Wow. It’s felt like a lifetime since I last posted on my 83Weddings Blog Page and a lifetime of events seem to have happened.

As you may or may not know my wife and I recently moved and I’ve been busting a gut over at instagram.com/hebdenhouse to make it's habitable for our move (hence why I’ve been quiet on here).

I was really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with Wedding Season upon us but the timing couldn’t have been worse as we enter a very strange and tasking time in our society, our communities and our personal and professional lives.

I’ve reached out to all my clients to reassure them whatever their decision, I’m there for them. I always say from the outset that we’re a team and that whatever the outcome we’ll work together to make sure it’s right for everyone.

The most popular decision at the moment is for couples to postpone their plans which I personally think is the most sensible option. If people do decide to do this, I’m still their photographer and will do everything I can to make sure I can still shoot their rescheduled day.

On the other hand if people want to soldier on I’m up for that too. There are measures that can be put in place to make sure everyone is safe and that we still have a great time, capturing all those wonderful memories from your day.

Although I’ve reached out to all my clients a few have not replied back and I urge them to get in touch ASAP so we can make sure arrangements are made for every scenario.

This should be a time when we come together as a people, a nation and as a race. Please don’t fight over toilet paper, please check in with loved ones and please make decisions based on the greater good of those you do and don’t know.
This isn’t a time to be annoyed by inconvenience but to prepare for the safety of everyone you love.

Stay safe people xxx

INDIE WEDDING FAIR:

On Sunday went down to the Indie Wedding Fair in Sheffield to shoot some promotional images for the event. It was a great fair, bustling full of Brides to be. Loads of great suppliers too!

Check out a selection of highlights from the day:

Here's links to a few of the suppliers featured above:

Vintage Volks Weddings

Type & Cast

Paper Soul Desing

Kate Beaumont

Orchis Floral Design

Inner City Weddings

Wild Wood Paper

Michael Mulholland Acoustic

Bakes by Butter

Chris Bentley Photography

Cathy Sutherland Jewellery

Folky Dokey

Aperyer Catering

Pie Eyed

First Sight Videos

Jenn Edwards & Co. MUA

Amy George MUA

The Bake Lab

Debbie Carlisle Handcrafted Accessories

BEST OF 2018:

So after another manic seasons of Weddings, trying (and failing) to kick-start the blog again, I wanted to see the year out with at least some sort of bookend to finish 2018 off nicely. 

Enjoy this little highlights reel of some of my favourite images from the year and we'll try and make a go of the blog again in 2019. With a massive website overhaul on the horizon it might be the kick start I need. Have a great end of 2018 everyone and I'll be back in the New Year with a new look blog and lots of new content. I promise!!

Robin x

Wet Weather Weddings: Wind, Rain and How to Keep Smiling

As part of my efforts to get the blog up and running again and to keep the articles flowing, I wanted to do more than just post up Real Wedding’s and ‘Best Of’ features but to also write about the different aspects of Wedding Photography and some of the scenarios I face. As well as this I wanted to look in more detail at different parts of the day, thus providing help and inspiration for couples who are on the way to organising their own special day.

One of my first ideas was to write about one of the things you have no control over on your big day…. THE WEATHER. 

While you can meticulously plan and organise every part of your wedding down to the minutest detail, the one thing you can do nothing about is whether or not the heavens open up, or if wind and rain is going to blow you away. You just have to pray, hope and keep those fingers crossed.

The most common worry for people is rain. Most couples will imagine a beautiful sunny day, where guests can enjoy drinks on the lawn and you can get some great snaps with your other half in the glorious weather, producing colourful sun soaked images of your memorable day. No one wants to be wet, miserable and stuck inside.

The thing is, it honestly doesn’t have to be like that and let’s face it, we live in little old Blighty which is pretty notorious round the world for having terrible weather, so the chances are it could very well rain on that one day of the year you really wish it wouldn’t. If this happens it happens, so the best thing to do is not worry and put a smile on it. 

The upside to the potential of rain is that it can actually work out in respect to getting some really good shots, both of yourselves as a couple and to capture moments like guests running for cover before getting soaked. The sort of thing that’s not funny at the time but that you can look back and laugh at with fondness and nostalgia.

