Magic Moments Photo+Video

Wedding at the Cutlers' Hall in Sheffield

2011-07-10T21:26:00.000+01:00

This Saturday it was a short trip down the M1 to Sheffield for the wedding of Lauren and Lee. We don't actually travel down to South Yorkshire that often, but this booking had come from a recommendation from the last wedding that we had photographed in Sheffield. It's always nice to photograph a wedding that has come from a recommendation - you know that you must have done a good job! The day started in Hillsborough where Lauren was getting ready before moving onto the church. We had attended the rehearsal a couple of nights before and the priest was very happy to allow a photographer at the front of the church as well as the back. He even offered us the use of his own driveway to park on! Very few photographers take the time and trouble to attend rehearsals, but we often fine it very beneficial. After the church Lauren had chosen to go onto a park for their couple shots, as the Cutlers' Hall is right in the centre of Sheffield with no grounds whatsoever. Lauren also wanted a big group shot (130 guests!) on the very dark staircase at the Cutlers' Hall. Fortunately we always bring with us a pair of Elinchrom Ranger Quadras, which are portable studio lights, as a flash on camera would certainly not have been up to the task of lighting such a huge area. After the speeches we took the wedding party across the road for some last photographs before rounding off the day with some photos of the first dance. A perfect day - or so I thought! When I got back to the car park I discovered that I had lost my ticket and had to pay the princely sum of £26 to retrieve my car!!

Nostell Priory Wedding

2011-07-10T20:56:00.000+01:00

A Thursday wedding for a change. When that happens I never know what day it is for the rest of the week. We only had a 5 minute drive to the St. Pierre at Newmillerdam where Viv was getting ready before moving onto Nostell Priory to find the guys. The weather forecast had not been promising and it had rained practically every day this month, but it was still dry for Viv's arrival and, much to my surprise, still fine when the ceremony finished. We had been given special permission to take some photos in the house so we made the most of the opportunity to get some really good couple shots before moving outside for the group and family photos. We stayed on into the evening, where a disco and live band provided the entertainment.

Waterton Park Wedding - Anna & Patrick

2011-06-23T23:09:00.000+01:00

Once again we were back at the Waterton Park Hotel near Wakefield for the wedding of Anna & Patrick. The day started in Ossett where Anna was getting ready, before moving onto Waterton for the pictures of Patrick and the guys. Some showers had been forecast but we didn't really expect the constant rain that started at one o'clock and didn't stop for the rest of the day! However, Waterton Park is one of the best possible venues for photography both in sunshine and in rain and we were able to do all the group shots at the front of the hall, keeping the wedding party and guests dry under the portico, although I got soaked! We always carry a dozen white umbrellas with us for times such as this, which can often produce some really cool photos with the wedding party and couple. On this occasion a gust of wind caught Anna and Patrick's umbrella, turning the umbrella inside out and giving us some great candid photos in the process. For the first dance we got out our video light and together with Shane's fantastic DJ lights we got some great shots to finish the wedding album.

Photography Training in Leeds

2011-06-21T22:19:00.000+01:00

I am always prepared to look at different styles of photography and to adapt new ideas into my wedding photography, so I was very pleased to go along to-day to a training day with Brett Harkness, who is undoubtably one of the best international wedding photographers in the country. We spent the day in and around Adel Church in Leeds. Here are some of the images.

Wentbridge House Wedding Photography

2011-06-15T08:56:00.000+01:00

Whilst Yvonne travelled down to South Yorkshire to film a wedding at Ringwood Hall, near Chesterfield, Alex and I travelled across to Campsall near Doncaster to photograph the wedding of Natalie and David. We always attend rehearsals and after seeing the church I was really looking forward to their ceremony. Good photography is about using light and the lighting in their church was just awesome. Natalie was driven to the church by the lovely Claire who owns Beau's & Belle's Wedding Cars at Darrington. It was really nice to see Claire again as we had filmed her wedding quite a few years ago! David has something of a passion for cars and I think that he must have had a quite a large part in the selection of the vehicle. He chose Claire's Bentley Flying Spur which (so I'm told!) is the world's fastest four door car and costs over £150,000, so two trips in such a special car certainly added to the enjoyment of his day! They did actually beat me to Wentbridge but I still say that is because they went a shorter way than I did! I must say Natalie walked down the aisle with a huge smile on her face and she never stopped smiling all day! Here is a selection of their photographs. I don't usually mention the bride's bouquet on these blogs but I did think that Natalie's was particularly nice so I've included a rather nice photo of it, so thanks to Steel Magnolia in Doncaster for providing such beautiful flowers!

