David's photography blog: Emma & Matt's Wedding at Walletts Court

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

A selection of images from Emma and Matt's wedding on Friday at Walletts Court in St Margaret's-at-Cliffe. Please check out the Flash-based gallery on my website or the non-Flash-based gallery hosted by Facebook.

1/400, f/5.6, ISO 200, 1 EV, 17mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The weather outside was frightful, and the fire inside delightful, but I did have a place to go.

1/50, f/1.4, ISO 400, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/250, f/2, ISO 400, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

Emma beaming at the prospect of her white wedding.

1/320, f/2, ISO 640, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/640, f/2.8, ISO 400, 1 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

Complementary beverages and shoes.

1/160, f/3.2, ISO 400, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

Those Christmas cracker jokes do come in handy.

1/400, f/4.5, ISO 160, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

Amusing myself whilst I waited for Emma to get into her dress.

1/200, f/2.5, ISO 640, 1 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 800, ²⁄₃ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

HDR (-2, 0, +2), f/5, ISO 100, 35mm, 35mm f/1.4L

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

1/1600, f/2.5, ISO 100, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/60, f/2.2, ISO 1250, ‒ ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 2500, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/200, f/2, ISO 800, ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/100, f/3.5, ISO 640, 0 EV, +1/3 FEC, 25mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1000, ⅓ EV, +2/3 FEC, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

I used a Lastolite micro Apollo to soften the flash. The room was not suitable for bouncing flash.

1/160, f/2.8, ISO 1600, ²⁄₃ EV, 22mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Everyone was very brave and came outside for the group photos. Light levels dropped very quickly.

1/200, f/2.8, ISO 1600, ²⁄₃ EV, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Emma and Matt were well prepared for the conditions.

1/200, f/5, ISO 400, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 19mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

I foolishly forgot to bring my Honl light-modifying kit along with me. I really could have done with a snoot to tighten up the beam of flashlight as I was getting a very strong light trail on the snow surface leading up to the couple. I'd already recruited one assistant to hold the flash unit so I hastily recruited a second and asked them to place their hands at the base of the flash head. The fleshy light-modifiers worked perfectly!

1/200, f/5.6, ISO 800, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The challenges weren't over however. I switched to using the micro Apollo attached to a flash unit mounted on a flash bracket - the flash is connected to the camera via an off-camera shoe cord. I starting taking shots with the flash in E-TTL mode and the flash exposure was all over the place. Since it had been working perfectly 30 minutes earlier I assumed the low temperature (-7 degrees!) was responsible - perhaps the metal mounting foot on the flash and hotshoe on the camera had contracted at different rates causing problems for the contacts? I disconnected everything, warmed it with my hands, gave it all a wipe and then put it back together again - it worked perfectly. If it hadn't, I'd have put the flash in manual mode.

1/320, f/1.2, ISO 800, 0 EV, 85mm f/1.2L II

The problems with flash inspired me to shoot without. I decided to shoot a sequence of silhouettes. Emma and Matt move into position. I really wish I'd brought my boots with me. I had shoes on, which by this time, were full of snow!