Step into spring.

My favourite times of year are spring and autumn for the best light quality. I do however prefer spring as it is a time that I am looking forward to getting back outdoors to do my portrait sessions after the dark winter months. I do enjoy studio work but much prefer being outdoors, I find that creating images is much easier than starting with a roll of background paper. It’s just a matter of personal preference.

When you are out and about you should always be on the lookout for locations which you can use for your outdoor portraits. Natural or man made frames are always good to use, in the first photo I have used an old overgrown gateway. this shot is about fitting a child into a scene. The second shot using tree roots is more of a covenentional portrait, much closer but still using natural surroundings. I know that everyone thinks that it rains constantly in this country but rarely do you get days where you cannot get out to photograph, sometimes you just have to be a little flexible and it always pays to have a backup plan.

Around the city that I live in there are many lovely public parks and gardens which make perfect places to photograph. I also have links with hotels where I photograph weddings which will allow me access to their gardens to use as outdoor studios. When doing this always ask permission from the owners or usually manager. Often people will have their own beautiful gardens with can be used as perfect outdoor studio’s.

Joanne & Ians wedding.

The one thing that stood out with Joanne and Ians wedding was that they were going to make it a fun day and enjoy it. With this in mind I have tried to choose some photo’s that reflect that.

When Joannes friend Vicky said don’t dare take this photo as she goes under the dress to straighten it out, you just can’t resist. I know it’s the pantomine horse look but these things happen at weddings and they are fun scenes to see and to capture. Joanne works for the police so the second photo just has to reflect this. Just a hat that was in the hallway but adds a different look to the normal bridal portraits, don’t miss any opportunity to get something different in your photographs for the couple. The third photograph is a reflection of the fun the couple had with the confetti throwing.

I would like to congratulate Joanne and Ian on their wedding, have a great future together and enjoy the honeymoon.

Hannah & Seans wedding.

I had lovely day with with Hannah, Sean and their families recently. They made very welcome. Even though the weather tried to play havoc we got by with a little flexibility. It’s not often that i am surprised anymore but when i had previously visted St.Mary’s church in Batley it had seeemed somewhat uninspiring form the outside but the inside is simply stunning which is why I have included a photo below. I love shots which add fun and here Hannah and friend Charlotte start to giggle together. Do take notice that Hannah retains her posing which I am told is a family trait!!

I enjoyed the singer Lee Osbourne who really livened  up the wedding breakfast.

I would like to send my congratulations to Hannah and Sean and wish you every happiness for the future.

Matthew & Charlottes wedding

Matthew and Charlottes wedding was held at the Thorpe Park Hotel on the outskirts of Leeds. The wedding day was great fun and reflects this lovely couple who don’t take everything too seriously. With this in mind instead of the usual wedding photographs, I am going to put on some that I believe reflect the feeling of the day.

I am sure Paul will regret this pose though I am sure that it will be reproduced a lot. Sheree has called me a few names for taking this next shot but I just cannot resist when she says don’t you dare!!

I would like to say congratulations to Matthew and Charlotte and thank you for a great day. Ok I will add a normal photo to show you lovely the couple were and the stunning tiered gardens at the Thorpe Park Hotel.

 

 

 

Mark & Rebecca’s wedding.

Yesterdays wedding of Mark and Rebbecca turned into a gorgeous day after it looking really bad at the start of the week. The wedding was held at the Grove in South Kirby in West Yorkshire, a truely lovely venue with lots of photographic opportunities.

I love refelection photographs and here the little bridesmaid is looking into a refelective table. Any shiny surface will you a reflection with the right light. All the bridesmaids looked stunning but the little one was just so cute.

Mark and Rebecca met back in their schooldays and after a gap in their relationship they got back together and yesterdays wedding was the result of that. I would like to thank them for letting me photograph theeir wedding and wish them a great future together.

Wedding photography variations.

There are many variaitions on styles of wedding photography. Some photographers specialise in reportage photography whereby there are no formal photographs to fashion based photography where every photo is posed.

My personal preference is somewhere between the two styles. I refer to it as relaxed or natural posing. I put people into a position that I want to photograph them and get them talk and have fun, this creates a natural unposed look to the photographs. You will ofetn get some great interaction shots between the couple this way.

I do like to take some reportage shots at weddings. With these I just keep a lookout for opportunities, there are generally quite a few during the day at a wedding. Here the little boy just wanted to have some fun rather than be part of the wedding procedure, not very interesting for a small lad.

 

Some formal portraits are always popular in your wedding photographs and you can add some cool photosop techniques to them. No matter what people say there is a preference for some formal shots and parents tend to love them.

If you like what I do please feel free to contact via email at info@ajbphotography.co.uk and like my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Bradley-Photography/20333277748#!/pages/Andrew-Bradley-Photography/20333277748?sk=app_106171216118819

What is a portrait?

When does a photograph of a person become a portrait? According to Wickipedia it should be an artistic representation of a person where the face and expression are predominant. It should show likeness, personality and mood of a person. The person normally should be looking directly at the camera so that he subject directly engages with the viewer.

If you look at the first photograph it fills the criteria. It is well lit, clearly you can engage with the eyes whch is so important. I do think that the cocept of a portrait has cahnged and only part of the criteria needs to be met. Particularly with child portraiture you can show much more of their personality with action shots. I do think that it is easier for parents to relate to.

The second photograph clearly doesn’t fulfill the criteria but is it any less a portrait? My view is that the most important aspect of a portrait is that it should reflect personality. Now children tend to be full of energy and fun and I believe that this is reflected in this photograph. You can see this without having a clear view of her face or eyes. If showing personality is the main criteria then both photographs fulfill the role, both sets of parents are happy with the results for different reasons.