Insight Photography

Nicky and Steve - Carlton Towers

2011-10-04T16:15:00.001+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I've been blogging a lot over the past week to 10 days, I guess I have a bit more time in the office to write but also I've had tonnes to share!

This Saturday just gone saw me covering Nicky and Steve's big day at a venue I had been waiting a long time to shoot a wedding at - the fantastic Carlton Towers, between York and Doncaster in the sleepy village of Carlton. A Victorian building but built with a distinctive Gothic style, the Towers create a really impressive venue for getting married.

Nicky and Steve must have developed some incredibly good Karma over their past lives as they were lucky enough to tie the knot on one of the warmest October days since records began with the needle reaching a whopping 29 degrees!

I had a great day photographing in and around Carlton Towers and just wish I had more time with the bride and Groom to really explore the full extent of the grounds and the interior spaces - but alas - the wedding breakfast needed to be served so I left the happy couple to enjoy the rest of their day. I'm looking forward to sharing a really unique set of images when Steve and Nicky return from their honeymoon in Zanzibar!

Wedding Guest's Signing Board - A Huge Hit!

2011-10-03T17:34:00.000+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, my wedding products have to be cutting edge to satisfy my insatiable appetite for the perfect presentation. My clients certainly appreciate this obsession and a really good example of such a product is the guests' signing board which I supply for EACH and EVERY wedding I photograph.

The signing board is a superb alternative to the more traditional signature book and to be honest, if the Bride and Groom's Mums don't take this kind of book from table to table, they just don't get signed!

The signing board for my clients takes pride of place usually near the top table or the wedding cake and is a beautiful visual to greet guests as they they enter the wedding breakfast room. As soon as one guest signs the board, the floodgates are open and the board gets filled throughout the rest of the day.

A tremendous keepsake which I usually end up framing for the vast majority of my couples, the signing board has become a real focal point at weddings that I attend.

The shoot that provides the image for the board is a fab way for myself and my couples to re-connect often after 18 months without seeing each other and it also allows me to get couples really comfortable in front of the camera.

Mel & Mark - Waterton Park Hotel

2011-09-30T11:38:00.000+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I had the pleasure of photographing Mel and Mark's wedding at the gorgeous Walton Hall, part of the Waterton Park Hotel Estate a couple of weeks ago.

It was the first time I had visited this venue and it was just the most amazing place to capture the images you see above. The wedding day was VERY chilled. Mel and Mark had chosen to get married at 3pm which made for a very lazy morning of preparations. The ceremony was conducted by the West Yorkshire registrars and I wasn't under the usual constraints in East Yorkshire so I was able to capture every nuance of the exchange of vows.

The whole day flowed with a very easy pace and Mel and Mark were fab to work with. After a fantastic wedding breakfast and speeches, the evening celebrations opened straight up with a stage hypnotist! I couldn't help but 'nominate' my assistant to be part of the show and all I can say is that I have never, ever seen 'The Stig' perform such special moves - he was a legend and didn't remember a thing when he was brought out of the trance!

I got together with Mel and Mark to share their collection a couple of nights ago and were now ploughing forward with creating a gorgeous album for them!

East Yorkshire Wedding Photography - Image of the Week

2011-09-27T16:40:00.000+01:00

Life as an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer is just starting to go back to a little bit of normality - the last 4 months have been a total whirlwind of absolute blissful chaos! I've shot over 35 weddings so far this year, I've met and photographed some absolutely wonderful people at some amazing venues and I'm still standing to tell the tale!

The tale of the story above is not an uncommon one - 2 people, very much in love, come together for what will undoubtedly be one of the most special days in their life so far. For Ben and Heather above, I'm sure their wedding day was only seconded by the arrival of their Son couple of years ago.

I adore this picture, it makes me very proud to be a wedding photographer. To be able to bring together the best that Mother Nature has with a superb couple gives me no end of inspiration.

Wedding bookings are now coming in thick and fast for next year with 2013 looking very promising as well - I'm in this for the long haul and I just could not imagine doing anything else with my time!

Autoporn! Promo Shoot

2011-09-17T22:43:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post to share some promo images I shot for a new website launching soon called Autoporn.com The site will be a social network for 'piston heads' - those obsessed with fast cars and all of the culture that surrounds it!

The brief was simple - take 3 pimped out cars, 11 models and a grungy warehouse and create a set of publicity images to grace the new site. I'm not normally into cars but I have to say The Aston Martin Vantage, Overfinch Modded Range Rover and Bentley were just super sexy pieces of engineering!

The shoot was awesome, the models worked really hard and we produced a very stylised set of images that will help Autoporn.com be a massive success!

It's a hard life being a photographer!

Jo and Jonny - Lazaat

2011-09-16T16:11:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, sharing a couple's special day with them is a real honour and a pleasure - when couples are fun loving and playful - then even better!

However, when you have fun loving and playful and then add in a huge slice of pure, genuine hilarity - you have Joanne and Jonny.

When I first met them, I really didn't cotton on to how hilarious they are and how much we would have in common in terms of our sense of humours. It was only when I walked away from our wedding pre-shoot with aching sides about a year after meeting them when I realised I was in the company of comedy genius!

Needless to say, Jo and Jonny's wedding day was unique for so many different reasons but the fun, laughter and pure love of life is what I will remember most - oh yes, and of course a set of cracking images! Jo and Jonny are just back from their honeymoon between Vegas, Mexico and New York, so are feeling the post wedding blues a little - I met up with them last night to share their wedding story with them and they seemed to be feeling a whole lot better!

Katie & Mike's Wedding - The KP Club, East Yorkshire

2011-09-04T14:49:00.004+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I spent yesterday with Katie and Mike as they celebrated their marriage between St Andrew's Church in Kirkella and The KP Club in Pocklington.

What a fantastic day! Katie and Mike are such a lovely couple, they have the type of personalities that just make you feel good - a joy to be with and to photograph.

The day started early with a visit to the boys as they got ready in Swanland. I knew we were in for a hoot as I met the Groomsmen as I felt like I had walked right onto the set of a sit-com! Lee - the Best Man - was a natural performer and he had no trouble throwing down 3 amazing looks during our portrait session - namely (a) Blue Steel (b) Panther and (c) The Amazing Le Tigre! My sides were aching as I left to head to see the Bride.

I arrived at The KP Club mid morning and joined Katie with the Girls in the amazing lodges in the grounds. They really do make the most fantastic setting and my camera just loves them! Katie looked fabulous and her dress was really divine.

Katie and Mike had both sent presents for each other to open during the morning and Katie's present was class! Mike had bought her an iPad and he had recorded a video diary for her to watch - it was so emotional to watch and photograph as she viewed it.

After photographing Katie with the girls, Mum and Dad, I set off for the ride back to Kirkella where the ceremony was held.

The wedding was held by a vicar I have never worked with before and he was just awesome. I'm not a Christian, but I thought to myself that if I was - I would be hanging at this guy's church!

We did half of the group shots in the church yard and then set off for the 45 minute ride back to the KP Club were Paul Hannon and his staff hosted a fantastic wedding breakfast. The speeches were touching, poignant and hilarious all at the same time - The Best Man was definitely on top form!

I left Katie and Mike grooving to the sounds of a live soul band and I just know they will have partied deep into the night!

Observing and Watching at Weddings

2011-08-18T11:14:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I attend a lot of weddings! Every one is different but one thing that is definitely common to them all is the amazing detail that brides think about when planning everything down to the smallest items!

To capture all of the details, I need to be in a state of heightened awareness and constantly observing my environment at a wedding. Sometimes, details can 'appear' without having to plan a shot and I love it when that happens such as in the shot above.

Shoes are often revered by Brides in an almost fanatical way and I love watching the look on their faces as I get them out of the box to photograph them!

The shoes above belong to Mel who married Rob a few weeks back at Cave Castle Hotel and you can check out their story in a previous post here.

Claire & Richard - Lazaat Hotel - 6th August

2011-08-14T19:46:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of photographing Claire and Richard's wedding at Lazaat Hotel in Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

The collage above captures some of the great moments that I was able to capture during the whole day I spent documenting their wedding. It was an early start for Josh and I as the bride and groom were both making their preparations in Withernsea and Patrington which is almost an hour's drive from my base in South Cave.

After photographing Claire and Richard's preparations, Mother Nature sent a little warning with a rain storm right before the wedding and even though it was a wet start - the spirit of the wedding party could not be dampened. The wedding itself took place at Patrington Church which is know as 'The Queen of Holderness' and is a truly stunning structure. Last time I was there, renovations were being carried out and the whole of the exterior was covered in a scaffolding exoskeleton - this time I got to photograph the Queen in all of her glory!

After a beautiful ceremony, the sun shone and we got the group shots done in the church yard and then on to Lazaat Hotel for a stunning reception in the Pavilion. If you havn't been to Lazaat's Pavilion, it really is one of the region's most unique wedding venues and really great to photograph in and around. It has a very Bohemian feel to it with great colours, design and artwork to feature in.

The speeches were very emotional - especially the groom's. Claire and Richard have been together since they were both at school and grown to be adults together. Richard was overcome with emotions as he described his love for his wife - goosebumps were everywhere and such a joy to photograph.

After a lovely 'Penny Drop Session' in the early evening glow, I left Claire and Richard making shapes on the dance floor with a packed dance floor. I'm looking forward to sharing their story with them when they return from their honeymoon in a couple of weeks time.

Training with Scott Kelby in Cologne, Germany

2011-08-11T09:00:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, training is a big part of my commitment to being the best I can be for my clients. Keeping up with technique and trends allows me to push my style and offer my clients the best presentation for their wedding stories.

I try and take at least 3 or 4 seminars a year to keep up with this commitment and when I saw that Scott Kelby was coming to Europe, I knew it was a great opportunity to take a break and also to get some great training.

The wedding season can be very gruelling - this year is no exception and is in fact, the busiest I have ever had so I've welcomed the opportunity to take 4 days off and fly to Germany for some respite and education.

Scott Kelby is well known for being THE 'Photoshop Guru', a great photographer and well accomplished educator. He is right on the cutting edge of modern re-touching techniques and the latest presentation methods. The seminar I'm attending is called 'Light it, Shoot it' Retouch it' and is a full day whirlwind of photography and retouching training. It's all about dramatic lighting techniques and professional retouching using Adobe Photoshop and I'm hoping that what I learn today will immediately have an impact on the work I am doing for couples this year.

Germany is super cool - the beer is fab, the food is awesome and the people are very friendly/helpful. I've been shooting lots since I arrived on Monday and although I brought my professional camera with me, I have hardly touched it' instead favouring my iPhone and using it as a 'visual notepad' - a very interesting and quite liberating way to record the world.

So signing off from Cologne, will be back in the UK Thursday evening and straight back to weddings and commercial shoots Friday and right through the weekend.

Lee & Sonia - Rowley Manor, East Yorkshire 5th August

2011-08-08T13:44:00.002+01:00

Lee & Sonia were married at Rowley Manor, East Yorkshire on Friday just gone and as a East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I had the privilege of photographing their special day.

I'm going to have to keep this story short and sweet as I'm dashing off to the airport for 4 days shooting in Germany. Needless to say, Lee and Sonia are a very special couple - the power and intensity of their love was so obvious as they exchanged their vows during the wedding ceremony - it was as if nobody else existed in the universe at that moment in time. I am so lucky to be able to document this side of human emotion as closely and intimately as I do and I never take that for granted for one second.

I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed my day with Lee and Sonia but I really have to go, all that is left for me to say is that I wish Sonia and Lee all the best for a fantastic life together - they truly are 'soul mates' and I am proud to have been their wedding photographer.

Finally - The Stig is Revealed...

2011-08-04T11:42:00.003+01:00

Facebook friends and followers will have noticed my talking about a new addition to the Insight Family recently but I couldn't reveal his true identity and simply referred to him as 'The Stig'!

I'm happy to say that secrecy is now by the wayside and I'm proud to welcome Josh into the business. Insight has grown and grown since I started out on this crazy journey 5 years ago and this Summer I realised it was simply impossible to do it all alone.

Big respect goes out to my former assistant JB who is now living the life of Riley as a lighting technician out in Dubai and no amount of persuasion would bring him back to the UK so I had to find a replacement.

I met Josh in the village local pub and we chatted about his mutual love of photography, over time I offered him some assisting work and it soon became apparent that he had masses of potential.

Josh is now my 'Digital Asset Manager' and is helping with the back end of the masses of editing and administration that goes with the territory of being a very busy wedding/commercial photographer. He's just started a year long NVQ in IT Management and over time will be getting involved in the digital media/marketing programme that I am rolling out over the next 6 months.

The pictures above have been taken at recent weddings and I love the one in the middle of Josh with the baby/. This was taken at once of last week's weddings and baby belonged to one of the groomsmen. I needed to get some shots of all the boys walking together so Josh became an instant Nanny!

I hope you'll all join me in wishing Josh all the best of luck in his new role and also raise a glass to wish him happy 18th for tomorrow!

Tom & Lisa - West Carlton Country Guest House - 30th July

2011-08-03T17:50:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, last Saturday saw me covering Tom and Lisa's wedding at 2 venues I hadn't shot at before - Beverley Minster for the ceremony and West Carlton Country Guest House for the reception out on the coast near Aldborough.

My first stop with with Lisa, her bridesmaids and her family out near Snaith, Selby. We had a great time photographing Lisa's final preparations and her Dad and I ended up tying her into her dress as Mum' fingers were not quite working as she wanted them to - I'm always happy to help and have assisted with many types of wedding dresses now!

After photographing the bride's preps, it was onto Beverley Minster to shoot the arrival of the boys and all of the anticipation before Lisa arrived. For those of you who are from the area and who have visited the Minster, you will be aware of how amazing this structure is. Whenever I see it, I instantly think to myself 'They don't make em like that anymore!" A truly amazing piece of human achievement that totally takes your breath away inside and out. As this was the first time I had photographed inside, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Following a fabulous ceremony, we took the whole wedding party shot on the steps of the Minster before heading off to the reception at West Carlton. This country lodge was built in the 1720s and the owner Caroline had done an amazing job of getting it ready to receive the bride and groom. Being Lisa's aunty, Caroline wasn't under any pressure to deliver!

The marquee looked fantastic and a jazz saxophonist was playing to greet guests as they arrived for Pimms on the lawn. We did the rest of the group shots in the beautiful gardens before a lovely wedding breakfast was served. Speeches followed dinner and then it was time for me to take Tom and Lisa on their 'Penny Drop Session' Our photos looked great as West Carlton's gardens adjoin a gorgeously lit corn field.

The bride and groom danced their first dance to a great band and I left them with a packed dancefloor at 9pm. Tom and Lisa are honeymooning in Kenya and I'm really looking forward to sharing their wedding story with them when they get back.

Andrew & Katie - Ramada Jarvis -29th July

2011-07-31T16:38:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, Friday saw me sharing Katie and Andrew's big day with them at The Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Willerby, East Yorkshire. I first met Katie and Andrew in person last year when I photographed their good friends, Jim and Becky's wedding which I wrote about here. Jim and Bex were at the wedding but had to leave early due to their first addition to their family wanting to make an appearance!

I had such a great day with Katie and Andrew, rarely do I meet a couple that have such a divine love between them, it's almost like they are speaking their own language to each other and all I could do was witness and record this very special bond.

As usual, I spent the morning photographing the groomsmen getting ready followed by the last hour before the ceremony with the bride. The ceremony has held at the Ramada followed by photographs on the lawn. A delightful wedding breakfast was served followed by a very emotional set of speeches.

After dinner, I photographed the couple's Penny Drop Session and found some great new spots to shoot some different styles of key images.

I left Andrew and Katie around 9ish with a full dancefloor and look forward to seeing them when they get back from their honeymoon in London.

