David Lester Photography - Blog

Edel and David's Hillsborough Park Portraits

2011-06-14T16:50:00.003+01:00

It's fair to say that Hillsborough Park is a fantastic location for a portrait shoot, so when I met up with Edel and David there recently I knew we were going to get some lovely images. We walked around the old fort for an hour or so and had great fun, capturing some marvellous pictures together. Edel and David were really good fun to work with and the time passed very quickly in their company. Here's a small selection of my favourite shots from their session:

Teresa and Brian's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Lisburn

2011-06-06T21:22:00.004+01:00

My latest collection of images features Teresa and Brian who came into the studio for their pre-wedding shoot recently. It was my third and final session of a highly enjoyable day. Obviously, I wouldn't dream of upsetting anyone by suggesting I'd saved the best for last but Teresa and Brian's shoot was certainly just as much fun as the day's earlier sessions. I hope you like the images I've chosen to preview here:

David

Christine and Pete's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-06-03T15:29:00.002+01:00

It was a session full of laughter and big beaming smiles when Christine and Pete came in for their pre-wedding portraits at the weekend. They coudn't have looked happier if they'd just won the lottery! If you ever had any doubt what love looks like then just take a look at their pictures. I had a great time on this shoot and can't wait to show Christine and Pete their images. In the meantime, here's a wee sneak preview:

What a lovely couple!
David

Sonia and Emmett's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-06-01T18:50:00.002+01:00

Photographing Sonia and Emmett in my Lisburn studio on Saturday was great fun. Ok, so it was tipping down outside and we didn't dare risk Sonia's beautiful dress getting drenched - or my hair getting frizzy lol! - but that didn't dampen the spirits for one moment. Sonia and Emmett were both great at getting into the various poses I suggested and by the time the shoot was done we'd used up as much energy as you'd expend in the most demanding of yoga classes - well, I had anyway! Here's a small selection of my faves from the shoot:

Showing Sonia and Emmett the full set of edited images is something I'm really looking forward to,
David

Claire and Tim's Crawfordsburn Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-05-25T22:14:00.003+01:00

When considering the location for their pre-wedding photoshoot, there was one place that stood out above all others for Claire and Tim. Not only had they gone to the Inn at Crawfordsburn for their first date but it was also where Tim chose to ask Claire if she'd marry him. So when he asked me if I'd travel to Crawfordsburn for their shoot I was more than happy to oblige. The Inn has a wealth of options for great photographs, both inside and out in the lovely gardens. We made the most of them, as the images show below, before heading off to get some more shots on the beach at Helen's Bay - where a greyhound did something unspeakable (involving one leg being raised off the ground) on my camera bag - and at Crawfordsburn Country Park.

It really was great fun photographing Claire and Tim, especially in the knowledge that the location means such a lot to them. Hope they like this little selection of some of my favourites from their shoot,
David

Judith & Neil's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-05-23T17:56:00.002+01:00

Judith and Neil came into the Lisburn studio on one of those evenings when it's raining one minute and sunny the next - rather like today, actually. Having the studio means the weather can't get in the way of a good shoot though and we had plenty of fun and laughter as we captured a lovely set of images, a few of which are displayed below.

After shooting inside for a while, we decided to risk the rain and head along the road a short distance to a nearby site of a former night club. This setting makes for a gritty urban series of images and the colours on the wall worked really well with both Judith and Neil's eyes, as you can see below. The shoot did teach me an important lesson, though - watch where you're walking. For as I moved around to gain a different viewpoint I went flying onto my rear end on some wet tiles - and I've still got the marks to prove it lol!

Nicola and Earl's Pre-Wedding Portraits in Lisburn

2011-05-20T17:54:00.003+01:00

Here's a small selection of images I took recently when Nicola and Earl came to Lisburn for their pre-wedding shoot. We were lucky enough to have a lovely sunny morning, so took advantage of the fine weather before heading indoors to capture some shots in the studio. I was impressed with how well both Nicola and Earl were able to strike their poses - they were clearly very relaxed together and I hope you'll agree with me that they make a really good-looking couple:

David

Helen & Paul's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-05-11T15:15:00.002+01:00

I can't believe a fortnight has gone by already since my session with Helen and Paul - where has all the time gone? In fairness, I've spent half of that period on the road, shooting interiors in England. No rest for the wicked - though I'm not sure what vices I've been indulging recently to merit being put in that category!

That's enough chat about me. This post is all about Helen and Paul's shoot, and what a fun-filled session it was! I don't know why but I love it when someone comes in to the studio and tells me they're very nervous about having their photograph taken. Maybe it's because I feel the gauntlet has been thrown down and I can't resist a good challenge. Whatever the reason, Helen quite openly declared that she didn't really like having her photograph taken - but then without realising it she trabsformed into the most amazing model, taking direction as if she were used to being on set all day, every day. I hope both Helen and Paul enjoyed their shoot - it's never as traumatic as one imagines - and we had plenty of fun together as this selection of preview images shows:

Looking forward to showing Helen and Paul all their images very soon,
David

Zara - Portraits of a Princess

2011-04-29T13:48:00.002+01:00

There has already been much oohing and aahing today at the beautiful images of Princess Catherine as she tied the knot with Prince William in Westminster Abbey - we wish them both a very happy marriage, which hopefully the media will allow them to enjoy without too much intrusion. But I want to introduce you to another gorgeous princess - Zara - who came into our Lisburn studio earlier this week with her mum Jenny. Zara was a fantastic sitter, playing to the camera in great style - the new Duchess of Cambridge would be well served if she were to ask Zara for some posing lessons! We had a great time together and I had quite a task to pick out a selection of favourites - but here they are for you to enjoy:

Hope you like them,
David

Eileen & Brenadan - The Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-04-20T10:58:00.002+01:00

Eileen and Brendan's pre-wedding shoot took place on a lovely afternoon at the Lisburn studio last Saturday. Shooting inside and outside meant Eileen was able to change her outift part way through - this is one of the great advantages of shooting at the studio, as well as ensuring there's no cause for cancellation should we have any rain. There was no problem with the weather on Saturday, though, and we had a good time creating a series of lovely images, a few of which I am previewing here:

David

Kerrie & Keith's Pre Wedding Shoot

2011-04-12T17:24:00.002+01:00

Kerrie and Keith arrived at the studio on Saturday with the broadest of smiles, and it set the tone for a really great shoot. They had me in fits of laughter almost from the word 'go' and I thoroughly enjoyed their session. I think you can see from the photos below that they had a great time too and I'm really looking forward to welcoming them back to the studio again soon for their viewing. In the meantime, here's a sneak preview of some of the images we made: David :-)

Claire and Darren's Engagement Shoot

2011-04-09T17:37:00.002+01:00

I had a great day today which kicked off early when I showed Louise and Jonny their pre-wedding photos, a selection of which can be seen by scrolling down this page a little. I then had a wonderful shoot with Claire and Darren. "We only have one photograph of us that we like," they told me shortly after they arrived. So we set out to put that right and came up with a really good set of images for them. Here are five of the shots, some taken in the studio and others outside:

I hope that adds a few to the list of images of themselves that Claire and Darren like,

David :)

Kayla and Matthew's Studio Portrait Shoot

2011-03-24T18:38:00.003Z

I can't tell you how much fun I had photographing Kayla and her little brother Matthew - it was an absolute thrill! Shooting children (if I can put it like that lol!) is always a real scream but these two bundles of joy were simply great to work with. I've picked out just a few of the wonderful images we made, and the first one shows just how well they got on together - much to the surprise of Mum and Dad, too:

Louise and Jonny's Portraits

2011-03-19T17:13:00.002Z

This afternoon I welcomed Louise and Jonny to Lisburn for their pre-wedding shoot. I was really looking forward to this session as Louise and Jonny were very eager to have their portraits taken together, even though their wedding isn't until 2013. The sitting went really well and we had a lot of fun as we went from shooting indoors under the studio lights to the big outdoor studio that is the business park where our premises are located. Here's a small collection of my favourite images:

Very cool looking shot to end on there, don't you think?
David

Clare, Umar and Erin

2011-03-14T17:35:00.002Z

Clare and Umar came into the studio on Saturday afternoon for my second pre-wedding shoot of the day (images from my earlier session with Karen and Kieron are in the previous post, below). It was a great session, made all the more enjoyable by Clare's beautiful daughter Erin who had a mini-masterclass in the role of studio assistant. Clare's gorgeous smile in the first image shows just what a wonderful job Erin did! Of course, keeping Erin on my side of the camera would have been very selfish of me, and the last three images show just what a lovely model she made too. While the ladies stole the show, Umar was also great fun to work with and a true gentleman. Here are just a few of the lovely photographs we captured:

