The Judge's Lodgings

My latest wedding shoot took me back to a place I know very well, Lincoln. I've photographed around Lincoln Cathedral on a number of occasions, but never at the Judge's lodgings which is situated right next to the wonderful castle. It turned out to be a lovely place to photograph, the ceremony room, small but beautifully presented was nice, bright and airy. Seventy guests absolutely filled the venue and it was a tight squeeze for us all, but the happy atmosphere and a bride and groom that were 'up for it' made for a great day, the sort of wedding I love shooting.

The bride, Lynsey, arrived in a beautiful white Jaguar and I just had time to grab this candid shot as she was about to step out. She looked lovely and the candid nature of the photograph ensured a perfectly natural smile. By using a longer lens, my Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8, I was able to take a step back and shoot from a slightly further distance. In doing so, Lynsey was able to relax and not feel too intimidated by a bloke with a large camera and lens combination. These deceptively simple portraits are some of my favourite shots. The bride may have spent months looking at hair and beauty magazines, trying to find inspiration for her big day, and to me shots like this become vital and where possible a must get.   

Arrival

I mentioned that the ceremony room was lovely and light. It was, but even so, nowhere near as bright as outside. Not being allowed to use flash and balance the indoor light with that from outside, something had to give. I exposed for the indoor light which blew some parts of the image. For me this adds a lovely, almost ethereal quality to the ceremony images, they become dreamy and help sum up the feel of the day. I shoot in manual mode when faced with tricky lighting situations like this. I don't want the camera to decide what it thinks is the best exposure for this type of situation. As good as the latest Nikons are, this is exactly the sort of scene that will trick the camera's metering system.

Married!

You can see how cramped the ceremony room was by the picture below. I couldn't move to my left as there was a table there, I just had to shoot within the tiny space I was crouching in. I love this shot though. The groom, Salim, high fives a guest, Lynsey doubles back laughing, not wanting to be slapped in the face. Shooting my Nikon D3s on continuous high, tracking autofocus selected, I managed to capture a series of images of the bride and groom as they were leaving the room, all in focus. Adopting this method allowed me to select my favourite from about 10-12 images. It really is a great technique to use and one I often select.

High Five

My approach to wedding photography is primarily one of photojournalism. I wander around a venue, capturing the day as it unfolds. Images like the one below happen all the time and look great in a wedding album, the two ladies may even decide to buy a copy for themselves. It really helps tell the story of the day. A splash of flash was used on the D3s which really helped saturate the colours of the dresses and added some lovely little catch lights in the eyes. 

Selfie

Details, details, details... I always try to capture them. There was a considerable Scottish presence at this wedding and the men looked super fly in their colourful kilts. I find it's important to capture the small details which help to build a bigger picture. It will no doubt bring a smile to the bride and groom's faces when they sit down and look through the wedding album. A longer lens on the D4 allowed me to hang back and take this shot, the guest non the wiser.

   

Dapper

I used a touch of flash from the SB700 for the image 'nice socks'. It can help add some much needed punch and really saturates the colours. There was no fear of the flash dominating the scene as it was so bright outside. The flash head was pointed directly at the three subjects and the light emitted helped fill any shadows and emphasise some of the lovely, vibrant colour.

The SB700 sits second in Nikons speedlight range behind the SB910. While they share a lot of features, and overall i'm very happy with the SB700, had I had the funds to buy the top flash at the time then I would have. The fact that the SB910 is slightly more powerful isn't really the issue. What can be an issue, and something I didn't realise at the time of purchase, is that the SB700 can't be hooked up to an external battery pack, whereas the SB910 can. This matters because the battery pack allows the flash to recycle much quicker, vitally important when firing the shutter in continuous mode. It's far better than simply using the four AA batteries in the flash, which can't quite deliver the juice when pushed. I try to negate this problem as best I can by fitting Duracell batteries into the flash to give me every chance, but unfortunately, it's not quite the same. That's about the only criticism I can level at the SB700 though, and overall it does the job well.  

Nice Socks

Getting married in the Judge's lodgings allowed the couple free access to Lincoln castle. Lovely architecture and lush green ivy dripping from the ancient stonework provided a classic backdrop for a simple and classic photo of the couple. Being prepared always helps in these situations, as does familiarity with your gear. I wasn't expecting the groom to pick up the bride and swing her round, but when he did, I was ready. There's a certain dynamism to the shot, the veil and dress billowing in the wind caused by all that twirling. I also like the dynamic pose that the groom has adopted, and the brides smile is simply gorgeous. Shooting on continuous high allows me to choose the image that is 'just right' and it's a technique I recommend wholeheartedly. 