Rob & Mel - Cave Castle Hotel 23rd Julyt

2011-07-24T22:17:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I was back at Cave Castle Hotel, East Yorkshire on Saturday to cover Mel and Rob's big day.

I had a superb day up at The Castle and I hope the images in the collage speak for themselves! The light was lovely all day and this made for some superb conditions for modern wedding photography. Rob and Mel have not had the easiest run upto their wedding day with a whole host of curve balls thrown at them including Mel's son been rushed into hospital last week for emergency appendix surgery! However, nothing could get in their way of making the whole day perfect!

I'm thinking of adding a sideline in bridal party dressing services as I tied all 8 of the boys cravattes and I tied both the Chief Bridesmaids and the Bride's dresses for them! Just another example of the lenghts I will go to make sure my clients have the best possible start to their wedding days!

I'm really looking forward to sharing Rob and Mel's story with them in the next couple of weeks!

Alex and Sarah - Rowley Manor - 9th July

2011-07-11T15:16:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, Rowley Manor seems to be my second home of late! i love shooting weddings at The Manor, it has such an intimate feel, there is only ever one wedding there in one day and the grounds have everything I look for to give my client's stunning pictures for their albums.

I found myself back at Rowley on Saturday to help Alex and Sarah celebrate their big day. I had met them at a wedding I was photographing 3 years ago and we had sat at the same table and had a good chat whilst enjoying the wedding breakfast. I must have made a good impression as 2 years later, Alex and Sarah contacted me to shoot their wedding!

Alex and Sarah are 2 of the nicest people I have met for a long time - they are generous, kind, funny and very hospitable - so when they hired me I knew I would be involved in something special. Sarah is a 'reformed archaeologist' and now teaches primary school and Alex is your typical old entrepreneur - he owns 3 very diverse businesses from a pretzel shop in the station to a company that develops apps for the Iphone! I love tech geeks and Alex is definitely one of the team and has been helping me with my new website recently.

I started my day helping the boys prepare at Alex's house and I'm proud to say I tied 9 individual cravattes seeing as though the boys had no clue at all! One of the Best Men cut himself shaving and asked Alex if he had any after shave he could use and Alex replied "Why of course my good man, what would you like "Sex Panther or The English Gentleman - both will sting the nostrils" For any readers who love the movie Anchorman, you will recall this line and I almost had an accident I laughed so hard!

After photographing all of the boys and getting them out into the fresh for a group session, I left the 'News Team' and drove over to photograph Sarah's final preparations. Sarah's Mum was in charge of tying the girls into their frocks and after a shaky start, she nailed the most beautiful corset tying I have ever seen! Sarah is naturally very beautiful and has classic features so was an absolute joy to photograph. I was able to direct her into some very classic looks that I don't usually get chance to see. Once in her dress, I spent 15 minutes photographing her before heading off to church.

Alex has had a long relationship with St Mary's Church, Sculcoates Lane in Hull which is classed as High Anglican and is just about as close to the Catholic denomination as Anglican churches get. St Mary's is a big, airy church with bags of room and as I had attended the wedding rehearsal, I knew all of the best spots for the ceremony. Sarah's family have been connected to a Methodist church for a long time so instead of arguing about what kind of ceremony they would have - they just freestyled their own with 2 Anglican and 1 Methodist ministers conducting the marriage. It was a very powerful service and I was convinced thunderbolts would come straight through the roof from god when all 3 priests blessed Alex and Sarah's marriage at the same time!

After a champagne and canapes reception at the church, we headed to Rowley Manor for the wedding breakfast. After battling through a downpour on the way there, Mother Nature decided to play nicely and the weather was just gorgeous for the rest of the day.

A beautiful meal was served followed by 3 very touching speeches. Once the formal part of the day was over, the wedding party went outside to enjoy cricket, rounders and boules in the beautiful early evening sunshine. What a way to do an English wedding!

I'll be seeing Alex and Sarah very soon to share their story with them and I'm very excited to say the least - I shot over 2600 frames so if I can't find at least 500 crackers - I'll be hanging up my camera!

Sarah & Stuart - Rowley Manor - 25th June

2011-06-27T14:12:00.004+01:00

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As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, Saturday saw me covering Sarah and Stuart's big day at Rowley Manor, East Yorkshire. Stuart is a Bombardier with the Royal Artillery and Sarah is a Primary School teacher and have been together for over 8 years. I was introduced to the couple through one of my good friends and colleague, Ian who is the father of the bride and a very keen photographer.

I joined the boys at 8am and I was a little skeptical as to how I may find the groom as his best man was his brother (another soldier) and thought they may be in a 'merry' state from the night before but was totally impressed when I arrived and the boys were munching on bacon banjoes, uniforms at the ready. I spent just short of an hour and a half photographing the uniforms, shooting the guys getting ready and creating portraits.

Onto Swanland for the girls preparations where I found our bride, Sarah, in a very giddy state! She was so excited and in fact i had observed her almost hourly posts on Facebook as she counted down the days to her wedding, from about 60 days in! It was a very humid morning and my reflector came in very handy as a fan as the girls dressed and the temperature rose.

The wedding ceremony was held in the church next door to Rowley Manor and it was the first time I had shot inside. It was very intimate setting and the Vicar gave me free rein to photograph the proceedings which I appreciated very much. After a beautiful marriage, we went for a drive in one of Alan Marshall's famous Humber Wedding Cars. Alan is undoubtedly, the most passionate wedding car enthusiast I have worked with (I seem to work with him most weekends these days!) and really makes his part of the day memorable!

We photographed the group shots on the croquet lawn at Rowley Manor and then a delightful wedding breakfast followed. After dinner and speeches, I took Stuart and Sarah for their 'Penny Drop Session' around the grounds and got some stunning images. There was no 'lull' in the day at all - there was a feeling of 'flow' running through and before we knew it, the evening guests arrived en masse. The cake cut was a classic as the boys had been gifted their regiment's sword to use and Andrew, Stuart's brother/best man, presented it to the groom. The first dance was totally classic as the couple had rehearsed the closing scene from Dirty Dancing with the famous 'lift' included - the performance brought the house down and started the party off with a massive bang! The video can be seen here on Youtube.

I can't wait to share the story with Sarah and Stuart in a couple of weeks time.

Mike & Sarah - Cave Castle Hotel - 24th June

2011-06-25T16:02:00.003+01:00

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As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I had the pleasure of spending yesterday with Sarah and Mike as they were married at Cave Castle Hotel.

One of the things that really stood out when I met the bride and groom for their wedding pre-shoot a couple of weeks ago was their enormous smiles and I hope you can see from the collage above what I'm talking about!

I spent the morning with Mike and the boys in Beverley as they got ready, Mike had 2 best men - 1 who had come all the way from Nice, France to be part of the day. After leaving the boys, I made my way to see Sarah and her girls whilst she made her final preparations. Sarah's Mum has been trained in 'the way of the corset' but was really struggling to tie it so I jumped in and finished it off - I've seen over 200 brides getting ready and it now seems to be one of my 'party tricks' and helps keep everyone calm.

The wedding and reception was all held at Cave Castle and once again the staff did an amazing job of keeping everything on track. Speeches were truly hilarious and emotional at the same time - especially Mike's! He was definitely welling up as he spoke but had such 'comedy' way of dealing with it.

After dinner entertainment was provided by Mike's pals who are in a band down in Nice, France and they sounded really great and got the dance floor hopping from an early time.

I left Mike and Sarah around 9ish with a full dance floor and I'm really looking forward to sharing their story with them in a couple of weeks time.

Melissa & Paul - The Millhouse, Skidby 18 June 2011

2011-06-19T22:33:00.003+01:00

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As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I spent yesterday photographing Melissa and Paul's wedding at Holy Trinity Church in Hull and then onto The Millhouse Restaurant in Skidby.

Melissa and Paul booked me around 14 months ago and I have never, ever come across a more organised couple. I play a big part in the organisation of a wedding day - with my years of experience in the hotel and restaurant business I'm usually the first one to present a timetable to the bride and groom usually about 4-6 weeks before a wedding. Melissa sent me version 1 of her 5 page wedding spreadsheet over a year before her wedding! Every detail was planned down to the tiniest detail and it was a real pleasure to go through this planning process being a pretty typical Virgo myself!

I spent the morning photographing the groom getting ready with the boys on Victoria Dock and then went onto Keyingham to cover Mel's final preps. The bride and groom were married in Holy Trinity Church, England's largest parish church and a building of such magnificent grandeur it really does take your breath away.

We took care of the group shots at the church and then travelled onto the Millhouse for the wedding reception. We had been watching the weather all week and to be honest, I had planned for a wet weather day but once again the weather men got it wrong and we enjoyed a beautiful day with just about perfect light. As always, The Millhouse put on an amazing wedding breakfast with such classical attention to detail.

Mel, Paul and I enjoyed a 'Penny Drop Session' with the Old mill as a backdrop before evening guests arrived and we went straight into cake cutting a first dance. The couple had been taking 'secret' lessons and totally owned the dance floor!

I really enjoyed the whole day and met some really lovely people, another reason I love my job!

Chris and Vicky - Cave Castle Hotel - 17th June

2011-06-18T21:46:00.004+01:00

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As a Yorkshire Wedding photographer, yesterday found me back at one of my most regular and favourite venues in East Yorkshire – Cave Castle Hotel.

I had the pleasure of photographing Chris and Vicky's big day and although Mother Nature wanted to get the best of us, we dodged her bullets to get an awesome photographic story!

Both the bride and groom made their preparations at the Castle, so for me it was a relatively late start to day as I joined Chris at just after 11 to photograph his getting ready. Chris is a Humber Pilot and his job requires an enormous amount of skill, knowledge and focus but I'm sure he could do very well in stand up comedy – he really is one of the funniest, driest blokes I've met for a long time!

Equally as funny is our Bride Vicky who works as an emergency planning officer! I photographed her and the girls getting ready in the bridal suite and had an absolute scream! Vicky looked fantastic and with the support of her Nana Joyce, made her way down to the Balmoral Suite to marry her man during a gorgeous civil ceremony.

About 10 minutes into the formal group shots, the heavens opened and we had to put our wet weather plan into action however the champagne kept lowing and the show went on!

Speeches were followed by an amazingly talented singer who got the party started very early, the dance floor was full by 7.15 and stayed that way all night!

Chris and Vicky's first dance was followed by a spectacular firework display I then left them to party the night away. The bride and groom are honeymooning in Thailand but will take in a Kings of Leon show in Manchester before they leave on Sunday – so jealous!

Emma & Steve - The Village Hotel - 11th June

2011-06-13T14:11:00.003+01:00

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As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of spending Saturday just gone with Stephen & Emma as they tied the knot at The Village Hotel in Hessle, East Yorkshire.

The forecast was for intermittent rain throughout the day but when I arrived with the groom first thing in the morning, the sun was shining and I thought that the weather men had got it wrong once again! How wrong I was!

I spent a great hour or so with the boys photographing their preparations and got them outside to create some really nice lit portraits, at this point the sun was still with us.

After leaving Stephen in the hands of my good friend Howard from Silver Lane Wedding Cars, I drove over to the Village Hotel to photograph Emma making her final preparations with the girls.

Emma is good friends with the registrar who officiated the wedding ceremony and I was so appreciative to be allowed total access to photograph the whole ceremony. This is not normal so I took full advantage and captured so many lovely glances and moments as Stephen and Emma shared their vows. I almost died a death when the bride began her walk down the aisle as the heavens opened in a very extreme way, but it didn't stop the magic - Emma even said that rain was lucky!

We managed to get the group shots done outside during a break in the rain and then whisked Stephen and Emma off to the Humber Bridge area for their first 'Penny Drop Session' where mother Nature continued to throw us curve balls!

A first class wedding breakfast was served by the hotel followed by emotional and hilarious speeches by the boys. Ben, Stephen's best man, was totally on top form and had the room in stitches as he systematically tore the groom apart and put him back together again! Stephen and Emma met whilst they were both working on cruise ships - Emma as a beauty therapist and Stephen as a dealer/croupier so it was very apt that they had arranged Blackjack and Roulette tables courtesy of the fantastic Casino Knights to entertain between the wedding breakfast and evening reception. Steve stepped up and showed that he still had the magic and looked like he had never been away from the casino.

The evening party started with dancing early and Phil Calver of Chrysalis Discos' set up looked amazing. I left Stephen and Emma with a packed dance floor and the party in full swing and I'm really looking forward to sharing their story with them in the next couple of weeks.

Image of the Week - Family Portraiture

2011-06-10T20:03:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Photographer, most of my Summer is taken up with Wedding Photography but I still love to fit in some family portraiture when I have the time and space. I recently photographed these 2 sisters at my studio and just had to share this one. So cute!

Leanne and James - Lazaat Hotel - 28th May

2011-06-06T09:29:00.002+01:00

Please click image to view in a larger window.

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of spending Leanne and James' big day with them at Lazaat Hotel and Restaurant weekend before last.

I spent the morning with James and his best man as they got ready in the sleepy village of Burstwick and we got some killer shots in the house and out on the street. James was quite nervous about giving his speech later on in the day and I was honoured for him to ask me for some advice - I told him to make sure he thanked the right people, but first and foremost to make sure that he made his wife feel like a million dollars - and that he did! His speech was so genuine and heartfelt and I felt incredibly proud to have been a small part of that!

After leaving the boys, I travelled to Beverley to spend the rest of the morning with Leanne, our bride, and her family. I hadn't met Leanne's family, but they were a lovely bunch! The light was perfect in the house and I got some great bridal portraits before heading off to Lazaat.

A perfect civil ceremony was held at the Hotel followed by group shots in Lazaat's wedding gardens. Some of you will know that I worked for Lazaat when I first came home from Canada. At that time, the area which is now the wedding gardens was scrub land. It has now been transformed into a superb environment for a wedding party's group photography including pagodas, beautifully maintained gardens and an ornamental bridge. It really is a pleasure to shoot there.

After the wedding breakfast, I took Leanne and James for their "Penny Drop Session' around the grounds and used some of the contemporary features in the interior of the hotel. The cake cut and first dance where a joy to shoot from a photographer's point of view - the DJ had the most awesome lazer lights which made a really modern effect - first dance shots can sometimes look a little bit static but I'm sure James and Leanne will love the dynamic look of their shots!

I'm, really looking forward to sharing the bride and groom's story with them when they get back from their honeymoon in Mexico next week!

Vicky & Adam - Walcott Hall - 28th May

2011-05-28T16:58:00.003+01:00

Please click collage to view in larger window.

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of spending the day with Vicky and Adam yesterday as they became man and wife at the spectacular venue of Walcott Hall Estate, North Lincolnshire.

It was my first time photographing a wedding at Walcott Hall and although I had driven to meet with the wedding planner a couple of weeks ago and had a brief look around, I certainly hadn't taken in the true beauty of the hall and its surrounding grounds - it truly is a magnificent venue!

Vicky and I have know each other for a couple of years and she is also a photographer specialising in family lifestyle portraiture, I have always admired her work very much and you should definitely check out her Go! Photo website to see how modern and contemporary her work is.

I was really honoured when she asked me to photograph her special day and was very excited to shoot at Walcott. The day started for me with the bride's preps at the Hall and although rain kept poking through, spirits were certainly not dampened. A lovely civil ceremony was followed by a very classy marquee reception with live music throughout the day. I managed to whisk the bride and groom off for 2 'Penny Drop Sessions' after Adam's heartfelt and emotional speeches were over.

I'm really excited to share the story with Adam and Vicky when they get back from 2 weeks of sunshine in Jamaica!

Image of the Week - Carl & Louise

2011-05-25T10:55:00.003+01:00

Please click on image to open in bigger window.

In my work as a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I often see scenes when I am driving in my car that just beg to be used on a wedding day. The yellow rape seed fields of East Yorkshire have long been on my list to shoot against but for some reason, location and timing haven't presented the perfect opportunity until a couple of weeks ago when I photographed Louise and Carl's special day at Rudstone Walk just outside of my home village of South Cave.

