Wasing Park wedding photography
Monday, January 18th, 2010Jamie, Beth, inspired idea to feature your late Grandparents within photo frames as the table names and decorations for your Wasing Park wedding.
Photographically, there is a documentary moment at most weddings when a father’s eyes will meet those of his daughter’s for the first time as she stands before him in her wedding gown. The intensity differs from father to father of course and even those dads with the most obdurate courage find this to be one moment more than any other during the day, where a myriad of emotions flatten any wall of masculine parental steely resolve they thought they possessed. It’s fabulous. Professional platitudes abound on the web, so I’ll cautiously express a somewhat overused term; privilege. As a documentary maker, albeit in stills, that’s what makes this job so important, he says, hearing the opening bars of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ fading up behind this blog entry. Listen, I can swill beer, crack beer nuts and talk sport with the best of ‘em at any bar in this land where spit and sawdust define the landlord’s choice of decor. But I’ll also experience and hopefully always will, a lump in the throat when I witness the sincere pride liberated by a father with momentary tunnel vision, who can see no further than his ‘little girl’ on the morning of her wedding. Phew, that’s said. Okay, big hearty Haka lads and let’s get back to talking rugby.
The new Breathe Pictures website
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
It’s there, our annual cyber design visit gives birth to the brand new BREATHE Pictures website. At first sight you may not think a lot has changed. The splash remains fairly similar, if not identical. It’s when you venture in through the main website link that BANG, things have changed somewhat. I like to think it’s cleaner. My SEO champion will find she has more to play with under the bonnet. Twitter and Facebook links now appear – hell, I may even get to grow the ‘followers’ count. But, and MOST importantly, there are some excellent new image features. Photograph supported testimonials do exactly what they say on the tin, and, well for me, are worth a million spurious tog awards (here speaketh the man who doesn’t really enter comps! – although I do have my bronze lifesavers badge.) The wedding galleries feature a host of my fav shots from the middle to latter part of the last decade, but in that I shot 70 weddings in ‘09 alone, there’s a healthy new collection of shots not featured before as you would expect. There’s also the start of gallery dedicated to album design. It’s a growing section and I’ll be uploading more in the next few months. The ‘our story’ link features some stuff on Nat, self styled Trusty Sidekick to the business over in the west wing (retouching dept). Image wise, it’s our heaviest site yet – and your feedback will be much appreciated. It’s not designed for non broadband users, sorry. Including the album designs, over 500 images have been catalogued and uploaded. It took a little time, bearing in mind last year we presented nearly 40,000 images to our wedding and portrait clients. All in all, more images will make their way on to the site over the next quarter. A big hearty thanks to every bride, groom, guest and chef appearing in our new little BIG site. ‘09 was a superb year – here’s to an IMAGE-TASTIC 2010. (You can’t take the jock out of an old broadcaster it seems.)
Orchardleigh wedding photography
Thursday, July 30th, 2009“After our gorgeous day at Orchardleigh, we had the most amazing honeymoon in two different destinations. Steve surprised me with a four night stay at the Chedi Hotel in Oman, I was thoroughly spoilt and waited upon. We then flew back home to collect Brooke and headed out to Orlando for ten days with Micky Mouse and Tinkerbell. A completely different honeymoon but such fun. We’re already looking forward to going back. The new year brought lots more changes; I fell pregnant! Whoopee, time to eat cakes and get fat again. October 1st saw the arrival of our lovely baby girl, Sienna Maria, weighing 5lb 12 oz. She’s adorable, the image of her dad and big sister. How unfair is that?! We moved into a new house in December and with hard work, lots of labouring and no social life, we’re nearly there with all the improvements. You never know, next year we may be able to sit back, relax and enjoy it all. Look forward to seeing you soon at Breathe, we’ve won a photo voucher! 
