Thinking about having a photobooth at your wedding or party?

The photobooth has been around for a while and seems to be gathering pace as opposed to being a dying trend.  There are so many different types you can have from black taxis and passport photo booth style which print out pictures instantly through to more elaborate set ups with backdrops, furniture set and props.  You can make your own by providing a box of dress up, a polaroid camera, book and pen and theme the booth through your choice or props or backdrops.  You can either rummage in your local charity shops for props or companies such as Etsy

Alternatively your photographer (i.e. me) may offer this as an optional addition to your package.

Here are a few reasons why I think photobooths work so well at weddings:

1.  They usually take place later in the evening when your guests are a little more, ahem, relaxed and in the full swing of the evening.  This means they will be ready to perform and it would be a shame not to catch your friends at their most entertaining and creative.

2.  Put a silly hat, wig or prop into someone's hand and suddenly the camera seems far less scary and your guests are more likely to pose for a photo rather than ducking into a camera-shy manoeuvre.

3.  The pictures provide a great momento for your guests of the evening.  I upload all of the images onto a private online gallery that your guests can view and order prints from.

4.  It's a source of interactive entertainment for participants and viewers alike throughout the evening.

5.  You can use chalk boards to have your guests write messages to the happy couple.

I really enjoy running a photobooth - it is a great opportunity to interact with the guests who I have been photographing all day and capture another side of them; relaxed, fun and often very silly!

Below are some examples of recent booths I've run including in a yurt at Lucy and Simon's wedding at Inshriach House (the team there went all out to help me decorate the yurt with some awesome props)  and those with the green curtain are from a wedding party at Shoreditch House.  I set up in a corner using what was available in the venue.

I always bring extra lighting and use my professional camera so that the images are as high quality as the rest of the images from the wedding.  The images can be edited for a more vintage style and are always supplied in colour and in black and white.

If you are booking me for your wedding then I will set up a photobooth for £250 for 1.5 hours after the first dance.  For stand alone photobooths for parties and other events I can provide a quote depending on length of time required and location.

Salon London - Ma Cherie Amour at Adam Street, London

Another fantastic, stimulating and challenging night at Salon London at Adam Street as we tested our vocal cords with voice coach and trainer on The Voice; Juliet Russell, challenged our fuddy duddy image of sherry with wine writer/expert/broadcaster Jane Parkinson and tested our ratings as a psychopath with Professor Kevin Dutton. There was at least one borderline in the audience. Apparently we can learn a lot from them - and they are probably running your company if they are charming and influential. Never dull evening at Salon.

Richard & Che's Wedding at The Jumeirah, Knightsbridge

For some reason I seem to end up getting a lot of event managers as my clients.  I am going to take it as a compliment as these are people who know what they want and how to make it happen!  Che was no different - she made her decision to book me as we sat around her kitchen table last year discussing the wedding.  They had the brilliant idea of doing the engagement shoot at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park at the end of last year - I had never been but it was great fun and an amazing location for a shoot. I don't do many weddings in central London so it's always a bit of a treat to have one on my doorstep that I can take the tube to!  Richard and Che were married in Knightsbridge at The Jumeirah Carlton Towers Hotel.  The whole event was managed so excellently by Jayne and Errols from Perry's which in turn made it a very stress free day.  Nothing was too much trouble for them and it makes a huge difference to have a planner on hand to manage events. The flowers by Ramels, dancefloor and backdrop by Everything Covered.  The cake was by Crumbs and Doilies and the lovely videographers were from The London Wedding Film Company.  The toastmaster was Howard Robbins. It was my first Turkish wedding and it was brilliant to see some new traditions.  The bride and groom were piped and drummed in, making two turns of the dance floor before doing their first dance - very quickly the entire wedding were on the dance floor.  Towards the end of the evening the money pinning ceremony took place - which is kind of as it sounds.  There is something wonderful about a community supporting newly-weds at the start of their lives together in that way.

Richard & Che's Engagement Shoot at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London

I was just writing up a blog posting for Che and Richard's recent London wedding when I realised I hadn't written a post about their engagement shoot!  And this is one definitely worth mentioning because of the unusual and creative location they chose for their shoot; Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.  It was the most glorious, blue-sky day and we got there early before the crowds.  I had never been before but Che and Richard are big fans and were joined by the rest of their family for a day out. They were a whole lot braver than me and impressively went on the biggest roller coaster in the park for the sake of my photographic demands!  It's not open again until November of this year.

