Contemporary Reportage Wedding Photography: Richmond, Surrey, London

Substance Photograph selected for Nationwide Groom Suppliment

2011-01-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

Your Wedding Magazine were interested in using an image I took last year of a groom (Ali) for the front cover of a nation wide suppliment they are running this month called 'Groom - Our Guide for the Men'. It's a really useful guide for all you grooms out there looking for some fashion advice and grooming tips. My apologies for the rather poor quality scan but here is the image that featured none the less.

Alex and Abdu Photographs for Your Surrey Wedding

2011-01-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

Photographs from Your Surrey Wedding Magazine. I had been so excited about this wedding, especially after we had so much fun taking their engagement photographs. Not only did Alex and Abdu book me for two days, the Sunday included a Sudanese ceremony. It's always an extra special privilege to be part of something a little different, especially when your given the opportunity to experience another culture and tradition. The weekend was held at Ridge Farm Studio, near Dorking in Surrey. A fantastic old house, gardens and reception venue where guests can stay and experience the wedding day on site in a very relaxed and informal way. There were approximately 120 guests, many from all over the world, of all ages, a coming together of all types of cultures and ways of life. This blog covers the first day starting with some getting ready photos of the very beautiful Alex before a blessing in the garden under a canopy of flowers in the bright afternoon, autumn sun.

Wedding Photography at Portmeirion for Carys and Iwan

2011-01-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

I was over the moon to get my first wedding booking at Portmeirion Village on the 28th December, booked by a lovely Welsh couple originally from the area and now living in Cardiff. I was married to my wife at Portmeirion a couple of years ago, so it has a very special place in my heart. It was also the location that my grandfather and grandmother met for the first time many, many years ago. It is a fabulous place, not only for a wedding but also to visit if you're in the area. Words can't quite describe the way it makes you feel as you walk around the village, with its unique architecture, statues and monuments from all over the world, not to mention the magestic colours that greet you around every corner. If you want to read more about the village then don't hesitate to visit the website www.portmeirion-village.com, any wedding enquiries can be made to delyth@portmeirion-village.com. Carys and Iwan had a very intimate wedding, including nine guests and booked me for just three hours. This was more than enough time to capture the ceremony, drinks reception and to get some great photographs of them around the village.

Wedding Photography at Frimley Hall for Sharm and Cyrus

2011-01-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Sharm and Cyrus booked me from Boston in the USA after a telephopne conference call via Skype. You can tell a lot by a person over the telephone and I was immediately drawn to their kind and warm natured personality. We hit it off immediately and before we knew it the day was upon us. They booked me for 13 hrs in total to cover getting ready photographs at 8.30am right up to the first dance at 9.30pm. The ceremony and reception was held at Frimley Hall near Camberley at the end of November. There was both Hindu and Zoroastrian ceremonies, lasting nearly two hours in total, which made for some really unique and colourful photographs.

My Substance Photography featured in 'Your Surrey Wedding' magazine

2011-01-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and if you're getting married this year then it's a very exciting time for you, I wish you the very best with your planning. It's great to kick the new year off with some really positive news. A recent wedding of mine has been featured in Your Surrey Wedding Magazine, still on sale, pages 86 - 90. You can see some of my photography and learn a bit about how Alex and Abdu went about planning their day, so some handy hints and tips for you too.

An exciting year lies ahead, bring on 2011!

2010-11-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

I have a pile of editing to do, calls to make and this series of Desperate Housewives to catch up on. Don't laugh, it's quality US drama! Despite the suffocating workload I wanted to take some time out to write in my blog and let you know what I will be focusing on next year. There is a lot of economic doom and gloom out there, cuts here, cuts there and it's going to be tough times for everyone. But people are still in love, still getting married, devoting their lives to eachother and looking to the future with a positive frame of mind. I think it's a wonderful thing to be part of and it's why I love my job so much. So what's in store next year? I am developing my post production style every day and I am starting to carve a niche in terms of the overall look and feel of my images. I want you to cherish your wedding photography, to have something unique, modern and tastefull without being completely off the wall. So next year I will be covering less weddings but spending more time on delevoping your photography into something extra special. January will kick off the new year in style with the publication of a recent wedding I photographed in Surrey Brides Magazine and I am also planning on running a regular feature in a leading nationwide wedding publication, but more on this in due course. I have also secured exclusivity at a fantastic wedding venue in Surrey where a hoast of music artists including Queen created some of their finest work. I have a feeling next year's going to be very exciting!

