Wedding Photography Kent

Here's part two of a selection of photos from Nicky and Michael's wedding that I shot last week at the Ashford International Hotel. Shots with flash were taken mostly with a 5D, without with a 5D Mark II. I didn't warm up my flashlight with gels for this wedding in order to keep the warmth of the ambient light.

manual, 1/50, f/3.5, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

The big group photos were the most demanding shots of the wedding. The room was very poorly lit and space was limited. I had to get the best man and ushers to move, and keep, the guests back to give me room to work. I used three 580EX II Speedlites to light the above shot. One was on camera, set to master, with my usual flash bracket and Lastolite micro Apollo softener, and the other two were on stands, set to slave, and softened by Lastolite EzyBoxes. All flashes were left in group A. Flash ratios were controlled by adjusting flash-to-subject distance. I could just squeeze everyone in with a focal length of 16mm - not ideal due to distortion at the edges of the shot but better than no shot at all. Focus was achieved using the AF-assist beam on the Speedlite.

manual, 1/50, f/3.5, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 24mm

Taken with the same set-up of Speedlites and softeners.

1/200, f/1.4, ISO 1250, +1 EV, 35mm

Taken with the 5D Mark II and 35mm f/1.4 L prime. Aperture priority with +1 exposure compensation to take account of the candles and reflective white table cloth.

manual, 1/50, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

The reception room was pretty dark too. I set the camera to manual with the above settings which was about 2 stops underexposed for the ambient light. Subjects were then lit with flash.

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 6400, +1 EV, 200mm

A chance to check out the high ISO performance of the 5D Mark II - I've discussed this shot in a previous post. I've just read a review of the 5D Mark II in Practical Photography (Feb 2009) which states that, 'ISO performance has improved, although not significantly'. I reckon it's at least a 2-stop improvement - I suppose it depends what you define as significant. It may not be as good as the Nikon D3 or D700 (although the latter appears similar in a comparison test at Photography Bay), but the 5D Mark II allows you to shoot low-noise shots at ISO 6400, perfect for very low-light wedding photography.

1/50, f/2.8, ISO 6400, +1 EV, 125mm

Again the subject is lit by candlelight. You need to keep a careful eye on the quality of light falling on your subjects - you can't just switch to ISO 6400 and imagine that all shots will turn out well.

manual, 1/50, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 16mm

Back to the 5D in manual mode with softened flash on the camera bracket. A close-in light subject with a dark background causes the flash to overexpose, so I dialled in -1 stop of flash exposure compensation.

manual, 1/50, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 27mm

E-TTL II copes well when the subject is further away, and with a more even distribution of tones in the shot (I've burnt in the corners here in post-production for a vignette effect).

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 63mm

1/50, f/2.0, ISO 800, -2/3 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm

Taken with off-camera flash. I connected an ST-E2 wireless transmitter to my 5D Mark II and then held a 580EX II Speedlite, with a StoFen omnibounce diffuser fitted to mimic a barebulb, in my left hand. Shot in aperture priority mode with -2/3 exposure compensation.

1/50, f/4.0, ISO 1600, -1 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 1600, -1 EV, 0 FEC, 100mm

The Speedlite was supported by a voice-activated light stand (a guest!) and triggered by the ST-E2.

1/60, f/4.0, ISO 3200, -1 EV, 0 FEC, 70mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

On-camera softened flash with the 5D. Back to manual mode.

1/25, f/2.8, ISO 6400, +1 EV, 16mm

Ambient light only with the 5D Mark II. Exposure compensated for the lit background.

Any comments welcome.

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Wedding Photographer Kent

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1250, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

1/125, f/4.0, ISO 1000, -1 EV, -1/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 1000, -1.3 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/60, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 24mm (24-70mm)

1/200, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 24mm (24-70mm)

1/80, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 24mm (24-70mm)

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 58mm (24-70mm)

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 70mm (24-70mm)

1/160, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 24mm (24-70mm)

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 70mm (24-70mm)

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 48mm (24-70mm)

1/80, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 24mm (24-70mm)

Here's part one of a selection of photos from Nicky and Michael's wedding that I shot last week at the Ashford International Hotel. Light levels in the foyer and ceremony room were good and allowed me to shoot at ISO 1600 with a reasonable shutter speed. The challenging part came later on!

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Kent Wedding Photographer in Deal

1/200, f/5.0, ISO 400, -1/3 EV, 40mm (24-70mm L)

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 24mm (24-70mm L)

1/100, f/4.0, ISO 500, -2/3 EV, 34mm (24-70mm L)

1/50, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 25mm (16-35mm L)

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 16mm

1/40, f/2.0, ISO 3200, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/8, f/2.8, ISO 1600, +1 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

manual, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm

1/40, f/2.8, ISO 3200, +2/3 EV, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/60, f/3.5, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

I had the pleasure of photographing Kerry and Simon's wedding at Deal Castle on Saturday - check out their wedding gallery. The weather was fantastic, incredibly mild, and the sunset was magnificent.

