Some time in February of this year Chris contacted me and asked if I would photograph his wedding the following month. Whilst we happen to be colleagues in a somewhat large organisation, I’d only met him once before at a birthday dinner for a friend we share in common. I’d been asked to photograph that birthday dinner (in between courses). The common friend was aware of my documentary photography work and liked my style.
I was forthright with Chris in telling him that I didn’t photograph weddings. He asked me why not and I explained that my style of photography did not gel well with engaging in taking processions of posed group photographs. He counteracted by telling me that this was exactly what he wanted to avoid also. He simply wanted a clear and natural document of things as they happened throughout the day, of loved ones having fun. Having seen the images I’d produced for the birthday dinner we’d met at, Chris wanted his wedding day treated in exactly the same manner.
It sounded like a fantastic commission. I declined. Chris, somewhat bemused I suspect at this point, again asked me why not? Weddings are pretty much unrepeatable events and as such present a photographer with a significant responsibility in ensuring absolutely nothing can go wrong that will prevent delivery of a clear and meaningful visual record of the occasion.
Chris told me that if I was unable to act as the photographer he would rely on the results from disposable table cameras left out for the guests.
I accepted the commission.
Petia & Chris married in March 2009 at Poole Guildhall. I photographed the ceremony then joined the newly weds on a yacht that sailed out of Poole Harbour. Now that’s something I didn’t expect to be part of the role of a wedding photographer! We sailed around the Dorset coastline a little way then on approaching Studland beach I clambered behind them onto a small outboard craft, made way for shore and trouser legs rolled up I ploughed through the icy March surf to capture their landing as husband and wife.
I had a fantastic time photographing their wedding day, was fantastically well treated and the photographic results, well I like to let them speak for themselves.
I did complete this commission with the notion that I’d like to do more of the same, much more indeed, but doubted there was much of a market for my documentary approach. It wasn’t long before my misapprehension was addressed.
Soon after, I received an email from Louise, a direct colleague of Chris. She told me how much she’d liked the photographs from Chris’s wedding day, explained that she was to marry the following month, and asked how much I charged for wedding photography. I responded that I didn’t, as a rule, photograph weddings. A similar discussion ensued with regards to my style and traditional wedding photography, Louise’s desire to have her wedding day photographed in an informal manner, my belief that such a task has to be undertaken with the utmost attention to the security of the visual record, and her explaining to me the alternative route she’d considered.
Thus I happily accepted my second wedding photography commission.*
*strictly speaking this was my third, but that’s another story perhaps for another time :~)
Louise & Nick married at The Willows in Bournemouth Town Hall during April 2009. Alongside documenting their marriage ceremony (an aspect of each commission that I value enormously) and photographing a small pre-arranged series of group photographs afterwards (something that I do actually enjoy provided the process is not made so complex as to hamper the flow of the day, and the ability of bride, groom and guests to enjoy that day let alone me as a commissioned service provider) I was tasked with seeking out and capturing those many fleeting moments that register the pulse of such an occasion. Once again I was in my element :~) An enduring favourite from this particular commission came about when I noticed that Nick was having a little trouble attaching his buttonhole as the wedding party awaited Louise’s arrival. If all that a photographer had in mind, or indeed printed and physically in hand on a wedding day, was an established list of pre-ordained images then moments like this might easily be overlooked.
In completing my second commission I found myself hooked, for want of a more elegant term, and quite deeply so. The fact that people would entrust me with creating a visual document of one of the most important days of their lives whilst employing an approach and style that has gripped me for many years was nothing short of profound. No passing fancy, I engaged in extensive research into the market. The popularity of documentary storytelling in modern wedding photography became apparent to me. I established a Web site, this Web site. I designed and printed business cards and other marketing materials. I wrote a business plan, set up a business bank account, registered with the Inland Revenue, sourced Public Liability Insurance, secured the services of an accountant and invested heavily in professional equipment.
I went in search of like minded people.
I met Lucy, virtually speaking, on Gumtree. Whilst exploring avenues for marketing my services I came across a posted message from her seeking advice on venues for wedding receptions. I dropped her a note mentioning how much I’d enjoyed the location Petia & Chris had celebrated their marriage at.
Lucy thanked me and on checking out the venue liked what she saw, but found that it was already booked for the date she had in mind. I wished her luck in finding the right venue and continued with my search for marketing avenues. A month or so later she contacted me again and I met with her and her husband to be, Steve. Thus I secured my third commission, a wedding photography assignment of epic proportions that saw me spend twelve hours of a day in early-August 2009 covering bridal preparations, the groom’s preparations, the marriage ceremony itself and all of the ensuing celebrations right into the night at the magical Holton Lee on Purbeck in Dorset.
