Naz and the Aztec Camera

It has been well over a year since I worked with Naz - in fact Naz was the first customer I shot with my 5D Mk2. Not sure if that means anything to anyone but I remember.

Naz expressed an interest in a new shoot using Indian dress - well 3 dresses. Instead of choosing which dress to use we decided to do 3 separate shoots - this was the first.

We has intended to do a rural shoot using a lot of greenery for her blue dress but we got lost while walking to the location.

However, we found something even better - the back of an industrial unit in the Aztec Centre, Bristol. This location offered us a number of colours and textures including this corrugated metal wall. Some of the best locations can be found in the most obscure and unexpected places.

We got a great collection of images for the Blue Dress shoot of the "trilogy" and have already planned the Burgundy Dress shoot for next week which will be a "town" shoot.

The third shoot is a Cream Dress - we're going to wait for the snow to complete the series.

Naz is always great fun to shoot - check out some of her images on the David Gow Photography website gallery - in the portraits section - to see why. A great looking girl who's happy to throw a roundhouse kick into the portrait shoot.

Bring on next week.

Tamika - The Wharf House, Gloucester

Tamika is no stranger in front of the camera with her work as a model at numerous wedding fairs - but this is the first time we've worked together in a portrait shoot just for her.

I started a competition last year which Tamika won. I uploaded a number of portrait images on Facebook and whoever got the most comments against their image within the month won the prize of the portrait shoot and a digital coffee table book for their images. Well done to Tamika for winning and thank you to everyone for taking the time to vote.

For Tamika's shoot we decided on the Wharf House as the venue as it's still a great favourite. It has a variety of interesting sections, including the canal, boats, a bridge, overpass, lots of greenery, a small building site and not forgetting the strange pond containing pea and ham soup.

The sun decided to challenge us by moving in and out of the clouds so we ended up roping Tamika's Granddad into the shoot, as my glamorous assistant, to hold the reflector. It was very reminiscent of the Dolly Birds holding the huge playing cards in Play Your Cards Right. 5 points for anyone who not only remembers the show but can also recall any of Bruce Forsythe's catchphrases.

As a late afternoon, cloudy shoot the light was nicely diffused and we got a great collection of images for Tamika's gallery.

After seeing a couple of rabbits midway through the shoot, I was a little disappointed that Tamika didn't race after them to use as a prop - but fair play as she did master her fear and get onto the riverboat for the "captain of the seas" shot. I don't think it helped that I "accidentally" rocked it while setting up in position.

Also, credit goes to Tamika and her Granddad for trudging through the swamp-like nettle-sludge to get to the "green door" at the underpass for the last few shots. After reviewing the edits I can say that it was definitely worth it. Surprisingly, neither took up my offer of a piggy-back.

Katharine & Simon - Burleigh Court Hotel, Oxfordshire

I knew from the moment I met Katharine and Simon for their pre-wedding shoot that we were going to have great fun shooting their wedding. I have never heard a couple laugh and enjoy themselves so much.

The wedding party was a small and perfectly formed group of guests, family and friends who were an absolute joy to photograph.

Part of the ceremony was conducted in Welsh and despite the lack of understanding sections of the vows it was plain to see the love shared between Katharine & Simon.

Confetti was replace by bubbles and I have to say how impressed I was with how long the bubbles lasted and how much puff everyone had. If I didn't know better I would suspect that someone brought their own bottle of Fairy Liquid.

The speeches were very emotional and after listening to Katharine's speech had great respect for her - she did an incredible job of not only learning Welsh but doing so in 10 months.

I wish all the very best to Katharine & Simon. A truly happy couple and great fun to photograph.

A guide to Gypsies and the Criminal Underworld of Hedgehogs

Well, I've finally managed to get some time to start my new project - a book.

I'm writing a guide for the Wedding Photographer and, man, do I have a lot of interesting highs and lows to write about.

The book is a step-by-step guide of everything I've learned in the last 4 years in the industry including all the pitfalls to avoid. Some of them very expensive.

I've been meaning to write this since January and have the outline defined. I wrote the Chapter on Websites last week and finding that free-flow writing seems to work - at the moment - has spurred me on to get the other chapters completed.

I'd like to complete the book by mid-Nov for publication and into the Christmas market. Signed copies will be available. Unsigned copies will be available too at an additional charge. You'd need to see my ghastly signature to appreciate that.

There will be stories, both funny and tragic, included. Alas, the wandering gypsy who solves hedgehog-related crimes is not in this book. That's next years project.

I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Thanks for reading - and feel free to post a reply.

Trying something new - Jo & Lee

I'm a big fan of trying new things when it comes to creating art from wedding and portrait images and this year I decided to add a series of darker images to the collection.

I took a series of shots at Jo & Lee's wedding with this idea in mind and I got what I was looking for.

This image is an example of the more artistic imagery I am looking for - and the beauty of this is that this shot took about 30 seconds to set up, 30 seconds to edit in Lightroom 2 and 60 seconds to perfect in Photoshop - two minutes.

I created a number of other images in a similar vein and am pleased with how they all turned out. Of course it really does help when the couple are as good looking as Jo & Lee and the wedding venue as beautiful as Ardington House, outside Wantage.

My next wedding is next Thursday when I'll be shooting Katharine and Simon and am very keen to create a similar theme.

It can't rain all the time - Katharine & Simon

For the first time this year I've had to postpone a shoot due to really bad weather. Thankfully Sunday proved to be a lot nicer to us and it didn't affect the mood as Katharine and Simon came to the studio for their pre-wedding shoot.

I knew when I spoke to Katharine on the phone last week that we were going to really enjoy this shoot - I've rarely heard anyone laugh so much - even at my terrible attempts at humour. And, as you can see from the image, Katharine's laughter was infectious.

Both were great fun to shoot and I'm really looking forward to creating the same fun-filled images at their wedding.

Bride Over Duck-filled Waters

Congratulations to Jo & Lee who were married on Sat 7th Aug - and what a fantastic day it was.

I shot Jo & Lee's wedding freelancing for Blenheim Photography and had an amazing time doing it.

The weather report for the day was not good and looked to threaten the plan for an outdoor ceremony on the island at Ardington House. It was very touch and go and despite a number of showers earlier in the day it was agreed the wedding could take place on this beautiful location.

The bridge to the island was not only slippy but not that wide. Any slip one way or the other would have turned the wedding into auditions for the 2012 Olympic Swimming team - assuming the locals, in the forms of ducks and swans, would have let you do anything more than a doggy paddle to get back out. Fortunately, we all stayed out of the river.

After drinks outside Ardington House, speeches were made. Uniquely these were done outside and made a nice change as I got a lot of great shots using the natural light.

Jo & Lee, themselves, were very much up for the flow-posing shoots and we ended up splitting into three seperate sessions to accomodate the weather. I tried a few new ideas for the flow-posing images the result of which is above.

Everyone at the wedding was great fun - and for a moment I feared for my own safety when the "guys" swayed into me with threats to throw me in the river.

Add in croquet, football and a game of Aunt Sally and this was a great deal of fun for everyone.

Thanks to Jan of Blenheim Photography for the contract and thanks to Jo & Lee for being such a great couple.