Informal Portraits | Why I Love this Picture
I don't normally post images from a wedding before the main blog, but I wanted to share this lovely moment from Steve and Sally's day last week.
I had found a quiet lane behind their venue of Finchcocks Oast near Goudhurst in Kent, and so suggested we went round there for some quiet shots of them and their lovely son Nathan. I kept a good distance and by doing so allows an air of relaxation to form, and this in turn is immediately reflected in the photograph. It's this kind of documentary photography that I love and is incredibly rewarding.
The full blog of their Kent wedding will be here soon.
A Kent Wedding at Charlton Park | James and Claire
"The photos are beautiful - thank you so much. We love them. You've captured the day - in all its parts perfectly"
On a recent glorious Spring morning in May, I found myself in the beautiful town of Whitstable in Kent to photograph preparations for James and Claire's wedding day.
The week before had it's fair share of rain, but strong winds blew all that away as well as the odd veil here and there! Sunshine prevailed, hurrah!
Charlton Park near Canterbury was the stunning wedding venue for the celebrations, which followed on from a special service at one of the nicest settings I've come across at the church of St Peter and St Paul in Boughton Under Blean. Blue skies and fields of bright yellow rapeseed setting the scene, lovely!
A great Ceilidh band wrapped up the day (and boy do I love a good Ceilidh!) and so I took my leave from what was a beautiful wedding day and which saw two awesome people, James and Claire, get hitched! Big congrats guys!
My favourite images from their Kent wedding feature below, feel free to comment or share!
A Quiet Moment | Why I love this Picture
The walls within places of worship are an incredibly powerful setting in which to hold a wedding ceremony. Walls that could tell many a tale no doubt and the confines of which as a documentary wedding photographer get my utmost respect whilst working.
This image from Andy and Yen's beautiful wedding at Rochester Cathedral stands out for me amongst many, as it's a lovely quiet moment between two people sharing prayer within the ancient walls of this great building. A silent shutter and a discreet distance ensures this remains that way.
Amberley Castle Wedding Photography | Chris and Sophie
"Those photos are absolutely incredible! They have just brought it all back! Even a few tears!"
Amberley Castle in West Sussex is one of those wedding venues I've heard loads about but had never had the chance to visit. So when Chris, an old friend from a tv cooking show I used to work on, got in touch and said he was marrying Sophie there I jumped out of my seat!
You see, Amberley Castle is a quite simply stunning place. It's been standing 900 years, sits in stunning Sussex countryside, has a portcullis and a very rare oubliette which is a deep dark hole where they used to chuck bad people, so I made sure I was on good behaviour!
Normally the first thing I see when arriving at a wedding is the bride getting her hair done. Here it was Chris getting his hair done. By the way there is a lot of hair going on here, Chris loves his rock music! He and Sophie also have a labrador puppy named Chops, see if you can find reference to him throughout these images (I'll be testing you later!)
Oh and the food. Chris as well as a handful of the guests including his lovely mum Karen are all amazing chefs, and work hard behind behind the scenes getting shows such as Masterchef and Jamie Oliver onto our screens. So the food at this East Sussex wedding was first class to say the least.
It was such an awesome wedding and Amberley Castle has to be up there with one of may favourite venues to photograph at. Below are my favourite images from Chris and Sophie's day. Enjoy!
The Cook's | Kent Family Photography
A few months ago as the first blossom was braving an appearance, I hooked up with the Cook family for a relaxed family photo shoot in their local park near Bromley in Kent.
The morning was great fun and the kids (and parents!) behaved impeccably allowing me to make use of the fantastic light and to get some lovely moments.
Below are a handful of images that I like from that day and if a family photography session is something you've been meaning to get done then please get in touch via my contact page. Alternatively please check out my new family photography website: www.stevefullerfamilyphoto.com
A Bradbourne House Wedding | Andy and Yen
"Fabulous!"
Well what a way to kick off an immense wedding season for me! Andy and Yen were one of the privileged few each year who get to say their vows within the medieval walls of the stunning Rochester Cathedral in Kent and to say I was excited about photographing there was an understatement!
I hooked up with Yen, who has to be said has a killer smile, in the morning as she got ready amongst family in her lovely Victorian house in Tunbridge Wells. It was then over to Rochester to meet up with Andy. Now Andy is a truly great guy with a wonderful personality, who has achieved a ranking of Lt Colonel in the Army and is the proud owner of an MBE from the Queen for his services, which is all pretty darn cool if you ask me!
After a lovely service from the vicar (sporting medals himself!) it was outside to drawn swords and a large crowd of onlookers and I can hardly blame them for wanting a peek. It was then onwards to the stunning Kent wedding venue of Bradbourne House near East Malling for the afternoon and evening fun.
If you are considering a Kent Wedding at Bradbourne House or Rochester Cathedral even then please get in touch via the contact page. Some of my favourite images follow and comments as always are very welcome!
Penshurst Place Wedding Photography
Penshurst Place near Tunbridge Wells in Kent, has to be one of my favourite local wedding venues. Not only for weddings however, as it boasts one of the coolest adventure playgrounds to keep the little ones amused (and the big kids of us all too of course!).
When I get a chance to photograph a wedding at Penshurst Place however, in addition to the stunning building it's such a great place to go for a wander with the couple. The grounds have plenty of tucked away paths and secret corners at a photographers disposal, it's just knowing where the best ones are!
The Towel Guy | Maldives Photography
As I gear myself up for the start of the wedding season, (which kicks off with a corker at Rochester Cathedral with full military honours!), I always take any chance I get to go through past photographs that I've been meaning to write about.
The ones I choose to put on here are sometimes just personal favourites such as this photo of my daughter Kitty. But the image below, from when we went on honeymoon to the Maldives, I really like for it's composition and symmetry more than anything.
The resort had these great water villas and a towel guy that came around every morning. He just so happened to be doing his rounds when I had the camera to hand and so I waited until he was dead square in the frame and then took the shot. If he was anywhere else in the frame it just wouldn't have worked.
Symmetry in a photograph is something that is very pleasing on the eye when done right and is something I make an effort to employ whenever I can at a wedding.
Please feel free to comment or share!
Wedding Car Photography
A wedding car is as just an important decision (if you happen to need transportation that is!) on the big day as any other detail. Photographs with the car are always on the 'tick' list to get, however this doesn't mean it all has to be posed as wedding cars can lend themselves to a whole manner of interesting angles and opportunities.
Photographing through them, using reflections and windows as a natural 'frame', or even as they are whizzing past and away, so much more interesting I find and something as a documentary wedding photographer great fun to shoot.
