Wendy and Tom, Ramster, 21/5/11

The busiest time of the year is here – all very exciting but making it hard to keep up with the blog at times.

Here are two posts that reflect the blend of styles different clients go for – the ‘about’ section of the site goes into more detail on this.

A walk in the grounds appeals to many Ramster clients

Wendy and Tom’s wedding at Ramster had the backdrop many people associate with Ramster, with masses of rhododendrons in flower – a walk in the grounds appeals to many Ramster clients and these pictures show why. But I think what makes these pictures special is the captured moments and the real emotion they reflect. Here’s what Wendy and Tom have to say:

“We have been absolutely blown away by how wonderfully you captured the day…The wonderful colours, light, composition and interaction you found just make the wedding seem even more special in my memories. So thank you for that and thank you for being such a kind and genuine fellow in all our dealings. It has been an absolute pleasure !”

And thank you both for your kind comments, I hope the move went well.

Angela and Andrew, Gate Street Barn, 25^th February 2011

And now a post from this year… After the snow before Christmas I was delighted there no challenges in getting to Gate Street Barn for Angela and Andrew’s wedding. I always look forward to the first weddings of a new season and I had three wonderful weddings this February.

From the end of January the days start getting noticeably longer, giving the opportunity for more natural light photography, especially during civil ceremonies.

We were able to get outside during the afternoon – very useful for any group shots and if the bride and groom want to escape for a few minutes on their own.

We are so pleased with the shots, you definitely captured the atmosphere, venue and people. We can’t thank you enough.

Not everyone in the world like being photographed and Angela was very honest with me before the day – she loathes it, so I was particularly pleased to receive the following message from Angela and Andrew when they saw the pictures:

“Andy and I have had a really good look tonight – without me crying!!!! We feel there is nothing we would change… We are so pleased with the shots, you definitely captured the atmosphere, venue and people. We can’t thank you enough. The memories were definitely worth the pain (to be fair it wasn’t that painful!!). As we are soooo pleased with the shots, please feel free to put them on your website and if you need me to talk to other photo phobics I’ll happily sing your praises.”

Thank you both.

Gemma and Richard, St.Mary’s, Chiddingfold, and Ramster, 17th December 2010

My last post talked about the joys of winter light and Gemma and Richard’s day had it in abundance – with the added atmospheric benefit of snow.

Again too Gemma and Richard had wisely chosen a time for the service that had plenty of opportunities for photography before the light faded. The black-and-white picture outside the church shows the wonderful mix of deep blue skies and a light dusting of snow, whilst the setting sun as they emerged from the church gave a fabulous warmth to the pictures.

The photography at Ramster itself shows just what can be achieved in low light in winter – but enough from me. As ever at this wedding there were loads of very well equipped amateurs amongst friends and family and it’s very clear that many brides and grooms might be tempted to choose one of them to take their wedding pictures.

Words can’t describe how delighted we are with our wedding photos …you captured the beauty and romance of the day perfectly.

After the day, when Gemma and Richard had had a chance to see everyone’s pictures, I asked them whether they thought it had been worth having a professional photographer. Here’s what they said:

“Words can’t describe how delighted we are with our wedding photos …you captured the beauty and romance of the day perfectly.

From the first moment we met you, we knew you understood the style and mood we wanted you to capture and the end result is testament to your skill, ability to understand and read individuals, your timing and all your hard work.

You took some stunningly magical photographs in the snow that will forever be the most wonderful memories of our winter wonderland wedding. You were always helpful before the day with our endless questions and requests and patient during the tense getting ready moments and on the day you were unintrusive and never once did we feel that we having to have our photos taken.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you to anyone looking for a reportage photographer. You asked if we were pleased that we’d had a professional photographer, not only is the answer definitely yes, but we are so happy that it was you!”

Thank you Gemma and Richard, that means a huge amount to me.

9^th October 2010, Vicki and Mark, The Church of the Holy Family, Heath End, and Northbrook Park

It’s still catching up time from the second half of last year and Vicki and Mark’s wedding in October  gave me the chance to return to Northbrook Park, a venue I’ve known for many years that has recently undergone enormous improvements and changes – it now comes with purpose built accommodation and loads of very discreet parking.

The old marquee is long gone and now the wedding breakfast is served in the Orangery with purpose built kitchens tucked out of sight at the rear.

My clients often ask me what I would like them to do – to which I always reply just enjoy yourselves and leave me to capture that.

This was a truly fabulous day and showed just what an Autumn wedding has to offer – wonderful rich colours in the subtle light during the day and then the warmth and intimacy of the fading light in the evening.

My clients often ask me what I would like them to do – to which I always reply just enjoy yourselves and leave me to capture that. Vicki and Mark’s sheer joy on the day has made for a fabulous set of pictures – their happiness shines out. Their guests too are clearly having a great time.

Thank you not only to Vicki and Mark but also to the two Best Men who helped me during the day – much appreciated.

Jo and Alex, Ramster 11^th December 2010

And now coming back up to date here are some pictures from Jo and Alex’s wedding in December – the 11^th was the Saturday it didn’t snow.

This wedding was a triumph of organisation by Jo – amongst the host of special details was a video during the speeches of Alex’s favourite song, mimed by many friends and superbly cut and edited. Look for the picture that shows Alex’s reaction. Alex contributed to the planning too – the first groom I’ve seen arriving at a wedding with his own personal survival kit of a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Alex contributed to the planning too – the first groom I’ve seen arriving at a wedding with his own personal survival kit of a bottle of Jack Daniels

As well as having elegance and beauty this wedding was also a lot of fun, which you can also see in the pictures. For those planning winter weddings it shows the special quality of the light in winter – in the pre-digital era my clients would often be concerned about wedding photography at Ramster in winter and whether the results would look dark.

