Belle Amour: Wedding Ideas Less of the traditional. More of the original.

After featuring the perfectly captured wedding of Rea & Jamie I had to interview Albert for my ‘Belle Amour asks…’ feature because, simply put, he takes stunning photographs…

The interview

Introduction:
I’m Albert, a 28 year old wedding photographer living in Bristol. I specialise in creating unique and beautiful wedding photographs in a fun and artistic way. I tell the story of the day and the people as they really are. I take pride in photographing the small things no one else sees and capturing the special moments everyone wants to remember.

Location: Bristol.

When and how did you fall in love with photography?
I’ve always been artistic. My father is a wood sculptor and my mother taught people to play the flute. Neither of them had any interest in photography. We didn’t own a camera. We didn’t have photographs in our house and they don’t even have photographs of their wedding. But I was always encouraged to be creative from a young age. I learned the recorder, flute, guitar and a bit of piano. But it wasn’t until secondary school that I actually picked up a camera. I studied A-level art and we experimented with film and a bit of digital. I always preferred digital. The instant gratification of seeing a photograph never ceases to amaze me. After my A-Levels I moved to Paris for a few years and that is where my interest began. The beauty of the city was captivating. Being surrounded by a city so rich in culture was inspiring. It was a way to escape my day job and use my creativity.

Have you had any formal training?
I was awarded a few distinctions for some minor ‘qualifications’ a few years ago. However I built my photography skills well in advance of any formal training. Even now, I find studying other people’s work and experimenting the best way to learn.

How would you describe your photography style?
I don’t know what style I fit in to. I take photographs in my own way and document what I see. I tell the story of a wedding as it really is, but offer a helping hand when needed.

What inspires your work?
For me it’s the bride and groom. It’s true that each wedding follows a certain pattern but in my experience each wedding is completely unique. It’s these unique moments that I pick up on and my creativity just flows. I must give credit to other photographers whose work I find inspiring. Todd Hunter McGaw and Eric Yerke in particular. I am not like either of them and I don’t try to be, but I am fascinated by their work.

When did you first shoot a wedding?
It was in November 2007. Like so many before me I was asked by friends to photograph their wedding as a favour. They had been impressed with my photographs of events and parties. They knew I had no wedding experience. It was a low-key wedding with 25 guests. The day was awful weather-wise: there was torrential rain and I’m pretty sure there was a hurricane warning! I started photographing the bridal preparations and really got into the swing of the day, capturing events from my point of view. The couple loved the photographs and that sparked an interest I didn’t know existed.

Where in the UK are you based and how far would you travel to shoot a wedding?
I’m based in Bristol, but I would photograph a wedding anywhere. I’ve worked in Dorset, Somerset, London and Oxford. I did have an enquiry to photograph a wedding in France next year but I was booked! It was a tough dilemma but I ended up referring the couple to a colleague I knew would do a good job.

How many weddings do you shoot per year?
This is my second year of full time photography. I photographed 20 in 2010 and I have a target of 30 for 2011 and it’s filling up fast. I know I could shoot more, but dedicating the time to each wedding and striking a work/life balance is important to me and ensures I can devout a good amount of time to each of my clients.

What has been the best wedding you’ve captured so far, and why?
I’m not sure I could choose a favourite. That’s not a cop-out. Each wedding is different. Not only because of the flowers or the bride’s dress, and these details are important, but I’m drawn to the story of the day. I want to capture the bride and groom’s personalities and the love and happiness they share. It’s great to see how creative and unique people are. And it’s that ‘essence’ that I want to show in my photographs.

What would be your idea of a dream wedding to photograph?
I love working with people. It’s a dream when I connect with my clients. It’s perfect when they are as excited as I am about capturing amazing photographs. One example of this is coming up in a few weeks. The bride is wearing a 1920’s style dress and everyone attending will wear clothes from the same era. I have heard a rumour that some people will be dressing up in World War 1 uniforms. The bridal shoot is going to include the bride’s horse, Chester! It’s great that couples can truly make their weddings their own and I find it personally rewarding to capture and compliment that in my photography.

Has anything gone wrong when shooting a wedding? And if so, how did you cope with it?
The one bad experience I had was when a camera malfunctioned. The bride was walking down the aisle. When I tried to take a photograph the camera’s display showed ‘err 99’ – not good! I shoot with prime lenses and always have two bodies to hand. It took about two seconds to pick up my second camera and I carried on maintaining composure. I make every effort to have a contingency plan. I backup on the day, keep spare equipment in the car along with a full change of clothes!

