Jump ..

We don't do 'jumping in the air'! Phew! Music to my ears! Last night was unusual in that, for the first time in ages, I went along to the home of a prospective Bride and Groom to show them my Wedding photography. As a policeman and a busy working mum they were just finding it impossible to get down to my studio. Anyway, lovely couple, and I hope they decide to book me! The thing that made us 'click' was the fact they said they hated all the 'posy, set up' Wedding Photography that's around these days. Well, Amen to that, brother! My heart sinks when a groom and his ushers put on sunglasses and pretend they're acting out "Reservoir Dogs', or when a bride and her bridesmaids all stand back to back and pose as Charlie's Angels! Each to their own, I suppose, but for me, let's just shoot what's actually happening on The Big Day!..

Rather flattered yesterday when I happened to bump into one of 'my brides'! I shot her Wedding at Portmeirion a couple of years ago. "Would you mind if my daughter interviewed you?" she asked. "Hell, no.." I said (There's that ego again!) "But why?.." Seems she's doing a GCSE in photography and has to write up a project on a photographer. Guess who she's chosen! Me! Ha! I almost jumped in the air...

Just not cricket..

I'd like to thank over 100 people who gathered in Salford on Saturday night to watch a video slide-show of some of my Wedding Photography. Nah! They didn't really! Over 100 people actually gathered in Salford to celebrate the Wedding of Nadine and Paul, who married in Portmeirion at the beginning of May and held a party - replete with a slide show of my photographs - to show all the family and friends that couldn't make it to Wales. Still, it gave me a buzz and the images looked great, beaming out with a backdrop of the new Salford Reds Rugby League ground.

Actually, speaking of rugby, I'm thinking of starting to follow the game! Three days into the football of Euro 2012 and I'm already sick of the way the pansy, wimpy footballers keep falling over, rolling in 'agony' and deliberately trying to get their opponents booked. Grow up, lads! It's just not cricket!

Shoot'nTutor was great on Saturday, and I had a really eager pupil who arrived with a whole list of questions for me to answer. We worked through his queries about white balance, exposure lock and ISO, but I had to smile when he next asked .. "Is there any money in Press Photography?" "No, David.." I replied "There isn't any money in Press Photography these days, not when even the once-great Manchester Evening News refuses to pay for submitted images, and merrily cherry-picks 'news' shots from Twitter instead of sending a photographer!"

Now that, my friends, is just not cricket!

Come in Number Six..

Wow! What a fantastic day! I got back from my foreign assignment last night - my Wedding in Wales! - with such a great feeling of  'a job well done'. It was a blast, and great exercise, too! You're either going uphill or down steps in Portmeirion but even with the high heels she was wearing Nadine was game for anything, and took the orders of her demanding photographer in her stride - clomping up towers and tiptoeing down steep steps with a big beaming smile on her face! I was exhausted by the end of the day, with a two hour drive still to go, but it was one of those days when you just know you've done a great job, and I couldn't wait to start working on my images. Have a look at them here...

So, the next Wedding I go to is on Saturday, where I'll be a guest! Help! I don't know how to be a guest at a Wedding! How will I be able to keep my hands off the bride and groom? How will I feel about another photographer having control of someone's Big Day? Oh, Lord!.. Good job I've got my Fuji X10 to keep me snap-happy! Phew...

Simple pleasures..

Dew collected in the leaf of a lupin! A simple shot on this Bank Holiday Sunday but it sums up how  fresh and new and excited I feel about Wedding Photography this morning! I'm off to Portmeirion now to shoot the Wedding of Nadine and Paul. The sun's shining, the venue is brilliant and with an intimate Wedding party of only 24 people it's going to be an amazing day! Catch you tomorrow! Enjoy the break!..

The clock is ticking..

A tulip, already going over in my garden, and because we're freezing our doo-dahs off it's difficult to remember that it's already May and summer is fast approaching! It's a shame for today's brides that the weather is so unreliable these days, and I'm just hoping Portmeirion has a lovely little 25 degree micro-climate going on when I go there for Sunday's Wedding! Mind you .. 'Cast ne're a clout' as they say, ''til May is out!' The shot, by the way, was on my X10, at f2. (Fast shutter speed to stop my shivering, ha ha!)

Nice to get caught up in the 'other' side of a Wedding! What I mean is that if I ever go to a Wedding it's because I'm the photographer, of course, whereas next week I'm going to be a guest. I just emailed Nicky, the bride, and dropped in the fact that it was only nine days until her Wedding.
"9 Days 4 Hours and 24 Minutes :-)" came back the reply !
God, even I'm getting excited!
Roll on the heat-wave!..

...and then squash the b*stard! ..

Another lickle rant about the selfishness that exists in this country, although I have to admit this one's quite amusing! Think Bike! Think Biker .. then promptly block the cycle lane on a busy road. Yeah, right! Nice one, numpty!

All roads point to Mid-Wales this weekend, as I'm off to Portmeirion to shoot another Wedding. If you've never been there, then go! It's fab! Nooks, crannies, weird buildings, wild colours.. it's an absolute Christmas present for a Wedding Photographer. To be honest, there's so much to shoot that I've actually had to say to Nadine, the bride, that we'll just stick to one area of the site for our photographs, or we'll never get finished for her 6.30 Wedding breakfast deadline. Can't get in the way of their nosh now, can I?

Now then, yellow 'vintage' photographs? Not my scene man, as I'm sure you're well aware, but I just thought I'd let everybody know with a new page on my website..

I feel much better now, thank you! ..