Liverpool Wedding Venue - The Racquet Club

I recently shot a wedding at the Racquet Club in Liverpool for the first time. The bride and groom were Kay and David who are keen photographers also and so it was a pleasure to work with them and get some great images of their day.

The location itself on Chapel Street in Liverpool is a historic building that was once a private gentleman's club and is now a family run hotel incorporating the Ziba Restaurant. It's location is ideal for some great shots outside with the famous Liver Buildings as a backdrop.  

The Racquet Club in Liverpool is a great venue for a wedding if a Liverpool Wedding is your preferred choice and I look forward to working there again next year. 

Beautiful Italian Wedding in San Giulio Orta

It was a huge honour and a pleasure to help photograph Jo and John Moss' wedding on the beautiful shore of San Giulio on Lake Orta in Northern Italy. The ceremony took place in the gorgeous gardens of the local town hall - Villa Bossi in perfect sunny weather with the lake as a backdrop for some stunning photographs. 

As the guests waited in the glorious 30 degrees sunshine with no idea which direction the bride would appear, a speedboat was spotted coming towards us across the lake. As it drew closer we could see Jo and her proud, beaming dad Ian waving at us as they approached. 

They then walked arm in arm towards the ceremony preceded by the chief bridesmaid and two flower girls spreading rose petals down the aisle. Every guest was leaning and ducking with their own cameras and iPad's trying to get the first shot of the beautiful bride in her exquisite white bridal gown from Natalie Ann Brides from Liverpool. The four bridesmaids also looked flawless in Dessy Ragalia purple dresses from The Wedding Rooms Formby.

Once the ceremony was completed, the new Mr and Mrs Moss led the friends and family to a drinks reception at Venus Restaurant in the Piazza Motta, the typically Italian central square with a great variety of shops, delightful restaurants, cafes and pizzeria's. 

Following the reception there were further surprises starting with chartered boats to a secret lakeside location for the wedding breakfast. As the boats neared the shores, the tasteful and elegant music from the live band could be heard and the wonderful setting for this wedding party became apparent. The guests then enjoyed a five course Italian banquet and enjoyed the brilliant, amusing speeches by the groom, father of the bride and best men. It's safe to say that a great time was had by all and it certainly helped to capture some entertaining photographs for the newly married couple to treasure.  

Wedding Photography Training by UK's Top Documentary Photographer

This week I was very fortunate to find one of the last remaining spaces on Kevin Mullin's photojournalism photography course. 

I have been a huge fan of his approach to capturing a wedding and some of his images are among the best wedding photo's I have ever seen.

The day long course took place in Amersham Studios in Buckinghamshire so although it was a fair distance to travel for a one day course, I had not ventured the furthest as there were attendees from Belgium and also one from the USA! That is how good Kevin Mullins is. 

He has won numerous awards since he began in 2008 and is a Fujifilm ambassador, and has traveled around the world giving talks on his photography approach, and on behalf of Fujifilm. 

I wanted to attend one his training sessions to learn more about both the style that is often referred to as 'Documentary' or 'Candid' or 'Photojournalism' photography, and also to collect advise and tips of the business of wedding photography and how to make mine develop. However it is described it is one that I'm a big fan of. I would never copy a fellow photographer but try to take inspiration from one so successful. 

I'm sure Kevin wouldn't mind me adding a couple of my favourite photographs from his collection that best demonstrates this style if I provide a link back to his website. 

The approach is completely candid, nothing is ever staged and so the expressions, reactions and moments that are captured are completely natural. It's all about looking out for expressions, touches and interactions. 

The reaction on their faces as the bride arrives downstairs is priceless

How amazing is this perfectly captured moment as dad gives the groom a telling look of how proud he is. 

Looking through Kevin's website as some of his many hundreds of weddings that he has shot all around the world, just makes me want to get out there and start shooting. 

I love his work and will take as much inspiration from it as I possibly can.