Yet again I was treated fantastically well and was given free reign to engage in a process of total story-telling.
Later that same month I was invited by Robert Burress, one of the UK’s top wedding photographers, to assist him on a wedding shoot in Hampshire. I’d made Rob’s acquaintance, virtually speaking, through my online research into the wedding photography market and in addition to being a vindication of the direction I was going in and the progress I had made, it was a fantastic learning experience.
Alison was my first Google bride, so to speak. A trained actress, she’d come across my Web site and found that my photographic work resonated with her theatrical inclinations. Alison married Neville at St. Peter’s Church in Parkstone towards the end of August 2009 and they celebrated at the Royal Motor Yacht Club on Sandbanks. This was another twelve hour commission that had me engrossed in every single aspect of the day from bridal preparations through to the last dance of the evening party.
I’ll certainly not forget how fantastically well treated I was, yet again :~)
Gabrielle and Bradley married at the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Bournemouth towards the end of September 2009 and celebrated into the night at The Cumberland Hotel. An adventurous, imaginative and thoughtful couple, they put a great deal of effort into seeking out a photographer they felt would be capable of picturing what was unique about them. Having invested that effort, we came together somewhat by accident.
Gabrielle’s mother works with a former colleague of mine and through this avenue the introduction was made, and an adventure the whole process certainly was! Hauling an antique bath across Dorset during a pre-wedding test shoot was only the start of things. I’m especially endeared to the above photograph from their wedding day.
During the marriage ceremony, Father Anthony had just delivered a lesson on the responsibilities of being a husband. Bradley turns to look at his bride across the aisle. Gabrielle smiles her appreciation back at him. Seated behind her are her parents, Agnes and Ged. There’s a facet of the same story in every face.
The conclusion of my first season as a wedding photographer was marked by just about the best finale I might have wished for. Emma & Ian, wedding photographers themselves, married at The Willows in Bournemouth Town Hall in early-October 2009 and celebrated at Ink Bar then into the night at Langtry Lodge. I suppose it would be trite not to concede that being commissioned by wedding photographers to photograph their wedding feels like a significant vindication of one’s practice, but aside from that I thoroughly enjoyed the process simply for who they are as people.
So what have I gained from my first year as a wedding photographer? I do absolutely love the process, the practice and the potency of the results. I’ve been blessed with passionate, creative and thoughtful clientèle. I’m challenged and stretched and have grown as a photographer.
I’ve also had the benefit of making the acquaintance of many fabulously talented and fantastically helpful photographers, the privilege of working closely with some of them and the enjoyment of establishing new friendships. The practical help and input I’ve received from established friends and family have proved invaluable.
No hyperbole.
What do my clients, past, present and future gain from involving me in their special day? My aim is to provide them with a perfect reflection of everything that I have gained.
The above images represent some of my favourites from this formative season. I have more favourites that I’d like to share, many many more if you’re inclined to click on ‘more’ at the end of this passage. I’ve consciously eschewed the selection of images that I believe might serve an overt marketing purpose in favour of images that I feel a particular personal connection with. In doing so however I might be engaging in the best possible form of marketing in that, if you like what you see in the images that I like, then maybe we might be the right people to work together!
I’ve underscored each of these images with some text explaining what it is that I like about each one. A picture should indeed project its own voice but in an Internet age where imagery is scanned at a rapid rate I like slowing myself down to consider the meaning encapsulated within a frame and if you’d like to join me in pondering, be my guest :~) If you’re not in the mood for the written word however do feel free to scan through at your leisure.
Petia & Chris : March 2009 : Petia was yet to arrive and I was making use of the time to build an image of the environment the marriage ceremony was to take place in, at Poole Guildhall. I noticed that Chris was pacing back and fore at the head of the aisle and waited for him to intersect the composition before taking the photograph.