Light levels inside the castle were very low so I put the camera into manual mode - 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600 - and used flash, with appropriate FEC, for lighting. I pushed the ISO to 3200 for some of the shots at mealtime, turned the flash off, and used just candlelight!

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Wedding at Ashford International Hotel

1/50, f/4.0, ISO 6400, -1 EV, 0 FEC, 70mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, off-camera flash

I had a great day yesterday photographing Nicky and Michael's wedding at the Ashford International Hotel. It was the first outing for my Canon EOS 5D Mark II which arrived on Monday. I leapt straight in at the deep end and filmed their ceremony in high definition video and then was shooting at ISO 6400 on the dance floor without flash.

My initial impressions of the 5D Mark II are highly favourable. Full review to follow.

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Wedding Photographer Kent at Deal Castle

Just back from Kerry and Simon's wedding at Deal Castle in Kent. Really great afternoon - fantastic light, weather and couple. What more could I ask for?

The great thing about winter weddings is that you can get the lovely post-sunset shots and still be home in time for dinner!

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Wedding Photographer Kent

Some black & white conversions from last Saturday's wedding - check out a bigger selection in colour or B&W. These conversions mimic the look of fast B&W film, with a good contrast boost and some grain added to areas of midtone.

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The Kent Wedding Photographer - not in Kent

I had the pleasure of photographing Felicity and Dan's wedding last Saturday at Newstead Priory in Brigg, Lincolnshire - check out their wedding gallery. As mentioned in a previous post, I don't normally travel so far to photograph a wedding (it's neither in the clients, nor my interest, to do so) but Dan is an old friend, and I was there as both guest and photographer.

Shooting started at the Forest Pines Hotel at 11:30am with the bridal preparations. I was then driven to the venue (with a packed lunch en route) to photograph Dan with his best man and ushers at 1pm, followed by candids of guests arriving from 1:45pm onwards. The bridal party arrived at 2:25pm and the ceremony took place from 2:30-3:00pm. We then took the formal group shots immediately, which allowed us to take some bride and groom shots with the setting sun in the background at 3:45pm. The time of sunset was known in advance (check out the time of sunset by postcode calculator) which allowed us to plan our timings with these shots in mind. I then took further bride and groom portraits in the Priory until 4:30pm, when we joined the other guests in the dining area for some candids shots, before dinner at 5:00pm. I then photographed the speeches, the mock cake cut and first dance before putting my camera down for a well-earnt break. Wedding photography is hard work!

Everything went smoothly except for battery troubles just before the ceremony. Shooting with a battery grip means I have two BP-511 batteries powering the camera, which generally lasts all day. Unfortunately, it was so cold on Saturday that this severly reduced the batteries performance and the battery power indicator started blinking at about 2:10pm after 70 minutes of shooting outside. I put in two fresh batteries but the indicator started blinking again at 2:20pm - just 10 minutes use! I think it was because the camera body was so cold. I put another two fresh batteries in my pocket (I carry 8 with me!) just in case I needed them but the charge indicator returned to normal as the camera warmed up. Panic over!

Now for a selection of photos with commentary - check out the post on EXIF data for an explanation of the information below each of the images.

1/400, f/1.4, ISO 400, -1/3 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

Shot wide open to minimise depth of field - this does require good focusing technique though. I could have reduced the ISO for this particular shot, but for the sequence of shots taken at this time, at a variety of apertures, ISO 400 allowed me to keep the ISO setting constant. I'm not too worried about always getting the lowest ISO setting for every shot. The slight negative exposure compensation accounts for the dark tones in the background and prevents any burn out of highlights. I didn't need to reduce this by too much as her white dressing gown counteracted the background.

1/200, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/200, f/3.5, ISO 1600, -1/3 EV, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

Wide-angle lenses are essential for capturing more of a scene - a so-called environmental portrait - when working in a tight space. Perspective distortion is the downside though - some corrections can be made in Photoshop.

1/1000, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 70mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

Working outside gives the 70-200mm f/2.8 L zoom lens a chance to shine. The dark and light tones average out to medium grey so no exposure compensation was required.

1/1600, f/1.4, ISO 200, 0 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

The occasional humorous shot livens up proceedings! The 35mm prime lens is sharp wide open.

1/60, f/3.2, ISO 1600, 0 EV, +2/3 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

The ceremony room was cramped. I took a few shots at 16mm even though perspective distortion is obvious. Rather than upping the exposure compensation to take account of the backlighting (which I had tried in an earlier shot, but which led to the bride and groom being engulfed in a light haze, reducing contrast) I upped flash output by 2/3 of a stop to light the scene.

1/200, f/4.5, ISO 400, -1 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

Outside for the sunset. Ambient exposure was reduced by 1 stop to bring out the colours in the sky. I took a few shots, varying both the ambient and flash exposures.

1/80, f/2.0, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

Indoors to warm up - both the bride and my flash light! From now on I had a full colour temperature orange flash gel on my Speedlite to balance the tungsten-dominated indoor light.

