Dear Clients and prospective Clients,
I hope you and all your families remain in good health at this troubling time. Once this is over we can return to the happier moments like the ones pictured here.
With us all experiencing this lockdown clearly I am not photographing anyone at present. I have turned my studio into a gym and yoga internet classroom and I am using my cameras to record my experience of the self imposed isolation sharing it on my wordpress blog.
It has been a difficult few weeks and the coming months over the spring and summer look equally challenging. I feel the government has let us down acting too slowly and when the guidance came it was unclear and ambiguous, leaving brides, groom and suppliers like me to make the decisions that really they should have taken. In the end I have been contacting people to offer my services for postponed dates, encouraging people to put off their weddings before the government eventually made the lockdown decision that brought a halt to weddings.
I have therefore tried to be proactive in making decisions I feel are in the best interests of my clients and myself, not to mention society as a whole.
I have relaxed my terms and conditions so that existing clients, should they need to, postpone their weddings, and I have offered to do transfer my contract with them to their new date if I am available. If I am not available I am giving a refund less my expenses up until the point of cancellation. My expenses are usually no more than the retainer paid at the original time of booking.
I am prepared to take further bookings which are hopefully after the lockdown and pandemic have passed. It is of course difficult to say when when this will be. The safest thing to say is that these will probably be for the end of this year and for next year too.
If you would like to book a free Skype consultation please message me to set up a time.
There will be an end to this, and it will come sooner if we self isolate and follow the reasonable guidance the government is putting out.
My very best wishes to all current and future clients.
Yours sincerely,
Richard
It was a wonderful Summer wedding at the Doubletree by Hilton in Chester despite the occasional downpour, but that is British summertime weather. Did not have a chance to meet the couple before hand as they both worked overseas.
Glamour seems a good word for the day, a quality of someone or something that causes excitement and admiration because of its style or attractive appearance. There was definitely excitement and admiration for the bride and groom who carried of the wedding with style and looked great. The bride was demour and shy. and I had to coax her to have a portrait done.
Seven bridesmaids made a statement on my arrival and that this was going to be big and glamorous. The bride had given each a memory box of images and gifts which made a great picture. I never press for pictures, there is a lot of getting ready and if it happens it happens. They are clearly all a team although the bridesmaid on the right is giving that cheeky wink!
Watching the bridal preparations was a challenge with so many getting hair, makeup and dressed! Men usually have an easier time as and the seven groomsmen made sure the groom was in the right place at the right time. these men wee relaxed and enjoying the day supporting in hansome fashion the groom.
And then back to the more serious stuff of what it means to get married. The bride was self-assured despite her declared shyness clearly had the whole ceremony situation well under control. There were clearly some appreciative eyes among the women in the walking up the aisle shot, fabulous bride in a fabulous dress.
Love those fairy lights at the Doubletree, and the added blossom mad for a busy background for the ceremony photographs. This is a special moment when rings are exchanged and capturing the exact moment is important.
Oona Linnett, harpist, was there to create a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere as people arrived and for key moments of the ceremony whether it was the bride walking down the aisle, or for the signing of the register.
The weather kept us inside to begin with enjoying that first drink, helping everyone to relax. I usually don’t go into group shots straightaway giving people that fist few minutes to relax, I just reportage the hugging and the smiling and the congratulating.
However there came a break so we did the group shots, confetti and bouquet throw before then organising a set of newlywed portraits. I like to get up high if I can and catch more faces. Also doing a walk down for the confetti shot means I can take a series of images and again more people are in the picture. Once the walk is over I stop the bride and groom and gather everyone around for a confetti shot while the newlyweds kiss, adding value.
Always like the bouquet throw, bit of silliness but another chance to celebrate! It is a bit of a cliché but done well it gets lots of people involved in a relaxed and fun moment. Just notices that one gentleman in the background of this picture. There are no rules so why shouldn’t he get involved!
And then down to some serious bridal photography and considering the bride was shy and didn’t think she would look good in any images she was a natural when it came to some simple posing. I don’t like to overdo the poses, there is not time, and when couples specifically ask not to e posed I concentrate on encouraging good posture and for them to hold each other as they normally do. This couple clearly wanted some relaxed images of themselves on their wedding day and i most the most of the minutes i had to get shots I liked and thought worthy of blogging!
I had to include the groom so we went down to the lake but the slipway wasn’t open so we stuck to the trees which gave us some shelter from the inclement weather, love trees! they werte happy to talk and make each other laugh and smile and I did my bets to capture the moment without interfering too much. it is often a matter of working on the posture and letting the emotions and thought about the day come through.
I always do some wide angle as well as closeup. Context in one and intimacy in the other. i think the couple were relaxing here and I had just about got the atmosphere right for the newlywed portrait session. You often only have minutes withe the bride and groom so getting that ‘keeper shot’ of them can be a pressure moment. these two made it easy though.
