Hello! I’m Simon, a documentary wedding photographer based in the beautiful city of Bath in Somerset. I feel very privileged to be doing something that I love, something that allows me creative freedom, the chance to travel and the opportunity to meet awesome people along the way. I’m quietly confident and easy-going and am happy in any environment, with any crowd. This helps so much in blending in and capturing people and moments as they happen.
In my first career I was a primary school teacher and I built up my wedding photography portfolio during holidays. At the beginning of 2012, after returning from a year traveling and working in New Zealand, I was ready to dive full-time into wedding photography. I’ve shot over 380 weddings since then and bring a wealth of experience to be able handle any situation. Read on to learn how I approach two vitally important aspects to a wedding day: your story and you as a couple.
I photograph the moments of your day without interfering with the moments themselves.
This is really important because I don’t want you to feel like you’re on a photoshoot, your attention should be focused on the events playing out around you and my job is simply to be in the right place at the right time to capture these moments.
I aim to blend in, and when I say this I don’t mean lurking in dark corners with a long lens, quite the opposite, by using a wider lens and being in close to the action I can create a sense of involvement with those in the frame. This approach coupled with being empathetic to the situation in front of me increases people’s trust in me and leads to more engaging photographs.
When I leave a wedding I’ve made new friends, I’ve spent the day, from prep to party, capturing the story of one amazing couple, I’ve seen their hard work and plans come together, I’ve witnessed their friends and family celebrate their marriage and so the rollercoaster of emotions can leave me exhausted at the end of it. But I know that the greatest reward is yet to come: when I deliver the pictures. They are the lasting reminder for the not just the couple, but for all those generations yet to come, with my images of the day forever looked upon and cherished.
So when I hear that it felt like I was another friend at the wedding, it makes me very, very happy because my impact is a positive one, even before they’ve seen any images.
When photographing weddings I am telling the story of a unique, once-in-a-lifetime day and I want you to enjoy it to the max with unposed, natural photographs you will love for a lifetime.
During a portrait shoot most photographers tend to focus on how people look by putting them in poses and telling them to hold an expression or fake a feeling.
Not for me thanks.
Why create a photograph of a moment that doesn’t mean anything, one that has been posed simply for the sake of how it looks?
But I hear you say, “feeling awkward during a photo shoot is to be expected isn’t it?”
Well, no, not really.
I want people to have fun during their shoot time with me. My aim is to create an experience that allows for real moments to flow naturally and effortlessly. This gives me the opportunity to capture couples being themselves, together.
I do this through games, activities to engage in, memories to reflect on and meaningful ways to show the feelings they have for each other.
Ultimately, the session is about providing you with a space to be yourself, to show how you really feel about your partner and to do so in a way that is not cringy, cheesy or posed, but is about two words instead: genuine moments.
So does just spending time together hanging out and having fun sound good? When you forget about the camera, you forget it’s a photo shoot and instead give your undivided attention to the person with you.
The results are authentic, natural photographs that take you back to the feelings, emotions and memories you experienced at the time. You can read more on my approach to this aspect of the day here: Why Unposed Couple Photographs Matter On Your Wedding Day.