The Newly Married Couple

You spin me right round

The couple asked me to take a shot of them walking through the castle grounds. I like this type of image, I think it can work really well in the context of a wedding album. The only problem I had on the day which just couldn't be avoided, was the clutter from all the scaffolding around the castle. Cropping the image somewhat and adding a subtle vignette hides it to some degree. The castle was open to the public so there were many people milling about. I didn't try to clone any of them out whilst editing the images as I felt they were an integral part of the day. We had quite a crowd in castle square at one point as the confetti was being thrown.    

Walking in the grounds of Lincoln Castle 

I took many pictures of the confetti scene, but I had to post this particular image where Salim has a somewhat interesting expression on his face. They both thought that the last of the confetti had been thrown, only to be confronted by a few final packets. I think it took them both by surprise.

When Confetti Strikes

Ah, possibly my favourite shot of the day. I shoot with another photographer, Julian, as well as two assistants, Emma and Lydia. While Julian will tend to concentrate on the group shots if they have been requested, I will look out for interesting candid moments. This image of the bride and her three bridesmaids in front of Lincoln cathedral was taken while Julian was guiding them into a formal posed group. The four girls shared a joke and they all descended into fits of laughter. Beautiful expressions on all four of their faces, and lovely relaxed poses make for a strong image. Look at the two girls on the left, both looking towards the bride who is laughing hysterically with the girl on the right, hand across her chest. It was very sunny at the time, the sun was at it's highest point of the day. I used my Nikon SB700 to help fill any shadows on the girls faces, and wow, look how the colours have really popped, both on the dresses and the four beautiful bouquets. 

Fits of Laughter

The speeches, as usual were good fun. You feel as though you're getting to know the couple that little bit more when you listen to the many stories. Often funny, sometimes moving, but always entertaining, I try to capture some of the emotion and energy with my images. I tend to use a long lens and stand back so I don't obscure any of the guests view. For this shoot, I was stood on a short pair of ladders, D4 on a monopod, supporting my Nikkor 70-200mm.

Best Man's Speech

Laughter at the Reception

The first dance was entertaining. I think they had secretly rehearsed it before hand and not let on. Julian was on the other side of the couple, so I waited until they obscured him before taking the shot. He was probably on the better side, facing the majority of the guests who were looking on, and he did exactly the same as me. He has since entered the image into a Professional Photographer competition where it came first. Nice one!

The First Dance

Heart Lighting

The Fuji X-T1 also got a look in at this wedding. It wasn't used for the majority of the day but it was absolutely perfect for some detail shots at the evening reception. The lights in the image above were beautifully arranged, and there was a real vintage feel to the evenings festivities. I chose this particular angle to capture the lights because they lead the eye nicely to the mural on the wall behind the wooden kiosk. This mural was painted by one of the couples friends and as such meant a lot to them. Detail shots like this are so important and they can add a great deal of interest to the wedding album.  

Flower Detail

Looks as though they already have!

Sometimes someone will grab me and ask for a portrait. These two were lovely, beautifully dressed and a great looking couple. I quickly look for a nice plain background in such situations, preferably somewhere with bright, even light. In this instance, there was a lovely bit of  late evening sunshine which was reflecting back onto them from a window directly behind me, and this light helped provide some lovely catch lights in their eyes. The rustic barn door provided a simple backdrop and compliments the couple perfectly.

     

Portrait at the barn 

This was a fun wedding to shoot. Lots of great detail to capture everywhere you looked, a bride and groom who just wanted to have a bit of a laugh, and for once, some lovely warm weather.... What more could you possibly ask for.  

More and more of the weddings I now photograph have a vintage, rustic theme. I love em'. They are so inspiring, I don't think I will ever tire of shooting them. If anyone is thinking of having a vintage styled wedding in the near future and is looking for an easy going, fun loving photographer, get in touch, I would love to hear from you.

Bouquets

I love taking a detail shot of the bride's bouquet on her wedding day. I find that a simple setup works best, a close up cropped photo showing the bouquet in all its glory and not much else. Bright flat light works best here, the sort you see on Summer's days when the sky is full of large white fluffy clouds. The clouds act like giant diffusers, softening the light, reducing harsh shadows. If it's sunny with little cloud cover, I will always look for some shade and shoot there instead.

