Being a wedding photographer at Eastington Park in Gloucestershire yesterday was a real privilege. The venue was amazing and the lighting for wedding photography at St Michael & All Angels church was perfect.

But more than anything else, Jen looked stunning. I mean, really stunning!

The day started with light rain but it didn’t even begin to dampen any enthusiasm for the day. And the great thing about Eastington Park is the exclusivity you get for the day; nobody else can stay at the venue so you really start to feel like you own the place.

With a two minute drive to the church, the service was thoughtful & meaningful and carried contributions from different members of family. And by the time we all stepped outside it was pure blue sky and zero rain; the perfect conditions for excellent wedding photography!

I won’t detail out the whole day but I must add that the speeches were amongst the most touching that I’ve ever heard. Only the hardest of folk would have survived those without a tear in their eyes!

Tom & Jen, have a great honeymoon. Give me a call as soon as you’re back because I can’t wait to show you some amazing wedding photographs!

In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy these ‘sneak peeks’…

As a wedding photographer in London, some people say how fortunate I am to be in the right place at the right time for my photography, as if I seem to have some kind of luck where all the action happens around me.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather, being in the right place at the right time is almost entirely down to anticipation.

When taking photographs and trying to capture that ‘moment’, instead of looking around for the moment that’s already happening look for the moment that will be happening soon.

Because if it’s already happening you’re probably not going to be prepared to photograph it; the camera could still be set for the last photo, the lighting might be at the wrong angle or more simply you might have a zoom lens on the camera when it should be the wide angle.

Instead, look around at what’s going on and try to predict what will happen in the next few minutes. If guests are about to walk into a room and you expect emotion, kisses and hugs, get yourself in the right position now. If you’re walking with the people you’re photographing and you want a specific background, anticipate where they will be in 30 seconds and run ahead to be in the right place.

The two photographs on this page are good examples of this. To capture the photograph on the boat (below) I could see Big Ben was close and would make a good background. I got into position and had to hold the camera with one hand while keeping the balloons out of the way with the other. Then I had to hope the bride would react well to the guests on my right. One made a joke and she turned around laughing. Perfect!

In the second photograph (below) I wanted to get the emotion in the moment of hugging while setting most of the background out of focus. I chose a wide aperture (low ‘f’ number) and got into position, hoping the lady would hug the man in front of me. She did, almost as if prompted by me.

Both examples demonstrate being in the right place and waiting for the moment to happen.

But it won’t always work in your favour. Sometimes you’ll anticipate incorrectly and the picture won’t happen. Never let that get you down and simply move on to the next expectation.

For more details on photography training courses visit www.bonjourphotography.com.

Well, it’s one thing to eat at the Michelin starred restaurant, L’ortalon, near Reading, but it was something else to be the wedding photographer for Jenny and Pete’s marriage celebration there last week.

Jenny looked fabulous as she prepared with her three bridesmaids at a nearby hotel and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more chilled out groom as Pete while waiting for Jenny to arrive.

After an intimate ceremony and private dining at the restaurant, we took to the water and travelled from Reading to Henley where a group of 80 friends waited to enjoy the evening celebration at the River and Rowing Museum.

I can’t wait to show Jenny and Pete their wedding photographs from the day. But I’ll need them to come back from Vietnam first…

Here’s a taster below.

Wow! When Rosheen and Neil asked me to be their wedding photographer at English Martyrs Church in Reading and Highfield Park in Hook I knew it was going to be an emotional day but I wasn’t ready for the amazing day we all had. Their wedding was so special and absolutely overflowing with happiness, generosity and (of course) love.

I first met Rosheen and Neil when I photographed the wedding of two of their friends in 2008. This meant that I already knew some of the guests at their wedding so we all got off to a great start!

And because they were both getting ready at houses in the same part of Reading (“exactly 6 minutes drive at night with no traffic,” Neil said confidently!) it meant I could be with both halves of the bridal party before the wedding started.

Apparently it rained. But I don’t think many of us noticed as the main focus of everything was two people coming together to publicly declare their love and future intentions for each other. And I think that everytime we needed to be outside the rain held back for us all.

Rosheen and Neil have just arrived in Bali for their honeymoon. I really can’t wait to show them all their wedding photographs when they return but in the meantime I’ve added a small collection of ‘sneak peeks’ below. (Also on Facebook here if you’re into all that!)

Hope you enjoy them!