From the moment I arrived at Channels Estate to photograph Ariana & Jonathan’s wedding I knew it was going to be a great day! Channels Wedding photography gets better and better, and at the time of this wedding they had really focused their efforts on creating a truly lovely wedding venue.
Photography on arriving at Channels Estate
Arriving to photograph a wedding my first course of action is to take photographs of the venue, showing the weather, set up details etc; and introducing the wedding. The complete set of wedding photos try to be many things; documentary wedding photography- candid and discrete, formal photography, making sure to arrange the most important shots so they aren’t missed, artistic wedding photography – plenty of photographs that really wow!
On arriving to photograph Essex barn at Channels I was greeted with amazing skies and plenty of sunshine! Perfect!
Photography of the Groom Before the Ceremony
I love to approach wedding photography in a mostly casual way. Although large parts of the day I like to photograph the wedding as it happens naturally, there are a number of important photographs that I know I must arrange. These arranged photographs needn’t take very long, but after my many years of experience as a wedding photographer I know how important they are.
The Bride’s Preparations
My Channels wedding photography before the wedding ceremony is spent between the bride, the groom and the guests arrival, moving between each. As a result, each aspect of the day can easily be captured when photographing a wedding alone.
Photography During the Wedding Ceremony
The wedding ceremony taking place is a wonderful time to capture emotions, and an outdoor ceremony like this at Channels with blue skies and sunshine looks fantastic too!
Casual Photography as Guests Mingle and Congratulate the Bride and Groom
Immediately after the wedding ceremony I like to leave wedding guests to mingle, and greet the bride and groom. these are great moments of the day, certainly not a time for the photographer to take them off anywhere! I use this time to circulate among the guests myself, and capture a mixture of photographs from completely candid, to approaching couples or family groups for pictures that are arranged, but with a casual feel; photographs of friends and family enjoying themselves and being themselves.
Gathering Group Photographs of Wedding Guests
After spending time with guests chatting, greeting and being congratulated, my Channels wedding photography now moves to the more formal part of the afternoon- gathering group photos of close family and wedding party.
Some clients choose to give me a list to work from, but most are confident that the typical group wedding photographs will cover the people most important to them. I’ll always cover parents, siblings, ushers, bridesmaids, grandparents, then typically call for a large group of the whole of the bride’s family then the groom’s, before gathering the whole wedding together.
Romantic Photography of the Bride and Groom
After gathering group photographs, it’s time to take the bride and groom for a walk around Channels Estate. My Channels wedding photography covers a range of my favourite locations, but it needn’t take too long from the day.
My photographs of the newlyweds should hopefully always feel very relaxed, nothing too heavily posed. Walking shots are the most casual, then standing chatting, then I’ll ask simple things like which direction to look, or perhaps to hold hands. Anything that looks forced won’t make it into the photographs!
The Wedding Breakfast at Essex Barn, Channels
My romantic wedding photography around the venue takes us up to the meal-time. I always photograph how the Essex Barn looks set up for the wedding breakfast, also the smaller details of how the table settings looked, wedding favours, centrepieces etc.
Off-camera Flash for Evening Channels Wedding Photography
The early evening as the light just beings to drop is a great time to capture dramatic wedding photographs. I am experienced in using remote, off-camera lighting. This adds drama to a photo, often adding far more texture and detail than the natural light would produce. Other times, exposing for the sky the subject would be somewhat dark, so I chose exactly how to light them.
The First Dance at Channels Wedding
The final formality of any wedding: The first dance! Channels wedding photography typically finishes with coverage of the first dance. A range of techniques are used to give a variety of photography styles. Some off-camera lighting, and some using a range of techniques to light the photos in ways that give well-lit photos but don’t brighten the whole room or whiten out any coloured lighting! I’ll always stay a little after the first dance, capturing other guests enjoying themselves before deciding the story of the day; the documentary wedding photography; is complete!
Following is a larger selection of photos, giving a good feel of my style and the sort of photographs I take at Channels wedding photography.
These 165 Images are just a handful of the photos Ariana & Jonathan received from their full set of wedding photos at Channels Barn in Essex.
For more information on weddings at the Essex Barn at Channels Estate, see their website here