1/100, f/2.0, ISO 3200, +2/3 EV, +1/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

Light levels indoors were low - up to ISO 3200. Positive exposure compensation to account for the bright background and full blast from the flash because of my distance away from the subjects.

1/160, f/2.0, ISO 3200, +2/3 EV, -1/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

Flash exposure compensation reduced as I come in closer.

1/100, f/1.4, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

No flash for this one. Spotted a nice pool of light from a tungsten lamp.

man, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

The reception venue was so dark I switched to manual mode. A shutter speed of 1/50 is as slow as I dared go shooting candids. The lens was wide open. Basically I'm getting as much ambient light as possible without risking subject blur. Most of the exposures were at least 2 stops under-exposed though. Keep an eye on your camera's light meter when you move to better lit areas - don't over-expose your shots! TTL flash metering (with FEC of between 0 and -1 depending on my distance from the subject and the background tones) then lit the subject. From now on I was using the CP-E4 battery pack to ensure good recycling times of the flash.

man, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -2/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

man, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -2/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/250, f/1.4, ISO 3200, -2/3 EV, -2 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

A great example of the camera flash metering being fooled by the dark background. FEC of -2 stops to prevent the subject being completely overexposed.

man, 1/60, f/4.0, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 23mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

No comment!

1/50, f/1.2, ISO 3200, +1/3 EV, 85mm (85mm f/1.2 L)

No flash - 1/50, f/1.2 at ISO 3200 shows you how dark the venue was. Fast lenses partnered with an EOS 5D are an ideal combination in low-light conditions.

man, 1/60, f/4.0, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

Back to manual mode for the dance floor. Stopped down to f/4.0 for a bit more depth of field.

man, 1/60, f/4.0, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

man, 1/60, f/4.0, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

I hope you enjoyed this detailed overview of Saturday's wedding shoot. Feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

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The roving Kent Wedding Photographer

I'm just back from photographing Felicity and Dan's wedding at Newstead Priory in Brigg, Lincolnshire, and what a wonderful occasion it was. I don't normally travel so far for wedding jobs but it was a pleasure in this case, as Dan is an old friend. It was absolutely freezing! My batteries kept losing their charge - I had to pass them on to the ushers to warm them in their trouser pockets.

Above is image number 1 taken at 10pm on Friday evening. I then photographed from 11:30am to 9:30pm on Saturday and, even with plenty of breaks for food, refreshment and gossip, I took a huge number of photos. Processing may take some time.

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Kent Wedding Photographer at The Bell Hotel, Sandwich

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 29mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/160, f/3.2, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -2/3 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/160, f/3.5, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -2/3 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/160, f/3.5, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/320, f/4, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/160, f/5.0, ISO 1600, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 22mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/250, f/1.4, ISO 1600, +1/3 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/400, f/1.4, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -2/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/80, f/3.5, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -2/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 3200, +2/3 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/125, f/1.4, ISO 1600, +1/3 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/125, f/1.4, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/100, f/1.4, ISO 3200, -2/3 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

Here's the second installment of Tracy and Paul's wedding photos, set at The Bell Hotel, Sandwich - check out the full wedding gallery.

The usual rules applied - ISO at 1600 or 3200, full colour temperature orange gel on the flash inside, flash exposure compensation for close portrait work. The Bell Hotel unfortunately has many rooms with both tungsten and fluorescent lighting so the green-magenta tint slider got a good workout in Lightroom!

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Wedding Photographer in Broadstairs, Kent

1/160, f/2.8, ISO 800, 0 EV, 24mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 70mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/250, f/1.4, ISO 800, +2/3 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/100, f/5.6, ISO 640, +2/3 EV, +1 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 1600, -1/3 EV, 70mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 160, +1/3 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/125, f/5.6, ISO 640, -1/3 EV, 22mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/800, f/4, ISO 320, +1/3 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/320, f/4, ISO 200, +2/3 EV, +1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/3200, f/2.5, ISO 200, -2/3 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/8000, f/1.4, ISO 200, -1 EV, +1/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/1000, f/2.8, ISO 200, +2/3 EV, 70mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

1/125, f/5, ISO 200, +1/3 EV, 70mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

1/250, f/6.3, ISO 200, -1/3 EV, 15mm (15mm f/2.8 Fisheye)

1/400, f/6.3, ISO 200, 0 EV, 15mm (15mm f/2.8 Fisheye)

I had the pleasure of photographing Tracy and Paul's wedding at the Holy Trinity Church, Broadstairs and The Bell Hotel, Sandwich on Saturday. I've finished processing all the shots from Broadstairs so thought I'd publish a selection on the blog today. The wedding gallery will be published online in a day or two.

The light and the sky were both magnificent on Saturday, probably the best I've seen this year. The Church was also reasonably well-lit - I didn't have to use ISO 3200 for once. The downside was the Arctic conditions - it was absolutely freezing! Tracy and Paul chose to have some portraits and group shots on the jetty. Combined with the wind chill factor down by the seafront I'd have estimated the temperature was below freezing. Tracy lasted for about 40 minutes wearing just her wedding dress in these conditions and didn't complain once - very impressive. For their honeymoon they've gone off for 2 months to climb mountains all round the world - these are tough people!

