Elegant Ellie

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of photographing Ellie in her school prom dress. The idea was to create a set of images that showed off her elegant gown and jewellery, using a mix of studio and outdoor settings. And, of course, to show off Ellie's radiant beauty! We had a great time, and Ellie caused a few raised eyelids as we took our outdoor shots in the centre of Leighton Buzzard.

Here are a few of the images we captured, starting with three from the studio:

And then the outdoor images, all deliberately taken with edgy urban backdrops for more of a fashionable look:

This one is my personal favourite from the session - it has a very glamorous feel to it, yet the background is a scruffy-looking public loo!:

Well done, Ellie, for being such a great subject. I'm looking forward to your viewing soon,

David

Daniella's Urban Portrait Shoot

OK, I've got over the disappointment of Andy Murray's semi-final exit at Wimbledon now and am fully expecting him to put it all behind him by winning the next major, the US Open (which is on his favourite surface, so it's entirely feasible). No pressure, Andy!

I've been busy with commercial work recently but did promise a few days ago to post some images of Daniella. So here they are:



Daniella was fun to work with, she has an almost regal look in some of that first image. Not quite so regal in the following shot, as the wind took hold of her hair!















More images to upload soon. Keep positive,
David

Urban Fashion Shoot with Sophie

This year seems to be rushing by and I'm not keeping up with my blog as well as I ought to be - though, at the moment, that's partly down to Andy Murray's performances at Queens and now Wimbledon. And it's so hot, too! I can't be the only one who is working a little slower than normal - can I?

I have two more weddings to do before heading off on holiday in two and a half weeks. We're going to Fethiye in Turkey, and I'm really looking forward to the break. There's an abandoned village nearby and I'm hoping to come back with some great shots to put on the blog.

For today, though, it's back to one of my urban fashion shoots. I took this set of images of the lovely Sophie about a month ago. The first one's about as smiley as Sophie wanted to get - as you'll see from her other images, the theme for the day was sullen and moody (obviously taking after the supermodels in Vogue and the like):

Sophie's friend Daniella came along on this shoot and I'll be posting some images of her soon for you to see. For now, time to start preparing for Murray's semi-final against Roddick. It'll be a tough one but I think Murray will win - let's hope so!

David

Jodie & Will's Fantastic Wedding Day

Ten days ago I had the privilege of photographing Jodie & Will's wedding in Milton Keynes. After a week of glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures, the skies filled with tumbling grey clouds and the heavens threatened to open and dump a month of rainfall on us in one fell swoop. Luckily, though, the deluge never materialised and we got away with occasional drizzle and a largely dry day! But I doubt if even a monsoon could have spoiled Jodie and Will's big day, it really was a great occasion and all present had a fantastic time.

I'm going to start this showcase with a shot of the engagement and wedding rings:



Jodie wore a beautiful off-the-shoulder gown and looked absolutely stunning:



The ceremony took place at St Mary Magdalene Church in Willen, Milton Keynes. There seems to be a beautiful church hidden away in every nook and cranny of Milton Keynes, and this is a fine example, built around 1680:



This image was taken shortly before Jodie made her entrance. It was taken by Stephanie who was my assistant for the day. Stephanie is studying for her A Levels and plans to go on to university to study photography. She has great potential, as you can see from this image in which she's captured a nervous groom and (oddly) an even more nervous-looking best man:



This shot from the rear of the church shows great happiness on Jodie and Will's faces, and I love the way the onlooking bridesmaids are so utterly engrossed in the action:



Here's another of Stephanie's shots, again capturing a wonderful expression:



After a few group shots, we captured a handful of images by the church door, of which this is my favourite:



Then it was time for the confetti 'tunnel of lurve':



This image was taken at the reception venue, Holiday Inn Milton Keynes East between MK and Newport Pagnell:



I set up a few fun shots in the hotel courtyard, though this one was shot by Stephanie as I captured mine - I chose this one becasue I like the way Jodie and Will are looking out of the frame, and their friends' expressions mirror one another perfectly:



Will's best man made an excellent speech, during which he embarrassed Will to the great amusement of all:



Will wasn't content with being embarrassed during the speeches - as was evident from the first dance which followed shortly. No, only kidding, Will! In reality, much preparation had gone into the dance, and it showed as Will and Jodie tripped the light fantastic around the dance floor, impressing their guests with their expert steps. Well done to you both!