Waterton Park Wedding

2011-06-06T22:48:00.000+01:00

It was back to our favourite venue at the Waterton Park Hotel last week for the wedding of Emma and Andrew. I just love Waterton as there are so many places where you can take great photos, both inside and out. Plus all the staff are so great! Emma and Andrew were really fun to photograph and were so nice. It's a really great job being a wedding photographer when you have a smashing couple in a wonderful venue. For the last shot of the day I got out my new Elinchrom Quadra lights to make a rather special last photo - or three photos to be exact - we photographed Waterton at night then added in the photo of Emma and Andrew which we took when we could finally prise Emma from the dance floor. The moon was then added separately to make one one photograph from three photos. The wonder of Photoshop!

Waterton Park Wedding

2011-05-30T09:07:00.000+01:00

Sarah and Andrew chose a church wedding at Holy Trinity in Ossett before moving onto their reception at the Waterton Park Hotel, near Wakefield. Holy Trinity is a spectacular church which is currently being restored and makes a very impressive photograph. For the journey between the Church and Waterton Andrew and Sarah had chosen a car from Rolls Hire in Ossett, a company which we have worked with many times over the years and one that I would be very happy to recommend. Here is a selection of photographs from their day.

Wedding Leeds Town Hall

2011-05-23T14:43:00.000+01:00

Last week-end was really busy with two weddings to photograph and a dance show at Wakefield Opera House to video. The week-end started fairly bright and early with the wedding of Natalie and Jez at Leeds Town Hall, which was actually a new venue for us. The architecture outside is fantastic and provided some great opportunities for the pre-ceremony photographs. After the ceremony Natalie and Jez stopped off at Kirkstall Abbey for some photos with the wedding party. This gave the two little bridesmaids the chance to have some fun together, and gave us some great photos. We just managed to finish before the rain started before driving up to Peasehill House in Rawdon for the reception. Then it was back to Wakefield for us where we swopped our stills cameras for video cameras and out to the dance show.

Model Portfolio, Wakefield

2011-05-23T13:48:00.000+01:00

Sam enjoyed her portfolio day out in Manchester a few weeks ago so much that she booked for a second one. Sharon, who had also been with us in Manchester taking photographs, this time asked if she could stand at the other side of the camera as she wanted some nice photographs as a present for husband Gary. I think that the two girls also wanted to use this as an excuse to have some retail therapy beforehand, as they both turned up with two suitcases full of what looked like new clothes. Any excuse eh girls? I wanted a different look from the one that we had in Manchester so this time it was down to the nearby disused railway line which gives a great variety of shots and locations, varying from dark tunnels and graffiti to almost woodland scenes. The girls must have enjoyed themselves, as they have booked again in a couple of weeks time! So if you would like some great photographs of yourself for a present or just for fun then just get in touch!

Sarah & Neil, Chevin Country Park Hotel

2011-05-19T23:03:00.000+01:00

Saturday brought us a trip across Leeds to the Chevin Country Park Hotel near Otley in West Yorkshire. Sarah and Neil had chosen this venue for their wedding as they rather liked the lake and the attractive woodland setting. Though some showers had been forecast, fortunately it stayed dry for practically the whole day, so we did not have to run back to the car for the collection of white wedding umbrellas that we always carry with us just in case. After the speeches we took advantage of some of the indoor locations at the Chevin for some rather special couple shots using both video light and window light, before the wedding guests were entertained by a fantastic band called "The Dollars". If you are looking for a band for your wedding we can certainly recommend them! Next week is looking very busy with a model shoot on Tuesday, a wedding in Leeds on Friday, then back to one of our regular venues at Waterton Park for a wedding on Saturday. It's great to be busy.

Katie & Ryan Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-05-12T13:55:00.000+01:00

Katie and Ryan are getting married at Ripley Castle in a couple of months and wanted to do a pre-wedding shoot to get a photo for a signing frame. Although we do not include a pre-wedding photo shoot in our package I actually love to do these as it is a fantastic opportunity to get to know each other better before the wedding, so that everything is more relaxed on the day. For this reason we are very happy to offer this option as an extra to the wedding photography package at the couple's request. Katie and Ryan wanted some natural shots outside, so I took them to my favourite disused railway line, had some fun and got some great photos!

Sam in Manchester - Slideshow

2011-05-02T11:04:00.000+01:00

Just for a change I had a slideshow put together of 47 of the images of Sam in Manchester. Just please don't click on fullscreen as the quality has been reduced for the web and it looks dreadful full size! Looks good small though!

Portraits in Manchester

2011-05-01T22:50:00.000+01:00

Photographing weddings is great, but I must say that the thing that I enjoy most is working one to one or one to two with individual portrait work or with couples. You can establish a rapport working in this way that you cannot hope to get with 80 guests at a wedding. Samantha had always wanted some really nice photos of herself so we headed off to one of my favourite locations in Manchester. Sam was a bit nervous at first, which is to be expected, but soon began to really enjoy it. After the first few shots you would have thought that Sam had been modelling for years! She even brought a great range of clothes and gave me a choice of outfits. Here are some of my favourite images from the day. If you would like to be a model for a day and go home with a great selection of images just let me know!