I had great fun balancing the ambient and flash light for the portrait shots. Check out the exposure and flash compensation figures. I've had a few queries regarding tips on this technique - I'll publish a post on flash exposure compensation very soon.

Thanks to Charlie the surfer for joining us for a few shots. This could be the beginnings of a new movement in wedding photography!

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Kent Wedding Photographer in Broadstairs

1/200, f/11, ISO 200, 0 EV, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/500, f/11, ISO 200, 0 EV, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/125, f/11, ISO 200, 0 EV, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/1000, f/2.8, ISO 100, +2/3 EV, 200mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

1/320, f/8, ISO 100, 0 then -2 & +2 EV, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

I shot a wedding in Broadstairs and Sandwich yesterday - I'll post a selection of photos in a few days. In the meantime I've posted a few images from Broadstairs beach that I shot before the wedding started. The light and sky were wonderful but it was unbelievably cold. One of the surfers told me that the sea was a tolerable 12 degrees Celsius - it was just the walk out that was painful!

The bottom of the 5 images is an HDR shot and was processed using Photomatix Pro.

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Wedding Photographer in Kent - Wedding Album

I've just finished Kim and Chris' wedding album - a selection of pages are shown above. I always like to receive the clients' approval before uploading to the printer in the US - have a look at the electronic proofs that I sent them.

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Wedding Photographer in Kent - Quotes

If you're a potential wedding client looking for a quote the information I require is:

1. Your planned wedding date.

2. All locations that I'll be required to attend (eg bride's home, ceremony venue, reception venue, photoshoot location) with, ideally, postcodes to eliminate any chance of confusion.

3. The length of time I'll be required to cover. If you're not sure, just let me know the time of the ceremony, time when food is due to be served (if known), plus a feel for the events you want covered. From the classic wedding repertoire these can include:

Bride preparation

Groom, best man and ushers having fun before the wedding

Arrival of the bridal party

The ceremony

Candids of post-ceremony congratulations

Formal group shots

Bride and groom portrait session

Candids during pre-dinner drinks

Speeches

Cake-cutting

First dance

Evening reception

But feel free to fully customise your wedding day!

Once I have this information I can then provide you with a couple of quotes.

Without wishing to sound too much like a salesman I'll just point out that I now have over 40 weddings booked for 2009 and that 2010 is booking very quickly. Please contact me via my website if you want to enquire about my services.

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Kent Wedding Photographer in Canterbury

1/80, f/4.0, ISO 1600, o EV, -1 FEC, 23mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 3200, o EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/50, f/2.8, ISO 3200, -1/3 EV, -1 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/125, f/3.5, ISO 3200, o EV, -2/3 FEC, 59mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/80, f/4.0, ISO 3200, 1/3 EV, -2/3 FEC, 26mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/50, f/4.0, ISO 3200, 1/3 EV, -2/3 FEC, 26mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 1/3 EV, -1/3 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/80, f/3.2, ISO 3200, 1/3 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/1600, f/1.4, ISO 1600, o EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/1000, f/1.4, ISO 1600, o EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/320, f/1.6, ISO 1600, o EV, -1 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/50, f/1.4, ISO 1600, +1 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/250, f/1.2, ISO 1600, -1/3 EV, 85mm (85mm f/1.2 L)

1/200, f/1.2, ISO 1600, -1/3 EV, 85mm (85mm f/1.2 L)

1/200, f/1.2, ISO 1600, 1/3 EV, 85mm (85mm f/1.2 L)

1/125, f/1.2, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 85mm (85mm f/1.2 L)

1/60, f/1.6, ISO 1600, o EV, -1 FEC, 85mm (85mm f/1.2 L)

1/200, f/5.0, ISO 3200, +1/3 EV, 32mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

I had the pleasure of photographing Kate and John's wedding at Canterbury Registry Office, the Abode Hotel and the Brewery Tavern Inn on Saturday - check out their wedding gallery. Unfortunately it was yet another very wet and windy day but, fortunately, I had yet another wonderful couple. No complaints about the weather, just plenty of good humour.

I've included a good selection of black and white conversions from this wedding, which generally tend to be neglected in my blog posts. On a technical note you can see from the EXIF data that light levels indoors were low - you need to be prepared to go to high ISO settings and then digitally clean up the images. I generally set the ISO speed for the room or area that I'm working in and then stick to that. Occasionally this means that I could take a few shots at lower ISO speeds, as you'll see above, but it makes life simpler. The indoor lighting was primarily tungsten this week which gave me the opportunity to use a full colour temperature orange (CTO) filter on my Speedlites in order to balance the flash light with the indoor tungsten lighting.

