How I became a Wedding Photographer
How I got into Wedding Photography
When you fill our your wedding questionnaire that I send to all my couples, I ask you so much information and want to know about you as a couple and how you met. So it is only right that I share with you a little bit about my journey to becoming a professional wedding photographer.
When I was a young boy, my father had a little cupboard by his bed, and that is where he kept his camera and lenses. It was always quite a special occasion when he got them out, and I was allowed to have a look. I have to be honest, there were a few times I sneaked in to have a look, and he must have wondered why the dials and settings were not as he left them previously! My dad had a camera around his neck on many of our family outings, and all the family photo albums show that in our house. He even had a few old cameras in a cabinet on show. You can see some of those cameras in the photo above.
It is my dad’s cameras that is what piqued my interest, and for as long as I can remember I have had my own camera, whether it be a little compact one for family holidays where I would take photos of everything until the film ran out! A disposable camera which I was given for one day where I won an urban photography competition in Hull. At University, my bridge camera cemented my road towards the professional photographer, and now I have several pro-Sony mirrorless cameras which as well as using for weddings, I also offer portrait photography, commercial photography and enjoy landscape photography for myself. I enjoy capturing the moments, whether at a wedding or a family outing, but I am never too absorbed with my camera to miss being part of those moments, especially with my two little girls.
It is a joy, and a delight to photograph people’s weddings as a Yorkshire wedding photographer and the point at which I knew I wanted to be a photographer was when I was a teenager at Hull University, and I joined a camera club. My passion for photography grew over the years, and at various events, I had my camera with me to capture the moments as they happened.
I got married when I was 24, and our reception was at the beautiful Cave Castle, my main job in the planning, which I insisted on was to choose the photographer. We viewed several Hull wedding photographers and finally settled on Pete Bristo, who has now retired from weddings. I chose him because his photography to my eye was the best around. There was nothing that really came close and really from that moment, seeing his work, made me long to become a wedding photographer. I attended a course that Pete put on a few years later and then in 2014, the dream finally came true as I photographed my first wedding at Ox Pasture Hall and things have been full steam ahead since then.
Since then, year upon year, I have had the delight of being part of many couples’ big days, and I love seeing all the joy and emotion as I capture the first look, the moment the groom sees his bride or that first kiss. I always get the best shots, and I’m not afraid of lying down to do it!
I personally feel a sense of achievement that I have been able to photograph so many weddings over the years and provide so many precious memories for my couples. My style is contemporary, natural and creative, and I am certainly at a stage where I can look at my photography and feel proud that my quality and style is right up there with the best.
Having photographed at many locations across, Hull, East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, I can assure you that my style stays consistent. Wherever you choose to get married, I will produce some magical memories of your wedding day that you can treasure for a lifetime. I’d love to be part of your day, and I hope this gives you an insight into my passion for photography. There are so many people out there who can grab a camera, especially with the quality of camera phones these days; I would say that when you are looking for a wedding photographer, it is important to like their personality and enjoy what they do. You certainly get that from me, and I’d love to chat with you more about your special day so do get in contact.
