Many things dictate how you shoot a wedding day. Weather is one factor and also after a consultation with the couple to be photographed, what they want to get from the photography of their wedding day. Del and Chris were very happy to let me call the shots on their day and also to let me decide on the locations for photography at the hotel.
Working at the North Lakes means that because of its location, you are always trying to avoid photographs that have the nearby M6 in the background and there are two ways to do this. The first involves shooting in the traditional locations at the hotel and the second involves blurring it out to the point where it is invisible. After a recce of the hotel which is the home of one of my favorite wedding fairs held each January (one for the diary) I decided that there was more to the gardens than meets the eye. I set about on the day exploring some newer angles in some well trodden locations and to good effect.
During the group shots Elliot (Chris and Dels’ son) ran into a tree giving himself a rather nice shiner in the process, so we had to pause for ten mins while we got something cold to put on his cheek. This gave me time to move my kit inside to avoid the rain and I shot some very nice groups in the dining room instead. Sometimes compromise can be a blessing.
It was another outing for my new Magneflash though which performed admirably. The first dance was Islands by the Amazing XX and for a couple that are all about the music they listen to and the festivals they attend I thought that this was the perfect choice. Here we go, a beautiful wedding for an old friend that ensured that we were older friends by the end of it. Thankyou for allowing me to capture the events of your wedding day, It was epic!
Just starting to get ready I met Fay and Del at the hairdressers to catch some early nerves.Getting ready with some friends, Del didn’t really show any nerves. Loved the shot of her doing her lipstick in the mirror.Dels’ dress was from the wedding Warehouse in Carlisle and looked amazing.I think this is where I shifted into high gear as the room that Del was getting ready in was more of a meeting room than a nice bedroom. It was rather hard to take a bad picture of Del though.The best thing about the room that Del got ready in was the floor… Very Tron.This is one of my favorite images of the year so far and is splashed all over my new flyers. It is very different.
After a mess about with the girls I decided to get ahead of them and head around to the room where the civil ceremony was to be held. With friends in the audience it was great to see so many smiling faces. There were a few children there too which is great as they are much easier to photograph than adults. I got a great shot of Elliot pre-tree bash too.
The amazingly talented harpist who was there to provide the entrance music for Del.Elliot looked as nervous as Chris!Fay, Dels’ bridesmaid looked lovely too and it was left to Ken to walk Del down the aisle. A really nice moment.We aren’t really allowed to shoot during a ceremony, but using a silent camera allowed me to grab this shot.Did someone say something funny?Yes Del has very cool tattoos. She also photographs really well too.The gardens are really nice at the North Lakes but you do have to hunt for good angles. This was taken by lying down on my side.Elliot is really funny. This was a result of me sticking my tongue out at him… Hilarious.The haze behind is the rain heading in. I think that its rather effective.These two always have a giggle.That will be on facebook in 20 seconds.Natural images are important too to tell the story of a wedding day.Had to produce something a little more Rock ‘n’ Roll for Del. This was shot right at the end of the daytime celebrations.
As the nights events started I arrived back after picking up some giant sparklers from a friend. These were to be used to create a beautiful night lit image of Del and Chris. They worked a treat as you will see below.
An awesome first dance to the beautiful ‘Islands’ by the xx. I do photograph better when it is not Lone Star ‘amazed’ as the first dance.I knocked the focus out intentionally here to create a softer image. What is testament to the the equipment I use is that this shot was lit only with sparklers!
Thanks again both, your wedding was amazing to cover and the fact that you were up for all of my mad ideas paid off in the end.
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Mate, friend, organizer, right good laugh and all round diamond in the rough. You got hitched! Mazin! Good day it was too with lots of fine people and at a venue that is as familiar to me as the clutch in my car.
I was over the moon to get a call from Lisa to ask me to shoot her wedding. I have known her for many a full moon now and then to find out that she was marrying a guy as nice as Steve, a real life tough soldier type?.. Well, that was the icing on the cake. The only downside? As an army wife, she had to move to Darlington! Mind you, the throbbing metropolis that is Brampton will have to take the hit of your loss.