Spring Wedding at Waterton Park

2011-04-24T22:57:00.000+01:00

With winter well and truly behind us it's back to better weather with sunshine and blue skies. It's just so great to be a wedding photographer when you have a lovely couple, a lovely venue and lovely weather! Kathryn and Adam had chosen Waterton Park as the perfect location for their wedding. Waterton is a photographer's paradise with so many great locations. We have been to Waterton Park Hotel now over sixty times, so we probably know them all! Here are a selection of their photographs.

Jill & James Pre-Wedding Shoot, Doncaster

2011-04-12T09:12:00.000+01:00

We had a trip over to Doncaster to-day and met up with Jill and James who are getting married there in July. As we have not been to the Grand Hotel St.Ledger before we wanted to have a look at their venue and took the opportunity to do a pre-wed photo shoot - inbetween Jill's fits of giggles! If she is that much fun on the wedding day it's going to be a great day!

Chevin Country Park, Otley

2011-03-28T23:33:00.000+01:00

I was expecting Lauren and Philip's wedding to be a little bit different and they didn't disappoint me! After a church ceremony in Calverley, midway between Leeds and Bradford, we set off for Otley Chevin, where Lauren swopped her heels for some walking shoes and literally left me standing as they marched off towards the Surprise View. This is a favourite part of the world for the two of them as they do a lot of walking here and so they wanted some special photos taking in this spot. They both had to leap over quite a large gap to be able to stand on one particular rock (their idea, not mine), but it did produce some rather spectacular photographs which we managed to light with some off-camera flash. We then moved onto the Chevin Country Park Hotel for some more traditional photographs before finishing off after the speeches with some video light shots. A pretty good day all in all with a pretty good selection of photographs for Lauren and Philip to choose from.

A Chinese Wedding - Waterton Park & Maxi's Restaurant

2011-03-27T22:33:00.000+01:00

Ka Wai and William actually got married in the sun in Cyprus, but they had also arranged a traditional Chinese wedding here, complete with tea ceremonies and a Chinese banquet with its many courses. This was almost like a reunion for us, as we have previously filmed several weddings for the family and so we know many of them well, but on this occasion we had been booked to undertake the photography. The day started at Waterton Park Hotel near Wakefield, where Ka Wai and her family had spent the night. This was the venue for the first tea ceremony and some photographs before we moved onto the home of William's family in Wakefield for the second tea ceremony. This was followed by a short journey up the M1 to Maxi's Restaurant in Leeds, where we were joined by their many guests - and a dragon - for the banquet. The bride always changes her dress during the meal, which gave us the opportunity to pop outside for some final photos of the happy couple.

Waterton Park Wedding Fayre

2011-03-26T19:20:00.000Z

We shall be at the Waterton Park Hotel Wedding Fayre at Walton near Wakefield this Sunday if anybody would like to call in and see us and have a chat. We look forward to seeing you there.

Hazlewood Castle Training Day

2011-03-15T23:34:00.000Z

I love this time of the year when things are a little bit quieter. It gives me chance to choose and buy new equipment for the coming wedding season and to make the most of free days to learn more about the wonderful world of wedding photography from some of the best photographers in the country. To-day I didn't have to travel far to do this, as Chris Chambers was running a course at Hazlewood Castle near Tadcaster. Here is a selection of photographs from the day.

Oulton Hall Wedding

2011-03-05T21:04:00.000Z

It's really nice when you do the wedding of someone and they are so pleased with your work that the brother books you for his wedding. Such was the case with Laura and Chris. We had filmed Chris's sister's wedding at Oulton Hall and now it was Chris's turn to get married. They must have been very happy with Oulton as they chose to get married there as well. The only change that Chris made was not to have his sister's photographer - instead they chose us, which was really nice, so we found ourselves doing both their photos and their video. After getting some shots of the girls getting ready we moved onto Oulton Church, where the ceremony was to take place. Oulton is a beautiful church and I love it. It's so light inside! We have filmed there many times and it's quite possible to walk up to to Oulton Hall from there. This was a really relaxed wedding and a great day -it does help though when you already know half of the people there. I love weddings like that!

Oulton Hall Wedding Fair 6 March 2011

2011-03-04T23:26:00.000Z

Magic Moments Photo and Video are one of the recommended suppliers at Oulton Hall and we will be at their wedding fair on Sunday, so if you would like to come along and see the wide selection of our Graphistudio albums, or view a DVD filmed at Oulton Hall, then we would be very happy to see you. If you can't make it on Sunday, we shall also be at the Waterton Park Wedding Fair on Sunday 27 March. We look forward to seeing you.