I've been fortunate to have a few of my bouquet images showcased on a number of International wedding blogs and I hope that they can provide some ideas and inspiration for brides to be, as they search for the perfect bouquet to hold on their special day.

A simple and small bouquet made up predominately of roses. It was overcast on this day so the light was nice and even.

Roses again, but this time a slightly larger design where they've been fashioned into a sphere. A very sunny and warm late May day had me seeking out shade under a tree, which helped diffuse the light on the bouquet.

Another overcast day, so again, the light was fairly even. The bouquet positively explodes with colour, the white of the dress compliments the vivid flowers well.

 


I love this bouquet. The whole wedding had a real vintage feel, and I think that can be seen in the flower decoration. The colours are amazing, and there is a really warm feel to the image. It was the height of Summer and very bright, so I asked the bride to move into the shade for me, where I took this shot.

The Boy Craig

There are many fishing boats working from the harbour at Wells-Next-The-Sea on the North Norfolk Coast. I like to photograph them from time to time and on this one particular late evening It was the turn of 'The Boy Craig'. Even though the sun was setting on a beautiful and warm Spring day, the Quay was alive with the hustle and bustle of fishermen preparing their boats and equipment for the next fishing trip. Working days are dictated by the tide and it was noticeable how rapidly the water was coming in, filling the harbour area. 'The Boy Craig' is seen here, being pumped full of fuel, ready for its next twelve hour shift to the cold North Sea

'The Boy Craig'

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The sun was just about to dip behind the dunes on the longest day and twilight was descending. The setting was the lovely beach at Wells-Next-The-Sea on the North Norfolk Coast. The two dunes that are visible in the image have diminished in size somewhat, since the powerful tidal surge that hit last December destroyed pretty much everything in it's path. 

The Fuji X-T1 is great to use for landscape photography. I was able to place the camera about a foot above the sand, attached to a tripod, and angle the viewfinder upwards to get a perfect view of the composition. Had I been using one of my Nikons, I would have been lying prone in the sand, not necessarily a good idea, as it somehow manages to get everywhere. A 3 stop N.D. Graduated filter was used to control the still reasonably bright sky, placed carefully along the top third of the image, just touching the tops of the dunes.  

It's an image that I feel conveys a sense of peace and tranquillity, and it was a real pleasure watching the sun sink below the horizon on the longest day in such a beautiful location.

Photogenic Ladybird

Ladybirds always make such good photographic subjects, and this little chap in the image below was no exception. I spotted him/her while walking along the beach road at Wells-Next-The-Sea, admiring the beautiful Viper's Bugloss which is in full flower at this time of the year, lining great stretches of the mile long seaside path. It's one of my favourite wild flowers, the purple-blue petals glowing like little neon signs against the stark, bleached sandy soil of the coastal landscape.

Hand holding my Nikkor 105mm F2.8 macro lens coupled with a Nikon D90, vibration reduction (V.R.) on, I was able to select a wide enough aperture to throw any distracting background foliage into a dreamy blur while holding the subject in sharp focus. The red of the Ladybird contrasts nicely against the blue of the flower, something I really love. I wasn't expecting to get a shot like this on the day, but it just goes to show, you should always keep a camera by your side, you never know what you might stumble across.

Ladybird on Viper's Bugloss

Miranda Sensorex 2

Miranda Sensorex II

The ninth camera in my 12 months of film project is the rather marvelous Miranda Sensorex II. I had wanted one of these for a little while since buying the Miranda MS-3. Not that the MS-3 is made by the same company, the name is all they have in common. The MS-3 was a Dixon's branded camera, the company buying the Miranda name when the original Japanese manufacturer stopped producing SLRs in the mid Nineteen Seventies. It was while I was researching the history of the MS-3 that I read about the older Japanese brand and realised that I had to try and get hold of one for this project. The only problem I discovered was that they hold their value quite well so I had to be prepared to part with a bit more cash if I was to secure one. I had also read that the light meters in the cameras were quite fragile and most being sold online came with a non working meter. I started bidding for one on E-Bay which looked in good nick, although the seller hadn't tested it so was unsure if it worked. Quite risky I know, and I have ended up with a few unusable bodies in the past by taking a chance, but this camera looked good. Bearing in mind that these models fetch anywhere between £80-£120 online at present, most without working light meters, I was delighted to win it for £20. When it arrived I was over the moon with its condition, almost mint, and a lovely looking thing... and the weight, proper heavy, a lot of thought and love had definitely gone into its design, and overall feel was very positive. It really is a beautiful thing and looks great displayed in my room. I duly ordered a battery for it, ( Zinc Air 1.4V ) from E-Bay and when it arrived popped it into the camera, not holding out much hope. What a pleasant surprise I had when the exposure needle jumped into life.    