Looking forward to seeing you again soon,
David

Karen and Kieron's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-03-12T12:33:00.003Z

This morning I spent an hour with a lovely couple, Karen and Kieron, taking their pre-wedding photographs. We had originally planned to shoot in a nearby park but the weather is at its old tricks again this weekend so we settled on doing the shoot at my studio in Lisburn. The studio, for those who don't know, is in Crescent Business Park on Enterprise Crescent. While it's usually bustling with activity during the week, at weekends it's relatively quiet and I think it offers a great setting for contemporary portraits. So we took some shots outside, using my neighbours' closed shutters for a modern backdrop, before heading inside for a selection of studio images. I had a great time with Karen and Kieron who made excellent sitters. Here are a few of my favourites from their shoot:

I think it worked out quite well taking some shots outside and others in the studio and made a nice change from shooting a full set of pre-wedding images on location. I'm looking forward to showing Karen and Kieron all their images very soon,
David

Helen and Neil's Mount Stewart Shoot

2011-02-17T17:19:00.003Z

I was at Mount Stewart on Saturday afternoon for a wonderful pre-wedding shoot with Helen and Neil. As with many National Trust properties, the grounds are magnificent and make an excellent backdrop for engagement photos. But what made this shoot so special was having two great people to photograph. It was a very relaxed shoot and once again left me wondering how lucky I am to have the opportunity to work with such nice people. Here's a selection of my favourites from the shoot:

Hope you like these - I'm so looking forward to showing Helen and Neil all the others.
David

Su-Zann & Gary's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-02-14T14:56:00.002Z

Su-Zann and Gary are a lovely couple I photographed recently in the grounds of the Park Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan. The hotel grounds are really picturesque and together with the adjacent waters of Lough Ramor provided a peaceful backdrop for our shoot. Su-Zann and Gary share a great sense of humour and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time in their company. I'm sure their wedding, later this year in October, is going to be a lot of fun.

Here are some of the beautiful images we made together:

David

O'Boyle Family Portraits

2011-01-21T16:25:00.004Z

Lorna and Patrick brought their two lovely children, wee Katie and baby Patrick into the studio a few weeks ago for a family portrait session. Little Patrick was sick before Christmas but I'm pleased to have discovered today that all is now well and he's back home and fighting fit again. As a dad, I'm only too aware of how precious our children are and I'm sure Lorna and Patrick are delighted to have their son back home. Here's a sneak preview for them of some of the images we captured in the studio:

David

Gallagher Family Portraits

2011-01-14T12:41:00.003Z

It's a good bet that during the week I'll be shooting a family portrait or two, often more. When the whole family comes together for a shoot, whether it's in the studio or away on location, it's a great opportunity to create something really special that will add significantly to a family's artistic pictorial history. Even as I'm shooting, I can imagine the images we're creating being studiously admired in another 70 or a 100 years - just as today we enjoy looking back on the old photos we all have around our homes, some of them on display in ornate frames, others perhaps stashed in a suitcase in the attic.

The Gallagher family visited the studio a little while before Christmas and I'm grateful to them for granting permission for me to show some of their pictures here, starting with this beautiful shot of the whole family (without doubt one of my favourite images from a busy 2010):

This image of the girls is a thoroughly modern arrangement - don't think I have any old family photos in the attic that were posed like this. I wonder what future generations will make of it:

Here are the boys in a rather more traditional pose:

And finally, mum and dad showing the closeness they've shared down the years:

A lovely family and a real joy to photograph,
David

Carla and Rodney's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-01-06T11:39:00.004Z

For my last shoot of 2010, between Christmas and New Year, I had the pleasure of photographing Carla and Rodney. We were originally supposed to meet up a few weeks ago but Rodney managed to get himself a ticket for Ireland's match against the All Blacks so we had to re-schedule. Altough Ireland lost out that day, I'm sure Rodney was glad he went because he witnessed an amazing try when Brian O'Driscoll single-handedly scooped up a loose ball and used all his power to barge across the line - for me, it was the highlight of a cracking match.

Carla and Rodney's photo-shoot was, I'm pleased to say, conducted at a more sedate pace. We met up in the beautiful village of Caledon and also took a handful of shots by nearby Enagh Loch (where we all ended up with soggy feet due to the amount of water lying around). Still, no pain no gain! Here's a selection of images from the shoot:

I had a whole lot of fun with this lovely couple and Rodney kept me splendidly entertained with his wry banter. I'm very much looking forward to showing Carla and Rodney the rest of their images soon.

Happy New Year, David

Nikita & Gary in Scrabo Country Park

2010-12-17T15:54:00.002Z

Just before the snow arrived yesterday I was back at Scrabo Country Park to photograph Nikita and Gary. I thought it had been cold the last time I was there but yesterday it was a wonder we weren't blown right of the hill and down to Newtwonards! Unbelievably, Gary wore just just a shirt and a light jacket whereas Nikita and I were fully wrapped up against the elements in every conceivable bit of clothing you can imagine. Quite how Gary had any feeling left in his body at all is beyond me! Funnily enough you can't really see how cold it was in their images. They're full of warm colours (except the black and white one, of course) and they really bring out the warmth of Nikita and Gary's relationship. Here's a sneak preview of their photographs:

Look closely and you'll see Nikita and Gary at the foot of the steps beneath Scrabo Tower:

What a lovely couple. I really enjoyed their company and look forward to seeing them again very soon for their viewing,
David

Sarah & John's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2010-12-16T17:27:00.002Z

Yesterday I met up with Sarah and John just outside Crawfordsburn and we took a brisk stroll along a wooded path that leads down to the coast, overlooking the Irish Sea. Sarah and John are a great couple, clearly devoted to one another. As we chatted away, it was obvious how much they enjoy one another's company and I think they really enjoyed their photo-shoot. Once again, I was left wondering at the good fortune I have to work with so many lovely people. Here are some of the photographs from the shoot:

I think this one is the very epitome of what it feels like to be with the one you love:

David

Sarah & Gareth in Scrabo Country Park

2010-12-11T17:09:00.003Z

This afternoon I had the pleasure of joining Sarah and Gareth for a walk around Scrabo Country Park. And what a stunningly beautiful place it is. The wooded areas are wonderfully sheltered and still have their autumnal colours - which I was very happy to take advantage of. While the hilltop tower is more exposed and offers amazing views, as well as playing havoc with Sarah's hair! It was my first visit to Scrabo but certainly won't be my last - I'd love to take my boys up there when the tower is open (and perhaps on a slightly warmer day, too). Sarah and Gareth are a lovely couple and I really enjoyed spending time with them. Here's a small collection of images I've had chance to edit before leaving the studio:

David

Cassandra and Wayne in the Snow

2010-12-11T15:17:00.002Z

As I look out of the studio window right now there's not a drop of snow in sight but last weekend there was no sign of a thaw at all. Yet that didn't prevent Cassandra and Wayne from going ahead with their photo-shoot in Peatlands Park. Wayne even came out without a coat. There was no way I was going for a walk around the park without mine, though, nor my hat. And as for Cassandra, she had two coats with her! Now that's what I call being properly prepared. One thing's for sure, the cold couldn't mask the great warmth that Cassandra and Wayne share, and that really shines through in the photographs we took. Here's a small selection:

As always, I'm really looking forward to showing Cassandra and Wayne the full collection of photographs from their shoot as I have plenty more lovely images for them to view.
David

Heather and David's Shoot

2010-12-08T17:27:00.003Z

I have to give top marks to Heather and David. They braved extreme temperatures during their pre-wedding shoot in a snowy Lurgan Park recently. It really was perishingly cold and I could only admire their enthusiasm as we spent over an hour capturing some wonderful photographs of the two of them. I could see instantly that they very much enjoy one another's company and I hope this small series of images shows how close they are:

I love the fun of the final colour image, shot beside one of the climbing frames - though both Heather and David had to climb down on their knees to make it possible! Looking forward to showing you the rest of the pictures soon,
David

Kathryn and Matt's Shoot

2010-12-01T14:24:00.003Z

Just before the recent snow arrived I caught up with Kathryn and Matt for their pre-wedding shoot in the lovely Gosford Forest Park. It was perishingly cold and I have to say that both Kathryn and Matt were very game for going ahead with their portraits at such low temperatures. It was well worth the effort, though, as we put together a great series of images. Here are a few of my favourites:

I hope you like these and look forward to showing you the others very soon,

David

Michelle and Gary's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2010-11-29T16:24:00.005Z

Last weekend I photographed two couples in Caledon. Rebecca and Richard's images were featured in my last post, and this time it's the turn of Michelle and Gary. Braving the elements with their lovely daughter Amy, we created a great selection of images. I'd normally write a few more lines than this but having just spent hours clearing snow from the drive my fingers are killing me, so I'll simply settle for saying here's a few of my favourites:

What a lovely shot of Amy to end with,
David

Rebecca and Richard in Caledon

2010-11-23T16:35:00.003Z

On Saturday morning I met up with Rebecca and Richard in the lovely village of Caledon, Co Tyrone. It's a great spot for a gentle stroll and also has a variety of wonderful backdrops for creating beautiful photographs. And after several days of torrential rain and wild winds, we were very lucky to catch a glimpse of morning sun, and the shoot was made brighter still by Rebecca and Richard's great humour and willingness to try pretty much anythng I suggested. Here are a few of my favourite shots from our session:

I hope you both like these pictures and look forward to seeing you again soon to show you the others we made,
David

Namrata & Vikash

2010-11-15T12:28:00.003Z

On Saturday morning I met up with Namrata and Vikash for their pre-wedding photo-shoot in the lovely Gosford Forest Park, near Markethill. Thankfully, it wasn't raining and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the beautifiul grounds.

I couldn't have asked for better company, as Namrata and Vikash are so friendly, fun-loving and quite simply a splendidly charming couple. I hope this small selection of images conveys all of that, and the closeness of their relationship:

I'm really thrilled with the images from this session and can't wait to show them to you both,

David

Ustina's Fashion Shoot

2010-11-08T17:08:00.004Z

I recently spent a wonderful half-day photographing budding model Ustina in counties Monaghan and Armagh. We shot in several locations and had a great time creating some gorgeous fashion images and portraits for Ustina's portfolio - and for mine, too! Here's a glimpse of some of the pictures we made that day:

Ustina has a great look and is very comfortable with the camera. She could, I'm sure, do very well in her modelling career.

David

Rachel and Stephen's Engagement Shoot

2010-11-05T16:32:00.002Z

Earlier this week I met up with Rachel and Stephen for their engagement shoot on a very damp and dreary-looking day in Clare Glen, near Tandragee. It was the first time I'd been to Clare Glen - to be honest, I'd never even heard of it until Rachel mentioned it to me - but it certainly won't be my last visit. It's a beautiful secluded spot for a gentle stroll and, as our pictures show, was positively radiant with autumnal colour.

Rachel and Stephen were wonderful fun to work with, taking the shoot (and the persistent drizzle) in their stride. Here's a small selection of the gorgeous images we made together:

What a lovely big snog to finish on! I'm looking forward to showing Rachel and Stephen the full set of images very soon,
David

Keira and Mark's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2010-10-26T15:49:00.005+01:00

Yesterday, I spent the morning with a lovely couple, Keira and Mark, taking photographs of them around their beautiful home near Tynan. It was a gorgeous Autumn morning, with the sun shining low and bright throughout. Keira and Mark's hospitality and relaxed approach made the whole experience a real pleasure for me - a big thanks to you both for that!

Well, I say relaxed. In truth, Mark is a little towards the camera-shy end of the scale - but that's why a pre-wedding shoot is such a good thing to do. It gives you a good feel for how the photos will go when the big day arrives and that can only help everything run smoothly when it matters most. Hopefully, it wasn't too traumatic, Mark!

Here are a few of the images we made together:

I think you look fantastic together and look forward to showing you all the images soon,

David

The Three Beautiful Hogan Girls

2010-10-14T10:51:00.003+01:00

Our great friends Siobhan and John asked me to photograph their three beautiful daughters recently. I've known each of the girls since they were babies and the girls are very close friends of our sons. So it was a real privilege to have the opportunity to create some gorgeous portraits for them. Here is just a brief glimpse of the images we made, starting with Aiobhinn, Orna and Chiara together on a lakeside jetty:

David

Look Who's Ten

2010-09-28T16:29:00.003+01:00

September seems to have flown by quicker than ever this year. It's been a busy month with lots of enjoyable family portrait sessions in the studio and on location. At the end of this week, my eldest son Tadhg is 10 years old - so to mark this wonderful occasion here's a portrait I took of him at home this weekend:

Happy Birthday Tadhg, from Mummy, Daddy and Finn - we love you loads!

Fionnuala's Model Shoot

2010-08-31T18:44:00.003+01:00

My lovely niece Fionnuala came into the studio today to model for a shoot I was doing with budding photographer, Matty. Our aim was to create some beautiful (and very colourful) images using the lights in the studio. Here are three gorgeous pictures that would grace any model's portfolio:

We are always keen to hear from potential models looking for portfolio images. If you'd like to pose for a model shoot, whether for your own portfolio or simply to give it a go and see what it's like, get in touch and we'll arrange a session for you,
David

The 2010 Erne Vintage Car Club Charity Parade

2010-08-24T16:36:00.004+01:00

On Friday evening, the Erne Vintage Car Club held its annual charity parade through the streets of Enniskillen and the crowd thronged the roadside to catch a glimpse of some wonderful vehicles from a bygone age. I managed to find a great viewing point and here's just a few of the evocative images I made:

David

Making A Splash

2010-08-18T14:45:00.002+01:00

I took this image on a recent afternoon walk with the family at Emy Lough in County Monaghan. The boys took a spontaneous paddle in the lough with a couple of friends. I love the way this shot captures Finn's sense of enjoyment - it exudes something about childhood that I think everyone will recognise:

David

Stacey, Shannon and Matty

2010-08-17T13:50:00.003+01:00

Every now and again I give up a little time to help a photography student gain some fresh insight into their developing skills. When Matty contacted me, we talked about his plans to become a professional photographer and had a look at some of his work. He's made a good start and has plenty of potential so we decided to build on this and arrange an outdoor shoot using only natural light. We booked two models, Stacey and Shannon (otherwise known as Matty's girlfriend and her younger sister), and found a nearby location. Here's some of the images I shot while teaching Matty a few tricks of the trade:

As it's important to have empathy with your subject, Matty found himself on the opposite side of the lens for a few shots too:

David

Aoife's First Communion Portraits

2010-07-24T17:20:00.002+01:00

After a short break in England, I returned to the studio today. A busy schedule was rounded off with a wonderful First Communion portrait session. Aoife was lovely to photograph, posing beautifully in the studio, and then outside where the shutters on a neighbouring unit gave us a modern twist on what is usually a fairly traditional-looking shoot:

Well done, Aoife, for being great fun to work with,

David

Emma

2010-06-23T19:13:00.003+01:00

I've been preparing some images for display in the studio today and decided to convert this image - one of my favourites from 2009 - to black-and-white:

I'm sure this is going to make a big impression once it's hanging on the studio wall. Hope you like it!

David

The McNally Children

2010-06-22T11:58:00.003+01:00

I had a great time recently photographing the five lovely McNally children. We held the shoot in their garden and then I was lucky enough to enjoy a barbecue with the whole family afterwards. Here is a handful of shots, one of each of the children, from our session:

David

Dunluce Castle at Sunset

2010-06-01T12:10:00.002+01:00

Every now and again I like to post an image that's completely unrelated to my wedding and portrait work. A few weeks ago I was up on the stunning north Antrim coastline and found myself near Dunluce Castle as the sun was going down. Anyone who's been there will know it's an incredible place to watch the sun set and this particular evening was no exception:

Hope you like it,
David

June - Family Portrait Month

2010-05-21T14:33:00.003+01:00

June is nearly upon us and that means it's time for Family Portrait Month. Throughout the month, we're offering a reduced session fee - down from £75 to just £25 - for all family sittings. Whether you choose to have your pictures taken in the studio, at home or on location is entirely down to you. And with print prices starting at just £15 now is the time to stop putting off your family portrait and book yourselves a session.

Call NOW on 9267 0620 or email info@davidlesterphotography.co.uk - we know you won't be disappointed!

This offer may not be used in conjunction with other offers, nor is it redeemable for cash. Normal studio conditions apply.

