An eyewitness to the wedding day…
…find out who I am, how I work…
Wedding Photojournalist
I approach weddings intending to record what’s in front of me: no constant set-up shots or interventions by me as the photographer. My photography is a reflection of your day, not an imposition upon it. My role is that of an eyewitness to your wedding day. An eyewitness that records the day with a series of images that retell the story of your day. Not a photographer that stage manages the day.
My background is in national newspapers and magazines. I worked as a press photographer at The Times, which I joined immediately after completing my Postgraduate studies in Photojournalism at the London College of Communication (then the LCP). I learned the hard way. On that job, there are no second chances, no opportunities to recreate the news events unfolding in front of you, to get the right images in time for edition.
Photojournalism at a wedding?
For me, the buzz of still photography is searching out and capturing moments. Freezing them in time – whatever the subject. That is the power of reportage photography. It’s the thrill of the hunt, seeking out striking and timeless images and fixing them for posterity. Being a wedding photojournalist gives me this in abundance. Working at a national newspaper, every day was different. From shooting backstage at a Royal Ballet performance to covering the aftermath of a devastating bomb on a London street, on the same day. From portraits of the Prime Minister at No 10 Downing Street, to extraordinary days documenting rare Paleolithic engravings in a remote Portuguese canyon. From capturing a beekeeper at work on the rooftop of the Opera House in Paris to dodging flying bricks and petrol bombs in a London street riot. Even having a gun pointed at my head on one assignment.
Being given the freedom to shoot weddings in this storytelling manner is what attracted me to such special occasions. Weddings have it all: the characters, the emotions, the atmosphere, the details, the moments. It’s a dramatic storyboard there in front of me, ready to be recorded – to watch, observe, anticipate and then compose images that mean so much to my clients. Merging into the background with the camera. The photography reflects the day, rather than impose upon it with lengthy portrait sessions or countless dull, traditional setup photographs.
A good wedding photojournalist won’t give you lots of dull, static group shots or overly photoshopped mock fashion shoots. What you’ll get is a series of timeless images that form a valuable record of the moments you want to cherish. Natural wedding photography that captures the day as it actually was.
Award-winning wedding photography
Amongst my awards, I won the title of Professional Photographer of the Year in 2012, with this image from a London wedding at St Pauls Cathedral. I have three times been named as the winner of the Wedding Photographer of the Year (South-East), in the regional finals of The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) 2015, 2016, and 2022. This award, in the largest regional category, is based both upon client votes and reviews, and on the photography judged as a body of work over the year, not just one image. I was also awarded the Highly Commended prize in the Wedding Photographer of the Year category in the National Finals twice – in effect, the silver medal (awarded when the decision was close).
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BRIEF BIO
Born near Manchester, moved South aged 9. Still got a few flat vowels – bath not barth, castle not carstle…
I live in West Sussex. Married (my wife is a writer) and have three children, plus a chaotic big rescue dog.
I have always been a photographer.
From the university student newspaper to a Diploma in Photojournalism, to my first job, working as a photographer at The Times newspaper in London.
My work has appeared in various publications such as Time magazine, The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, Barron’s magazine, and Institutional Investor, amongst others. I also work for a variety of corporate and design clients.
