Posted on April 30, 2011
A couple of weeks ago I met up with Nathan and Fiona to take their engagement photographs – their wedding’s in July and the break in the weather gave us the ideal opportunity. They chose Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth as it’s one of their favourite walks with their dog Max, but they didn’t bring him along to the shoot which was a pity – I’m sure he’d have enjoyed himself!
The weather was glorious, but it was SO bright down by the beach that they had a job not to squint even with their backs to the sun! We chatted as we walked over the head, stopping to take shots and then made our way down to the beach – the shots on the rocks and along the beach were great fun, but Fiona failed to warn me that the sea was washing in as I was concentrating on photographing them! Never mind, the shoes dried out quite nicely! 
I’m looking to their wedding in Bishops Waltham with a very special location for the reception, but more about that later!!
Ian
Dorset wedding photographer
Posted on April 26, 2011
It’s getting on for a couple of months since I got “dragged along” to help out on a charity photoshoot at Charlton House in Shepton Mallet, and a sneak peek’s been published by the lovely Kim Herbing from The Wedding Community - check out Kim’s Blog article here, and perhaps we should have a caption competition for this photo by Greg, showing a very cold “model” …. but at least I manged to keep my clothes on!
Posted on April 26, 2011
And so, finally, after what seems like ages (not quite 9 months though!), a decision’s been made on a compact camera that I can carry around with me as a photographic “notebook”, and the “baby” arrived today -
As usual, I read loads of articles, Google’d until my laptop overheated, and looked at the pros and cons of each of the candidates (a bit like X Factor but much more interesting!!) – basically I wanted a quality camera that I could fit in my pocket, that shot RAW and had full manual control in addition to the all-singing, all-dancing functions that you get nowadays.
The initial impressions are good, even from the jpgs, so over the next couple of days I’ll be getting to grips with the hidden menus and working out just what this little baby can do! It won’t see any service at weddings or portraits (and I can’t see the S95 cutting-it at this season’s Polo matches), but it’ll be nice not having to lug around a DSLR on days out (and it should give my shoulders a rest too!).
Ian
Dorset wedding photographer
Posted on April 20, 2011
Ladies,
If the clock’s ticking and you’re looking for some accessories for the big day, then why not check out these forthcoming events – words and photos courtesy of The Wedding Community ……
Wedding jewellery designers Yarwood-White have announced details of 2 upcoming Designer Accessory Events.
5th May – Designer Accessory Event at The Dress Bridalwear, Teddington
The Dress, Teddington, Middlesex are hosting an exclusive Accessories Event with Yarwood-White.
The Dress Bridalwear is a stylish and elegant period property where they offer brides a unique collection of wedding gowns and accessories by leading British designers. Hair and make-up artist Alexis Daly will be on hand to do mini hair trials and there will be the chance to trial some of the gorgeous jewellery from Yarwood-White.
The event is taking place on Thursday 5th May, 5-8pm, and you are invited to join them at the boutique for a glass of champagne. Please call The Dress on 0207 8977 6167 to reserve your place for this glamorous evening. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The Dress Bridalwear, 216 High Street, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8EW
19th May – Designer Accessories Event at Bridal Rogue Gallery, London
Bridal Rogue Gallery is hosting an exclusive designer accessories evening for brides on Thursday 19th May, 6pm-9pm, at its prestigious London boutique. Following an extensive refurbishment, Bridal Rogue Gallery is unveiling its new, glamorous look and a stunning collection of bespoke couture wedding dresses and accessories.
Yarwood-White will be showcasing their latest collections, and designer Clare Yarwood-White will be sharing her top tips for choosing headdresses and jewellery to suit your style. Rachel Simpson, designer of exquisite bridal and special occasion shoes will also be available for advice and to help you choose the perfect shoe for your wedding day.
You can also browse the gorgeous flower girl dresses and page boy outfits by Nicki Macfarlane.