Petia & Chris : March 2009 : The wedding party also celebrated the 80th birthday of Chris's father. I've always liked this image a great deal for reasons I assume to be self-evident. An energetic and sharp witted character, Chris's dad would I dare say make for a great model. I find the image vindicates my taste for shooting close to my subjects. In doing so I find that not only can I respond more empathically to the nuances of their behaviour but also, somehow, they tend to be less aware that I might be photographing them (particularly useful in capturing the essence of candid moments). I am certain that wedding guests are fully aware that I have a camera and am taking photographs but I have an inkling that people have an ingrained association linking the taking of a photographs of themselves to interpersonal space. When I shoot with a wide angle lens (the above image was created using the equivalent of a 28mm lens on a full-frame Digital SLR camera) I'm far less likely to encounter any form of reaction to my photographing someone compared to using a 'standard' lens (for example 50mm on full-frame) when I'm more often spotted. My assumption is that in using a standard lens, for a certain framing I need to be stood the same distance from my subject that they are accustomed to being photographed from by others. Conversely, when I stand close to them and employ a wider angle lens I'm sure they're aware of my presence and the fact that I have a camera in hand but they assume I can't be taking a photograph of them as I'm far too close to be doing so. Let's hope not too many guests from my future wedding commissions are reading this before the fact ;~) At the other end of the focal length scale I do also like using telephotos from time to time but not, on the whole, to capture the same framing (I doubt I'd have liked anywhere near as much the above composition had it been rendered by a telephoto). I like telephotos for their depth compression qualities and am more prone to using them to contextualise a key subject within a broader environment.
Louise & Nick : April 2009 : You can't beat the proximity typically afforded to the official photographer in a civil ceremony. When I presented Louise & Nick with their wedding day images they commented that often-times they wondered how on earth I'd taken a particular photograph without them being at all aware of my presence. I'd love to say it's my ninja like capabilities but I suspect it's more to do with the fact of a couple being so deeply absorbed in each other at the point of marrying, I'd likely have to step in between them in order to give away my presence. Achieving invisibility itself is a capability that continues to elude me. Having said that, Louise & Nick commissioned a live Web cam feed of the wedding so that friends and family unable to attend could share in the occasion as it took place. They showed me the recorded copy of the feed and at the point this photograph was taken, I'm nowhere to be seen. Frightened me a little :~)
Louise & Nick : April 2009 : Wedding days present a variety of scenarios that are almost invariably fun and sometimes quite profoundly gripping to photograph. In every wedding that I have documented thus far there has been one aspect that never fails to stop me totally in my tracks once I set about editing the day's images. The point at which the couple are pronounced husband and wife, or some point close in the time line to that, always uncovers an image that speaks resonantly of an intense emotional bond. I'd just taken some photographs of Louise & Nick signing the register and had stepped aside to allow guests to take their own photographs of the couple. I lingered off to the side however and when the guests were done, Bride and Groom relaxed from their modelling duties and turned to each other to reflect on what they'd just undertaken. It was during the editing process, when I came across this image, that I was consumed by the realisation that I was compelled to continue photographing weddings.
Louise & Nick : April 2009 : A split second, a breath of exhilaration, a reflexive smile. I like the intersection of faces.
Louise & Nick : April 2009 : It's all about the looks, the smiles, the pride and the contentment. Louise is like a truly happy Mona Lisa. I love the deep sense of ease and the essence of a deep bond in this one.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : The first stage of full-day coverage of a wedding tends to defer to the Bride, for her preparations. Sometimes however it proves possible to cover both Bride and Groom as they get ready for the marriage ceremony (it certainly proves possible if you ask your photographer to contract an associate as a second photographer). Lucy & Steve took adjoining cottages on the grounds of Holton Lee on their wedding day thus it was an easy matter for me to step out of one door and enter into the adjacent one as the couple made their preparations. I like the stable triangular dynamic in this image of Steve helping one of his sons prepare (I also followed up with a matched pull-focus shot of son the elder doing his own lace tying on the other bed).
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : I like this one despite its seeming randomness, because of its seeming randomness and what it actually contains. A brief pause mid flow punctuated by deep concentration.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : I swear I can see cogs whirring in Steve's head as he runs through his mental check list.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : What need I say?
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : The look says it all really :~) Furthermore, I'm amused by the defocused look in the background.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : Sometimes I wish I could see Lucy's eyes in this one, but that would have required me climbing on top of the registrar (whom was fantastically accommodating of the couple's desire to have their marriage documented at very close quarters indeed, but I imagine there were limits that I needn't have tested!) All the same I still like this image a great deal for the emotional strength of the embrace and the bold sense of fusion.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : I like the peripheral vectors created by faces looking in varying directions that create an arc around Steve's two sons centre frame.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : Laughs. Out. Loud.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : It rained pretty much the whole day when Lucy & Steve married at Holton Lee, but everyone enjoyed the day thoroughly. The rain abated just in time for sunset though.
Lucy & Steve : August 2009 : I love the big and the small of this image, a wedding marquee at dusk encapsulating a lively celebration, band playing to the right, tucking in to the buffet to the left, filled throughout with the warm glow of happy guests.
Assisting Robert Burress : August 2009 : Rob was tucked behind a buttress right down at the front capturing those all important images of the Bride and Groom's emotions as they made their marriage vows. As his assistant I had a great deal of scope to run all over the place looking for alternative views. I was enamoured of the cathedral like architectural grandeur of the Tithe Barn in Hampshire.
