How You Can Use Pinterest to Plan Your Wedding

I'm sure I've mentioned countless times before my addiction with Pinterest. But for those of you who may never have heard of it I wanted to offer you a handy blog post about why I feel this could be an amazing tool and resource for you to use in the planning stages of your wedding day.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard that allows you to 'pin' images from anywhere on the internet to your own categorised pinboards. It also allows you to look at other users pinboards, and re-pin anything that may also capture your interest. It basically cuts out the whole 'right click save as' process you may have used before when you came across something online you liked. It may even save you from having to print things out and collect them in wedding files (if you have one) as by categorising your boards you can have a whole section dedicated to dresses, flowers or grooms attire. You can then email the link to friends and family or link from Facebook.

So How Do you Get Started?

You'll need to request an invite to sign up to Pinterest (yep there is a waiting list to join) or you can be invited by a friend. (Add a comment to this post with your email if you'd like me to invite you). Once you are signed up and ready to go the next thing I personally advise is that you add the 'Pin It' button to your internet browser. This is the button you will need to pin items from other websites to your virtual boards.

To install the 'pin it' button go to your account homepage and then in the right hand corner under 'about' click on 'pin it button' and follow the instructions. Once installed you are free to browse the internet and collect images of anything that takes your fancy. What is even better is that by pinning the image to your boards it will automatically create a link to the page you pinned it from, meaning you can always find your way back to the website for future reference.

You'll also notice a comment bubble when you hover over or pin images, this allows you to write a comment about the item. So you may be creating a board about typography for your invites and use this feature to comment on the style. I.e - calligraphy, typewriter etc.

You'll notice once joining up that lots of images pinned by people you don't know or follow appear on the homepage. You can also select categories or use the search bar inside Pinterest to search for items already pinned by others. This is the area you can utilise to re-pin other users pins, so if you search for orange for example you'll see pins from all over related to that search term.

If you're pinning for your wedding I'd recommend creating different boards for different items. So create one for cakes, dresses, flowers, colours etc. I'd also personally recommend creating one for 'photos'. 

Photo's are what makes Pinterest come alive. It is swarmed with wedding photography and so re-pinning pictures you've seen and loved will give me a real insight to the style of photography you want on your wedding day. 

Above is a look at the boards I currently have on the go. I pin things that I like for home decor, hairstyles I come across (and never try out!!) and outfit ideas I've found. I also have one titled 'pose inspiration' for when I find great pictures of couples to refer to for upcoming photo shoots. If you'd like to take a look closer just follow this link to see.

I hope this helps you to understand the amazing use of Pinterest. I'll warn you now however that it will become addictive! Don't forget to leave a comment if you'd like an invite and let me know if you already use it, how you've found it useful.

One Frame Friday - 03.02.12

Wow, how is it February already and when will I learn to spell February without spell checking it?!

Today's picture is about a very exciting delivery I received. My sample albums! I'll be photographing these very soon to show you all. But if you want to see them sooner you can always come and visit me at another wedding fair this weekend.

I'll be exhibiting at the Ivy House Wedding and Beauty show in Chelmsford this Sunday from 11am - 3.30pm. So come along and keep me company for a bit. I can talk about weddings for hours. Seriously.

Have a great weekend!!

Brett Harkness Winter Weddings Workshop

Back in December I booked myself onto Brett Harkness' Winter Weddings workshop to prepare myself for shooting in low light and bleak weather. I love sunshine and summer and using backlight in my photography, but I knew that winter wouldn't treat me as kindly! Having booked Emma and Gary's wedding for the 29th of December, I knew that attending a course like this one was just going to help boost my confidence in time for winter.

I'd never really got to grips with using off camera flash before, but having helped hold Katherine Ashdown's flash and Ezybox on multiple occasions whilst second shooting I was really curious to learn after seeing her results. As much as I love natural light, I realise that sometimes it's just not always an option. Also after seeing Brett's work I loved the way he has developed his style  to incorporate off camera flash in all situations.

Brett's course took place in Manchester, so I travelled up the night before so I'd be fresh for the day. We met first at his very impressive studio where he talked us through the basic use of off camera flash. then before heading out to our location to practice we did some quick shots in the studio.

Once working out the correct exposure we then experimented with changing the aperture and ISO to make some dramatic differences to the images. This was all done from the camera, and not by touching the flash output on the Ezybox at all.