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Kent Wedding Photographer in Borden and Sittingbourne

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 400, o EV, 0 FEC, 70mm (70-200mm f/2.8 L IS)

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 400, o EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/100, f/3.5, ISO 400, o EV, 0 FEC, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/30, f/2.8, ISO 1600, o EV, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/50, f/4.5, ISO 3200, +1/3 EV, 35mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 1600, o EV, 0 FEC, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/60, f/2.2, ISO 1600, +1/3 EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/100, f/1.4, ISO 800, o EV, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 3200, +1/3 EV, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 1600, o EV, 0 FEC, 25mm (16-35mm f/2.8 L)

1/125, f/4.0, ISO 3200, +1/3 EV, -1/3 FEC, 35mm (35mm f/1.4 L)

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 3200, o EV, -2/3 FEC, 40mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/80, f/4.0, ISO 1600, o EV, -2/3 FEC, 38mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

1/50, f/4.0, ISO 3200, o EV, -1/3 FEC, 24mm (24-70mm f/2.8 L)

I had the pleasure of photographing Kim and Chris' wedding at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Borden Village and the UK Paper Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne on Saturday - check out their wedding gallery. It rained constantly during the day but Kim and Chris didn't complain once. It was a really lovely day despite the weather.

Due to popular demand I've started including EXIF data with the example shots - I'll post further on this shortly.

Light levels on Saturday were very low so my Speedlites got a good workout - during the evening reception I used the Canon CP-E4 battery pack. I didn't use any filters to adjust the flash colour temperature in the church or at the reception as both had mixed light sources. Notice how I dial down the flash level (flash exposure compensation FEC) when I get close-in for a portrait shot.

I used only ambient light for the ceremony - check out the EXIF data beneath the church shots above to see how dark it was. Since the day was so overcast the difference between the church interior and outdoors was not as extreme as normal. You'll notice that I had to do very little exposure compensation (0 EV for most of the shots) for this wedding - this is very unusual.

Check out more of my photography here: wedding photographer in Kent

Wedding Photography in Kent - Locations

According to a recent BBC online article, 'couples in England now have greater choice about which church they can chose for their wedding. They can now marry anywhere they have lived for six months or where their parents or grandparents were married' - provided they are a regular member of the congregation for a time period set by the officiating minister.

The article goes on to say that civil venues offer a little more scope but inaccurately states that 'getting married outdoors in not an option'. Many civil ceremony venues have gazebos in their grounds which are used for the ceremony - St Augustine's in Westgate and The Staple Inn in Wingham spring to mind.

Other countries are much more relaxed about these matters. Since 2002 in Scotland, couples can get married anywhere provided an official can be convinced to conduct the ceremony. The US goes one step further in that anyone can become ordained online for free and then officiate at a ceremony!

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Kent Wedding Photographer in Whitstable

I had the pleasure of photographing Victoria and Mark's wedding on Saturday at All Saints Church, Whitstable and Mount Ephraim Gardens, near Canterbury - see their wedding gallery.

It was another beautiful October day. Unfortunately though, the sun was unsoftened by covering cloud for most of the day which, in combination with its low position in the sky, made for tricky lighting conditions - very strong contrast and long shadows. The light inside the church was even worse - a mixture of light sources with different colour temperatures. Post-production was involved!

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Wedding Photographer Kent - Hadlow, Tonbridge

I had the pleasure of photographing Natasha and Chris's wedding on Saturday at Hadlow Manor Hotel, near Tonbridge - see their wedding gallery. It was an absolutely lovely day, warm and sunny, and we were surrounded by the beautiful colours of autumn. Natasha and Chris were absolutely charming and non-stop smilers - it made my job very easy!

Since the sun was so low in the sky I had to avoid casting my own shadow on subjects and sunlight entering the lens directly to give lens flare. The quality of light under the shelter of trees though was superb.

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Wedding Photography at Mount Ephraim Gardens

I had the pleasure of photographing Fleur and Aatif's wedding yesterday at Mount Ephraim Gardens near Canterbury - see their wedding gallery. After having had the last two weekends off and enjoyed wonderful weather I was welcomed back to wedding photography by rain and high winds! It certainly didn't spoil the day or limit the photography though. The main hall has a wonderful glass roof giving good levels of light inside - a great venue for photography.

Fleur and Aatif had a civil ceremony followed by a Muslim blessing, bringing together English and Pakistani families in the process, and in joyous contrast to the cultural divisions that are daily reported from around the globe.

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Wedding Photographer Kent

Just a brief note for potential clients. Over 50% of my available dates for 2009 have been booked and I've had a flurry of bookings for 2010 over the past month.

If you're interested in booking me to photograph your wedding I'd urge you to send me an e-mail sooner rather than later. I only ask for a deposit of £100 to secure a booking.

If you haven't yet seen my photography then please click here: wedding photography in Kent

Lympne Castle Wedding Album

I've just designed an album for Tanya and Duncan, whose wedding I photographed at Lympne Castle in August - see their wedding gallery.

The album will be printed as a coffee-table style hardback book (15" x 11.5") with a printed dust jacket. They look terrific and allow you to offer your clients an album at a reasonable price. Check out my wedding album page.

