In October 2006, I owned a small recruitment company, lived in London and my other half Helen was 6 months pregnant with our daughter. I was sitting in the bath when Helen asked what I wanted for my birthday. My goddaughter had dropped our point and shoot camera and I said flippantly that a new camera would be nice! October 23rd and after a lot of research, Helen bought me a Canon 400d and that was it! I had spent years being a frustrated creative stuck in a corporate job and now I finally found what I wanted to do! 6 weeks after getting the camera, I closed my business and decided I was going to become a photographer!
The only slight problem was that we had no other income, Helen was now seven and a half months pregnant and I had no idea how to make a living from photography! Well there is nothing like a bit of pressure to get you motivated! That pressure, an obsessive mentality and thankfully some understanding of what looked good and how to build a business got me started. For the next couple of years, I had two new roles. Father and Photographer. I am still not sure which I found easier or harder but I loved them both!
Five years on and I am just as obsessive about photography. I very quickly found that people and more importantly that weddings were the area that I enjoyed the most. Wedding Photography is crazy. In one day, I photograph like a fashion photographer, a photojournalist, a landscape photographer and any other combination of styles. In addition, everything is set to a strict timeline and I also try to act as a calming influence on brides, grooms and everyone else. I truly love it! I love the beauty, the emotion, the chaos and thrive on the pressure! No wedding is ever the same.
Photographing 50 or so weddings a year across the UK and getting booked 2-3 years in advance, I feel very privileged to be given such a task of recording someones special day. The feedback and testimonials I get from brides and grooms blows me away. How can doing something I love also make other people happy! Its a fantastic feeling. I am a tad obsessive about my career and I hope thats a healthy thing. My couples get the benefit of my constant wish to improve even if they do sometimes wonder why they are standing on a table or why I am up a tree!
In November 2011, I was nominated for and won the Wedding Photographer of the Year from the Wedding Industry Awards for the South West. I am now a finalist in the National Awards. It means so much that these awards are voted for by my brides and grooms that have experienced my services. Let see what happens in January at the National Wedding Awards!
I am always happy to talk about my work or weddings in general. At this stage, I am a bit of a wedding insider and know lots of tips that seem to helps the day go smoother. I would love to hear from you about your wedding day. My number is 01793 737 262 or my mobile is 07903 798 755. Contact me through the contact page and I will send you a wedding brochure.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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