Finn's Portrait

2010-05-13T13:02:00.004+01:00

Every now and again I like to put a family image up on the blog, and here's the latest. This is my youngest son Finn and as he likes to tell everyone he's four and a half, not four! This shot was taken a couple of weeks ago, at our home in Glaslough, Co Monaghan, and shows Finn taking some much needed rest and recuperation during a lull in his long-running battles with various Pokemon characters:

David

Katie's Portrait Shoot

2010-05-04T16:28:00.006+01:00

Katie came in for a portrait session last week and we had a great time capturing a range of naturally lit images in my new studio. Softly diffused daylight streams into this room and, as you can see, it has lent an amazing sparkle to Katie's already beautiful eyes.

This was only the second time I'd photographed in this part of the studio and I'm really excited about the results - can't wait to shoot more in there!

Hope you like them, Katie, and I look forward to sharing the other shots with you soon,

David

Northern Ireland's Wedding Journal Now On Sale

2010-04-27T13:53:00.007+01:00

The summer edition of Ireland's Wedding Journal is now on sale and features our advertisement below. It's the first ad we've published since relocating from England and we're hoping it attracts plenty of attention.

If you've seen the magazine, you may have noticed that we're offering a discount of £100 off an engagement shoot, bringing the cost down to just £295. For this modest sum you'll enjoy up to two hours of photography with David as he captures an exquisite range of images featuring the love, fun and intimacy of your relationship as you prepare to make that special commitment to one another. Your images will be edited ahead of your private viewing session, at which you may select up to six images to adorn a wonderful wall display for your home. (The offer is available for the remainder of 2010, normal studio conditions apply).

The development of a relaxed and trusting rapport between you and your photographer is the most important ingredient in successful wedding photography. There is no better way to create that relationship than through an engagement / pre-wedding shoot.

Taking advantage of this offer doesn't place you under any obligation to choose David as your wedding photographer ... but having seen how he works with you and the quality of images he produces it's highly likely you'll want to book him straight away.

Lily and The New Logo

2010-04-22T17:15:00.005+01:00

For a little time I've been toying with the idea of getting myself a new logo and thanks to the excellent team at TK Consultancy in Lisburn (otherwise known as my new next door neighbours) I'm delighted to announce that I now have one. This is its initial outing and I can think of no better image for it to adorn than this lovely portrait of my beautiful niece Lily.

Three More Shots of Orlaith

2010-04-12T15:54:00.005+01:00

As promised, I'm posting a few extra images from my shoot with Orlaith last week. I'm looking forward to sharing all the finished images with Orlaith's family very soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy having these to look at online:

I got some excellent news this morning which I'll be announcing here in the next few days, so do come back soon to hear all about it,
David

Perfect Cakes at The Perfect Cake

2010-04-09T14:04:00.005+01:00

At a recent wedding fair, I had the good fortune of meeting Clair Williams who runs The Perfect Cake in Lisburn. As well as preparing stunning wedding cakes, Clair also bakes for a range of other special occasions, including birthdays, christenings, engagements, anniversaries and retirements. I love the attention to detail in Clair's creations which you can see in these two images I made for her last week:

Clair will be using some of my images to promote her business. And having seen the excellence of her work I'm very happy to recommend The Perfect Cake. You can contact Clair on 078 1763 0079 or by emailing claircakes@hotmail.co.uk.

Discount For First Ten Wedding Bookings in Northern Ireland

2010-04-06T15:56:00.005+01:00

Here's a special offer to mark the start of taking wedding bookings since opening for business in Northern Ireland. The first ten couples to book their wedding with me will qualify for a discount off their chosen package: £50 off the Maxima package, £100 off the Optima package or, for those opting for the top-of-the-range Ultima package, a discount of £200. This offer is made strictly on a on a first come, first serve basis. So hurry!

Orlaith's Portrait Session

2010-04-01T18:38:00.005+01:00

Just enough time before I vanish for a short Easter break to post some pictures from Orlaith's portrait session this afternoon. We had a real giggle and made some wonderful images together. I'll post a few more soon but here's two to be getting along with for now:

Happy Easter,
David

Special Offer

2010-03-26T10:18:00.007Z

I'm pleased to report that the Ulster Star published a short feature on David Lester Photography, following the gold image award I obtained from the SWPP recently. I hope plenty of people saw it and look forward to welcoming new customers as a result.

If you did see the feature and are thinking about having that portrait you've been putting off, let me tempt you in with a 10% discount off any portrait shoot if you book your session to take place before the end of April 2010.

David

Radisson Blu Belfast Wedding Fair

2010-03-18T16:43:00.004Z

This coming Sunday, 21st March, I will be exhibiting my work at the wedding fair at Belfast's Radisson Blu Hotel. This will be my first wedding fair since moving to Northern Ireland and I'm really looking forward to meeting lots of new brides and grooms.

I'll be holding a competition to win a wonderful pre-wedding shoot. And as if that were not exciting enough, I'll also be offering one lucky winner a free bridal boudoir shoot, designed to produce images that will really wow her groom!

So if you're planning your wedding, do come along and say hello. There are plenty of other wedding professionals to see, too, including two catwalk shows. It promises to be a wonderful day - doors open at 1pm and we'll be exhibiting until 5pm.

See you all there,

David

Gold Award Images

2010-03-03T15:26:00.004Z

Wow, today has been a great day! I've just learned that one of my images has won a prestigious Gold award from the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) in their most recent monthly print competition. The image is of baby Joseph and here it is for you all to enjoy:

The shoot with Joseph was a lot of fun and it must have brought out the best in me because the image below was also awarded a Gold at the turn of the year while I was in the process of moving my business over to Northern Ireland. As I didn't get to post it then, I'm taking this opportunity to do so now. It's a little more serious than this month's winning image but still very cute all the same:

It's not all baby photos here, though. My work also gained 2 silver awards this month, in the 'Pets' and 'Contemporary Weddings' categories. If you'd like to put yourself forward for my next competition panel call the studio now to book your session on 028 9267 0620 - you never know, you may be a gold winner, too, like Jospeh.

David

A New Life In Ireland

2010-02-20T17:41:00.006Z

We've now settled into our new home in Ireland, just outside Glaslough in County Monaghan. It's a truly beautiful place and the people who live there have all been incredibly welcoming. We feel like we belong and can't thank our new friends and neighbours enough for their warmth and kindness.

There has been plenty of snow recently and I took the opportunity one snowy day to capture some images in the Castle Leslie estate which dominates the village. As you can see, it was a little like taking a stroll through C.S. Lewis' Narnia:

This was the view of the Castle itself, seen from across Glaslough lake. The lake was completely frozen over, though I hasten to add that I didn't dare to test just how thick the ice was!

And here, for comparison, is a similar view captured on a typically grey and overcast day last summer:

The new studio in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, will be up and running soon and I hope to be busy enough to post plenty of new images throughout what promises to be an exciting year.

David

Emma's Portrait Shoot

2009-12-02T16:58:00.004Z

On Monday this week, Emma came in for a portrait session and we set out to create a variety of looks. Here's a selection of the images we made - I think you can see from this set that we achieved what we set out to achieve:

Emma was great fun to work with and looks great in these shots - that killer look in the last image was achieved by placing her boyfriend, Alex, in her line of sight. As you can see, it worked a treat. Thanks for being such a great model, Emma.
David

Gemma

2009-11-10T20:34:00.007Z

A few weeks ago I posted an image of Gemma and promised to upload several more. Well, here they are - half a dozen shots of Gemma looking truly radiant. Gemma and I didn't have much time on this session but, despite a strong wind that played havoc with her hair, we came up with some wonderful images. I hope you like them:

I think you'll agree Gemma has a great look and I'm looking forward to working with her again soon,

David

Becky

2009-11-08T15:23:00.004Z

I met aspiring model Becky at a recent wedding and found a few minutes to capture a handful of shots with her. I'm looking forward to shooting Becky's model portfolio shortly. With her gorgeous looks and geat figure, I'm sure she could go far in the modelling world:

David

Kerry & Darryl At The Bedford Swan Hotel

2009-10-09T17:35:00.005+01:00

Last Saturday, I spent the day at the Bedford Swan Hotel with Kerry and Darryl as they celebrated their wedding. It was a really great day and I enjoyed myself enormously in their company. Daughters Scarlet and Poppy had a lovely day, too, and one of my favourite shots from the day features the two of them in the window of the room where mummy and daddy tied the knot (see below). Here's a selection of images I've chosen to showcase from the day:

Congratulations Kerry and Darryl on such an enjoyable wedding day. I wish you both a very happy married life and wonderful future together,

