Wedding photography

Wedding photography is the bread and butter of many High Street photographers.  Many do it really well – at a price.

I have deliberately stayed away from wedding photography for a number of reasons :-

  • the stress and pressure of THE DAY, which might just be another wedding shoot for you but it is THE day for bride and groom and their family and friends;
  • it is a highly competitive area with all sorts of photographers involved – the good, the bad and the …..;
  • the life style where weddings are generally on the weekend, meaning a substantial commitment over the years if you are going to do it properly;
  • the limited scope for creative expression with much of the actual photography being prescribed and formulaic.  This is not to say that there are not many very creative wedding photographers out there.

I was privileged recently to do a wedding as a rare once-off event and it went really well.  I was very concerned to capture the special day, to do a high quality professional job and the family were very happy and complimentary about the results.  It is a privilege to be part of a special family time – to capture the essence of the event in a non-intrusive way.

Doing the occasional wedding on a specialist basis has its advantages and can be very rewarding creatively (and financially).

Cathedrals of England: E-Book Published

I have arranged and published, through an Internet Publisher, the first copy on a 90 page book entitled “Cathedrals of England” which contains images and some introductory information on all 43 Anglican English cathedrals.  The E=Book can be browsed through this link.

What next?

The next step will be to have discussions with various parties including the Church and publishers to see if we can take the project further.  Producing one-offs is very expensive.  Of course, if there is going to be a commercial aspect to this we will need clearance from each Cathedral to include images of their property.

Watch this space – You may be able to order a copy soon.

Improve Your Image – Digital Photography Course

As an addition to my other work as a professional Fine Art Photographer, I am now teaching courses in digital photography. I am currently in the midst of a 4 session course entitled “Improve Your Image”, teaching the basics of digital photography to pupils at Croydon High School, an Independent girl’s high school in Surrey.  The course is great fun and has been very useful to the students, as I understand from feedback from the teachers, .

Improve Your Image Course Topics

Each session has a mixture of both technical topics and creative ideas and tips.  The topics for each session of the course are as follows:

  • Knowing your camera – We go through the workings of a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera and look at the key controls.  The idea is that you control the camera and not the other way round.
  • Picturing your picture – How often do you take a shot but the results are disappointing and not at all what you expected?  We get an idea of how to look at the world with a photographer’s eye.
  • Adding a dash of Passion – The rules and guidelines for good composition are there to help and not stifle your creativity.  “Live adventurously”, experiment, express yourself.
  • Pictures with purpose – Every picture tells a story.  Here we explore how to capture the essence of a scene and convey a story, whilst at the same time producing images which have artistic merit.

Do you want to take the course?

I am planning to hold courses from time to time – if you would like to participate in a course, have a look at the “Improve Your Image” page on the Season Images web site or contact me at info@seasonimages.com.

 

 

All 43 English Anglican Cathedrals Photographed

The first Cathedral I photographed was the Episcopal National Cathedral in Washington DC.  Then I attended a multi-faith meeting on water representing the World Bank which was held in Salisbury Cathedral in England in July 2009, and I visited the Cathedral of Bath and Wells in Somerset where I have family roots.  I was overawed by these magnificent buildings and the idea dawned to set about photographing them all – which I completed yesterday (3 March 2011) when I flew to the Isle of Man and photographed the Peel Cathedral (see Blog post –Peel Cathedral, Isle of Man – the Friendliest Cathedral in all England).  A selection of the images taken at each cathedral can be seen in the Season Images Gallery.

The purpose

The cathedrals of England hold a tension, an irony, being at once places of devotion and contemplation as well as representing wealth and power from a past era. A tension runs right through most elements – a warmth and a coldness, the familiar with the alien, minute detail overshadowed by vast lines and cavernous spaces. My purpose in these images is to explore these tensions, seeking not to create an architectural record but to capture unique perspectives to be reflected upon and contemplated over. A very real contemporary tension is how these sacred buildings, which have priceless historical value, recreate themselves to hold real significance in the largely secular, urban, 21st century contexts in which they find themselves and remain true to their primary function as places of Christian worship.  My hope is that in a small way these images can bring to life again the dedicated creativity of centuries of artists, architects, builders and masons.

A list ….

  • The most inspiring and my favorite is Wells Cathedral.
  • The most striking font is in Salisbury Cathedral.
  • The friendliest was Peel Cathedral on the Isle of Man.
  • The most informative and amenable guide was in St Alban’s.
  • The most awesome for sheer size was Liverpool.
  • The cross-of-nails in Coventry was thought provoking.
  • The most picturesque surroundings – Lichfield Cathedral.
  • The most expensive was …….. – £120.00 per hour. (Fill in the gaps)
  • The least attended was …….. – I spent an hour there and did not see anyone.
  • The most unsteady – ………  Cathedral did not let me use a tripod.
  • The least friendly – in ……..  we had a run in with very rude University Proctors although the volunteers in the Cathedral were friendly.

Peel Cathedral, Isle of Man – the Friendliest of all Church of England Cathedrals

Peel Cathedral

St German's Cathedral Church, Peel

Yesterday (3 March 2011) I had the privilege of visiting the most recently hallowed Cathedral in England – St German Cathedral Church in Peel on the Isle of Man, Cathedral of the Diocese of Sodor and Man.  (See the images on the Season Images Gallery) The church of St German was hallowed as a cathedral in 1980 – the church was consecrated in 1893 to replace the ancient church of St. Peter, in the town centre, which had become too small for Peel’s growing population.

The Dean and the Church Warden were warm and welcoming – I flew to the Isle of Man for the day from Gatwick and was collected at the airport and made to feel very welcome with a cup of tea.  Although St German’s is the most recently hallowed Cathedral in the Church of England, it is very much a living, worshiping community and could teach some of its more ancient brother / sister (??) cathedrals a thing or two.  If you ever get the chance to visit the Isle of Man, you must visit Peel and you must visit the Cathedral.

 

Sanctuary - the heart of a living cathedral
Menorah made from spent rocket casings
Prayers for all impacted by conflict and injustice

 

 

 

Peel town

Spring was definitely in the air and after photographing the Cathedral I strolled down to the promenade and enjoyed the sun and the seaside.

 

Peel Harbour
The Castle