Last summer I had the pleasure of working with Kimberley Gray on a clients wedding, It is lovely to share with my blog readers a little more about the actual people behind the business’s  that Tigerlily work with.

Kimberley is based in Hampstead and works as a full time wedding photograper, her website is fantastic and really showcases her diverse portfolio and style.

Kimberley has a very unobtrusive style on the day and really captures the excitement and emotion of each wedding.

Enjoy!

Tell me about the background of ktb wedding photography?

I had worked at Christies Auction House, a Chelsea art gallery and as a professional photographer of antiques, art and interiors for the book, The London Antiques Guide as well as several international magazines before becoming a wedding photographer. 

I loved how a powerful photograph, be it a small detail or a sweeping scene, could convey the style, the essence and story of something much larger. 

With this in mind, I photographed two of my friends’ weddings as a present for them, and their response was unequivocal- “Kimberly, you have to become a wedding photographer!”

Where do you take your inspiration from?

I actually take inspiration from all sorts of images in contemporary life.  I love beautiful cinematography, and foreign films, particularly Chinese. The way Chinese cinematographers frame scenes and convey relationships through images is simple, beautiful and effective.  If I see something that inspires me, I will take a note and try to use the idea at my next wedding. 

Having said that, I also take image ideas from more mainstream films and television, such as Slumdog Millionaire, Ugly Betty, the Sopranos and Life on Mars which all are very creative with perspective and story-telling. 

What is your favorite wedding photograph from your collection?

I hate having to decide on favourites, but in theory from each wedding, my favourite photograph is one which captures the love and happiness between the couple or between them and their family. 

What is unique about your photography?

I have a very natural style and approach.  I believe that the bride and groom need to feel like they are being photographed by a friend with whom they are having great fun and can help them laugh and be themselves.  I think this natural approach and sense of fun comes across in the happiness of my photographs.

What packages and services do you offer?

I am always happy to create a bespoke package for couples, but my most popular package is 8 hours of photography with a storybook album and a disk of edited and high resolution photographs to share with friends and family.

Tell us your funniest, scariest, most bizarre, most touching story from a photo shoot to date!

I actually photographed a pagan wedding in Camden Town in my first year.  The couple were very lovely and eccentric, and so we did their creative photographs in King’s Cross.  Everyone wore medieval costume, and seeing the five groomsmen walking down St Pancras Way with capes flapping in the wind is a memory that will always stick with me!

I also photographed a wedding on a cliff on the Arran Islands in Western Ireland.  The sun came out briefly during their ceremony, so it looks idyllic in the photographs, but everything except that 10 minutes was “extreme Celtic wedding photography” – gale force winds, horizontal rain and furious, crashing waves.  I felt like I had been in battle when I arrived back at the hotel that evening.

What is the one lasting impression you want to leave in your photos?

That’s very easy – love and happiness!

I had the great pleasure of meeting up with the amazing talented Nikole Ramsay this PM, we had coffee and lemonade at the Almeida Theatre and discussed all things wedding.

I am so pleased that Nikole is joining the Tigerlily network of photographers, so watch this space as I will be writing a little piece about her later this week with lots of stunning images to capture your imagination.

However if you cannot wait until then check out her website Nikole Ramsay.

During my career as a planner I have been blessed to have worked with some of the best wedding photographers in the business. Last year I was elated to work with the fabulous and super talented Dan and Ann from Dan  Johnson photography.

During a conversation last weekend I asked Dan to write a piece for the blog on the subject of wedding photography during your wedding ceremony and the importance of pre planning.

For more on this and related subjects, see Dans blog  under the category “Photography during the ceremony”.

Enjoy!

What pictures you get from your wedding ceremony will depend on what you want, what the celebrant will allow, the venue, and your photographer.

The “what you want” bit’s the easiest, and is all down to communication with your photographer to make sure that they understand your wishes and that you don’t have unrealistic expectations.

What the celebrant will allow is basically a lottery.  Where church weddings are concerned, we regularly meet everything from “no photography in my church thank you” to “get whatever pictures you want, just don’t stand between me and the couple”.  Now, you’re probably thinking “well I’ll just make sure we sort this out with the priest beforehand” and that might actually work – but be aware of two possible consequences if you do.  

One is that given a choice between entering into a rational discussion about how best to ensure that you can get the pictures you want without the ceremony being turned into a circus or just saying something like “I think photography during the ceremony’s inappropriate” and moving rapidly on, most Church of England priests will take the easy option.

The other is to beware of the phrase “Oh photography’s not a problem”.  While this can mean what you think, it can also mean that photography isn’t a problem because in practice it isn’t allowed or might as well not be.

Where civil ceremonies are concerned, all you have to remember is that on the day, the officiating registrar’s word is law.  Regional policy on photography during civil ceremonies varies from “it’s your day, so whatever you want” (with London Boroughs and Kent leading the way) through to “no photography full stop” (parts of Gloucestershire and until last month all of Wiltshire), but it’s still down to the individual registrar.

They have complete discretion as to what happens and what doesn’t during your ceremony.  If he or she says “no pictures”, you can try arguing the point but frankly I wouldn’t rate your chances.

Assuming that photography is allowed during the ceremony, the venue itself has a big influence.  Basically your photographer needs enough light and at least one suitable place from which to get the shots without being intrusive.  That’s easy enough in a big bright church on a fine summer afternoon, but not so easy in a tiny village church at 3pm in mid-December, to say nothing of hotel function rooms lit only by down lighters.

Whether church or civil, you’ll be signing the registers at some point and pictures of that is a separate issue.  Indeed it’s a separate lottery.  What the law says is that the signing of the registers can be photographed but the entries in them must not, and common reasons why you shouldn’t have pictures of the actual event include “Data Protection Act”, “Official Secrets Act” and “Because I say so”. 

In practice, it’ll be down to your photographer and the registrant as to whether you get pictures during the actual signing or are expected to sit there pretending to sign a blank piece of paper with a pen that has no ink in it.  If the latter doesn’t appeal, one alternative is to opt for just a nice shot of you with your witnesses instead.

The last major variable is your photographer.  We all have different ways of working and of tackling ceremony photography, so if pictures during are important to you, it definitely pays to find yourself a wedding photographer who’s good at it and can get the pictures for you without becoming the centre of attention.

Finally, one thing that can lose you pictures as you proceed up the aisle is if you set off on the wrong side, as a result of which your photographer’s in the wrong place.  Just remember that for a normal English wedding, church or civil, the bride goes up the aisle on the right and leaves on the left of her new husband!

As my wedding season is just about to start I took some time out yesterday to review weddings that I had planned last year.

I came across this lovely photo of one of my brides, this image captures the moment that she first saw the conversion of her chosen event space for her wedding.

As you can see this image is priceless, and was taken by the talented photographer Ann Johnson, one half of husband and wife team Dan Johnson Photography.

Dan will be writing for our blog next week as a guest so watch this space.

I am getting really excited and can not wait for the wedding season to start, I am working with so many wonderful couples this year and I am looking forward to having more lovely images to share with you all.

Happy Sunday!

Photo Credit:

Dan Jonhson Photography