THIS IS ME!
Where it all started.
I have worked in the wedding industry for many years in one guise or another and instantly
hit it off with a photographer called Jan at a wedding show in 2006, she needed an assistant to
help at weekends, I wanted something to keep me occupied from drinking and dancing my
weekends away (it was a long time ago!) and Bobs your Uncle the passion was discovered.
Starting at the very bottom, my original role was to carry bags and equipment, however it wasn't
very long before the wedding photography bug well and truly bit and I started asking questions
about cameras. Jan very kindly set up a spare camera for me so all I had to do was point and
shoot and I started running round thinking I was Annie Leibovitz! Luckily Jan saw some natural
talent and helped me hugely, teaching me the basics, encouraging my passion and letting me
second shoot for her until I felt confident enough to branch out on my own.
Who am I?
Well I am half Welsh, half Geordie, mum of 3, military wife, married to a northerner but living down south - so I guess you could say I am just confused! But I wouldn't have it any other way - even my doormat says welcome to the madhouse! What all that craziness gives me (other than a very wicked sense of humour) is a huge big romantic heart, a blunt tongue, a rhino hide for hecklers, a need for top level organisation and the ability to think on my feet, problem solve and adapt plans before anyone's even noticed anything is wrong - all of which are great traits to have on a wedding day - winner! People often ask how I manage it all and the answer is Gin! The answer is always Gin! But if you are buying, its with lemonade not tonic - I know, I know - how uncouth!
My Style
So apparently I have to engage my audience by telling them about my style, but blimey that's hard! I am sure you can see style for yourself and know whether or not it matches your style and the style of your day.
I don't think I particularly fall into one style box. What I do know is I just want to tell the story of your day, all of it, the good, the bad and even the ugly! That technically means I am a reportage or documentary photographer - but I also love to capture all the small details in a way that definitely isn't reportage! I prefer dark, warm and moody images. I believe in the detail being in the shadows not in the highlights. How many wedding pictures have you seen where you literally can't tell what the fabric of the dress is - it just looks like a white mass? So, yeah, light and airy is definitely not for me - yet sometimes real dark and moody would look wrong in midday sun and if you have your ceremony outdoors in full sun your photos won't be dark and moody. So really I guess I am a "detail obsessed, reportage with a fine art twist, warm and moody yet factual and true to the conditions of the day styled photographer".
Told you that you were better off looking for yourself!
How I Work
Many people comment on the relaxed feel to my images, and that is something I am really proud of. I wouldn't be silly enough to give away all my secrets on a public website, but lets just say I work quickly, with lots of humour and definitely no spending ages moving each finger 5cms to the left! So many couples come to me with at least one of them dreading having their pictures taken and leave their engagement shoots full of laughs, having had a great time and actually looking forward to their pictures on the big day.
Most importantly is that it is your day! I work around you, your timings and what you want. If you want advice I am more than happy to give it, and I do have a preferred order I like to work in that keeps things running smoothly, means family aren't hanging around waiting for pictures for long periods and generally means you get the most out of your time with your guests - but ultimately I am there to tell the story of your day as it happens, not there to tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing.
Showing Off
I'm not very good at this bit! I have been really proud to have won multiple awards for both my service as a whole and also individual images through a few different photography society competitions - I like to throw some in occasionally to make sure I am still up to scratch!
However, my proudest moments come from my gorgeous couples, seeing their reactions to their images and reading their reviews. They are the ones that truly know how it is to have me as part of one of the most stressful, exciting, intimate and wonderful journeys of their lives. They are the ones I have mended dresses for, put buttonholes on, rescued cakes and flowers for and won over their families - and they are the ones I think you should listen to when making your decisions - so please do take a look at the reviews on my facebook page as well as on my reviews page here.