Approach

To document, not direct.

Narrative

Narrative. That’s the word I’d use to describe my approach to the wedding day. A story through pictures.


Wherever possible I think it’s important to let a wedding be itself, with minimal direction on the part of the photographer. There’s beauty, honesty, truth and emotion inherent in the day and it’s my job to photograph it.


That’s not to say that we don’t spend time on portraits and groups – we certainly do – but first and foremost my coverage is about unobtrusive observation. I’m a professional spectator you hire to help you remember your day.

Guiding principles

Your Wedding is NOT a Photoshoot

This is the primary foundation behind everything I do. Your day is about you and your people, not posing for the camera. Wedding days fly past, and the best thing you can do is to soak up every minute of it. I keep the photography relaxed and non-intrusive so you guys can focus on the celebration. Because, in my experience, the moments you most remember are the moments you least expect.

Document Not Direct

Your wedding is your own story. It’s not someone else’s and it’s definitely not a scripted production. It’s one of life’s big events and, like all the big events, it’s real and raw and unpredictable. My role is to observe, anticipate, and document what unfolds – never to direct it.

All Day, Every Chapter

Each wedding day traces its own arc – from the quiet beginnings to the late night chaos. As standard my coverage starts around 10am and runs through until midnight. Evening moments when the day takes on a ‘now or never’ atmosphere can be some of the very best; I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Memories over Content

Wedding photographs are much more than here-today, gone-tomorrow social media fare. They’re important the day after the wedding, of course, but their real value grows with time and distance. 

My approach embraces the beauty found in imperfection, the beauty that exists in the stuff of life. I aim to capture all those ‘real’ moments because they matter just as much as the ‘big’ moments of the day. I’m not shooting ‘for the ’gram’ – I’m shooting for a family wedding album your kids will inherit.

Calm, Trust & Connection

Great documentary photography depends on trust and access. The best documentary photographs happen when people feel relaxed and unobserved.

By working alone and keeping things low-key, I find that my clients largely forget about the camera. That unguardedness goes a long way; it allows me to capture people reacting honestly to one another rather than subconsciously performing for the camera.

FAQ

Absolutely. If you’d like them, of course! There’s no pressure to include them if group photos aren’t your thing.

I suggest approximately eight distinct groups based around your immediate family and wedding party. This ensures they don’t take too long while giving sufficient time for all the key combinations.

Yes! Unless, like groups, you’d prefer not to.

Working around your timeline – because the day should always come first – we try and schedule around 30mins within an hour or two of sunset. This tends to make for the most compelling light.

I’m a firm believer that good portraits should reflect you guys as people. To that end, I always ask my clients to think of portraits less as a private photoshoot and instead simply as time to hang out together. You categorically don’t need to perform for the camera!

Typically, no. I intentionally work alone to ensure that the wedding day remains focused on the celebration and not the photography. My aim is to have a small footprint on the day.

Very occasionally, for particularly complex weddings, or when locations are physically far apart, I have been known to bring in a second photographer to assist with limited portions of the day. In short, while it’s not out of the question, it is rarely necessary.

I am based in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire and available for commissions throughout the UK and overseas.

I’ve been shooting weddings since 2008. I shoot around twenty weddings per year so have shot well over 300 celebrations.