New Blog Site

Hi Everyone. Just to let you know that this site has now been moved to a wordpress environment and no more posts will made from this address. Look forward to seeing you on the new site.

All the blogs from this site are now on at

http://headlineportraits.com/blog/

Steve

Hot-Rod Awards at The Mansion House, Old Warden, Bedfordshire

Had a really interesting day last sunday when I was requested to shoot the NSRA Awards. For those not really into Hot-Rods, that stands for 'The National Street Rod Association'.  This all day event was held in the lovely setting of The Mansion House ( Formerly Shuttleworth College) at Old Warden, Bedfordshire and the shoot was for marketing images. The Mansion House is next to the airstrip for the Shuttleworth Collection of vintage aircraft. I knew it was going to be an interesting day from the start when the small approach road had a sign saying 'Check each way before crossing the live runway'.  Wow what a great assignment :) The event is held in the grounds every year and attracts thousands of people with their amazing cars. Although I cant appreciate the mechanics of such machines, they did make compelling images and have posted a small few of the many below. Above all it made a great day out not just for for dedicated petrol-heads but for families with even the children being catered for by a roving entertainer !

Alison and Daves Wedding, Moore Place Hotel, Apsley Guise

I had the great pleasure of being asked to shoot Alison and Daves wedding in Apsley Guise, Bedfordshire on the 9th July.  The wedding was at the Moore Place Hotel which has a beautiful conservatory built on the back. The hotel is licenced for ceremonies and once the ceremony was completed there was some fast footwork by the hotel staff in preparing the room for the wedding breakfast. Alison and Dave had hired a classic white 'Roller' which could not fail to look impressive. So that Dave had a chance to experience the beauty of the car as well as Alison, they both went for a spin after the ceremony. Great idea.

It was a really relaxed and enjoyable day with the photography covering from bridal preparation at the home until the First dance. Thanks also to my trusty assistant, Kieran who without him, life would be have been a lot more difficult.

For my first visit to Alison and Daves I was greeted by their lovely dog, a Sharpei who had mixed feelings about me and growled every time I went to get something out of my bag. That was tricky when showing albums ! He was in kennels for three days which included the wedding period, so I hoped he would not blame me when I went back to the house for viewing the images.  Luckily we parted as very good friends !

Here are just a few shots from the day.

Childrens Lifestyle Shoot - The Discovery Centre / Great Notley

Today was a good one!  It took in a childrens lifestyle shoot in The Discovery Centre at Great Notley. I met up with three friends Laura Barker, Marianne Tucker and Tina Hall whom I met on a mentorship course run by Jeff Turnbull.  Laura and Marianne brought 5 small children who were great little models. The day was freezing cold and after an hour and a half the cold was beginning to tell on all of us. It was well worth arranging the session however cold.  I covered nearly all my photos using my D700 and 70-200 which gave really nice fuzzy backgrounds. Note to self - next time take less gear as my shoulders are now lopsided for a while after carrying around a lot of 'just in case' kit that I didnt really need !

Steve
http://www.headlineportraits.com/
Tel: 01582-597657 / 07785-642660

Here is a selection of some images from my afternoon -

Top Tips when choosing your Wedding Photographer

Hi Everyone
Being a Wedding Photographer is a real privilege. It can be a wonderfully fulfilling job, being trusted and allowed to share in such an intimate and special day, filled with so many mixed emotions ranging from love, joy, happiness and at times sad if someone special is unable to be there. It is therefore an indisputable charge on the photographer to repay that trust in capturing and delivering Memories to a couple that will come to mean so much in future years to them and to their families.

What then are the questions that a couple should be asking to ensure that they get the wedding photography they deserve and avoid the 'bear-traps' and bitter disappointment of a second-rate service. To cause that disappointment in my book is simply unacceptable !

I have tried to give some pointers to couples who are considering taking on the services of a professional Wedding Photographer. They are by no means a definitive guide but if they help a couple in any way then it will have been worth while writing it.