Rain also brings out one of the ultimate Wedding Day props, the umbrella. While most people would still opt for sun, the umbrella can create a focal point for your pictures while shooting the couple. Shots of the Groom being the consummate gentleman, holding up the umbrella to shield his Bride can look chivalrous and endearing, creating a narrative that you can't capture in the same way on a sunny day.

Umbrellas can also go wrong blowing inside out, collapsing on people, getting caught on things, which is all great candid material to capture and make light of when you look back on your day. Like I say, not funny at the time but it does add to the narrative, creating a story to tell.

You don’t have to get wet either (which is also a big worry), when taking pictures of you as the couple, I can stand you in doorways, under arches, in bus stops, all of which can create unique and innovative photos. I may end up getting wet myself but that’s not a concern for you and it’s seen as par for the course for getting that great shot.

The bottom line is, don’t worry about the weather on your day, it out of your control and if it does happen we’ll work round it. With over 10 years’ experience shooting weddings I’ve seen plenty of rain and bad weather but it’s never ruined a day and we’ve still got some great shots out of it.

Want That Wedding: Real Wedding Blog Feature

Definitely one of the highlights for me in the 2017 calendar was Laura & Jon's Wedding at Ox Pasture Hall in Scarborough. Their outdoorsy, playful day was full of lawn games and laughter from a couple who never stopped smiling.
That's why it was great when Wedding Blog Want That Wedding decided to feature the day in one of their Real Wedding articles.

Read all about Laura & Jon's colourful summer wedding in full by clicking the image below:

|| WIN A FREE PHOTO SHOOT ||

Wow! It's been over a year since I last blogged anything on here which I know is absolutely criminal. Somehow 2017 totally got away from me, it's a long story and something I might get into further at a later date (in an entirely different post) but for now, back in 2018 one of my New Year's Resolutions as far as the business was concerned was to get myself out there more on social media. I've always enjoyed the success of referrals and a good reputation in what I do, but as a business I could always do more.
Since I started 83Photography & 83Weddings Social Media has become such a powerful tool and I'll happily admit I've probably slept on it a little while others have excelled.

I'm posting this on my 83Weddings Blog rather than the 83Photography one  as I'm almost certainly more known for my Wedding Photography than anything else, so wanted to share some info on how I also do work with different clients throughout the year on various other photography projects.

Over the last 6 months I’ve been concentrating on a massive revamp to the commercial side of my website updating my portfolio to include loads of previously un-showcased work.
This was a really fun process where I was able to revisit lots of old projects while selecting what to feature on the website.

With a background in Fashion and Product photography I do still work largely in these areas, as well as having a huge passion for music which does lend to me shooting bands both live and for line-up shots, as well as dipping my toe in the music video world (something I'd always love to do more of).

Recently I've also had a spate of Family, Children & Maternity Photography requests, mostly from old Wedding clients who now have kids so have returned to ask about my services in shooting the new additions. In reality this makes total sense and something I maybe should have thought about perusing sooner but without dwelling on the 'shudda wudda cudda's' it's been great to see the response to my work in this area and definitely something I'll continue to pursue now I've got the ball rolling.

To really get to the core of this post, I'm raising this awareness about all the other photography work I do bar Wedding Photography by having a little competition. As you can see from the image at the top of the page I'm offering a FREE PHOTO SHOOT to those who like my competition post on either Facebook or Instagram, as well as 'Following' me and tagging someone else who might be interested in entering the competition.

I've put links below, to take you directly to the appropriate pages as well as other examples of my work for you to check out. I'd love for as many people to enter the competition and wish everyone good luck in winning if they do!

COMPETITION INFO:

You can enter on either Facebook or Instagram

FACEBOOK:
LIKE the pinned post at the top of the 83Photography FB wall and comment on it
TAG a friend or company who you think may also wish to enter
FB LINK: https://goo.gl/SFFWSN

INSTAGRAM:
FOLLOW: @83Photography on Instagram
LIKE the competition image and comment on it
TAG a friend or company who you think may also wish to enter
INSTA LINK: https://goo.gl/HDHTVc

Terms & Conditions: http://www.83photography.co.uk/terms

Good Luck Everyone!!