If browsing all these wedding goodies leaves you feeling a bit exhausted, indulge in a glass of Champagne and a spot of pampering. Hair and make-up artist Alexis Daly will be on hand to do mini hair trials and chat with you about hair and make up on the big day. West One Beauty will be nail re-varnishing so you can leave feeling a million dollars.
Spaces are limited so please call Bridal Rogue Gallery now on 0207 224 7414 to reserve your place for this glamorous evening.
Bridal Rogue Gallery, 20-22 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QD
Ian
Dorset wedding photographer
Posted on April 15, 2011
My nomination for the best photography Blog got featured by the Wedding Community on their ‘Wedding Supplier News Round-Up’ – well, it would be nice to say it’s gone “viral” but that would be overdoing it (to put it lightly!!). But heck, it’s really nice to get the recognition!
The Wedding Community’s a great resource for all Brides with plenty of information and advice – certainly not one of the run-of-the-mill wedding directories that seem to be everywhere these days. Check out their Blog here, and their Website here!
So what are you waiting for? Vote, vote, vote!
Ian
Dorset wedding photographer
Posted on April 12, 2011
I was more than a little surprised when my friend Joanne from joannedewberry.co.uk said I’d been nominated for an award! It seems my Blog’s been nominated in the best photography category, or as MAD puts it “The best MAD Photography category celebrates those bloggers who amaze and inspire us with beautiful pictures”. I don’t know who nominated me, but thanks!
In case you’re wondering, MAD’s not my state of mind (well, not always!) but a celebration of British Blogs, and they’ve got loads of categories that you can choose from.
If you want to vote for me (did you notice the not-so-subtle hint?), please click on this link (oh, and the URL you need to type is www.ianh.co.uk/blog) – thanks, and I’ll let you know how I get on!
Ian
Dorset wedding photographer
Posted on April 8, 2011
As blogged several weeks ago, some of my landscapes have been accepted and featured on a new website that showcases fine-art photography – the website goes by the unusual name of Floppy Chicken! I initially submitted a handful of images and three have been accepted … now I need to go back through my archive of images to find some more!
The idea of Floppy Chicken is to showcase the work of photographers in different genres and to allow them to also publish art books with offset litho printing.
Ian
Dorset Wedding Photographer
Posted on April 2, 2011
As a wedding and portrait photographer it’s important for me to keep up-to-date with all of the changes in technology, but the trouble is that technology’s moving so fast these days that the manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the pace and it’s almost the case that cameras are becoming outdated in less than 6 months!
Back in the days of film (and yes, it may surprise you to know that I am old enough to remember it!) an SLR would have a life of anything from 4-6 years before it was replaced. But these days people want more pixels, video, then HD video, stereo microphones, articulated LCDs and the list goes on!
Sony have just unveiled a mock-up of their replacement high-end SLR, the Apha 700, and it’s following a path set by their consumer models in having a “translucent imaging sensor” which means that instead of the light being reflected by a mirror into a pentaprism and then out to the viewfinder, the image will appear on an electronic viewfinder. Now this has the theoretical advantage of making the camera faster between shots, as there’s no mirror to move up and out of the way before the image’s recorded on the sensor. As yet, Sony are the only major SLR manufacturer to have taken this path, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Nikon and Canon follow suit.
I recently had the opportunity to try out the new Fuji X100, which on paper looked as though it would be the ideal companion for weddings – small, light and unobtrusive for the candid shots. But, lovely as the camera is, and as much as I like it, it’s just not for me on a commercial basis.
Copyright Fujifilm
So, and here’s the BIG question, do all of these changes make us better photographers? My personal view is that most cameras these days are more than capable of producing excellent pictures in the right hands – and I stress, “in the right hands”. A monkey can take a picture if you give it a camera, but creating a picture and understanding how the various elements of light, timing, composition etc. come into play are something that can only be achieved with time and practice – unfortunately I feel that far too many people don’t take the time to understand the basics, and that’s a real shame.
Now if someone asked me about the state of the wedding photography industry and the competence of photographers …………… well, that’s for another post!
Ian
Dorset wedding and portrait photographer