Perrier Jouët Arts Salon Dinner - selecting the winner

Back in January I blogged about the inaugural Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Dinner which was meeting for the first time to launch a prestigious arts prize.  They came together again at the end of March to discuss the shortlist and make their selection of the winner.  I can't tell you who won as it hasn't been officially announced yet but the committee enjoyed a delicious food and champagne supper at the Royal Suite at the newly refurbished St Pancras Hotel in London. It's not something I do much of but my clients Campbell Bell asked me if I could film a bit of the event for a small showreel - here are my efforts.  I quite enjoyed it and look forward to incorporate film into my events offering in the future.

Some nudity...

Not last Christmas but the one before that, I was given a very special birthday present by a dear friend.  The gift was most unusual but so perfect - a half day shoot with the very talented Holly, or Ivory Flame.  I only recently managed to organise a shoot with her and supported by my team including stylist Caroline Williams, make-up artist Tori Harris and with me assisted by Luis Urena, we shot in a location which I have been dying to use for ages - the home of my friends, artists Molly Micklethwait and Rufus White in East London. We were ridiculously lucky with the weather and although freezing the sun burst through the windows creating the most beautiful light for many of the shots.  Holly was incredibly professional despite the cold and was a dream to shoot.  At one point I put down my camera and professed that I couldn't breath I was so excited.  I think that is the point at which you realise that you are the luckiest girl in the world to have discovered a job that you love so very much.

(if you are interested in using this location let me know and I'll put you in touch with Molly and Rufus)

Easter Yoga Retreat in Ibiza

With two days to spare I managed to grab last minute seats on Ryanair to get me to Ibiza in time for the first retreat held by Formentera Yoga and Jax May Lysycia at their new country house over Easter.  Having followed Jax for her yoga instruction from London to Morocco to Formentera I was keen to try out their newest venue up in the North West Hills of Ibiza; a finca set in 20 acres of fruit trees and scattered with sheep and goats, not overlooked by a single neighbour and only a 45 minute walk to the beach.  The perfect escape to unwind and recharge.  What attracted me to this trip was the combination of early morning silent walks; deep, sensitising yoga; meditation and the opportunity to explore another side of the island on two challenging 10km hikes around the coastal paths, led by the very entertaining and knowledgeable Toby of Walking Ibiza who introduced us to the flora and fauna of the white isle (white for it's salt...) The food of course is very important on such trips - you can't demand so much of your body without putting something back in, but the team included Guici the Italian chef who delivered mouthwatering Ottolenghi-style vegetarian food each day.

We were blessed with the most beautiful weather for the entire trip.  Clear blue skies and warm breezes as we stretched out on the deck overlooking the sea as the sun rose and cooler air as we climbed through the pine forests in the afternoons.  Not quite warm enough to enjoy the sea (with some exceptions!) but we sat in a circle on the beach at the end of one day for an evening meditation to the sounds of the waves.

I met some amazing people on this trip, strengthened friendships with others and connected with an energised and more whole self.  I can't do trips like this every month (sadly) but I can take with me the tools to look after myself in day to day life.

and the wonderful team... Suni, Jax and Richi.. who looked after us so well.

Teva & Neil's Wedding at Southend Barns

I had the absolute delight of shooting the very sumptuous wedding of Mr and Miss Smith (now Mr and Mrs Smith - how convenient not to have to change your name!).  With Teva being an event planner in Brisbane a wedding presented no challenge to her. I've never seen such a slickly organised wedding - nor such a calm bride, which goes to show that if you fail to prepare you prepare to fail.  Or something like that.  I'm definitely working on it... On their last visit to the UK they came and visited me at my flat in Primrose Hill and we did the engagement shoot in the garden (see here) and I discovered to my delight that Teva is a natural in front of the camera - and such fabulous cheekbones!

Southend Barns in Chichester is a relatively new venue and already proving hugely popular which doesn't surprise me.  Every part of the venue has been beautifully designed with lots of quirky styling and attention to detail and comfort.  And the staff were fantastically helpful at all times.  Given that it had been snowing the weekend before we were lucky that the weather warmed up enough to enjoy the outdoor areas with guests drinking mulled wine and eating hot roasted chestnuts around the open fires.

Kate at Vintage Style Hire had pulled out the stops and combined with Teva's stunning touches the barn itself was a gorgeous feast of flowers (supplied by Violets and Velvet) and personal treasures and messages of love to be enjoyed by family and friends.

Food was supplied by Field and Fork.

