We're Getting Married!

So, this is it, the final countdown.... On Saturday, we'll be kicking off our shoes and dancing the night away.  This weekend we're getting married!!   My lovely Sarah and I have been together quite a while now, but we wanted to wait until we were able to get married, in the same way as other couples, the majority of couples we take photographs of.  

And now we're able to do that, which is just amazing (and we're very pleased to hear about the yes vote in Ireland just the other day!).  We're quite private folk, so maybe you don't already know we're together, but we wanted to be open and honest and to be able to share some of our plans with you.  We're lucky enough to have been to (as guests and as photographers), many gorgeous, fabulous weddings and we've seen many different and wonderful ideas.  We've witnessed amazing new beginnings and shared in those beautiful moments. 

But now we're getting married and the day is nearly upon us; we're doing it our way.  I proposed to Sarah when we were at the End of the Road Festival, which was an absolutely magical place.  It's such a fantastic gathering - tunnels of fairy lights in the trees, 70's flashing dance floor in the woods, peacocks flitting around, the best food, and of course the music.  So we wanted to bring a festival feel to our wedding day.  I'm sure some people may raise their eyebrows at some of our plans or our invitation with 'survival tips' suggesting guests bring midge repellent, sensible shoes and a sense of adventure, but the day is a reflection of what we love and our journey so far as a couple.  I know it's just going to be the most amazing day, surrounded by people we love and people who love us.  It may not have always been an easy road, telling family and friends we had fallen in love.  Were me and Sarah worried about people's reactions?  Truthfully, maybe sometimes.  I know we shouldn't.  But our families and friends have been very supportive, and we both feel very lucky for this.  And then, moving to Hebden Bridge was the icing on the cake - it's just the perfect place to live and to have our business and we couldn't wish to be anywhere better (although in the future I wouldn't say no to a small house in France to spend our winters!). 

So, the final days are counting down.  There are anxious moments, but this is outweighed by the ones where we have rushes of excitement, belly flips and happy tears. 

So, it's our turn to be on the other side of the camera, and when our lovely photographer has shared the photos with us, we'll share them with you too.

Experiments With Film

Just before Christmas last year, I bought an Olympus OM1 camera from the lovely folk at West Yorkshire Cameras (a wonderful place for all things film!). I wanted to experiment with it and use it for personal projects. But it has become much more than that.  I've mentioned it before in a post, but it is actually making me think so much more about the way I'm shooting.  It's making me slow down.  

There's a quiet and stillness before I press the shutter. There's no checking the back of the camera to see if I like the look of the exposure. And I love the process of sending the film off to be developed, and then the scans and prints arriving a few days later, a welcome change to bills and statements!  

I might start adding a little in our lifestyle work, but for now I'm just happy experimenting and exploring a different way of shooting.

Photos taken with a 50mm lens and Portra 400 film. Developed at CC Imaging.

A Workshop & Making Connections

I've been quite quiet on social media this week.  Although it's been busy with a few commercial shoots, there has been something on my mind and I've been quite contemplative.  There are new questions, but there's a clarity emerging from the fuzziness.

Last Monday, me and Suzi went to 'A Greater Story' workshop in London with Jonas Peterson.  If you don't know his work, make yourself a cup of something and take a look.  He has an amazing gift.  He's a storyteller.  His ability to show connections between people in his photographs just blows my mind.

On Monday morning, we made our way from the hotel to the workshop location.  Rush hour in Hoxton. Everyone clasping a coffee, trendy attire, white earphone leads, determined faces.  I can sometimes feel disengaged from a scene like this, but we were walking with purpose too, being carried along with the Monday morning buzz to our workshop location.  We climbed the stairs to a light airy apartment, wooden floors and exposed red brickwork, our home for the day. Jonas started to talk. He's a humble man, and he speaks in a gentle tone. He's incredibly engaging. As he told his story there were moments I held my breath, laughed out loud, and wiped tears from my eyes. He opened his heart, and words resonated. Jonas also introduced us to Brené Brown, and I'm really looking forward to reading more and listening to her work and talks.

'Once you start to connect with people, good things start to happen'.

Bang.

This is it.  This is what it's all about.  This is what we try to achieve on our shoots.  We like to connect with you beforehand, so we can tell your story with honesty and truth.  For our family shoots, we like to hang out with you in your family home, and then go out on one of your favourite walks you share as a family.  We want to show you the real you, your connections, and how beautiful you are.

I wrote a post the other week about developing a style, and accepting my voice.  I can feel I'm on the right path, there were reassurances from the workshop. 

So, what next?  I want to take photos that always mean something to me.  When I'm on a shoot, I want to slow down and listen to my heart more.  We're just about to be carried away into wedding season, and we also have our own in a matter of weeks (more of this soon!).  We're working with some lovely families and telling their stories in the coming months, and we're excited about making short films as an extension to our portrait shoots. And there will be more personal projects, I'll be making time for this.

We want to share our journey with you, with honesty.  To tell our story with our whole hearts.  Thanks for being a part of it so far.