Adam & Phil's Wedding

I attended a Civil Union this afternoon in Bolton. I lovely couple - Adam and Phil - had their service at The Holiday Inn at the Bolton Centre. It has a converted Church as the function room which creates a great backdrop to the Civil Ceremony - family and friends gathered for the brief service and it had just the right amount of camp... masks, feathers, musicals and glitter.
Watch the brief photovideo to get an idea of the day.

Exhibition, Facebook and New Websites

Not too much to report this week, it's been fair steady on the photography front and I've been trying not to convince myself that the sniffly cold and sneezing that won't go away is Swine Flu... it's not, I'm sure.... is it?
Anyway, I've got some prints to enter in a Stoke photo exhibition which I shall submit on Wednesday. Watch this space for further exhibition detalis.
I've set up a budget wedding photography side to my business - I want to give value for money and a very modern feel so WeddingEdge was born. It's strapline:
Unlimited Time, Unlimited, Photos, Unlimited Imagination, One Price.
I figure that if I present a print and photo only option (so no album) the time saved can be passed on and a reasonable deal for both photographer and customer should be the result. PLUS I want to shoot more contemporary style and use fashion lighting and shooting techniques - more fun for everyone! So this resulted in the new website - www.weddingedge.co.uk.
Please check it out.
More next week....

Wicked Lady Photo Montage

This is a 'photo montage' that has been compiled for the British Council - the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It features the original score composed for the production.

Chris & Becky PhotoVideo

I thought I would add a video montage of a recent wedding at Coombe Abbey - first time I've done this but I thought I'd send the link to the Bride and Groom as a quick way to network photos of the day to friends etc. See if it is a useful thing to do...

Another Exciting Show and Some Prawns!

An interesting week this week. Had the privilege of shooting a cracking show at The New Vic Theatre in Stoke - 'The Wicked Lady'. I'd already shot the poster image and I went back to shoot the Tech and Dress rehearsals. Whilst being a 'bodice ripping' show of some proportions it also features some great aeriel work and dramatic fight scenes on bungee cords! All very well but a devil to photograph - actors all over the shop and in the air above you...

I then shot some commercial shots of prawns in my home studio under flash lighting - weird and wonderful I hope!

Oh, and I shot a wedding in Coombe Abbey in Leicestershire last weekend - a lovely wedding with a really pleasant bride and groom. I think everyone had a really enjoyable day and thankfully the rain held off. Becky's dress - the bride - I thought was exquisite (see photo above) and I hope I did it justice.

Spy Steps and Am Dram

An interesting weekend. I was helping my father put on a piece of amateur theatre he had written, which was fun. I was lighting the show for him and took my camera along to grab some rehearsal shots for Front of House - just to give it that 'professional' feel. They were a great bunch of people and we had fun amidst the tension of technical rehearsals and 'putting on a show'.

I went from Northampton to Warwick Arts Centre to photograph some kids exploring a piece of experiential theatre by Stan's Cafe. It's called 'Spy Steps' and is a hybrid between a Dance Mat and a Play?? Vinyl cut-outs guide you around the Foyer and Cafe of the Arts Centre and you get to perform a Bond-style movie as one of seven characters. Dialogue is written on cue cards and there is even a cinematic soundtrack to compolete the experience. It was great!

Busy time coming up with a few weddings and theatre project - plus I hope some more publicity and documentary work.

The end is nigh....

I'm nearing the end of the documentary project that was commissioned by Stoke City Music and Performing Arts' Service. It's been a really interesting and rewarding job - seeing all the work that goes on around the city and recording it. Going into Primary, Junior and High Schools as well as to public sessions - the idea has been to record the work and capture kids and adults interacting and being inspired by music. I hope I have achieved that...

A couple of projcets are hopefully coming up - a School for the Deaf in Derby and some web and print shots for a UK band. More to follow...