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Wedding at Marine Hotel, Tankerton

I had the pleasure of photographing Suzanne and Steve's wedding at the Marine Hotel, Tankerton yesterday - see their wedding gallery. And what a lovely day it was - no clouds and no rain.

Since it was a late start for the ceremony (4:45) we had gorgeous evening light for the bride & groom portraits and group shots. Those colours have not been saturated in post-production - that's precisely how they were! We popped down to the beach for a few shots and Suzanne was perfectly happy to take her shoes off and go for a paddle - my kind of bride!

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Photoshoot at Ashford International Hotel

I'm photographing Nicola and Michael's wedding at the Ashford International Hotel in December and they booked me for a photoshoot at the venue on Saturday.

They are a very charming couple and the venue is fantastic for photography. Lots of interesting architectural spaces and modern art combined with fun lighting. I'm definitely looking forward to shooting this wedding.

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Wedding at Tunbridge Wells

I had the pleasure of photographing Clare and Alistair's wedding at St Paul's Church and The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells on Saturday - see their wedding gallery.

We had 15 minutes of blue sky and sunshine at the start of the wedding but then a huge storm blew in bringing the monsoon season with it. St Paul's Church was absolutely stunning and the Vicar very relaxed about photography. He was happy for me to wander around the Church to get the shots I needed - a rare luxury. There were lots of tungsten spotlights in the Church which allowed me to shoot at ISO 1600, f/4.0 (another luxury) but the white balance had to be severely tweaked in post-production.

We then moved on to The Spa Hotel and quickly cleared an area in the dining room to take the group shots. The gardens looked beautiful but the downpour continued outside. I had a good scout round the hotel and found a room with terrific light for some bride and groom portraits - there is always some to be had.

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Wedding at St Augustine's, Westgate

I had the pleasure of photographing Katie & Simon's wedding at St Augustine's on Friday - see their wedding gallery.

Fortunately, St Augustine's is a lovely spacious venue as we were limited to staying inside due to the weather - wind and rain for most of the day. It was also very overcast which meant light levels were incredibly low inside. I shot at ISO 1600 & 3200 all day.

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Wedding at St Andrew's Church and Ramada Hotel, Dover

I had the pleasure of photographing Louise and Adam's wedding yesterday at the Buckland Church of St Andrew and the Ramada Hotel, Dover - see their wedding gallery.

After an overcast week the sun was out with a vengeance yesterday - incredibly strong and contrasty and without a cloud in the sky. Still, better than rain. Apparently this August has been the gloomiest since 1912 - let's hope the next one like this is 96 years off! The upside of this was that the interior of the church was a lot brighter than when I was there earlier in the month - no ISO 3200 this time.

Louise and Adam are a fine-looking couple (and pretty athletic too - check out Adam's leap above) and I soon had them posing like catalogue models. They were great fun to work with. After all their hard work they deserved a glass of champagne. We had intended to pop the cork under 'controlled conditions' but it shot out like an inter-continental ballistic missile giving us all a shock in the process - it did result in some entertaining shots though.

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Wedding at Ramsgate Registry Office and Smiths Court Hotel, Margate

I had the pleasure of photographing Nikki and Michael's wedding at Ramsgate Registry Office and the Smiths Court Hotel, Margate on Sunday - see their wedding gallery. Unfortunately, it was another rainy day but we did get a small window of opportunity to do some outside shots in the gazebo at the registry office.

Nikki and Michael were fantastic though - they got on with enjoying their day and didn't complain once. Nikki was 7.5 months pregnant and still managed to have a smile on her face all day. Regarding the groom, Michael had the biggest wedding ring I've ever seen - look at the two in comparison in the top shot.

Thankfully the Smiths Court Hotel had a wonderfully light dining room. They didn't blink an eye as I rearranged all their furniture to set up for the group shots. My 35mm f/1.4 L and 85mm f/1.2 L lenses were perfect for this situation, allowing me to throw the background out of focus.

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Wedding at Maison Dieu and Dover Castle

I had the pleasure of photographing Naoko and Kazu's wedding at Maison Dieu (Dover's rather fine Registry Office) and The Keep of Dover Castle - check out their wedding photos. As appears to be the norm for August 2008 it was mainly overcast for most of the day (no rain though), but the sky cleared in the evening and I was able to get some great sunset shots.

Naoko and Kazu certainly pulled out all the stops for their wedding with a Routemaster London bus taking us up to the magnificent Dover Castle for the reception. It was the most cosmopolitan wedding I've ever photographed with a huge range of nationalities represented (drawn to the UK to work with Cancer Research).

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This weekend's weddings

My batteries are charged, my memory cards reformatted, my lenses cleaned and my bag packed and ready to go - it's wedding time!

I'm off to Maison Dieu House and Dover Castle today to photograph Naoko & Kazunori's wedding and Ramsgate Registry Office and Smiths Court Hotel, Margate tomorrow for Nikki and Michael's wedding.