SOOOO.. Inn On The Lake, for a beautiful and quirky wedding on a very sharp but fair winters day. Winter weddings at the Inn are great. There is lots of space to move around its many lounges and the staff are fab at helping to shift bits around and even hunt for stray guests. The wedding was coordinated by Johnothan on this occasion and a fine job he did too. The best bit was probably the X-Wing flyby above the hotel, organized by the fine people at Photoshop for Steve, the massive Star Wars fan (episodes 4-6 only). I can remember talking about Stormtrooper bridesmaids and whether or not the registrar should be dressed as a Wookie? John would do it. Lisa Did walk in to the Imperial March though which was awesome.
Well here we are. A wedding where I got to say an emotional goodbye to an old friend who was strolling on to pastures new. I think I can speak for everyone who attended to say how much we will all miss you. At least I can’t throw you on bouncy castles from this distance… Later Dude.
It is a strange vocation being a wedding photographer, you get to see the eccentric, lovely and often most emotional moments from your clients. One of the most important moments of their lives…” It’s such a responsibility” a wise head once said to me and I agree more so now than ever before I think. Weddings like Suzanna and Simons’ make me smile every time I see the images. Running Lake District Wedding Photography has made me the photographer and probably individual that I am and I am grateful for every inquiry and opportunity to photograph weddings in the majestic beauty of Cumbria.
It was a great day, with a little driving involved over to St Andrews in Penrith and back to the Tithe Barn in Carlisle for their meal and evening function. Shooting around the alleyways in Penrith is a lot of fun too. There are some beautiful old houses and frontages that are often overlooked around that area and I love, love shooting there, as well as St Andrews which has one of the best (and most respected) Vicars to work with.
So the theme on the tables in the Tithe Barn was Sci-fi with hand painted stained glass table center pieces made by hand by the bride. They looked awesome and a brilliant sweetie cart too which proved popular. For images we snuck round through St Cuthberts and into Carlisle Cathedrals grounds (ninja style) to grab a couple of images with the most beautiful building in Carlisle (Apart from the Civic) in the background. Then retreated…. Quickly as you aren’t really supposed to photograph there. Carlisle is my home town, so I know it as well as the Lakes, but I am not one of the local photographers there, so when a booking comes in for somewhere like the Halston or Dalston Hall I do get rather excited.
A lot of the weddings that I photograph come from afar to get married in the Lake District and Eden Valley. Photographing these weddings is great and always varied, but it is always nice to do a wedding for a local couple. Carrie and Matt originally booked me for one date and venue and then booked me for another date and another venue. It was luck or maybe even fate that allowed the second date to be free, but I think every photographer has a date that is free throughout the peak season that just doesn’t book… Almost like it is meant for a higher purpose but usually ends up being a day for a barbecue or a trip to the Metro. This day and this date was meant for Matt and Carrie.
Karma!
I do quite a few weddings at the Roundthorn each year and there are several sneaky places around within a couple of miles that lend themselves to moving a bit off piste with photography. This time I chose with Simon from Courting Whale an abandoned quarry, popular with dog walkers and the like… We prayed for sunshine and got it. The resulting images were perfect. The resulting film from Courting Whale was also perfect we were blown away with how it turned out, like schoolboys finding a massive conker… The link to Matt and Carries trailer is at the end of the images. Simon will have to teach me to embed things properly.
I am banging on about this a bit now, so here it is, The wedding of Carrie and Matt, on the fringe of the Lakes, On a dappled sunny day, up on a hill with plenty of champagne and dancing.
Wow, Emma can dance, a lot of the time it seems too. It also seems that the outside weddings at Inn on the Lake have really become popular. The pagoda come bandstand that Gary and the team have installed next to the Ullswater shoreline is fantastic. Not to mention the addition of a new Orangery, phase one of redevelopment at the Inn on the Lake which will make shooting weddings there much easier, as it is only for hotel guests not associated with the wedding, so no more ‘are they or aren’t they?’ at the wedding moments in the future.
Taking everything into account and reflecting on Emma and Phils’ wedding got me to thinking. Mainly about the people who I have photographed at the Inn before but also about the kind of people that Inn on the Lake may attract in the future. Every bride and groom there, have been easy going and relaxed on their wedding day. Now, I don’t know if this is down to the sort of couple that Inn on the Lake attracts or possibly some other phenomenon, (not barometric pressure or what they had for tea!) like location? There really is nowhere else like it and stacks of venues huddle into the Lake District and photographing at them is really amazing but Inn on the Lake seems to be the one that I come back to, like a worn in pair of loafers or my wifes’ spaghetti bolognese. Inn on the Lake is the only one where I compromise little and create lots.
