Coffee and the city....

We didn’t have a wedding last weekend so we spent it in London with four lovely couples. Our style of observational wedding photography doesn’t really lend itself to pre wedding shoots, or as Steven still calls them, engagement sessions. We normally like to photograph real life wedding days as events occur. Whereas the only reason for being photographed at a pre wedding shoot is to have your picture taken. It is inevitable then that pre wedding pictures are contrived. That said it is a perfect way to get to know your photographers. So, Steve, the couples and me are wandering the streets of our capital inventing real situations that look natural. We do like the results though.

Steve and Gosia are getting married in April in Islington and then they are having a reception in South Kensington. We met them on Saturday morning in Islington (coffee no.1) and had a walk on to the old Islington High Street where there is an “Arty” market place.





We had finished shooting with Steve and Gosia by 12 and we were not meeting Lenore and Andy until 1. As we had arranged to meet them on Upper Street in Islington we had a little wait (coffee no.2). We walked on to Highbury with Lenore and Andy, who are coming to the Miller Howe, just up the road from our studio, for their wedding in October. Arsenal were playing at home but it was a late kick off so we managed to avoid the crowds.





As is often the case at the moment there was a lot of engineering work on the Underground. The Jubilee line was closed right in the middle section so we skirted round to pick up the DLR …Nah! That was shut too. So after a little bit of ducking and weaving we got our selves back on an open section of the Jubilee line to find our way to Canary Wharf and meet up with Svetlana and Martin. With time to spare we opted for coffee no.3. We met Svetlana and Martin in their home. With true Australian/Russian/Irish hospitality they poured our 4th coffee of the day. Svetlana and Martin are planning their wedding in Tuscany for June 2011.








Once we had finished we were able to fly under our own power back to Cricklewood.

Sunday morning was much less frantic. We drove to East Finchley where we met Ola and Alex in their, new apartment. Just the one coffee and Viscount biscuits. Ola and Alex are getting married in East Finchley in August this year. We went to the Church first and then to the reception venue around the corner where we made these pictures.







We have been offering pre wedding shoots for quite a while. Now that we have shown these perhaps we will get taken up on the offer a little more.

It was lovely to meet you all after much E mailing and many phone calls and we are looking forward to all your weddings, maybe just the one coffee though.

The Art of Observation Part 2

Part two of the art of observation, more to follow.

Josh



The Art of Observation

Steven Taylor


Part 2 Inspiration





As an observational wedding photographer I have set myself some ground rules. I draw on my first hero’s words to establish my rules.

“…Our task is to perceive reality, almost simultaneously recording it in the sketchbook which is our camera. We must neither try to manipulate reality while we are shooting, nor manipulate the results in a darkroom. These tricks are patently discernible to those who have eyes to see…”

Henri Cartier-Bresson from “The Decisive Moment” 1952.


If I am to live up to HCB’s words I need to become an invisible photographer, not literally but I would like to think when you look at my images it is like I was not there. There should be no influence from me. I have seen photographs of a bride apparently applying make up or adjusting her tiara in a mirror with an expression I cannot believe. She grins like she is slightly uncomfortable; she certainly appears to be aware of the camera. The expression on my subject’s faces are genuine, concentration, joy, pride, love, tenderness, nervousness, excitement and sometimes a tinge of sadness are all apparent on the faces of the people I have photographed at weddings over the last 20 odd years.



My style of wedding photography is principally concerned with narrative. Each individual image should tell a story and the collection in the album should tell a story of the day as a whole. When I approach a wedding I have the end result, the album, very much in my mind. I look for images that work together both from a narrative and a design point of view. When we sit down with the couple to build the album design it is narrative that takes precedence. That said, individual images need to be easy on the eye. I look for strong compositions; good and flattering light and impact. Most importantly, all of the images I make at a wedding should have integrity. I like to think that I make intelligent wedding pictures that are credible.

Keely and Will, Low wood Hotel, 28th Feb 2010

Latest update of Keely and Will shot at The Low Wood Hotel in the Lake District. Lovely day with a nice boat ride on the lake! Keeley and Will are on their honeymoon at the moment but we hope that this sneak peak will bring back some fond memories!