December 30, 2017 at 6:52 PM

Dorset and Hampshire Wedding Photographer

Creative Wedding Photographer covering the UK / Destination Weddings

My best of 2017

 

It has been another great year working with the loveliest people across the country and fantastic opportunities to improve upon the quality I deliver with some awesome creative opportunities and also time to look ahead and see what more I can do to improve the quality I deliver to couples and my service to them.

As always, I've tried to inspire my couples to really think about their engagement shoots with me this year and they have all pushed the boat out with their ideas. The most memorable ones being Antony and Liz's IKEA Engagement Shoot, James and Vicki's Borough Market Engagement Shoot in London and my first real-time proposal for Sean and Emma - the most natural of reactions and emotions ever!

Do have a look through my favourites below. This blog is really a reflection of the style I offer and how I enjoy shooting weddings as well as showing my favourite moments from covering weddings across Dorset and Hampshire and further afield. It is also an honest and open letter to couples and the industry if you will too about wedding photography.

In a now very saturated market place, with 'wedding photographers' (bunny ears intentional) popping up all over the place, it has made things very hard for me and many other skilled professionals to find 'the right client' and to help couples understand to put the price question aside, and bring it back to finding 'the right photographer'. Maybe not the most expensive, maybe not the cheapest, but the right photographer. Someone who you not only trust and whose work you believe in, but whose work you absolutely love, see the quality and experience in. 

Where I haven't worked out the best way to find my ideal client yet - I have found so much joy and better quality of life by doing less weddings. It has given me time to edit longer (I know crazy hey!) to really make sure every image is the best I can make it and also enabled me to give more time to my clients and given me time to enjoy life, as mad as that sounds!

Often prospective clients won't even think about the person on a personal level or on a self employed basis when searching for a photographer. And why would they? We don't think of another skilled person such as an electrician or kitchen fitter when searching for one so why a wedding photographer? When you are self employed, it's down to you and only you, and your work takes over your life. And having a family makes it much tougher to devote so much time to your business and your art. I'm amazed how my colleagues manage the balance between both.

If you shoot more than 40 weddings a year, it takes over everything and you need time away from work. As I improve the quality I deliver each year, although I love my job, I see that it is all the more necessary to not let it take over my life. This also gives more time to my clients in order to give them a better and personal service and experience which means the world to me.

There are still a number of things I want to improve upon for 2018 which is exciting, as well as meeting new people who get me and what I do and the brilliant weddings that give me some fantastic creative opportunities.

Bring on 2018!