And so begins another married life. It's a great pleasure to photograph people on their big day. I get to meet some really fun people, and Jodie and Will fall into this category. It's clear that they are wonderfully well suited to one another and I'm delighted to have had a chance to meet them. I wish you both a fantastic marriage and many, many years of happiness together.

David

Megan's Portrait Session

I've photographed more portraits than weddings recently. Here's a small selection of the images I made with Megan a couple of weeks ago. She's a complete natural in front of camera and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her modelling some time in the future!






The colours in this rape field made a great backdrop:









How's this for a supermodel headshot:

More portraiture to show in the next few days,

David

Amy & Charles's Pre-Wedding Shoot

I can't believe more than a month has passed since I last posted any images on the blog - I seem to have been incredibly busy recently! So there's some catching up to do over the next few days, beginning with Amy and Charles's pre-wedding shoot.

As they're marrying in December, Amy and Charles were keen to have their engagement session in the summer, and we were blessed with a fantastic day of sunshine when we got together at Ashridge.

Ashridge is a very special location for me. Not only is it a stunning wedding venue, right up there with the very best, it's also where I photographed my first ever wedding. So I always return there with fond memories of that day and safe in the knowledge that there's a warm welcome to be had from the excellent team of wedding coordinators.

Amy and Charles will be having their reception at Ashridge, so it made perfect sense to shoot their pre-wedding portraits there. Here's a small selection:

















What an incredibly good-looking couple - I can't wait to shoot their wedding in December!
David

We Three Rings

For reasons we don't need to go into here, when Louise and Mike tied the knot at Stowe School last month , Louise's engagement ring didn't make it to the wedding. So last night, after their honeymoon in China, the newly-weds came into the studio for their viewing, and we took the opportunity of capturing the three rings together. At Mike's suggestion, I placed the bands on the cover of a wedding album and here's the finished image:



It would be a shame just to post a single image, so here's another small selection from Louise and Mike's wonderful wedding day, starting with a detail shot of the bridal gown and shoes:



Lousie looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress:



Every beautiful bride needs a handsome groom, of course, and Mike fitted the bill perfectly:

The symmetrical elements of this image are really eyecatching, and show just what a splendid venue Stowe School is for a wedding:

And finally, one of my symbolic images - this shot works really well as a final page in the wedding album, evoking the togetherness of husband and wife as they take their first steps into married life:

David

A Walk In The Woods

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, I went to Stockgrove Country Park with our friends Luca, Michiyo and their two boys Leo and Danny. And as we took a leisurely walk around the park, I managed to distract Leo and Danny from their play with my own boys just about long enough to capture a handful of relaxed family portraits:

No children were harmed in the making of the above image - honestly! This next one is my personal favourite from the day:

This smile took some coaxing:

But Leo is simply too cool to smile for the camera:

While the boys carried logs around and played soldiers with gun-shaped sticks and branches, I stole a few moments to take some shots of Luca and Michiyo alone, including this happy portrait:

David

Our Fun-Packed Disney Weekend

With a considerable amount of barely containable excitement in the air, Fionnuala and I took the boys to Disneyland, Paris at the weekend. It was our first experience on Eurostar, which was full of children humming their favourite Disney tunes. I fully expected to spend two or three hours enduring the "are we there yet?" phenomenon - but no, the trip was very smooth and the boys seemed perfectly happy to wait for their appointment with Mickey and friends without driving their mummy and daddy up the train walls.

If you've never been to Disneyland before, there's two things you need to know before setting out. The first is that you will have very tired feet at the end of each day. And the second is that your wallet will feel drained, too. Having said that, we had so much fun and enjoyment that I couldn't possibly claim we didn't get value for money.

Slightly concerned about keeping an eye on my camera equipment, I decided to take my old Canon 350D and the standard lens that comes with the kit. And I'm pleased to say they did a very good job. Here's a few images from our trip:

We brought two very tired boys home with us - along with two bagfuls of Disney goodies - and both agreed it had been the best weekend of their lives. Already they're talking about their next trip to Disneyland - time, I think, to remind them about their savings account!

David

Louise and Mike's Stunning Stowe School Wedding

Last weekend I spent a glorious day in the company of Louise and Mike as they tied the knot at Stowe School, Buckinghamshire. It's difficult to imagine a more spectacular venue for a wedding and when the sun burned through the early morning clouds I knew we were in for a great day. Louise and Mike had put a great amount of effort into planning their day, and it certainly paid off with everyone having such a tremendous time.

