BECCI & RICH - TONE DALE HOUSE - APRIL 2014

My absolute favourite part of working as a wedding photographer is creating the Photo Story. This music slideshow of images is always really well received by my couples and has become a really important part of my creative process.

Usually when I'm shooting a wedding there will come point when a song will pop into my head and I'll decide to use it there and then. For me, the music and photos go hand in hand, each enhancing the other. Once the editing and post-processing is complete, I'll choose around 60 images that I feel best tell the story of the wedding day and usually arrange them chronologically, but sometimes I'll jiggle the order a little to create a certain mood or feeling.

My first Photo Story of 2014 was made for Becci & Rich who recently married at Tone Dale House, Taunton. I had such fun making their Photo Story, it's guaranteed to raise a smile!

Click "HD" to see the images at their best.

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CHARLIE & STU - PEMBROKE LODGE - AUGUST 2013

Pembroke Lodge is a magnificent listed Georgian Mansion set in 13 acres of landscaped grounds. It is situated at the highest point in Richmond Park with spectacular views over the Thames Valley to the west. 

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LACIE & CHRIS - PEMBROKE LODGE - JULY 2013

London was hit with a heatwave for the wedding of Lacie & Chris but it didn't stop the fun. Here is their day at Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park.

 

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JOANNA & STEPHEN - LONDON - FEBRUARY 2013

The first part of this year has been an incredible whirlwind of activity. I've shot weddings, established www.suziejay.com, and moved house (first-time buyer woohoo!). 

Before the next flurry of weddings starts in a week or two I thought I would take this brief moment of calm and catch up on a bit of blogging.

Joanna & Stephen were married in February at St Botolph without Bishopsgate and held their reception at The HAC. Remarkably, they had dry, bright weather the whole day. In stark contrast, we're now at the end of May, when looking outside offers nothing more than the grim realisation that I haven't got nearly enough wood to start building my arc. Just goes to show, you can't really let the weather/seasons dictate when you should get married.

Congratulations Jo & Steve, a really fun couple who deserved all the sunshine. 

Suzie x

p.s. London taxi drivers are ace.  Thanks for the excellent chats and occasional free lift.

    

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IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TEACUP.

One photographer I take a lot of influence from is Garry Winogrand. With his often seemingly haphazard arrangement of his subjects shot using a wide-angle lens, his pictures frequently appear to be driven by the energy of the events he was witnessing. 

So when you see me looking intently round the room whilst shooting at a wedding, it's because I am looking for images like this. 

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WEDDING COMMUNITY - PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Currently very excited because the very lovely folk over at The Wedding Community have been in touch to say that voting is now open for February's photo of the month competition!

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DON'T SAY CHEESE

As most of you know, my style of photography tends to fall into the category of creative photojournalism. This is to say, that I spend a great deal of time simply watching and waiting. First I look. I position myself according to the variables that make for a good, well-lit image and wait for moments to develop. On my better days I like to think of myself as some kind of camera-yielding ninja. Being discreet and shooting in a calm, controlled manner plays an important role in my work. Wide-angled story-telling shots are what inspired me to create Chasing Moments Photography in the first place:

When I meet clients for the first time, they often ask if I also incorporate time for directed shots in a typical wedding shoot. My answer is always the same: yes but let’s keep it short and sweet.

Given that this more traditional part of the day is so far removed from the idea of “Chasing Moments” I have surprised myself lately with just how much I am enjoying the playful possibilities that come from directing the bride and groom. I tried to think about why this might be and came up with a few possible reasons:

1) Taking the Bride and Groom off to a quiet spot creates a moment of calm in an otherwise whirlwind day.

2) Wedding venues are generally stunning and are literally begging to be photographed.

3) Even shy people can forget themselves if directed in the right way.

4) Fashion photography is cool so why should it be limited to magazines?

So this last point is probably what has inspired me during my most recent shoots. On a typical wedding day, the bride looks the most beautiful she ever has and the groom looks handsome, so why not throw in a hint of drama?

Ultimately though, as photographer, the trick is knowing your couple. It’s having the confidence to encourage them to try what you believe will unveil some part of their personality. Phillipe Halsman used to ask his subjects to jump, believing that the act of jumping would cause them to forget themselves and their personalities would be laid bare for all to see. I like this idea and intend to try it myself one day, when I find the bride with the right dress, I’ll let you know.

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