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With a double daily blog schedule, I often get asked if I get writers block.  My answer?  Hardly ever.  I absolutely love talking about weddings.  But sometimes, a submission or set of images will leave me speechless.  The work of Brides Up North Featured Supplier Jamie Penfold Photography will do that to you.

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Let’s meet this talented (and thoroughly nice) North East wedding photographer.  

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How did you get into wedding photography?

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For as long as I can remember I’ve had a camera.  My dad was always a keen photographer and always tried to copy him but he wouldn’t let me anywhere near his camera. I think I got my first camera when I was five.  Nothing special but it went everywhere with me.  From that point my interest grew and throughout university I was always out and about with my camera capturing the scenes around me.  I had never thought about wedding photography until my wedding in 2000.  The photography was a disaster.  That disappointment was gut wrenching.  My friends started asking me to capture their weddings and knowing what that disappointment felt like pushed me.  My first wedding was just over 10 years ago.  Up until 2010 I was doing my photography alongside my full time job (business advisor) but I was made redundant as part of the government cut backs and that’s when I took the plunge to do it full-time.  Since then I’ve gained my Licentiate qualification with the British Institute of Professional Photography and going through the process with the Master Photographers Association.  It’s been a lot of hard work to get to where I am but it’s worth all the blood sweat and tears.  I’m now capturing weddings across the UK and Europe. 

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Why wedding photography specifically?

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As I mentioned before it all started on July 22nd 2000.  Joanne and I got married in Amble, Northumberland but planned it all from Southampton where we lived at the time.  We went with the only photographer we knew and didn’t do our research.  It was something we regret to this day.  Our photographer didn’t make any effort to connect with us and was a nightmare on the day.  The images were flat, dull and didn’t reflect us or our day.  When my friends saw the pictures and how disappointed we were their reactions were all the same…  there is no way you would do that to anyone and you could do a million times better.  I did a couple of weddings (reluctantly at first as I was really unsure) but loved it.  I can’t rewind and reshoot my wedding.  This is my way of putting right what went wrong with mine.  I’m spurred on by that disappointment and seeing my couples reactions is just mind-blowing. 

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What is your favourite thing about being a wedding photographer?

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I love the variety of weddings, the different personalities, the colours… its such a buzz!  My job is definitely not boring!  I get to share those really special moments and capture them forever. 

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How do you get couples to relax on the day?

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It depends on the couple on the actually day itself.  But with all of them it’s a case of getting to know them from the point of booking.  Getting to know their personalities, their likes and dislikes, and then looking at their ideas for their wedding.  Building that rapport and getting to know each other is as important part of the process as the images.  The pre wedding shoot is part of that process too. People seem to get scared of the camera.  I’D rather people are nervous at the pre wedding shoot than on the wedding day.  By the time we get to the big day it’s like having a friend arriving to shoot the day.  I have such a blast shooting weddings….it’s a great day and should be fun and I try to get that across to my couples.  Enjoy it!  I’Ve been told my enthusiasm is infectious which I think helps.

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Any advice to any brides who don’t like to have their picture taken?

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I think over the past 10 years most of my brides have initially said they hate having their picture taken.  As I always say to my couples "ignore the fact that I am there which won’t be difficult as you’re going to get completely swept up in the emotion and fun of the day".  The simple rule of thumb I have is don’t panic.  There’s no need!  If you don’t feel comfortable "posing" we won’t do "posing".  I’Ll capture you enjoying your day, the emotions and the "gone in a second" moments.  One of the brides I worked with last year, Helena, was terrified at the thought of having her photo taken.  For the pre wedding shoot we picked a quiet beach and spent some time chatting, talking through the process, finding out what she disliked about having her photo taken.  I then began taking pictures, encouraging her, talking to her about everything and anything and most importantly showing her the pictures on the camera.  On her wedding day she was so relaxed with the camera.  She was recently a bridesmaid at her friends wedding which I shot (another bride who hated the idea of having her picture taken) and was so at ease with getting her photo taken yet again.

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What sort of makeup should a bride wear to look great in her pictures?

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I have to agree with the make up artists I work closely with who always recommend staying true to yourself. So no smoky eyes if you normally just wear mascara. You want the make up to bring out your best features. And remember, sometimes less is more!

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Anything to avoid which might look bad in the wedding pictures?

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My golden rule is "if it bends, bend it".  I prefer not having straight arms in the pictures where possible as it makes people look really tense at times.  And the phantom hand around the waist!  It’s simple little things like this that I look for before capturing a shot.  Takes seconds to put right but makes such a difference. 

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Which celebrity wedding would you most like to photograph and why?

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Joey Essex and Sam Faiers.  I’m a Geordie with Essex roots…what can I say!  I love TOWIE as cheesy as it is!  You just know that the wedding will be way over the top packed with a good mixture of drama and fun! 

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Any really memorable weddings that you have captured?

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Many, but Zara and Jonny’s sticks in my mind.  I can safely say that I have never cried as much at a wedding as theirs.  Jonny’s dad had passed away so there was a lot of emphasis on his memory throughout the ceremony.  The readings just tugged at the heart strings, not just about his dad but the pure electric love these two had (have) for each other.  I was hiding behind my camera looking around and not a person had a dry eye.  The registrars were in tears.  I was breaking my heart! 

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It was also brilliantly stylish.  Zara was wearing the most stunning dress from House of Mooshki!  It was a 1950s style dress and she had the most amazing pink sparkly shoes complete with ice creams on them.  Heart   shaped sunglasses, horse drawn carriage, VW Camper Van for the adult bridesmaids, a 1950s style police car for the page boys and flower girls.  It was a perfect day in the sun at Washington Old Hall followed by an English Tea Party! 

