It was a special day, beautiful weather, a fabulous location and a couple clearly in love. I was there right through to the dancing in the evening and it was great fun photographing all the things that went on throughout the big day. Lauren and Angelo are busy enjoying their honeymoon in Mauritius so until they get back, here's some moments that caught my eye.

The 2008 Award for the most relaxed, laid back groom goes to....

This is where today all started.

I love the light through the veil on this shot.
What a room eh?

I do like to look out for unusual compositions on a wedding. And I know it's a weird thing to say but I like both the expressions in this photo.

The beautiful Lauren, leaning on the less beautiful but still very impressive Aston Martin DB5.

rorrim eht ni olegnA dna neruaL

A few moments together before going into the meal

Last minute adjustments in the corridor...

Pete, Laurens Dad starts his speech. Lauren wonders what is coming next.

Angelo tells the one about the bartender, the herd of goats and the whipped cream.
A practice smooch on the dance floor

When I had finished and was on the way back to the carpark, I turned around and saw this.
Have a brilliant honeymoon Lauren and Angelo, see you when you get back :)

Oliver & Lisa's Wedding

2008-08-16T21:20:00.006+01:00

Today I headed up the M4 to photograph Lisa and Oliver's wedding. The ceremony was at the spectacular Ealing Abbey. It's an amazing building both inside and out and I must mention the music during the service which was great. After some great pictures on the steps we headed south to Richmond Park and Pembroke Lodge for the reception. The guests had a great view across the park from the terrace and all to soon, it was time to go into the meal.

Lisa and Oliver are off to Fiji on honeymoon and their complete gallery will be uploaded when they return. If you were at the wedding and would like to know when that is, click here :)

Ealing Abbey

Oliver gets sorted - 20 minutes to go.

The best man and ushers busy er...ushing.

The Olympics on the telly has a lot to answer for. Lisa, her brother and the girls sprint up the steps.

Lisa makes it official.

Job done!
Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park

The new Mr. and Mrs.

The lovely Lisa.
Robert Fox, magician extraordinaire, wows the guests (fire extinguisher just out of shot).
The meal kicks off in the Belvedere Suite.

A little smooch to finish things off.

Sarah & Phil

2008-08-09T22:57:00.010+01:00

My second wedding of the weekend was in Frimley where Sarah and Phil tied the knot. A bit of rain didn't spoil the day as, after the service, the bridal party headed for Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot.

I was pleased that we managed to get a few images outside today and fortunately Pennyhill Park Hotel has some really nice rooms and areas to shoot inside so the weather isn't that much of an issue.

Here's a few pictures to tide you over until the complete gallery is uploaded. That will be when Sarah and Phil get back from honeymoon.

Phil, at the church on time

Checking it is in fact the right church...

Sarah arrives during a gap in the rain

First sight of her handsome groom!

A favourite image shot during the ceremony

I like 'framing' shots, I took this through the panelling on the church balcony.

3:24pm

A relaxed portrait of Sarah

Sealed with a kiss

The day wasn't short on meteorological suprises...

Another relaxed portrait outside the hotel

I love shooting candid pictures during the reception, much nicer than too many 'posed' pictures at a wedding.

As always, the room setup at the hotel looked fabulous

Mmmmmm, tasty starters, ready to go.

A little glimpse behind the scenes, a fair bit of planning goes into making sure the meal runs smoothly.

Have a brilliant time on holiday, S & P, I am looking forward to showing you the pictures when you get back!

08 08 08 Jane & Jim

2008-08-08T22:55:00.009+01:00

My 080808 wedding was at Woodlands Park Hotel in Surrey where Jane and Jim tied the knot. Despite a little rain, everything went swimmingly :) We shot some really nice pictures under the trees and it was great to be there.

Here's a little preview!

Jim, the single man (for the next half hour anyway).

The pre-wedding excitement reaches fever pitch.
Jane, a few minutes before...

...heading down to the ceremony.

Listening to Jim's Mum's reading. I love the expressions :)

The obligatory 'top hat on a bridesmaid' photo

Limbering up for the new Olympic sport of full size tag team speed chess.

Look at the lips!

The new Mr. and Mrs. enjoy a few moments alone.

One of my favourites

The bride and groom organised bubbles for the...uh...children...

The man with the drinks looking slightly worried

Thanks for choosing me Jane and Jim, see you when you get back from honeymoon!

Tom and Nicola

2008-08-02T18:26:00.002+01:00

Tom and Nicola got married today in Caterham. My friend Rob was shooting their wedding and asked me along to help out. It was a great experience, Tom and Nicola were very relaxed and friendly and not at all bothered by having an extra photographer along for the day. Rob is a great photographer (check out his pictures on his blog) and it was a pleasure to work alongside him for the day.

Here's a few of my favourites from the day.

Some beautiful flowers for the little bridesmaids...

Tom the Groom. Far too relaxed :)

Tom's Dad gets buttonholed

The little bridesmaids make their way into church

During the ceremony
Tom's shiny brand new wedding ring.

If your name's not on the list, you're not coming in.

Danger, photographer at work.

Job done!