The ceremony shots show there should be no cause for concern and the pictures from the speeches have a very attractive winter warmth to them, enhanced by all the details Jo planned so carefully.

So thank you Alex and Jo for a great day, I’m only sad it’s over.

Kirianne and David, Ramster, July 24th 2010

Remember summer? Sunny days and long evenings?

Catching up with the blog at long last on a cold autumn evening gave me a chance to remember another fabulous Ramster wedding. How often do you see the bride wearing red – here’s a chance to see how dramatic it looks.

If you put your trust in reportage photography you’ll be rewarded

Kirianne and her team got ready in the Stables at the top of the drive to Ramster and decided to make the most of the summer sunshine by walking down to the Long Hall. The result is the “Reservoir Bridal Party” picture – and as ever with my photography it was not posed, proof if any were needed that if you put your trust in spontaneous reportage photography you’ll be rewarded.

Similarly with the Ceilidh pictures, there’s a spontanaeity in the joy and happiness that just can’t be engineered in a posed shot – and I love the emotion of the pictures during the ceremony. I’m always being asked “what do you want us to do” and my answer remains the same – just be yourself and enjoy the day.

Laura and Richard, Ramster, West Sussex, Saturday 5th June

I’ve just put the phone down from talking to someone who hates being photographed. Most of my clients would agree and most are worried about how they will look in their wedding photographs.

When I met Laura and Richard last year it was Laura’s big concern – and why they chose an informal or reportage photographer. They had a wonderful day at Ramster in June, surrounded by friends and family, and I concentrated on their reactions to those who they know and love, including each other.

The results speak for themselves, from the emotion of the ceremony itself through to the humour of the speeches – they’ve forgotten about me and are caught wrapped up in their reactions to the day itself. But what did Laura think when she saw the pictures – that has to be the acid test:

“The photos are absolutely gorgeous so thanks very much!  I thought I was the least photogenic person in the world but you have managed to take some stunning photos of us both… I am over the moon that we decided to use you as our photographer as they really are a world away from any other wedding photos I have ever seen.  You really have captured what a perfect day it was for us all.”

And that pretty much sums up why I do what I do and the way I do it – thank you Laura and Richard.

Ja and Roger, Clandon Park, 8th May 2010

‘It’s like rain on your wedding day’ – so said Alanis many years ago, but she needn’t have worried if she’d chosen the right venue.

After so many weeks of sunshine it’s easy to forget it does sometimes rain in this country but at a venue like Clandon park near Guildford it’s far from the end of the world. Ja and Roger wanted informal reportage shots, starting with the bride getting ready.

The advantages of wedding photography in the digital age

One of the great gains of the digital era is low light photography without flash, making atmospheric shots possible whatever the weather. I’ve chosen the pictures for the blog to show what is achievable even when you can’t go outside and even when there’s no flash photography allowed during the ceremony.

The pictures also show that it’s people and their emotions that make the day, not the weather.

We were able to use the portico at Clandon for family shots during a lull in the weather – the bride, groom and their families stayed dry even if the photographer got soggy – and this should be an important consideration in venue choice if formal pictures are a priority. The pictures also show that it’s people and their emotions that make the day, not the weather.

Thank you to Ja and Roger for their reaction:  I have to thank you…everyone including myself looks amazing!

Emma and Ben, Hampton Court House, Surrey – 27th March 2010

Another new venue for me – Hampton Court House and what a great place for a wedding. I visited it with Emma and Ben before the day – wonderfully atmospheric daylight in the ceremony room was something I was looking forward to and that Emma and Ben immediately responded to when they saw the pictures.

The elegance of the room combines with the warmth of angled light to give a very special quality to not only reportage shots throughout the day but also the handful of family shots Emma and Ben wanted and most importantly pictures of the dress, made by Emma’s Mum. The reception itself took place in the conservatory – wonderful natural light again, keeping the photography spontaneous and fun.

The reception itself took place in the conservatory – wonderful natural light again, keeping the photography spontaneous and fun.

Emma particularly wanted shots of the speeches and guests reactions to them. I needn’t have worried about the light levels in the dining room as once again the glass roof helped, so I was able to capture a variety of reactions to the speeches and do justice to the wonderful table settings and flowers Emma had organised.

A fabulous day, thank you Emma and Ben.

3rd December, Gemma and Redmond at Great Fosters

Another return to one of my very earliest wedding venues – I photographed here almost 15 years to the day and on that occasion took studio lights and a softbox to illuminate some family group shots. For these I had a Hasselblad with a waist level finder on a tripod.

Fifteen years later I was working with a selection of digital cameras and a variety of lenses to be able to shoot in low light with virtually no flash at all – and Gemma and Redmond were adamant they wanted no group or set piece shots at all, but instead absolutely everything photographically was to be reportage or fly-on-the-wall, with definitely no posing.

The ceremony room, the Orangerie, is helpfully bright – with glass on two sides it lets you make the most of the light on a December afternoon, whilst the reception area, The Painted Hall, had just – only just – enough light to use no flash for some of the pictures.

Thank you for all your hard work yesterday. Our friends and family commented on what a lovely person you were and how relaxed they all felt with you.

Gemma and Redmond spent the day doing exactly what they wanted, being with friends and family, whilst I was left to capture the day.

They were kind enough to send an e-mail the next day: ‘thank you for all your hard work yesterday. Our friends and family commented on what a lovely person you were and how relaxed they all felt with you’.

I often think this dimension to wedding photography is left out by too many people – you spend a lot of time with your wedding photographer on your wedding day and what he or she might be like to be with is not going to be obvious from ‘shopping around’ loads of websites.