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Meet up with Meryl and Andrew a couple of weeks ago to do there e-shoot, such a lovely couple, they were worried about how they come across on camera but i think we all can agree they have nothing to worry about. Really looking forward to shooting there wedding next week at the Ealing Cathedral

I saw this wedding video posted on a forum today, and its so different from other wedding vids i've seen before, really beautifully shot and put together, i just had to post about it. It was shot by Michael Wong

Enjoy

nicole+michael - all this time in mexico from Michael Y Wong on Vimeo.

Lou from Whimsical Wonderl and Weddings has blogged about me about a recent pre wedding shoot i did. have a look

3rd wedding fayre booked, another one by Exceptional Events, this is held in the lovely Oaklands Park Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey.

Can't wait to see you all there and discuss your day, please do let me know if your going to come along and I'll make time to meet with you.

Make sure you do pre register to fast track on the day


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So another wedding fayre booked, this one is a Dream Wedding Fayre and is held at the Marriott in Windsor. Fayre's in Windsor are always a busy affair, so many free goodies from all the vendors as well.

If your going to come along please let me know and I'll make time to meet with you and show you my work, I've got some funky new albums and photo books to bring along.


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I'm now starting to exhibit at a few fayre's around the place to get to meet some more lovely couples, it also give you a opportunity to meet with me and see my work.

The 1st one I'm doing this Autumn is at the Royal Ascot racecourse, this will be a great event with loads of goodies and info for couples.

Don't forget to pre-register with Exceptional Events to fast track on the day

Drop me a email if your coming along and I'll make time to see you as I'm sure it will be very busy.


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I know this isn't a wedding shoot but wildlife photography is another passion of mine, i brought my wife a VIP Eagle day from Eagle heights in Kent, its was a cracking day, the hottest of the year, still didn't need sun screen being from NZ ;-)

Any way we spent the whole day from 10-4pm wityh just the wife and i and out falconry gruru and the eagles, deff reccomend it, even if you dont do the falconry just seeing the displays, they also have a cheetea you can get well close too, and huskies.......they wouldn't let me take on home though ;-(

Here are a couple of images i took from the day

Joby is known for their Gorillapod. Just don’t call it a tripod. It’s more than that, it has articulatable (did I make that word up?) legs which can be wrapped around all sorts of things. Now they have a new model made specifically for mobile devices such as iPhones and other small devices. Tree branches, dogs, cars, poles, no-photography signs, you name it; the Gorillapod mobile can likely grab it or stand on it.



The Gorillapod mobile’s main goal in life is to help you get pictures you couldn’t otherwise get. Well, you could take the picture, you just couldn’t be in it. We can’t all afford to have a photographer follow us around all day, and there’s no guarantee they are any good anyway. So, take matters into your own hands with the Gorillapod mobile. But before you decide that this contraption is only for cameras, think again.



The Gorillapod mobile can actually be used for a number of other things that could likely be combined into one group. It can hold many of your devices in sight where you wouldn’t normally be able to keep them visible. For instance, while you are walking on a treadmill or pedaling on a stationary bike. Just clamp the thing to one of the machine’s handles etc. and you can watch videos, browse the web, or do pretty much anything with an iPod touch or the like.


Gorillapod mobile bendHow does it work? The contraption has three legs that are made up of a ton of ball joints. All of these ball joints are fully articulatable and have “grippy” rubber surrounding the portion that doesn’t turn. The purpose of this is so you can wrap two legs in one direction and one in the opposite around something like a pole or tree branch. The rubber will hold it in place on the pole or whatever it is attached to, provided the device you’re using it with is light enough. There should be no problem whatsoever with an iPhone.



Gorillapod mobile iPhoneYou have a few options of how to attach your camera/device to the GorillaPod mobile, and my favorite is the suction cup. This has a fairly strong hold on devices with smooth surfaces (read iPhone). But you could also use one of the three included sticker mounts (semi-permanent) or a standard tripod screw mount. Just don’t overload the GorillaPod mobile. They recommend you don’t trust it with anything over 325 grams, or about 11.5oz. If you for some reason are tempted to do as such, then have a look at Joby’s website where you’ll be able to find models with higher weight capacities.