In the morning, Louise got ready at home and here's her gorgeous bridal gown hanging in the bedroom:



I usually feature the bride's flowers when showing a bouquet and Louise's was very special, as can be seen in a couple of the images below. But just by way of a change, here's a close-up of one of the bouquets carried by Louise's beautiful bridesmaids:



Mike was very relaxed before the ceremony as he posed for his portraits. In this shot, he's accompanied by his excellent Best Men, Jethro:



As Louise arrived, she was piped in ceremoniously as her bridesmaids and mother helped keep the dress in pristine condition:



As I mentioned above, Stowe School is a wonderful venue. This can be seen all too well in these next two images, taken in the Marble Saloon during the ceremony:

Afterwards, everyone spilled out onto the terrace for drinks and congratulatory hugs and kisses (I particularly like the framing in this shot, and the placement of kilts at each side of the image):

The school offers some truly world class backdrops for wedding photos which we used to good effect:

And the great lawn at the rear of the house made a pefect setting for this shot:

As the guests sat down to the wedding breakfast, I chose this splendid statue at the front house as a background for the rings shot which I took lying on the floor (just as I was in the image above - I must be getting lazy in my old age!):

And then it was time for Louise and Mike to take to the floor and wow their guests with the waltz they'd been learning (and what an excellent job they made of it, too):

It was a truly wonderful day and was greatly enjoyed by all present. As I left, a full scale ceilidh was in the offing and I doubt whether many of the guests escaped that night without having flung themselves and probably several others around the dance floor.

My congratulations to you, Louise and Mike, on such a fantastic wedding day and my best wishes for a wonderfully long and fulfilling life together,

David

Emily and Matt's Wonderful Wedding Day

Emily and Matt had glorious weather for their wedding the weekend before Easter. The sun shone down on them, and so did the warmest wishes of their family and guests. It couldn't have been a more enjoyable day - everyone was in such great form and the joy of the occasion was evident on each and every face.

As usual, I started the day with the bride as she made her final preparations. Emily's bridal gown and shoes were really beautiful:



And Emily looked like the happiest and most beautiful bride in the world:



As Matt waited for her to arrive at the church, there were no signs of any nerves, just a handsome groom who simply couldn't wait to marry the girl of his dreams:



I wanted to capture a few shots that really brought home the brightness of the day. So I lay in the grass to get this unusual angle of Emily's walk through All Saints' church yard in Leighton Buzzard and that enabled me also to include a blast of lens flare from one corner to the other of this image:



Once the vows and rings had been exchanged, Emily and Matt signed the register and legalised their marriage:



And before long, it was time to make their exit as a very happy husband and wife:



This shot was taken as Emily and Matt approached their guests, who had gathered to shower the newly weds in confetti at the church gate:



And then it was off to Bletchley Park for the reception, where we made a selection of relaxed images with which to cherish the memories of their special day:

The next image was shot during the Best Man's speech, and I think he can be pleased with the reaction he was getting:

Finally, a shot of the wedding rings, together with Emily's engagement ring, nestling on the cake:

What a superb day it was, Emily and Matt. I'm sure you enjoyed yourselves greatly - I know I did. As I left, the ceilidh band was getting into full swing and it was clear that a fantastic party was about to unfold. I hope you've recovered from that now!

My congratulations to you both and best wishes for a long and very happy life together,

David

Amanda & Toby's Maternity Shoot

When I photographed Amanda and Toby's wedding last summer it was evident that they are very much in love. Well, pretty soon they're going to have to share that love with a precious little baby and I'm sure they're going to make wonderful parents.

Of all the different types of portraiture, the maternity shoot is probably my favourite. It's just such a special time in our lives, and it's a real joy to share in it. It was great to work with Amanda and Toby again, like meeting up with old friends.

Congratulations to you both!















And finally, one to show the little cutie is going to be well-dressed - whether these will be worn by a boy or girl, only time will tell!



David

Time to Book Your Portrait Session in the Bluebells

This afternoon I took a quick stroll round nearby Docky Wood, famous for its mid-Spring carpet of bluebells. It's a photographer's paradise, though we'll have to wait another week or so before this year's bloom is at its best - in fact, there are only a handful of early petals to be seen at the moment.

