Nice weekend, Martin? ..

What a crazy couple of days ..

I had a Wedding at Leigh Golf Club on Saturday and a Wedding Fayre to exhibit at on Sunday and, in between, I went to a gig in .. London!

I've liked Nina Hagen since her first album came out in 1978, and when I found out she was playing a one-off gig 'darn sarf' I just knew I had to go. The thing was, could I fit it into my already busy 'Wedding' weekend? Well, dear reader, I did! I got to Shepherd's Bush Empire just 25 minutes before Nina came on, and got back to the Wedding Fayre at Lymm's Statham Lodge hotel a whole 20 minutes before it opened to the public. Result! ..

Even more of a result is the fact that I've already had two enquiries from couples I met at the Fayre and, if I get their bookings confirmed, I'll have Weddings to shoot right up to September 2018. Wow!..

Ps: What do you mean, you've never heard of Nina Hagen??...

Fayre enough ..

I had a great time at the Statham Lodge Wedding Fayre yesterday, and not just because one of the other photographers at the event said I was his favourite photographer!! (Honestly! And he was sober, too!) No, the whole thing just had a lovely vibe to it. Great visitors all day long, a lovely sunny day, free sandwiches and - pretty importantly - no Fashion Catwalk shows to take the brides away from all our other stands! I've already had a message from one of the brides I met, so I'm hopeful that good things will come of the day and I've booked my stand at their next fayre in September on the strength of all this good feeling!

Squaresville, Arizona ..

My Fuji X10 camera has an option on it that allows one to shoot square images and so, suitably inspired by Vivian Maier's 6x6 self-portraits, I've decided to try and shoot a few of my 'snaps' in a square format for a while. (By the way, how do you make the symbol for 2 and a quarter on a keyboard?) Of course, I'm well used to shooting square photographs, as I shot all my Weddings on a Mamiya RZ67 and I've used a Yashicamat for years, but it's nice to rethink one's framing techniques again after a long time with a 'normal' camera, and these four pictures are good examples from the last three days.

My next Wedding Fayre is on the horizon, and this one is the first opportunity to really push The Culcheth Collection in person! Both myself and Decadence Wedding Carriages will be at Statham Lodge in Lymm on Sunday - the Car and Camera parts of The Collection - and we'll be promoting a special offer whereby if any of you lovely brides book us both you'll receive an added 'extra' from each of us! Be there or - ho ho - be square!..

It's a date ..

Well, it's nearly here! It's next week! It's .. my last Wedding of the year! Oh, you didn't think I meant .. oh, never mind! Yes, my last Wedding of the year and, unusually, it's on a Monday. I'll be at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire for the Wedding of James and Emma and I can not wait! It'll have everything! Location, beautiful people and the challenging vagaries of light and weather that can only mean it's a late December Wedding! Get yer batteries charged, Martin! Actually, if we're talking dates, it's exactly a month today until my next Wedding Fayre - at Statham Lodge, in Lymm. I'm looking forward to a good set of bookings next year, once we'll have got that pesky number 13 out of the way. Yes, I really do think that couples have held off getting married because it's been 2013. Well, it's almost gone so come on down to Statham .. and let's make a date!

Nice one, my son...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I'm not one to boast but I've just had the third amazing testimonial in a week! Out of the blue I got this sent to me on Facebook yesterday morning.. "10 yrs ago today you shot our Wedding at Statham Lodge Hotel - the best wedding pictures I've ever seen and you captured our day perfectly!. Thank You from Keith and Jen Harris"  Isn't that amazing? Ten years after their Big Day and they were still nice enough to take time out to think about me! I'm so flattered! It reminds me of the time I was invited to the 25th Wedding Anniversary of a couple whose Wedding I'd photographed. They were now grandparents, for goodness sake! It was an amazing evening, and it brought home just how much a part of a couple's Big Day I actually am. It's a responsibility and an honour that I carry with pride!

Hm! Maybe I am one to boast.. but who cares? I don't do photography.. I am a photographer! Here's to the next twenty five years!..

Give thanks to the Wedding God...

Fantastic! What a busy day I had yesterday! I was shooting the Wedding of Faye and Chris at Statham Lodge, in Lymm, and it more or less rained all day! I had to more or less shoot all the family poses indoors. Then, just as the guests were being called in for their meal .. it stopped raining! More or less!  I grabbed the opportunity to invite everybody to come outside (Read: Practically pushed 'em out the door..) and got my big group shot just before it started to hammer down again! Thank you, Oh Wedding God!

I just love this shot, though! He's mine! I've got 'im!!..

Anyway, brief interlude now whilst I take a little (well-deserved) break.. Catch you soon!

Solar Panels..

Yes! That's what I'd meant to tell you about .. solar panels! I had my PR head on again this week, shooting solar panels on a house in the Peak District, but with the wind being as strong as it's been I actually thought I was going to photograph solar panels being ripped off the roof and flung into the street! However, all went well, and another happy client describes my work as "Fab"..  By the way, one of 'my brides' came back off honeymoon this week, and says she's looked at her Wedding photographs online and thinks they're "wonderful !!!!" (Yes, four exclamation marks!!!!)

Anyway, I'm gearing up for tomorrow's Wedding now, at the delicious little Statham Lodge, in Lymm. Bridal preparations until First Dance again, and all shots on CD. Seems to be a very popular package these days!
I just hope that flippin' wind dies down .. exclamation mark!