Tag: qualified wedding photographer Chichester

Two Woods Wedding Photographer | Kerry & Craig

On meeting Kerry & Craig, it was clear that their love of all things nature was going to be the presiding factor of their day. Their engagement shoot was held in the stunning West Sussex Bluebell Woods. Their wedding was planned for Two Woods in Pulborough which is perfect for those loving the outdoor vibes!

Kerry and Craig’s ceremony was held in October, which has to be one of my favourite months to shoot. Autumn is my visual highlight of the year as the colours change into the most firey of tones. Add in the choice of venue, as a regular Two Woods Wedding Photographer I was truly excited for this one! The creative couple that they are, I found out later that they had designed their own stationary and had done much of the decor themselves.

The Bridal Barn is a light and airy space, perfect for your group to get ready in. Kerry had provided lovely gowns for her and her girls, we couldn’t resist making sure these was part of the picture! The bridal party itself was made up of family members and their spouses, who were also their closest friends, making it a really lovely, intimate feel.

It seems Kerry is a very organised bride, she had sourced her wedding dress a few years before planning their wedding from Whyte Weddings in Worthing. How she kept that a secret, and didn’t keep visiting it and wearing it I don’t know! Shelly Bond Bridal was in charge of the hair and make-up for the day, which also included floral hair pieces and crowns designed by Brandon at Flowers4, also in Worthing. The bouquets were sumptuous, perfectly complementing the Autumnal colours that were everywhere.

The girls got ready swiftly in their Asos dresses and opened their gifts. Stunning earrings which again, fitted the natural theme of the day to perfection. Helping Kerry into her dress, the girls primped with final details before getting ready for the ceremony being held in the Redwoods.

The boys were already at the Redwoods greeting their guests and checking the final details. Craig looked incredibly dapper in his tweed suit from Greys Suit Hire, Worthing. His groomsmen in blues which further complemented the natural orange tones of the season.

It was easy for the guests to find their way through the estate to the Redwoods as Kerry and Craig had thoughtfully marked the way with many handwritten signs and arrows!

It was lovely for Lee, my second shooter to have been able to catch the boys in a moment of calm before they took their places to await Kerry and the girls.

I love how Kerry was escorted to the Redwoods from the Bridal Barn in an open jeep, a great way to travel in style for your day!

One of the most gorgeous things I see as a regular Two Woods Wedding Photographer is the epic aisle! I mean WOW! What an entrance as you round the corner and start making your way to your beloved under the canopy of these beautiful Redwoods! I’m not surprised to see many a tear shed and Craig was no exception to a display of emotion as his bride glided towards him. With music provided by Jade Woodhouse, The Sussex Cellist, it was truly a serene moment.

The outdoor ceremonies held at Two Woods are just gorgeous, regardless of the time of year. Sheltered from the harsh sunlight by the natural canopy overhead, with rustic seating. You can really make it your own. With an unplugged wedding like this, you can really see the emotion and love in the guests as they watch their friends take their vows.

As I often do, rather than a disorganised shamble of a group shot, I find myself taking the group shot just after the signing of the register. That way the guests are all still present and visible while they are seated. This not only looks far neater (in my opinion) but takes less than a couple of minutes compared to longer when you try to reconnect everyone after they have dispersed and found the bar!

The guests enjoyed the bar after the ceremony while we completed the requested group shots within the Redwoods. A perfect spot for those precious photos with parents and your bridal party. It was lovely for the wedding guests to enjoy some mingling time with each other in this space while it remained wonderfully warm.

While the guests were ushered to the barn ready for their afternoon tea and speeches, Kerry & Craig held back for some couple portraits. When planning your photographic timeline, we try to choose the time spent with the couple to fit within those moments where there is either down time, a room is being turned around, or just simply… to get the rest of the guests from A-B! Often catering, especially when hot, is on a precise schedule. If we take the newlyweds out of view for a few moments it enables the team to usher the guests to the next part of the day in a timely manner, also allowing the couple a few moments of quiet to just “be” in that moment.

The short walk back to the barns provided the perfect backdrop for portraits that complemented their natural theme of the day.

The barn was set up for afternoon tea by Karen from Henry’s Kitchen, which was kicked off with some hilarious speeches by the best men! The rest of the bridal party also got involved with voicing some words for the happy couple!

I loved the foxy theme used within much of the decor too, from the table displays, to the wedding stationary. Even Craig’s lapel pin was on-point! As the afternoon tea finished, the room was turned around for the evening celebrations. The children played outside, making masks and enjoying the freedom and space the venue allowed.

After a minor mishap with the dress, Craig’s sister Helen thankfully works for a bridal boutique, so there was also a little room for her to apply her skills, ensuring Kerry’s dress was lifted and fastened securely for the evening party! They all looked very relaxed during this impromptu sewing session!

The Bridal Party used the Bridal Barn upstairs to take some photographs. As they were all either siblings or couples, Kerry and Craig had asked if we could create some quick portraits of each couple, which of course was a pleasure to do. We couldn’t help but make sure that the newlyweds got their own Bridal Barn Portrait too!

