Uk Wedding Photographer of the Year 2016
Wedding photographer of the Year 2016, I’m blushing as I type this. Big thanks to The Independent Photographers Network who are a body of fellow Professionals, its lovely and to be honest the fact that I have had thanks and appreciation(and quite a few tears!) from every single bride and groom I have photographed this year is in itself is reward enough but to be voted Wedding Photographer of the Year 2016 really is the cherry on the (wedding) cake. So big thanks to them.
Last year we were also invited to join ‘The World Elite Wedding Photographers” too. There are only a handful of UK Photographers in this group and the standard is incredibly high. When I look at the images in this group its really is amazing to think we are equal to this.
I think the reasons for all this success are numerous really, I do not spend a lot of time looking at other wedding photographers work (apart from The World Elite Wedding Photographer of course!), I draw my influences from classic and modern art, fashion photography and portrait photography amongst many other influences. I always try to push myself to try something new, mistakes are not a bad thing, if your not making mistakes you are stuck with the same photography. Practice too helps, this might sound a bit strange coming from a professional but I try to learn something every time I pick up a camera, it keeps things fresh. What professional sportsman or woman doesn’t practice.
Taking the pressure off myself has helped enormously too, I now only do 20 weddings a year. Also I used to get very nervous before a wedding, this usually started a few days before, its because it means so much to me and to the bride and groom I suppose, the people who choose me to be their photographer are usually creative arty types (you would not believe the number of art teachers and photographers weddings I have done) and photography is very important to them. These nerves though were not helping the creativity flow so at the beginning of last year I had a strong word with myself and the difference has been quite considerable. The conversation I had with myself went something like this ” You have done now over 200 weddings and has any one of them ever been rubbish, no. In fact every single bride and groom have loved the photos so you are not going to all of a sudden turn up to a wedding and forget how to use a camera and produce bobbins work are you!”
This has helped me relax more on the day and the work I am producing I’m very proud of, perhaps even good enough to be Wedding Photographer of the Year 2016, thank you IPPN.