Seconds after I took this pic she shattered her image by gently mangling the flower :)

The paparazzi were out in force today.

The new Mr. and Mrs. take a walk through the roses.

Everyone!

Love blossoms (geddit?)
A last favourite from the day

Sophie & James

2008-07-26T23:59:00.004+01:00

Wow, the hottest wedding of the year so far for me as I was in Marlow photographing Sophie and James' fabulous wedding. I shot some pictures of Sophie and the girls at Danesfield House before moving onto the pub by the church (always a good move) to catch James, Nick and the ushers. After the ceremony, it was back to Danesfield House for a beautiful afternoon on the terrace. Here's a few favourites from the day. If you were at the wedding and would like to know when the full gallery is uploaded click here.

In the meantime, thanks for choosing me S&J, and have a brilliant time in the Far East :)

I love this picture of Sophie's veil in her room at Danesfield

Sophie, in the morning before leaving for the church.

The boys leave the pub. Like Reservoir Dogs but not as scary. Must be the hats.

James' nan, just before the ceremony, giving him a clean hanky. Bless :)
A capacity crowd at St. John the Baptist, Little Marlow.

The very picturesque Danesfield House.

The new Mr. and Mrs.

James' Dad's pride and joy, an original E-Type. Sorry about the bride and groom in the way...

Some serious competition at this wedding :)

The view from the grounds of the hotel

I call this picture 'Small Boy entranced by Violins'. Or something.

The breathtaking Versailles Room was the venue for the Wedding breakfast.

Veronica & Cecil

2008-07-12T23:19:00.013+01:00

Today I had the pleasure of photographing the celebrations of Veronica and Cecil who got married in West London. It was an enjoyable day, the venue was great and everyone had a good time. There were plenty of children at the wedding including the couples four kids who were very well behaved. Mind you the huge plasma TV in the hotel room helped on that front :)

C & V were great to work with and we got some really nice shots.

There were many favourites but I only have room for a few. You can drop me a line if you were at the wedding and would like to know when the complete gallery is uploaded.

The interior of the minimalist and very swish Hempel Hotel
Cecil gets suited and booted

Taken just after a frantic half hour search for the grooms tie
Looking cool and relaxed...

Veronica

I love the expressions in this image. (50" plasma TV just out of shot)

The beautiful bride

A little detail shot during the ceremony
Cecil almost loses it - Veronica holding it together :)

The newly weds

I love this picture :)

- and this is how I meant it to turn out :)
A few moments together in the park outside

Another favourite shot from the day
The dining room at the hotel was amazing, incredible lighting and colour everywhere

This weird little yellowy/green room made a great setting for this funky portrait

The cabaret

Sam & Andy

2008-07-05T23:27:00.005+01:00

A bright and breezy today at the Millhouse Hotel in Swallowfield and the wedding of Andy and Sam. I am so glad that the rain held off until Sunday. Sam was held up a little in traffic on the way so I felt sorry for Andy, waiting for quite a while in the ceremony room!

The couples beautiful daughters were in attendance as bridesmaids and they had a great time running around the garden afterwards.

The new Mr. and Mrs. are off on honeymoon for a week or so and the complete gallery will be posted on their return. Click here if you'd like me to let you know when that happens.

As usual, here's a few favourites so far from the day :)

Check out the tasty cake
Andy and the lads

Fifteen minutes to go...
Sam arriving at top speed

Scott, the best man, and some of the guests patiently waiting...

Daughters Chloe and Abby

Sam's shiny new wedding ring
A quick smooch before heading off in the car

There'll be grass stains everywhere...

Sam's Dad, rehearsing his jokes for the speech :)

Check out those rainclouds - the rain held off though

A few minutes together...
Andy and daughter Chloe

...and a final smooch in the undergrowth :)

Wedding Fair

2008-07-04T15:36:00.006+01:00

There is a wedding fair on the 21st August 2008 at my favourite venue, Pennyhill Park Hotel, in Bagshot, Surrey.

You'll be able to see some of the beautiful rooms set out for ceremonies and wedding breakfasts and get a real feel for the big day :)

Click here for further information.

I will be exhibiting there along with other wedding suppliers, so hope to see you on the 21st!

Karen & Derek

2008-06-28T23:17:00.005+01:00

The wedding of Karen and Derek was held today at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot. Any fears over the weather were dispelled as the afternoon grew warmer and we ended up with a lovely sunny afternoon and a beautiful reception on the terrace at the hotel.

K & D have four children between them and with the other children at the wedding I confess to losing count at times :) I was really pleased with the pictures from today and am looking forward to showing them to Karen and Derek when they get back from honeymoon in Crete. If you were at the wedding and would like to know when the complete gallery is uploaded, click here to let me know.

A few favourites from the day:

Sparkly shoes!

The boys...

...on the way.

The groom!

Whirling bridesmaids.

Karen, receiving her final interrogation, sorry - briefing - from the registrar.

I love the position of everyone in this shot. Like they'd been arranged like that.

Check out Karen's unusual dress. She designed it herself :)

You can feel the sunshine in this shot.

Aaah, newlyweds eh?