Oakwell Hall Wedding

2011-03-04T22:03:00.000Z

For the second wedding of the week-end we were at Oakwell Hall in Birstall. This is one of my favourite venues as there are so many great locations to take photographs, both inside the hall and in the gardens. As we are one of their recommended photographers we do seem to spend a lot time there, so I like to think that we know all the best locations. Kathryn and Jamie had seen us at the wedding fair at Oakwell Hall and had booked us after chatting to us there. Kathryn hails from the north-east and Jamie is from London, so they chose Oakwell as a venue part-way between the two. The day started with bridal preps at the lovely Bronte Cottage, before moving onto Oakwell to catch the guys arriving. Kathryn and Jamie also booked us for the wedding video, so our whole team was out for the day. Kathryn and Jamie are lovely couple who were super to work with. They had really put a lot of thought into the planning of the wedding, and they had provided a caricaturist and various games to entertain their guests between the speeches and the evening reception, which went down very well with all the guests. To round off the day, they had booked a 70's band who turned up really looking the part complete with flares and afro wigs. It was a great night and we were almost sorry when it came time for us to leave.

Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield

2011-03-04T21:29:00.000Z

Sadie e-mailed me a few weeks before her wedding with a problem that, surprisingly, is not too uncommon. She had booked her wedding photographer many months ago, but now as the wedding approached she found that she was unable to contact him. He did not return her telephone calls nor did he reply to her e-mails and she was getting very worried. In the many years that we have been in the wedding industry a year never goes by without us being contacted by a bride or groom in a panic who have been let down by their photographer or videographer. This, unfortunately, happens all too frequently and is one of the reasons why it is imperative to book a full-time, established and qualified person. So many people have set up in the last few years who meet non of these criteria, but all of whom have one thing in common - they are cheap. The old adage of "you only get what you pay for" is certainly true when it comes to wedding photography and videography. Anyway fortunately we were free and were able to make Sadie's day! As a surprise for Rob Sadie had arranged for a few cars from the TVR owner's club to turn up. My first challenge was to find a location where they could all park up for a photo! After the ceremony we took the couple off to Thornes Park in Wakefield before moving onto the Cedar Court Hotel for the reception.

Portraits in Manchester

2011-02-13T20:11:00.000Z

Now that the wedding photography season has gone quiet it gives me the opportunity to indulge myself in some training. This is a chance to work alongside some of the most talented and skilled photographers in the country, to try new ideas and to work in different photographic genres. This training day required just a short hop across the Pennines to Manchester to spend the day with Damien McGillicuddy, one of the accomplished photographers in the country, with a string of celebrity weddings to his credit. Here is a selection of photographs from the day.

Woolley Hall Wedding

2011-01-05T22:52:00.000Z

Our third wedding in September took us first to Sheffield for the bridal preps and ceremony before driving up the M1 to the lovely village of Woolley near Wakefield. Brenda and Shingai had grown up in the same village in Zimbabwe, but only met each other here in England. Their ceremony was the longest that we have ever know, being over one and a half hours long! We really like Woolley Hall and have never seen it with so many guests. This was a really bright and colourful wedding, with the dancing starting in the church and continuing all day and was in full swing when we finally had to leave and drive home. Besides taking their wedding photographs Brenda and Shingai had also booked us for their wedding video, and I don't think that we have ever used as much tape! A great day and quite an experience for us as well!

Gomersal Park Wedding

2011-01-04T23:05:00.000Z

Joanne and David were married in September at East Ardsley Church before travelling to their reception in a rather splendid Alvis vintage car. We had arranged with Sandra, the wedding co-ordinator at Oakwell Hall who we know well, to have 20 minutes there to take some couple shots in their grounds, before taking the group photos at Gomersal Park. Fortunately the rain held off, so we didn't require the white umbrellas that we always carry with us. It was also nice to catch up with Jodie and Anthony, who had recommended us after we had covered their wedding at Woolley Hall in 2008.

A Wedding in Harrogate - The White Hart

2010-11-29T09:08:00.000Z

The first week-end in September took us into North Yorkshire to Harrogate for the wedding of Rachel and Jason. Rachel was going to get ready at the White Hart Hotel which was also the venue for the reception, with a ceremony at a church in the pedestrian precinct in the town centre. Since we had not been to this venue before we travelled to Harrogate a couple of days before the wedding, to have a good look at the location and to attend the rehearsal. It was a good job that we did, as we soon discovered that parking was a problem - there wasn't any! Fortunately as we had been booked to cover both the photography and video on this wedding it meant that all three of us would be there, so we made the decision to park at the White Hart and just carry all the kit between the hotel, the church and the Valley Gardens, where we had decided to do most of the photographs. Rachel arrived in a carriage festooned with flowers and pulled by three beautiful brown horses which certainly made all the Harrogate shoppers stop and stare!