We drove down to this field in the early evening before evening guests arrived as I had spied it on my way to the venue and knew that this was my opportunity. I think the bride and groom sensed my excitement as I worked with them for about 20 minutes to create some beautiful images shot against the fading light. I could hardly keep still on top of my ladder I was so chuffed to be in the right place at the right time and I alsmost fell off a couple of times!

I shared Carl and Louise's wedding story with them a couple of nights ago and they loved this section of the photography and are planning on using one of these shots as a double page spread in their A3 sized album.

All Smiles...

2011-05-19T17:15:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I'm privileged to spend what will no doubt be the most special day of a couple's life up to that point! Smiles and laughs are not in short supply on a wedding day and they certainly weren't on Lucy and Marc's big day!

I've just finished edited their wedding and one of the things that jumped out was how happy and 'smiley' Lucy was from the start to the end of the day - her grin beamed from ear to ear and was so contagious!

The collage above sums up her day-long smile-fest perfectly! I love my job and it's so great to be around the people that make the stories!

In Support of Young Entrpreneuers

2011-05-12T11:30:00.000+01:00

As a Yorkshire Photographer, I have been involved with supporting Young Enterprise in our Region for the past 4 years.

I have a very strong connection with this amazing charity. I was in a YE team 18 years ago at Hull College as MD of a company called 'Z Shirts', I then taught Business Studies during my time as a teacher in Canada and now as a business owner back in the UK I strongly believe in supporting the development of the next great business minds for our area so volunteer my time on a regular basis.

This is the time of year when the Young Enterprise teams are celebrating their achievments in regional awards ceremonies and I donate my services as a photographer to make sure there are great PR images to use for press releases etc. I also sponsor an award and this year I sponsored the 'Best Company Presentation Gong'

There are not many better feelings than been around excited, motivated young business minds - I'll be heading over to Doncaster later on this afternoon to cover the South Yorkshire finals and I'm looking forward to meeting some more of these great young people.

Jemma & Paul - Tickton Grange - 24th April

2011-04-30T12:55:00.003+01:00

Click on the collage to view in a larger window.

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of spending last Sunday with Jemma and Paul at Tickton Grange, East Yorkshire as they tied the knot with their friends and family.

It was another gorgeous day when I arrived and I spent the first couple of hours between the bride and groom as they made their final preparations. A beautiful civil ceremony took place in the Rose Room with gorgeous music provided by the amazing wedding pianist Morris Williams who comes highly recommended, a nicer guy you will never meet!

After taking care of the group photography in Tickton's gardens, I took Jemma and Paul off for the first part of their 'Penny Drop' session and we got some great images under the blossom trees which were in full bloom for the couple. After dinner and speeches, Jemma couldn't take her wedding dress anymore and she changed into a gorgeous evening dress which looked great for the second part of our penny drop session.

I left Jemma and Paul on the dance floor rocking out with their friends to the sounds of one of my favourite DJs, Sean Barlow who always does an amazing job. Jemma and Paul snook off for a 4 day break in Portugal and I will be seeing them next weekend to share their story with them.

Carl & Louise's Big Day at Rudstone Walk.

2011-04-28T13:59:00.003+01:00

Click on collage to view in a larger window.

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, Saturday was the start of my busiest stretch of weddings this season. 3 in a row to be precise and I must admit I was a little nervous before taking on such a marathon! 1 wedding leaves me totally spent - but 3 on the bounce - would I peak too early, would I make it to the end?

Carl and Louise's big day was the start of my stretch and when I woke up, I knew it would be an awesome day. The weather called for sunshine all day and the meteorologists didn't fail! I met the boys at Carl's house and after spending some time drinking coffee and chatting, I photographed them getting their suits on and then took them into the train station for some modern shots on the overhead walkway.

Once I finished with the lads, I drove over to Rudstone Walk where our bride was getting ready with all of her family from Middlesbrough. The Tigers were playing the 'Smoggies' in a really important game for Hull City so there was a natural banter with the family straight away. I've always loved the people of the North East, and Louise's family were no different - genuinely funny, witty folk with a great zest for life. We had a blast getting the bride ready and I got some awesome images!

After a lovely civil ceremony, I took care of group shots in the sweltering heat before a sumptuous wedding breakfast was served. Emotional speeches were given after the meal where the bride's father took great joy in announcing The Smoggies had thrashed The Tigers - a cross-room volley of heckling followed!

After dinner, I managed to persuade Carl and Louise to jump into my car and drive down to a local rape seed field which was just starting to bloom in all of its golden glory. I have been trying to nail this shot for the last couple of wedding seasons but always managed to just miss a field before it was cut. I was super excited to get this shot and just love the colours.

I left the bride and groom after their first dance with a packed dance floor and a thumping DJ belting out the tunes. Carl and Louise are honeymooning in Morocco and I'm really excited to share their story with them when they get back.

Have a great holiday weekend!

To request a wedding brochure, click on this link.

Yorkshire's very own Royal Wedding!

2011-04-26T13:24:00.005+01:00

Click collage above to view in a larger window.

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the highlight of my UK career as a wedding photographer yesterday. Matty Davidson and Amy Lyon 'tied the knot' at St Andrews Church in Kirkella and held their enormous celebration at The Hallmark Hotel on a glorious Bank Holiday.

If you're a celebrity voyeur, you will no doubt have come across Matty - he is one of the UK's most highly decorated hair stylists working with the internationally renowned icon Mark Hill for over 25 years. You may have seen a piece on this wedding on GMTV yesterday morning!

I have had the pleasure of knowing Matty and Mark for about the same period and they have become great friends and total inspirations to me from a creative and commercial aspect. You will never meet 2 more hard working men in your life and their commitment to raising the bar of British hairdressing is widely recognised.

I met Amy about 6 years ago when I returned from my 9 years of 'retirement' whilst living in Canada and when they approached me to cover their special day, I was totally honoured. Matthew has been battling Hodgkins Lymphoma for over 2 years now and he and his wife had been planning to tie the knot in July however due to the rigours of his treatment, the couple pulled out all of the stops to move their wedding to Bank Holiday Monday.

Their wedding day yesterday was nothing short of one of the most moving experiences I have ever witnessed. I normally describe a wedding day in detail when I blog but I think on this occasion, I want the images to speak for themselves, so please click on the collage above and spend some time witnessing for yourself. Just to put Matthew's popularity into perspective, personal messages were read out during the speeches from Fearne Cotton, Ant & Dec, Johnathan Ross, Trever Sorbie and Nicky Clarke - all apologising for not being able to make it due to the 'other' Royal wedding which is apparently happening this coming weekend!

An average wedding will see me coming home with around 1800 images - I came home yesterday with over 2700! I have never been so honoured to call myself a wedding photographer as I did yesterday, a true legend married his bride in a style that only Matty and Amy could pull off under such incredible circumstances.

I am really proud to say it was definitely a defining moment for me and a total privilege to capture the most special of days and I will never, ever forget seeing Matthew's face as Amy walked down the aisle and the beam of light that emanated from this couple all day will never leave me.

Thanks on Good Friday!

2011-04-22T10:54:00.004+01:00

First of all Happy Good Friday to anybody that finds themselves reading my blog today when really you should be sat in a beer garden sipping on a cold beer and watching the world go by! So why am I not doing exactly that? Well I have three weddings to shoot this weekend so I'm prepping for what will be my biggest run of big days in a row.

If you look at what Good Friday actually represents, then surely the day that Jesus was crucified on should not really be a celebration? However, the sun is shining and most people are off work so we're going to kick back and chill out anyway! Good on ya Jesus - you was a good lad!

I've certainly got lots to celebrate - I still pinch myself on a regular basis on how Insight has grown from a standing start 4 years ago and also the fact that I get to play with cameras for a living - it really is great!

So not only am I celebrating today, but my clients Nik and Nicki chose to celebrate me today too. I photographed their wedding back in October last year and posted a blog entry at this link. I received an absolutely lovely thank you card from them this morning all the way from Germany (Nik is in the Army) and I couldn't have asked for a better testimonial.

So have a great Easter weekend whatever you are doing and watch the blog for 3 new wedding posts coming your way very soon...

Lucy & Marc - Burton Lodge - 16th April

2011-04-18T16:42:00.004+01:00

Please click on collage to view larger.

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure to spend Saturday with Lucy and Marc as they celebrated their big day. I arrived with Marc and the boys and they were all on a high! Marc is a big snooker fan and his groomsmen had took him for a few frames the night before, little did he know that they had arranged for Jimmy White to make a guest appearance! All of the boys got to play a frame with the snooker giant and their excitement was plain to see!

After getting ready, I took the lads to a nearby park and got some cracking images, the light was just perfect!

Lucy was getting ready at their home in Skirlaugh and she was super chilled when I arrived - she was wearing a pair of rugby socks and a pair of ski socks with her wedding shoes to try and stretch them out a bit - absolutely hilarious! The weather was so good, I decided to do my dress shot outside - the first time I've ever done this but there was a tree in the garden that was just begging to hang a wedding dress off!

The wedding took place just around the corner at a beautiful parish church and as Lucy is a teacher of 'small people' we were greeted by loads of kids who had come to cheer on their favourite teacher as she tied the knot!

A beautiful marquee reception was held at Burton Lodge, Brandesburton and Lucy had done an amazing job of styling her wedding breakfast in a vintage fashion. The cake was not a 'cake' as such but was a 'cake' made of wheels of cheese and was a lovely touch. Our bride had raided every charity shop in the region and stashed every old tea service she could get her hands on - these decorated every table along with hand painted favours - Lucy had really thought about every single detail!

It was a great day to be part of and I can't wait to share their story with Lucy and Marc when they return from their honeymoon in Las Vegas.

If you would like to receive a wedding brochure, please click on this link.

Wedding Training at Wynward Hall with Pete Bristo MBE

2011-04-12T11:38:00.004+01:00

Click On Images to Make bigger

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, training is a big part of my professional development, I think this gives brides confidence that they are working with somebody who wants to continually grow as an image maker. I live, breathe, eat and dream wedding photography - sometimes I think 'Am I getting a little obsessed here?' but then I remind myself that wanting to be the best you can possibly be is the noblest gift you can give yourself (sorry for being a little philosophical here!)

So, as part of my overall commitment to training, I had the honour of spending a day with Pete Bristo MBE at Wynward Hall, Teeside - an absolutely breathtaking 19th century mansion house, set in spectacular grounds. The model was a real bride whose wedding Pete had photographed a couple of months ago - she was delighted to be wearing her wedding dress again - something that not a lot of girls get to do!

The day was amazing, Pete was very generous in his sharing and his skills both behind the camera and in post production are clear to see - it is these reasons why he has won every award to be had and achieved Fellowships with all 3 of the major professional wedding societies in the UK.

I hope you enjoy the images above, I loved making them! What I do like to point out is that you will never see images either in my portfolio nor on my website from training days. Although I framed the images in camera and finished the images in post production - they are not from a live wedding of mine, nor was I directing the bride at the time - they are Pete's poses, created beautifully. I do think it's important to make that distinction and I recently even have a bride ask me if all the images on my website were from live weddings - a very fair question to ask I think.

Have a great week, enjoy the sunshine!

Love in Black & White

2011-04-09T20:26:00.002+01:00

Click on the image to open larger in a new window

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I have been a member of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers for over 4 years now but I havn't got around to submitting any of my wedding work for assessment by the SWPP Panel. Once I have submitted an initial panel of images, I will be able to start working though the hierarchy of qualifications available and at each stage I will have to show a greater level of skill, artistry and technical ability.

As I start to trawl through my archive of wedding work, I realise how important black and white images are in my work and will continue to be in the future. I wrote a blog on this a few weeks ago here. I'm sure at least 50% of my panel submissions will be in monochrome.

I'm having a weekend off from wedding photography before a stretch of 6 in 3 weeks coming up, I thought I would share some images of 'Love in Black & White' with you. Hope you enjoy.

If you are a bride to be, you can request a wedding brochure by clicking here.

Louise & Kevin - The Deep 2nd April 2011

2011-04-03T16:08:00.004+01:00

Click on image to enlarge view.

If you had your eyes open at around midnight last night, you may have caught a taster image from Kevin And Louise's wedding at The Deep Aquarium in Hull. As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had been waiting for this wedding with so much anticipation when the bride and groom booked me last March. If you havn't been to The Deep, it is the most amazing aquarium which is home to over 3,500 fish, sharks, rays and a whole host o other marine creatures.

One of the issues with shooting inside The Deep is the fact that flash photography is not allowed as it is too stressful for the fish. Without adding in additional light, it's almost impossible to record anything inside even with the low light capabilities of modern digital cameras. So the answer comes from the world of videography and I used 'continuous' lights used in film making to capture the scene. These film lights provide a very interesting way to work because you can see the lighting effect as it is applied to the bride and groom which is quite the opposite with conventional flash.

I hope you can see from the images above that I had an absolute field day! I could have spent 2 days photographing the bride and groom and still not had enough time to cover all the looks that are available! Everywhere I pointed the camera, there was another scene that just begged to be captured. My approach is to balance the bride and groom's desire to have the best possible album whilst also enjoying lots of time with their friends and family so I don't monopolise their time- so in this sense we only really scratched the surface of what I could have photographed. Needless to say, I shot almost 2000 frames yesterday and i can't wait to share the collection with Kevin and Louise when they come back from their honeymoon in Egypt.

More wedding photographs can be seen in my wedding photography portfolio here.

The Deep Wedding - Sneak Preview

2011-04-02T23:13:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I've been looking forward to Louise and Kevin's wedding at The Deep, Hull for a long time! I'm not going to say too much right now as I just walked in the door from shooting their amazing day but I just had to get this image out as a taster of what's to come! Safe to say, The Deep totally delivered as a visual smorgasbord and I'll be posting some more images in the next couple of days!

Wedding Details - Image of the Week

2011-03-31T10:50:00.004+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, sharing images from a couple's special day is one of the most satisfying parts of the whole process. I'll usually meet with the newlyweds shortly after their return from honeymoon and the memory of the big day is still very much alive.

As a visual storyteller, my aim is to capture the whole of the wedding day from the early preparations with the bride and groom through to the first dance and evening party. One of my angles that brides especially love is photographs of the details that they have been planning and dreaming about often for years before their wedding. It's really funny as the average groom usually has a massive look of surprise on their face when they walk into the reception room and see all of the details on the tables such as flowers and wedding favours - how could this stuff have possibly passed them by in the run up to the big day - go figure!

I've never met a bride who wasn't supremely in love with their wedding shoes and in this respect I always capture an iconic image of theirs as i just know that 99% of brides will ask for this image to go in their wedding album.

Alexandra was no exception and even though she is still on her honeymoon, i know she will be really happy with the image above and it wouldn't even surprise me if she chooses this image for the cover of her album - Michael may have something to say about that but to be honest - the bride usually gets her own way - and why not!

Alex & Mike - Tickton Grange Wedding 26th March

2011-03-28T12:02:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Alexandra and Michael's big day at Tickton Grange on Saturday.

All the preparations, wedding ceremony and wedding breakfast took place at The Grange so for me, it was a very mellow day. I'm normally driving around like a madman on the morning of a wedding going from groom, to bride, to church and then finally on to the venue so having everything in one place makes for a very chilled photographer!

Alex and Micheal are a lovely couple and had put so much thought into every aspect of their wedding. The Rose Room looked absolutely stunning for both ceremony and reception with huge flower filled candelabras burning candles throughout the day - the ambience and atmosphere really was second to none!

It was a little chilly during the group shots so we kept everyone inside at the bar as I brought groups out individually - no complaints there!

I was really excited to use my new Radiopopper flash triggers for the first time at a full wedding and they performed beautifully, being able to maintain TTL control with radio predictability meant I could work really fast and creat stunning lit images in no time.