What camera(s) do you use for photographing weddings?
I use two Canon 5D MKIIs. They’re amazing cameras, but I wish they had dual memory slots.

And your favourite lenses?
My main three are:

• 35mm f/1.4 L
• 85mm f/1.2 L
• 135mm f/2 L

Do you use any lighting equipment?
I tend to work in natural light, but if it’s no good I’m not afraid to create my own. I have a few Canon EX580IIs and Pocket Wizards. I use a Westcott 50” soft box for some portraits, it’s beautiful.

What advice would you give to wannabe wedding photographers?
My best piece of advice would be that the camera looks both ways. Weddings are all about people and their emotions. You need to connect with them and make them feel at ease.

What has been your proudest moment as a photographer?
Being hugged tightly by a bride after presenting her wedding album.

Out of all the photographs you have ever taken, which is your favourite and why?
Keeping it professional, the photograph of Rea & Jamie walking through a field of corn is probably one of my favourite photographs. It’s just beautiful. The warm summer sun, the growing corn and the smile in Rea’s face and the confidence in her body language make this an image I keep coming back to. Whilst I’m always looking to improve on my last wedding I know this will remain in my portfolio for a long time.

If you could capture anybody or anything on camera what would it be?
Okay, this is a bit ‘out there’, but I’d love to go to space and take photographs of the earth. My girlfriend always complains when I take photographs during exciting or special moments. ‘You’re missing it!’ she says. But when I put the camera up to my eye the experience is enhanced. I feel more connected to the situation when I’m capturing it.

If it were a person..? Obama.

Just so we can find out a bit more about the person behind the lens, could you tell me 5 things you like that are completely unrelated to photography?

• My girlfriend. She drives me, inspires me and tells me when I’m wrong.
• The cinema, or more specifically independent and foreign film. I don’t remember names of directors or actors, but I love a good story.
• Design. At one point I wanted to be a graphic designer and worked a bit in this for a year. Whilst I don’t do it anymore I certainly appreciate great design.
• Formula 1. Yeah, I know. 20 cars going around the same track 60 times. I used to yawn, but since attending the Italian circuit Monza in 2001 I can’t get enough.
• Tennis. I love playing whenever I have the chance. Although, if I’m honest, it’s more enthusiasm than raw skill.

And 5 things you dislike?

• Liver.
• Boring advertising: they have huge budgets but rarely are they creative.
• Restaurant food that isn’t up to standard.
• Not owning a dog.
• Nothing else really, I’m quite relaxed about life.

What are your aspirations for the future, in photography or otherwise?
I want to get married, I’m keen to have my time in the spotlight and it’s such a wonderful thing to do in life. I am happy with my creative development and output. But I need to work on my business acumen. Whilst I have come a long way I know I’m only at the start of something great.

Debs & Albert

Photographer Details:
Albert Palmer’s website
Contact Albert
Phone: 07792 613632

A self-confessed camera-freak, Anna has turned her obsession into a full-time career creating timeless, pretty pictures that perfectly portray a wedding day…

The interview

Location:
Manchester

When and how did you fall in love with photography?
I’ve always loved looking at other people’s photographs. When everyone else groans at someone getting their 500 holiday pics out, I’m there happily poring over them, whether I know them well or not. As a teenager I used to tear out photographs I liked from my dad’s newspaper supplements and stick them all over my walls, I’ve just always found photography really fascinating.

It never occurred to me that I might have any talent for it myself, but when I was backpacking across Asia I got an unexpected tax rebate and so, fairly impulsively, bought my first film SLR in Nepal. From that moment I just couldn’t stop, and travelling through so many amazing places and seeing so many arresting things just fuelled it even more. I got them processed as I travelled and lugged hundreds of prints around with me in my rucksack; not very practical but I was hooked!

Have you had any formal training?
No, I am a complete book nerd, studied English Literature and became a secondary school English teacher, which I loved. I taught myself photography while I was travelling. When I got back I went to a few beginners’ evening classes to make sure I’d not picked up any bad habits or missed any glaringly obvious basics, but other than that, learning how to do it has all been trial and error and lots of experimenting and reading.

How would you describe your photography style?
What really interests me is energy, individuality and spirit, I like atmospheric pictures where character jumps out of them and you feel like you can tell what that person is like, what they sound like, how they feel. I try to anticipate when something wonderful is going to happen and make sure I grab it when it does, it might be something small like a facial expression, a dance move or a belly laugh, but these are the times when people’s characters shine through.