Wentbridge House Hotel

2010-11-26T14:50:00.000Z

Our last wedding in August took us to St. Cuthbert's Church in Ackworth before going on to the Wentbridge House Hotel for the reception. We have been regular visitors to Wentbridge House this year and have noticed a distinct improvement there recently. The staff are very helpful, even suggesting that we have a little longer for the photographs, as the schedule was pretty tight. The grounds have also been improved and the food looks great! The bridesmaids looked pretty in pink and all the girls were good fun, diving for the bouquet and leaping into the air at Sarah's suggestion. Sarah and James had brought the band Madison over from Liverpool, and they really were excellent. Between Madison and Winston, Wentbridge's regular DJ, the dance floor was packed all night and we were quite sorry when it was time to leave to leave as the dancing was so entertaining to watch! At least they can re-live it all over again with their wedding DVD.

Roundhay Park and Leeds Irish Centre

2010-11-26T14:04:00.000Z

Finally found a minute to start to update the blog! This year has been the busiest ever and every day had been spent either photographing weddings, filming weddings, editing weddings or designing wedding albums. Anyway, to begin to catch up we have to go back to 28 August when Catherine and Ronan had our biggest wedding of the year in Leeds. Despite the forecast being for rain, we managed to get all of the group photos taken at the church, before taking Catherine and Ronan to Roundhay Park for some photos on their own. Fortunately the rain held off until we were just about finished, before setting off to the reception at the Leeds Irish Centre. In the evening we were treated to some Irish dancing by the wedding party, which was quite something!

Woodlands Hotel, Leeds

2010-08-26T08:31:00.000+01:00

The last couple of weeks have taken us around North, South and West Yorkshire with weddings at The Woodlands Hotel in Leeds, Carlton Towers near Selby, Rogerthorpe Manor near Pontefract after a ceremony in Doncaster and a new venue for us, Swinton Park near Masham. Hayley and Will had a civil ceremony at the Woodlands Hotel. We have been at the Woodlands many times for video coverage but this was the first time that we had been booked for the photography there. Fortunately the sun shined on the happy couple and for the second week in a row we had the pleasure of the company of Matt Stacey on saxaphone. Here are some of Will and Hayley's photographs.

A Day Out in East Yorkshire

2010-08-06T13:37:00.000+01:00

This week I took a day off and spent a day on a picturesque farm in East Yorkshire, which is quite a change from the likes of Waterton Park and Oulton Hall etc.! The reason for my trip was a training day with John Denton, a photographer whose work I really admire. I love these training days, as working with talented fellow photographers and a great model allows me to try new ideas and to learn new poses which I can then incorporate into my wedding and lifestyle photography and hopefully keep it fresh and edgy.

Waterton Park Wedding

2010-08-04T22:13:00.000+01:00

You know that you are well and truly into the wedding season with four weddings in a row! One reason for this is that the schools have broken up for the summer and the teachers are making the most of this holiday to get married and go away on honeymoon! So our first wedding was two science teachers and the chemistry between them was obvious. Nic and Melissa had a civil ceremony at Waterton Park, one of our regular venues. Although we have been filming weddings there for over 16 years, I managed to find a new spot for some photographs. I love to try and find somewhere new everytime I return to a venue as a personal challenge, to avoid the possibility of doing the same shots every time. The busy schedule then took us to Bagden Hall and Nostell Priory, before finishing at Thorpe Park Hotel in Leeds. A busy time but with four great couples it flew by. These are some of the photos from Melissa and Nic's wedding at Waterton.

Oulton Hall

2010-07-28T09:27:00.000+01:00

Back to Oulton Hall on Saturday for the wedding of Danielle and Chris. I had photographed them a few weeks ago for their signing photo and we had a great time doing that, so I knew that the wedding was going to be even better! Danielle had arranged a Corvette as a surprise for Chris, so I was under strict instructions to get that when Chris arrived at Oulton Hall. After the ceremony in the Repton Suite Danielle and Chris went for a little drive in the Beauford that they had hired from Rolls Hire. I have worked with these guys many times in the past and they are great. Richard, their driver, suggested that he pull off onto an open grassed area and we got some great shots there, particularly a reflection shot that Danielle had said that she wanted. We then got to work on the groups shots and finished with 30 minutes to spare, allowing Danielle and Chris to relax and enjoy the day whilst being entertained by Matt Stacey on Saxaphone. Matt is one of the Oulton Hall regulars and always goes down well. Danielle and Chris are a really fun couple - just look at the cigar shot. We rounded off the photography and video coverage with the releasing of some lanterns which just looked great with their vivid yellow colour against the dark blue night sky - a perfect end to a perfect day!