I left the couple at 9pm with a full dance floor rocking out to the sounds of the fabulous Soul Patrol, surely one of the top wedding bands I have ever seen!

Carl and Louise's Pre-Shoot - Radiopoppers Rule!

2011-03-25T15:41:00.004Z

As a specialist in Yorkshire Wedding Photography, wedding pre-shoot sessions are happening thick and fast. I always like to ask my clients if they have a favourite location they would like to go to, even better if it's where the proposal happened!

Carl and Louise are getting married at Rudstone Walk in East Yorkshire towards the end of April and I was really excited for their pre-shoot which they chose to have around the Deep and the Pier in Hull which is where they had their first date almost 8 years ago!

I was excited not only because Carl and Louise are awesome people to be around but because it was my first chance to give my new Radiopoppers flash triggers a proper outing. For the geeks out there, they are the next generation tool for triggering flashes via radio whilst maintaining iTTL control! What a mouthful but for those who this means something to - they absolutely rock and I'm sure they will be getting a lot of use over the Summer. I can now control my remote flashes from the camera at a distance of up to 1500 metres and the flash will do all of the power calculations at that range so I don't have to. They're not cheap compared to other alternatives but man do they rock!

Wedding Pre Shoots - Favourite Images from the Weekend

2011-03-21T18:03:00.002Z

As a Yorkshire Photographer, I've spent a great weekend shooting couples' wedding pre-shoots. I met with 4 couples and shot in a variety of different locations from The Hessle Foreshore, Cave Castle Hotel and a beautiful field outside of Skirlaugh. The pre-shoot is essential preparation for me and my clients before the big day.

Clicking on the collage above will make it bigger so you can see some of my favourite images from the shoots.

I used some new gear including the Interfit Strobies XS Bracket which worked beautifully and makes off camera flash adjustments so much easier than a regular tilt bracket. A set of Radiopoppers will be dropping on my mat tomorrow and I can't wait to team them up with the new bracket this weekend for a wedding at Tickton Grange.

Fox Factor - Live Music Photography

2011-03-18T18:35:00.003Z

As a Yorkshire Photographer I shoot a lot of images fro my local pub, The Fox and Coney. The owners, Chris and Vince, took over last Summer and have developed a new website and blog which needs a constant supply of images to feed it's hungry appetite for news and events.

About 6 weeks ago, the now infamous 'Fox Factor' began and has become the 'must see' event every Thursday night at the pub. Demand for space has become so great that the team are even beaming a video link to the sister pub 'The Bear' across the road so that everybody can see the action.

The collage above shows some of the contestants feature headshots and some live action so you can get a flavour of the competition, get yourselves down to The Fox and Coney and see who will win the £2000 first prize!

Charity work with Comic Relief

2011-03-17T16:14:00.003Z

As a Yorkshire based Photographer, I'm proud to be involved with a couple of charities that I do work with every year. Comic Relief is one of them and I happened to get involved with 2 years ago whilst photographing some commercial work for Sainsburys.

The shots above were taken at The Hull New Theatre and feature the Northern Ballet Company wearing their Red Noses in support of the fantastic work that Comic Relief do.

KP Club Pocklington - Food Images

2011-03-16T19:28:00.003Z

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As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, most folk know me for capturing couples' big days at venues throughout the region, but what am I upto when I'm not capturing weddings? After 5 years in business in the UK, I've photographed most genres of work but these days my workload is defined by weddings at the weekend and commercial photography during the week.

I love the contrast between these two disciplines of photography and I particularly like the variety that comes from commercial shoots. Today I was up at The KP Club in Pocklington, one of my favourite wedding venues. I've been working with them recently to create a set of images to use in brochures and on their website. They had already used a photographer to capture the look of the club but felt that these images were too artistic and although they were aesthetically very pleasing, they didn't really show what the spaces at the club really look like. Don't get me wrong, I love to use artistic perspectives and different camera techniques to abstract scenes but I'm also aware that the KP Club needs to show people what their rooms and food look like in real life.

The images above are just a small example of the type of projects I get involved in, to see more examples of my commercial work, take a look at my portfolio.

Cornelia & Mark - Rowley Manor - 12th March

2011-03-14T19:08:00.003Z

As a wedding photographer in Hull, I shot my first major wedding of the season on Saturday. Cornelia and Mark were married at the fantastic Rowley Manor on a bright and sunny afternoon in the countryside. I drove out to the tiny village of Holmpton to photograph Mark and the boys getting ready and we had a great laugh as Cornelia's son Max attempted to get his new shoes on - we ended up using a dessert spoon to lever them on in the end!

After some classic 'boys shots' down the village lane, I left Mark and made my way back to Rowley Manor where I met our bride, Cornelia, who was making her preparations in the bridal suite. She was as cool as a cucumber and I had left myself lots of time so she was ready early for our portrait session giving us the chance to really explore different looks and themes.

Cornelia's grandfather gave her away and I just love the image at the top of the collage as she clocks her husband to be for the first time and gives him a cheeky wink - the essence of photojounalism is all about capturing moments like these!

The weather turned a little cold when it came to do the group shots out on the croquet lawn but the wedding party were all good sports and we got through this part of the photography without anyone suffering from frostbite!

The rest of the day was very chilled and I felt very honoured to be invited to share the wedding breakfast with the rest of the guests - I'm often asked if I'm related to the bride and groom when this happens!

Around 6.30, the guests were assembled back outside to let off Chinese lanterns, the hilarious thing being that the instructions for the lanterns were in Mandarin - a fair amount of winging it ensued and I have to report that I did worry that I may be called upon to extinguish a couple of guests as the wind gusted around us! Needless to say, there were no casualties and the lanterns looked an amazing sight as they floated over the top of the Manor.

Early evening entertainment was provided by an amazing Elton John tribute and I have to say that I think this gent looked even more like Elton John then the man himself!

After photographing Cornelia and Mark's first dance and cake cut, I left them to party the rest of the night away and they will now be enjoying the beaches of Cuba as they enjoy their first week of married life!

Colour or Black & White?

2011-03-09T19:40:00.003Z

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I shoot 100% digitally. Technology has come so far since I first started experimenting with this way of capturing weddings and I can now say that I would be surprised if I ever shot another frame of old school film. Don't get me wrong, I am really grateful for learning my trade with film as that medium makes you think and consider each and every time before you press the shutter on the camera and also gives you a deep understanding of exposure. However, digital gives me the freedom to shoot weddings exactly as I want to. I don't have to worry about changing film stock to match the light conditions and I don't have to consider if an image should be shot on colour or black and white film - I now have the ultimate choice!

I show at least 25% of a wedding collection in black and white and I do notice that my clients really gravitate to this. There's something about stripping out colour as a visual reference that makes us zone in to the story and content of an image without other visual indicators.

I particularly like photojournalistic images in black and white, they have 'grit & punch' and can be really endearing. Capturing moments at a wedding and then stripping them down to their bare essentials is a really effective story telling vehicle - and to me that's what wedding photography is all about - telling stories.

What do you prefer? Would love to hear your comments.

Fashion Shoot at Flamingo Land

2011-02-17T12:10:00.003Z

As an East Yorkshire Photographer, training is very important to keep me in touch with latest techniques and styles for modern wedding and portrait photography. Most of my training comes from events that the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers put on and yesterday I spent the day with one of our region's best photographers, John Denton. John is not only an amazing photographer, he is a superb trainer and he had managed to gain us access to Flamingoland in North Yorkshire which is a theme park and zoo. We spent the day with an experienced model, Sofia, and the light could not have been anymore perfect.

We explored a number of different techniques both in lighting and posing and the deserted theme park made a surreal environment - everywhere we pointed our cameras, there was a shot begging to be taken.

I'm really excited to use some of these new techniques with brides over the wedding season.

Classical Soprano Portfolio

2011-02-14T13:47:00.003Z

As an East Yorkshire Photographer, the lion's share of my work is split between wedding and commercial photography. However, i do really enjoy working with actors and artists to help them put together portfolios for their own marketing and promotion.

Claire, in the collage above, is a classical soprano teacher who is looking to market herself to the wedding and event community as a performer in her own right.

Claire contacted me a few weeks ago to discuss the possibility of shooting her portfolio so we met up in Costa's for a chat and for me to find out more about her aspirations for her photography. The images she was looking for would be used between her website, business cards, promotional literature and e-mail outs. We talked about styling, hair and make up and also preferred locations.

Having photographed the wedding of the general manager of Carlton Towers last year, I thought this could be a perfect location for us to work at and one that would suit the classic look necessary for an opera singer. Carlton Towers is a breathtaking venue which is located just between Goole and Selby and they were more than happy to let us shoot there.

We spent a couple of hours working different areas of the Towers using a variety of lighting setups to achieve some of the 'looks' you see above. I really enjoy this kind of work and Claire was a joy to photograph. More examples of headshot photography can be seen here.

Vanessa & John - Cave Castle Hotel - 9th February

2011-02-10T10:55:00.002Z

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I had the great pleasure of spending my first wedding of the year with John and Vanessa at Cave Castle Hotel yesterday.

This is a great story and one that has the most miles travelled for a wedding I have been involved in! John, our groom, is originally from North Ferriby, East Yorkshire and his bride Vanessa is originally from Hong Kong - the couple actually live in Australia.

I met John and Vanessa between Christmas and New Year when they flew over to finalise arrangements for their big day and I was delighted when they chose me to capture their special day. Due to the distance, we made all of our arrangements by email and I would not see them again until 4 days before their wedding!

We met for a final planning meeting and pre-shoot on Sunday and I was amazed how bright they were considering the distance they had just travelled!

Although it was cold morning for their wedding, the conditions were lovely at the Castle. I spent time with Vanessa and her family from Hong Kong as she made her final preparations and captured some lovely images - she looked so elegant in a classic wedding gown! A lovely civil ceremony followed in the Balmoral Suite followed by group shots in the hotel lobby with a roaring open fire providing a very welcome atmosphere!

Even though it was cold outside, John and Vanessa were very brave during our time outside capturing classic shots with the castle as a majestic backdrop. Vanessa had brought a traditional Chinese style gown and we even found time for a costume change before they sat down with their guests for lunch.

John and Vanessa seem to know no fear when it comes to travel plans! They were getting on a train at 7.30am this morning to take their Hong Kong guests upto Edinburgh for the day, we will be meeting tomorrow to share their wedding images then they will fly to Hong Kong on Saturday for the Asian part of their celebrations! I'm sure they will be ready for a couple of weeks of sleep when they finally get home to Australia!

I wish them all the very best for their future together on the other side of the world!

Image of the Week - Weddings

2011-01-23T18:21:00.003Z

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer one of the unique aspects of my service is its duration. I start with my couples early in the morning to document both the bride and groom's early preparations. Not only do I get to show the couple all of the things that they didn't see, it allows me to develop a great camaraderie with the wedding party before the rest of the day unfolds - this is essential to develop a relationship of trust. Not only do I start early, but I stay late aswell - at least until 9pm for every wedding. This allows me to photograph the party and also the first dance. I just love photographing the first dance, when the couple are lost in their moves I can create intimate images like the one above of Adam and Sarahlee - the couple used this one to finish their album off.

I do not charge any extra for the length of time I give on a wedding day - to me it's all part of the service and really does allow me to tell the full story of what will undoubtedly be the most important day in a couples' life so far.

My wedding portfolio can be view here

Image of the Week - The Details

2011-01-13T19:36:00.004Z

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer and a pretty typical Virgo, I take enormous pride in taking care of details for my clients on their wedding day. From the initial consultation to the pre-wedding planning, I bring my background and experience from years in the hospitality industry to help couples plan a perfect day. It's all in the detail.

Adrian & Priyai - Lazaat - 23rd December

2010-12-31T13:05:00.004Z

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, my last wedding of the year was with Adrian and Priyai on the 23rd December. I had only met them about 5 weeks before their big day as they were engaged in October and got a wedding organised for December - that's pretty good going in my book!

The wedding ceremony and celebrations were held at Lazaat in Cottingham, a place I'm very familiar with as I used to run the restaurant there many moons ago. It was great to shoot there again as Lazaat really is one of the most unique venues in our area. The decor is an intoxicating blend of modern elements such as glass and chrome which is softened all around with beautiful Persian decor.

I arrived about an hour before the ceremony to get organised and await the arrival of the wedding party, I had a good chat with both Adrian and Priyai's families who were both charming and I knew it was going to be a lovely day. The wedding itself was very emotional and led to some beautiful images. It was way too cold to shoot the group photographs outside and I certainly wouldn't put a wedding party through that with the recent weather we've all experienced, so we took care of the groups in the hotel's lobby and utilised the modern spiral staircase for framing.

I took Adrian and Priyai for a very brief 'penny drop' session outside but we could only stand about 10 minutes before we were all begging to be back inside (and I had a jacket on!)

Speeches were great to shoot with lots of proud stories and funny anecdotes finished off with the cutting of the cake.

All in all a great afternoon with a really gorgeous set of images to share with Adrian and Priyai.

Adam & Laura - Cave Castle Hotel 9th December

2010-12-23T22:42:00.004Z

As an East Yorkshire wedding photographer, I have such a great variety of venues all around East Yorkshire. One of my favourites is definitely the Cave Castle Hotel, South Cave, East Yorkshire I think I may be a little bias seeing as though it's around the corner from where I live, but it really is a great venue for a wedding and for creating wedding stories.

Laura and Adam were married at the Castle on the 9th December after snow had already being gripping us for over 10 days. The grounds looked amazing as everything was covered in a blanket of snow. The log fires were burning as I arrived and Laura and Adam were wed in an intimate ceremony in the Balmoral Suite. The sun was shining and although it was cold outside, it wasn't the low temperatures that had been lingering just a couple of days before. The winter light provided gorgeous illumination for our group shots and the bride and groom's 'penny drop' session and the images that we created are just stunning.

After the speeches and a very unique cake cut (Laura and Adam made their cake with Mr Kipling's French Fancies which looked killer!) I left the couple to party the night away.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Laura and Adam in the New Year to share their story with them.

Thank-Yous at Xmas 2010

2010-12-22T17:12:00.007Z

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I have so much to be grateful for at this time of year. Even after 8 years as a wedding professional, I still pinch myself from time to time at how lucky I am to make my living from such a satisfying pursuit - I meet the best couples in the world, I share in the happiest of times and can completely justify ridiculous purchases of the latest 'boys toys'!

2010 has blessed me with healthy growth in my business and 2011 looks set to smash this year out of the water - after 5 years of hard work in the UK to establish myself in an extremely competitive marketplace full of talented photographic artists, I am finally comfortable saying 'I've arrived!"

To all of my colleagues and business associates, service providers and suppliers I want to extend a massive thank you for all of the help, support and advice you have given on my journey so far. I have always believed that if you surround yourself with the best of company you give yourself the best chance of success.

And now to my couples from this year - a big thank you to you all for trusting me to capture your weddings - each and every one a unique day which gave me the opportunity to express myself creatively.

I've added a couple of cards I received from clients over the past couple of months - I love the fact that gratitude is such a circular thing! All it leaves me to say is Merry Xmas to everybody who takes the time to read this blog, I hope you have a super holiday and I raise a glass to you and yours for a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

Fashion Shoot with Alex

2010-12-06T13:46:00.005Z

As an East Yorkshire Photographer, I work on a variety of projects - mainly weddings and commercial. I do love it when fashion work pops into the mix as I used to shoot a lot of fashion for personal projects.

This shoot was Alex's first and was a test shoot for a couple of London-based agencies that had seen some snaps of her and had expressed a great deal of interest in seeing more. We shot these images of Monday of last week at a local golf club, Mother Nature's greatest attempts to postpone would not get in the way!

