ON: ATMOSPHERE HAS CHAPTERS

'ON:' IS AN ONGOING EDITORIAL SERIES FROM THE UNBRIDLED, WHERE I EXPLORE THE IDEAS THAT SHAPE THE WAY I SEE WEDDINGS, MEMORY AND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. EACH WEEK, I LOOK BEYOND TRENDS AND TIMELINES TO TALK ABOUT WHAT REALLY MAKES A WEDDING UNFORGETTABLE.

WHEN PEOPLE DESCRIBE MY WORK AS A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, THEY OFTEN MENTION THE COLOURS, MOVEMENT AND EMOTION AND ATMOSPHERE. IF YOU ASKED ME WHAT I'M REALLY FOCUSING ON IS CAPTURING THE FEELING OF BEING THERE:

THE ATMOSPHERE.

IT IS PROBABLY THE WORD I USE MORE THAN ANY OTHER, AND RECENTLY I'VE FOUND MYSELF ASKING WHY.

BECAUSE ATMOSPHERE ISN'T REALLY SOMETHING YOU SEE.

IT IS WHAT SOMETHING FEELS LIKE.

IT IS THE ANTICIPATION BEFORE ANYTHING HAS BEGUN. THE QUIET HUM OF A ROOM YET UNDISTURBED. THE NERVOUS ENERGY WHILST GETTING DRESSED. THE MOMENT OF REALISATION AS YOU SEE EACH OTHER AT THE CEREMONY. THE SOFTNESS OF THE LIGHT AS CONVERSATIONS BECOME MORE VIBRANT. THE MOMENT EVERYONE REALISES THIS IS NO LONGER A DATE IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT IS HAPPENING RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW.

IT IS THE FEELING THAT LIES BENEATH EVERYTHING ELSE.

ATMOSPHERE HAS CHAPTERS

ATMOSPHERE SHIFTS ACROSS A WEDDING BUT ALSO IS NEVER LINEAR. AND THAT IS WHY I DON'T THINK ATMOSPHERE BELONGS TO ONE PHOTOGRAPH. IT IS CAPTURED IN ONE MOMENT, BUT TOGETHER AS AN ARCHIVE, IT OPENS THE DOORS TO RELIVING THAT DAY.

A WEDDING DOESN'T BEGIN WHEN SOMEONE WALKS DOWN THE AISLE. IT BEGINS MUCH EARLIER THAN THAT. I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO FORCES AWKWARD PREPARATION PHOTOGRAPHS, IT IS MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT. IT BEGINS IN THE DRIVE TO THE VENUE. IN THE HALF FINISHED CONVERSATIONS WHILST THE FLOWERS ARE STILL BEING ARRANGED. IN PARENTS QUIETLY LOOKING AROUND AN EMPTY ROOM BEFORE GUESTS ARRIVE. IN SOMEONE TAKING A DEEP BREATH BEFORE OPENING THE DOOR.

THOSE MOMENTS MATTER JUST AS MUCH AS THE CEREMONY ITSELF BECAUSE THEY'RE PART OF THE SAME STORY.

THEN THE DAY CHANGES.

THE ANTICIPATION GIVES WAY TO CELEBRATION.

THE ENERGY SHIFTS AGAIN.

DINNER SOFTENS IN TO SPEECHES.

SPEECHES BECOME DANCING.

THE ROOM SLOWLY UNRAVELS.

SHOES COME OFF.

JACKETS DISAPPEAR.

HAIR FALLS LOOSE.

CANDLES BURN LOWER.

PEOPLE FORGET WHAT TIME IT IS.

AND EVENTUALLY, ALMOST WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING, THE WEDDING BEGINS TO DISAPPEAR. TABLES EMPTY. THE MUSIC STOPS, ONLY FRAGMENTS REMAIN. EVERY WEDDING MOVES THROUGH THESE CHAPTERS IN THEIR OWN WAY.

THE MISTAKE PEOPLE OFTEN MAKE IS BELIEVING WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SHOULD ONLY FOCUS ON THE OBVIOUS MOMENTS

...THE KISS, THE CONFETTI, THE DANCE. THOSE MOMENTS ARE IMPORTANT OF COURSE. BUT THEY AREN'T THE ATMOSPHERE. THE FEELING OF LIVING THROUGH A WEDDING, BE PRESENT IN THAT MOMENT IN TIME ALSO LIVES IN THE MOMENTS IN BETWEEN THE 'BIG ONES'. AND THOSE MOMENTS ARE THE STORY.

PERHAPS THAT IS WHY I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AS DOCUMENTING A SERIES OF EVENTS. FOR ME IT IS ABOUT CREATING A COMPLETE ARCHIVE OF HOW A DAY FELT TO LIVE THROUGH.

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WHETHER I AM PHOTOGRAPHING A CELEBRATION IN DEVON, LONDON OR FURTHER AFIELD AS A DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, MY AIM IS ALWAYS THE SAME: TO CREATE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT FEEL HONEST, TIMELESS AND DEEPLY HUMAN.

YEARS FROM NOW, I DON'T JUST WANT YOU TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT. HOW ALL OF YOUR FAVOURITE PEOPLE OCCUPIED THE SAME SPACE FOR ONE EXTRAORDINARY WEEKEND.

ATMOSPHERE ISN'T ONE PHOTOGRAPHY. IT IS EVERY CHAPTER STICHED TOGETHER. AND PERHAPS THAT'S WHAT AN ARCHIVE REALLY IS. NOT A COLLECTION OF HIGHLIGHTS.

THIS IS TRUE WHETHER I AM WORKING DIGITALLY, PHOTOGRAPHING ON 35MM OR CREATING SUPER 8MM MOTION PICTURE VIDEOGRAPHY. THE GOAL REMAINS THE SAME: TO CREATE A BODY OF WORK THAT FEELS HONEST TO THE PEOPLE WITHIN IT.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY THAT REMEMBERS HOW IT FELT

AT THE UNBRIDLED, I APPROACH EVERY WEDDING AS MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF BEAUTIFUL IMAGES. MY WORK COMBINES ARTISTIC DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WITH AN FASHION FOCUSED EYE, CREATING AN ARCHIVE THAT PRESERVES THE ATMOSPHERE, RELATIONSHIPS AND FLEETING MOMENTS THAT MAKE EVERY CELEBRATION UNIQUE.

BEGIN YOUR ARCHIVE.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER WHO VALUES PRESENCE OVER PERFORMANCE, AND WANTS TO TELL THE COMPLETE STORY OF YOUR DAY, I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR PLANS.

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