Model Portfolio - Hannah

2010-07-23T11:09:00.000+01:00

Another mid-week model portfolio shoot before Danielle and Chris's wedding at Oulton Hall tomorrow. This time for a change we went down by the river in Wakefield. Hannah is a great girl and lots of fun to work with. I got the chance to play with some off-camera flash lighting set-ups and between us we got some great photos! Playing with lighting set-ups like this is great practice for wedding photography, where the pressure is fairly full-on and you have to get the shots quickly so that the bride and groom can really enjoy their day but also have some great images to look back on.

Waterton Park Wedding

2010-07-19T12:50:00.001+01:00

Another visit to the Waterton Park Hotel for the wedding of Rachael and Paul. Rachael and Paul are both police officers. We have photographed and filmed many weddings for police officers over the years, including one just last month at the Woodlands Hotel in Leeds and quite a few at Waterton Park, and every time they are great weddings! I don't know why it should be, probably something to do with the job that they have to do, but they always have a great sense of humour, are always great fun, and really know how to party, as the first dance photo clearly shows! Thanks must also go to Shane Daley, the DJ at Waterton, for the great light show he provides with his disco. His lights really make the photograph!

Holdsworth House

2010-07-11T10:19:00.000+01:00

A new venue for our wedding photography this week at Holdsworth House at Halifax. We have been there many times over the years for our weddings videos but this was the first time for photography. Holdsworth House is a really attractive venue with some really good opportunities for some great wedding photos. The day started very early, having to get up at 6am to be with Sabrina getting ready for 8, before the ceremony at 10. Sabrina and Paul had been worried that their guests might have been distracted by England playing in the quarter finals of the world cup, but after England's dismal performance against Germany they had no need to be worried. The weather was fine and we got some great photos. We even found the time to put together a slide show of some of the wedding photographs in the evening that were very well received - including a request that we travel down to London for a wedding there next year. We finally got home at 11.30. It had been a 16 hour day but the whole wedding party had been a great crowd and the time just flew by!

Bagden Hall Wedding

2010-06-24T11:53:00.000+01:00

I couldn't believe how cold it was on Saturday! The weather forecast had been great all week then they suddenly changed it on the Friday. After 18 years of filming weddings you would have thought by now that I would not pay any attention to the forecast, knowing how wrong they can be. Anyway, the cold didn't put Cassy and Daniel off and they were happy to smile for me all day. Cassy has done some modelling and she was so great to work with. Bagden Hall is a great venue for wedding photography and we made full use of the grounds and got some great shots. The day was rounded off by a fantastic choreographed dance the all the wedding party had learnt - it was just incredible to watch! Thank goodness they also had a wedding video to record this for them.

The Bridge Inn

2010-06-18T22:49:00.000+01:00

Back to the Bridge Inn at Walshford just off the A1 near Wetherby for Anna & Damien's wedding. Anna & Damien had seen us at the Queens Hotel wedding fayre in Leeds last year and booked us for both their photography and video after a visit to the studio in Wakefield. Both Anna and Damien were great and were really relaxed throughout the day, which makes my job so much easier. I like to get a lot of variety into the shots and this is easy at the Bridge Inn as there are numerous different locations that can be used. One of the best shots at the Bridge is a night shot and we made the most of the fantastic night sky. Next week its Saturday at Bagden Hall and Sunday takes us to Oulton Hall.

Pre-Wedding Shoot

2010-06-06T23:20:00.000+01:00

After a week-end with three weddings at Waterton Park we managed to find a break between the showers to take Danielle and Chris down to Newmillerdam for a pre-wedding shoot before their wedding next month at Oulton Hall. Danielle and Chris were great and soon got into the flow of it and certainly seemed to enjoy themselves. If they are this relaxed in front of the camera on their wedding day we will get some great shots at Oulton Hall.

Cutler's Hall, Sheffield

2010-06-03T21:02:00.000+01:00

This week-end we had a journey down to Sheffield for the wedding of Sophia and Andrew. This was a new venue for us, and what a venue it is! The Cutler's Hall is in the heart of Sheffield, directly opposite the cathedral, the fairly unpretentious exterior gives no suggestion of the amazing architecture inside. Sophia originally comes from Malaysia, so I knew that this wedding would be both colourful and different. In the evening Sophia changed into a traditional dress, which necessitated a walk to the nearby Novotel in order to change, which gave us the opportunity to take some great "urban wedding" shots on the way. I love doing alternative types of shots like these. The Sheffield Eye was just too good to miss! Next week-end it's back to the Waterton Park hotel where we have two weddings two days in a row.