Emma was slightly nervous on the morning and Phil was really really not. I wanted time alone on the morning of our wedding to take stock, but Emma and Phil wanted to be surrounded by those closest to them. Several events followed which made the day an awesome portfolio of photographs and a lot of fun to boot. To name but a few: An excellent best mans speech, a more than understanding registrar from the Penrith office, Some Jaegerbombs and a bride and groom who were as natural in front of the camera as they were with each other. Half way through the day I was happy with the results and by the end of the day I was ecstatic.
So… Emma danced lots, including as she was being married by the registrar. Everyone had an a-m-a-z-i-n-g time and confetti seemed to be thrown at every corner of the hotel. Phil got through his speech and the first dance involved everyone at the wedding and really made the walls of the Ramblers shake. Job done…
A conversation that I had on a blog recently with a friend of mine who has a studio in Bowness-on-Windermere set me off thinking about why I still shoot on film as well as digital. I thought I might clarify this for anyone wanting to book me to photograph their wedding and also add my two cents to the wider debate on film vs digital etc….
Digital images are synthetic versions of their film counterparts, so a digital image is one that seeks to replicate and improve upon the older film process that we used to use to create our photographs. Film is an organic or largely chemical process which works on the same principal as digital of having something behind a focused glass lens to capture an image of whatever your camera is pointed at.
Film: fuji 400 pro vc: camera Nikon F4: 85mm lens.
I found that when post processing my digital images on the Mac that i was striving to achieve a filmic look from the effects that I was employing on the images, bearing in mind that this period was after I had already invested significantly into digital technology, learned how to use it and done my Adobe Photoshop accreditation.
The reality of the situation was that if I shot film, I would make my images look exactly how I wanted them to look in camera. This would mean that whatever came out of the dark room to be scanned would be the finished image, plus a little retouching for imperfections. However……….. There is no denying that digital has its advantages of which the chief advantage is cost. Memory cards can be used for an indefinite period as long as you format and keep them clean, to clean a sensor on a digital camera costs around £35 every two or three months of heavy usage.
Film costs around £7 for 36 images once chemicals to process the film and scanning time at the computer are taken into account.
Shot on a Nikon F4, Ilford HP5 400 film with a 50mm F1.4 lens.
I decided that I would work on a percentage at all of my weddings from 2010 up to the weddings that I will be shooting in 2012 and 2013. That split would be 80-20. 80% digital and 20% film, carrying two cameras at once with the digital backup in my bag so I can always shoot on either, freeing me up to shoot the images that I want to shoot on film and the bulk digitally.
There is no doubt that I am an oddity in this respect as far as how I work with the two mediums together and I can find no-one locally doing anything similar or even considering using film based alternatives to digital.
Digital rules the roost in wedding photography because the technology allows us to do things that with film were impossible, so film has been left behind with only Kodak pushing the technology and Ilford in financial trouble and Fuji struggling to justify opening its plant to produce the stuff.
The future for film looks grim……
shot on a olympus om40, kodak tri-x 400 film and a 50mm f1.8 lens
Does this then mean that images like these will become a thing of the past? Shoe boxes of photos in the cupboard will no longer exist because they are all online in our cloud storage and film cameras will become obsolete with expensive ones going to museums and collectors and the cheap ones going to the dump? For all intents and purposes, yes is the answer. Film will die eventually, no matter how many resurgences it goes through as its production cost will become astronomical. A cost that will be passed onto us as photographers which we can little afford.
shot on a canon eos 50e with a 70-200 f2.8 lens. Ilford fp4 100 film.
So we have resolved that film is expensive and because it is no longer a popular medium, the emulsions used to capture images on film are at least ten years old and it takes a lot of time to develop and get right……
But just look at it.
The range of tones that film can capture, the subtle way that with care you can make light fall off a subject, its muted but accurate colours and the sharpness and clarity with which it delivers black and white make film completely unique.
Its not about delivering an image that your clients are happy with but rather an image that your clients are ecstatic with, being able to reproduce images from negatives that are real and have a permanence, with a tactile finish to each negative and print.