From the back

The lens on this particular camera is a Auto Miranda 50mm F1.8 and it comes with the rather fantastic aperture coupling arm. This arm makes it very easy to select the appropriate aperture without actually having to turn an aperture ring on the lens body itself.

The Sensorex II was introduced in 1972 and is a manually metered camera with a top shutter speed of 1/1000 sec.

The camera is amazingly well built, in a way cameras just aren't today. Everything is metal and I imagine feels just as it would when new. If anything it's too heavy and it certainly weighed my camera bag down quite a bit when I was out. The dials are beautifully finished and require a very positive action to move them, nothing loose or rattling about. 

Viewed from above

The shutter speed dial and film advance lever

Removable prism

The removal prism enables the user to get into the top of the camera and allows for easy cleaning, as well as hassle free replacement of broken parts.

Front view

Shooting with the Miranda was a real joy. It was very easy to meter. I love needle meters preferring them to LED displays and the viewfinder was nice and clear, offering a good view of the subject. The shutter button which is on the front of the camera made a very positive sound and was nicely damped.  I didn't really know how I would get on with the shutter release on the front of the camera, but I came to realise this is a really good place to have it. I think it can actually make for a steadier shot as when you trigger the shutter you tend to push the camera onto your face which can help brace it, rather than push down on it like a traditional shutter configuration, which can sometimes result in soft images.    

2CV on the Quay

Resulting images had great contrast and where nice and sharp, this shooting with a cheap Agfa Vista 200 film. Not particularly stealthy however, as although the shutter seemed well damped it was quite loud.  

Looking along the harbour at Wells-Next-The-Sea

I had been asked to do a film project for a magazine which will be out in August I believe, and although this camera isn't the one to be used for the article, it was taken along as a backup. So although a few of the images posted here may seem a bit random, it should all make sense soon enough. ( Post to follow )

Emma

Discarded sandal

Colourful houses

Me trying to strike a pose

Flowers

Nice day for an ice cream 

The Quay belongs to the Black Headed Gulls

I'm not interested in crab fishing, I'd rather drink from a puddle

Looking out to sea

I have loved using this camera during the month of May and it's one I will certainly use again in the future. For the time being though and until I run another film through it, it sits on the shelf in my room looking pretty damn fine.

Why Knot

Why Knot

When the coast is still, not a breath of wind, and you're witness to a truly wonderful sunset, it's a pretty magical place to be. I like taking pictures of the many boats moored along the waterways and Quays of the North Norfolk Coastline. I try to imagine the life they've seen, the fierce weather they've struggled against, the adventures shared with the owners. 

You naturally find your own style with any form of photography and with landscapes I think I've found mine. The images I tend to capture normally convey a sense of tranquillity and a certain peacefulness. The only sounds you hear are the clinking of sails and ropes, the lapping of the water against the beach and of course the beautiful and haunting sounds of the many species of coastal bird.

Click on the video below to listen to two of the most common birds I hear when i'm photographing along the coast. Can you guess what they are? Answers at the bottom of the page.

This was my first 'proper' landscape image taken with the Fuji X-T1 and I'm incredibly pleased with the results. I'll write a post in the coming weeks about my feelings towards this camera for landscape work once I've managed to capture a couple more scenes.

      

Did you recognise the two birds in the clip above? They were -

Oyster Catcher

Curlew

Street photography with the Fuji X series cameras.

