Someone asked me recently if I thought that my photographs were in some way a form of self-portrait. Which I thought was funny because the boy in this picture is also called Dylan! :D

For anyone wishing to contact me – please note that as of today I am travelling in France and will be away from the studio until Thursday 11th August. I will respond to all emails and phonecalls on my return.

Here’s an image that just jumped off the screen for me earlier this morning as I was editing Joanne and David’s wedding pictures from a couple of weeks back.

I’ll be posting more images from Joanne and David’s fabulous marquee wedding on Friday.

I’m inspired by a lot of the great 20th century street photographers. I’ve never really been a fan of ‘wedding photography’ per se. Along with Garry Winogrand probably my favourite New York photographer over the years has been Joel Meyerowitz, who once remarked that:

“…Photography is a response that has to do with the momentary recognition of things. Suddenly you’re alive. A minute later there was nothing there. I just watched it evaporate. You look one moment and there’s everything, next moment it’s gone. Photography is very philosophical.”

This was one of those moments.

I love this image because like all great wide-angle photographs the eye can go into the picture at any point and find something (or someone) interesting; from the girl at the back whistling, to the man in the corner laughing to the little girl sitting drawing pictures in the other corner (oblivous to all of the commotion).

I laughed out loud when I walked past and saw this a couple of weeks ago and it still makes me smile now.

I’ll admit to initially being baffled as to the real purpose of the chainsaw.

All will be revealed here next week! :D

One of the reasons I was drawn to wedding photography in the first place was because I loved being around people and I loved reliving the memories from my own wedding day (almost eight years ago).
I draw a lot of inspiration from my own wedding day. So I always ask myself ‘what would I like to see if this was my wedding?’ And from there I tend to develop a real interest in all of the people at the wedding (even though I barely know them).

After the bride and groom had signed the register at this wedding I had walked back down the aisle to take up my next position when I noticed this little girl in one of the front pews.

I had a feeling she might give me an interesting picture so I sneaked in beside one of the guests and waited for the right moment. Just as everyone bowed their heads for the prayer she looked around and I took this picture. Just one frame with a silent shutter on the camera (so as not to disturb the moment).

Now that I’m a parent, eight years after my own wedding, I find I can appreciate these little people and their ‘innocent irreverence’ even more.

This image, to me, is what photographic storytelling on a wedding day is all about.

It’s about the beautiful expression on the bridesmaids face. It’s about how everyone else is straining to catch a glimpse of the bride as she enters the church with her Father. It’s about the love and affection held for the groom.

I find it’s a much more powerful photograph for all of that than if the photographer had just asked the bridesmaids to simply look into the lens (and heaven forbid, tilt the camera). :D

The challenge of course, is that these moments are so fleeting that there are no second chances.

I love this photograph. Away from the crowd outside the church I noticed these three discussing who would chase who. And as all good boys know – it’s best when you have two girls chasing! :D

I shot four frames of this situation and this one is my favourite. Like all great moments of magic it’s unposed and I had no hand in orchestrating this scene at all. The picture came together just as the little girl outstretched her hand confident that she would ‘get’ him. In fact, she didn’t – he was too quick!