Doubletree work hard to turn the ceremony room around for the wedding breakfast adding candles and uplighting for a glamorous effect. There are those fairy-lights again. I remember as a child being mesmerised by them when we went to seaside. Low light photography brings out the atmosphere and the detail of candles, place settings and seating can be brought out still.
Then onto the receiving line for more hugs and kissing. After which it is a candlelit meal and speeches! Not everyone does a receiving line, some allow their guests to be seated and then make an entrance. Receiving lines do slow the proceedings down but it’s all in the planning, no-one needs to have to wait for their meal then.
Good to see everyone feels it is possible now to give a speech. Usually done at the end of the meal I always suggest doing them first so that once done the food and drink can be properly enjoyed without anxiety about speaking. Speech timings should be when the bride and groom want them and the venue should accommodate as long as it has plenty of warning and is part of the planning.
The reaction to speeches is as important to photograph as the people giving them, This is particularly so with the bride and in this case it was mum saying things that brought out the handkerchief. Catching moments like this is very important for the bride and groom who remember what they were thinking when the tears were flowing.
Generally speeches go off without a hitch and as long as someone has not tried to be too clever or rude everyone can enjoy them and laugh along and toast the happy couple. I have heard a number now and as long as they are not too long and avoid being to obvious and detailed they usually go down well. My advice, especially to grooms, is to remember that everyone in the room is there to have a good time and to celebrate you getting married and everyone wants to hear that you love your new partner in life.
It is often with the photographer that brides and grooms can have a few relaxed moments away from their demanding guests. I try to ensure there are moments either side of a photo session for them to have some private moments.
With this couple I finished the photography after the wedding breakfast and the speeches. I tend to tailor my coverage to those parts of the day the couple want rather than specific packages. These were fun to be with and had the glamour thing going in spades. Considering they were pretty shy in front of the camera I thought there was a strong sense of the glamorous about the whole affair.
Help the environment and plant more trees
Something new in 2020 for both Richard Linnett Photography and Oona Linnett, harpist! Like so many people we have become increasingly alarmed for our world, concerned about the global climate emergency. So, for every confirmed booking made with either myself or Oona, we are going to plant a tree. How this works will be that any person booking with us will receive a tree to plant as gift from us, and you can do this without your hands dirty either.
We have both joined Tree-Nation to support them in working to mitigate the effects of negative climate change. They have four large projects in Nicaragua, Colombia, Niger and Madagascar, and already have over 110 000 people and and more than 1000 companies involved, and we believe this will get even bigger and will make a really meaningful impact on a local, regional and global scale.
How will this work? After you have made a booking with myself or Oona, you will very shortly receive an email from Tree-Nation. The email will contain a link that will take you to our Tree-Nation page on their website where you can plant your tree. Once you’ve planted your tree, you can then reply to us with a message, you read about the species of tree you planted, its CO2 offset and what planting project you contributed to. You can also download your own tree certificate with all the information linked to your tree which is recognised as part of your CO2 off-setting. You will have officially contributed to a vital conservation project, as well as booking the music and/or photography for your event!
We should be seeing trees as a treasure for their beauty and for their importance in helping to create in such large measure the hospitable environment that we are so fortunate to have and enables us to thrive.
Are trees important in your work?
Let’s plant more trees!
So we enter the new ‘Roaring Twenties’! I hope this year and the next 10 are positive for you, optimists live longer apparently!
I had a great New Year’s Eve meeting people at Hencote’s where the champagne flowed and people turned out in their flapper art deco dresses and black tie. Great group for a picture to record how they looked. I have toned all these pictures to blend them with the 1920s look. It is a while since I did a 1920s theme, two weddings one of which was on a New Year’s Day, much fun too!
Vivienne the events planner booked me and I got myself a black tie and trilby just to fit in, the finishing touch to which was to add a press pass card secured by the hat band! Quite like dressing up myself, also indicated I was game to the people at the party and trying to add to the atmosphere.
Entertainment was provided with a caricaturist during the drinks reception, and then live music to celebrate late into the night.
I even managed to get some portrait shots at the piano making the link to the jazz music of the day. The piano was a great prop and allowed some separation from the rest of the restaurant busy enjoying the menu.
The monkey with his Hencote wine bottle made it into most of the pictures which helped with the context and I am sure the venue will enjoys the extra advertising!
It is always difficult to know when enough is enough and people want to do something other than pose for you. I could take such pictures all day!
Chris Ryder the caricaturist had a lot of fun with guests at the beginning of the evening as they settled into the swing of things.
By way of music there was entertaniment from ‘Last Call’ a popular band from Manchester. They covered a number of contemporary and classic popular music favourites. Enjoyed it, and would have joined in the dancing.