John's Rock Shop

One of the things I really love about the Fuji X system of cameras are their size, or rather, lack of it. The camera bodies are tiny and make a relatively small Nikon D90 look absolutely huge, not to mention heavy. Couple that with amazing image quality, near silent operation and what's not to like. I take my Fuji X100 and X-T1 with me everywhere, something I just wouldn't consider with my Nikon D4 or D3s. What this means for me is that I'm always ready to whisk out a camera and indulge in a bit of street photography.... I absolutely love street photography. That not knowing exactly what you're going to stumble across and what you'll be able to capture is positively infectious, not to mention incredibly important from a Socio-historical point of view. Let me explain what I mean by that last point. How many times have you taken an image only to look at it and think 'That's pretty average', file it away on some portable hard drive only to stumble across it years later and think 'crikey, I love this image. Look at the clothes, remember that shop, it's gone now'. Memories come flooding back and more than that, you've recorded a moment in time that can tell a story, paint a picture that a viewer or historian may find of great value. Street photographers have captured some of the most important and powerful images in the history of the medium and it's relatively easy for you to get involved too. Just step out the door and look for interesting places and people. You'll being doing your bit to help document the Social history in the local area, and like me I'm sure you'll become hooked, always on the lookout for your next street photography fix. I have to admit that at first I found it quite difficult to get up quite close to people and point a camera their way, for fear of a confrontation. Thankfully this hasn't happened as of yet and just remember, as long as you are shooting on public property there is nothing legally to stop you snapping away. Just use a bit of common sense though, photographing at a swimming pool or beach with lots of kids running about is likely to cause some unwanted attention. That said, if Martin Parr had shied away from such photo opportunities then we wouldn't have the brilliant books 'The Last Resort and The Real World'.   http://www.martinparr.com/books/  

I have to say that I find I edit my street images in a completely different way to that of my other work, be it Wedding or Landscape photography. I try to have a bit of fun with it, saturating colour or upping contrast to emphasis place and detail, often ending up with a slightly hyper realistic look which can be rather effective if used correctly. I think the first image in this post illustrates this point nicely. 'John's Rock Shop' is a busy little place during the Summer season in Wells-Next-The-Sea. Chocked full of vivid day glow coloured rock, neon signs and fluorescent strip lights, it's a visual feast to the eye. As a kid I used to look into this type of shop window in Skegness, giggling at the full English breakfast fashioned from rock sitting on a paper plate covered in cellophane. Thirty years on and here is the same shop, (in spirit at least) captured the way I always remembered it, and explosion of colour.

The Three Amigos

      

There is nothing better that sitting on a bench in the sun by the sea. Gulls glide effortlessly overhead, boat masts flap lazily in the warm breeze and the sea laps gently against the pebble beach. What a great place to snooze, but I have to say i've never seen three people spark out in such a manner as depicted in the picture above. I was able to kneel just a few feet in front of them, compose the shot, trip the shutter and walk away without any reaction from any of the three. I love the way they are sitting, especially the guy on the right. 

The Pose

    

What a pose. It's as though I'd asked him to stand arm on railing looking out across the Quay stick in hand. The lighting was incredibly harsh, the shadows deep, but the Fuji X-T1 handled the conditions extremely well. I was shooting Raw and fine Jpeg with Jpeg set to Astia. Maybe Velvia would've been the better choice given the bright conditions but with a bit of tweaking through the App Snapseed i'm more than happy with the colour rendition from the Astia simulation. 

One of the things I absolutely love with the new X-T1 is its Wi-fi ability. As soon as I've taken an image I can download it onto my tablet, edit it and upload the finished image to one of the many social media sites. It really is seamless and works a treat. Also being able to control the camera from your phone/tablet means you can be super stealthy and capture truly natural portraits without the 'target' being any the wiser.  

Say cheese

While it's seen as a bit of a cliché, taking photos of people taking photos of people can still be rather fun, especially when it tells its own little story, maybe showing a family holiday. When I shoot at a wedding I will always scan the frame for unwanted clutter or possible trees protruding from someone's head, but with street photography I actually leave things as they are or maybe try to include such elements. It can inject a bit of humour into a fairly mundane image such as in the example above, the aerial sticking out from the top of this photographers head while the lady is trying to act naturally adds a bit of humour.

The Last Day

     

And what better way to end a fabulous week by the sea than with a bit of crab fishing. As the sun sets on another beautiful day a family vacation comes to an end, the crabs are released back from whence they came ready for the cycle to start all over again. But look back on images such as these in forty years time and even places like Wells which remain relatively timeless will begin to show their age. The boats and the Quay may look roughly the same, but fashions will, in all likelihood be completely different and crabbing may not be viewed as socially acceptable as it is now. Who knows? But recording such events and scenes as they happen lets future generations glimpse the past, laugh at the fashion, get a feeling for how people used to live and have fun. And candid images captured by 'a bloke with a camera' can end up becoming some of  the most powerful, valuable and important images of all.