Assisting Robert Burress : August 2009 : A simple moment amidst a wedding day, a group of people walking from one spot to another, the configuration serendipitous to say the least. Two flower girls walking forwards, two mothers chaperoning, two bridesmaids walking backwards. Two trees for foreground framing. Two trees for mid-ground anchoring. Actually I think it's three but one of the trunks is obscured. How serendipitous is that? :~)
Assisting Robert Burress : August 2009 : If only the grown ups would do this more at weddings.
Assisting Robert Burress : August 2009 : Spitting the dummy, with good reason.
Assisting Robert Burress : August 2009 : Disco cake
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : Tiles above!!!
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : It's the music that accompanies it.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : I sometimes wish that I was ambidextrous too.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : One might have selected a tighter framing perhaps but I appreciate how the partially obscured faces and the defocussed key players in the processional frame and raise the real subject of this image.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : St. Peter's Church in Parkstone, Dorset, the venue for Alison & Neville's marriage. For the architectural photographers distracted by the converging verticals, I do have a tilt-shift lens on my business shopping list but in the meantime my eye is happy to remain transfixed by the core of this image.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : Small yet profound details.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : Alison selected this as her Facebook profile picture. When I came across this image in editing it immediately struck me that it encapsulated her apparent mood at this point in the day. Indeed she loved every moment.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : I'll leave it to the reader to read what I love about this image.
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : Best Man Mark ensures the Bridal train is ready to roll as Alison & Neville prepare to make their grand entrance at their wedding party, celebrated at the Royal Motor Yacht Club on Sandbanks in Dorset. Whilst in this field one might be inclined to constantly run ahead of events in order to capture them, it's often worth hanging behind a little because that's where the little stories that bind the fabric of the day together tend to manifest themselves. Then you run ahead, double quick!
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : Neville's father. Is 'radiant' an appropriate term to apply to a man?
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : So I was sitting on a low windowsill behind the top table, as you do.
Alison & Neville : August 2009
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : Unobtrusive does not equal invisible so much as it refers to an approach where direction isn't given to act out a pose, and not equating to invisibility I was indeed spotted after the fact, after the act of taking the photograph. "Show me that!" she insisted (playfully, with a smile, I hasten to add), "It'll look awful!" So I showed her, and she liked it, and within a week of the wedding yet another Facebook profile picture was born (complete with my watermark, which some people see fit to edit out, so I'm always happy to see a vindication of my image making efforts backed up by a little marketing of the image's author :~)
Alison & Neville : August 2009 : I think it's the sun set.
Gabrielle & Bradley : September 2009 : The second commission on which I've been able to cover aspects of both the Bridal preparations and those of the Groom. I started off with Bradley and his Best Man Stanley...
Gabrielle & Bradley : September 2009 : ...then proceeded to the home of Gabrielle's parents where she was getting ready for her big day. The echoed split rooms was a happy coincidence indeed. Having discovered the parallel it was only a matter of waiting.
Gabrielle & Bradley : September 2009 : Bride + Dress
Gabrielle & Bradley : September 2009 : I took Gabrielle's shoes for a little walk as bridal preparations continued. She's a good few shoe sizes smaller than me so more strictly speaking I carried them carefully. I spotted this diamond of a window the frame of which held two pairs of tiny children's shoes. I wondered if these might be the shoes that Gabrielle and a sibling wore as children and imagined a metaphor of young daughter become woman now to be married.
Emma & Ian : October 2009 : Whilst compositionally a simple still image it's the stillness and the fundamental simplicity of the act that I find profound. Often times it's appropriate to not obscure a significant internal dynamic with an elaborate overlaying visual dynamic.
Emma & Ian : October 2009 : Ditto :~)
Emma & Ian : October 2009 : "We've done it, and it's right". That leaves nine hundred and ninety four words for me to play with. Ninety two if you feel the need to separate the apostrophised elements.
Emma & Ian : October 2009
Emma & Ian : October 2009 : And I round off my review with a set of images that don't exactly scream 'wedding' but an important aspect of a wedding day they were, and I have a liking for them :~)
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this formative season as a wedding photographer and look forward with some excitement to 2010 which will find me documenting the marriages of yet more vibrant, creative, thoughtful couples in Dorset, Devon, Oxfordshire and elsewhere. If you’re marrying yourself, you like the type of imagery that I like and can visualise your special day being documented in a similar manner please feel free to get in touch with me for a chat.
I travel.
:~)
Contact Bournemouth wedding photographer Phillip Allen : phill@misterphill.com : 07870 696248
by Phillip Allen
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