They dressed for the occasion just like everyone else and were game fo photographs at the piano too.
Many got up onto the dance floor to shake those beads and tassels after letting a Hencote’s ‘The View’ meal go down.
‘Last Call’ made the evening with classic and contemporary popular music
Many had come because they were looking for a live music event for their New Year’s celebration and ‘Last Call’ did not disappoint.
So if you are thinking of an event in the Shrewsbury area I can definitely recommend Hencote’s as a venue, Vivienne will do you proud. if it is amusing entertainment then Sue Ryder can draw you and your friends into her funny caricature world. As for music then you would do well to book Last Call for you special event, a pleasure to listen and dance to. Links to all these fabulous people can be found in the text above.
Happy New Year to all readers.
Now this is going to sound a bit trite, but I think it is true, every bride is a princess and every groom is a prince. I can actually say with conviction that I would put all my enthusiasm, personality, artistic flare and technical ability into the wedding photographs of any couple, and it would be the same whether they were titled or not. Not that I was asked to photograph the recent wedding at Windsor, and not that I only turned it down because I was already booked. I just feel everyone who gets married should be getting the same level of attention and commitment from their photographer at whatever level of service has been arranged regardless.
Being a photographer I have so much fun meeting new people when I am booked to photograph them. In the case of weddings this begins with the consultation and the engagement shoot; listening and talking to the couple about who they are is vital for them to relax and enjoy the session. They find out about me too, and the mutual understanding that results always makes for better pictures then, and afterwards, especially weddings. That said, I am always amazed when I turn up on a wedding day, having perhaps only briefly chatted on the phone or by email messaging with the bride and groom that we can so quickly sync with each other. There is a lot to be said for photographers who are not just technically and possibly artistically brilliant, but are people who can create an atmosphere and rapport which means others feel safe to allow more of themselves to be revealed by the lens.
Many photographers have that ability to create a connection, and it is clear through social media and reviews which photographers are not just doing it for the money! There are of course some ex-paparazzi, ex-sports photographers and amateurs who turn their hand to wedding photography who find this more than challenging. I came to photography as a second career and love it no more or no less than my first as a teacher. The things I learnt as a teacher have helped me to be the photographer that I am, and I continue to learn as a photographer.
So, with no sense of deference I am well content to give all my clients the same level of professional service every time. What more can someone say in recommending themselves to you and your family and friends? Feel free to look across the internet for reviews and examples of my work.
And, if you happen to be of royal blood and need a photographer for your wedding, website, portrait or social media lifestyle images, feel confident that you will get that same high level of regard as I give to all!
Engagement shoots have become an important part of preparing for a wedding, a chance to really check out the photographer, someone you may be with much of your wedding day so they need to be someone you really get on with and even like. They will also be someone who can also make beautiful and technically brilliant images, check out their website thoroughly to make sure this is true.
A photographer has to be someone you enjoy being with, who is fun, and can get those images you want despite your possible shyness and lack of experience in front of the camera. I wish I had a £ for every time someone said they never looked any good in photographs, and another £ for everyone who said to me after the shoot how pleased they were with the pictures and how they looked in them!
Springtime is a very popular for engagement shoots as the wedding season starts to really get back into gear. I am busy with them at the moment and have included examples of recent shoots in this blog.
As part of my service as a wedding photographer I often include an engagement shoot an it is a chance to relax with the couple before the more intense day of the wedding. I say intense more because there is so much going on rather than that it is a day of stress, my aim is to take the stress out with a confident and light touch when taking the precious images that will help people to remember a happy and remarkable day in their lives.
Engagement shoots are relaxed and are the start of the real fun of being photographed. A time to learn that the photographer is going to be an asset to the wedding, bringing a calm, confident and experienced hand at dealing with each moment as it arises. During the shoot I always talk about what the couple would like from their wedding images and how I can make that happen for them.
To help couples relax we often talk not only about their wedding, but also their likes and dislikes,their background. We have a lot of fun, sharing a funny moment and doing things that make them laugh so they are not posing but being themselves. Acting out allows for more natural images even when they do actually look straight down the lens.
Once the shoot is over I am sure it is very reassuring to have quality prints or files from the photographer so that couples know the standard has been set and what should come with the wedding pictures. I always give a minimum of two large prints, one for each the bride and groom. I always provide a password protected online gallery from which couples choose their photos and there is always an option to purchase more usually sweetened with a significant discount for large orders!
Apart from simply enjoying the pictures there are two other ways that clients use the engagement shoot assuming there is enough time they can use one picture for the invitations, a very personalised card to receive. The other option is for a signing board on which people write their names and messages during the reception, it is basically a very large mount around the picture inside a simple frame.
At the moment I am actually offering engagement shoots FREE! No extra charge!! So if you know anyone getting married in the next year, go on, pass my details on.