An Oxfordshire Family Shoot – The Daniels

In the summer we had the pleasure of doing a lifestyle shoot with 3 generations of the Daniels’ family. Kingsley had bought the shoot as a birthday present for his mother, as he knew she would appreciate the memories of the family captured as a gift. The shoot was a very relaxed affair that took place one Sunday morning at their home. We started the shoot taking some portraits in their lovely garden just outside Watlington in Oxfordshire. Being a family shoot everyone had to be involved and naturally that included the two dogs! They were even more chuffed when to finish off the shoot we all went on walk to the family’s vineyard, which enabled us to get some great shots of the family in an environment which clearly means a lot to them. The family photography shoot  was also a great way of welcoming the newest addition to the family and first grandchild!  As we always shoot on location we also get a real sense of place captured in the images, which make them all the more authentic. This environment also ensures we capture people at their most comfortable and relaxed, which always shows in the results! We love family shoots as the memories captured are priceless and families get to treasure them for years after. It was great getting to know the Daniels family and we look forward to showing them the beautiful wall art of their family that has resulted from the shoot!

Fashion Portfolio Photography in Oxfordshire for M.A.C.H

The team at M.A.C.H are training and inspiring make-up and hair artists throughout the UK to be the best in their field. Led by Claire Hanson they offer a comprehensive range of courses for all levels of Make-up and hair artists. From those looking to start with the basics through to already experienced and established Make-up & hair artists who may just be looking for some inspiration or insight into the latest trends.

Part of any successful course is the ability to receive top quality images for use in your portfolio as it is the quality of the images to really show off your work that will get you hired. We are delighted that this is the service we are providing for the M.A.C.H team. Some images from the most recent shoot with Claire and the team are below.

An Eynsham Hall, Oxfordshire Wedding: Heidi & Andrew

Heidi and Andrew’s love story is one filled with a timeless romance. They met for the first time when Heidi was just a 16 year old girl and when she returned to her native Canada the two friends kept in touch by hand writing letters to each other. After years of getting to know each other through pen and paper, Andrew decided to take a chance and follow his heart across the Atlantic. What he found there was a beautiful young woman and the relationship which had been slowly nurtured through many letters over the years flourished into a full blown romance!

Years later Heidi & Andrew are still very much in love and we were honoured to be asked to photograph their wedding. It was a beautiful and honest celebration of all the most important things in their lives, their love for each other and the family & friends closest to them. Deciding to only have 25 of the most important people to them at their big day meant the occasion was an exceptionally intimate and emotion filled day. Every person & detail present meant something, exactly how it should be.

This wedding really hit home with us as it truely centered around the most important thing about the occasion, the love between two people. Thank you for letting us share in this.

Heidi & Andrew chose to celebrate their wedding at the stunning Eynsham Hall near Witney, Oxfordshire. Heidi wore the Venus bridal gown from The Wedding House in Derby and the understated elegance of the dress suited her perfectly.

The flowers for the ceremony & reception and Heidi’s gorgeous bouquet were the creation of Fabulous Flowers in Oxford, simply stunning.

Capturing moments such as these were a father sees his daughter for the first time on the wedding day is incredibly special, a tender moment such as this just happens and cannot be recreated.

The Gun Room always makes for an incredibly fun place to capture some relaxed groom portraits. Andrew was very cool, calm and collected and there was a great atmosphere with all his brothers & best man around.

Throughout the day pianist Michael Vaughan provided a beautiful musical backdrop for the occasion.

There was so much emotion during the ceremony and speeches from the couple and all the family and friends present, it was amazing to witness and capture and really emphasised to us why we love photographing weddings so much.

Heidi is incredibly passionate about photography so it was great to capture these stunning signature images of her and Andrew.

There is no end to the stunning locations at Eynsham Hall and every time we shoot a wedding here we really are spoilt for choice. The best thing is that each time we find something new an interesting and this time a garden shed provided some fantastic light and texture.

For their wedding car Heidi & Andrew tracked down an authentic London black cab for the job, from Bob’s Taxi Service in Oxford.

