All the Autumn feels

A family photo shoot always starts with the same conversation. We’re not photogenic. We hate having pictures taken. Dad is very self-conscious. Etc. Etc.

So let me reassure you - we’re going for a walk. Nothing more, nothing less. We will chat and the kids will play. And whilst all this is happening, the photographs will magically appear without anybody realising it.

On this occasion, RHS Harlow Carr was enormously helpful, with her abundant colour and endless choice of routes. The Japanese Acers were in the full flush of vibrancy, and the family had helpfully coordinated their garments to match. Not much room for black and white here.

Siblings, instead of offering hesitancy or shyness, were in full energetic and rivalry mode. All good for me.

Three can be the magic number. And sometimes not. The trick is patience, and finding a location that offers so many opportunities that the kids’ interest is retained, and no-one feels they have to out-do the others for the best shot.

I don’t think mums and dads usually anticipate that this occasion will have anything to do with their own relationship. It’s about the kids and, at a push, the family unit. But this is a story which began with a romance, so why not capture that too? It is, after all, the linch pin here.

Carry, walk, piggy-back, sit on a bench, pick up a stick, straddle a fence, hunt for pine cones, run, climb a tree, or just talk. As long as it’s natural, I can capture it.

November has been wet, so getting out and about last weekend (for the first time in a while) was fun and refreshing. There is still time to squeeze in an autumn/winter shoot this year, so get in touch - they make great Xmas presents.

Cementing Anglo-French relations in this Rudding Park June wedding

Rudding Park has seen many weddings, but there is a special and poignant sentiment in the air when the occasion marks the formal entwinement of a couple who have seen 11 years and three beautiful children together.

Laura is British. 11 years ago in a night-club, she bumped into the tall, dark, athletic figure of professional footballer, Tou. If he wasn’t imposing enough on sight, his French accent swung it. The Afro-Parisian hunk and the English rose fell in love. Their commitment endured and flourished, and has led them through over a decade of their lives together. During this time they have grown a magnificent family, and in 2018 they decided that the time was now right to seal the deal on paper.

Bridal prep was busy. Hats off to Laura for keeping her cool when two small girls are wanting the one thing they cannot have - mummy! Hair and make-up was a team affair, and meticulously executed by the super Evangeline (MUA) and Caroline (Hair) from Your Bridal Team. Somewhat confined to quarters due to unforecasted rain, there were a lot of bodies in a small space, but pretty things soon emerged as even more beautiful, in their capable hands.

The bridesmaids all wore soft rosy pink with which they were furnished by Walsall based bridal shop Jeneve Bridal.

Laura’s waist-hugging gown by Suzanne Neville was elegant and traditional, and provided by The Bridal Collection of Harrogate. A cathedral length veil framed her face and soft, wavy hair. Her shoes were from Dune and the wedding bands were both selected from Ernest Jones.

The Follifoot Suite looked stunning for the couple’s relaxed, civil ceremony, with giant floral displays filling the room with soft rose and cream colours. Hurricane lanterns burned softly all along the aisle and the couple’s eldest daughter Nevaeh scattered petals before mum walked in with her father, Steve. The bride’s bouquet was full and weighty, but beautifully crafted. All the flowers were created by the incredibly talented The Rarified. The whole of the proceedings were skilfully orchestrated by The Angels Events team, and, of course the wedding coordinators at Rudding.

I think I’m right in saying that this was the first official meeting for the two families from different continents. Little English is spoken by the groom’s relations, but love is gesture that crosses all boundaries.

Tou waited nervously whilst still managing to cut a handsome and suave figure in his custom tuxedo, crafted by tailors Crown to Cuff.

The best man was also the smallest, in 9 year old son Zayden. No dramas, just quietly dutiful all day long. Baby sister Amiyah took the occasion in her stride too and slept through it all.

There is no more picturesque estate to wander with a bride and groom for portraits than that of Rudding Park. We took a stroll, Tou gallantly helping his new wife with her ample skirt (and trying not to stomp his size 12s on her epic white veil).

A tremendous 5 course meal was followed by a short speeches from the bride’s dad, and an off-the-cuff tribute by the groom-who-claimed-he-was-rubbish-at-public-speaking’s Mike Drop.

This sparkly, edible beastie of a wedding cake was conceived and created by the epic brilliance of Poppy Pickering of Ilkley. I never did get a taste!

When the party commences, I usually take my leave. No-one needs theses moments on a public gallery. DJ Mark Green led the festivities, and the beautiful duo kicked things off in traditional style with a song that has been the backdrop to their enduring courtship.

My one regret? Next time, maybe insist on getting this many people into a group shot BEFORE the Prosecco runs out. #carnage #herdingcats

Contact me for more info on wedding photography, or check my other pages for more wedding photos!