'Silver Award' for one of my favourite photos of the year so far.

2010-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

I was really pleased to receive a silver award for this featured photograph, taken at Lauren and Ali's wedding earlier this year, from the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photography during last months competition. Considering the inspirational set of competitor images I am really happy with this result.

Hunton Park Wedding Photography: Marjorie and Goher Mohammad, 10th October 2010

2010-10-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the late post, it's been a little manic with work this past few weeks, not to mention a bit of flu (not man flu, fully blown flu!) and a birthday to celebrate. Anyway, enough about me and on to a new wedding blog. Marjorie and Goher booked me just a few weeks ago after deciding to go ahead with a muslim blessing after already being married in the Philippines, where Marjorie is originally from. This particular Sunday saw the best weather I had experienced at a wedding all year, with a bright blue sky and not a cloud in sight. The setting was lovely, as you'll see from the photographs. I had a top day with Marj and Goher, who are both lovely people with very precious families. In terms of the post on these photographs I have paid particular attention to bringing out the unique colours, enhancing the summery feel and used a range of focus point adjustments to draw attention to aspects of the photograph as well as provide Marj and Goher with something extra unique. Hope you like them.

Ridge Farm Studio Wedding Photography: Alex and Abdu 26th September: Day 2

2010-10-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, then you are about to view photographs from Alex and Abdu's second day, featuring a Sudanese ceremony in traditional dress. Please have a look at the previous blog to see some great photos from their first day's blessing in the gardens of Ridge Farm Studio. Both days were a privilege to be part of and I wish Alex and Abdu eternal happiness. Enjoy.

Caroline and Tom's Wedding Showcase - Saturday 18th September

2010-09-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Caroline and Tom's live in hong Kong and I booked their wedding by telephone after Caroline's friend Rosie, who's wedding I photographed in July, kindly recommended me. The wedding was held in Cheshire at a very picturesque Church at Gawsworth Hall, just a short journey from Macclesfield, where Tom is originally from. I was booked to take some getting ready photos and to cover the reception and speeches. The day started fresh and dry but the rain soon fell and unfortunately prevented me from taking photographs of the bride and groom around the grounds. All was not lost though, after pleading with the owners of Gawsworth Hall I managed to get us some time in a couple of the rooms. Despite the restrictions I am really pleased with the photographs I was able to take for them. The Tudor house has a wealth of history and was a great backdrop for a true English wedding. Thanks to Carrie and Tom's friends and family for being so lovely on the day, they were great fun to work with. Enjoy the photographs, I think Carrie looks truly beautiful.

Syon Park Wedding Photography: Victoria and James 11th September 2010

2010-09-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Victoria and James booked me for 6 hours to cover the service and reception at the beautiful location which is Syon Park, the home of Syon House. A glorious stately home from tudor times which is still used as a home today. You can see from the photographs that the house has some amazing rooms to photograph in, although there are some very tight restrictions in terms of use of camera flash and where you can compose your shot. victoria and james are the most relaxed couple I have met and were very easy going on the day, willing to take full advantage of the location for some stunning photographs.

Laura and Ben's Wedding Sneak Peak

2010-09-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

I am not the most religious of people I have to admit but from time to time the events I attend, places I see and people I meet can have a lasting enough impression on me and go a long way in proving that religion can bring the best out in people. Laura and Ben booked me for 6hrs to cover their service and reception last Saturday. It was a very Christian affair, with lots of singing and expressions of pure joy, a somewhat refreshing change from a lot of the more simple and basic of services. Some great moments were captured during the service that will surely live on in the memory of Laura and Ben for some years to come I am sure. It was lovely to be part of something a bit different and good luck to them both on their new journey of faith.

Editing - How much is too much...