Jo Reid (Make up) and Bethany Alden (Hairstylist) from Blush had the girls looking stunning.  Some of the pictures of Teva simply took my breath away.  I even took the chance to take a few pictures of Meqa, Teva's sister, for her website.  

The Great Ormond Street Hospital Carol Service

I recently started working with a leading agency called Red Photographic and the first job I was assigned to was the 13th Great Ormond Street Hospital Carol Service in Knightsbridge, sponsored by Trailfinders.  Over 700 guests attended the concert in the beautiful St Pauls Church.  The concert featured performances from The Gallery Choir of Westminster Cathedral Choir and Tansy Bennett, plus readings from Downton Abbey creator Lord Julian Fellowes, Jonathan Pryce OBE, Penelope Wilton and John Standing.  Afterwards the guests headed across the road to The Berkeley Hotel to enjoy champagne and canapes and bid in the silent auction.  It really got me all Christmassy being part of the night - and for a fantastic cause as well.

It was truly a spectacular night for a first job with Red and I'm looking forward to much more this year.

Wedding Planning by Katherine Courtney - and 5 minutes with me!

I recently met up with two absolutely fabulous girls with a beautiful creative vision.  Katherine and Courtney are the duo behind Katherine Courtney Wedding Planning & Coordination.  I'm very excited at the prospect of working with them in the future on both some styled shoots which we are planning, and of course on some weddings this year. They write a wonderful blog as well as being very active on Pinterest with their ideas.  They recently did a short piece on me talking about my inspiration and way I view the wedding photography industry.  You can read the piece here.  I'm looking forward to writing for me soon about the importance of wedding planning.

The transcript for the interview is below:

KC:  How long have you worked within the industry?

HA:  I have worked in the photography industry for 5 years having retrained after 10 years of working in events and marketing.  I used to book photographers for my events and it was always a career I held in high esteem – at the time I never dreamed I could actually become a photographer myself.  However, a combination of luck, opportunity and a lot of hard work have turned that dream into a reality and I’ve never looked back.

KC:  What inspires your work?

HA:  My inspiration comes from a lifetime of travel and experiences and I gain a lot of ideas for poses and techniques from fashion magazines, portrait and fine art photographers and film.  My first degree was in History of Art and so I have always had a love of imagery.  When working with wedding clients I am often led by them as people and the way in which they love.  I take my creative cues from their relationship and how they like to express it.

 

 

KC:  What three “tools-of-the-trade” are a must have?

HA:  My 5d Mk 3 cameras, my Shootsac (essential for carrying spare lenses, batteries and cards when on the move at a wedding) and huge amounts of energy!

KC:  Any advice for our brides?

HA:  Always meet with your wedding photographer.  Your photographer will be close by your side for much of the day and it’s really important that you have a good personality fit.  If you have the opportunity do a pre-wedding shoot then this is very useful.  I offer this as part of my standard package as I think it’s so important to get used to being in front of the camera and to build a relationship with your photographer BEFORE the big day.

Don’t be afraid to be honest about you want – at the end of the day it’s your day so work with your photographer to ensure you get the type of photographs you want but do listen to their advice – they will have done hundreds of weddings and can be a great source of information about what works and what doesn’t and can guide you in planning a smooth and successful day.

KC:  What trends do you forecast?

HA:  Wedding photography has changed dramatically over the last 10 years from being very formal and formulaic to a more natural and documentary style.  I love that wedding photography has developed into the creative and personal expression it is now and that is why I was attracted to working in the industry.   There will always be trends in wedding photography but I’ve always believed in simplicity.  I don’t want to use gimmicks in my photography or post production but to capture a scene in the most natural, beautiful way that will stand the test of time.

Polly + Damon's Wedding

Only days after getting back from snowboarding in Switzerland Polly and Damon came together at Islington Town Hall on Wednesday, near their home, to get married in front of a very small group of close family from near and far.  I was only with them for a few hours but thoroughly enjoyed their energy and relaxed natures. Even though it was absolutely freezing Polly came outside the hotel for a few minutes to get some lovely shots of her and her sisters.

They finished off their day at Frederick's in Camden Passage.

Stevie & Stuart's Engagement Shoot at the British Museum

Sometimes the terrible British weather can bring fortuitous results - such as a previously arranged engagement shoot at Virginia Water being moved to the British Museum as a wet weather alternative.  I am always very happy to try alternative locations for shoots and this was somewhere I have been wanting to shoot in for a while.  The light is beautiful, the backdrop stunning and on a Thursday morning not too busy - other than a few bus loads of tourists and school children.  After a while I think Stevie and Stuart even forgot they were in a public place and we just enjoyed the space and freedom of this incredible place.