To finish off the day we got the chance to do some stunning portraits at the Malmaison in Oxford where Heidi and Andrew were spending their first night as a married couple together before jetting off on their honeymoon.

We loved shooting Heidi & Andrew’s wedding as the day was just filled with so much love and emotion. We had such a great time capturing their photographs especially as they both really value good photography and so completely shared our passion for taking amazing photographs on the day. If you like these images too please share the love and leave us a nice comment! The rest of the images are available to view on a private gallery, please ask the bride & groom for the password. If you would like to see Heidi and Andrew’s fabulous wedding warm-up session it can be viewed here. Slideshows from both the wedding warm-up session and the wedding can be seen on their wedding website too. Finally if we met you at the wedding please stay in touch and join our Facebook Page!

A Brockton Grange, Shropshire Wedding: Nicky & Alex

Nicky and Alex met in a traditional London pub one night, when Alex tried to innocently pinch a chair which was unbeknown to him being fiercely guarded by Nicky, who was saving it for a friend! It must be this passion and loyalty Nicky has for her friends, family and loved ones that Alex saw in her that night, even when saving a seat, plus of course her English Rose good looks that led to that first date! They quickly established an intense bond, which overcame both distance and time, as soon after they met Nicky left for Africa to follow her dream of volunteering in an impoverished village in Malawi. When I first met Nicky on a dusty and extremely beaten overland truck in Africa, I soon heard all about Alex and knew it must be true love when I saw the t-shirt Alex had sent her with his face on! It was thus no surprise when last year they announced their engagement! It was truly a  great privilege for Glen and I to be asked to capture their wedding day, which was filled with so much heartfelt emotion from family and friends!

Nicky chose a beautiful peach colour theme for the wedding, which featured in the beautiful flowers done by The Flower Pot in Shifnal, confetti boxes and bridesmaids’ dresses. Nicky’s dress had some gorgeous lace detailing that added a timeless glamour which suited Nicky perfectly. Her peep toe shoes had a cute vintage feel, just perfect for the dress!

This furry little cutie almost made the cut as a fourth bridesmaid, but someone had to stay at home and hold the fort! Nicky’s hair was beautifully done by David Webb Hair Ltd in Shifnal
and her maid of honour did a stellar job on her make-up!

The champagne tones of the peach bridesmaids’ dresses gave them a chic vintage feel and suited  all the girls perfectly.

Nicky and Alex decided to get married in Nicky’s home county of Shropshire where fate would have it Alex spent much of his youth, but they were only to meet years later in the big smoke! Brockton Grange, the impressive building on the grounds where the reception was held, is a stone’s throw from where Nicky’s mum now lives and where the ceremony was held at St Andrew’s church in Shifnal.

A massive surprise for all the guests as Nicky and Alex made their exit was the exploding top hats worn by all the ushers, which were exclusively made for them by a family friend.

The beautiful details around the church made a perfect setting for some stunning bride and groom portraits.

Nicky wore a gorgeous vintage chapel length veil, which worked beautifully for the portraits.

Nicky and Alex are both in the teaching profession which led to their  quirky and personal school themed reception. Table names were written on miniature black boards and the menus were on old school timetables.

The bunting that lined the marquee gave the atmosphere a touch of vintage which suited the table names, which were all based on past schools Nicky and Alex have either attended or taught at. Their place names were just fabulous and fitted the school theme perfectly – pencils personalised with the couple’s names!

The Supershakers created a brilliant atmosphere for the first dance, so it was no surprise when everyone else hit the dance floor.

Please leave a comment if you like the photographs from Nicky and Alex’s wedding and we would love it if you joined our Facebook Page too to keep in touch! If you would like to see the fab wedding warm-up shoot we did with Nicky and Alex at Hampstead Heath please click here.

Nicky and Alex, thank you again for choosing us to photograph your wedding, it was a lovely day! We wish you all the happiness for your future together.