Monday will be a day at the computer applying my digital wedding workflow.

Fingers crossed for the weather!

Check out my photography here: Kent wedding photographer

Wedding at The Grove Ferry Inn, Upstreet, Kent

I had the pleasure of photographing Gemma and John's wedding on Saturday at St Nicholas Church, Sturry and The Grove Ferry Inn, Upstreet in Kent - check out their wedding photos.

Gemma and John were a wonderful couple and there were no shortage of entertaining guests either - a terrific wedding day. Unfortunately the light was of poor quality all day with the sky being fully overcast, so there were plenty of opportunities for fill-flash to enliven the shots and some white balance tweaking in post-production.

As well as having had a run of lovely couples this summer I've also had a run of incredibly dark churches! It gets more challenging every week - it was ISO 3200, f 2.8 & 1/20 sec all the way. I used my 16-35mm f/2.8 L lens which can be handheld at very slow shutter speeds for quite a few shots. Images were cleaned up using Neat Image. I've been asked a question - thanks Lee! - regarding where in the digital workflow noise removal should take place - I'll discuss this tomorrow.

The reception was held in a marquee with a black, starry-sky ceiling, so ambient light was low and subjects were lit from behind - exposure compensation of at least +1 stop and flash on. Aspiring wedding photographers take note!

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Wedding at Lympne Castle, Kent

I had the pleasure of photographing Tanya and Duncan's wedding at Lympne Castle yesterday - check out their wedding gallery. A fantastic couple, a fantastic venue and a sunny day with a blue sky! My only complaint was that the light was very strong and contrasty - a nice fluffy, white cloud shielding the sun would have been nice.

Off to Sturry and the Grove Ferry Inn today.

Check out more of my photography here: Kent wedding photographer

Wedding at St Mary's Church, Stone, near Dartford

I had the pleasure of photographing Joanna and Daniel's wedding at Joanna's family home, St Mary the Virgin Church, Stone and the Next Generation Club, Dartford - see their wedding gallery. It was raining and blowing a gale all afternoon but Joanna and Daniel didn't complain once - true British stiff-upper lips! I'm sure there were many disappointed brides and grooms (and wedding photographers) across the UK on Saturday - the weather truly was atrocious. I only took one shot outside - the bride sheltering under an umbrella as she arrived at the Church. Under these circumstances it's time to improvise and make the best of the opportunities available. We had been scheduled to go to the Ingress Abbey and gardens for photographs after the ceremony but I recommended we head directly to the reception venue. There was a nice room adjacent to the function room with sofas and tables. These were rapidly cleared to give us a space for group shots - I could just squeeze the whole group in with a 16-35mm lens.

The Church was the most technically demanding location I've ever worked in. I had a great location next to the choir, and facing the couple, but unfortunately they were strongly backlit and I was forbidden from using flash. For a lot of the shots I was exposure compensating by +2 stops and getting shutter speeds of 1/25 s at f/2.0, ISO 3200! It was dark in there. I was changing my exposure compensation for every shot as I wanted to be spot on under these conditions - I knew that digital noise would be a huge challenge at these light levels and that even Neat Image might struggle to clean them up. The results are right on the limit of what the Canon EOS 5D is capable of - roll on ISO 25,600 in the 5D Mk II!

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Wedding at St Augustine's Priory, Bilsington

I had the pleasure of photographing Helen and Richard's wedding at St Augustine's Priory (an absolutely superb venue for a wedding - a photographer's dream) in Bilsington, near Ashford, on Friday - check out their wedding gallery. We didn't see a glimpse of blue sky or sun all day, but it rained only briefly, and it didn't spoil the fun. Probably the most jolly couple I've ever photographed, and certainly the keenest on cars!

With the sky being overcast the light was bluish so I adjusted the white balance in post-production to warm up the images shot outside. The sky was easily over-exposed so I exposure compensated for some few shots to guard detail, and then also used the digital equivalent of a graduated neutral-density filter in Photoshop. I also took quite a few high dynamic range shots. Inside the Priory light levels were very low, so it was up to ISO 3200 at times (digital noise was removed with neat image), combined with a wide aperture. In the evening I took a few shots under-exposing for ambient light and filling the foreground with flash - it's much easier to do this when there's still some light in the sky and you can get the balance between the two exposures as you want.

Now on to processing yesterday's wedding!

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Wedding in Dover and Great Mongeham

I had the pleasure of being Sarah and Gary's wedding photographer on Saturday at the Buckland Church of St Andrew, Dover and Pixhill Cottage, Great Mongeham. Wedding photographers across the UK must have been cursing as the British summer delivered heavy rain and high winds. I was very impressed with Sarah and Gary's stoicism though - they said it was a pity that the weather wasn't better just once and then got on with their day. That's the spirit!