David

Abigail - Bringing Up The Ton

2009-10-08T22:56:00.005+01:00

Abigail's portrait shoot last week is the subject of my 100th post on the David Lester Photography blog, and I'm really pleased to have such a wonderful set of images to mark the occasion. We started the session with a few traditional studio images but what I really wanted from the shoot was a set of trendy fashion-inspired photographs for a more urban, contemporary look. As you can see, Abigail made the perfect model for this:

This one, without doubt, is my favourite from the session:

David

Gemma's Portrait Shoot

2009-10-07T21:14:00.004+01:00

Last week I spent an enjoyable few hours photographing Gemma who I met at a recent wedding at Notley Abbey. We got some great shots and will be shooting together again, hopefully in November. I'll be posting a series of images from our first shoot quite soon but, for now, here's just one of my favourites as a starter to whet the appetite:

David

Today's Portrait Session

2009-10-06T18:36:00.003+01:00

Just got time for a very quick post from this morning's portrait session with Elise. We went for some colourful backgrounds today, including this shocking pink one which complemented Elise's outfit perfectly:

More images from this and other recent portrait sessions will follow soon.
David

Melanie & John's Wedding This Afternoon

2009-09-26T17:29:00.005+01:00

I had a great time this afternoon photographing Melanie and John's wedding in Shenley Church End. These two are a really special couple and I knew today was going to be a lot of fun. There was much giggling as the girls got ready in the morning and the smiles and laughter carried on right through the service too. After a clutch of family shots, we managed to squeeze in some great images of Melanie and John before they settled down for their meal and evening entertainment (which they're enjoying right now, I hope, as I publish this post).

Here are a few of my favourite images from their day:

How's that for a funky image to end on!

Many congratulations to you both, Mel and John. I know you're going to be very happy together and that you'll enjoy a wonderfully long and fulfilling marriage.

David

Helen and Ed's Engagement Shoot

2009-09-22T10:02:00.007+01:00

On Saturday I was lucky enough to photograph Helen and Ed's engagement portraits. Helen was a bridesmaid at Claire and Chris' wedding at Ashridge, just a few weeks earlier (you can see images from the wedding by scrolling down a little). During the evening reception, Ed proposed to Helen and so it was fitting that we should shoot their engagement portraits at Ashridge.

We made some great images together and had a lot of fun creating them. Here are just a few of my favourites:

Congratulations on your engagement, Ed and Helen. It's clear that the two of you
are very well suited to one another and I'm sure you'll enjoy years and years of joy together.

David

Elise

2009-09-14T22:00:00.004+01:00

Elise spent a fortnight gaining work experience with me last year and has developed a keen interest in photography. In fact, she's just about to start a photography course at Milton Keynes college. So to mark the start of this next phase in her life, here's a selection of images we made recently when she came to sit for me as I practised some new studio techniques. As you can see below, Elise has the makings of a first class model, as well as photographer:

David

Whipsnade Zoo's Baby Elephant

2009-09-14T10:38:00.004+01:00

In mid-August, as part of our celebrations of my son Finn's 4th birthday, we spent a day at Whipsnade Zoo. As zoo members, we quite often go to Whipsnade and I've fallen out of the habit of taking a camera with me. But a birthday demands a few family snaps, at the very least, so I was delighted to find myself armed with my kit when we came face-to-face with one of the zoo's newest additions - a female baby Asian elephant. Born towards the end of July, she was around 3 weeks old when we visited and, not suprisingly, she was a big crowd pleaser. Here she is, exploring her new surroundings, under mum's watchful eye:

This shot is a particular favourite, it's just too cute - she almost looks like she's giggling away there as she scratches her trunk on the knobbly tree roots:

It was a pretty hot day, and here's one of the adult elephants tossing dirt on its back to keep the effect of the sun's rays to a minimum:

And finally, a study of an adult elephant, probably wondering what all the fuss is about:

David

Two More From Isaac's Shoot

2009-09-02T09:51:00.004+01:00

To usher September in, I'm uploading a couple of images from the shoot I did recently with Isaac and mum Abi:

My boys are back to school tomorrow - first day for little Finn. I think we're all looking forward to it for different reasons! Hopefully, I'll get time to post a few of the images we've taken during the summer. Good luck to everyone who's off to school again, or going back to college or university soon!

David

Cristina and Bill - Tying The Knot at Notley Abbey

2009-08-26T16:07:00.006+01:00

I've driven past Notley Abbey on countless occasions and often wondered what lay beyond the impressive tree-lined driveway that welcomes visitors to this historic house. So when Cristina and Bill invited me to cover their wedding there I was delighted finally to have the opportunity to see the place at first hand. And I wasn't disappointed - they had chosen a wonderful venue, boasting excellent grounds, friendly staff and even fantastic weather!

This first image illustrates just how tantalising the driveway is. It hints at a marvellous house yet gives away nothing at all of what lies beyond:

My image of the house itself features at the end of this post. The next two shots showcase Cristina's beautiful wedding attire. First, her stunning dress:

And next, a touch of the sumptuous details adorning her gorgeous shoes:

Cristina suited her outfit perfectly and looked absolutely radiant:

As she made her final prepartions upstairs, Bill waited nervously for her arrival while the string quartet entertained their guests:

Here's Cris, just a few minutes later, as she makes her way to the ceremony with her attendants, Uncle Bob leading her along with Auntie Jean and Auntie Anne (my special pals for the day) keeping the train on the straight and narrow:

After the exchange of vows and rings, and after the group photos had been captured, we took a few images in this wonderful reception room:

Bill entertained family and friends with a truly wonderful speech after dinner, paying a warm tribute to everyone who had helped them prepare for the big day and a special and moving tribute to Cristina:

And then we took a stroll through the grounds in the late evening sun:

Finally, here's the image of Notley Abbey itself, taken just after sunset:

It really was a magnificent day and great reward for all the effort Cristina, Bill and their friends had put into the arrangements. Congratulations to you both - I wish you a long and happy marriage,

David

Lauren and Jon - The First of the Mohicans

2009-08-26T08:18:00.005+01:00

This wonderful wedding on Friday featured a number of firsts for me: the first time I'd photographed at St Andrews in Woburn Sands and at the village green in nearby Eversholt; first time I'd shot a groom with a Mohican; and the first time I'd stumbled upon my dream car, an Aston Martin DB9, in the car park (made sure I got a few snaps of that)!

But it was the second time this month that I'd photographed the wedding of Lauren and Jon - not the same Lauren and Jon, of course. There were more similarities than just their names, though, not least a clear determination to have a lot of fun on their special day. And that shines through in this first image - you'd never guess it but as Lauren was having the finishing touches applied to her make-up she was looking out on driving rain, while a relentless drumbeat of thunder filled the air:

Giggly sisters, Lauren and Danielle, both looked gorgeous in their gowns:

When I parked up at the church I didn't recognise Jon at first as I'd not seen him sporting a Mohican before. Looks pretty cool, don't you think:

Here's a lovely study of Lauren as she pauses for a moment before making her entrance:

St Andrew's in Woburn Sands is a beautiful church and I was lucky enough to be able to photograph the ceremony from several viewpoints:

On the way to Eversholt, we stopped off briefly for a few photographs in the park at Woburn. I'd hoped to get quite a few shots here but the wind was unbelievable and the images I had in mind - especially a peaceful shot of Lauren and Jon with the deer grazing in the background - just woudn't have worked. We did, however, get this great shot of the newly-weds looking out over the park, with Lauren protecting her veil from the wind's attention:

It was much calmer at Eversholt where we posed this wonderful backlit image of bride and groom with their wedding car and reception venue:

To close with, here's a couple of the images we made at Eversholt that emphasise what a fun day it was. The first shows happy bride Lauren being supported by Jon and his entourage:

And this one is possibly my favourite from the day. I wanted to compose an image that really made a feature of Jon's hairdo, but which also showed off Lauren's beautiful eyes. This is simply crying out to be made up in canvas and hung on their living room wall:

It was a great day, helped along by the disappearance of the early morning rain and everyone's intent on having a fantastic time. Congratulations to you both, Lauren and Jon, and my very best wishes for a wonderful future together,
David

Isaac's Portrait Shoot

2009-08-22T14:07:00.005+01:00

Late last week I had the pleasure of photographing little baby Isaac, son of Abi and Matt whose wedding I shot in 2007. As you can see, Isaac is extremely cute - he's also very inquisitive and spent much of our shoot absorbed in the studio lights and all the other bits and bobs about the place. After shooting in the studio for a while, we took the little man for a wander to the nearby park where we got some super shots. Here's a few from the day:

You did a great job, Isaac. Hope mummy and daddy like your photos!
David

Lei & Simon's Dumbleton Hall Wedding Day

2009-08-19T11:22:00.005+01:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday when I photographed Lei and Simon's wedding at Dumbleton Hall. The house is set in the Cotswolds, not far from Broadway, and is a glorious venue for a wedding:

As Lei got ready, I captured the detail shots, including this lovely image of her wedding shoes:

... and this close-up of her bouquet's stem:

Lei had chosen two dresses for the day, one in traditional western white which can be seen in this next image, the other a traditional Chinese design which complemented Simon's waistcoat:

More can be seen of Simon's waistcoat in an image below. This one shows our groom looking pretty relaxed just minutes before the ceremony:

Here, Lei shares a hug with her father before they make their big entrance:

Simon looks on in admiration as his bride enters:

Lei and Simon are parents of little Kim - we had great fun trying to coax a smile from Kim. Eventually, we managed a few, though this image features a rather more pensive look:

Here are Simon's friends getting into Reservoir Dogs mode:

And this is the shot that really shows off the evening outfits to best effect:

This is one of my favourites from the day:

And so is this one, showing Lei and Simon heading off hand-in-hand for a future of happiness together:

It was a very fine wedding and I wish Simon and Lei a long and fulfilling future as husband and wife,
David

Jana's Portraits

2009-08-13T17:10:00.004+01:00

Here's a handful of images I made recently with Jana, who came into the studio for a shoot before returning to live in here home town of Brno in the Czech Republic. Jana was great fun to shoot, and as you can see here, has the most amazing eyes. She told me she was nervous but I never noticed it on the day, and there's no sign of it in the pictures either. I hope you like them:

David

Lauren & Jon's Perfect Wedding Day

2009-08-12T10:16:00.004+01:00

I had a great time on Friday at Lauren and Jon's wedding. Prior to their big day, we'd worked together twice on a pair of pre-wedding shoots. I'm a firm believer that the experience of a pre-wedding shoot helps me build an excellent rapport with couples and that this adds real value on the wedding day. In Lauren and Jon, I was blessed once again with a fantastic couple to work with. They get on so well together and are an ideal match for one another - even down to their complementary funky specs!

The day started off at Lauren's family home where mum put the finishing touches to Lauren's gorgeous wedding gown as the bridesmaids looked on, suitably impressed:

Lauren looked like a supermodel bride:

And, fittingly, there's something of the cool super hero about Jon:

The wedding ceremony was a really happy affair - just look at these uncontainable smiles:

Having fun was an important part of Lauren and Jon's day which is one of the reasons they opted for these amazing Beauford wedding cars. Owner Rod Robinson has adapted the vehicles so they blow bubbles out of the back as you drive along. It creates an amazing spectacle which the guests love, especially children! This shot shows the newly-weds and their bridesmaids arriving at Knebworth, venue for the reception:

Here's Jon with the lead car:

For more information on Rod's wedding cars, visit www.wed1n.co.uk.

This image shows Lauren with her wonderful bouquet in the beautiful gardens at Knebworth:

Jon had hired a separate car to make his way to the church, an Aston Martin Vantage. The classic British car, Aston Martin is my favourite marque, so we made several images with the Vantage, too. How cool is this!

I always like to shoot a close-up of the rings at a wedding. This time, I arranged them on the cover of the wedding guest book:

And finally, here's a full room shot taken during the Father of the Bride's speech:

It really was a fun day and I know everyone enjoyed themselves a great deal. Congratulations Lauren and Jon on a wonderful wedding, and my very best wishes for a long and happy marriage,
David

Claire and Adam Tie The Knot In Style

2009-08-10T11:42:00.003+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to photograph Claire and Adam's wedding. In this job I meet lots of couples setting out in married life together and I think I've become a pretty good judge of what makes a special pairing. Claire and Adam fit this category perfectly: they get on so well together and it's easy for everyone to see that they share a really deep affection for one another. This shone through so much on their wedding day and I'm sure it will be a big feature of their life together.

For the wedding, Claire had chosen a beautiful gown, as you can see here:

Sam, one of Claire's bridesmaids, helped with the back of the dress - she also helped me out during the day holding the reflector in place and keeping everyone smiling, so thanks Sam!

Claire looked great in her dress, more of which you can see below, but I really want to show this image featuring her veil as it has a lovely intimate feel about it:

Adam was resplendent in his suit as he awaited his bride's arrival at St Andrew's Church, Great Linford:

The bridesmaids and page boys were on hand to greet Claire as she arrived, arm in arm with her father:

And so to the ceremony itself:

Afterwards, before departing for the reception venue, we took a stroll around the parkland that surrounds the church where we were able to make this beautiful image:

Time for a quick sip of champers en route to the Holiday Inn at Newport Pagnell:

Here's Adam rising to make his speech at the reception:

And finally, one from the first dance that shows off the wonderful detail in Claire's dress:

My congratulations to Claire and Adam. I wish you both a fantastic life together,
David

Claire & Chris's Perfect Wedding

2009-08-05T10:27:00.003+01:00

I've no idea how many wedding photographers are based between Reading and Leighton Buzzard, but they must number somewhere in the hundreds. So for Claire and Chris to choose me to cover their wedding at Ashridge was a real privilege. And you really couldn't hope to meet a nicer, better suited couple.

The day began with the bridal preparations:

Here's Claire's beautiful bouquet, set against the backdrop of Ashridge's wonderful main house:

Claire looked absolutely stunning in her bridal gown:

Chris cut a dapper figure, too, and seemed very relaxed in his last few minutes as a single man:

With friends and family looking on below, Claire descended the magnificent staircase with her father to find Chris waiting below, just out of shot, for their ceremony to begin:

You may now kiss your bride:

After the ceremony, we took a few formal family shots before having a little fun with the bridesmaids and Chris's pair of Best Men:

How much longer before this guy sets down his load and tucks into the beautiful cake!:

Claire and Chris performed a fantastic dance for their guests. As Craig Revel Horwood might say - simply gorgeous, daaahlings!:

What a splendid day it was. Claire and Chris, I hope you enjoyed it as much as your guests did and I wish you both a wonderfully long and happy married life together,

David

Angela & Phil's Wonderful Wedding Day

2009-07-31T14:09:00.004+01:00

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of covering Angela and Phil's wedding on a rather wet July afternoon. Spirits were far from damp, though, and everyone was in great form. We managed to capture most of the family formals in the gardens at the beautiful Missenden Abbey but a lot of the day was spent inside, at times dodging the thunder and lightning!

This mini-gallery gives a good feel for how enjoyable the day was, especially the obligatory embarrassing of the groom during the Best Man's speech:

Congratulations Angela and Phil on a magnificent wedding day. I wish you both a fulfilling and loving married life together,

David

Elegant Ellie

2009-07-16T11:36:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of photographing Ellie in her school prom dress. The idea was to create a set of images that showed off her elegant gown and jewellery, using a mix of studio and outdoor settings. And, of course, to show off Ellie's radiant beauty! We had a great time, and Ellie caused a few raised eyelids as we took our outdoor shots in the centre of Leighton Buzzard.

Here are a few of the images we captured, starting with three from the studio:

And then the outdoor images, all deliberately taken with edgy urban backdrops for more of a fashionable look:

This one is my personal favourite from the session - it has a very glamorous feel to it, yet the background is a scruffy-looking public loo!:

Well done, Ellie, for being such a great subject. I'm looking forward to your viewing soon,

David

Daniella's Urban Portrait Shoot

2009-07-07T12:50:00.002+01:00

OK, I've got over the disappointment of Andy Murray's semi-final exit at Wimbledon now and am fully expecting him to put it all behind him by winning the next major, the US Open (which is on his favourite surface, so it's entirely feasible). No pressure, Andy!

I've been busy with commercial work recently but did promise a few days ago to post some images of Daniella. So here they are:

Daniella was fun to work with, she has an almost regal look in some of that first image. Not quite so regal in the following shot, as the wind took hold of her hair!

More images to upload soon. Keep positive,
David

Urban Fashion Shoot with Sophie

2009-07-02T10:58:00.003+01:00

This year seems to be rushing by and I'm not keeping up with my blog as well as I ought to be - though, at the moment, that's partly down to Andy Murray's performances at Queens and now Wimbledon. And it's so hot, too! I can't be the only one who is working a little slower than normal - can I?

I have two more weddings to do before heading off on holiday in two and a half weeks. We're going to Fethiye in Turkey, and I'm really looking forward to the break. There's an abandoned village nearby and I'm hoping to come back with some great shots to put on the blog.

