We recently covered the First Holy Communion for twelve local families.
We discreetly photographed each child as they received the First Communion and then afterwards we took individual and family group photographs.
Each family received a set of prints and digital files.
Presentation pictures at Witham Community Hub by The High Sheriff of Essex, Nicolas Alston. The presentations were to two of the younger volunteers who organise a Saturday activities club for young people.
One of the highlights of judging for the Guild Of Photographers monthly competition, is to attend the annual Awards Ceremony. This year it was held at Crewe Hall Hotel where Sandra and I spent a delightful weekend. Part of the weekend involved judging Qualification Panels, the print competition/critique. I also gave a short talk on cropping, shading and removing distractions from photographs to around 50 photographers. Of course the highlight of the weekend is the Black Tie Awards dinner and presentations. The Guild has some fantastic photographers from the whole spectrum of genres which is always very inspiring!
It was nice to be asked yet again to photograph the Witham in Bloom Children’s and Schools Award Ceremony held at Maltings Academy, Witham. As usual there was a high standard of work on display and good to see many children,families and members of staff of the Witham Schools attending. This Awards Ceremony was the last Ceremony organised by Annie Northfield and her team and they must be congratulated on putting on a lovely event. A huge ‘thank you’ to Annie for all her hard work over the past years and we wish her well. Prints are available at low cost from Witham Art & Framing Centre.
Fantastic news, David has been appointed as a Guild of Photographers Master Craftsman in wedding photography. This award is a great honour and will enable David to help with mentoring, judging and assessments.
This is after being awarded a Fellowship of B.I.P.P last year on submission of a portfolio of 22 wedding pictures. The pictures all have to be taken at real weddings under the usual wedding day constraints – no ‘wedding styled photo-shoots’ allowed!!
The pictures submitted have to be of the highest artistic and technical quality and are assessed by a panel of expert judges.
One of the pictures from the successful portfolio. Please make an appointment if you would like to come and see them all:-
Last year I was awarded a Fellowship from The British Institute of Professional Photography in Wedding Photography. A Fellowship is an extremely difficult level to achieve in any discipline but particularly in weddings, as there are so many variables which are outside the photographer’s control! Finally we had the chance yesterday evening to present the pictures to a selection of friends, neighbours, suppliers, Registrars and of course a few local photographers.
The evening was enjoyable and a great success. Thank you to all those who attended and particularly to Michael of The Art & Framing Centre who provided us the space to host the event.
As far as I am aware I am currently the only working Wedding Fellow in Essex. Here are a selection of the pictures, please do contact us if you would like to view them all.
Firstly a big thank you to all our professional photography clients from 2013. We have again met some wonderful people which makes it all worthwhile. Weddings photographed 56; a trip to WPPI convention in Las Vegas with another Accolade of Excellence; photography in the House of Commons for St Francis Hospice, are just some of the highlights, although being awarded a Fellowship in Wedding Photography from the BIPP has to be the pinnacle. Whilst the Fellowship was awarded in my name it would not have happened without the support from Sandra.
Our portraits have become better in 2013, targeting home and enviornmental rather than bland studio shots but there is still a way to go to achieve where we wish to be.
It has been good being part of the committee for the London & Essex Professional Photography Group. Good friends, good contacts, good education and a couple of great social events!
Thanks to Nathan for creating our new website.
Happy New Year
David & Sandra
We were delighted to be asked to photograph the presentation of the Children’s and School’s Awards by the Witham in Bloom Conservation Group, which was held at the Maltings Academy recently.
Membership of an organisation and qualifications sadly does not guarantee you to be a better photographer! What it does show is a willingness to learn and the ability to achieve a standard. This discipline will always carry forward and therefore improve the photographer’s regular work.
The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) was founded over 100 years ago and has four levels. The qualified levels are based on the submission of work.
Unqualified
Licentiate (LBIPP) – the photographer is competent in that discipline.
Associate (ABIPP) – a developing sense of style, a halfway point if you prefer.
Fellowship (FBIPP) – the highest accolade, showing distinctive style and only awarded to less than 5% of professional photographers.
It was a great honour for David yesterday to be awarded Fellowship of The British Institute of Professional Photography, in the difficult discipline of wedding photography. To our knowledge there is no other working Wedding Fellow based in Essex!
Thanks to Kevin Pengelly FBIPP for providing mentoring over the last year or so.
David has recently returned from Wedding & Portrait Photographers International Convention (WPPI) in MGM Grand, Las Vegas. The convention covers a whole range of seminars, classes and workshops for the 15,000 delegates.
David’s favourite part was listening to the judging in the competitions, at which the standard was extremly high. Despite the high standard one picture did get sufficient score for an ‘Accolade of Excellence’ and displayed in the exhibition. Only four pictures from UK photographers achieved that this year!
The Awarded picture was in the Wedding Photojournalism section and was titled ‘Bulls Eye!” Slightly hard to see on a small online picture, the bridesmaid has just thrown the petals into the bride’s cleavage, the reaction you can see even at this size!