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I’ve also shot a couple of weddings under the canvas of a Papakata teepee.  Those weddings were a bit special.  The canvas creates a weird orange glow inside.  Add to that fairy lights, a glitter ball, fire pit, animal skin rugs (oh and marshmallows cooked on the fire) and you have a magical atmosphere!

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Are you married? Tell us about your day.

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I’ve been married for thirteen years to Joanne.  We’ve known each other since we were at school and started going out in 1993 when we just sixteen.  We got married at St Cuthbert’s Church in Amble and had our reception at the Masonic Hall in Amble.  We were living in Southampton at the time and planned the whole thing from down there… with Joanne in the final parts of her teaching degree. 

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It was a frantic couple of weeks leading up to the wedding as we had sold our house down there and were in the process of buying our current house in North Shields, whilst Jo was also applying for her first teaching job and thankfully was successful in securing employment a couple of days before the wedding.  It was an overcast muggy July day.  Really uncomfortable! 

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We did the whole thing on a smallish budget and pretty much did it all ourselves.  Catering, decorating etc. On the day of the wedding my parents, my best man Matt, my ushers and myself had to tidy the Masonic as there was a football presentation evening the night before and then we had to set everything. 

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We both grew up in Amble and pretty much knew everyone there.  I walked through the town to the church and kept getting stopped by people.  The ceremony seemed to go in a flash.  I remember having a really bad nervous twitch in my leg which I couldn’t control!  Oh and I couldn’t say "till death us do part"!  Got completely tongue tied.  When we left the church there were loads of people outside waiting.  As Joanne’s nan said "it’s like the royal wedding".

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We then spent an hour and a half being photographed in groups by our photographer (less said about that the better).  After that it was pretty relaxed with the reception at the Masonic.  The only thing left for me to do was to announce after the speeches that there were no desserts until later that night as the mother in law had forgotten to defrost them! 

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We both said we would do it all completely differently if we were to do it again.  Our biggest advice to anyone is to not let people push you into things you don’t want to do on your wedding day. It’s your day! 

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Any funny stories to share?

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From my wedding?  The frozen puddings! 

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From the weddings I’ve shot? 

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Last summer I was shooting the wedding of Louise and Graeme at Alnwick Garden.   A baking hot humid day charged with stacks of nervous tension.  When Louise arrived the nerves were jangling.  She walked down the aisle to meet Graeme.  The registrar began talking and then started the vows.  "Do you Graeme take Sarah….."

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"WHO THE HELL IS SARAH?!" blurted Louise at the top of her voice looking at Graeme.  Graeme stood open mouthed before the registrar apologised saying "Oops!  I mean Louise!  Sarah’s my colleague!".  The whole place fell about.  It did the trick though.  All the nervous tension evaporated.  It did lead to a lot of giggles throughout the ceremony.  It also was a great picture to get, capturing the "Who the hell…" moment!

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Another one sticks in my mind because it’s quite poignant at the moment and I know the bride, Gayle, won’t mind me telling this. When Gayle married Iain in 2011, she arrived at the church with her dad, Owen.  As they waited in the entrance hall of the church Owen’s trousers fell down.  We were falling about laughing, led by Owen!  The folks at the front of the church didn’t have a clue what was going on but the folks in the pews at the back got the full show as the ushers frantically tried to help him get his trousers back up and fastened!  I’d known Owen for years and this was typical Owen.  He didn’t take himself too seriously and poked fun at himself.  Owen passed away a couple of weeks back and Gayle and I were having a good chuckle talking about this story when she told me about her Dad’s passing. 

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What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?

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Some would say it’s the Converse boots I wear!  I like to think it’s the depth and colour of my images I create which sets me apart.  I don’t have a particular style.  I am versatile so can provide across a range of styles. 

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What can a couple who book you expect on the day?

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They’ll get a mixture of energy, passion and discretion.  I’m not the type of photographer who is in your face all the time.  When people say "oh half the time we didn’t realise you were there" I know I’ve done my job and that they’ve all been at ease with me.  I have a relaxed approach on the day.  I still get nervous before every wedding but it’s like a swan: graceful on the surface, feet paddling away underneath.  I like to be a calming influence on my couples.  Above all, I have fun and I make sure my couples have fun too! 

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What is included in your "package"?

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· A modern, professional approach to wedding photography

· Venue visits and planning meetings

· A pre-wedding photo shoot at a location of their choice

· Coverage on the day from bridal prep through to the evening celebrations

· Secure online gallery

· High resolution images on disc in a stunning presentation box

· Framed print

· And me of course!

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However, if people are after something a little different to the above then I will sit down with the couple and design a bespoke package for them.  Albums are something I look at after the big day.  I prefer to give people control of what they have.  Plus, how do you know how many pictures you’ll fall in love with before you see them?  I’d rather people come to me and say "Can we have 58 images in an album" than me to say "You get 40 images in an album". 

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Can you give us an idea on price?

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£1200.  Albums start from £250.

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Can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?

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I’d like to offer a complimentary Cherish the Dress Shoot for Brides Up North readers.  Please quote Brides Up North when booking. 

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How can Brides Up North get in touch with you or see more examples of your work?

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Well, there’s my website at www.memoriesandemotions.co.uk.  This has a sample of my work as well as my blog about each of my weddings and pre wedding photoshoots.  To arrange a consultation simple drop me a line using the contact form on the website, email me at info@jamiepenfold.com or call 0191 270 8385.

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Anything else that we should know?

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Be ready to have a lot of fun!

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2013 Jamie Penfold Photography

Jamie Penfold Photography is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier, and this is a sponsored post

Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier

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