Solton Manor Photography

My website: Wedding Photographer Kent

A bit of a departure for me this week - an Alice in Wonderland-themed 18th birthday party at Solton Manor in East Langdon, near Dover - but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Solton Manor is a very lovely venue that also hosts weddings.

HDR (-2, 0, +2), f/3.2, ISO 1250, 18mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Taken just before sunset with a heavily overcast sky - hence light levels were low.

HDR (-2, 0, +2), f/2.8, ISO 1250, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

HDR (-2, 0, +2), f/2.8, ISO 1250, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/160, f/1.4, ISO 500, ²⁄₃ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

The birthday girl Evie and her brother William.

1/160, f/1.8, ISO 1000, ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

William was a very convincing Mad Hatter....

1/160, f/1.6, ISO 1600, ⅓ EV, 85mm f/1.2L II

...and Evie a very lovely Alice.

1/200, f/1.2, ISO 800, ⅓ EV, 85mm f/1.2L II

And now joined by a toga-clad reveller.

1/60, f/2.5, ISO 400, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

1/160, f/1.8, ISO 2000, ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

What a fabulous cake!

The rest of the images were shot with the camera in manual mode. I chose exposures to let enough ambient light in to reveal background details (typically these were about 2 stops underexposed) and then used E-TTL flash (580EX II softened with a Lastolite micro Apollo) to light the subjects. Shooting at high ISO means that your flash doesn't have to work so hard - it recycles quickly and there's less chance of it overheating.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

My first encounter with the morphsuit. Very convenient for shy young men.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

And the morphers unmasked.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

My daughter's hero - after me of course.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

Some chaps will do anything to get attention.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

It's a plastic rabbit in case you were wondering.

1/20, f/2.8, ISO 3200, ²⁄₃ EV, 22mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

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

A mature Mad Hatter entangled with Little Bo Peep. After I'd finished the photography I wandered around to chat to people whilst clutching a bottle of water. Little Bo Peep's comment to me was, "Look at you with your water you deviant. You should get p*ssed and sleep in your car. I know I would." Haha!

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

And they're off.

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

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 17mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 26mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

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

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 27mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 27mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

It's back to weddings next week and then for nearly every weekend of the year after that!

My galleries: Kent Wedding Photographer