A few holiday snaps from Sri Lanka

So we had our hearts set on Cuba - 3 and a half weeks through January to get us through the new year post-Christmas blues.  We were to arrive on New Year's eve.  But life gets in the way of the best laid plans and at the last minute we changed our adventure holiday to the more relaxed option of ten days in Sri Lanka with nothing more challenging than a gentle cycle with Idle Bikes through the paddy fields outside Galle, a deep back bending yoga class in the outdoors with Christophe at The Galle Spa, a sunset meditation at Yatagala Temple  and of course lifting our arms to request another cocktail at the Frangipani Tree or the Dutch House - the two fabulous places we stayed. With both Christian and I being photographers it becomes incredibly difficult to enjoy beautiful experiences without the strong urge to capture it in all it's glory.  Sometimes though it's nice to drop the camera from your face and be fully present in the moment.  I did however get quite excited when I spotted some Sri Lankan bridal parties around the Fort - see my blog here.

So here is a few pictures but by no means comprehensive of the trip.  A little taste of the wonders of Sri Lanka.  We certainly plan to go back and more of an exploration of the interior of the island and enjoy more of the temples throughout the country.

Brides in Galle, Sri Lanka

I've recently got back from an incredible 10 days in Galle, Sri Lanka.  It was a country I had always longed to visit and finally after an aborted attempt to go to Cuba in January we booked a last minute trip and were on the plane within days, furnished with a handful of contacts and friends of friends to visit on. I'm going to write more about the trip and the places I stayed in my next blog but this one is a pure celebration of the beauty of the people.  Christian left before I had even woken up one morning to go on a jog around the city walls and came back to bundle me into a tuk tuk to hurry down and witness the mass of gorgeous bridal parties who were being guided around the city walls for their professional photographs.

Weddings vary according to religion, region, caste, ethnicity and language and the costumes that they wear reflect this - particularly in the variety of outfits the men were wearing.

Bride: Wears four silk saris (they can vary from the Indian to Kandyan Style) for the wedding celebrations. She also wears a nalalpata, a headband with a gold gem-studded forehead plate, traditionally worn by royal rulers. A mass of chains is worn around her neck. Padakkam (pendants) are an important part of the chains, each having a name – peti malaya, the agasthi malaya and the seri valatu. The earrings, known as dimithi, have the shape of an overturned cup with tiny pearls dangling from two ear studs. Some brides wear armlets to ward off bad luck.

Groom: Wears a traditional nilame (or mul anduma) suit over his sarong and shirt, and atamulu thoppiya (eight-cornered hat).

The Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon & Prize

Last night I had the privilege of shooting the inaugural supper of the Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon in the Grand Hall and Wimborne Dining Room at The Ritz for my client Campbell-Bell Communications.

Launched in January 2013 the concept of the Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon stems from the origins of the Salon in Paris from the mid-1700s, bringing together like-minded people under the roof of an inspiring host to refine tastes, must on the Arts, inspire and increase knowledge through conversation.  The Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon aims to bring to life the original spirit of the salon drawing together an eclectic and dynamic group of members to share ideas and debate on developments in the Arts, with a philanthropy goal at its hear.  The Salon will support the selection of an annual prize winner who will receive a substantial sum and experiences to support him/her in the development of their career.

Candidates will be nominated by leaders in the fields of Applied Arts and Craft, and the winner's work will best evoke a contemporary interpretation of the Art Nouveau spirit of the House of Champagne Perrier-Jouët, 'transforming the mundane of everyday life into something truly beautiful'.

Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Inaugural Members:

CHAIR FOR 2013: Rosy Greenlees, Executive Director, The Crafts Council

Peter Aspden, Arts Writer, Financial Times

Tord Boontje, Artist

Claire Brewster, Artist

Louisa Buck, Arts Writer, The Art Newspaper

Tony Chambers, Editor, Wallpaper Magazine

Claire Coles, Artist

Nancy Durrant, Arts Writer, The Times

Nicole Farhi, Fashion Designer

Harry Handelsman, Art Collector

Stephen Jones, Milliner

Kate MccGwire, Artist

Julia Royse, Curator and Art Advisor

I've only eaten at The Ritz for afternoon tea but was lucky enough to try the menu (after photographing each dish!).  The menu featured the following, with each course accompanied by a different vintage Perrier-Jouët:

Dressed crab roll, spiced apple and grapes  {}  Spiced turbot with mushroom puree and morels  {}  Roast rack of veal, celeriac and truffle  {} Red berry soufflé with buttermilk sorbet

Hayley's Pregnancy Shoot

It's such a personal stage in a woman's life and it was a real privilege to have the opportunity to shoot Hayley only one day before he was born.  She was absolutely glowing and beautiful and we did the shoot in the comfort of her home using mainly natural light and the lovely space of the house.  Congratulations to her and Wes on their new arrival. I had the pleasure of shooting a heavily pregnant bride, Amber, in the summer at a gorgeous central London wedding.  For how to maintain your glamour whilst in the second trimester see the blog post here!

Lynn & Stephen's Wedding in Glasgow

I just recently posted the engagement shoot for Lynn and Stephen here (they used the pictures for the front of the order of service!).  It was such a great shoot and they were full of enthusiasm and energy so I knew their wedding would be too.  I love the picture of Lynn literally clapping her hands in joy in the car after the ceremony - she really was having the best day of her life! Lynn and her bridesmaids got ready at the extremely charming boutique hotel 15 Glasgow by the park.

The wedding took place at their church, St George's The Tron, which is on Glasgow's high street and since it was a Saturday the town was crowded and delighted by the arrival of a gorgeous young bride.  The wedding was very inclusive with every member of their church attending both the ceremony and the reception.

After the ceremony Lynn and Stephen took half an hour to themselves as we wandered through Victoria Park outside of Glasgow and enjoyed ice creams and coca cola by the duck pond before arriving at Paisley Town Hall.

Emma & Mark's Wedding in St Andrews

Back when I was 18 I was offered a place to read English at St Andrews university but I ended up choosing English and History of Art at York, at the time I didn't know how heart-wrenchingly beautiful Scotland is.  But hindsight is a wonderful thing!  I never made it up to St Andrews for a visit so this September I was so happy to have the opportunity to finally visit Scotland's first university.  I arrived the evening before to attend the rehearsal and meet Mark and Emma for the first time.  I was overwhelmed with how lovely the area was and St Salvator's Chapel was just stunning. Emma was radiant and as you can see from the pictures didn't stop smiling all day.  She beamed her way down the aisle and the service was one filled with laughter and love.  After the ceremony the guests headed back to Carphin House where the bridal party were staying for canapes and champagne.  The weather stayed so fine that everyone was able to stand outside on terrace and enjoy the views over the hills of Cupar.

As the sun was setting and most of the guests had departed I took Emma and Mark off for a quick walk around the grounds for some final pictures.  They didn't stop chatting and laughing the whole way around.  I am sure they are destined for a very happy future together and I'm grateful to have been a part of a very special wedding.

A bit of Ascot sunshine on a grey day

Some sunny and cheery photos for this dismal and grey January, and something to plan for the summer; a day trip to Ascot! One of my regular clients is Ascot through agency RPM Photographic, for whom I cover various events and food photography.  I get to dress up and spend the day wandering through the crowds at the summer race days taking pictures of cute kids, magnificent horses, gorgeous girls and boys in their finest and... the queen!  She arrived with such little drumroll into the winners enclosure that I virtually had to be pulled out of her path by my colleague.

If you have children, the kids day is brilliant.  All the rides and entertainments are free once you are into the grounds and there is so much for them to do.

Introducing an exciting new beer brand; Green & Pleasant

Last year I started working more closely with my filmmaker/photographer boyfriend, Christian Banfield of schmick tv.  When an old friend of his approached him to make the film for their new beer brand he put me forward for the photography, which was to take place at the same time.  After looking at my portfolio and particularly like the work I did at Seymour Oysters in Jersey and asked me to do their brand photography for use across a range of media. Fast forward quite quickly and a week so later we were setting off in the dark for the Green and Pleasant micro brewery near Burton-on-Trent in the midlands, the heartland of British brewing, with a small film crew.  Founders  Fleur Emery and Jamie Anley arrived, along with Mr Beebe the office pug to talk with enthusiasm about the development of their new product and the importance of the lands on which the brewery sit; for providing the right climate, natural conditions of good barley growing soil and immediately available natural spring waters.  To learn more about the beer take a look at the short film here and follow their progress on Facebook.

Fleur and Jamie are offering the chance for investors of anything from £10 upwards to get involved with the brand through Crowdcube and to own a part of this brand which promises to be heading in a very exciting direction!  I shall report back from the launch event featuring Rob da Bank in March...