”
Where are they now? Emmie and Alex, Silchester House
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
I shoot a reasonable amount of weddings each year for professionals in the creative field, so being requested by a fellow wedding photographer to shoot her Silchester House wedding was flattering indeed. In Emmie’s words; “Our wedding day was the best day of our lives (we’re supposed to say that aren’t we?!) It was such a good day though and we enjoy looking back and remembering it all 16 months later. Alex is still counting bricks for a living (quantity surveying) although of late has been trying his hand (or should I say fists) at boxing and winning! I am still in photography and education. We still live in Tilehurst in our lovely little house with Mr Jinks the cat. No kids yet, we are far too busy enjoying ourselves!” So a few shots from their Silchester wedding that I enjoy, and my thanks to you both for keeping in touch.
Where are they now? Sian, Matthew (and Jack!)
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
About a year after our own wedding, we covered Sian and Matthew’s day, also at Silchester House near Reading. I’ve really enjoyed catching up with the lives of those couples we photographed on their own wedding day. I’ve been sending out mails gradually and have a stack of stories to tell. So to continue the ‘Where are they now’ feature, in their own words (well, Sian’s…) “Since 6th Oct 07, what’s happened? We went on our six week honeymoon to Oz; fantastic. We’re living in the same house with an extension on the way. The most exciting development has been the birth of our baby boy Jack Christopher Hart, born 9th May this year weighing in at 8lbs 13. He’s now ten weeks old and a gorgeous boy, who likes to smile and talk. (Sian it gets even more amazing. Our 15 month old has just brought me a frozen pea that Mummy dropped on the floor. To him, it’s the most amazing thing in the World. His delight at sharing this tiny object with me just makes my heart dance!) We’re loving being parents; the best thing we have ever done. Coincidence that your little boy is also called Jack, it’s such a cool name. (I agree Sian!) Our wedding pictures are our pride and joy – the photos were so lovely and really helped us to capture our memories. I can’t believe it was nearly two years ago – time flies!! We both turned thirty this year and we are having a fancy dress party dressed as rock and pop stars. The band Target will be there, they played at our wedding. Very excited about reliving that part of the wedding again.” Matt, where’s the invite? Have a great time, your wedding was a brilliant party from start to finish. Loved the old bus too. Made for some bus-tastic photos. Didn’t want to use the fab word again… my English teacher would roll his eyes and that weird tobacco he kept, and then smoke it in a Shakespearean tragedy. He was strange like that.
Dan and Elinor’s Notley Abbey wedding, the prewed shoot
Monday, July 27th, 2009Just laying down some of the prewed shoot edits for forthcoming weddings this summer. Dan and Elinor are to get wed at a church near to Notley Abbey later on in August and here are some of my favourite shots from our prewed shoot at the Breathe studio. Dan, Elinor, can’t wait to be working with you on the big day!
These ‘props’ are used at the farm (Breathe’s home studio location) to keep grain in place. Thanks (Farmer Nigel) for leaving them in the yard. Don’t suppose you could leave them for a couple months more?
Notley Abbey prewedding shoot – Laura and Sean
Monday, July 27th, 2009We’re about to enter the busiest August wedding season we’ve had at Breathe and frankly I can’t wait. I just know we’ll all emerge the other side richer for the wonderful things we witness and amazing people we meet. Talking of which, meet Laura, Sean and their amazing son Dylan. I look forward to a fabulous day at Notley!
Englemere wedding photography
Saturday, July 25th, 2009Out on location today soon; wedding in Aldermaston. I did however promise to pop a couple of shots from yesterday’s wedding up. Hopefully Hannah and Neil you’ll see these before you jet off to those sunny climes!
I did fear the rain would be coming at us sideways, just as those nice folk at Metcheck forecast. The morning looked fairly ominous, although Englemere’s white facade photographs beautifully against angry storm clouds. Breathe hasn’t photographed at Englemere for a little while, so it was good to return.
Literally seconds after the ceremony, the rain stopped, the thunder subsided, and sunshine took over!