The GorillaPod mobile will be as useful as you make it. Just like a camera, it’s only useful if you know how to use it effectively. Think outside the regular viewpoint. The reason for this device is to give you a different perspective than you could normally achieve. Of course, you can do the standard sorts of pictures, too. If your camera has a timer or similar setting, make good use of it.

But don’t forget you can use it like an all surface cradle too. Attach your iPhone, iPod touch, etc. to just about anything and keep its functionality within reach.

Thanks to Appletell

Katie and Fraser wanted to do something different for there table names. Wwe meet up at Hill garden and pagoda to do there pre wedding shoot and this is the result.

I meet up with Jenny and Erwin a couple of weeks a ago for there Eshoot in Brockwell Park which is where Erwin proposed.

I'm shooting their wedding this weekend at the lovelly Beauberry House in west dulwich.

The lovely people from Savoir Weddings have featured me as there Photographer in the spotlight, check it out here.

We meet up in central London around the Tate Modern, not the nicest of weather although we managed to stay out of the down poor most of the time.































































Thanks for looking

A couple of images from a shoot with a little baby, time is of the essence with babies, short attention span and they get tired very quickly,

We have received some invaluable advice today from our friends at Staggered, we’ll let Andrew explain….

As Staggered (www.iamstaggered.com) is a website that specialises in everything to do with men and weddings, we often deal with suit companies. So in theory what I’m about to say is commercial suicide, but let’s try saying it anyway and see what happens. Grooms, best men, fathers of the bride, ushers, page boys: every week there are thousands of you who are getting a truly terrible service that isn’t worth a tenth of the money you spend on it.

Is it any wonder that blokes often aren’t that keen to sort out their suits when you look at what some of them end up with? They end up with cheap and nasty suits; suits that have buttons missing; suits that are dirty; strange, archaic styles of suits that don’t flatter them or make them feel comfortable, stylish or sexy. Most unforgivably of all is when they end up with suits that don’t fit them and make them look like bulky, toffish idiots on the one day of their life when they deserve to feel absolutely Bond.

The truly irritating thing is that it absolutely needn’t be like that. There are tailors, outfitters and formal hire companies out there who really do care about their customers, who are fastidious in providing neat and stylish suits, who create suits in an array of styles that both respect tradition but belong to this millennium and, best of all, there are suit companies who respect and even love their customers.

We see a major part of Staggered’s job is to help you avoid the rubbish suit companies and find the great ones. Our lawyer’s job is to stop the rubbish ones stopping us. So how can you find a good suit and which companies are worth bothering with? Well, that’s a topic for another day…

Staggered is the UK’s leading men’s wedding website offering help and advice to grooms, best men and fathers of the bride. Whether it’s mens wedding suits, stag-do ideas or perhaps some help with engagement rings and proposals, men involved in weddings need to look at www.iamstaggered.com.

I am sure most married readers of this article would agree that their wedding day was not just a happy andexciting day but also one of enormous fun. A wedding day can feel like a whirlwind; getting dressed, enjoying the ceremony, greeting guests, relaxing at the reception, dancing, celebrating your love and your life together. All your careful planning and organization comes together to create the perfect day - and so it should, you have invested a lot of time and money in it.

This article explains the secrets of building a close working relationship with your chosen wedding photographer. There are examples of common pitfalls drawn from real life cases and a list of tips is also presented. Incorporating the ideas in this article into your overall wedding plan will give that extra piece of mind to help achieve your perfect day.

Photography forms an integral part of any wedding and there are a number of photographic styles to choose from when you initially select your photographer - traditional and classical styles are carefully directed and choreographed; reportage or photo documentary for those candid, un-posed, natural and undirected images; contemporary, fashion and fine art styles that give you added drama and a creative vision.

Regardless of the specific photographic style you eventually choose you do need to be able to work well with your Wedding Photographer. Most of what he or she will be able to achieve will be down to the rapport between the Bride and Groom and the Photographer so an important aspect of your selection process, along with your Wedding photographer’s credentials, qualifications and published work, is how well you all get on together. Arranging a full consultation and possibly an informal and fun pre-wedding or engagement shoot really helps put these foundations in place.

