WHO AM I AND HOW DO I APPROACH MY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Firstly and most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS for finding the love of your life and making that love official!  You have landed here for a very good reason - to have wonderful irreplaceable memories. Those memories don’t have to be a wedding, of course.  Photography of life is so imperative, there can never be enough and you never need a reason for it. What better way to capture natural and genuine moments in your life and be able to rewind to these over and over again. 

Secondly, although this is entitled “who am I”….. I want you to know that this is not about me!  I won’t fill this page with my life story, especially if you are looking for a wedding photographer, but feel it is relevant that you know a little of who you are potentially inviting into one of the most special and personal days of your life. 

I approach my photography based on what you would like recording from your day. I always discuss your preferences, provide any guidance or ideas you may like and plan it together. I intuitively adjust my style to suit each varying moment in the day from natural documentary style to posed and lit portraits and group shots. 

Everybody feels differently about being photographed, some respond with absolute dread, others are not bothered, but many have a negative preconception of it. However, like most things that we dread, the thought of it is far removed from the reality. I have spent many years photographing people and I seem to have the ability to put people at ease. I do think that this is partly because I have photographed so many subjects in so many conditions that I am relaxed in my knowledge. I can think about the light, the framing and the next possible spontaneous moment while having a conversation about flowers. 

My fashion and magazine experience enables me to shoot stunning posed and expertly lit photographs, where you will look fan-blooming-tastic.  A posed picture can be timeless and classic, but not necessarily formal.  Posed can also be as relaxed as lounging on a sofa together having a laugh, or a totally creative, quirky and a random idea. All of these can be “posed” as in intentionally set up, but they can look fun, cool, interesting or even bizarre! I can give great direction to help you look and feel confident.  

I also love documentary style photography from years of shooting all kinds of events, parties and of course weddings. In these situations I like to be invisible yet constantly creating beautiful natural images from all those fleeting emotional moments which create the story of the day.

A very quick background…

I have been a professional photographer for 25 years and in this time there is not a lot I have not photographed. My creativity and artistic ability has always been intuitive and I can think on my feet in any occasion. My CV is extensive and includes countless editorial magazines, TV shows, multi national commercial companies, celebrities, etc. But very little captures true emotion and happiness like weddings and special occasions. 

I am non-judgmental and down to earth.  However you chose to celebrate any occasion, large or small, religious, outrageous, or a secret elopement, I will be delighted to capture it.  Any part of your lives I am privileged to witness, I always treat with the utmost confidentiality, respect and sensitivity. 

I am very experienced in lighting and my style reflects this. I use both natural and artificial lighting in all my photography, simply because natural lighting alone calls for us to have control of the weather and the daylight. In the summer, this is a little more possible, but in winter and evening ceremonies, lighting is always required. But the sole purpose of lighting is to make you or the subject look their absolute best. The difference in photographs that are lit expertly or left to mother nature can be poles apart. My lighting is mostly small and unobtrusive, and I would only use a slightly larger light for planned shots simply to ensure the best lighting on everyone. I wouldn’t like to get too techy here as it’s results that really matter, not the equipment. If you are interested, I’d happily talk about what equipment I bring along. Not all of it gets used but I always believe in the ‘be prepared’ mantra!

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY:

If you are looking for commercial, corporate, automotive, interiors photographs or you need pictures for an editorial, pr and marketing or advertising client, please visit my site www.stephenperry.com . I have concentrated my wedding and portrait portfolios here. I have included some of my celebrities on here as well as they show my experience in photographing these interesting characters and the trust that clients have in me to get the results they want, without fail.