Bluebells don't last long, so if you fancy a memorable portrait session in this special setting, now is the time to book your shoot. As a tempter, here's a few shots from a previous session in the bluebell woods, starting with a scenic:



And here's a few examples of classic bluebell portraits:









Bluebell portraits make great images, so give me a call and book your session now.

David

Wedding Guests - Beware The Crazy Guy With The Camera!

At Karen and Rick's wedding last weekend, I photographed this beautiful guest. Nothing unusual in that you might think, and you'd be right, of course! Except for one thing - this lady was wearing a pair of amazingly coloured shoes. I couldn't resist photographing them, but didn't want to capture them in a dull and boring way. So, if you're attending one of the weddings I photograph, be warned - you may be asked to pose in the most unexpected manner:

David :)

Steph's Urban Fashion Shoot

One of my shoot's this week took me to Central Milton Keynes where I met up with budding model Steph to create a range of urban fashion portraits. Town centre locations make fantastic settings as there as so many different backdrops to work with. Steph also had to endure a large number of onlookers but she didn't allow that to distract her. She engaged with the camera like a true professional and now has a set of amazing images to add to her growing portfolio:

Well done, Steph, for working so hard. It really was a fun shoot!

David

Karen & Rick Tie The Knot

Karen and Rick's wedding on Saturday was a wonderful occasion. They had a fantastic time with their closest family and friends, and having put in so much thought to their big day they were rewarded with a really happy celebration. Karen looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress, and you can see from this first image how much she was enjoying herself:



As Karen made her final preparations, Rick was already at the church, greeting the guests. There was time for a few portraits, though, including this shot of Rick framed by the stonework of a former church door:



The ceremony was just wonderful, and was topped off with this loving kiss as the newly-weds sealed their vows:



And then it was time to make their way out to face the world as Mr and Mrs, with a broad grin for even the youngest of guests:



Photos in the churchyard, during which we had to work with weather from all four seasons of the year, were followed by the confetti tunnel of love by the church gate:

The reception was held at the Sharnbrook Hotel, between Rushden and Bedford, where Karen and Rick were able to pose for portraits in a very modern setting:

Here's a shot of the Top Table during the excellent best man's speech (I should add that he did embarrass the groom, too):

And so to the cutting of the cake:

And one of the detail shots I captured during the day, this time highlighting the wedding bands and engagement ring:

It was a great day and everyone had lots of fun, just as it should be at a wedding celebration. For me, it was my fiftieth wedding, quite a landmark. I know I couldn't have spent the day with a finer group of people, nor with a nicer couple. Karen and Rick, I wish you both every happiness in your married life - may it be long and very, very fulfilling!

David

Theo: Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Earlier this week, Laura brought Theo in for a portrait sitting, along with his splendid blue nursery chair to sit in. Sitting Theo down comfortably was not the easiest of tasks because he's a little action man. But with a small dose of encouragement and a large helping hand from his Lightning McQueen book we managed to catch some great shots.

So, are you sitting comfortably?



Then we shall begin. Once upon a time ...



Erm, can you not interrupt me while I'm reading please:



Only joking:

Nice to end on a happy smiley one.

David

My 50th Wedding!

Tomorrow is a big big day for me. I'm photographing Karen and Rick's wedding and it'll be my 50th wedding - so a sort of Golden Anniversary!

I met Karen and Rick in 2007 when Karen's sister Naomi married Andy. It'll be great to see the two of them again tomorrow, and their new little son Zac who I've not yet met. Karen was a radiant bridesmaid for Naomi, and tomorrow Naomi has the opportunity to return the favour. And to add to the occasion, Rick has asked Andy to be his Best Man. I'm certain he'll be making an entertaining speech if his address as groom is any indicator!

Here's the beautiful church in Wootton where Karen and Rick will exchange their vows:



I took these shots earlier this week when I also scouted the reception venue. Hopefully, it won't be quite as windy tomorrow!

It'll be nice to see some sunshine, though! So let's all pray for le soleil!

David

Laura's Fashion Makeover

For an 18th birthday gift from her friends, Laura enjoyed one of my fashion makeover shoots yesterday. And what fun it was! After a few head shots in the studio, we took Laura outside where she had to endure a fair bit of mickey-taking from her friends. It didn't stop Laura from posing, though. There's a large car park beside my studio and it offers some great urban backdrops, as can be seen in the images here:

This one is my personal favourite from the day - Laura looks absolutley beautiful:

Well done, Laura, for working so hard as a model for the afternoon. And well done to Ellie, too, for organising such a wonderful birthday gift. I hope all the friends from school like the pictures I've posted - and apologies for the scratchiness of my jumper!!!

