What is your most memorable wedding?
One of my Weddings where the BBC also filmed the Wedding, (behind me of course) for a BBC behind the scenes series. Big Wedding with 5 Bridesmaids, 2 best men, 4 ushers etc. Interesting start as one of the cars with 3 of the bridesmaids got lost and so was about 40 minutes late starting, (got it back on track though). 40 piece brass band, (tricky when co-ordinating the group shots) massive marquee and grounds so quite an area to cover.
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
creative, different, interesting, modern, fun
What about your business are you most proud of?
The images. It's all about the photos f the 'moments'... We also have a high spec 4K film service. Call for details.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Allow a comfortable amount of time in your itinerary, otherwise if anything overuns you start to get stressed when you really want to relax abd have fun all day. So, don't try to do too much. Less is more. Quality rather than quantity.
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
I do a 'walkabout' just with the bride and groom to extract them from everything for a while so they cn focus on each other for 15/20 minutes. No looking at the camera. Natural shots, great back drops, great personal moments, hugs & kisses.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
Its all about the preparation. If you get this right you have a great base plan but have the flexibility on the day to go in whatever direction is required.
What is the No. 1 photo that you think every couple should take?
Head a and shoulders shot but not kissing, (because you typically can't see enough of both). I want to capture the Love and passion the couple have for each through their eyes, (windows to the soul). I use angles, perspective and choose a great back drop.
What is the most original photo you’ve been asked to take at a wedding?
All sorts really but one I suggest often is the 'rugby scrum' shot. Me on my back with a 'fisheye' lens and all the guys crowding around then the girls turn. Always a fun shot. Also, I have a 300mm F2.8 with a 2x to make it 600mm for overcoming difficult circumstances, (Church's where you can't be up the front) or just very long close up wedding breakfast shots etc.
What do you recommend for a rainy day wedding?
Switch to Plan B discussed during the Wedding preparations stage mentioned earlier. Use the best aspects of the Wedding Venue or even a facility close by.
Describe how you got into photography.
Travelled the world with my Brother, (another keen photographer) in my youth shooting on 35mm slides. Doing our own developing and printing. I still ave my Nikon EM & FM film cameras.