What inspires your work?
The people I photograph. I get very excited when I know I’m photographing people with interesting personalities or style, or a couple who have a really great energy between them. Wedding photographers I absolutely love at the moment are Jonas Peterson, The Image is Found and Ben Blood. I look at their blogs all the time and flit between feeling really inspired and really inadequate!

When did you first shoot a wedding?
In July 2008. They were friends of a friend but I’d never met them before. I did it for free in exchange for them taking a punt on someone inexperienced and I was beyond terrified. The pictures turned out really well though and I am still friends with them today.

Where in the UK are you based and how far would you travel to shoot a wedding?
I’m relocating from Birmingham to Manchester this summer and so a lot of my work is throughout the Midlands and North West. However, I happily travel anywhere, including overseas, and often travel a fair distance for work, particularly weddings. I’d get incredibly bored photographing at the same locations all the time and I love to travel so it suits me fine to go further afield.

How many weddings do you shoot per year?
Around 20 or so, not a huge amount compared to some, but plenty for me as I also do a lot of portrait work and some commercial work, as well as doing a fair bit of work on creative learning projects with young people. I really enjoy the variety of work, it stops me getting bored and I find that each strand of work inspires and injects freshness into the others. I’ve also got a 5 year old son and so it’s really important to me to retain some weekends to spend with him, my husband, family and friends. I do love photographing weddings and get a bit swept up in wedding season, my husband tends to become a bit of a wedding-and-photoshop-widower!

What has been the best wedding you’ve captured so far, and why?
That’s such a hard question because I love different ones for different reasons. I’m not going to include friends’ weddings even though they have been spectacular as I’m too biased! Debbie and Peter’s 50s style wedding really sticks in my mind as it was a complete extravaganza and extremely creative. The outfits were amazing, there were so many different and inventive kinds of entertainment going on throughout the day, and it was visually so striking and varied. The guests had a proper swing dance lesson, and Debbie is the only bride I’ve seen upside down during her first dance. Debbie and Pete are just so warm, funny, deliriously in love and wonderfully eccentric with an immense lust for life, I loved them. But now I keep thinking of lots of other weddings I loved too! I’ve been really lucky with the couples who book me: so many amazing people with wonderful days.

What would be your idea of a dream wedding to photograph?
A really fun, loved-up, adventurous couple with unique style. The location can be a bit arbitrary if you’ve got people who shine. Some of my best pictures have been next to an old bin or something really dull or unglamorous like that, so it’s really not essential to have some picturesque location to get an amazing shoot. I really love weddings where you can go out into the streets as there’s so much more variety of backdrops and I love the vibrant atmosphere, so probably somewhere manic and colourful like New York, Tokyo, Istanbul or Delhi would be a dream location. Give me a noisy bustling city over a sedate stately home any day!

Has anything gone wrong when shooting a wedding? And if so, how did you cope with it?
Photographically, no. I check, double check, triple check, back up, plan etc etc to make sure that nothing will go wrong. A bridesmaid once got her knee stuck in a cattle grid at the church exit so that no-one could leave until the fire brigade came to cut her out, which was pretty memorable! Coping with things like this that don’t go according to plan is just a matter of being supportive, creative and flexible. Often the couple looks to you as a calming influence and I think it’s really important that you can be this for them.

What camera(s) do you use for photographing weddings?
Canon 5D Mark II and 5D.

And your favourite lenses?
Recently I’ve been trying to use prime lenses much more, although it’s very hard to give up on my 24-70mm f2.8 which is such a great, versatile walk-around lens. I absolutely love my 50mm prime and next on my list is the Canon 35mm f1.4 prime, which I’m beyond excited about getting.

Do you use any lighting equipment?
Not if I can help it. I much prefer natural light, it’s much more atmospheric and beautiful, and with fast lenses with wide apertures and higher ISOs you don’t often need anything else. However, I have started using flashguns more for dancing in the evening: I love the energetic effect of second curtain flash.

What advice would you give to wannabe wedding photographers?
Do exactly what you personally love to do. There are so many styles and trends in wedding photography that it’s really easy to get sidetracked by what you feel you should be doing, or what everyone else is doing. Think about the photography you get the most genuine enjoyment out of, and think about your own personality, tastes and interests, then build your approach and brand around this. Rightly or wrongly, brand is as important as your pictures so take time to make sure you have an identifiable style and brand that is true to you. Get in contact with other photographers whose work you admire and build up a network of colleagues whose work you love so that you can support each other and bounce ideas off each other. Twitter is also a really great tool to build up networks of like-minded people.