David

Jodie and Will's Pre-Wedding Shoot

Last weekend, I strolled around the wonderfully picturesque town of Woburn with Jodie and Will. We had a great time shooting their pre-wedding images and I couldn't have hoped for a more willing pair of subjects. I'm really looking forward to their big day in June.

To start, here's a couple of cuddly romantic shots:





And then it was time to inject a bit of fun into the proceedings:

Here's Will discovering the truth about who will be wearing the trousers when the wedding is over:

What a great couple! Thanks to you both for a fun day out:

David

Joseph's Big Smile

I posted a taster shot from Joseph's portrait session last week and, looking back, noticed he was a pretty serious-looking little man in that image ... which was odd because he laughed and smiled his way through most of the session. So four of the five shots here showcase that winning smile of his, starting with this cheeky little look:

Here's another cracking smile:

This has a rather more soulful feel about it:

Whereas these next two are sheer kiddie joy!

I think it's safe to say that Joseph quite enjoyed having his photograph taken. He's such a great little boy and was really good fun to work with. What a credit to Mum and Dad!

David

The Delightful Dulcie

Yesterday I had a really special experience when I photographed this lovely three-week old baby. Her name is Dulcie - isn't she just gorgeous!



And aren't Mum and Dad totally besotted with her!

Photographing tiny babies is a wee bit challenging, as Dulcie's parents can testify. Let's just say there weren't quite enough baby wipes to meet the demands! All the same, it was great fun to photograph someone so young and a fantastic way to mark the arrival of their beautiful little girl into the world.

David

Silver Award Images

After a gap of far too many months, I decided in February to enter some pictures in the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers monthly image competition. The judging has now taken place and I'm delighted to have been awarded six Silver Medals by the panel. Five of my award-winning images were from weddings or portrait sesions, including this shot from the Children category:



Must do better next month, though, and see if I can add to my collection of Golds.

David

A Woodland Portrait Session

We took the boys out for a walk in the nearby ancient woodlands at Ashridge the other day. It's an awe-inspiring location and makes a wonderful backdrop for a portrait session. Here's a few of the images I made:





This one features Tadhg's classmate Jack:

Wherever we go, the boys eventually get round to kicking a football about. Here's Finn with his new goalie gloves:

I love this next shot. The three boys, each in a world of their own:

David

Smokin' Joe

Had a great time this afternoon photographing Joseph and couldn't resist putting a teaser on here for mum and dad to enjoy straight away. Joseph is one year old and he's a man on the move! But here's a shot of him sitting nice and still ...

More of Joseph to follow in a few days' time,

David

By Special Request - One More of Baby George

Here's one more shot of a happy little George ...



What a cute smile!
David

Our Beautiful Niece Kyra

You can count yourself lucky if - like me - you have a little princess of a niece who just loves to have her photograph taken. We visited Kyra recently and got some great shots. Now, I know I'm at risk of turning this blog into a family album, but I simply couldn't resist posting a few images to share with you:









Awwwwwww.

Kyra reached the grand old age of two this week - Happy Birthday Princess! And it was also Mum Natasha's birthday. But don't worry Tash, I'm not about to spout out your grand old age here - you never know who might be looking in! Happy Birthday to you, too!

David

First Baby Portrait of 2009

Last week I had the good fortune to photograph baby George - one of the smiliest baby sessions I've done for a little while. George is a bundle of fun and was great to work with. They say you should never work with animals and children. Nonsense, it's such a great thing to spend time creating images images like these. It's like capturing the very essence of childhood:

As you can see, George worked hard for his photographs:

David

A Few From The Family Album

At Christmas, we had a great family break in the Stable Mews on the Castle Leslie estate in County Monaghan, Ireland. Fionnuala and I needed a big rest as the last few weeks of 2008 had been hectic, to put it mildly. Castle Leslie provided exactly what we needed - a tranquil break away from it all so we could re-charge our batteries and head into 2009 refreshed and raring to go.