Timing is an essential part of your wedding planning and is particularly important when it comes to key events of the day such as your arrival at the ceremony etc. Ensuring all members of your wedding party are aware of this part of the plan is vital and helps towards a stress free day. Involving your wedding photographer in this part of the planning process is not a bad idea, as an experienced photographer will be able to make suggestions that allow you time for more relaxed and creative photography, as well as
then being very well briefed on the day's events. Including specific time for photography is important, you are paying for this service and these are the images you will want to cherish. You certainly do not want an album giving the impression that your day was rushed or stressed or that you did not have sufficient time to work on some stunning and special bridal portraits. With careful planning and consultation there could be some excellent photographic opportunities during the preparation and run up to your wedding. Now to the ceremony.

Your photographer has finished with the Bridal preparation and portraiture and is in place awaiting your arrival at the church or Registry Office. Your thoughts are focused on making your entrance, on the ceremony, exchanging your vows and on receiving congratulations and compliments from your guests.

Your photographer, however, will be focused on working to a well-scripted plan ensuring that everything goes smoothly. Do remember that different churches and registry offices have varying ‘rules’ for photography during a ceremony and your photographer may have to work within certain restrictions.

With the popularity of photojournalism and documentary-style photography, referred to as reportage, it is quite common for wedding guests to be unaware that the photographer will not be arranging any formal groups. A recent story involved a colleague who had strict instructions that all photographs were to be 'as things happened'. The Bride and Groom did not want him to direct any photography during their day. Relatives of the Bride and Groom had not been informed of this and some got very upset to find that there were no formal family shots whatsoever.

Work with your photographer before the wedding to understand and agree on important points, e.g. when the best time would be for your guests to take their own photographs, etc. Communication is the key to avoiding those confusing and upsetting incidents which can spoil your special day. Your wedding party should be briefed so they can help raise awareness of the photographic process. Some couples choose to delegate this task to an Usher or to the Best Man so that guests know what will be happening and when.

In summary here are a few of the ideas covered by this article:

· Work well with your photographer - it should be a fun and open working relationship.
· Wedding Reportage involves photographing a wedding with no interference from the
photographer whatsoever - the same as a journalist would. Wedding Photo Documentary means telling the story of your day in pictures and sometimes this involves posing shots to complete the story. Neither reportage or documentary styles would include formal group or family images, so do check with your photographer.
· Plan enough time for photography, if you are rushed the photographs will show this!
· Plan for your guests too. Tell them when the best time would be for their own photography.
· Check with your Registrar / Church Official about photographic protocol during signing of the register. Communicate this to all.
· Ensure close family members are where you want them, e.g. ‘I need to make sure my parents are outside the church/registry office for photographs when I arrive’ etc.
· Ask how your photography budget might affect the final images? For example if you want a good mix of posed, portrait, formal and reportage consider hiring a second photographer via your principal photographer.
· Involve your photographer in the planning process and also listen to his or her own suggestions.
· Above all relax, have fun and enjoy.


Thank you to Ian for this article
Ian is the co-owner and founder of Veil & Train London Wedding
Photography that offers a complete photography, and Bridal Hair and Make-up service.

I had the pleasure og photographing Mervin and Prabalini's wedding back in December, we meet back up in Feb 10 to do another shoot. Quite a cold day but they both managed to brave it........

Webmasters, are you wanting to link to my website, please follow the details here http://www.markcolombus.com/page7227.html

Are you having a last minute wedding, wanting to now have a wedding photographer?
If your having a wedding in the next couple of months please contact me to see if there are any price reduction or freebee specials available.

I have now added a calendar to my Booking page, here you can easily see if i'm available on the day of your wedding.

Bookings for 2011 are also now open and as you can see 2010 dates booked up at record speed this year so book me up quick to avoid disapointment

A really cute couple, i'm really looking forward to shooting there wedding this friday (4th dec)The weather was looking pretty dodgy on the week leading up to the 21st Nov but on the day, the cloud's cleared away and we had a really nice day, still a bit chilly but no need for those brollies.

***Images inside ***