Joline & Rob's Wedding

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

A selection of images from Joline and Rob's wedding at Howfield Manor, just outside Canterbury, on New Year's Eve. Please check out the Flash-based gallery on my website or the non-Flash gallery on Facebook.

HDR (-2, 0, +2), f/4, ISO 800, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Shooting HDR handheld means ensuring a sufficiently fast shutter speed at -2 stops exposure - hence the surprisingly high ISO speed of 800.

HDR (-2, 0, +2), f/4, ISO 1000, 22mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

I'm assuming that this is the work of more than one mole.

1/200, f/1.4, ISO 500, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

It's all you need.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 1250, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The room for bridal preps was small, busy and dark. I cranked the ISO setting up, shot wide and bounced flash as best I could.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 24mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 31mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Window light only for the shots above.

1/125, f/5.6, ISO 800, ‒ ²⁄₃ EV, 27mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The boys. Notice the negative exposure compensation (EC) due to the predominant dark tones.

1/400, f/1.8, ISO 400, ‒ ⅓ EV, 85mm f/1.2L II

1/400, f/1.8, ISO 400, ‒ ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

A gargoyle ring-holder.

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The ceremony room was also pretty cosy. I used the 16-35mm lens only.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Emotions were running high.

1/125, f/3.2, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

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

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

1/100, f/3.5, ISO 1000, ⅓ EV, 0 FEC, 26mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Flash bounced off the wall to the left.

1/200, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 30mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600, ‒ ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

The sky was overcast but the sun would have been just above the horizon at this time of day, giving some directionality to the light. Quantity low, quality high.

1/160, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 135mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 70mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 400, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 22mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

A bit of fun with off-camera flash for variety. Camera in manual mode.

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 135mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/100, f/3.2, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 29mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/160, f/2, ISO 640, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

Mother and daughter. Flash bounced back left.

1/200, f/2, ISO 800, 0 EV, +1 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

An alternative mother and daughter combo.

1/160, f/2, ISO 800, ⅓ EV, +1 FEC, 85mm f/1.2L II

1/160, f/2, ISO 1600, 0 EV, -1 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

Bouncing flash was giving poor results in many rooms due to a combination of low ceilings, coloured surfaces and lots of mirrors. I therefore switched to using a 580EX II mounted on a flash bracket and softened with a Lastolite micro Apollo. This gives a butterfly lighting effect (so called due to the shadow cast under the subject's nose).

Any comments or queries are welcome as ever.

My website: Kent wedding photographers

New Year's Eve at Howfield Manor

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

I had the pleasure of photographing Joline and Rob's wedding at Howfield Manor, just outside Canterbury, on Friday. It was a bit chilly and damp but, thankfully, snow free (hence no problems getting there or back.) Everybody was very brave, however, and we did the group shots and bride and groom portrait session outside.

I've finished processing their wedding photos. Please check out the Flash-based gallery on my website or the non-Flash gallery on Facebook (for all those iPhone and iPad users).

My website: Kent wedding photographers

Rachel & Phil's Wedding

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

A selection of images from Rachel and Phil's wedding on Saturday at Whitstable Castle. Please check out their wedding gallery on my website or on Facebook (non-Flash based).

1/200, f/4, ISO 400, 0 EV, 24mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Folly House, Rachel's beautiful family home. Shame about the snow blizzard!

1/50, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 1 EV, 29mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/1.6, ISO 2500, 0 EV, 85mm f/1.2L II

1/160, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/100, f/2.2, ISO 1600, ‒ 1 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

The lovely bride. Just window light for this one.

1/100, f/1.8, ISO 400, 1 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm f/1.4L

Bounced flash from the right. Positive exposure compensation (EC) due to the bright background.

1/100, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 1 EV, 21mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/2.8, ISO 2000, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 27mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

A combination of window light and flash (bounced from the direction of the window.)

1/640, f/4, ISO 125, 1 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The grounds of Whitstable Castle.

1/500, f/2.2, ISO 200, ‒ ²⁄₃ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

The groom, looking very relaxed. Notice the negative EC due to the dark tones.

1/125, f/3.5, ISO 1000, ⅓ EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/3.5, ISO 1000, ‒ ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/500, f/2.8, ISO 400, 0 EV, 24mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

An obscured arrival of the bride.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Rachel and Phil chose to face their guests during the ceremony. This gave me a bit more room to manoeuvre but I had to use flash for the entire ceremony as very little light was reaching their faces (I put the camera in manual mode to fix the ambient exposure.) I bounced light from all walls in the room, dependent upon which direction they faced.

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/60, f/2.8, ISO 1600, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 35mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 1000, ²⁄₃ EV, 33mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Everyone bravely stepped outside for the group shots. The quantity of light was low but the quality was high. Positive EC due to the snow.

1/40, f/2.8, ISO 2500, ²⁄₃ EV, 32mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

10 minutes later and notice how far the light levels had dropped.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 800, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 27mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

And now time for some off-camera flash. All done with a Speedlite 580EX II fitted with a 5" Honl snoot and powered by a CP-E4 battery pack. Triggered with the PocketWizard miniTT1-flexTT5 combo.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 800, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 20mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

The snoot tightened up the light from the flash nicely. Phil's father Tony was the voice-activated light stand this week and did a terrific job. I moved him rather than using FEC.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 800, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 20mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 800, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 800, 0 EV, -2 FEC, 23mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

I thought it would be fun to use their silhouettes on the castle wall. Notice the negative flash exposure compensation (FEC) to prevent the flash trying to expose for the wall.

1/80, f/2.8, ISO 2500, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 32mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

1/125, f/1.4, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/30, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 0 EV, 0 FEC, 18mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

Options were limited for the cake-cutting shot. The cake had been placed in an alcove (not sure of the correct architectural term) with windows on three sides. I was unable to bounce flash light in as the appropriate surface was too far away, and I couldn't use my Lastolite Apollo softener to fire flash directly into the alcove without getting bright reflections in the windows. I therefore squeezed in beside the cake and shot into the room using the Lastolite. To get the cake in I had to shoot very wide, which caused considerable perspective distortion due to my position. I also shot at 35mm with less of the cake visible to avoid this.

1/25, f/2.8, ISO 3200, ‒ 1 EV, 16mm, 16-35mm f/2.8L II

And a farewell shot of Whitstable Castle. The castle was illuminated blue and the light from street lamps was reflected back by the low-lying cloud to give a rather surreal effect.

Any comments or queries are welcome.

My website: Kent wedding photographers