The lighting was kept simple, the agencies were interested in seeing Alex with minimal makeup and just one softbox and a reflector were used to create this look which I think really accentuates Alex's bone structure.

The full length looks were created again using directional light, but this time I 'clam shelled' 2 softboxes together to simulate a strip light look from the left and used a Quantum Q flash from camera right to the rear to add a separation light.

For her first time in the front of the camera, Alex was very dynamic. She was able to create a number of different of looks and move in a fluid way. This makes it so much easier for me to focus on composition and the 'look' without having to direct too much.

The last shot of the day really pushed Alex's ability to 'stick with it' It was about minus 4c when I shot this and we could only work in 30-60 second bursts, the batteries in my flashguns were begging for mercy but I managed to bounce some of the gorgeous natural light back into the frame with the aid of a California sun shifter style reflector to help separate our model from the background.

All in all, this was a really exciting and successful shoot with a real natural model. We're now ready to send images off to the agencies and hopefully Alex will be working regularly soon.

The Wedding 'Pre Shoot' & Signing Board

2010-11-23T13:43:00.004Z

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer and a pretty typical Virgo, preparation is one of the keys to a successful wedding shoot. I spend all day with my couples, usually arriving with the groom at around 9am and not leaving until 9pm in the evening. Getting ready for such an intimate relationship takes time and as such, the wedding pre-shoot is totally essential.

Usually about 4 weeks from the big day, I'll get together with my couples to help plan their schedule and talk through their group shots. We'll always start with a cup of Java or a cheeky beer first to catch up on their news. It's often been 18 months since I have seen the bride and groom so a good old natter helps to break the ice and re-connect.

Once we've discussed the finer points of the day and how I will make sure that EVERYTHING goes exactly how they wish it to, we will head out and do some photography. Regardless how playful a couple are, there are always going to be a certain amount of nerves about being photographed. The pre-shoot session is a perfect opportunity for me to get my clients totally relaxed, feeling super confident and also establishing that level of trust that I need to create the type of images that will go into their finished album. In this respect, I've designed my pre-shoots to gradually introduce the camera and once the comfort is there, I can then work more specifically on certain poses - or positions being a better word. My clients always feel much better about the photography once we've finished the session and this then paves the way for a really successful shoot on their special day.

The images from the collage above are typical of my pre-shoot sessions.

All of my packages include a complimentary wedding 'signing board' and perfectly replaces the traditional signing book that nobody seems to sign these days unless Aunty Enid takes it from table to table.

To see more examples of Insight's unique approach to wedding photography, please check out my portfolio.

Nic & Nicky - Holy Trinity & Ramada Hull

2010-10-31T10:33:00.003Z

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer my season is just about at an end. I do have some smaller weddings to shoot through the Winter but yesterday was the last 'biggie' and what a way to finish up!

Nic and Nicky were married at Holy Trinity Church in Hull, an absolutely stunning building which is over 700 years old and in the Guiness Book of World records as being the largest parish church in England. They just don't make churches like this anymore and I felt really awe inspired just being inside!

I spent the morning with the boys as per usual photographing their preparations and getting to know the groomsmen. Mother Nature smiled down on us, the weather was stunning a very crisp but bright and sunny morning lent itself to some great shots outside. I left Nic at about 10.30 and headed over to the Ramada Hotel where the bride was getting ready with her bridesmaids and family. I spent a couple of hours documenting the girls getting ready with Michael Jackson pumping out the soundtrack.

The service itself was pretty unique. Nic is a soldier in the Royal Corp of Signals and Nicky has been a band member of the territorial Army for some time so as she arrived at the church she was greeted by a troupe of Army buglers, the sound they made carried around the church and gave one of the most dramatic entrances to a wedding I have ever witnessed. Nicky's Mum had secretly arranged for a snowy owl to deliver the rings from the back of the church and I thought i was in the middle of a Tolkien novel as this magnificent creature swooped down onto the best man's gloved hand with the wedding rings tied in a pouch. All I can say is WOW!

We used the church for the group shots and headed to the Ramada for the rest of the day. Nic is being posted to Germany in the next couple of weeks and his wife will follow in the early 2011 to start a new life over there. I wish them all the best of luck for their future and can honestly say it was a superb wedding to wind the season down with - I even won £2 on a scratch card that the bride's mum gave me - RESULT!

Image of the Week - Weddings

2010-10-27T13:42:00.003+01:00

My style as a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer develops all the time. I'm constantly exposing myself to influences from the whole gamut of the art world. I study old masters (Rembrandt was a master of light and he's a particular fave of mine), I read fashion magazines and watch movies looking for an angle or an edge that might creep into the compositions on a wedding day.

This shot of Rebecca came from her wedding last week at The KP Club in Pocklington - this venue offers the fashion/art conscious wedding photographer nothing short of an image safari! The technique I used is nothing novel, I read about it and seen it many times in books and training courses but never used it in my own work. the weather wasn't exactly perfect last weekend and I knew that I had to create some winning images inside. The texture of the stone wall and the spotlighting effect reminds me of the old 'film noir' look and I'll definitely be exploring this more at this week's wedding at Ramada Jarvis.

Becky & James - KP Club - Pocklington

2010-10-24T16:20:00.003+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I finally shot a wedding at the stunning KP Club in Pocklington yesterday. James and Rebecca's big day was absolutely amazing!

I arrived early in the morning to spend some time with the boys who were glued to the Playstation battling on Fifa 2010 in the most chilled of moods! The KP Club has 13 log cabins in their grounds where the wedding party spent the night before, enjoying the hot tubs, drinks and card games late into the night by all accounts! The log cabins have tonnes of light and make a perfect environment to shoot the bride and groom's preparations.

After a super session with the boys, I went over to Becky's lodge and photographed her preparations – Becky and James are a super cool couple, they love fashion, art and are really modern – my camera was not short of original scenes to shoot all day.

After a hilarious civil ceremony, where James questioned the registrar if it really was in the marriage contract that his wife gets everything, we took the wedding party outside for the group shots around KP's infinity pool – I did the shots as quickly as humanly possible as it was really cold – but the show must go on even if Mother Nature throws us a curve ball. As if by magic, I finished the group shot of the whole wedding party and only at that point did it start to rain!

I did manage to find a break in the weather just before the wedding breakfast to get James and Becky outside for their 'Penny Drop Session' and got some amazing shots mixing off camera lights with the landscape over the Yorkshire Dales.

After a lovely meal, James and Becky's jazz band struck up and provided the coolest of musical backgrounds to chill out to before the evening guests arrived. I managed to get James and Becky outside one more time to do some long exposures using the lights of the KP Club and also the full moon! I left at 9pm with the wedding party tearing up the dancefloor, James was doing 'The Robot' and Becky was just been cool (in her Converse at this point I may add)

I can't wait to share their story with them in a couple of weeks time when they get back from their 'minimoon'.

Image of the Week - Lifestyle Portraits

2010-09-24T15:00:00.003+01:00

This week's image of choice came from a lifestyle session from last weekend. As a portrait photographer I much prefer shooting outside than in the studio. Don't get me wrong, I do offer studio sessions and for larger groups, it works really well but give me the great outdoors anyday!

I find working in the natural environment has a more laid back feel to it, especially when I'm working with children. The shoot that this image of Poppy comes from took place down on the Hessle Foreshore, East Yorkshire where there are a plethora of nooks and crannies to explore with the kids. This image came from the last part of the shoot where i took the kids to a railway overpass that I like to use for it's guaranteed light, 'grungy look' and shelter from the rain!

The result is vibrant, modern and cheeky at the same time. With Xmas only 3 months away, I am starting to book in portrait sessions now and will be outside as much as possible. it's great to let the kids express themselves with cool accessories and have a real experience - it brings families together and the pace/atmosphere of the sessions leads to great images.

To see more examples of my lifestyle portraits, take a look at my portfolio here.

Sam & Mark - Cave Castle Hotel, South Cave 11th September

2010-09-16T11:53:00.002+01:00

Sam and Mark were married at the Cave Castle Hotel, South Cave on Saturday 11th September and as a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I had the pleasure of spending their special day capturing their story.

The day started early in Swanland where Mark and his crew were getting ready, I found 4 very chilled out Groomsmen on my arrival and even had time for a cup of coffee before cracking on with the photography! I love spending an hour or so with the boys before leaving for the bride, it gives me the chance to really get to know the boys who I will be spending the day with. We did some cool protraits inside the house and then hit the streets to create some modern group shots stopping the morning traffic as we worked!

Sam was getting ready at home with her family and her 3 bridesmaids who were all wearing co-ordinating dressing gowns and were in the best of form! After the usual hustle and bustle of getting the bride ready, Sam looked amazing and was a joy to photograph!

Their reception at cave Castle was just perfect and I have to say the wedding cake was definitely the most intricate, classy piece I have ever seen with a really emotional story behind the talent who created this masterpiece.

Inspired speeches followed a beautiful meal accompanied by a pianist playing Sam's favourite Disney numbers. As the night drew in, Sam, Mark and i went off for our 'Penny Drop' session down by the lake and I'm never short of inspiration at Cave Castle's grounds - even the downpour couldn't ruin our session as we just ducked under some trees and kept on shooting!

The night was ended by a dramatic firework display and dancing into the early hours! i can't wait to share their story with them when they get back from their honeymoon!

Image of the Week - Weddings

2010-09-08T11:11:00.005+01:00

As a wedding photographer in East Yorkshire, I love the variety of couples that I get to work with. Tony and Charlotte, in the picture above, were a really great, laid back couple who were a joy to work at. They held their very intimate affair for 25 people at the Barnhouse in Walkington - one of my very favourite places to shoot smaller weddings in our area and if any of my readers havn't discovered this gem of a hotel please do check out there website - it's one of the most unique places to stay!

I love Tony and Charlotte's photo for so many different reasons - the backlighting was just perfect on Charlotte's dress, their stance is reminiscent of some of my favourite fashion images but I think my main reason for being drawn to it so much is the pure romance! Call me an old romantic but the powerful connection between the bride and groom draws me in and keeps me within the frame - Charlotte and Tony are very much in love and it was such a joy to be able to capture very natural images without having to give much direction at all.

Most of my couples are not interested in highly posed or contrived images so working with such a natural couple like Charlotte and Tony makes my job as an observer and recorder of weddings so much easier.

For the complete story of Charlotte and Tony's day, please take a look at their gallery on Insight's website

Graeme & Lucy - Reeds Hotel, Barton Upon Humber 29th August

2010-09-01T08:17:00.005+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I only have a couple of months of weddings left before the season starts to mellow a little and I have to say that August has been my busiest month ever (hence the lack of blog posts). 2010 has been an amazing year and I have only had 1 wet weather day over the Summer and this has made for really stunning weddings.

Graeme and Lucy were married on Sunday of last week at the Reeds Hotel on the shores of the River Humber and it was a really special day. I've known the bride and groom as friends for quite some time and was really honoured when they asked me to capture their special day.

I joined Graeme at 8am to photograph his preparations at the hotel with his Best Man and his nephew who had flown in from Australia for the wedding. I always love my time spent with the boys getting ready, it's always a fun filled hour with tonnes of laughs as they prepare for the day ahead.

Once we had spent some time around the hotel's awesome gardens, I left Graeme and headed back across the Humber Bridge to see Lucy whilst she got ready. Her Mum's house was just perfect with lots of natural light for my lens to soak up and a gaggle of giggling girlies to photograph. Lucy looked absolutely gorgeous in her stunning gown and I could have photographed her all day!

The ceremony was back across the river at the hotel and what a tear jerker it was! Graeme had prepared his own personal vows to give to Lucy and I must admit that I was holding back my own tears as I watched them share their words with each other. I am so privileged to experience moments like this and from the vantage point I establish - I get the best seats in the house!

After group shots on the lakeside, we took the bride and groom for their 'Penny Drop Session' in a gorgeous, white Rolls Royce. The wind was blowing gale force and after exploring the shores of the River, we decided to abort the mission and find somewhere inland that was a little more sheltered. The wheat fields that we found had been cut but not baled so there were some lovely lines and shapes to use for the bride and groom's feature images.

We arrived back at the Hotel for a beautiful meal followed by hilarious speeches. The 'night-do' turned out to be a real ding dong with a double decker bus delivering another 40 revellers to join the party.

I can't wait to share my collection of images with Graeme and Lucy when they return from their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. They are not only great clients to work with, but true friends.

Emma & Gavin's Marquee Wedding, Scawby, Nth Lincs

2010-08-08T12:39:00.004+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I yesterday had the pleasure of spending the day with Emma & Gavin as they enjoyed a gorgeous marquee wedding in Scawby, North Lincolnshire. Now just to clarify for all the 'Yellow Bellies' who may be reading this, Yes I did have my passport stamped as I crossed the Humber Bridge!

I joined the boys at White Hoe Farm to photograph their preps and met a really friendly, down to earth set of Groomsmen. Our groom, Gavin, was in fine form and had been up at 6am setting up some 'surprises' he had in store for later in the day. The North Lincolnshire farm country made a great backdrop for some punchy shots of the boys and the wheat hadn't been cut so I was very happy!

Leaving the boys behind to go for a blast in an Aston Martin sports car (Emma, our bride had arranged this as a surprise for her hubby who is totally car mad) I made my way to the bride's house to photograph her preps. Emma was very relaxed as her hair and make up was finished and once in her dress we had a great time photographing all the girls. A horse and cart arrived to take the girls to the church.

After a lovely ceremony and group shots at the church, it was back to Bride's family home for a delightful reception in a marquee. The speeches came after the meal and were very emotional! Emma's parents have both had health scares over the past year in the run up to the wedding and wanted only the best for their daughter and son-in-law! To show their gratitude for all their parent's help, Emma and Gavin surprised Sally and Paul with a vintage 1970's motorcycle (to add to Pete's other 9!) and the most gorgeous Cocker Spaniel puppy for Mum! Dave, the best Man, was a legend (as were all the groomsmen) His facial expressions made me smile every time I pointed my lens at him and his face was most definitely 'elastic'

I left the happy couple at 9pm with the dance floor full and pumping. I'll see Emma and Gavin in about 4 weeks when they get back from their 3 week Safari in Zanzibar.

Dave and Suzanne - Cave Castle - 23rd July

2010-07-29T16:39:00.002+01:00

Last Friday I had the pleasure of photographing Dave and Suzanne's wedding at The Cave Castle Hotel, South Cave, East Yorkshire. Many of you readers in the area will know Dave as he is the 'Drive time' presenter on KCFM's afternoon show. I first met Dave when I was doing all of KCFM's original photography when the station first launched over 3 years ago.

Dave and Suzanne have become really good friends and I love them to bits! They met 365 days to the day before they got married and the day they chose could not have been more perfect! The weather was fab, Cave Castle as a venue was brilliant as per usual and my camera was barely away from my eye all day.

The collage above (click to make bigger in a new window) gives just a little snapshot of their special day and I'm really looking forward to sharing their story with them next week.

Children's Party Service

2010-07-16T18:00:00.003+01:00

As an East Yorkshire photographer based in South Cave, I love portrait photography and I like to keep it really simple. For me, 1 light is about as far as I like to go and when Mother Nature provides it through the window - I'm a happy camper.

The portrait above was taken with this simple approach and it allows me to really focus on the sitter. I was hired to attend a childrens' birthday party last Sunday and create a portrait for each of the children. Once I had taken the portraits and the kids were being entertained by 'Puzzling Paul' the magician, I set to work to print and mount a portrait for all of the parents to go home with. This was a really nice idea from my client, she really wanted to do something different and a portrait in the 'goody bag' was certainly unique - it didn't cost the earth either!

This is my portrait portfolio.

John & Amy - Rowley Manor - 3rd July

2010-07-09T12:57:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I really am having the best season ever! The weather has been just fantastic and the clients I am blessed to work with are all superb. As soon as I met John and Amy last year, I knew their wedding would be special, they are both extremely creative people and I knew I would be able to push the envelope with their photography.

