The Fabulous Kimberley Gray
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!