Woodlands, Waterton and a Chinese Wedding

2010-04-30T12:03:00.000+01:00

Had another busy week-end. Friday was a wedding at the Woodlands Hotel in Leeds, followed by the wedding fayre at Waterton Park on the Sunday. It was very, very busy and we chatted to dozens of really nice couples. Most were getting married at Waterton which is a great venue for their photos and video. Monday took us to Maxi's restaurant for part two of a Chinese wedding. The actual wedding had been on the previous Tuesday when we drove down to Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire for the ceremony and first reception banquet. We have done many Chinese weddings over the years and I just love them - lots of colour, lots of different wedding dresses and lots of food!

Waterton Park Wedding Exhibition

2010-04-25T10:57:00.000+01:00

We will be at the Waterton Park, Walton Hall, Wakefield wedding exhibition to-day (Sunday 25 April) exhibiting the video side of our business if anyone wants to call in and see us. We are proud to say that we have been the only video company recommended by Waterton Park for the last 15 years. Waterton is a perfect venue for a wedding with countless great locations for your photographs and video - plus all the staff are fantastic!

Model Portfolio - Kim

2010-04-15T00:45:00.000+01:00

To-day's shoot was a little closer to home, around Wakefield and Leeds. Kim had contacted me as she had seen my work and was wanting to up-date her portfolio. First stop was a disused railway line complete with tunnels, bridges and graffiti, before a change of location to Clarence Dock in Leeds. I chose these two locations to give Kim some variety in her portfolio. Clarence Dock would also be a great place for some wedding photography with a bride and groom. I must check my diary to see if I have any weddings coming up in Leeds!

Model Portfolio - Chloe

2010-04-12T11:29:00.000+01:00

Had a little break from wedding photography this week-end with a trip to the seaside to shoot a model portfolio for the lovely Chloe. It's also a great opportunity to experiment with different lighting set-ups that you can then apply to bridal portraits at weddings. Another portfolio shoot on Wednesday then next week it's wedding videos at Belvoir Castle and the Woodlands Hotel in Leeds.

Bagden Hall, Scissett

2010-03-28T11:10:00.000+01:00

Our first wedding of the year for photography was at Bagden Hall at Scissett. Unfortunately it rained all day! However Sam and Dave were absolutely great and were happy to go outside with one of the white umberellas that we always carry with us just for this sort of weather. I think that the umberella actually added something to the photos and I've included some of my favourites. Our next wedding takes us to Wood Hall near Wetherby then it's the Easter weekend with weddings at Coniston Cold then Oulton Hall. We now have 58 bookings for this year so far so it's going to be busy!

Burn Hall, York

2010-02-07T14:05:00.000Z

Just had a great day at Burn Hall in York in the company of 30 like-minded photographers and 5 great models. The great advantage to me on a day like this is that it gives me time to play and try out new ideas. Then, if they work, I can utilise them on the wedding day to quickly get the shot, then get on with the next one. The secret of great wedding photography is to get as many good shots in as short as time as possible, so that the bride and groom get a fantastic wedding album but also have plenty of time to enjoy their day. To-morrow it's off to Lincoln to take some family portrait shots of Rachael and Leigh, a wedding couple of mine who got married in 2008 and now have a new addition to the family. Then it's off to Hazlewood Castle the week after for our first wedding of the year.

Waterton Park Wedding Album

2010-01-01T13:00:00.000Z

Just for a change I thought that I would post a wedding album that I spent all New Years Eve putting together (how sad is that?). Waterton Park is a superb setting and we never fail to get a great set of photos from the venue. Jenny and Tim's wedding was particularly interesting as Jenny originally came from Russia, together with two of her bridesmaids. Those girls really know how to pose for a camera! If you want to see a bigger version of the album just click on the "Return to Magic Moments Photo and Video Homepage" icon top right to go to our main wedding photography website then navigate to the "Your Images" page. Better still, why not come down to the studio and see the album for real!

The Mansion House, Roundhay Park, Leeds

2009-12-29T17:28:00.000Z

I can't believe 2009 is nearly over! We've met some great people, photographed in some new venues (and in one new country!) and generally had a great time. We finished the year with weddings at Hazlewood Castle, Rogerthorpe Manor, the Craiglands Hotel at Ilkley and the Mansion House in Roundhay Park, which was a new venue for us. Winter weddings pose new challenges with the weather and the light (or lack of it!), so we made the most of the opportunity to shoot some images with our new video light. Here are some of my favourites from the Mansion House wedding.