From my own point of view the smell of chemicals used to develop the film at home will be a memory that my little girl can revisit hopefully when she is old enough to pick up a camera. Seeing the negatives soaped and coming off the reel for the first time and knowing that what is on that strip of negatives is going to look exactly how I saw it in my mind when I pressed the shutter on the camera.
shot on a Nikon F80, 50mm f1.4 lens and Ilford HP5.
The reason that my images look so different to everyone else’s is because I use techniques and processes that nobody else has the time or patience to use. My background is in modelling, editorial, fashion and studio work, so my influences are different to everyone else’s too and I take ideas from all over the media from MTV to Vogue, Harpers, ID and a pile of American wedding magazines that I subscribe to and love.
Film is perfect for vintage styled or themed weddings of which I have a few this year and am really looking forward to. The future is without any doubt digital and what I continue to use for at least 90% of my photography and 80%-90% of weddings, but as long as my clients still demand the type of images that only film can produce, it will always accompany the digital.
Shot on a Nikon F4 with an 85mm f1.8 lens and fuji 400 pro film
I have compiled a set of images from 2011 that I consider to be my personal favourites. This may give people who are looking at my site and blog a little more insight into what I am looking for as a photographer. In here there are a mix of set-up images and also some photojournalistic style images and I have put in only one from each wedding that I have attended and there are still more to come from weddings that haven’t even been blogged yet!
David and Abigail at the Merewood Hotel, Windermere
I chose this for the amazing setting, the fact that we fought to get to the location in the first place as it is actually at the Cragwood Hotel. After all that, this image really was worth the effort.
Rachel & Shaun at greystoke, Penrith.
I chose this image of Shaun and Rachel from a mountain of images shot on the day because it really does sum them up. The colouring reflects the vintage feel of the wedding too. Rarely am I happier with a posed image than with this one.
Nicola and Tom at the Punchbowl Inn
Tom & Nicola had two photographers on the day and this was one of my favourites. We jumped back from the church in Grassmere to take this at St Johns in the Vale and is just off the road. We fought a bit of rain to get this shot but it was well worth it.
Andrew & Jill at Armathwaite Hall Hotel, Bassenthwaite.
This is by far my favourite of Andrew and Jill and I think it is theirs too. The depth and height of the trees adds a real perspective to it and by muting the colours is is far less green than the original. Armathwaite hall has so many locations for all types of weather conditions and it is a real treat to photograph weddings there.
Andrew and Kelly at Rheged, Penrith.
Some brides and grooms are up for anything.. Andrew and Kelly were no exception as they jumped at the chance to have images in the IMAX at Rheged. The screen wasn’t actually on and the light is coming from a flash positioned on a boom in front of the screen. Certainly one of the most unique shots from their wedding and a personal favourite. The rest of their images will follow in a blog post shortly.
The wedding of Dawn and Mike at Inn on the Lake, Glenridding
I know that this is quite an odd choice for a favourite, but in a fraction of a second this moment was gone and this was the only time I could get a clean shot as everybody piled onto the dance floor. All of the elements that were required to take it came together for a 60th of a second. A firm firm favourite from this year.
Lucie & Hamish at the Heather Glen Hotel, Ainstable, Carlisle.
This is again, just another moment. I will even admit that this image was not part of Hamish and Lucies’ final selection for their album, but it is one that really makes me smile. Maybe you had to be there to feel the nerves and excitement to appreciate this quiet moment, shot from the hallway. The room was bathed in beautiful sunlight and apart from a little colour correction, this image is largely untouched in photoshop.
Joanne & Paul at the Greenhill Hotel, near wigton.
Joanne said that she wanted something different as a portrait of herself to run alongside the more posed images of her from her wedding day. I love it because this window has been used a thousand times by nearly every photographer covering weddings in Cumbria and after a moment to think, I decided on a partial silhouette. Its a first from me and maybe a first for the Greenhill?
Victoria & Kevin at the Roundthorn Hotel, Beacon Edge, Penrith.
Victoria was luminous on her wedding day and photographed with ease from start to finish. This image stood out mainly because of how it flows from top to bottom and really shows off the vibrancy of her dress, even in mono.
David and Michelle at Abbey House Hotel, Barrow
As far as classic wedding imagery goes, this is it for me and I really could create images like this one all day long. This wedding was shot as part of our two photographer team at Icon Wedding Photography, where you get the option to have two full time professional photographers covering your wedding day. Abbey house is a beautiful venue and one of my favourites in south Lakeland too. There is so much to see there and its potential for great wedding images is huge. We were even shooting once it got dark which I will show you all in a later post.