When we reached Manchester, before using the nightclub location we headed outside into a alley way so Brett could demonstrate using off camera flash with the ambient light around and how you can control the effect. Which is what you can see below. the picture on the left creates a more 'night-time' effect whilst the other looks more like a 'day-time' shot. again all just by adjusting my aperture. 

When we headed in doors, we decided to use the basement for some pictures before using the nightclub's main areas. This basement was huge, and looked like tunnels! We used this area to demonstrate using flash against a wall, and how creating shadows can add some interest to the picture.

This course also opened my eyes to trying strange locations. The two pictures below were taken in the female toilets! I know in a club decor is usually amazing anyway but in any situation this could work. I guess I'll just have to trust that my clients really trust my vision!

I've included the one above to show you the set up we were using for the shot below. We had a light to the left of the model and also one flash on a stand set up behind her. Brett also found a creepy pig mask down there!!

Back upstairs in the club and we set up another flat wall and shadow shot, but this time I moved around the model to see the different effect the light was creating. It really opened my eyes to trying out different angles with exactly the same lighting to change the feel of a photograph.

To end the day Brett showed us how he set up for the first dance. The flash in the corner creates a star effect and just adds a pop to the picture.

Thank you to Brett and Kirstie for giving me the confidence to try this out. Below is a list of all of those involved.

Emma Nicole (model) 

J'nae fox (model)

Stefan Liviu (model)

Zan Atkinson (stylist)

Kate Edmondson Bridal (dresses)

The Circle Club (location)

Making The Most of your Engagement Shoot

The concept of engagement shoots is still pretty new in the UK but a huge trend and almost tradition in other countries such as the US. They are slowly becoming more common place over here and with just a little thought you can really make your engagement shoot a memorable experience and something just that little bit different from everyone else.

I offer engagement shoots purely as an exercise to put you and your future husband or wife at ease in front of the camera. We all get super self conscious in front of the camera (yep even me!) so the last thing you want is to be dealing with those insecurities on your wedding day. This session means you get to see how you look in your pictures, you get to see the results of being put in that funny pose and you'll realise that actually, although it felt silly to stare into your partners eyes for about five minutes straight, the pictures actually look pretty awesome!

Your engagement shoot doesn't have to be a cringe-worthy cheese fest though. This is a chance to hang out with your best friend doing something together that you love to do, while having all that fun captured forever by your wedding photographer. It's up to you to suggest something fun to do or let your photographer know exactly the style of shoot you would like.

A good way to get started is to think of your common interests. This photo shoot is a chance for you to really show off your personalities, have some fun and kick back. It can be great to have some fun pictures taken together doing an activity that you both enjoy. This doesn't even have to be anything too crazy, it can be as simple as a walk with your dog. 

Take a look around for some inspiration. My top tip is most definitely Pinterest, it's become my answer to everything actually and if you don't currently use it you will love it (let me know if you need an invite). When a couple lets me know the location they have in mind for their engagement shoot I then start pinning for inspiration. Here is a pin board I've been using to collect images for Natalie and Wes whose photo shoot I'll be doing in a few weeks time.

Once you have thought of your location take a minute to think about what you should wear. I always suggest a smart/casual theme for clothing and not to dress too matchy-matchy. But really think about what clothes would suit your location too. For example with Natalie and Wes we're planning to have their photo shoot on a beach in February. It's going to be COLD!! So I've advised that they should wrap up in cosy jumpers and perhaps wear some wellies, if they have some colourful hats or scarves it could also really brighten up a winters day at the beach.

Bringing along some props can also help those that are particularly nervous about their photo shoot, because it gives you something to both concentrate on and do with your hands. Then once you've settled into the shoot with prop ice-breaker shots you'll feel much more relaxed for the rest of the session. This can be something as simple as a blanket like we used at Toyah and Nick's shoot last February.

Your surroundings at your photo shoot can also create some fun pictures. So whilst the local park is pretty, does it really say much about the two of you? Toyah and Nick were so fun loving and outgoing, and the pier at Walton-on-the-Naze really brought out their fun side. Sometimes urban locations can be great too. Think about cobbled streets and colourful doorways. Cosy coffee shops, to snuggle up in a booth or quirky shop fronts to stand in front. Your local town centre or village high street could be full of a myriad of fun shots without you even realising!

Being engaged only happens once, and so often that period of your life is overlooked because you're too busy planning for your wedding. But take a moment to realise that right now, you and your partner are in that loved up excitable state. You're about to embark on an amazing journey together for the rest of your lives and being engaged is all about the anticipation of that. Who wouldn't want some pictures to remember this moment in time by?