What has been your proudest moment as a photographer?
Any time anyone says they love my pictures I feel unbelievably proud and excited. When other photographers whose work I really admire say that they like my work I just feel like bursting as I value their opinion so much. I also feel really proud when clients get teary when they see their pictures.

Out of all the photographs you have ever taken, which is your favourite and why?
If we’re talking wedding photography, probably this picture of the receiving line (from Debbie and Pete’s wedding that I mentioned earlier). The wedding was one of my favourites and one of the reasons for this was the levels of energy, chaos and fun. I love that everyone in the line is caught up in something or other and I love the sense of loads of different things all going on at once. It always makes me giggle.

If you could capture anybody or anything on camera what would it be?
The Pushkar Camel Fair in India, Burning Man festival or a Trans-Siberian trip would be right up there too. If time-travel wasn’t an issue, I’d love to photograph Oscar Wilde, he’s my hero.

Just so we can find out a bit more about the person behind the lens, could you tell me 5 things you like that are completely unrelated to photography?

• Books and crosswords: I am a huge word nerd and read constantly. My house is absolutely filled with books and I can’t bear to get rid of any. Crosswords excite me far more than they should.
• Pool and snooker: I could play these for hours. I can be a bit of a pool shark and used to play on my local pub’s team.
• Stationery: I have a huge stationery fetish and can’t get enough of pens, notebooks, paper, folders, clips, letter trays, the list goes on… you name it, I have a thing for it. I think it’s in the DNA of English teachers, I’ve never met one that doesn’t have an unhealthy obsession with stationery.
• Music: I’ve played the piano since I was four and can also play the clarinet. I’m trying to get my husband to teach me the guitar, it’s a bit more portable than the piano! Dancing to good music is one of the biggest pleasures there is.
• Being a mum: Joe is such a little dude, I can’t get enough of him. He’s absolutely hilarious and I laugh so much more now that he is in my life. I love that now that he’s getting older we can enjoy more things together. My favourite thing is cuddling up with him and reading a book, he loves them as much as I do.

And 5 things you dislike?

• Being patronised.
• Bad manners.
• Text-speak: words shouldn’t have numbers in them!
• Negative people.
• An empty fridge.

What are your aspirations for the future, in photography or otherwise?
I really hope to start doing more photography work abroad so that I can indulge my love of photography and travel at the same time! I also want to start doing lots more photography-based creative learning projects in schools and youth groups as I really miss teaching and working with young people, to be able to combine that with photography on a regular basis would be wonderful. Just to keep being able to do this, really, I still have to pinch myself that my favourite hobby is actually my job.

Debs & Anna

Photographer Details:
Anna Hardy Weddings
Anna’s blog
Contact Anna
Phone: 01214 435547
Mobile: 07903 786540

Very happy to bring you another interview today. This one with fab photographer Eliza Claire. Some of you may have seen Eliza’s work recently in the amazing Rock n’ Romance shoot with Kat of Rock n’ Roll Bride. If you have you’ll already know she’s a skilled photographer. Here are more gorgeous examples of her work along with interesting info about the lady behind the lens…

The interview

Introduction:
I’m Eliza and I specialise in contemporary, fun wedding photography. I was a bride myself just 5 years ago, and I remember the process well, so I try to be more than just a photographer, but also a friend and a listening ear to my couples. I’ve been told that I’m a calming influence on brides… I don’t know, I just love the whole day, and encourage my brides to enjoy it as they won’t get another wedding day!

Location:
I am currently based on the Kent/London border, but I’m moving to Berkshire next week. I cover weddings throughout the UK though.

When and how did you fall in love with photography?
I think I inherited a family love of photographs. Growing up, we had ancient family photos all over the house. I used to get my friends to pose for me, snapping away on my Canon AE-1 (which was my dad’s before it was mine, and is the same age as me. I still have it.). During my university years, I completely stopped taking photos but then, when my children were born, I started to take more photos again. I started a Photo a Day project on Flickr in 2008, and my love really grew from there.

Have you had any formal training?
I’m completely self taught. I’m a bit of a geek though, so the first thing I did was learn the details of how my camera works. I’d love to do some workshops next year though.

How would you describe your photography style?
I’ve been told it’s a bit quirky. It’s hard for me to see a style, as I just take photos the only way I know how. I like to make people look beautiful, and I like to mix reportage with creative portraiture.