Off-Camera Flash

2009-12-04T11:57:00.000Z

For my last training day of the year I took the long drive down to Bristol on Monday to spend the day with Damien Lovegrove, who really is one of the best photographers in the country. We spent the day perfecting the technique of using the brand new radio system for firing Canon speedlights. This gives a whole new range of pictures available to the photographer using this new kit which was previously impossible to do, giving a real "fashion" feel to the photographs. Now I can't wait for the next wedding to employ these techniques and add a new "Bridal Fashion" range to my repertiore.

Training

2009-11-19T22:37:00.000Z

I always think that there is always more to learn and that you can never know everything so with that in mind I always ensure that I have at least five days training every year with photographers who I think are some of the best in the country. So on Monday I braved the wind and driving rain for a trip into North Yorkshire to spend the day with John Denton, whose work I really like. Here are some of the images from the day.

Wedding Photography in Tunisia

2009-11-16T22:38:00.000Z

Thursday weddings are quite unusual, but a Thursday wedding in Tunisia is even more unusual! We flew out on the Sunday to give ourselves plenty of time to meet the families and visit the venues. The wedding was at three o'clock and the reception was at six, which at first seemed fine. Then we discovered that the two locations were 110 kilometres apart! This gave us practically no time to do any really good couple shots, so it was decided to do these the following day. Unfortunately, the following day it rained, so we were so pleased that our flight home was not until the Sunday, which allowed us to do some really cool couple shots on the Saturday. Thanks to having time to do a good recce we had found a superb building with a traditional internal patio and a domed glass ceiling which was a photographer's dream! Just amazing! And to think I get paid for doing this!

Last Drop Hotel, Bolton

2009-09-30T22:55:00.000+01:00

A trip across the Pennines this weekend to the Last Drop Hotel in Bolton. Since it is a new venue for us we arrived early to have a good look around before going up to the bride's room. Supreena was wonderfully relaxed and looked stunning in her red and gold sari. The photo opportunities are terrific on an Indian wedding as they are so rich in colour and everyone looked fantastic. All in all a really great day and it was good to meet up again with Sarah and David and Taz and Vicky, whose weddings we had shot earlier this year. Above are some of the images from the day.

Nostell Priory

2009-09-26T22:03:00.000+01:00

A few images from last Monday's wedding at Nostell Priory with Hannah and Ken. Hannah got ready at Rogerthorpe Manor before boarding a fantastic vintage bus for the journey to Nostell Priory. I took the opportunity to travel on the bus and capture some unusual fisheye shots while Alex went on ahead to Nostell to get some shots of the bus arriving.

Waterton Park Hotel

2009-09-22T14:09:00.000+01:00

September started with 4 weddings in 7 days taking in Nostell Priory, Hazlewood Castle, Coniston Hall in Skipton and finally the Waterton Park Hotel in Wakefield. All four weddings were on weekdays, so I actually had a week-end off! The last wedding of the four fell on my birthday, but Tim and Jenny were so great to be with that it was a birthday that I really enjoyed. Jenny is from Russia and two of her bridesmaids were also Russian. Those girls really know how to pose! They must teach it at school or something! Here are some of my favourite pictures from their wedding at Waterton.

The Bridge Inn

2009-09-02T00:21:00.000+01:00

A busy bank holiday week-end took us first to Waterton Park Hotel near Wakefield, one of our regular venues, then to the Bridge Inn at Walshford, finishing on Monday at Rudding Park near Harrogate. These are my three favourite images from Donna and Damien's wedding at The Bridge Inn.

Oulton Hall

2009-08-25T09:13:00.000+01:00

Another very busy couple of weekends that took us back to Rudding Park and Oulton Hall, together with a very windy visit to Castle Hill in Huddersfield. Fridays wedding was a little different - the church had double booked the wedding with a funeral at the same time! Our bride made quite a few trips around the block until the hearse finally departed! Here are a few shots from Saturday's wedding at Oulton Hall.

Hazlewood Castle

2009-07-28T12:28:00.000+01:00

Busy weekend just gone with weddings over 3 days taking us to Hazlewood Castle, Oulton Hall and Tankersley Manor. One of my favourite images of the weekend is of Sarah at Hazlewood, when we popped outside for a quick night shot. Can't decide if I like the Black & White, Sepia, Aged Photo or Colour best!

Photos, Animation and Music

2009-07-22T16:48:00.000+01:00

Just had a bit of fun with some images from recent weddings as a different way to show what we do. If you like the idea we can do this for your wedding images on DVD or for the net - Let me know what you think of the idea.........................

Hilton Hotel, Manchester

2009-07-22T16:20:00.000+01:00

I was over in Manchester on Monday photographing in the Hilton Hotel. Not good if you have no head for heights but the views are amazing. The opportunities for great shots are endless, with spiral staircases, frosted panels, open metal stairs, great corridors - it's just a photographers paradise!