A blissful and intimate Rudding Park wedding

When Emma & Richard asked me to photograph their wedding, I was thrilled. I knew it would be understated and intimate, since both halves of this couple are shy and uncomfortable in the limelight.

So, when they said ‘Rudding Park’ I thought I had mis-heard. Rudding is a behemoth of a wedding venue. It is a beautiful stone country pile with its own chapel building and golf course, and dozens of acres to romp in post-nuptially. Many an impressive occasion has graced its elegant halls, often with a no-expense-spared approach to the decorations, food and floral displays. This did not sound very ‘Emma’ at all.

It soon became clear that, whilst the wedding ceremony was to be held in the main house, the newlyweds had every intention of then escaping from the grand corridors and pruned box hedges of the front of this famous Spa Hotel, in preference to an intimate celebration with just close family and friends at the Deer Park pub which lies nestled within the gardens of the Rudding estate.

The walled kitchen garden was fully laden with roses and apples, and as such offered plenty of opportunity for us to take full advantage of the autumn harvest as a backdrop for some bride and groom moments.

Emma had kept everything perfectly simple. The flowers, the rings, the dress, the make-up. All typically classy and elegant, but without ostentation. Even the feet were a heel-free zone.

These gorgeous little gingerbread newlyweds were crafted by the cake maker, Jane Emma Fisher. The flowers were created by Colette at Flowers by Colette at Rudding Park.

This fabulous assortment of gentlemen belong to the Harrogate Harmony male Barbershop choir. Having appeared as faux dessert waiters (pulled off easily thanks to their white waistcoat uniforms) they proceeded to serenade guests with a medley of magnificent old standards. A proper treat.

And THESE gorgeous gentlemen below were thoughtful enough wear matching socks en masse, so it would be rude not to photograph them!

Emma’s firm and longstanding friendship with the Rudding Park owners Simon & Judy added an unexpected further depth of emotion to the occasion. Simon insisted that the bride and groom be conveyed by the best means possible from their wedding ceremony to the reception, and what better way than to drive them himself in his vintage Model T Ford. A short turn about the golf course in the open-topped classic car eventually brought the ecstatic couple to rest just steps from the confetti-ready crowds.

This was a sweet, heartfelt wedding day in beautiful surroundings, as understated as the two stars of the show.

Rings by I’Anson Jewellers of Harrogate.

Bride’s dress from the Bridal Factory Outlet, Northallerton.

Bride and bridesmaid’s hair & makeup by Fabienne Moon and Danielle Alexandra Reading, respectively.

Venue decor by Funky Muppet of Leeds.

Wedding slots are still available for 2019 and 2020. Please get in touch to chat about your needs.

Winter nuptial challenges

A winter wedding comes with many challenges.

Challenge #1 - it's bloody cold

Meet Claire and Russ, blissfully happy (and rightly so), but on this occasion most of the laughter was goosebump-related. Between shots, Claire hurriedly and repeatedly grappled with the zip of her Parka and tried not to look blue. A veritable trooper, I must say, who never once complained when I told her to 'lose the coat' again and again.

Are those goose pimples or are you just pleased to see me?

Ha! Brainwave! Let's warm up my couple, thought I, and asked if they were up for an impromptu visit to the posh wedding gown shop next door. I had in mind a quirky shot of them standing in the shop window, mannequin-like, dressed as, well a bride and groom, obviously. The rather officious lady in the shop, however, failed to see the funny side, and politely declined. Parka reassembled (admittedly with more than a touch of 'up yours' on my part), and back to the great outdoors we went, tails between our legs.

Claire braving the cold

Challenge #2 - it gets dark early

The scheduled time for the wedding ceremony on this occasion was 3pm. Having consulted the sun gods in advance, I was armed with the knowledge that sunset was scheduled for around 4pm. Now, it doesn't take a maths genius to calculate that by the time Russ & Claire had actually signed their marital contract, it would be too dark for the photos which they were paying me to deliver. Awkward in the extreme.

Hurriedly shooting between Parka moments

It is thanks both to the excellent natures of my sporting and awesome bride and groom, and to the relaxed mood of their nuptials that we were able to negotiate meeting up an hour before the ceremony, in order to get some portraits 'in the can'. This was only possible because they were unconcerned about seeing each other before their wedding, and really underpins why my favourite weddings are just like this one, where both parties are super-chilled and entirely without pomp or formality. 

Fading light for a confetti shower

Challenge #3 - shooting at a register office

Register Offices are perfectly fine places to get married, but generally offer up a stinker of a challenge for photographers. 

In this particular case, the windows are curtained and let in little natural light, the walls are beige (they suck up the light and are highly unflattering for skin tone) and there are ill-placed 1970s light fittings bracketed around the walls. The latter provide a cherry-on-the-cake type of challenge, which requires the person holding the camera to attempt to capture the deep emotion of the moment without the bride appearing as though she has well-lit metal antlers growing out of her head.

