Photo Stories

I regularly show 50+ images from a single wedding in my blog posts, I think this gives readers a feel for the day and allows future couples to get a clear understanding of how I approach the wedding, seeing the story unfold for themselves.

In addition to my wedding blog posts, I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite images, and explain the story behind how/why I captured them. Hopefully giving more of an insight into my reportage approach and emphasising the importance of photographs in capturing those special moments forever.

So, first up….

I wanted to share an image from Nicola and Mark’s wedding at Middleton Lodge in North Yorkshire. I recently found out that this photograph has been shortlisted for Professional Photographer’s “wedding photographer” of the year. I’ll discover how I fair at an awards night at the end of March, but I’m over the moon to have been selected again after winning the award in 2012!

Before the wedding, Nicola had told me that her Step-Dad, Steve, would be the vicar performing the ceremony. Usually I only see the vicar for a few minutes before the ceremony, and then during the wedding blessing itself – I was looking forward to capturing a more personal side of Steve for this wedding.

This shot was taken outside the main house where the preparation and reception were taking place. I had just come from inside the house – documenting the bride and bridesmaids getting ready in the master bedroom. I exited through the main door and was presented with the guys milling around and having a pre wedding beer before heading down the road to the Church. I took a couple of frames of the guys chatting and decided to step back and tell the wider story with an informal “group shot” of the guys with the house behind them.

I waited for an interesting moment to come together to make the group shot a little more special. After a couple of minutes, the young usher headed over to Steve to have his tie adjusted: frame captured!

At its most basic, this can be defined as a group shot. Although unlike most group shots you will see at a typical wedding photographer taking – nobody stood in a line nervously smiling at the camera! The image does not actually feature the bride or groom, but is still a wedding photograph. The father of the groom looking on, the best men and ushers chatting away and the centre dominated by Steve wearing his Cassock and helping the usher.

After a wedding, many couples say some of their favourite images are of moments they they were unaware of, things unseen to them on the wedding day. I make it my job to try and tell as many different aspects of the day as possible. I think this shot shows the pride that Steve feels performing the marriage ceremony, the excitement of the young usher, and anticipation of the older ushers and best man – to me this is why it is more important that a staged group shot, it contains real emotion.