Hampshire Wedding Photographer

Photographing weddings

I was introduced to photography at a young age. Looking at pictures of my friends and me skateboarding around Havant and Chichester, I used to spend hours looking through the prints I’d get back from the lab.
My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic, and I can remember the first films being developed, capturing the moment, somehow making them special in their stillness. I’d always keep it with me seeing what parts of the Hampshire Landscape I’d capture next.
I studied Photography to a degree level which gave me a great understanding of the photographic techniques of composition such as the Rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry and emphasis. This was when cameras were film only, the exposure triangle was still the principle for perfect exposure just like it is today in the digital age. Understanding shutter speed, iso, aperture, sensor size, Negatives or RAW versus JPEG. The technical only underpins the creative aspects of photography. The first thing my tutor showed us at university was to turn our classroom into a giant pinhole camera. This is the simplest form of a camera where a small hole will project an upside-down image of a plate (or in this case a wall) opposite, it’s like magic. Taking the image and processing it in the darkroom was an extension of this magic, downright sorcery, as the picture slowly appeared in the developer.
Years later my camera craft has moved on along with the camera’s I now use. Nikon is my favoured brand but to be honest they are just tools whether Canon, Fuji or Sony they all do the same but one just fits better than the rest, it’s a personal choice. I love how my clients mention how naturally posed and colourful my photos are. The day you get married will fly by, remembering the happiest days of your life, each moment, as you walk the aisle dressed in white with butterflies in your stomach followed by bridesmaids. Your Partner waiting, eager to greet you wide-eyed, watching your every move, it is truly unforgettable.
England has 85% of the world’s Chalk streams and most of those are in Hampshire, these crystal-clear waters of the River Test are brimming with life. Watching the Fly fishermen and their patience reminds me to slow down and get my macro lens out to photograph the underwater world with the help of my polarising filter. At other times I’ll grab my wide-angle lens and tripod for a slow exposure turning the fast-flowing water into an ethereal mist running between the rocks and weeds or capture the kingfishers diving with shallow depth of field creating perfect bokeh and isolating the subject.
Since the pandemic I have noticed a shift towards the smaller or often called micro wedding, I find these lovely intimate celebrations full of love. My favourite is with a celebrant or officiant who knows the couple personally which makes the whole ceremony so personal. Over 600 happy couples have shared their wedding day with me and as a result, have a beautiful record of their day to cherish forever.
 
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