The entire day was at Rowley Manor, Little Weighton, definitely one of my favourite venues in the area. John started his day with an obligatory Starbucks - in fact I am led to believe that John and Amy have a major share in the company due to the gallons they consume throughout the week! Once John was safely on the right side of his caffeine dose, the boys started to get ready - minus one of the ushers who had managed to get pulled over by the police due to his hasty driving in his search of the local area for the perfect bacon banjo! The irony being that John had made mention of this POTENTIALLY happening whilst preparing his speech!

Amy was getting ready only a few bedrooms away in the bridal suite and with big, traditional sash windows, there's tonnes of light and makes a great environment to capture great images in. Amy's brother was the 'Man of Honour' and also a very talented guitarist. He entertained us with a couple of songs as the bride was making her final preps.

The ceremony was lovely, Amy's brother played a beautiful song by the Foo Fighters whilst the newlyweds signed the register.

After the group shots had been finished on the croquet lawn, the guests and wedding party settled in for a super meal and a really touching set of speeches. Once dinner was over, everybody went back outside to enjoy the sunshine and a highly competitive game of rounders began (How very British!)

We left our 'Penny Drop' session until the early evening when the sun was less intense and lower in the sky for those killer shots I love to produce with the bride and groom.

John and Amy are road-tripping down the East Coast of the US ending up on the beach in Miami for 9 days - I can't wait to share their story with them on their return.

Kerrie & Paul - Westwood Bar & Grill 26th June

2010-06-28T20:41:00.002+01:00

Kerrie & Paul were married last Saturday at the Beverley Registry office and then held their reception at the immaculate Westwood Bar and Grill in Beverley. It was a perfect day, the weather was just tremendous and lent itself to a great 'Penny Drop' session on the 12th hole of the Westwood golf course!

Kerrie and Paul leave for Dubai tomorrow to honeymoon in their favourite place and I look forward to sharing their story with them in a coupls of weeks time!

Jackie and Sean - Royal Station Hotel, Hull 18th June

2010-06-23T13:38:00.003+01:00

I had the pleasure of helping Jackie and Sean celebrate their special day on Saturday just past at The Royal Station Hotel, Hull, East Yorkshire. Their fantastic day started off with the usual visit with the boys, I knew the groom and best man was going to be wearing kilts (Sean's dad is Scottish) but I didn't realise that another 12 'wannabe' Scots would be at Sean's house - I've never seen so many nobbly knees in skirts in one place (full respect to any Scots reading this - you look amazing in kilts!)

Jackie was getting ready at her Mum's with all the girls, the champagne was flowing and a lovely calm atmosphere was the order of the day. The couple were married at St James Church in Sutton Village which is definitely one of my favourite churches to shoot weddings at, the Vicars are all very accommodating which makes for happy times all round. As we left the church, a Scottish piper strook up and we took care of the couple's group shots in the church grounds. Jackie's uncle had secretly arranged for a flock of his doves to be released and they looked fantastic as they flew over the whole wedding party who I'd assembled on the steps at St Jame's.

After a 'penny drop session' in the Kingston Theatre Gardens, we went on to The Royal Station Hotel which looks absolutely fabulous after a major refurbishment just recently. The lobby would not look out of place in a Raffles Hotel and the tasteful/contemporary features they have incorporated into the decor made my job very easy with such an easy going and loving couple like Jackie and Sean. We shot in and around the hotel, with Hull's Paragon train station making a really different environment to make some really stunning images.

Although England didn't seem to get their game on against Algeria, the mood of the party was definitely game on! As I left after the couple's first dance, the whole room was setting itself on fire with a live band rocking late into the night.

Jackie and Sean are honeymooning in Florida (both big Disney fans) and I am really looking to sharing their story with them when they get back.

Allan & Michelle, Cave Castle Hotel, 12th June

2010-06-13T12:35:00.002+01:00

I spent yesterday with Allan & Michelle as they celebrated their wedding at St Helens church in Welton and then onto Cave Castle Hotel in my home town of South Cave, East Yorkshire.

I have to say it was definitely one of the most amazing days wedding photography I have had so far (seems like I say that after every wedding!) I have got to know Allan, Michelle and their family really well over the last couple of months as they have been preparing for their big day and I felt just as much a guest as I did their photographer.

The day started early with Allan and his crew and after a bacon butty we got the boys ready. The gents were wearing morning suits with top hats and canes which made for amazing prep shots. Allan's Aunty Sue (who had flown in from Bangkok) came to the rescue as she tied everybody's cravats and made a great job of it.

I left to visit the bride on the other side of town and when I got there, I was amazed to find the bride hard at work getting everybody else ready! (Michelle is a hairdresser). The house was buzzing with gorgeous bridesmaids in shocking pink dresses and Allan & Michelle's daughter Poppy looking every bit the princess that she is! Once we had finally peeled Michelle away from looking after everybody else she got into her gown and as she came down the stairs, her family and bridal party went absolutely bonkers, tears flowing abound - she looked stunning!

As 4 pristine white Bentleys arrived with the bridal car looking like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I left for the church. Michelle was a fashionable 25 minutes late (and doesn't the photographer always get the blame - oh well!) The service was lovely and poppy delivered a delightful reading for her Mum and Dad.

After the confetti had been thrown, Allan, Michelle and I took a walk around the grounds of the church for some quiet time before heading onto Cave Castle. After group shots in the castle grounds, the guests sat for an amazing meal and shortly after the speeches were over, we seemed to lose about 75% of the male guests - yes, you guessed it - the golf club was showing the England vs USA game!

Just after 8pm, an ABBA tribute band struck up and man were they good! The atmosphere was set for a great evening as the night time guests arrived and shorty after ABBA had finished their first set, Allan and Michelle cut the cake (which was like nothing I had ever seen before, truly enormous). The first dance was to one of my favourite groups, Gladys Knight and the Pips and then onto the couple's last surprise - fireworks over the lake.

This truly was a stunning wedding, Allan and Michelle are 2 of the most down to earth people I have had the pleasure of meeting - their friends and family welcomed me with open arms and I really can't wait to share their collection with them all. I shot over 2000 frames throughout the day and I reckon there will be at least 500 pearls to show! This wedding season is truly rocking!

Alison & James - Ye Olde Bell, Retford 5th June

2010-06-05T22:48:00.005+01:00

After the blistering heat of yesterday's wedding, I didn't think the weather could get any better and then Saturday arrives! Alison and James were married in the gorgeous church of St John the Baptist, East Markham just on the outskirts of the great Sherwood Forest and held their reception at Ye Olde Bell on Barnby Moor - itself an extremely historical stage coach hotel on the Old London Road.

I arrived at the hotel bright and early to meet the groom and his best man, we chatted over coffee and then I set to work photographing James' traditional Scottish wedding outfit complete with sporran and dirk - and the secret will remain with me if the groom went commando or not - although I'm sure the bride may divulge if she's bribed!

After an hour with the boys, it was off to spend some time with Alison, her maid of honour and great friend, Michelle with Alison's dad. I helped tighten the laces on the back of the bride's gown as Michelle discovered this was definitely not a one person job! After a super chilled hour of preparations, Alison opted to walk to the church instead of riding in the vintage Rolls Royce and it was great to see her coming down the lane - she looked fantastic.

The church really was beautiful with lots of light streaming all around and after a laughter filled service we drove on to the stunning Clumber Park to photograph our 'penny drop session'. After half an hour of play, it was on to the reception and with the weather being so good, the outside bar and patio made a perfect chill out before dinner.

Speeches were a hoot, with the best man Paul being somewhat of a career speaker, he definitely gave James a run for his money and a few raised brows! I finished the day off with the first dance and these 2 had obviously practiced! Van Morrision 'Have I Told you Lately' was their choice!

It was a real pleasure to photograph Alison and James' wedding today, 2 truly happy folk with a beautiful set of people around them made for a really happy occasion - I look forward to sharing their story with them when they get back from their honeymoon in the Carribean.

Kate and James - Hornsea Sea Front - 4th June

2010-06-04T20:53:00.005+01:00

As an East Yorkshire wedding Photographer, it doesn't get much better than shooting a beach right on your doorstep! Hornsea is a little seaside town that us folk up here know about and is only about half an hour away - it made a perfect place to create Kate and James' wedding photos today.

Kate is from Hornsea so shooting her and her new husband put her firmly on the home turf! A lovely, emotional ceremony in Beverley was followed by our play time on the beach and then a totally classic sausage and mash meal at the Bowls Club - this was solid gold! The sausages were some of the best I have tasted for a while, supplied by Kate's uncle who reared the pork locally.

I really enjoyed today - the beach scene was amazing, the light was great and Kate and James with their families had a totally great wedding! Best of wishes to you both as you head off on your honeymoon.

Dan & Ai - The Swan Hotel, Southwold Friday 28th May

2010-05-31T09:56:00.005+01:00

I had the absolute joy of photographing my lifelong friend's wedding over the past few days. Dan and I grew up together through our parent's friendship which has spanned our whole lives. His family are all photographers and most of his friends are aswell - it was the ultimate honour to be asked to capture his special day. Dan married his Japanese bride Ai at the Swan Hotel, Southwold in Suffolk. Dan and Ai met whilst Dan was travelling and working his way around the world a few years ago before returning home with his bride to be.

Dan and Ai are 2 of the most dynamic people I have ever met. Dan has established himself as an amazingly successful news/sports photographer in London and Ai has worked her way through a linguistics degree and then gone on to work for NEC helping to coordinate conferences for the company all over Europe. You will never meet a harder working couple!

I arrived with the groom on Thursday night and began to meet all of the wedding party who had arrived from the 4 corners of the globe. Marcus, Dan's best man, had flown in from New Zealand and it had been 4 years since they had seen each other. Marcus was totally pivotal in helping Dan bring off this totally unique wedding and is one of the nicest/wittiest/driest men I have ever met.

A small civil ceremony for family was held in the Reading Room at the Swan Hotel followed by a jaunt down to the beach for family photos. Southwold is a very traditional Suffolk beach town and just oozes class. The beach front is lined with beach huts in an array of striking colours that made a perfect background for our images. After a 'penny drop' session on the beach we returned to the Swan for an amazing meal.

The next day (and about 1700 images taken already!) was the most amazing wedding reception - a garden party cum mini-Glastonbury festival held in the grounds of Dan's mum's house. Jenny (Dan's Mum) and Chris (her husband) converted a derelict barnhouse into an amazing home about 15 years ago and was the perfect environment for the event. Tents were pitched around a fire pit (Well dug Marcus!) in the paddock at the rear of the property whilst the garden at the front was perfect for the hog roast, DJ and live band.

I joined Ai in the Swan hotel a few hours before the party to photograph her being dressed in the traditional kimono - this was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. Yuka, Ai's friend, had spent 2 years at college in Japan to learn the traditional art of kimono dressing and the level of skill, precision and attention would surely take a typical westerner 10 years to learn! It was so graceful to watch how Yuka and Ai worked together to present something that was so breathtaking and I will never forget how fortunate I felt to be witnessing it.

Once dressed, Ai and Daniel took to the streets of Southwold for a photo shoot and the reactions from the passers-by was so cool! Onto the party — the couple arrived at the Barnhouse to a rousing reception and although it was raining at that point, it didn't dampen anybody's spirits. The weather cleared shortly after a delicious meal was served and we then enjoyed live music and pumping dance music late into the night. The evening was topped off with a camp fire by the lakeside and the warmest feeling ever.

Dan and Ai are leaving for a year long round the world trip next Friday, they will fly straight to Cape Town for the World cup and then travel clockwise around the globe as the happiest married couple I have met for the longest time. I wish them both all the love and happiness in the world and just hope the world is ready for them!!!!!

Nick & Beth - Tickton Grange Sunday 23rd May

2010-05-23T22:46:00.004+01:00

As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, I had the pleasure of spending today with Nick & Beth as they celebrated their wedding together at Tickton Grange, East Yorkshire. We couldn't really have asked for a better day with blistering temperatures from the morning right until I left the bride and groom at 9pm.

I started early with a visit to Nick and his best man Dan who enjoyed a pancake breakfast in their shorts before getting dressed into their 3 piece suits - and very sharp they looked indeed! After a session with the boys it was off to see Beth at her Mum's house before the ceremony. Beth was very chilled, there was no rush at all and this made for some great photos with her family and her beautiful daughter Bella.

Just a short drive upto Tickton Grange for the ceremony conducted by a very 'spunky' registrar which made for a great atmosphere. We did our group shots on the lawn in the shade from the blaring sun and I finished hanging out of Room 4's window to get the whole wedding party together - I do feel like a wedding photography stuntman sometimes!

After dinner had been served, Beth, Nick and I had a great 'Penny Drop Session' around the grounds of the Grange and we created some really beautiful images. It was great to get them alone for half an hour and the sun really helped coming in from behind and at a super angle.

I actually shot more images today then at any other wedding - over 1800 shots! I'll spend the next few days whittling this down to about 350-400 to show Nick and Beth when they get back from their honeymoon.

All in all a super day - and I even got a tan!

Joanne & Graham - The Village Hotel, Hull

2010-05-15T22:45:00.004+01:00

When I woke up this morning and saw the weather, I knew Joanne and Graham's wedding was going to be great. The sun was shining, a light breeze in the air and a smattering of cloud - all the elements in the right place for a truly magical day.

If I was to describe Graham and Joanne as 2 of the calmest, most mellow people I have had the pleasure of meeting - that would be a massive understatement! This couple could have had a meteorite land on the car park and they wouldn't have batted an eye lid!

I started my day with Graham and his best man in the Lobby of the Village Hotel in Hull for a quick drink and then on to get ready. Had a laugh and a giggle with the boys and then left them behind to drive on to see my bride, Jo. I really didn't know what to expect when I arrived at their house, but when I stepped inside the newly completed 'overhauled' house, I got very excited. Tonnes of natural light, white walls and really contemporary lines - could easily be on 'Grand Designs'!

The girls took their time getting ready and it was great to meet Jo's friends and family. I could have quite easily have been responsible for making Jo late for her wedding as I just wanted to shoot and shoot at their house, I kept finding and seeing tonnes of new shots but I had to restrain as the wrath of a registrar should not be invoked in the East Riding Area!

A lovely, emotional ceremony was followed by a 'Penny Drop' session down by the Humber Bridge Foreshore and then back to the hotel for dinner and speeches.

I met some great people at this wedding today and bumped into some old friends aswell (Ray, June, Louise, Big John and David) it really was a pleasure to spend the day with Graham, Joanne and all their friends/family and I wish them all the best for their honeymoon and their future together. I'll have a cracking photographic story to share with them on their return from their Carribean Honeymoon.

Back on the Snow - Commercial Photography.

2010-05-10T17:52:00.005+01:00

As a commercial photographer in Yorkshire, the last year or so has been pretty tough - as it has been for most businesses. However, it seems like economic recovery is starting to take hold and I'm certainly noticing a dramatic increase in the amount of commercial assignments I am taking on.

Commercial photography requires a totally different way of 'visual thinking' to my usual work shooting weddings in our region. Commercial images need to sell a concept, an idea, an emotion or just even plain old widgets! The interesting thing is that sometimes, my clients don't really know what they are looking for in an image! I spend a lot of time with my clients finding out what their business is really all about, it's a bit of detective work really - I need to know what makes the product or service tick and then translate that into a set of visual resources that ultimately creates desire.

I have worked with Snozone on a number of occasions during the past 18 months and as an avid snowboarder myself, whenever they need new images and I get the call I always get really excited. I was back down in Milton Keynes last week to create some new images for them and the shots above show part of what the brief required. Every Thursday night, one of the slopes is turned into a terrain park and the local freestyle riders rip it up! It's a superb challenge to do justice to the moves they pull not only from a reaction point of view but also from an equipment standpoint aswell. I hope the images in the collage show you some of the excitement I was feeling as I took them.

