Time to Lament

Moments Of A Shropshire Documentary Wedding Photographer

Time to Lament

An odd title for a blog post perhaps…but being a documentary wedding photographer I have been thinking about images and what they truly mean, I don’t mean copious amounts of pictures of shoes, dresses hanging in trees (guilty), pictures of cakes, umpteen pictures of the little things, the details that are always present and always captured. No, I mean the images that say something, that have a message and an honesty that stops you dead!

When I capture a wedding I am not afraid to admit that I do not relish handing over hundreds of images of the details, although I do capture these for my couples, I just don’t see the point of handing over masses and masses of these, perhaps I’m wrong? Feel free to let me know your thoughts below in the comments.  However, unless I have managed to work my sorry little ass into the ground and give my couples something a bit nearer to the emotional rawness of a wedding day, then I feel I have failed, and failure is not, and never will be, an option.

You see, I really do LOVE what I do and do what I love….making my couples cry tears of absolute joy at their wedding portfolio is what I set out to do, to transport them back to that very day and allow all those emotions to resurface one more time.

I cannot imagine for one minute that my couples will cry when they see their beautiful dress hanging in a tree (again…guilty),  but I can appreciate the emotional impact of my images that are taken when that someone special comes into the room. That first opportunity to look upon their beautiful daughter, perfect in every way, as she prepares to take her steps to married life.

It really is images like these that help to fuse my more documentary approach with my creative streak, and tie these elements into something truly unique in the world of Shropshire wedding photography.

Cake

I see many blogs proclaiming to love cake, to love being your best friend… to love this, that and the other….but when it all boils down to what we are actually doing,  and as much as I do actually love my couples… all of them,  I am there to do a job for them, and perhaps one day, for you. This is my first, and foremost, priority… it truly is.

The Christmas cards, and cake, can wait 😉

So as much as I LOVE cake (ask my Wife) I also love my Dad!?

Or really, perhaps I should say I loved my Dad?  I still miss him 15 years after he passed away and, yes, I still love him as much today as I always have. 

This was a painting I did of my Father some 14 years ago, at a time of my life when I still put brush to canvas for a living,  but since giving up on illustration and working my heart and soul into capturing images in a different medium, photography has become my way of painting these images. Those portraits of life, the bond between people and the connections that make them all so damn unique.

This is an amazing portrait that is so full of character,  yet all the character I have captured here is in this beautiful lady’s hands…. what stories they must tell? What life they have seen, experienced, lived… this is what photography is about, is it not? Capturing soul.

When I showed this image to the bride Aimee, whose wedding this was taken at, via Facebook messenger, this is what she wrote back to me:

“…My mum and Auntie are in tears so emotional thank you!!…that is a really powerful image! I’ve never felt such emotion before… just amazing…”

You see this was Aimee’s grandmother, someone who had doted on Aimee all her life, and has been a guiding force, a major part, in her life. To Aimee, those very hands, are some of the most beautiful hands in the world.

I wish today I could just hold my Father’s hand one more time.

This is what has shaped me these past 15 years, it takes life to change someone and we all do change as life happens to us all.  I recall spending time with my Father as he lay there, life ebbing away,  thinking about what had been, what I could have changed if anything…life’s regrets, we all have them.

It is not a pleasant experience but it is part of me, and I am so sure that my outlook on life would be totally different had I not experienced this. This is what I mean about “time to lament”….images are precious. Life is precious….we all have hindsight.

“…I firmly believe that you should never settle for second best when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer…”

Allie + Alex

Why Black and White?

People often ask me “Why black and white” when I post such images like these, the answer is never a straightforward one, to be honest, it is just that some images work better in black and white.  However, these are usually images that have some sort of emotional connection, it is the “go-to” option for documentary photography and in my own opinion it is the black and white that conveys a sense of quietness, a moment of reflection or a bond between two people. This is why I do adore black and white for when it is applied to images such as these, it truly is remarkable.

“…we really couldn’t have asked for a more hard-working and inspirational person to have captured our moments! ”

Emily and Olly

It really does just seems to “fit’….and really echoes what my own feelings are about wedding photography in general,  I am there to document your day, to capture images that will transport you back to that day, to your moments and your own memories…

So, if your shoe gets stuck in a grid…you can bet your life that I will record it for you.

When there is an explosion of colour that blows your mind…I will be there to capture it for you…

When there is only you…and yours…sorry, but yes, I will be there too 😉 

Time to lament is time for regrets, a wedding day is still one of those days that you really do only get one chance to get it right. Make sure your choice is the right one. If you are looking for a Shropshire Documentary Wedding Photographer then please do get in touch and perhaps we can work together to capture your special day in a natural, authentic and effortless way. Your story, your way…every step of the way.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, do you wish for a more fly-on-the-wall approach to your wedding photography? Or are you one of those that prefer a more “structured” approach? Every approach has its merits, mine is to make you feel as relaxed as possible on your wedding day, to forget I am there and to make it possible for you to enjoy the most beautiful of days as much as possible. Shropshire documentary wedding photography, with that, added WOW.