Here's the mews cottage we stayed in, seen at twilight:



A crisp early morning walk led me to this view of the castle across Glaslough:



Another walk, this time in the late afternoon, led us to nearby Kilvey Lake. Despite it being December, the lake had taken on a positively autumnal appearance:



The boys loved their holiday:

And finally, a whole family portrait. This was taken using the self-timer, with the camera mounted on a tripod:

David

First Wedding of 2009

My coverage of weddings in 2009 got off to a really great start with Anna and Bryan's special day at Woburn Sculpture Gallery. What a wonderful day it was! Anna was nothing short of radiant in her beautiful gown and Bryan was the very epitome of a model groom throughout the day.

I got to know Anna and Bryan when we did their pre-wedding shoot in Woburn earlier this winter. It was an unbelievably windswept day then, and their wedding day was one of equally challenging temperatures. You wouldn't know it, though, from their photographs. The warmth they share was clear for all to see and really bursts out of their pictures. It's evident that they are incredibly well suited to one another.

At the start of the day, I got some lovely shots of Anna's preparations at Flitwick Manor. This one shows Anna having her make-up done by Jo Saville who, I have to say, did a really excellent job:



We had a few minutes to capture some portraits of Anna and her attendants before I dashed off to Woburn. Here's Anna posing with the four-poster bed:



At the Sculpture Gallery, Bryan was waiting patiently for Anna's arrival:



And then on to the ceremony ...



... during which there were plenty of laughs:

Immediately afterwards, Anna and Bryan were presented with their first glass of champagne as a married couple (I'm not sure it was Anna's first of the day, given the number empty bottles in the room during her preparations - though she claims some were consumed the night before)!

Despite the wet weather, I lay on the ground to capture this shot of the bouquet, which also features a background comprising the splendid Woburn Abbey, our happy newly-weds, their stunning wedding car and a somewhat threatening sky:

Here's a very gallant Bryan helping his lovely new wife up a few garden steps:

Believe it or not, this classic shot was taken just 20 minutes after the one above with the threatening sky - just look at the difference!

Back inside (for it really was extremely cold) it was time for a few group shots before the speeches and wedding breakfast:

And finally, how's this for a real heart-felt greeting for Bryan from Anna as he stood up to make his speech:

What a fun day it was - congratulations Anna and Bryan on such a wonderful wedding. I'm sure you will enjoy a long and happy future together.

David

How To Freeze Your Fingertips

It's been absolutely freezing recently and that meant the ingredients for some cool winter landscapes were all in place. I shot this selection while my eldest son, Tadhg, was having his riding lesson. The sun had just dipped below the horizon once he was in the saddle, so I missed the beautiful sunset much to my dismay - still, Tadhg's gallop-and-trot is coming along nicely and the pictures I got weren't a complete disaster!

David

Rachelle and Lee's Wonderful Winter Wedding

Hello again and a Happy New year to everyone! 2009 promises to be a momentous year with lots of new and exciting opportunities that I'm really looking forward to. More of that over the coming days. For now, I'm catching up on the last of 2008's weddings in which Rachelle and Lee shared a magical winter wedding on a very cold late December day:

Rachelle got ready at her parents' home in Leighton Buzzard where there was an air of great excitement as the preparations unfolded. I think you'll agree that Rachelle looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress which was beautifully complemented with an exquisite bouquet:

Lee was equally relaxed when I arrived at the church. We had time to capture some great images, including this one which is one of my favourite portraits from the day:

The ceremony was held in St Baranabas' in Leighton Buzzard, a lovely light and airy church which was a delight to photograph in. Here's one of the happy couple looking thrilled that their big day had finally arrived - it's always good to see a bride and groom enjoying themselves so much during the ceremony:

Rachelle and Lee's Order of Service sheet is the main feature of this image, with the end of the pews and the aisle leading the eye to the newly weds in the background:

After the ceremony, we braved the cold for a few shots outside the church. I wanted an image that showed the blue clock faces in the steeple with the blue sky but which also featured Rachelle, Lee and their wedding car. The only way to achieve that was to lie on the ground with a wide angle lens on the camera. Lying down while I work is one of the perks of my job!

The reception was held at the magnificent Scuplture Gallery at Woburn. As you can see, it's a superb setting for a wedding that I'd happily recommend to anyone:

Before Rachelle and Lee made their entrance, we captured a few shots outside Woburn Abbey with the car:

And then some more portraits:

It was a splendid day and was greatly enjoyed by all the guests. For some curious reason, though, the wedding cake attratced a great deal of attention and found itself being photographed almost as often as Rachelle and Lee - can't possibly think why!

Congratulations Rachelle and Lee. I wish you both a truly wonderful life together and many, many years of bissful happiness.

David