Jessica and Steve at Leez Priory

A few favourites from Jessica and Steve's day at Leez Priory. The Primroses and Daffodils were in full bloom, marking the fact that the busiest time of year for an Essex Wedding Photographer is just around the corner.

Leez Priory is a wonderful venue with stunning grounds, it's run by some of the most helpful and friendly staff that I have ever met.

New Woburn Abbey brochure

I have just received some printed copies of the new Woburn Abbey Sculpture Gallery promotional brochure. It's beautifully designed, and very gratifying to see a lot of my photography used in it. Over the past few years I have had wedding photograpy features published in a few magazines, but this one will take pride of place in the collection.

Stunning new picture books

I have just received some sample books from a new supplier. I'm delighted, the print quality and binding are superb. These books come with either a leather or metal cover. In the near future I will also be offering some cover materials and designs that are completely unique to me. Mini parents books can also be ordered.

St Brelades, Jersey

I started the New Year with the wedding of Pauline and Andrew at St Brelades in Jersey. This was my first visit to Jersey. I had some time before the wedding to wander the beach and take some shots. These have been used on the first page of Pauline and Andrew's album as scene setting images. The weather was bitterly cold, but the guys were happy to take a quick walk on the beach after the service just before sunset.

Although I am a wedding photographer based in Essex, I now shoot commissions all over the UK, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Enquiries for destination weddings further afield seem to be on the increase, and I am happy to shoot a limited number of these each year.

Happy New Year!

Despite the gloomy economic situation, 2009 is shaping up to be a record year with over half of my available dates already full.
I have some wonderful locations to shoot this year, from Scotland to Jersey, and venues from St Paul's Cathedral to small London restaurants. I'm very much looking forward to the busy season kicking off.

I don't really do New Year resolutions, but I am planning to work on my cycling fitness and maybe even enter a race or two.
This takes some time and dedication, not easy while also being a busy wedding photographer in Essex. As the Spring approaches I plan to be putting in at least 150 miles a week trainning on the bike. The first event on the calendar will be a 65 mile sportive in February around Burnham and Baddow. I'm pretty lucky with where I live....the start is next door to my house in East Hanningfield.

Justine and Rob at Woburn Abbey

December was a busy month for me with 4 weddings. Here is a selection of images from one of my favourites, Justine and Rob at the stunning Woburn Abbey Sculpture gallery.

London Weddings: Alanna and Scott at St Etheldreda's, Holborn

I'm very keen on central London weddings. I love both the challenges and architectural opportunties that London weddings offer. I knew that Alanna and Scott's wedding at St Etheldreda's in Holborn would certainly be challenging! A 4pm service in late October, and a reception in the crypt of the church lit by little more than candle light would create a few problems for me.

St Etheldreda's is the oldest Catholic church in England, and surely one of the most beautiful. The Crypt has hosted many historic feasts over the centuries, including one attended by Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon that lasted 3 days and included the consumption of hundreds of Larks and Swans.

I approached the reception in the Crypt with particular consideration to lighting. Most of the images are photographed purely by available light using very fast lenses. Any use of flash was carefully controlled to give a sympathetic and natural look that seamlessly blends with the nautal ambience.

Here is a mail that I received from Alanna and Scott after the wedding.

Dear Simon,

Thank you for the wonderful gallery of photos!

They are exactly what we wanted and capture our event perfectly. We really hope that you are as pleased with the results as we are - especially as we know that the lighting levels in both the church and the crypt were a challenge to photograph.

(I am particularly happy that you managed to achieve some flattering pictures of me - I know that I am not easy to photograph well! so I would like to thank you for those shots in particular.) We are so pleased that we decided that you were the 'right' photographer for us. your work confirms this and we feel that your services are definitely an investment worth making. We will have no problem recommending you highly in the future.

Alanna and Scott