Family Portraits in Kent

My website: Wedding Photographer Kent

Some old friends popped round on Sunday to introduce us to the newest addition to their family - the very lovely Leila. It seemed like a good opportunity to take some photos! More images can be seen in this family portrait gallery.

1/400, f/1.4, ISO 500, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/640, f/1.4, ISO 500, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/400, f/2.5, ISO 800, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/100, f/4, ISO 800, 0 EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/200, f/2.5, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/160, f/2.5, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 35mm f/1.4L

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 80mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/500, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 175mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

My galleries: Kent Wedding Photographer

Alison & Matt's Photoshoot

My website: Wedding Photographer Kent

Further images from Alison and Matt's pre-wedding photoshoot in Sandwich can be viewed online. If you're using a non-Flash compatible device the please view this alternative gallery.

1/640, f/2.8, ISO 200, ‒ ²⁄₃ EV, 70mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

Sandwich is a great place for a photoshoot. This location is literally on my doorstep.

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 70mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 78mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 70mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

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

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, ²⁄₃ EV, 70mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

And this is just at the end of my road.

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

A real sweet-spot of natural light.

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 400, ‒ ⅓ EV, 120mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

Advanced catalogue-posing techniques being demonstrated by Matt.

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 400, ‒ ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/200, f/4, ISO 400, ‒ ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/160, f/4, ISO 400, ‒ ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/500, f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV, 150mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/200, f/3.2, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 155mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/200, f/3.2, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 165mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

I'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding in June! Comments and queries welcome as always.

My galleries: Kent Wedding Photographer

Pre-wedding shoot in Sandwich

My website: Wedding Photographer Kent

I'm photographing Alison and Matt's wedding at The Ritz, London in 5 weeks' time. They opted for a pre-wedding shoot with me which took place on Sunday. We wandered around Sandwich for an hour, chatting, joking and taking a few pictures too - it was most entertaining, as the above image hopefully demonstrates.

Further images from their pre-wedding photoshoot in Sandwich can be viewed online. If you're using a non-Flash compatible device the please view this alternative gallery.

My galleries: Kent Wedding Photographer

Nicky & Nik's Photoshoot

My website: Wedding Photographer Kent

A selection of images from Nicky and Nik's portrait session in Sandwich. If you're using a non-Flash compatible device then please view further images in this alternative gallery.

1/500, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

It was 3pm and the sun was shining fiercely. I therefore looked for open shade or placed the sun behind the couple.

1/640, f/2.8, ISO 200, ²⁄₃ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 200, ²⁄₃ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

The advantage of a medium telephoto lens is that you can fade into the background.

1/320, f/2.8, ISO 200, ²⁄₃ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/640, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 115mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

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

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 155mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

Reflected light only now.

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 130mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/640, f/2.8, ISO 200, ²⁄₃ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/500, f/2.8, ISO 200, ⅓ EV, 105mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/640, f/2.8, ISO 200, ²⁄₃ EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

1/800, f/4, ISO 800, 0 EV, 120mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

I pushed the ISO setting up to give a fast shutter speed and set the camera to AI servo.

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

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 160mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

Inside St Peter's Church. The quantity of light was much lower than outside, but the quality was fantastic.

1/250, f/2.8, ISO 1000, 0 EV, 200mm, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

Comments (non-spammy of course) and queries welcome.

My galleries: Kent Wedding Photographer

Portrait session in Sandwich, Kent

My website: Wedding Photographer Kent

I'm photographing Nicky and Nik's wedding at Sandhurst Military Academy and Minley Manor in November. They popped down to say hello yesterday and so I took the opportunity to get some shots of them around Sandwich. It was 3pm and the sun was shining fiercely but there's always lovely light to be found (provided you know where to look!)

I'll post a few images from the session on the blog later in the week but in the meantime please check out Nicky and Nik's portrait session in Sandwich. If you're using a non-Flash compatible device then please view this alternative gallery.

My galleries: Kent Wedding Photographer

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