The Belle, The Bell Ringer and The Bell Inn

This year has seen my busiest summer of weddings yet.

And there have been some corkers.

I’ve made a start on the daunting task of wading through thousands of images to select some of highlights for a long-overdue website update, but in the meantime, here are few from a particularly beautiful wedding I shot a few weeks ago…

I’m really lucky to have attracted some delightful couples since I started doing weddings and Tom and Cat have been among the nicest ever. Their wedding was a joy to photograph as it’s always great to work with a bride and groom who appreciate the kind of images I make and seek me out for that reason.

Of all the different sorts of photography I’m involved in, there’s something nice about capturing the ‘real life’ that goes on at a wedding. I first got into the profession wanting to be a photojournalist and events like these present me with opportunities to shoot a bit more from the hip.

Everyone who has ever booked me have all shared the same desire not to have their day turned into a full-scale photo shoot and are keen to commission someone who can capture their day without dominating it.

There’s an element of trust that has to exist to achieve shots as unguarded and genuine as some of these. A couple have to feel at ease with me as a person and not be too daunted by the camera. It’s why an initial face-to-face meeting is always essential, joint recce visits to the venue help in establishing a rapport and an engagement shoot is often a good idea, especially for the more camera-shy couples.

As it was, Cat was cool around the camera and it absolutely loved her too.

There’s no denying the pressure I feel on the day though. There are no reshoots with this kind of work, and being in the thick of the action while not getting in the way is quite an art. Capturing sweet moments, like these bridesmaids seeing Cat in her dress for the first time, make it all worth it.

You’d think weddings would get a little formulaic after doing so many, and while they do all have the same ingredients, each one is distinctly different. Even with venues I have shot lots of times like Whethele Manor, The Lord Leycester, Walton Hall and Mallory Court, it’s the people I’m shooting who make all the difference.

One of the more unusual elements of this wedding were the team of six stunning bridesmaids, who just looked great together. Their dresses had an ancient greek handmaiden look to them and gave some of the photos the feel of a classic painting.

Though the most unusual factor had to be Cat’s mum, who was a bell-ringer at the church. It was great to get up in the bell tower and take a few shots of her and her fellow ringers in action.

Photography permissions during ceremonies vary from church to church or registrar to registrar and it’s crucial to know the restrictions beforehand. Sometimes I’m free to snap away, while other times I have to sit out the proceedings at the back of the room.

I always respect the wishes of whoever is conducting the ceremony though on this occasion I was allowed to take a few discreet shots during pauses in the service.

I’m always very aware that the photos I take at weddings will echo down the ages. Of course the fashions of the day will forever lock them at a point in history, but I like to create images that are as timeless and as truthful as possible.

Obviously I will endeavour to give the clients what they want, but the shots you see of hipster newlyweds with their heads cropped off look cool and quirky now, but will age as well as the soft-focus-through-a-wineglass-shots that everyone went mad for in the 80s.

I don’t like to set things up too much, but rather just shoot what happens in front of me.

Directly after the ceremony, Cat and Tom had laid on a little spread for the guests who couldn’t make it back to the full reception. It was a nice touch and gave me an opportunity to snap some of the lovely details in the gorgeous late summer sunshine.

Then we were on to the main reception. There are very few wedding celebrations I attend where all the little touches haven’t been carefully planned and exquisitely realised. This one at The Bell in Alderminster was no exception with some great styling by Passion For Flowers in Balsall Common.

Formal groups photos are invariably an important part of the day, and that job is always made easier by enlisting the groomsmen to hunt down the necessary errant family members. No one likes to linger for those bits, and the sooner they are done, the sooner I can get on and snap candid shots of the guests enjoying themselves.

On average I take between 750-1000 shots at a wedding which first need to be edited down and digitally processed. It’s a time-consuming process as I evaluate the quality of each shot and manipulate the exposure of every chosen frame.

Once I have weeded out the closed eyes, unflattering angles and extraneous shots of the same thing, the resulting collection of images are subjected to another round of fine tuning. As my reportage style keeps me focused on capturing the action, there are few images that can’t be improved further by the straightening of a door frame or the cropping out of a stay elbow.

Compare these two versions of the same shot…

The quality of these images is also due in no small part to my kit. To the detriment of elaborate family holidays and the Landrover Defender I have always wanted, I plough substantial chunks of any profit I make back into my equipment.

Especially lenses.

While that does make for increasingly heavy bag for my lovely assistant Dan to help drag around, it does also means I can do shots like this justice.

While I tend to steer clear of those gimmicky Instagram style Photoshop filters in post production, I’m certainly not averse to converting certain shots into punchy black and white images. It can add some drama and touch of unpretentious depth to the right kind of image, but that’s as much fiddling as I will do. That nasty business of leaving one element in colour is, at best, gilding the lily and, at worst, trying to make something out of nothing.

Cat and Tom’s wedding was one of those days that just came together – lovely people, attractive venues, beautiful styling and a nice bit of sunshine to shoot it all in.

It’s hard not to get caught up in all the emotions of the wedding either, so it’s no wonder a busy eight-hour day can leave me in heap when I get home.

Once a job is all done, uploaded and a link sent to a couple I can never rest until I hear back from them – Hey! I’m a creative person, that sort of insecurity is hardwired in us all!

Big thanks to Tom and Cat for letting me showcase their big day on my little blog.

I’m relieved to report that they were very chuffed with pics, in fact I was thrilled to get an email that started, “I cracked! They are absolutely beautiful, I have cried all the way through eight views! you’ve captured the day amazingly… “

There’s a testimonial that’s going on the website.

When I get round to it.

RS x