2010-09-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have this discussion a lot with fellow photographers, both wedding and general event specialists. How much time should you spend on editing your photographs? It's probably as valid a question as 'how long is a piece of string?' It ultimately comes down to what you want to create and how faithful you want to be to what you've seen through the camera lens. I can't speak on behalf of the masses but I generally approach weddings and PR events slightly differently. My PR photography relies on being faithful to the real thing, although their are times when I will go that extra mile in Photoshop. But this relies very much on time as a great deal of PR photography is required on the day or on the next day of shooting. Weddings however are a different kettle of fish. I approach my wedding photographs like an artist might approach a canvas, treating each one individually and putting some thought behind the creation process. I want each wedding I shoot to have a slightly unique feel to it when the pictures are produced. I will spend time creating individual actions in Photoshop that I can apply to a string of images, then when it comes to the 'couple shots' I probably spend at least 20 minutes on each one, bringing them to life in a way that is impossible to imitate through the lens alone. Some photographers might say this is 'too much', perhaps I am a bit of a perfectionist in the digital darkroom, either way I want my clients to have something special. Having said that, it is vital to not push an image too far and it's important to be in tune with what your clients will like. In simple terms, it's important to not get carried away with your own sense of creation. Whilst Warhol's 'Campbell Soup Can' painting probably bought him a lot of joy in its creation and it is indeed very unique, it isn't to everyone's taste. But I didn't get into photography to point and shoot, then simply boost the contrast and colour correct in photoshop. Life just isn't meant to be that tedious for me or my clients.

Sophie & Rob McEwan's Wedding Photography - Sneak Peak

2010-09-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

I went to a lovely wedding on Saturday, it was nice to go somewhere local for a change but I was still not going to get home in time for XFactor as this was a ten hour shift. I met Sophie first, at her parents house, getting ready with her girls and family. The service was at 13.30 and I wanted to ensure I got to the church early enough to take some photographs of Rob and his fellow groomsmen, so I left at 12.30 to meet them. The service was held at a beautiful little church in Whitton called St Philip and St James', before the reception at the Twickenham Rugby Stadium. We managed to get some great photographs pitch-side, escorted by security to ensure none of us were tempted to run across pitch! I love weddings where I can have a good bit on banter with the guests and this was a really fun crowd to work with. I have chosen just a few of my favourite images to share with you, with special moments captured and some nice softly posed shots with some off-camera lighting. It's not my usual practise but, for a change, I have also included a couple of montages that help tell the story, enjoy.

Choosing a wedding photographer. The Assistant/Second Shooter

2010-08-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's 5pm on bank holiday Friday so I decided to put the breaks on searching for new business. Instead, I'll update the blog with some further thoughts for wedding couples, to the orchestral sounds of my little baby daughter's new found love for high pitch screaming. It's not that she's stressed, she's actually having fun! Good on her. Back to the subject matter of photography assistants and second shooters on the day. I don't use an assistant myself, but I did used to be one. I prefer to work alone as I feel I am experienced and thorough enough to capture the right moments as they happen, but it's another question a lot of couples increasingly like to ask me and there are many packages out there rom various photographers that come with a 2nd photographer. There isn't really a right or wrong answer here, it's often a matter of preference. It's fair to say that by having an additional photographer you do get more variety of angles during the service itself. There is also the benefit of splitting roles on the day. For example, one photographer shoots the bride, the other stays with the groom, whilst one is shooting the speeches, the other is capturing the reactions. If you are paying for high calibre photography then it is likely the assistant or second shooter comes with a great deal of experience and flair, but the majority of the time these are photographers that are learning on the job and won't deliver anywhere near the quality of the primary photographer's work. There is also the disadvantage that the photography can become a bit more intrusive on the day with two photographers running around instead of one. Don’t misunderstand me though, I think it;s healthy for the industry to offer this and some weddings do indeed need two photographers. I certainty wouldn't have progressed as far as I did in such a short space of time without the opportunity to go out and shoot weddings with another photographer as his assistant. All I am saying is that if one comes with your package then get a good understanding of exactly what you are buying into. Ask to see their individual work and get a good understanding of what they will be doing on the day. If you get the chance to meet them too then even better. As always, weddings aren't generally cheap events so it pays to do your homework as always. Have a great bank holiday weekend.