For today, though, it's back to one of my urban fashion shoots. I took this set of images of the lovely Sophie about a month ago. The first one's about as smiley as Sophie wanted to get - as you'll see from her other images, the theme for the day was sullen and moody (obviously taking after the supermodels in Vogue and the like):

Sophie's friend Daniella came along on this shoot and I'll be posting some images of her soon for you to see. For now, time to start preparing for Murray's semi-final against Roddick. It'll be a tough one but I think Murray will win - let's hope so!

David

Jodie & Will's Fantastic Wedding Day

2009-06-16T11:29:00.004+01:00

Ten days ago I had the privilege of photographing Jodie & Will's wedding in Milton Keynes. After a week of glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures, the skies filled with tumbling grey clouds and the heavens threatened to open and dump a month of rainfall on us in one fell swoop. Luckily, though, the deluge never materialised and we got away with occasional drizzle and a largely dry day! But I doubt if even a monsoon could have spoiled Jodie and Will's big day, it really was a great occasion and all present had a fantastic time.

I'm going to start this showcase with a shot of the engagement and wedding rings:

Jodie wore a beautiful off-the-shoulder gown and looked absolutely stunning:

The ceremony took place at St Mary Magdalene Church in Willen, Milton Keynes. There seems to be a beautiful church hidden away in every nook and cranny of Milton Keynes, and this is a fine example, built around 1680:

This image was taken shortly before Jodie made her entrance. It was taken by Stephanie who was my assistant for the day. Stephanie is studying for her A Levels and plans to go on to university to study photography. She has great potential, as you can see from this image in which she's captured a nervous groom and (oddly) an even more nervous-looking best man:

This shot from the rear of the church shows great happiness on Jodie and Will's faces, and I love the way the onlooking bridesmaids are so utterly engrossed in the action:

Here's another of Stephanie's shots, again capturing a wonderful expression:

After a few group shots, we captured a handful of images by the church door, of which this is my favourite:

Then it was time for the confetti 'tunnel of lurve':

This image was taken at the reception venue, Holiday Inn Milton Keynes East between MK and Newport Pagnell:

I set up a few fun shots in the hotel courtyard, though this one was shot by Stephanie as I captured mine - I chose this one becasue I like the way Jodie and Will are looking out of the frame, and their friends' expressions mirror one another perfectly:

Will's best man made an excellent speech, during which he embarrassed Will to the great amusement of all:

Will wasn't content with being embarrassed during the speeches - as was evident from the first dance which followed shortly. No, only kidding, Will! In reality, much preparation had gone into the dance, and it showed as Will and Jodie tripped the light fantastic around the dance floor, impressing their guests with their expert steps. Well done to you both!

And so begins another married life. It's a great pleasure to photograph people on their big day. I get to meet some really fun people, and Jodie and Will fall into this category. It's clear that they are wonderfully well suited to one another and I'm delighted to have had a chance to meet them. I wish you both a fantastic marriage and many, many years of happiness together.

David

Megan's Portrait Session

2009-06-12T17:31:00.003+01:00

I've photographed more portraits than weddings recently. Here's a small selection of the images I made with Megan a couple of weeks ago. She's a complete natural in front of camera and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her modelling some time in the future!

The colours in this rape field made a great backdrop:

How's this for a supermodel headshot:

More portraiture to show in the next few days,

David

Amy & Charles's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2009-06-11T14:48:00.002+01:00

I can't believe more than a month has passed since I last posted any images on the blog - I seem to have been incredibly busy recently! So there's some catching up to do over the next few days, beginning with Amy and Charles's pre-wedding shoot.

As they're marrying in December, Amy and Charles were keen to have their engagement session in the summer, and we were blessed with a fantastic day of sunshine when we got together at Ashridge.

Ashridge is a very special location for me. Not only is it a stunning wedding venue, right up there with the very best, it's also where I photographed my first ever wedding. So I always return there with fond memories of that day and safe in the knowledge that there's a warm welcome to be had from the excellent team of wedding coordinators.

Amy and Charles will be having their reception at Ashridge, so it made perfect sense to shoot their pre-wedding portraits there. Here's a small selection:

What an incredibly good-looking couple - I can't wait to shoot their wedding in December!
David

We Three Rings

2009-05-08T10:24:00.004+01:00

For reasons we don't need to go into here, when Louise and Mike tied the knot at Stowe School last month , Louise's engagement ring didn't make it to the wedding. So last night, after their honeymoon in China, the newly-weds came into the studio for their viewing, and we took the opportunity of capturing the three rings together. At Mike's suggestion, I placed the bands on the cover of a wedding album and here's the finished image:

It would be a shame just to post a single image, so here's another small selection from Louise and Mike's wonderful wedding day, starting with a detail shot of the bridal gown and shoes:

Lousie looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress:

Every beautiful bride needs a handsome groom, of course, and Mike fitted the bill perfectly:

The symmetrical elements of this image are really eyecatching, and show just what a splendid venue Stowe School is for a wedding:

And finally, one of my symbolic images - this shot works really well as a final page in the wedding album, evoking the togetherness of husband and wife as they take their first steps into married life:

David

A Walk In The Woods

2009-05-05T22:25:00.003+01:00

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, I went to Stockgrove Country Park with our friends Luca, Michiyo and their two boys Leo and Danny. And as we took a leisurely walk around the park, I managed to distract Leo and Danny from their play with my own boys just about long enough to capture a handful of relaxed family portraits:

No children were harmed in the making of the above image - honestly! This next one is my personal favourite from the day:

This smile took some coaxing:

But Leo is simply too cool to smile for the camera:

While the boys carried logs around and played soldiers with gun-shaped sticks and branches, I stole a few moments to take some shots of Luca and Michiyo alone, including this happy portrait:

David

Our Fun-Packed Disney Weekend

2009-04-29T10:02:00.005+01:00

With a considerable amount of barely containable excitement in the air, Fionnuala and I took the boys to Disneyland, Paris at the weekend. It was our first experience on Eurostar, which was full of children humming their favourite Disney tunes. I fully expected to spend two or three hours enduring the "are we there yet?" phenomenon - but no, the trip was very smooth and the boys seemed perfectly happy to wait for their appointment with Mickey and friends without driving their mummy and daddy up the train walls.

If you've never been to Disneyland before, there's two things you need to know before setting out. The first is that you will have very tired feet at the end of each day. And the second is that your wallet will feel drained, too. Having said that, we had so much fun and enjoyment that I couldn't possibly claim we didn't get value for money.

Slightly concerned about keeping an eye on my camera equipment, I decided to take my old Canon 350D and the standard lens that comes with the kit. And I'm pleased to say they did a very good job. Here's a few images from our trip:

We brought two very tired boys home with us - along with two bagfuls of Disney goodies - and both agreed it had been the best weekend of their lives. Already they're talking about their next trip to Disneyland - time, I think, to remind them about their savings account!

David

Louise and Mike's Stunning Stowe School Wedding

2009-04-23T16:10:00.004+01:00

Last weekend I spent a glorious day in the company of Louise and Mike as they tied the knot at Stowe School, Buckinghamshire. It's difficult to imagine a more spectacular venue for a wedding and when the sun burned through the early morning clouds I knew we were in for a great day. Louise and Mike had put a great amount of effort into planning their day, and it certainly paid off with everyone having such a tremendous time.

In the morning, Louise got ready at home and here's her gorgeous bridal gown hanging in the bedroom:

I usually feature the bride's flowers when showing a bouquet and Louise's was very special, as can be seen in a couple of the images below. But just by way of a change, here's a close-up of one of the bouquets carried by Louise's beautiful bridesmaids:

Mike was very relaxed before the ceremony as he posed for his portraits. In this shot, he's accompanied by his excellent Best Men, Jethro:

As Louise arrived, she was piped in ceremoniously as her bridesmaids and mother helped keep the dress in pristine condition:

As I mentioned above, Stowe School is a wonderful venue. This can be seen all too well in these next two images, taken in the Marble Saloon during the ceremony:

Afterwards, everyone spilled out onto the terrace for drinks and congratulatory hugs and kisses (I particularly like the framing in this shot, and the placement of kilts at each side of the image):

The school offers some truly world class backdrops for wedding photos which we used to good effect:

And the great lawn at the rear of the house made a pefect setting for this shot:

As the guests sat down to the wedding breakfast, I chose this splendid statue at the front house as a background for the rings shot which I took lying on the floor (just as I was in the image above - I must be getting lazy in my old age!):

And then it was time for Louise and Mike to take to the floor and wow their guests with the waltz they'd been learning (and what an excellent job they made of it, too):

It was a truly wonderful day and was greatly enjoyed by all present. As I left, a full scale ceilidh was in the offing and I doubt whether many of the guests escaped that night without having flung themselves and probably several others around the dance floor.