Fashion shoot for Claire Hanson Make-up Artist

When Claire Hanson asked me to work with her to produce some fresh images for the launch of her new website I was very honored. Claire is at the top of her field in the make-up and hair industry and as such works with some of the best photographers in the world, so for her to put her trust in us was very humbling.

Using 3 models Claire created so many looks during the day that the girls were transformed from a boho bride to the personification of rock chic in a matter of minutes. 60’s siren was turned into sophisticated and sexy within half an hour and Russian beauty to vintage splendor in the same amount of time.

The best way to really appreciate this amazing work is for the words to stop and the images to start.

Thanks Claire working with you is always a pleasure. Also a special thanks to Suzie for bringing along her amazing Karma Kar for the bridal shoot.

Keep an eye out for the launch of Claire’s brand new website here very soon

Bix Manor Henley Wedding: Suzi & Ian

Suzi and Ian are a fabulous match, complementing each other perfectly in so many ways. You will immediately notice they are both gorgeous, but there are subtler elements too which make them a great pair. Suzi loves an adrenaline rush and so it is no surprise she is a motorbike lover! Ian also loves being active and is passionate about rugby, has played the very physically demanding game of football and has spent some time doing personal training. Suzi is passionate and decisive where as Ian is a thinker and likes to make carefully considered decisions. Together they both adore their baby girl Amber Brooke and make a loving and devoted family unit.

They met on their first day at work and Ian was immediately struck by the feisty and rather stunning Suzi. Ian made quite an impression himself as Suzi agreed to go on a date and have some drinks together! The first date must have been terrific as Suzi couldn’t remember  a thing the next day, which Ian took advantage of using the information he had gleaned on their first date to make an excellent 2nd impression and the rest is history!

Their wedding was an extremely elegant affair with an incredibly relaxed atmosphere, a very difficult combination to achieve! The day started at The Angel in Henley where all the guests got together before the formalities of the day  started to watch the Wales vs England game and enjoy lunch together. We were there and captured lovely candid and informal shots of all the family and friends before leaving with Suzi to get back to Bix Manor, their wedding venue, ready for the nuptials!

Jason, director and salon manager of Lisa Shepherd in London, was responsible for Suzi’s glamorous look on the day.

A massive part of making sure everything ran smoothly on the day was Suzi’s fantastic wedding planner Sarah of SJD Events Limited, who had worked with Suzi throughout the planning stages  of the wedding and was just a hero on the day!

Suzi’s stunning wedding dress is a glamorous Pronovias gown from their exclusive Bond Street store. Her gorgeous shoes, which were perfect for her dress are from Pronovias too!

The to-die-for sapphire necklace and earrings from Michael Rose Jewels were just the perfect accessories as they could hold their own against the fabulousness of the Pronovias gown, and I think you’ll agree Suzi totally rocked her look!

Ian wore a very stylish Gieves & Hawkes suit from Savile Row. The Hugo Boss tie clip was a great touch!

Suzi and Ian’s  beautiful wedding bands were from Heming in London and perfectly suited them!

The ceremony and evening reception was at the lovely Bix Manor just outside Henley and was the perfect setting for very elegant black tie dress code.

The black tie dress code really gave the day an extremely sophisticated and chic edge. Never has a tea cup looked so small when held by an Ice Hockey player in black tie!

The stunning grounds of Bix Manor made a great backdrop for the bride and groom portraits.

The venue looked extremely glamorous with Suzi’s carefully selected decor; crystal candelabras with gorgeous black accents of rose petals and candlesticks. All the silver stationary for the event went beautifully with the chic black details. These fabulous centerpieces as well as Suzi’s bouquet were by Sonning Flowers. Their very personalized wedding cake was by Catherine Scott, don’t you just love it?!

The staff at Bix Manor did a wonderful job on the day and the owner Gary really gives a personal touch to the proceedings.

Suzi and Ian had one of the most beautiful first dances of the season! The music was courtesy of Fusion Entertainment.

We loved getting to know Suzi and Ian over the last year and it was such a pleasure capturing their wedding in photographs on the day!  Lastly if you liked the images captured on the day please show the love and leave us a nice comment, we always appreciate it!