Letting someone else do the hard work

There are other obvious limitations to an urban Register Office, of course. Whilst the car park is a godsend for a photographer with a heavy bag of equipment, it is generally not my location of choice for newlywed portraits. 

Scouting for interesting nook and cranny opportunities ahead of time has become essential. They must be within a few yards, as brides wear high heels. They must be free from mud and dog kak, as brides wear pretty, long dresses. It must be aesthetically pleasing. Trees are good. Gravel is bad. Bright sunshine is bad. Shade is good.

A helpful log, randomly but conveniently placed next to the car park

When the bridal shop failed, we hot-footed it to a small courtyard which served a handful of apartments. No-one seemed to mind that we didn't belong there, and we had enough peace and quiet to relax into a few shots.

Handsome Russ in a quiet moment before the ceremony

Harrogate also managed to offer up the Stray. Whoever once said "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" was bang on here. Acres of grass (= mud = no go), thousands of trees (= no leaves = mud = no go), parked cars (= ugly = no go). Thank goodness for the odd path.

Challenge #4 - cozy indoor spaces 

When the sun is gone, it's cold with a capital C, and the Reception has yet to begin, there is an inevitable retreat indoors. 

Claire & Russ held their delightfully informal and cozy reception at the gorgeous General Tarleton at Ferrensby. In addition to champagne, open fires, candles and fairy lights welcomed their guests into the low-beamed room filled with sofas and snacks. 

Time to reach for the flash. 

Rearranging the accessories to capture the mood

Whilst natural light produces a romantic and dreamy air to wedding photos, indoor flash can be the polar opposite. I was keen to ensure that Claire and Russ's story remained true to events, and that the mood wasn't ruined by an over-zealous light bulb.

Someone needs to remind her to never upstage the bride

An upstairs room was laid out with a long table, set for dinner for about 30 people. It was pitch dark, apart from the twinkle of a few fairy lights and some tea lights, which the kids were (if I were paranoid, I might say sadistically) enjoying blowing out as they ran rings around the table. All's fair in love and wedding photography.

The atmosphere was loving, congenial and perfect for a winter party.

Mum and dad

So, whilst shooting a winter wedding throws up a veritable minefield of obstacles for whoever's in charge of the camera, all is not lost. Challenges aside, this was a totally beautiful day from start to end. I was thrilled to be asked, and lucky to be part of it. 

My fondest and best wishes go out to Claire, Russ and family, for the future.

Is Autumn the perfect time of year for family portraits?

When the light is perfect and so are the family, then heck, yes.

We chose a day in early October for this family portrait session and headed off to the glorious gardens of RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate. Resolutely ignoring the cakes in the window of Betty's tearoom, I made my way through the crowds (note to self: check that I have not booked a photo shoot in the middle of a BEER festival next time) to find mum & dad, Helen & Paul, wrapped up for a leisurely stroll with their two cheeky boys in tow.

The first thing you notice about this family is their special affection for each other. There is something about their interactions which is so deeply gentle and loving, which I'm struggling to put my finger on as I write this, but which is not present in every family, and which is quite moving to witness.

The silvery trees in which we found ourselves here still had a lovely light canopy of feathery leaves, which were so delicate in the late morning sunshine. The boys got totally wrapped up in a game of 'where's the aeroplane?' which relaxed them in to a perfect state of ignoring my camera and allowed me to capture some happy, candid family shots.

Hoping for a shot of littlest bro, O, we stuffed a banana in his hand and managed to get a sitting still moment. Big brother A decided to get in on the act by helpfully assuming a nonchalant 'leaning' pose against a nearby tree, and so this became a 'two brothers' family portrait instead! Why not? The more, the merrier, say I!

Pixie? Gnome? Whatever it is that hides amongst the moss and greenery in the darkest corner of the Harlow Carr gardens, we found one. This one was particularly cute, with a mischievous grin and a half-wink. Definitely up to no good, but enjoying the attention more and more as the shoot went on.

As another aeroplane passed overhead, mum and littlest son, O both leaned back and looked skyward for a moment. I love how their tiny moment of accidentally coordinated movement was somehow harmonised, mum and son in perfect unity.

Do you see what I mean? Such a loving family, wrestling over the football in amongst the fallen leaves, gave us some rough and tumble moments, and expressions of pure joy on the faces of dad and his big boy. Bear hugs and chasing, followed by willful kicking of the ball down a (very) steep hill for dad to retrieve, followed by a bit of cheating and a lot of laughing. Lovely.

I'd love to tell you that I planned for the word LOVING to be centre shot when I made this photo, but it was merely serendipitous. A very happy accident. I asked Helen & Paul for a shot, so as I took this image I was balancing baby O against my knees (he has only JUST learned to stand up & walk on his own) and coaxing big bro A in to holding his brother from behind. Movement was impossible,  for fear of unbalancing the wee man, who was gamely gripping my knees for dear life. Accidents were, thankfully averted, and the two boys were returned to the fold, unharmed. Phew!