Personal Referrals and Recommendations -
Still one of the most important guides for a couple. We all trust fiends and family more than any written promises by someone unknown on a website. It also makes a great starting place amongst the sea of aspiring wedding photographers.

Websites and Intuition -
Just because a website looks great it does not always mean that the service and delivery will match the content. A photographer will understandably want to show off just his best. A poorly presented website however will probably put you off even enquiring. Most people will usually make up their minds quite quickly to give a tick or a cross to further enquiries. Rely initially on your intuition and take it from there.

"Professional and Qualified" -
The term professional can be a bit misleading and that is very hard for a couple to fathom. My own feeling is that a true professional photographer is one who is full-time and relies on his photography for his main income. Qualified is another one to be careful about. Photography is still unregulated and anyone can say they are qualified. It is hard for a couple to know otherwise unless they ask for paperwork evidence. To help with this,  common Professional bodies in the UK are the well respected MPA and the BIPP. They require qualified members to be full-time and fully insured. There is also the SWPP who do have qualifications but although not meaning at all to denigrate them, anyone can join their organisation on payment of the requisite fee. It could be said they have a strong commercial bias. So just be aware and ask a photographer what organisation and qualification ? Just as a final word, there are also many excellent photographers out there who are not qualified yet but evidence of a qualification does give a couple some foundation to believe that a professional standard has been achieved.

Insurance -
A couple should always ask if the photographer has Professional indemnity and public Liability. No Professional photographer should practice without these.

Prices -
Ask to have all investment items detailed in writing. This should be done anyway in a written contract but ensure it is received so there are no misunderstandings or nasty surprises. A contract in any case works for both parties protection. Just a brief word on prices. We all have budgets especially in these cash strapped days and Cheap does not necessarily mean Poor quality - BUT - it is fair to say that there is always a downside. Make sure you find out what that downside is. Cheap is often 'cheap' for a good reason.

Pre-Wedding Consultation -
Always try to meet the photographer before committing yourself and signing up. Face to face gives a couple a head start and it is so important that the photographer and the couple feel comfortable when working together on such an important day.  Prices, previous work and services being offered should all be looked at during this important meeting before signing the contract and paying any non refundable retainer.

Questions requiring a YES from the photographer -
Do you issue a contract detailing what the couple gets?
Do you only cover one wedding per day?
Can I see some of your work and sample albums?
Do you do always try to do a pre-venue visit ?
Do you always have full backup equipment?
Can you assure me that you will not contract out the photography?

Do you specialise in any particular style such as Reportage, Traditional, Contemporary, Photojournalistic etc and can you show us examples ?

Do you have an on-line Gallery ?
This is not necessarily a minus but some couples like to have a preview whilst on honeymoon. I personally like to give couples a private preview with a short slideshow as I feel it is is more personal and part of good service to the client.

I hope some of my thoughts will be of use to couples and steer them in the right direction.
Happy choosing and above all congratulations for a very Happy Wedding.

Steve

www.HeadlinePortraits.com
07795-642660 / 01582-597657
stevejones@headlineportraits.com

John and Joys Wedding - Waltham Forest Registry Office

On a wet and grey saturday morning I set off for a wedding for John and Joy Hannon, having not put all my faith in the Met Office since I had bought three large white golfing umbrellas.  Anyway the good old Met proved basically correct and the rain stopped on the way. The wedding was in a Registry Office in Waltham Forest which must be the only one in the country with space for only three cars in the car park - and mine was not one of them. Parking in London surrounds is rather like winning the lottery but I was in luck despite having to hump a good 15 kilos of gear with no assistant. I arrived very early as I get quite paranoid about being late for such events. On arrival I found I did not know anyone there and then realised that they were the guests for the previous wedding !! The reception was in Abridge Village Hall which was decked out for the occasion.  J&Js wedding was a real fun event with many of Johns family having come over from Ireland and most of Joys were also in attendance. I wondered why my jaw was aching so much when I eventually got home late and realised it was due to the fixed grin I had had most of the day !!  J&J are on honeymoon in Normandy at present but I look forward to going through the shots with them on their return. A handful of shots are below.