DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER DERBY

Unposed, unstaged & unobtrusive

Hello, I'm Simon & I photograph the weddings of informal couples who like to go off the beaten track and do things their own way.

I work in a documentary style. Capturing real moments and emotions. Unstaged and unposed. It makes for fresh, dynamic and intimate photos that live and breathe. Images that remind you how it felt to be there on the day.

Because a wedding is really about two people coming together - and their family and friends coming together. The real stories are found outside the normal & formal.

You will usually find me photographing weddings in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Birmingham and The Peak District - but whether your wedding is local or further afield please get in touch and tell me about your plans.

WEDDING GALLERY

"You have captured genuine moments of emotion, anticipation, and happiness."

Sarah & Brian

"Beautifully quirky wedding photography."

Jen & Chris

"We absolutely love our photos. Simon has a true talent for capturing natural, subtle moments, with beautiful light, colour and context"

Kate & Jack

WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE!

Real People. Real Moments. Real Emotions.

Your wedding day is a day for you to make special memories with family and friends - and it's a joy and privilege to get to capture that special day.

I like to blend in quietly and capture emotions and moments as they really happened. People often assume I'm a wedding guest (in fact, there's usually a guest who looks more like the photographer who takes the heat!).

I want you to be able to relax and enjoy your day. Whilst I go about making images that remind you how it felt to be there on the day.

ASK ABOUT YOUR DATE

Bride and groom holding hands at Altar in Anglo Saxon Church

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you do group / formal photographs?

I do - about half my couples still want group shots at their wedding. I try to get through this part of the wedding day quickly and efficiently so if you can try to keep it under 10 combinations, and rope in a helper who knows who everyone is to help gather people it would be a great help.

Do I need preparation photography?

Yes and no. I don't think you need lots of photos of having makeup applied. But my aim when turning up is to capture the feelings and relationships of the morning. The anticipation and excitement on the wedding day. It also gets you used to having a wedding photographer around early in the day. I love to capture both of the couple where possible.

Do you do Wedding Albums?

Yes - I use Folio Albums. They are beautifully crafted, local, eco-friendly and the staff have excellent attention to detail. I have a very customisable Fine Art Album, or a more budget friendly Palette Album - full details are here.

Do you travel?

I love to go on wedding adventures further away & charge for accommodation and travel expenses as needed. If it's less than two hours drive it's just considered local and included in the normal wedding package.

What equipment do you use?

I use small Fuji mirrorless cameras. After using DSLR's and systems with all the bells and whistles I fell in love with using a lighter system that just felt like a small film camera. I try to travel light on a wedding day, and use flash only in emergencies, as I usually like to capture the ambience of the day rather than bringing my own lighting to it.

What have Documentary, Reportage and Photojournalism got to do with wedding photography?

Documentary wedding photography, or reportage or photojournalism are all the same words for the same thing (confusing, huh?). It's a way of capturing the day where you don't try to control it and affecting the wedding day as little as possible. There are different ways of doing this - some photographers stand back with a big zoom lens so they're not part of the proceedings. Some like to get into the thick of things and be there in the day. I do the latter as I believe it results in more intimate, involved photographs that make you feel like you are there.

We take a lot of inspiration from press photography, magnum and life photographers and street photographers - people out in the world capturing and telling real stories

Bride and father descending stairs at Hoar Cross Hall

Do you need feeding - what do you eat?

Wedding days are long and pretty hard to sustain on a packed lunch (at a wedding I'll usually do more walking than I usually do in a week) - so a hot meal is always appreciated. I eat just about everything (unless it's a Temple of Doom themed wedding breakfast)

How do we book you?

We always schedule a chat (or a meeting, if you're close) about your wedding. If I'm the wrong photographer for you I want to be honest about it and help you find the right person (although If you've got this far down the page and are still reading I seriously doubt it).

After that I send out a booking form and contract and ask for a 25% deposit to secure your wedding date.

GET IN TOUCH

Derbyshire Venues

Whitworth Centre Derby Museum Eyam Hall Hurt Arms Matlock Bath Curbar Edge Engagement Photography Osmaston Park The West Mill Foremark Cottages Morley Hayes Derby Museum and Art Gallery Pickford's House Museum

UK Venues

London Wetlands Wildlife Centre Lord Leycester Hospital Iscoyd Park West Bridgford Hall Odda's Chapel The Old Vicarage Boutique Hotel Lutterall Hall Electric Cinema Birmingham Hazel Gap Barn Floral Media

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER DERBY

Unposed, unstaged & unobtrusive

WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE!

AS SEEN ON

WEDDING STORIES

How it felt to be there on the day

Scottish Ceilidh Wedding with Fire Engine & Horses - Kirsty & Stephen

Floral Media Wedding Photographer - Kate & Chris

Whitworth Centre Wedding Photography - Alison & Chris

Odda's Chapel Wedding Photography - Annelies & Louis

Eyam Hall Wedding Photographer - Julia & Alex

West Mill Wedding Photographer - Emma & John