That face. Frankly, being this cute ought to be illegal, but since it's not, let's capture it for mum and dad, forever. 

It turned out that A was an excellent backwards walker, as well as being an expert in the traditional forwards method. I know this as I asked him to prove it to me for these shots, in an effort to slow down his pace a little!

This was no hardship - a beautiful day, an adorable foursome, and a leisurely stroll doing what I love. Epic.

For more family portrait stuff, go here, or visit my Pinterest page.

Love, reprised in these super sweet wedding images from Hipping Hall, Lake District

Andy & Becky are sweethearts. Any fool can see that.  They sealed their devotion in a wedding ceremony on the idyllic Greek island of Corfu in August of this year. Now home, with the nuptials all complete, they decided to dust off their marital outfits for one final time with a post-wedding photo shoot.

favourite bridal portrait

Thanks to the artistry of local hair and makeup genius Lucy Pearson, bride Becky looked as pretty and youthful as the day she met her beau, with loose blonde curls and a sweet, natural look to her makeup. To complement her understated floral arrangement, Katie at Made in Flowers had created a stunning hair adornment for gorgeous Becky, who wore it with class and elegance. I adore how Becky's bluer-than-blue eyes stand out here against the dark brown wood pile in the background. Wowsers, Andy's a lucky guy!

venue highlight

Although not quite competing with Corfu, the English weather played nice on this super joyful day and bathed our newlyweds in glorious early autumn sunshine. We took to the fields and gardens around lush Hipping Hall near Kirkby Lonsdale in the southern Lake District, where the grass was long and the sun was helpfully low in the sky, adding an unsolicited breath of romance to our bridal portraits.

the best moments

Pretty much the final shot of the day, when Becky reached up her face and looked at her new husband, moments before a kiss, there was pure, unchecked adulation in her eyes. Marriage is a seriously intense experience, but the joy of re-enacting it purely for photographic pleasure allows a couple the chance to REALLY savour the time in front of the lens and relish in each other's affection. Just look at that smoulder!

Little details

Nervous grooms may not always show their apprehension in their faces, but if you know where to look there is inevitably some sign that they are jittery in other body language. Even though Andy had already been married to his gorgeous soulmate twice (yes, TWICE - once in Corfu, once in Blighty!) there was little doubt that he was still feeling daunted by the prospect of reliving the experience for a third time. His hands, never still, were in a constant state of agitation, undermining the calm expression on his handsome face.

Hand in hand all the way for this adoring couple, who barely lost contact with each other's fingers the entire time we were shooting, across two different locations. Lingering for a while to chat, the bride removed her silvery shoes and dangled her bare feet over the edge of the stream next to what looked like a former mill. Details such as this show the degree of comfort that the newlyweds feel in each other's company, as well as giving off an unceremonious air. This is a couple whose life together will be unpretentious and honest, surely a winning combination with which to begin a marriage.

If you enjoy wedding posts, try some of these. You can find the wedding 'details' which went with this photo shoot by following this link, as well as lots of other lovely stuff.

This shoot was made possible by Aspire Photography Training, who run marvellous courses for professional photographers.

Details, details, details, my love.

A marriage will survive any storm if lovers pay attention to the details. It is always a great sign, in my opinion then, when the wedding day itself is a display of the couple's attention to the small details. Those perfect peripheral items which enhance the wedding and capture the guests' interest.

Whether it's the matching stationery, the flowers, the bride's choice of footwear, or the table settings, it is the job of the photographer to freeze these items in a moment of time so that they will always be remembered. I still have in my possession the original box from my parents' wedding day in 1957 which contains the traditional black cat and silver horse shoe with which my mum was presented for good luck. Her luck endured for 50 years before she was separated from my dad by the only thing which they had pledged would ever render them asunder, her death.

In these modern times, wedding breakfasts are increasingly adorned with (P)interesting touches; decorative items which add to the ambience of the event and make bridal dreams come to life. It is small wonder then that wedding budgets have to stretch further than Elastigirl's knickers these days. 

For me, the best details are those which come from the heart, not necessarily a wealthy pocket. A hand crafted bunting display says more about the soul of the bride who requested (or indeed crafted) it than a gob-smacking chandelier. Even if they both give us clues about the brides who bought them, I know which one I'd rather have as my BFF.

It's not about the DIY necessarily, it's about the romance. A great deal of effort goes in to sourcing the items that replicate the look that a bride desires in any situation, but a great deal more passion goes in to creating something that reflects who you are and what you believe in. It is a manifestation of your personality.

Details, my love, are therefore paramount. I will always do my absolute best to do yours justice. 

For more wedding type stuff, try these blog posts. If family is your thing, here are some others.