The evening kicked off with a bang to the First Dance: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. A favourite of mine and one that holds many special memories for me. The 88’s band were in charge of the party and didn’t fail to get the party tunes rolling out! A brilliant band that sounds incredible at every wedding or event! There was a pizza van later in the evening proving some more delicious food for the guests.

During a quiet moment I managed to also get a closer look at Kerry & Craig’s rings. As Kerry works in the medical profession, she is unable to wear anything with stones, so Timothy Roe jewellers in Chichester had made her a bespoke ring with an entwining leaf pattern so she could wear something more unique in her day to day working life. I think you’d agree it is a perfectly befitting piece of jewellery for her.

I had such joy shooting Kerry & Craig’s wedding. It was a beautiful and happy day filled with my favourite Autumnal colours. No wedding is complete however without an album!

We designed their Graphistudio album to complete the natural feel of their theme. Using a Dark Brown Maple finish for the Original Wedding Album and Design Box, finished with a Burnt Sienna linen lining. I think you’ll agree, a perfect fit for this Two Woods Wedding.

Thank you again for choosing me Mr & Mrs Bendell, may you have a lifetime of happiness!

xX Fiona Xx

Two Woods Wedding Photographer | Kerry & Craig

Master Photographers Association

We’re still in the first quarter of the year so I am very pleased to have ticked off another item on my “Things I hope to Achieve” list for this year. I have been awarded my Licentiateship with the Master Photographers Association. As well as now being an accredited photographer with 2 professional associations, I also get more fancy letters after my name and more mentoring and support I hope in the coming years to help me shape and grow in who I am as a photographer.

An added bonus of attending my qualification assessment is that it was taking place at The Photography Show at the NEC Birmingham. As a trade member with the Master Photographers Association I was able to get free tickets for my husband and I. We had a lovely stay in a hotel in Stratford upon Avon the night before which was a real treat for us… a small spa, a fancy restaurant and a sleep without little ones climbing in our bed in the wee hours!

Thankfully Tom loves tech and gear in all forms so he wasn’t too bored being dragged around the exhibitions with me, being silly on some of the stands and even enjoying some of the seminars that were available (and keeping me from overspending in geek heaven!). The tips, tricks and ideas I have walked away with are buzzing around my head and I can’t wait to implement them in my upcoming weddings.

For my MPA qualification, much like the assessment with the British Institute of Professional Photography earlier this month, a working profile is required which is a book describing you, your business, your policies and procedures, workflow and finally a description of all the images included in the panel. This was the hardest part again, but once I decided to throw their suggested format out of the window and design my own pages that complemented my branding the whole process flowed much easier…. that rebel inside just won’t be quieted!

The way the Master Photographers Association like to have the images presented are in two lines of 10. The top 10 from 1 wedding and the lower from a varied selection so the completed panel would look like this:

With a massive thank you again to all my lovely Brides and Grooms that make these images possible, here’s the panel that I submitted for my successful Licentiate qualification with the Master Photographers Association:

Fiona xx

British Institute of Professional Photography

You may have read in one of my previous blogs that one of my aims for this year was to submit my work to be assessed for a Licentiateship with the British Institute of Professional Photography in the category of Weddings. Since joining the Institute this time last year I have been closely mentored by Chris Harper FBIPP (and also CEO of the BIPP). Attending courses and taking constructive feedback on the chin has really helped challenge me to improve how I compose, shoot and edit an image. I can really see the difference in a year!

This February Chris suggested I apply for my Licentiate, with assessments taking place in March. Basically, the British Institute of Professional Photography has taken over my life for a very intense month or so. With help from Chris to put together my portfolio of images, I was very kindly given a small extension with which to write my supporting evidence. A book that documents how I began, where I am at now and how I hope to grow in the future. It also shows my working process, how I interpret client briefs and customer feedback. This workbook was the hardest part!

So……. Today I was assessed, and YAY!! I was awarded a Licentiateship in the British Institute of Professional Photography. I can use the letters LBIPP after my name and here’s a new fancy-pants logo I can incorporate into my marketing:

This is what the BIPP have to say about qualifications, “Recognised across the world as a benchmark of excellence, our tiered qualification structure offers photographers continual professional development. There are three qualifications, each reflecting increasing levels of experience, skill and achievement; Licentiateship, Associateship and Fellowship”

The assessors had some very kind words to say about my images but also offered some golden nuggets of how I could improve and what I could develop to take my art to the next level.

I am really looking forward to this next year or so, developing my craft and working towards the next qualification with the support and guidance of my mentor. The additional development tool I can now consider is whether I choose to complete a degree. The work submitted for my LBIPP can be assessed and awarded up to 240 points towards a BA(Hons) Photography with the Open College of the Arts (basically it could count as 2 years of a 3 year degree). I need to weigh up if I have: a) the time to do this; and b) the money, as the cost would be equivalent to a new camera and lens I’ve got my eye on!

Anyhow, I’ll think about that and leave you the images to peruse from my Licentiate Portfolio for the British Institute of Professional Photography while I pour myself a glass of vino and scoff some well deserved cake!

Fiona xx