What inspires your work?
I’m inspired by love. Shooting a couple who are so in love is just the best experience. I got married in 2005, and being a wedding photographer, I get to relive that excitement every time I shoot a wedding!
I love looking at other photographers’ work, especially people like Kyle Hepp whose style I adore, and Ryan Brenizer who captures the most amazing reception party images.

When did you first shoot a wedding?
August 2008, I was invited to second shoot for a local photographer (a friend of a friend) at a huge wedding in Sussex. I loved it! I think I started to build my website that night!

Where in the UK are you based and how far would you travel to shoot a wedding?
I’m based in the South East, and I love to travel. I love driving and I’ve shot weddings all over the UK, as well as a destination wedding in Italy last year, which was an amazing experience.

How many weddings do you shoot per year?
I aim to shoot between 30 and 35 weddings per year. I want to be able to concentrate solely on weddings, and as all of my packages come with a pre-wedding shoot, this keeps me incredibly busy!

What has been the best wedding you’ve captured so far, and why?
It’s so hard to choose just one. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve honestly loved every single couple I’ve worked with. It’s very important to me to feel that connection with my bride and grooms, as I will be spending the majority of their day with them. My favourite one is always the next one on the calendar! I look forward to wedding days so much!

What would be your idea of a dream wedding to photograph?
Something that reflects the couple’s personality, something a little different that means that they’re super-excited about their day. This is a great time in the wedding industry, there’s so much choice out there that weddings are becoming so much more than they were even 5 years ago. I just love capturing their emotions on the day, and the joy and happiness of their guests.

Has anything gone wrong when shooting a wedding? And if so, how did you cope with it?
Touch wood, nothing has gone wrong for me yet. My background is in IT Security (told you I’m a geek!) and so I’m ultra-careful about backing up images, swapping cards regularly, using two cameras and a multitude of lenses, so if anything went wrong, I am prepared.

What camera(s) do you use for photographing weddings?
I love my Nikon D700, it’s my third baby! I also have a Fuji S5 Pro.

And your favourite lenses?
For versatility, my 24-70mm, but my most beautiful portraits come from my 50 1.4.

Do you use any lighting equipment?
I have an SB800 and an SB900 which I use on occasion, but I prefer natural light wherever possible.

What advice would you give to wannabe wedding photographers?
Don’t do it unless you truly love it! And be prepared to spend more time in front of your computer than you do in front of your camera, the business side takes a lot of work.

What has been your proudest moment as a photographer?
I got a thank you card recently that made me cry, it was so lovely. That’s the stuff that really counts. Although, I must admit, the publicity from my Rock n’ Romance shoot with Kat (Rock n’ Roll Bride) made me feel quite proud of how far I’ve come since starting the business.

Out of all the photographs you have ever taken, which is your favourite and why?
I have so many of my family that mean a lot to me, but professionally I think it’s probably this one because I think it captures a moment when, for them, the whole world disappeared except for each other – as every first dance should be.

Damien & Nadia’s first dance:

If you could capture anybody or anything on camera what would it be?
I wish I had a photo of my children in the moments following their births. I have one of my daughter, Ysella, when she was about 15 mins old, taken on my phone, but we forgot the decent camera both times!

Just so we can find out a bit more about the person behind the lens, could you tell me 5 things you like that are completely unrelated to photography?

• Skiing, I love skiing and it’s been too long since I last went.
• Going to the cinema – I love the escapism. I’ll watch anything, except westerns.
• Potato. Mashed, fried, roast, in fact I’ve yet to find a potato I’ve not liked.
• Music. It changes my mood completely, and I can’t imagine life without music.
• Friends. Nothing beats a night out with a group of girlfriends.

And 5 things you dislike?

• Rudeness.
• I’m a grammar pedant, but I try not to be.
• Cacti. They give me nightmares. I know, it’s odd. I visited a Cactus garden in the Nevada desert to try to beat this fear, but it hasn’t worked.
• Dishonesty.
• 5am. I only wish my kids felt the same.

What are your aspirations for the future, in photography or otherwise?
To keep getting better, to keep loving it. I’m so excited about my move to Bucks, about what this new chapter in my life will bring. Mostly, my aspirations are simple: to make my little boy and baby girl happy and proud.

Debs & Eliza

Photographer Details:
Eliza Claire Photography website
Eliza’s blog
Contact Eliza
Phone: 01474 871342
Mobile: 07976 656112