Choosing a wedding photographer. Familiarity with the venue

2010-08-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Does it help if your wedding photographer has photographed at your venue before? Will you get better quality images as a result? Will it help the day run more smoothly? I know this question comes up a lot amongst couples planning their day and it is obviously quite important to a lot of you as it is normally the first question I am asked. Understandably, if your spending a lot of money you want the comfort in knowing everything is in very capable hands. As a photographer I don't feel it is essential to have shot a full wedding at your venue before, it is however essential for me to familiarise myself with the location, layout and potential by either visiting on a separate day or arriving early to do the prep. Undoubtedly it helps everyone if the photographer has done his or her homework before hand, especially during the bride and groom photos, where the session needs to run efficiently, with a smooth transfer from chosen location to location. I don't believe in taking the bride and groom away from their guests for long. I like to know exactly where I will be taking the pictures and what I want to create when I am there, which is why, if I have never been to a venue before, I always go out of my way to get familiar with the lay of the land. I owe this to the couple and myself. So to answer the question in question, whether you are an old face or come with a fresh, new set of eyes, familiarity with the location helps things run efficiently on the day and results in the use of the best on site locations for a range of photograph styles. So don't be put off if a photographer you like hasn't photographed at the venue before, providing you like this person, their photographs and are confident he or she is the type of photographer who is thorough in his or her preparation then you'll be fine.

Alex and Abdu Pre Wedding Photography at Battersea Park

2010-08-26T03:33:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, it's been really difficult to update this blog regularly since I started it in May, it's just been too busy. I'll do my best to keep posting over the coming months as there will be lots of weddings to add. Here is a post from a recent pre-wedding shoot which I did in Battersea Park on Tuesday evening. Now and then you get a couple who are completely relaxed in front of the camera and really up for a laugh, which is exactly what Abdu and Alex are all about and it made the session a really enjoyable evening for me. I have started to experiment a bit more with my post production techniques. I am looking for a much more nostalgic, vintage, unique and classy feel to my photography and I have applied this approach to the photographs I have used in this post. See more of my photography highlights at www.substancephotography.co.uk or email me for further information at matquaeck@substancephotography.co.uk.

Lauren & Ali's Wedding Peak

2010-08-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Ali came to me after their photographer double booked them. I was so horrified to hear of their situation that I decided to take time off from my holiday visiting family in North Wales to capture their day at Adcote School, Little Ness near Shrewsbury. The day started bright and early at Lauren's house with the girls, mum and dad. It's always my favourite part of the day, lots of fun and nervous energy. After spending a couple of hours standing back and capturing natural images of them all I went to meet Ali at this splendid private school in the middle of gorgeous English countryside. After taking some pictures of Ali we got ready for Lauren to arrive in the great hall. The ceremony was lovely, with some great singing and readings. After the service I organised guests into two rows facing each-other so I could capture the confetti flowing over Ali and Lauren as they walked through the lines of smiling faces and colourful petals. See some more wedding highlights at www.substancephotography.co.uk or email me at matquaeck@substancephotography.co.uk.

Lauren & Ali Lifestyle Shoot in Richmond Park

2010-07-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

After picking them up from Putney train station at 11am we drove to Richmond Park, the weather was beautiful. I took them on a short walk around the lakes, stopping off here and there to take reportage photographs and some more softly directed shots. Lauren and Ali were an easy couple to work with, anticipating the type of images I was trying to create with ease. A lovely location and a great, fun couple to work with.

Damian & Rosie's Wedding - 19th June 2010

2010-06-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite weddings from this year so far, made all the more wonderful by a lovely couple, great guests and a beautiful setting. There were no getting ready pictures due to timings and so I captured guests arriving with the groom at an old 15th century pub just a throw's distance from the church. This provided some time to get some nice photographs of Damian and his best man. The church was one of the most beautiful I have been in, huge stain glass windows all around made for some wonderful images. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek from parts of their day.

Nelda & Jamie's Wedding - 12th May 2010

2010-06-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

Nelda and Jamie had a truly majestic wedding at Brympton House in Somerset on a fine summers day. Guests came from all parts of the UK and as far as Australia, where Nelda is originally from. The boys went shooting in the morning and I went with them to take some natural photographs of them having fun shooting things. I then shot off to photograph Nelda getting ready with the girls, which is always loads of fun and often my favourite part of the day. We spent about 30mins taking photographs together, away from guests, around the beautiful grounds. I managed to borrow some old suitcases from the owner to use as props for the last shot in this series, one of my favourite wedding photographs to date.

Sarah & Patrick's Wedding Reception - 8th May 2010

2010-06-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Patrick were married in Las Vegas before having a reception back home in Hampstead, London. They booked me for the afternoon and evening to capture the day as it unfolded with natural reportage photography of friends and guests, including some more softly directed shots. As they were only down the road from each-other I managed to spend some time with Patrick and Sarah capturing images of them separately before their arrival at The Freemasons Arms, where they were greeted by a fine applause from friends and family.