Latest Oxford Photography Shoot with M.A.C.H

Working with a talented and creative team is always a real pleasure and yields great results! Our latest fashion shoot with the team from M.A.C.H was a real combination of everyones talents. The portfolio day was a chance for one of the teams new recruits Adrianna to apply her skills and learn some new ones from one of M.A.C.H’s course trainers Amy Brandon. I think you will agree we managed to get some fantastic shots from the day that will look great in her portfolio.

Newborn shoot in Leafield, Witney: Lucy, Mike & baby Benjamin

This family are very fortunate to live on the edge of the picturesque Cotswolds in the ribbon town of Leafield near Witney. The day we arrived to photograph newly born Benjamin the surroundings played a major part in the shoot just as it does in their family life. The passing of time can be marked with the changing crops in the field behind their house and to commemorate Benjamin’s arrival the field was awash with golden barley. This made for a wonderful backdrop for some of the family portraits and gave the images an almost painterly quality. The family now have a frame for their wall, which not only marks the birth of their first son but also the place of their family home.

Henley Wedding Warm Up Session – Suzi & Ian

We met Suzi and Ian at Hotel Du Vin in Henley, a place they both love, for their wedding warm up session. It was a fantastic day, golden reams of sunshine shining down rather unusually for Blightey! Direct sunlight can be challenging to shoot in but if you know what to do you can get some really stunning results from it and a look which really complimented this rather gorgeous couple. What made this shoot extra special was having the cutest addition of their baby daughter Amber Rose there. We had a great time getting to know this lovely family before their Bix Manor wedding and can’t wait to share the photographs from their beautiful wedding with them in the next few weeks!

Launton Tythe Barn Wedding: Sarah & Tim

There was something whimsical about Sarah and Tim’s wedding, the perfect compliment to their relationship which started in their teenage years. As their relationship matured through the years and they even brought their son Oliver into the world, it has still retained the fun and charm that befalls any new romance.

Their relationship was also very much celebrated by Sarah and Tim’s family and friends on their wedding day. Many of the special touches which made this day so magical was as a direct result of some of these individuals’ love and attention. All the beautiful flowers, and there were many, were sourced and arranged by Tim’s mum Penny who is herself a professional florist and the owner of Scentsations. The ultra cool and oh so retro wedding car, an old school bright yellow VW camper van, was a surprise on the day from Sarah’s sister Lucy who knew how much they loved these! Besides being fabulous for the photography the VW was also representative of the many holidays the couple and family have spent at the Cornwall Coast over the years, so it was only right for it to have a presence at this important day.

We are so grateful that we could be part of Sarah and Tim’s wedding, the heartfelt emotion of everyone present made this a truly gorgeous day!

The day started with all the bridal party at Sarah’s mum Denise’s house, perfect for a few beautiful bridal portraits. Make-up and hair were courtesy of Lucy, who besides being the most thoughtful sister of the year, is a very talented make-up and hair artist and owner of The Bridal Hair Specialist!

Sarah’s stunning dress is a Benjamin Roberts design. Her bridesmaids dresses were a smoking charcoal, one of the coolest colours we’ve seen this season.

We met Tim at the church, which happens to be down the road from the couple’s house in Thame. Tim’s cufflinks were especially made for him from his mum.

Every groom needs an attentive best man to make sure he’s at his best before the big moment. Johnny was definitely the best man for the job being recently married himself!

Sarah seeing the VW camper van right after the ceremony, I just love the joy captured in this photo!

As all the guests were on their way to the reception at Launton Tythe Barn we had time for some stunning bride and groom photographs making the most of the VW of course at this gorgeous venue.

The evening reception kicked off with first dance and a 2 set gig by The Indie Killers, a romantic and cool ending to a gorgeous day!

To see Sarah & Tim’s pre-wedding show click here or if you were a guest and want to view all the photographs from the day click here and ask the lovely couple for their password to the gallery. And finally if you liked their wedding photographs please share the love by leaving a comment on the blog!