The images will be used in national advertising campaigns to attract more skiers and snowboarders to visit the indoor slopes in Castleford, Milton Keynes and Glasgow. A far cry from the old dry ski slope days, these modern indoor centres are superb for beginners to learn and for more experienced riders to regain their mountain legs before a trip to the Alps. Not only is the snow fantastic (amd it is real snow!) but the entertainment, restaurants and shopping around the slopes is first class.

My commercial portfolio has more examples of the type of work I do for local, regional and national businesses.

Beth & Nick's Wedding Pre-Shoot - South Cave

2010-04-19T14:29:00.004+01:00

I met Beth and Nick in South Cave for their wedding 'pre-shoot' over the weekend. We had stunning weather and the grounds of Cave Castle Hotel made a perfect environment to create some laid back, romantic images in preparation for their big day at Tickton Grange next month.

The pre-shoot is an essential part of my work as a Yorkshire wedding photographer, it's often 12-18 months between me taking a booking and then seeing my clients again, so the pre-shoot is a great way to reconnect and find out what's been going on! After a glass of wine or a coffee, we take care of all of the planning details and no stone is left unturned. It's my goal to make sure that all my couples have to think about on their wedding days is enjoying themselves with their family and friends. We also take care of the planning for group shots and I let my clients in on my 'secret techniques' for getting them done quickly and with the most amount of fun!

Once the planning is out the way, we then head out into the sunshine and spend 30-45 minutes getting used to each other in front of and behind the camera. I've designed this part of the session to slowly ease my couples into a feeling a total comfort - this way I'm able to create the type of images that you will see in my wedding portfolio.

I love the pre-shoot part of my wedding service, it's totally essential to the planning aspect of good wedding photography and it's a lot of fun too!

Image of the Week - Weddings

2010-04-15T23:16:00.004+01:00

Wedding photographers get to see the best stuff in the world! I knew I was witnessing something special when I saw this scene coming together at Elsham Hall last year during Danny and Katie's wedding. Yorkshire Weddings Rule!

Image of the Week - Personal Work

2010-03-29T21:36:00.002+01:00

As a Hull Photographer, I'm in the middle of a fine art project for a local Osteopaths at the moment. I'm really excited as I will be hanging 12 large pieces of personal work between the 4 different clinics in the East Yorkshire area.

Fine art was always something that I wanted to be a part of my business as a photographer in the early days - but this was a romantic notion at best, I took what jobs I could get and the bills had to be paid. However, now that Insight is in its 5th year in the UK, I am actually beginning to commission more fine art work and this is a really exciting prospect.

The image above was taken a couple of years ago on a trip down to Spurn Point, East Yorkshire - an area of astounding beauty. I never tire of visiting Spurn, it's teaming with wildlife and the skies are so big. On a blustery day, with some good clouds in the sky it makes a tremendous place to get away from the 'busyness' of modern times.

If you'd like to see more examples of my fine art work, please visit my fine art gallery.

Devils' Kitchen at The Millhouse, Skidby

2010-03-25T12:41:00.005Z

Last week saw me working with the Millhouse Restaurant at Skidby again. In conjunction with KCFM's Smiles Foundation, Mark organised a fundraiser based around the idea of Gordon Ramsey's "Hell's Kitchen" and I was very proud to be asked to provide event photography coverage for the evening.

Local sporting personalities, business leaders and KCFM DJs went head-to-head preparing a 3 course meal for 120 guests who were being hosted in a marquee erected in the Millhouse's grounds especially for the evening. The meals were served 'blind' to the diners who then voted on which meals they preferred and ultimately the guests were asked to pay as much as they thought the meal was worth.

Ian Ashbee and Bo Myhill, both of Hull City, represented the sporting fraternity; Graham Boanus (Power+), Ehab Allam (Allam Marine) and a representative from Santander Bank made up the business connection with Ed Bretten and Mike Reid, both from KCFM providing their culinary skills.

The kitchen was a frenetic, exciting and often dangerous place to be as the teams clashed head on to wow the palates of the diners and lots of practical jokes ensued - many bordering on sabotage! I was in the thick of it all night recording the story as it played out and the images I made really tell an amazing story of camaraderie all in the name of charity.

The night raised a total of £30,000 for the Smiles Foundation which this year is supporting 2 local charities - House of Light and Downright Special.

Hats off to all involved for a really successful evening of food, entertainment and amazing fundraising.

Rachel & Bruce - The Parsonage, York 20th March

2010-03-20T23:37:00.003Z

As a Yorkshire wedding photographer had the pleasure of photographing Rachel and Bruce's wedding at The Parsonage just outside of York today and although Mother Nature didn't play fair for them, it was a fantastic day. I arrived early with Bruce and spent an hour with some of the most strapping Groomsmen I have ever come across, so large were these characters I had to get my step stool from the car to shoot their portraits! (thanks guys, you were great!) We managed to get some shots outside before the heavens opened and the guys looked really smart wandering down the lane (of course we stop the traffic for these kind of shots!)

Rachel was getting ready about half an hour away in Gilberdyke and was just having the finishing touches done to her hair and makeup as I arrived. Her 2 year old niece, Lydia, was a total dynamo and I ended up dressing her in the end as Mum and Grandma were both helping the bride - and with tying cravats, pinning on button hole flowers and adjusting veils - it's all just part of the service!

Rachel looked fantastic and we had a really relaxed 15 minutes of portraits and fashion looks before I left for the church. St Helen's church is such a beautiful building, it never ceases to blow me away with it's form and architecture. It's bright, spacious and looks superb for the camera. Rachel and Bruce's wedding party arrived with more umbrellas than I had ever seen at a wedding before - it really had to be seen to be believed.

Rachel arrived in a very modern Bentley which was a really nice take on the choice of wedding car and she walked down the aisle with not a care for the weather. We did all the group shots and Rachel and Bruce's 'Penny Drop session' inside the church after a beautiful ceremony and with a little help from my portable lights, we created some great images. I have to work a little harder when using multiple flash units but I love the challenge and my clients deserve the very best I can give them regardless of the weather conditions outside.

The Parsonage gave great hospitality throughout the day and night and I left rachel and Bruce after their first dance with a dance floor thumping and a great atmosphere pumping.

Big thanks to all of the friends, family and wedding party for making me feel so welcome today and I can't wait to share the story with them when Rachel and Bruce get back from their honeymoon.

Inspire - a short film.

2010-03-18T17:58:00.004Z

Back in late 2009 and earlier this year, when the world of photography was quiet from a point of view of those jobs that pay the bills, I wrote about creativity and how that affects the photographs I make for my clients.

Now that I'm starting to get really busy again, I thought I would share a movie with you that I just made that pulls my creative visions together. I made the movie for a business network that I have been a member of for the last 3 years and presented it to them last week. I meet with the group every Tuesday morning and we work by generating word of mouth referrals for each other. I often give presentations about specific areas of photography and how my colleagues can help with referrals, but in this presentation, I wanted to show how my personal work cascades over into my professional approach to demonstrate my passion for photography.

The images in the movie are all from the last 3 years of personal projects; many of them are abstract, some are scenes from nature and a handful contain people. I really had a great time selecting the images, I dug really deep into my archive and found a lot of stuff that I had totally forgotten about.

I hope you enjoy the movie and I hope that you are able to make a connection with how simple things can often look very beautiful when you arrange them in the viewfinder of your camera.

Would love to hear your comments!

Jill & George - First Wedding of the Year

2010-02-23T13:52:00.003Z

I shot my first wedding of the year a couple of weeks ago and after a busy couple of weeks with commercial photography, I've just got round to finishing the edits. I was really excited to be back behind the lens to cover the year's first story and Jill and George's special day was a real treat.

I started my coverage with Jill and her family at the Green Dragon, Welton East Yorkshire where we had a lot of fun with the preparations - Jill's 2 sons were really great to photograph and could have easily have been mistaken for the front men out of the coolest indie band out there! Jill's dress was really unusual and once her sisters had helped her in, she looked just great.

The ceremony was held at St Mary's Church in Elloughton, a gorgeous little church that I hadn't shot in before but looked super in the group shots that we did inside (way too cold for outside!) My shot of the whole wedding party required some ninja skills as to access the upper balcony, I had to scale the bell tower's very narrow stair case and with 2 cameras in tow, this was no mean feat!

Jill and George held their reception at the Country Park Inn on the Hessle Foreshore, so we stopped underneath the bridge to photograph their 'Penny Drop' session before being greeted by their wedding party. George is from a large Greek family and it will be no surprise that lamb was on the menu! After a lovely meal, a Greek band struck up and it wasn't long before one of George's family members took to the floor to perform a traditional dance - so much pride and passion! After a 10 minute display, the dance floor was full and dinner plates were being smashed to the cries of 'Opa' (for those of you who are not familiar with this word, it is used in Greek culture to describe 'jubilant emotion during a ceremony' but is also used for no apparent reason at all!)

I left the party at around 9pm and glad to get out in the fresh air - the temperature was so hot on the dancefloor!

Jill and George set off the next morning for a month long cruise of the far east and I'm really looking forward to catching up with them when they get back to share their story with them.

Image of the Week - Weddings

2010-02-15T16:41:00.008Z

Seems quite apt that I stumbled across this week's favourite image on Valentine's Day as Danny and Katie's story was one of pure, unconditional love and I will always remember photographing their special day.

As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, I get to work with some amazing couples, but Dan and Katie were extra special in my eyes. Their wedding was originally booked for the late part of July at the amazing Elsham Hall in North Lincolnshire. I received a call from Danny mid May to say that the plans for the wedding were changing, I held my breath as I didn't know what was to come, but a sigh of relief was vented when he told me that he and Katie wanted to bring the wedding forward. The reason being.....Kate was pregnant! Not only was she pregnant but Katie was carrying twins! I was so delighted for them both and totally understood Katie wanting to get into her gorgeous dress before she wouldn't be able to fit in it!

I've added an image from their wedding pre-shoot, first of all because I think it's a beautiful shot but mainly because I'll never forget how I felt when I took it. We had to arrange our pre-shoot pretty sharpish after I found out the wedding was to be moved forward so we arranged to meet down on the Hessle foreshore. We had a lot of fun capturing different looks but the image above was so poignant - not only were their lives becoming one but they were bringing 2 more lives into their relationship to share with them.

Dan and Kate had a beautiful baby boy and girl about 6 months after their wedding and I was really honoured when they invited me to photograph them as a family a few months ago.

Image of the Week - Weddings

2010-01-18T17:10:00.004Z

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I was digging through the archives today and stumbled across this image from Richard and Kerry's wedding back in July last year.

Kerry and Richard were anything but the traditional couple and I loved working with them. When it came to photographing them together after the wedding, all Kerry wanted was a cup of tea! We diverted their limo to their family home on the way to the reception so she could 'brew up' and what I found in their garden was a photographer's delight!

Their garden was just absolutely perfect and gave so many different looks for their pictures. The image above was taken using an old mirror I found and made for a really interesting set of pictures. Kerry and Richard were game for anything and once I had shown them a few previews on the back of the camera, they knew where I was coming from!

I'm always looking for a new look in my wedding portfolio and although I felt a bit like David Bellamy in Richard and Kerry's garden, i certainly won't be taking up horticulture anytime soon!

Image of the Week - Weddings (Second Instalment!)

2010-01-08T16:42:00.005Z

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, you may remember me blogging about Sarahlee and Adam's wedding back in May last year and you can catch up with that entry by clicking here.

They were an amazing couple to work with, so passionate and were an absolute joy to photograph - in fact some of my favourite images from last year's bookings were shot on their special day. Sarahlee's grandma was too ill to make it to the church or the reception, so I took them to the nursing home where she lived to surprise her with her granddaughter in her wedding dress. It was a priceless moment to see grandma's face and I'll remember that for a long time to come - it also made for some very emotional photographs.

The image above was taken during the first dance and is definitely one of my favourite all time first dance images. Adam and Sarahlee were totally lost in each other's arms and I really think this photograph sums that up.

My wedding work really does give me the most amazing opportunitites to get close to people and to really share something very special through the eye of my lens.

Image of the Week - Weddings

2010-01-04T17:22:00.005Z

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I get to shoot a lot of images at a wedding. In fact during an average wedding I will generally shoot around 1500-1600 stills. That's a lot images, however once i've done my editing and selections, I tend to show between 300-400 to my client.

Of those 300-400, there are always going to be stand out images or images that for me really capture a moment - a real sliver in time.

The image above is the first in a series that I would like to share on a regular basis. Taken at Rob and Emma's wedding (which I blogged about here back in September) it really captures that last hour before a wedding as the bride gets ready and the 'madness' of excitement/nerves kicks in. Emma's receiving a phone call from one of her best friends and I think it makes a great shot as she prepares herself in the mirror.

I hope you'll enjoy the images that I will share over the coming weeks and look forward to hearing your comments!

Smoke Art

2010-01-03T18:30:00.005Z

Photographing smoke has been on my mind for a long time! When I first saw the surreal images captured by photographing burning incense sticks, I really appreciated their fluid nature, how unique each one was and how calm they made me feel. I have wanted to re-create these photographs from the moment I saw them and a couple of days ago I found myself with a spare couple of hours on my hands so I gave it a go.

The movie above brings the images together with a beautiful piece of music - Uluru by Steve Gibbs.

PLEASE WATCH THE MOVIE FULLSCREEN IF YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES TO STOP - IT MAY PROVIDE FOR YOU SOME MOMENTS OF SPACE.

Set up is pretty simple. Nikon D700 with a 60mm 2.8 macro attached at around 250th sec @ f11. Illumination came from 1 gridded Sb800 camera left at about 1/4 power.

If anybody wants to try this technique, I found a really straightforward article at this link.

Hope everybody had a great Xmas and super New Year - here's to a bright 2010!

50mm Project Begins...

2009-12-29T00:08:00.004Z

I love my Nikon 50mm lens, I loved shooting with it on film and I love it equally shooting on digital. The 50mm 'sees' the world in exactly the same way the human eye does - it doesn't stretch, compress or distort the view in any way - it's a very 'true' lens.

Whenever I get the chance to shoot personal projects, I like to get away from the methods I use in my professional assignments as much as possible. My personal work is much more 'stripped down', it's slower, more observed and in a way - has a lot more meaning.

The images above were taken on a beautiful day hiking around my home town of South Cave, East Yorkshire. I'm surrounded by trails and dales which weave and undulate and provide that visual tapestry which I find so fascinating.

Slowing down with the camera is good - it takes me back to the days when film seemed expensive and it was not in abundant supply. I shot in a much more contemplative way, savoring the frames as I approached the rewind point at 24 or 36. Now with seemingly endless frames available in the digital world, I have to question if I should shoot more or shoot less - does the world need more? I don't think so - it needs more of the good stuff - the stuff that has meaning, the stuff that is carefully considered and reveals something a little bit deeper about the process of being a visual artist.

I hope January has many more days like today - slower, brighter, more considered. Don't get me wrong, I love the buzz of being busy and being swept along on a wave of commercial success, but days like today are priceless in my corner of the world.

Giving Back to Help Protect Against Oral Cancer

2009-12-09T17:33:00.009Z

I recently met Gareth and Nicki Rowland at a business expo in East Yorkshire, they are the Prinicipal Dentist and Practice manager of the fantastic Perfect 32 dental clinic in Ladygate, Beverley. Little did I know that a chance encounter with these 2 great people would lead not only to a sparkling set of pearlies for me, but would also lead to a working relationship that would allow me to offer my photography services to help the fight against oral cancer.

Perfect 32 are the only dental clinic in our area to offer screening for oral cancer using the 'Velscope' system, a highly advanced piece of equipment that goes much further than just the usual visual examination for this disfiguring and often deadly form of cancer.

