Christmas Winter Wedding in Brixham

On a crisp winter day in December the guests were gathered outside All Saints Church in Brixham, I had to work quickly to fend off the effects of the cold weather on both my fingers and the guests noses! Two pages from the album can be seen here.

Bovey Castle Wedding

What a beautiful day for a winter wedding. We just managed to get all the photographs taken between the showers which was fantastic as the venue - Bovey Castle in Devon - is a photographers dream wedding venue. The wedding album has now been created and here you can see two of the pages. The venue organisers have asked for a copy to put on show for future couples to view, which was very flattering for me as they organise approximately 50 weddings a year there. I cannot wait for the next one now!

Just finished another wedding at Torquay's Imperial Hotel where the weather was fantastic and everyone was in a good mood - always helps with the photography! What a nice couple. This month, off to photograph more weddings including ones at Bovey Castle, portraits for a Pet Bereavement counsellor, family portraits and an amusement arcade along with a film crew - should be interesting.

More Winter Weddings

September has been a busy month for weddings, especially last minute bookings. Above is a page from the latest wedding album book designed by me but photographed by David Brine, who stood in for me due to family funeral. Everything went well and the couple were very happy with the service supplied. The window light is enhanced by someone else using flash on their camera, which has been exaggerated in post production and really adds to the effect.

This month I was also commissioned by HBOS Plc to photograph staff members at the local Lloyds branch for their staff magazine. Met some nice people and took some good images.

October is looking great for winter weddings including one at Bovey Castle on Dartmoor, a very prestigious wedding venue.

Wedding albums design

My new wedding album design is proving very popular and can be seen here with the cover design of Neil and Claire's wedding which took place at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon. The sun was shining and family and friends really helped to create a fantastic day for them, which i believe has come across in their wedding album.

Busy month...

What a busy month this has been! Winter weddings, civil ceremonies, model portfolio shoots and product shoots!! Here are a couple of photos taken from a recent model portfolio shoot, dramatic lighting effects and a great location here in Devon all help to make these images really stand out.

Brochure Photography

The Exeter Court Hotel were looking for new publicity pictures and I was asked to spend a few hours taking various shots of their interiors, capturing the new decor and facilities they have for conferences and weddings. It can be very difficult to try to create images that are different and eye catching when it comes to hotel interiors because you are at the mercy of the interior designers and staff on the day, but i have to say they were all very friendly and very helpful, this is definitely a great place to hold an event if you are looking for a wedding venue or business meeting venue close to the M5 and in Devon - www.exetercourthotel.co.uk . Look out for their new brochure which is being created by Aardvark Office Supplies, Newton Abbot - www.aardvarkofficesupplies.co.uk

Winter wedding photography

More and more couples are deciding to get married in the winter months which is fantastic for them as there are obvious cost benefits to take into account, but for the poor photographer it can be a nightmare. Gales, dark skies, rain - oh what a wonderful set of images!!

So how do you get around it? Well, for a start, early planning is key. Visit the venue and look for all the sheltered places like archways, decorative doorways, even large tress, all these places are perfect for intimate and sometimes group shots. The crowd will work with you providing they believe you know what you are doing, which is where valuable pre-wedding day planning helps.

Always carry several large plain white umbrellas to act as shelter and these can also be used as props in photos. Experiment and have fun, the end shots will always capture the fun if you are organised.

As a member of The Master Photographers Association, (see: www.creativephotos.biz/weddings.html ) I regularly attend master classes and seminars on the latest photographic techniques, poses, lighting and business practices, and I have just been asked to search for a couple of models for the next meeting. I need a couple to pose for wedding images during the seminar which is on this coming Monday, so if you know anyone who can help, please get in touch.

Razzamataz Theatre Schools

I have just finished producing the photography and design for our new Razzamataz Theatre School which opened in May. The school operates as a franchise and was featured on BBC TV's Dragons Den when Scottish Entreprenuer Duncan Bannatyne invested into the business.
We are about to finish our first term with over 40 children having already signed up. They learn various skills including dance, drama and singing and are producing a show for the parents to come and watch. Seeing them all work together with such enthusiasm really does give you a good positive feeling.
What's my role? Well, I am just the collector of finances for my other half who owns the business. I design leaflets and adverts, and photograph the shows for promotional material. My background in theatre helps when creating images for use in PR as I know what agents and the press are looking for.
Back to other issues...still no good weather to photograph the calendar!

Calendar photos

Well, the Great British summer has come and gone, I think it lasted a week in June, but now we have our usual grey wet days to look forward to! If another person says to me "it's going to be an Indian summer" I may well be tempted to help them pack and move them to India.
I have been asked to photograph scenes of South Hams in Devon for a marketeers business project to produce a calendar, but do you think I can get the timing right? When I am ready to go, the weather changes and the sun disappears behind those grey fluffy things. As i look out of the office window now it has just started to rain - oh the joys of summer!
Anyhow, think positive. Tomorrow is another day and we are in late June, so the sun has to come out at sometime, doesn't it? I will keep everything crossed and camera at the ready. Wish me luck.

Hello and Welcome

Welcome to The Image Maker, or as my website describes me, The Creative Photographer! It's been a busy day today, I have just finished writing and updating my new site, hoping to put in a few words and phrases that Google will notice - what a long and drawn out process that was.
I started photography by accident when I was looking for a graphic designer to build a piece of promotional material for my main career, which was as a cabaret act. Having been told it would cost over £1000 I decided to have a go myself. Ten years and three cameras later I can now say I am almost there!!
I spend an awful lot of money each year on seminars learning about photography and various business skills such as marketing, PR etc etc. But I have to say I would probably do that anyway even if i didn't have a business as I am a learning junkie - as my bookcase and bank balance proves.
Took another wedding booking today for next month, short notice which is quite unusual and luckily mid-week so I was able to accommodate.
Last month I had an unusual wedding which took place in a cinema with all the crowd watching the couples favourite black and white movie, followed by cream teas on the lawn. My photographs were featured in Devon Weddings magazine.