Why I Love This Photo Series. 1.1

Why I Love this Photo 1.1

So I thought it would be a nice exercise to pick out some of my favourite photos over the past year and explain why I love them, which brought about the Why I Love This Photo Series.

Details

I thought I’d start with details, as a lot of the time that’s how I’ll start my day photographing a wedding. I’ll often photograph the exterior of the place I’m about to enter and then usually the first few pictures I will take will be of details the couple have requested or things of interest around the room that I think add context to the story, this gives me some great photos to help me put together the story of your day for the couple, it also gives the people around that morning a little bit of time to relax and get used to having a photographer around before I start taking photographs of them.

Why Wedding Shoes?

Today’s photograph is maybe a strange one to start with… I am a documentary photographer yet the photo might not so obviously be in that style.

You’ve probably seen a photo like this a million times before. Detail shots are done in windows a lot because of the quality of light, it’s an easy go to shot, it looks nice, but it’s nothing ground breaking so why choose this photo?

The reason I love this photo is that it shows the brides beautiful shoes and the setting off, but it also adds some context to the day. You can see the delicate rain drops on the thin paned glass of the windows, a hint of the beautiful gardens of Middlethorpe Hall in the back ground and that’s why I love this shot. It isn’t just a shot of Donna’s lovely shoes it adds to the story of the day Donna and Kev got married by reminding them of those extra little details of the morning that otherwise would be long forgotten.

When shooting detail shots, I’ll always look around for different ways I can add context to the photograph, sometimes the best way to shoot these items is to photograph them where you find them, other times it can be nice to find somewhere that helps add another layer to the story.

To view my full Wedding Portfolio click here.

Katie Dervin is a Documentary Wedding Photographer based in Manchester.

Middlethorpe Hall Wedding - York - Donna and Kev.

Donna and Kev got engaged on a hillside in the pissing down rain somewhere in Lancashire. After Kev dragged Donna out of their lovely warm and dry Bed and Breakfast and then up and down many hills, as the wind and rain lashed on their cold and sodden faces. Donna didn’t have a clue what was coming… and let’s be honest, she was probably feeling a little bit fed up at this point. But then Kev stopped held Donna gently by the hand and pointed her in the direction of a very familiar scene… Her favourite scene. The scene from her most treasured painting, that had held prize positioning in her home for many years. Donna had no idea that the painting was even of a real place, but some how Kev had not only figured it out, but gone and found the place and the exact spot (more or less) that the painting was painted from!  Donna was gob smacked! And if that wasn’t enough, when she turns to look at Kev. The kind of “How the hell have you done this” look, she sometimes gives him… Kev is only down one knee and asking Donna to marry him!!! She said yes, of course, or this would be a weird story, they drank a bottle of Champagne that Kev had secretly stashed in his rucksack and made their way back to the B&B, warmer, happier and ready to spend the rest of their lives together!

As engagements go, this one was a corker and the wedding at Middlethorpe Hall was just as beautiful. Thank you for having me Donna and Kev, it was an absolute pleasure to spend the day with you.

P.S. Carno Kevin my Venus flytrap, is safe and well and keeping me company every day sitting on the windowsill by my desk and protecting me from flies. He says “Hi”. 

If you are getting married and looking for a Documentary photographer to capture your day in a natural unobtrusive manner drop me a message or check out my online portfolio. 

Katie Dervin is a Documentary Photographer based in Manchester.