At the end of last month, Perfect 32 held an Oral Cancer screening day as part of Mouth Cancer Action Month, which led to over 50 free examinations being given to local people in 1 day. Having being to see Gary previously for a well needed check up and thorough blasting of my neglected teeth, we got talking about the screening day and I offered my services to provide some PR/Press photography coverage. The 2 shots above show Gary using the velscope of one patient who sadly lost her father to oral cancer and also shows the team at the Ladygate Clinic.

As a Yorkshire photographer, I am always happy to donate my time to such worthy causes as this if it helps raise awareness and get people in for screening. The screening itself is completely stress and pain free and in my experience was just like having a torch shone in my mouth whilst I wore a groovy pair of shad! Also, if you're looking for a new dentist or you haven't been for awhile and know you should, go and check out the team at Perfect 32 - a nicer bunch of folk you will never meet!

Creativity - Extreme!

2009-11-30T10:32:00.006Z

Following on from my last post, I'm really working on 'creativity' at the moment. Being a photographer, I suppose it's a given that creativity plays a big part of the daily work - but what happens when the pool drys up? Having the web to hand is definitely the place to start to rekindle the flow, to re-invent, to re-dream.

I've followed Chase Jarvis's blog for a long time and with him being not only an AMAZING creative genius, but an evangelist of Web 2.0, I often turn to his posts to find new ways of looking at what I do with my camera. The video above was posted on his site yesterday, and although it's not photography based per se, it reminded me that creativity requires youthful openess, belief in the path and a willingness to explore - often failing miserably to make some progress.

As a Yorkshire wedding photographe r, I find insipration from so many sources. What will I take from this video and all the other 'stuff' I find on the web? I'm not quite sure just yet but I am sure I'll ask myself this question time and time again over the winter.

Hope you enjoy the video!

Beating the Winter 'Artistic Funk'

2009-11-26T11:35:00.005Z

Now that the wedding season is over, what do I do with myself... Don't get me wrong, as aYorkshire wedding photographer I'm still really busy designing albums, seeing potential clients for next year and 2011 and also preparing for the Xmas Event season. But am I really busy doing what I love? As a small business, I do just about everything myself. When the mania of the shooting season calms down and I am left chained to my MacBook, I start to question...

How did I end up here?

Where am I going?

Will I be a better photographer next year?

How will i push myself forward?

Will I have time for personal projects?

I'm writing this now because I know that come January, the 'artistic funk' will rear its head, but this year i want to be ready for it and meet it head on. What is the 'artistic funk'? Well to me it's that sense of inadequacy that I'm sure all creative people experience after an intense period of activity, it's that feeling of isolation as you ponder your work and wonder if it's any good, it's that feeling of 'not knowing'. This year, I want to really challenge these feelings - to meet them head on and shoot through them in a furious spate of self directed personal projects.

The video below has really helped me to get my head around the 'funk' - Zack Arias is such a gifted photographer and teacher and I know he feels exactly the same way I do. When I first saw his movie 'Transform' I felt a massive sense of relief - wow - somebody else felt like this! It was this movie that helped me prepare for the next couple of months and I urge you to take a look, it kicks in around the 1.33 mark, but from thereon in - sit back, relax, be challenged and let Zack Arias help you through your 'funk'!

What's in my Camera Bag?

2009-11-25T14:39:00.005Z

As a busy working Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, the kit I use has to be chosen really carefully. Ever since I started as an amateur photographer, I have always used Nikon cameras (although I must admit, I did try Minolta very briefly when I lived in the US, didn't do too much for me to be honest). My first Nikon camera was the gorgeous Nikon FG, totally manual, old school - any of you remember film? I then went onto a Nikon F80 and then an F90x which I totally loved. When I came home to the UK about 5 years ago, I bought my first digital camera which was the Nikon D70, I then progressed through the D200 finally to the kit which I use now.

My gear has to be reliable and I need to have at least 2 of all 'mission critical' items. I did have a situation 2 wedding seasons ago when I was shooting the speeches at Danny and Kate's wedding with my Nikon D300, all of a sudden, the autofocus mechanism stopped working. I immediately reached down to my D200 and was able to keep shooting missing only about 30 seconds as I changed cameras and reset.

I use all of the items that you see in the picture above on a regular basis. This is just what sits in my camera bag. I will be posting an article later on in the week about my lighting kits, both portable and studio based sets which i hope the 'gear heads' and 'strobists' out there may appreciate.

So to give you a quick tour around the gear....

A- Nikon D300

B - Nikon D700 (Just love this camera and will be getting another in the New Year)

C - Nikon Sb800 Flashguns x 2 (I also have an Sb28)

D - Extra Battery packs for the SB800s (allows 5 AAs to be used)

E - Nikon Temperature correction Gels for the SB800s

F - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Macro lens (I always use this on the D300)

G - Pocket Wizard Flash Transmitters x 3 - stupidly expensive, but oh so reliable.

H - Quantum Turbo Z Batteries x 2 - great for fast flash recycling

I - Sekonic Flash Meter

J - Nikon 50mm f1.8 - one of my favourite all time lenses.

K - Tokina 12-24 f4 - a little soft around the edges but great when used carefully.

L - Mini tripod for positioning flashes.

M - Home made 'gobo' - prevents light from background flashes flaring into the lens.

N - Nikon 24-70 f2.8 - this lens is my general 'goto' lens for the majority of jobs.

O - Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR - another amazing Nikon lens, beautiful for portraits.

P - Rocket blower, keeps all the glass dust free.

Q - Honl 'Speed Strap' - used with the Honl flash mods.

R - Nikon SC17 flash cord

S - Cleaning Fluid

T - Quantum cord to connect turbo batteries and Sb800s

U - WhiBal - colour correction card.

W - Xtra Batteries - you can never have enough, I now use Sanyo 'Eneloops'

X - Honl 1/8th Speed Grid - great for restricting light from flashes to a small area.

Y - Strobframe flash bracket

Z - Swiss Army Knife - no photographer should be without one!

1 - Ball bungees - used to secure flashes to pipes/struts etc

2 - Lumiquest Softbox III - great used close in for 'wrappy' portraits.

3 - Various cables for flashes/pocket wizards etc.

4 - Honl Speed Snoot - creates cinematic spotlights.

5 - Wet weather camera casing - now I don't shoot sports so much, doesn't come out too often.

6 - CF Memory cards - about 24gbs worth split between 1gbs/2gbs and 4gbs.

I hope this was useful/interesting and I'd love to field any questions people may have about any of the gear in my bag. Thanks for stopping by!

Sisters (Re-visited!)

2009-11-19T23:53:00.004Z

A few weeks ago, I blogged about Nikki and Gemma's shoot, sisters who don't get to see each other so often. Well, I spent the night working on their images and I'm really pleased with the results. Dark tones work with lovely frontal lighting to create a soft but dramatic look. The sky over Brantingham Dale worked so well with the off camera flash to produce this look. As a Yorkshire Photographer, portrait sessions like this remind me why photography rules. It's my way of communicating and I can't ask for a clearer voice!

Techno geeks out there - Nikon D700, 24-70 2.8, 24 mm, 800 iso 1/60th sec @ f11. Quantum Qflash camera right, 1/4 power.

Insight Collaborates with the Millhouse SKidby's new E-Brochure

2009-11-15T10:38:00.004Z

I've recently posted about my ongoing collaboration with the Millhouse Restaurant in Skidby and I am now pleased to announce that owner Mark, has now launched the venue's new wedding brochure featuring images that I created at a recent wedding.

As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, developing long term relationships with venues like the Millhouse gives me an opportunity to shout out about the great places we have in this region to get married. Mark is just coming to the end of a total refurb at the Millhouse and the results are just stunning, he's even installed GHD straighteners in the ladies - how's that for attention to detail!

Fashion Headshots

2009-11-08T19:15:00.005Z

This year has definitely being the year of weddings for Insight. As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, I have been very busy capturing stories for couples throughout the region but now the season is coming to an end, I start to turn my attention to other areas of photography that I love to do.

Although I probably won't have a great deal of time between now and the New Year to shoot much by way of personal projects, when January comes around, I'll be shooting as much as possible. I had planned on a 1 month trip to Thailand for Jan, but that's not going to happen this year with too many things to do so I'm planning my time a bit differently. The collage above shows some of the headshot and fashion work that I like to work on during quieter times. I love working with models/actors/performing artistes to achieve a really modern, edgy look which they can use for their own promotion whether in print or on the internet.

I like to work with mixed light sources when I'm shooting headshots. Using natural light with reflectors and adding in small flash units (Nikon Speedlights) for the more dramatic looks gives a client a really nice mixture of styles to choose from.

Roll on January when the diary is a bit more free for pesonal shoots!

Commercial Feature Photography

2009-10-31T11:13:00.005Z

As a busy working commercial photographer in Hull, I am asked to shoot a broad range of subjects for businesses to use for their promotion and communications. I've noticed a lot of businesses battening down the hatches where marketing and advertising is concerned during harder economic times - I would argue that this has actually been a perfect time for organisations to develop PR stories and really shout out about the successes in their businesses - surely these will be the stories that bring customers banging on the door!

I've recently been introduced to Mark (above) owner of the Millhouse Restaurant at Skidby who really embraces the PR mantra. I met him whilst shooting a wedding at the Millhouse and talked about his new website and blog. As the Millhouse has recently undergone a major refurbishment (looks great!), Mark really wants to communicate how hard he and his team have worked (again during really hard times). I was commissioned to shoot a couple of stories that Mark can use in his blog to connect with his clientele. Blogs are a great way of allowing customers 'under the skin' of your business and really involving them in what makes your business 'tick' - its culture, values and brand story.

Mark and I talked about the 'story' he wanted to communicate and we developed some appropriate themes. The Millhouse is all about fresh, seasonal ingredients and locally sourced wherever possible - this includes game. Mark loves to shoot - pigeon in particular - so we created some 'feature' style photographs of him in action like the one above. Other sets included cooking at home (Mark is a trained chef) and some very casual shots of him with his dog Enzo. The Millhouse will use the images to bring into focus the culture that exists at their restaurant and let their clientele have a closer look at what makes them tick as a food business. It's really refreshing to meet business owners that have embraced digital story telling/blogging as a way of reaching out to their loyal clientele and to those who havn't experienced their offerings before.

For the gearheads out their, I shot the image with a Nikon D700, 25-70mm 2.8 Nikon lens (1/250th sec, f11, ISo200) with a SB800 flash triggered with a SC17 flash cord, set manually at half power with the flashed zoomed in to 50mm)

Photoshop Free - All Natural, 100% Organic Wedding Photography

2009-10-21T10:54:00.002+01:00

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I make a promise to myself before I shoot each and every wedding. That promise is that I will push the creative envelope a little bit further on at every wedding day that I cover. To be creative as a wedding photographer is a given but often there is so much going on at weddings, that I really have to plan well ahead how I am going to fit in the 'diamond' shots that I like to deliver for my clients. The shot above was taken during a very busy wedding day for Caroline and Paul and I only needed 5 minutes of their time to create it. I had been thinking of this shot over the past few weddings but it never quite made its debut until last Saturday. I always recall my Canadian photo mentors doing a similar shot on dancefloors and it worked really well but I wanted to put my own spin on it. I took Paul and Caroline out onto the croquet lawn at Rowley Manor and placed a Quantum Q Flash behind them on a small tripod, a Pocket wizard was used to trigger it. I think the flash was on around 1/4 power. My first exposures were around 1/8th second and I instantly liked the look but I knew there was another element missing. I opened up the shutter to around 4 seconds for the frame above and what happened was just magic - although it was pitch black, the camera's sensor picked up on the very low amount of ambient light and burnt in the beautiful red sky you see in the scene. I had to ask Caroline and Paul to keep very still as my Nikon D700 recorded the frame but 4 seconds of stillness for the bride and groom was much appreciated! There is absolutely zero photoshop work in this image, it is as was captured in the camera and is a very similar effect even if I had used film (film? What's that now?) I'm really proud of this image and it has definitely raised the bar for the lit work I do for modern, discerning wedding couples and it is why as a Yorkshire Wedding Photograper, I love my job!

Caroline & Paul - Rowley Manor 17th October

2009-10-17T22:37:00.004+01:00

As a Hull Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of spending today with Caroline and Paul as they celebrated their wedding day. The day started early at the groom's home where Paul was experiencing his fair share of pre-wedding nerves, but with a lively set of groomsmen we managed to get him through it! On to the bride's where a gorgeous set of bridesmaids and a great family were helping Caroline make her preparations. The bride made her way to St Andrew's Church in Kirkella by horse and cart and a beautiful service followed - the choir sang Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley/Alexandra Burke) as the couple signed the register - it sounded so majestic. A reception followed at Rowley Manor with great food, great speeches and dancing led by one of my favourite live acts - Johnny Pat and the Aces. Caroline and Paul will be leaving on their honeymoon tomorrow and will spend a month in Australia - wishing them all the best for a beautiful life together!

Sisters

2009-10-13T20:06:00.004+01:00

As a Yorkshire Portrait Photographer, I had the pleasure of working with Nikki and Gemma over the weekend to create some images for their Xmas Box to give to their Dad. Nikki lives in South Cave, Gemma lives in Newcastle so their get-togethers are few and far between. I had a great time working with them to create a set of pictures that hopefully will wow Dad! I am happiest creating pictures for clients where there is a story, Nikki and Gemma were no exception!

We used natural light in my doorway to create this portrait with a 24-70 2.8 Nikon lens which did me proud once again. Set at f5.6, we got lovely depth of field with the creamy background you see here. Portrait photography needn't be complicated - it's all about your sitters - tell a story and everyone is happy!

Hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer

2009-10-06T18:46:00.004+01:00

Many of you may have seen an article in the news over the last couple of days regarding the unfortunate West Yorkshire couple whose wedding photography was ruined by a so-called 'professional'. I couldn't help but leave a comment on the national Daily Mail's website and it seems that lots of other professional wedding photographers have done so too.

It got me thinking about what I do in the age of digital technology and why I am committed as a professional to the progression of the art of modern, wedding photography.

Over the past few years, there has been a massive influx of new photographers to the industry and to each and every one of them, I wish them good luck for their success. However, I wish them good luck as long as they carry with them the responsibility of being a professional wedding photographer - that means several things. It means at the most basic of levels, at least one back up piece of equipment for each critical part of their camera system; at least giving their clients a written contract/booking form which clearly states what the terms of business are and exactly what the clients will receive for their investment; It means having full and valid public liability insurance in the event of an accident in a public space and usually PAT testing for any equipment they take to a venue. These are all practicalities that professional wedding photographers take as given, even more importantly though are the other aspects of a photographer that you should consider well before booking.

Does the photographer's style of photography make you tick? Does he/she have the relevant experience in all types of weather conditions to produce a consistently great image for your album ie. Does he/she have experience with lighting gear which will allow them to keep shooting creative images even when it is raining outside. Can you imagine your photographer spending upto 12 hours with you on what will undoubtedly be one of your most special days of your life so far? In an ideal world, you should be able to answer all of these questions positively!

I enjoy nothing more than meeting with clients after their return from honeymoons to show them the story of their wedding day - this to me is a big prize for the job I am lucky enough to do professionally. What I do know is that I am continuously getting educated as a photographer - I take courses, read continuously, go to seminars, join professional organisation s- basically I have an insatiable appetite for getting better at what I do everyday. When that desire is not there, I'll hang up my Nikon and retire gracefully.

Bringing it all home, when you hire a professional photographer for your wedding, you can and should expect images such as the one above, you can and should expect a professional who is adequately prepared to deal with all that the stresses of a wedding day can throw at them and lastly - they should be ultimately passionate about their craft and how that translates to your wedding album - when the cake is scoffed and the hangover is long forgotten - you will always have your album to reflect on how perfect your special day was.

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I cover wedding stories all throughout the north of the UK.