And if you want to see some truly fun, styled and slightly crazy engagement shoots follow these links. If you ever want to go this over the top for your engagement shoot, please do let me know. I'd love every minute of it!!

Zombie Engagement Shoot
A Disney's 'Up' inspired Engagement Shoot.
Alice in Wonderland Engagement Shoot
An Outdoor Kitchen Engagement Shoot

A Fishing Themed Engagement Shoot
Lots of Balloons Engagement Shoot - probably my all time favourite!
A Tim Burton Inspired Engagement Shoot

#14 - Exhibit at A Wedding Fair

Things are are getting ticked off left right and centre on my 101 in 1001 list recently. When I wrote it I couldn't have imagined being able to succeed at as many as I have in just five months! It's really fun to see some of the big ones being achieved.

One of those big ones was exhibiting at a wedding fair. Most of last year I was being told by people all the time that I should get into wedding fairs to start promoting my business, some said they were fantastic advertising and lots of other people commented that it's hard to find the right kind of client at these events. At the time I had so much to do before I could even consider applying for a stand, so I spent most of 2011 building my portfolio and refining my style.

As the end of the year approached I knew that I had to start thinking more seriously about exhibiting so I started to research shows and this is when I encounted my first hurdle. Wedding fairs are hugely oversubscribed with wedding photographers. The show I was aiming to get into and would still LOVE to get into is the Gazette Wedding Show at Charter Hall in Colchester however they couldn't offer me a stand as they had already reached their photographer limit and those exhibitors had been showing there for years. Needless to say it has been a resounding no and I'm now on a waiting list...

I did however find a few smaller fairs to be a part of and immediately started to get to work on everything I would need. I already knew after going undercover and visiting a few wedding fairs, that standing out from the other photographers would be my first challenge. I also wanted to be sure I could communicate my brand and my style visually from across a room, so that brides would be attracted over. Most of all I wanted to be different, I've seen a lot of stands that are just tables filled with albums or screens with slideshows, I wanted to make sure people would leave and remember me.

Lucky for me I have a pretty handy dad so he set to work on creating some backboards to display my work on, we then wallpapered them in colours reflective of my website (pink and grey). I had some pictures printed and framed and also two canvases made up with my logo on. 

My biggest expense was of course my sample albums (another 101 in 1001 goal) they arrived from Folio the day before and I couldn't be more thrilled with them! They'll serve me for years, and the response from visitors was brilliant.

My first wedding fair was yesterday at Mulberry House near Chelmsford. Although not as busy as expected I did meet lots of lovely brides who were planning as far in advance as 2014! It was really nice to hear brides commenting on my work, stroking the pages of my albums and showing interest in booking. Sometimes it seems the only response you receive as a photographer is from others in the same industry so hearing from a direct target market is always beneficial. Only time will tell if this was a good marketing move, but overall it gave me a fantastic experience.

A big thank you goes out to my friend Jo, for keeping me company on the day too :)

One Frame Friday - 27.01.12

I have been making up a ton of origami birds in preparation for this sunday's wedding fair at Mulberry House, I think I could probably make them in my sleep now!

If you're on the hunt for some wedding inspiration this weekend then make sure you come along and say hello, I'll be there from 11am - 3pm and I'm even running a very exciting competition for all you bride and grooms to be. (Plus I have sweets!)

You can find out all about the wedding fair here, I look forward to meeting some of you and showing you some pictures of my stand next week.

Have a great weekend :) x

Charlotte & James: An Intimate Chaucer Barn Wedding

When I first started to second shoot for Katherine Ashdown, she'd often wax lyrical about a venue called Chaucer Barn near Holt in north Norfolk. She'd tell me about how it would be her ideal wedding venue if she were to get married, that it was surrounded by meadows and a topiary garden and could be the basis for a dream wedding. Every time she had a wedding to shoot there I seemed to be unavailable to second shoot and was so desperate to see exactly what this venue was like.

Luckily Katherine got a booking for a last minute mid-week wedding in the middle of August, I was shooting Nicola and Lewis' wedding the day after but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I'm so glad I didn't because not only did this venue live up to everything Katherine had said, Charlotte and James were such a lovely couple.

The two of them planned a small intimate wedding surrounded by just family and close friends. They rented the barn for a couple of days and the wedding took on more of a relaxed garden party feel than a wedding. It was just perfect.

Thanks once again to the fab Katherine Ashdown for allowing me to come along and second shoot this one for her. I look forward to our next adventure there in February!