My congratulations to you, Louise and Mike, on such a fantastic wedding day and my best wishes for a wonderfully long and fulfilling life together,

David

Emily and Matt's Wonderful Wedding Day

2009-04-20T14:31:00.005+01:00

Emily and Matt had glorious weather for their wedding the weekend before Easter. The sun shone down on them, and so did the warmest wishes of their family and guests. It couldn't have been a more enjoyable day - everyone was in such great form and the joy of the occasion was evident on each and every face.

As usual, I started the day with the bride as she made her final preparations. Emily's bridal gown and shoes were really beautiful:

And Emily looked like the happiest and most beautiful bride in the world:

As Matt waited for her to arrive at the church, there were no signs of any nerves, just a handsome groom who simply couldn't wait to marry the girl of his dreams:

I wanted to capture a few shots that really brought home the brightness of the day. So I lay in the grass to get this unusual angle of Emily's walk through All Saints' church yard in Leighton Buzzard and that enabled me also to include a blast of lens flare from one corner to the other of this image:

Once the vows and rings had been exchanged, Emily and Matt signed the register and legalised their marriage:

And before long, it was time to make their exit as a very happy husband and wife:

This shot was taken as Emily and Matt approached their guests, who had gathered to shower the newly weds in confetti at the church gate:

And then it was off to Bletchley Park for the reception, where we made a selection of relaxed images with which to cherish the memories of their special day:

The next image was shot during the Best Man's speech, and I think he can be pleased with the reaction he was getting:

Finally, a shot of the wedding rings, together with Emily's engagement ring, nestling on the cake:

What a superb day it was, Emily and Matt. I'm sure you enjoyed yourselves greatly - I know I did. As I left, the ceilidh band was getting into full swing and it was clear that a fantastic party was about to unfold. I hope you've recovered from that now!

My congratulations to you both and best wishes for a long and very happy life together,

David

Amanda & Toby's Maternity Shoot

2009-04-16T21:09:00.003+01:00

When I photographed Amanda and Toby's wedding last summer it was evident that they are very much in love. Well, pretty soon they're going to have to share that love with a precious little baby and I'm sure they're going to make wonderful parents.

Of all the different types of portraiture, the maternity shoot is probably my favourite. It's just such a special time in our lives, and it's a real joy to share in it. It was great to work with Amanda and Toby again, like meeting up with old friends.

Congratulations to you both!

And finally, one to show the little cutie is going to be well-dressed - whether these will be worn by a boy or girl, only time will tell!

David

Time to Book Your Portrait Session in the Bluebells

2009-04-13T19:11:00.003+01:00

This afternoon I took a quick stroll round nearby Docky Wood, famous for its mid-Spring carpet of bluebells. It's a photographer's paradise, though we'll have to wait another week or so before this year's bloom is at its best - in fact, there are only a handful of early petals to be seen at the moment.

Bluebells don't last long, so if you fancy a memorable portrait session in this special setting, now is the time to book your shoot. As a tempter, here's a few shots from a previous session in the bluebell woods, starting with a scenic:

And here's a few examples of classic bluebell portraits:

Bluebell portraits make great images, so give me a call and book your session now.

David

Wedding Guests - Beware The Crazy Guy With The Camera!

2009-04-03T18:19:00.003+01:00

At Karen and Rick's wedding last weekend, I photographed this beautiful guest. Nothing unusual in that you might think, and you'd be right, of course! Except for one thing - this lady was wearing a pair of amazingly coloured shoes. I couldn't resist photographing them, but didn't want to capture them in a dull and boring way. So, if you're attending one of the weddings I photograph, be warned - you may be asked to pose in the most unexpected manner:

David :)

Steph's Urban Fashion Shoot

2009-04-03T17:33:00.004+01:00

One of my shoot's this week took me to Central Milton Keynes where I met up with budding model Steph to create a range of urban fashion portraits. Town centre locations make fantastic settings as there as so many different backdrops to work with. Steph also had to endure a large number of onlookers but she didn't allow that to distract her. She engaged with the camera like a true professional and now has a set of amazing images to add to her growing portfolio:

Well done, Steph, for working so hard. It really was a fun shoot!

David

Karen & Rick Tie The Knot

2009-04-01T15:17:00.004+01:00

Karen and Rick's wedding on Saturday was a wonderful occasion. They had a fantastic time with their closest family and friends, and having put in so much thought to their big day they were rewarded with a really happy celebration. Karen looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress, and you can see from this first image how much she was enjoying herself:

As Karen made her final preparations, Rick was already at the church, greeting the guests. There was time for a few portraits, though, including this shot of Rick framed by the stonework of a former church door:

The ceremony was just wonderful, and was topped off with this loving kiss as the newly-weds sealed their vows:

And then it was time to make their way out to face the world as Mr and Mrs, with a broad grin for even the youngest of guests:

Photos in the churchyard, during which we had to work with weather from all four seasons of the year, were followed by the confetti tunnel of love by the church gate:

The reception was held at the Sharnbrook Hotel, between Rushden and Bedford, where Karen and Rick were able to pose for portraits in a very modern setting:

Here's a shot of the Top Table during the excellent best man's speech (I should add that he did embarrass the groom, too):

And so to the cutting of the cake:

And one of the detail shots I captured during the day, this time highlighting the wedding bands and engagement ring:

It was a great day and everyone had lots of fun, just as it should be at a wedding celebration. For me, it was my fiftieth wedding, quite a landmark. I know I couldn't have spent the day with a finer group of people, nor with a nicer couple. Karen and Rick, I wish you both every happiness in your married life - may it be long and very, very fulfilling!

David

Theo: Are You Sitting Comfortably?

2009-03-27T16:28:00.003Z

Earlier this week, Laura brought Theo in for a portrait sitting, along with his splendid blue nursery chair to sit in. Sitting Theo down comfortably was not the easiest of tasks because he's a little action man. But with a small dose of encouragement and a large helping hand from his Lightning McQueen book we managed to catch some great shots.

So, are you sitting comfortably?

Then we shall begin. Once upon a time ...

Erm, can you not interrupt me while I'm reading please:

Only joking:

Nice to end on a happy smiley one.

David

My 50th Wedding!

2009-03-27T15:03:00.002Z

Tomorrow is a big big day for me. I'm photographing Karen and Rick's wedding and it'll be my 50th wedding - so a sort of Golden Anniversary!

I met Karen and Rick in 2007 when Karen's sister Naomi married Andy. It'll be great to see the two of them again tomorrow, and their new little son Zac who I've not yet met. Karen was a radiant bridesmaid for Naomi, and tomorrow Naomi has the opportunity to return the favour. And to add to the occasion, Rick has asked Andy to be his Best Man. I'm certain he'll be making an entertaining speech if his address as groom is any indicator!

Here's the beautiful church in Wootton where Karen and Rick will exchange their vows:

I took these shots earlier this week when I also scouted the reception venue. Hopefully, it won't be quite as windy tomorrow!

It'll be nice to see some sunshine, though! So let's all pray for le soleil!

David

Laura's Fashion Makeover

2009-03-20T14:44:00.002Z

For an 18th birthday gift from her friends, Laura enjoyed one of my fashion makeover shoots yesterday. And what fun it was! After a few head shots in the studio, we took Laura outside where she had to endure a fair bit of mickey-taking from her friends. It didn't stop Laura from posing, though. There's a large car park beside my studio and it offers some great urban backdrops, as can be seen in the images here:

This one is my personal favourite from the day - Laura looks absolutley beautiful:

Well done, Laura, for working so hard as a model for the afternoon. And well done to Ellie, too, for organising such a wonderful birthday gift. I hope all the friends from school like the pictures I've posted - and apologies for the scratchiness of my jumper!!!

David

Jodie and Will's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2009-03-12T11:57:00.004Z

Last weekend, I strolled around the wonderfully picturesque town of Woburn with Jodie and Will. We had a great time shooting their pre-wedding images and I couldn't have hoped for a more willing pair of subjects. I'm really looking forward to their big day in June.

To start, here's a couple of cuddly romantic shots:

And then it was time to inject a bit of fun into the proceedings:

Here's Will discovering the truth about who will be wearing the trousers when the wedding is over:

What a great couple! Thanks to you both for a fun day out:

David