Matt & Adele at Armathwaite Hall
Matt was getting a real roasting here from his best man, who’s wedding I also covered. Its not a traditional wedding picture and Adel isn’t even in it, but for me this image sums up these two to a tee. For more of Matt and Adels’ images search the blog as there are heaps on the blog. Armathwaite hall delivered us a lovely low sunset in their fantastic grounds.
Mike and Katie at Inn on the lake, cumbria.
Talk about smiling from start to finish and there was no telling them both to be natural either… They just did it. Inn on the lake is rapidly becoming my home venue as year on year my weddings there increase. Its no bad thing as it is without doubt one of the best hotels for photography in the lakes. This image is an alternative to the normal stand at the end of the jetty and have a snog or look longingly at each-other pictures… I tend to have an alternative for every stayed or overdone picture. Jonathan and Gary are some of the best planners around too and make every wedding run like a well oiled machine.
Melissa & Lee at Carlisle Racecourse
This shot of Melissa getting ready opens up Melissa and Lees’ album and spreads 24 inches across the page. Its a real knockout image taken on my Yashicamat 66 and is as smooth close up as it is from afar. I could have chose from hundreds of images of this wedding but I just love the expression on Mels face and the fact that she is in her dress and no-one else is ready. Carlisle racecourse is a fantastic place for a wedding and as an alternative venue to big country piles it makes for a very different setting and a very different style of photography.
Nick & Maggie at St Begas and Graysonside, Cockermouth
Nick and Maggie seem to pop up on this blog a lot after having their wedding and pre wedding photoshoot done by Lake District. This image is timeless and has one of the most picturesque churches in the Lake District as the backdrop. Without doubt one of my favourites this year. Graysonside, Nicks family home is also now a wedding venue, so if you are looking at this and don’t have a venue yet, have a look at their site by clicking here.
Stacey and Stephen at Hundith Hill, Cockermouth
Just over the road from the above venue at Graysonside is Hundith Hill, the chosen location of Stacey and Stephen. The rain really didn’t stop on the day, so I shot some bits inside while we waited for the weather to subside. The wall frames Stacey in this shot and makes the image really pop out. Staceys’ looks are flawless and make for a perfect bride who thankfully quite enjoyed being photographed.
Rachel & Ian at the Greenhill Hotel, Red Dial.
Just remembering that I have to choose one image from each wedding for this exercise, this is Rachels’ favourite image and its mine too. The light is quite flat as we were in the shade but the dying embers of the evening summer sun can be seen lighting the staircase inside. The Greenhill Hotel, is where I shot my first big wedding after moving back from the North East, so is kind of a special place for me and I like to think that this is a nice portrait of the hotel too.
Rachel & Rick at smiths hotel Gretna.
Caught this as we were setting up for a shot on the balcony outside Rachel and Ricks suite at Smiths. Its safe to say that this one had preference over the setup image by quite a long way.
Sarah and Peter at the Crighton
Another wedding that is yet unblogged but expect to see it in the future. Sarah and peter had the worst mother nature could throw at us and still smiled all the way through. I stepped in a puddle but still managed to deliver over 400 images of a fantastic day for them both.
Scott & Donna at Inn on the Lake
This has to be a wedding photograph that will live in infamy for me and one that I have clients ask about all of the time. This version is untreated with the union Jack left in. See the blog for more images from their beautiful wedding at Inn on the Lake.
Victor and Jennifer at the Grange Hotel
So 2011 ends where it all started, at the Grange with Victor and Jennifer. This was a wedding that I felt really at home with. Vintage styling and a really lovely couple who have left me some very nice comments on their blog post. This shot was captured as they walked away from their wedding breakfast and really was a lucky shot. I love it.. Adam from Lake District Wedding Photography.
Current Offer
A full day’s wedding coverage (8hrs)
Includes a USB drive of images.
Option of a half-price photobooth (£200)
All for only: £999
Lake District Wedding Photography, 21 Mill Road, Glasson, Cumbria, CA7 5EE
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Lake District Wedding Photography, 21 Mill Road, Glasson, Cumbria, CA7 5EE