Rivervale Barn wedding photography
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Robert and Emma’s Rivervale wedding was heralded by sunshine; I’m gingerly packing my snow chains away as I type. This has to be a sign of things to come. I’m a big fan of gutsy monochrome photographs and for me black and white imagery plays an important role in wedding capture. It’s elegant, timeless, and uncluttered.
“Community” is back
Friday, October 16th, 2009
In 2006 I began to approach people in my home town of Newbury to sit for a portrait exhibition where ‘ordinary folk’ would become the star attraction and focal point. Newbury at that time had begun a transition period, diggers began to make their presence felt. Compton’s wonderboy Theo Walcott turned on the town’s Christmas lights and a certain cinema was given the green light after so much lively debate. The concept was simple enough; to feature people that lived, worked or impacted upon Newbury and it’s satellite towns. A policy of inclusion ensured that all those volunteering to sit were in the exhibition. This led to an exceptionally wide social demographic where photographs of the town’s Big Issue vendor comfortably shared space with that of the Queen’s Godson, Lord Carnarvon. Four years on, many of the sitters have changed direction. And so as the next decade begins, it seems appropriate to document the people of Newbury once more. To introduce new faces and welcome back old ones with new tales. It’s an open invitation as long as you fit the exhibition criteria. Contact neale@breathepictures.com for more details.
Not Alone – the movie
Monday, October 12th, 2009Well away from my usual diet of weekend romance and gowns of white, I’ve just popped some studio cast shots for a former colleague of mine for his upcoming movie, Not Alone. I worked shoulder to shoulder with producer Andy Thompson at a media company we helped found many moons ago. Gordon’s alive, this man used to make MY tea! The film stars Lucy Benjamin, Alexandra Moen, a very scary Bill Ward and Kika Mirylees. Can’t wait to see the screening.
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!
Father’s day
Sunday, June 21st, 2009‘Boy’ as we affectionately refer to him is now 15 months old and this is the first Father’s day where he’s been able to assist in unwrapping a couple of pressies for me! I guess from now on I’ll not get to unwrap stuff at birthday’s, anniversaries and Christmas as it’s far too much fun watching him do the honours. We were at a playground earlier this week when I took the following shots. The look of satisfaction on his face when he pilots from one thing to another on his tottering ‘ickle feet is a joy. Being a photographer of course, I had to find a playground where the props and activities colour match his clothing!
A funny thing happened on the way to the first dance…
Saturday, May 9th, 2009A first today, well in wedding photography terms for me. It was the second of two ‘in a row-ers’ at Wasing Estate as I photographed Matt and Adrianna’s wedding. I’m not a shrinking violet when it comes to addressing guests on the big day. I’d like to think, although you’d have to ask the guests to see if they’d corroborate, that I’m politely and respectfully assertive. A lot of people, and certainly photographers, seem to me vocally shy, even awkward when it comes to gathering guests to construct group portraits. I can’t help thinking that many a fabulous photographer chooses to label him or herself a photojournalist, because the idea of having to organise strangers is such a long distance drive out of their comfort zone, that it’s easier to purchase a 300mm lens and shoot guests from afar. And so today it came to the cutting of the cake. It’s not unusual that I take on the task of gathering eager friends and relatives around the sugar zone for the ‘knife snap.’ But on this occasion I had the benefit of a microphone. Ahhh, I thought, the legendary Shure SM58 microphone… always one to warm up a voice if held just at the right pitch from yer’ lips. Rattle your yaffle correctly with a little depth, and they’ll hear you in Norway. So, I said my piece, gathered guests, collected the shots and moved on. Come the first dance, the DJ planted his microphone in my hands and supported by the groom, persuaded me to introduce the first dance. “You don’t seem to be shy, you’ve got a half decent voice, so would you mind?” Mind? Mind? Me? Of course not. A little trip down memory lane from my broadcasting roots of yesteryear. Hopefully, if you read enough of these posts, you will have worked out I don’t use it to talk of a million and one awards and accolades. But maybe, just maybe, I can claim an accolade, a USP perhaps, my peers would find hard to match. Having worked enough stages and reasonably large arenas in my brief affair as a broadcaster with Radio 1 in the early 90s, (clang name drop) I can now make myself available to photograph a wedding and MC the day’s events, as long as you order a Shure SM58 (the sound geeks will register my excitement and understand.) Anyway, before this all becomes really quite self absorbed, some favourite clicks from the initial download featuring the main event of today; Matt and Adrianna. Have a great honeymooon ‘guys.’
Smile for the man?
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009I reckon, standby – HUGE generalisation about to emit via this ‘ere blog… I reckon, that the main reason people have a fear of being photographed, is not that their soul will be stolen and sold to the cheapest bidder via Ebay, but they feel a pressure to bring on an unnatural smile. Such is the memory of school photographs where the history tutor (why was it always the history guy) would stand in the school photographer’s doorway and threaten you with six of the best if you failed to show your parents via a smile how wonderful your schooling days were, that many an adult now likens a trip to Doctor Camera with a one hour subjection to root canal surgery. It is true that I may as a photographer ask a sitter to smile, or at least crack a faint smiley type expression thingie to show enthusiasm for the session. But usually that’ll be during a family shoot, where you know your work won’t be displayed if you return a Victorian presentation of earnest intensity. Often though I won’t ask for that, opting to create some kind of diversion, usually by conversation, where the subjects engage more naturally. I shot two pre-wedding shoots today with couples I’ll see over the next couple of months – and I like to think, both shoots will yield some cracking images. Each session started with the usual mantra; “I hate having my picture taken.” By the end of it though, I hope that both couples felt we’d done nothing more hellish than simply walk through the countryside adjacent to my studio, popping a couple of shots here and there, and talking about their wonderful honeymoon locations. I asked one of my couples; “Now, how many times in the last twenty minutes have I told you to smile?” Just as an aside, some parents who bring their children for a family shoot will feel the shoot hasn’t yielded any gold if they don’t remember a particularly smiley visit. I’m delighted when I receive a mail or phone call to say how surprised and delighted they are with the results. A little wry smile appears on my face, naturally that is.
