Karen & Rick Tie The Knot

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?

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!

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

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

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

Joseph's Big Smile

I posted a taster shot from Joseph's portrait session last week and, looking back, noticed he was a pretty serious-looking little man in that image ... which was odd because he laughed and smiled his way through most of the session. So four of the five shots here showcase that winning smile of his, starting with this cheeky little look:

Here's another cracking smile:

This has a rather more soulful feel about it:

Whereas these next two are sheer kiddie joy!

I think it's safe to say that Joseph quite enjoyed having his photograph taken. He's such a great little boy and was really good fun to work with. What a credit to Mum and Dad!

David

The Delightful Dulcie

Yesterday I had a really special experience when I photographed this lovely three-week old baby. Her name is Dulcie - isn't she just gorgeous!



And aren't Mum and Dad totally besotted with her!

Photographing tiny babies is a wee bit challenging, as Dulcie's parents can testify. Let's just say there weren't quite enough baby wipes to meet the demands! All the same, it was great fun to photograph someone so young and a fantastic way to mark the arrival of their beautiful little girl into the world.

David

Silver Award Images

After a gap of far too many months, I decided in February to enter some pictures in the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers monthly image competition. The judging has now taken place and I'm delighted to have been awarded six Silver Medals by the panel. Five of my award-winning images were from weddings or portrait sesions, including this shot from the Children category:



Must do better next month, though, and see if I can add to my collection of Golds.

David

A Woodland Portrait Session

We took the boys out for a walk in the nearby ancient woodlands at Ashridge the other day. It's an awe-inspiring location and makes a wonderful backdrop for a portrait session. Here's a few of the images I made:





This one features Tadhg's classmate Jack:

Wherever we go, the boys eventually get round to kicking a football about. Here's Finn with his new goalie gloves:

I love this next shot. The three boys, each in a world of their own:

David

Smokin' Joe

Had a great time this afternoon photographing Joseph and couldn't resist putting a teaser on here for mum and dad to enjoy straight away. Joseph is one year old and he's a man on the move! But here's a shot of him sitting nice and still ...

More of Joseph to follow in a few days' time,

David

By Special Request - One More of Baby George

Here's one more shot of a happy little George ...



What a cute smile!
David

Our Beautiful Niece Kyra

You can count yourself lucky if - like me - you have a little princess of a niece who just loves to have her photograph taken. We visited Kyra recently and got some great shots. Now, I know I'm at risk of turning this blog into a family album, but I simply couldn't resist posting a few images to share with you:









Awwwwwww.

Kyra reached the grand old age of two this week - Happy Birthday Princess! And it was also Mum Natasha's birthday. But don't worry Tash, I'm not about to spout out your grand old age here - you never know who might be looking in! Happy Birthday to you, too!

David

First Baby Portrait of 2009

Last week I had the good fortune to photograph baby George - one of the smiliest baby sessions I've done for a little while. George is a bundle of fun and was great to work with. They say you should never work with animals and children. Nonsense, it's such a great thing to spend time creating images images like these. It's like capturing the very essence of childhood:

As you can see, George worked hard for his photographs:

David