Approach

I live and breath photography. Not just weddings, I look at life in angles (ouch, that sounds pretentious) and, even when I don’t have a camera in my hand and I’m walking on the street or driving in my car, I always catch myself sizing up a composition and wonder to myself how it would look if I took a photo of it - whatever ‘it’ might be.

When I first started shooting wedding’s I came from a completely different background and therefore I figured there was a standard default mode which everyone adhered to. I don’t mean the formal-everyone-standing-to-attention method (which might come back into fashion - you read it here first), I mean in the safe, generic sense without any attempt to shoot anything too out of the box. Having worked in different industries prior to wedding’s and being given license to go off piste I found this frustrating and I figured why put my own stamp on my images? Because of my pre-wedding career, I consider myself as a kind of mongrel photographer with a mixture of different approaches to photography with an appreciation of a broad range of styles. This might be obscurely framed grainy black and white portraits taken with the slight blurring of slow shutter, film photography or more abstract work.

Influenced by the work of the great street photographers of old such as Elliot Erwitt and Cartier Bresson and the newer breed of guys like Tavepong Pratoomwong and the Vietnamese legend that is Chữ vVết Ha, I always try and find a scene featuring an object or picture and wait until the subject moves into it the right position at the right moment which makes for an interesting photo. In addition to the natural reportage method of the ‘guest angle’ I also like capturing wedding scenes by stepping back with a wide lens and shooting in layers to give a true representation of what happens at a wedding. For example, imagine a gr0up of people in the foreground having a good laugh about something, a child picking their nose in the middle of the frame, some people playing croquet in the background and some old relative that has had far too many glasses of fizz passed out on the edge of it all. I believe there is no better way to tell a story with a single image.

Another style I love is that point and shoot look made popular by the controversial fashion photographer Terry Richardson. Sometimes with a stark on camera flash whether it’s portrait of a couple or simply a wild moment, I love snapping away without even thinking about the composition. Just pure and simple photojournalism, almost paparazzi-esque..

Then there’s the elegant-style bridal portrait and the more romantic and picturesque-style couple photo whether it’s a close up or with the subject placed in the middle of an epic backdrop. Perhaps something to hang on the wall above your fireplace.

I am adaptable to any situation and will shoot that moment with whatever approach that feels right at the time. I know that a wedding can be an interesting melting pot filled with a mixture of romance, emotion, hilarity, elegance and the inevitable moment of unglamorousness. therefore, I feel it’s important to document peoples’ big day with a degree of honesty and transparency. The end product of the event should be a recording of what actually happened on the day, not just a glossy, over-photoshopped veneer. I believe it’s my job to deliver a beautiful set of photos including all of the funny moments and mandatory mishaps along the way. I want to make sure that when you guys look back through your photos in your nursing home, all old and wrinkly, you re-live your day chuckling and guffawing at what an incredible event it was.

Needless to say, I vow to pour my heart and soul into it.