The Church was the darkest location I've ever photographed in - the shot above was taken with an 85mm f/1.2 L lens at 1/100s, f/2.0, ISO 3200. The light levels must have been particularly low due to the overcast day but even so, I wonder how photographers without the best kit would handle this venue. It was lit by fluorescent lamps so after adjusting the white balance I also adjusted the tint (magenta-green shift) in Lightroom. The vicar was quite stern and forbid me from moving during the ceremony (I did a bit) and it was impossible to get unencumbered shots of the couple face on, due to metal latticework, but I managed to get some great shots. This I think is the essence of wedding photography. All the odds might be stacked against you but you have to do your very best nonetheless. No throwing up your hands in despair!

We then moved directly to the reception which, fortunately, was held in a large, bright, beautifully-decorated marquee - a much better location. The trick with marquees is to add positive exposure compensation to account for the brightly lit white canvas in the background - the closer you get, and the more of it that fills the frame, the more you compensate. I used between +2/3 and +2 stops when not using fill-flash.

Check out more of my photography here: wedding photography in Kent

Wedding at Sidcup and Bexleyheath

I had the pleasure of photographing Elizabeth and Richard's wedding at St John's Church, Sidcup and then the gardens of the The Stables, followed by The Boathouse, at Danson Park, Bexleyheath. The couple were photogenic (Elizabeth had the bluest eyes I've ever seen) and charismatic and the venues were picturesque - a photographer's dream! The only challenges were the grumpy verger in the Church (I got told off for moving location) and the rapidly changing lighting when shooting portaits in the gardens - clouds were scudding across the sky due to the strong wind. It was a case of looking for the shadiest spot and using flash to light the scene. I was photographing in partnership with a lovely chap called Colin Streater. He concentrated on reportage-style shots whilst I focused on the classical wedding repertoire - it makes life a lot less stressful.

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Wedding at Whitstable Castle

I had the pleasure of photographing Carly and James' wedding at Whitstable Castle on Saturday. What a terrific day it was. Carly and James were fantastic to work with, the light was great (during the afternoon the sun was softened by a partially overcast sky but reappeared as the evening wore on) and the venue was wonderful (it's closing shortly to be refurbished and is due to re-open in April 2010 - definitely one to check out venue-wise in this part of Kent). The only downside was the stifling heat - I felt very sorry for the gents with their waistcoats and jackets.

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Wedding at Manor Gate House and Princes Park, Dartford

A selection of images from Sharon and David's lovely wedding at the Manor Gate House Registry Office and Princes Park in Dartford yesterday. The light was pretty good, with only the occasional burst of intense sunlight - otherwise it was softened nicely by clouds without being fully overcast. I made extensive use of my fast prime lenses as there was plenty of room at both locations (meaning I could position myself where I needed to be). The 35mm f/1.4 L and 85mm f/1.2 L are truly awesome lenses.

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Wedding at St Francis Church, Ashford

A selection of images from Tanya and Matthew's Kent wedding yesterday at St Francis Church and Park Farm Recreation Centre, Ashford. It was a fantastic day but what an emotional rollercoaster it was! Even I, as a hardened wedding photographer, shed a tear.

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Wedding at The Three Tuns, Staple, Kent

A selection of images from Michael and Linda's highly entertaining wedding at the Three Tuns in Staple. There was scarcely a cloud in the sky (after rain had been forecast!) and, as a result, the sun was merciless. We managed to find a shady spot for the group photos and these were lit using flash. Like all charming country pubs the interior of the Three Tuns was quite dark, and so it was diffused flash all day, with plenty of opportunities for wireless off-camera lighting. My poor old Speedlites were glowing by the end of the day.

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Wedding at Upnor Castle and Corn Exchange, Rochester

I had a wonderful time on Saturday photographing Rachel and Colin's wedding at Upnor Castle and the Corn Exchange, Rochester - both are great venues. A really lovely couple who gave me plenty of time to do a proper job with the photography. The ceremony was held in a very dark room within the castle - this is when it really pays to have a decent flash system. The light outside, on the other hand, was incredibly strong giving high contrast conditions, so we took as many photographs in open shade as possible. For exterior shots I had my 580EX II set to high speed sync mode (labelled on the flash unit as FP, or focal plane, mode) which allows you to use flash at above the X-sync speed - very useful!

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Wedding photography at the Dog Inn, Wingham

Above is a selection of shots from Lauren and Allan's wedding on Saturday at the Dog Inn in Wingham, Kent. I was there for 5 hours and provided them with 539 images. It's quite a compact venue so I had the opportunity to use my Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens and was very pleased with the results. A very useful addition to my arsenal of lenses.

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Wedding at Salmestone Grange, Margate, Kent

I had the pleasure of photographing Suzanne and Kelvin's wedding at the St Thomas of Canterbury Church and Salmestone Grange, Margate yesterday - Kent wedding photography.

The light was very cool, with a fully overcast sky, so I used a lot of subtle flash to lift the shots. Also, the church was so dark that I had to set my Canon EOS 5D to ISO 3200 (I try and stay below ISO 1600 if I can), but I toned down the digital noise with Neat Image. I ran a selection of the shots through some of Jeff Ascough's Photoshop actions.

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