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No Super Sunday instalment for you today as I just have so much gorgeousness waiting in my inbox to cram onto these swirly silver pages before Christmas. This afternoon, we chat to Chris from Newcastle Upon Tyne Wedding Photographer Xtraordinary Photography about his life behind a lens.
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How did you get into wedding photography?
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I first started with photography at a very young age, my Dad was a massive enthusiast and even had a darkroom built into a cupboard at the family home. I remember one particular car journey back from a holiday where I was sitting in the back holding a SLR with a zoom lens attached, shooting pretty much anything I could see! Imagine my disappointment to find out there was no film in! Through my teens photography drifted in and out of my life, and It wasn’t until my Wife fell pregnant that I really wanted to get back into it to get some beautiful shots of her bump and the baby when it came along. The really sad bit was that a couple of days before my wedding my Nana passed away, and it was a real struggle as to whether we carried on and went through with the wedding. She was a wonderful woman and she had left me (and my siblings) a little money, and I used this to go and buy my first "proper camera". I was hooked from thereon in. I don’t carry any formal qualifications in photography, but I had a great mentor in my Dad who continues to support my development massively, and the rest is self taught.
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Why wedding photography specifically?
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Our first wedding was a bit of a blur, It was for my Brother in Law David and his beautiful wife Caroline and they had asked us to cover their wedding (Us being Me, my Dad Alex and Brother Sean). So we turned up in our brand new uniform looking the biz, at least we thought so! I am very proud to say I think they day went fantastically, we adopted a mixed approach with a lot of candid and reportage photography, and then some nice formal shots outside of the church. I never intended to start shooting weddings, but on the evening of David & Caroline’s, one of the guests asked if we were available to shoot theirs the following August! We said yes!
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What is your favourite thing about being a wedding photographer?
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There are so many parts of being a wedding photographer which I absolutely love. Meeting new clients, sometimes two years before their wedding, and helping them plan it, getting to know them and their families and generally meeting some absolutely wonderful people. I have a couple at the moment who are getting married in March 2013 and we talk every couple of days about their plans, I send them contacts of great people I have worked with, and we have a fantastic relationship already and I think this is one of the main things people like in my style.
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My other favourite has to be photographing the speeches. It gets to the point where tears of both laughter and soppiness cloud the eye so that you can’t see through the viewfinder! I have seen some amazing speeches- and have even been honoured by some couples saying what a fantastic job we did.
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How do you get couples to relax on the day?
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Getting people to relax on the day has never really been a big issue, as I mentioned we get to know our couples very well and become close friends with them meaning that we are all able to be open and honest so that if they were ever not comfortable in anything we were doing they don’t have to be afraid to tell us.
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Also, I like to think I’m a pretty funny guy (although I often think people are laughing at me not with me!) I’m no comedian but I always do everything I can to make people laugh on the day as this gives a far more natural smile for people, and of course laughter releases those chemical doobywats that make people feel better!
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Any advice to any Grooms who don’t like to have their picture taken?
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Without a doubt every single Groom I have had has said "I hate having my picture taken". I’m the same, you will very rarely see me on the other side of the camera. I guess the biggest bit of advice for people would be that (certainly from my approach) most of the time you don’t even know the images are being taken, so when there are some that you are aware of remember what the day means, why you are getting married, and really how much you love each other. I always take the Bride and Groom somewhere alone for some "cuddly" or romantic shots, and I always do this after the speeches, for two reasons; 1) Giving a speech as a Groom is one of the scariest things you will ever do, get this out of the way and the Groom can relax for the images, and 2) The Groom will usually have had a few pints by this point meaning he is far more relaxed and they tend to go with the flow!
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What sort of makeup should a bride wear to look great in her pictures?
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Although I am no expert on makeup, I have worked with some. I would say from my personal perspective, less is definitely more in this case. We have been lucky enough to have worked with some absolutely stunning brides, and I think their natural beauty has shown through every single time without the need for over the top makeup. However, I do love the idea of false eyelashes as on close up images of the eyes these look wonderful!
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Which celebrity wedding would you most like to photograph and why?
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I’ve been asked this question a lot of the last few years and my answer still remains the same, although most people would expect me to say Cheryl Cole! The person I’d most like to photograph is Kevin McCloud from Grand Designs. He is such an amazing individual, his vocabulary and his ability to describe situations through words and facial expression has always fascinated me. I think he we would be an absolute pleasure to work with, if I could stop laughing!
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Any really memorable weddings that you have captured?
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I think one of the most memorable weddings had to be one we captured at Grinkle Park in Saltburn this year. The hotel Manager, Jonathan, got his tractor/grass cutter and cut a cricket pitch into the lawn for the Groomsmen to play after the ceremony! This was such a relaxed day from start to finish, even though I’d been with the Bride to photograph her in her full wedding outfit at hospital where she was visiting her sick Granddad.
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Are you married? Tell us about your day.
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I am married to my sweetheart Laura Elizabeth. We had something of a whirlwind romance. After being introduced by my Brother when I was 18 (Laura was a 21 year old nurse… and yes I thought all of my Christmases had come at once!) We moved in together after 6 months and we got engaged after I wrote her a long love letter and hid the ring under her pillow! We had planned something of an extravagant wedding for two years later, but Laura fell pregnant with our little boy Oliver (now four!) so wedding plans took a back seat until she rang me at work one day when she was 4 months pregnant and said "Chris, I want to get married before the baby is born…" Obviously I agreed, and knowing my place like a good husband to be, I asked her to get some dates and prices for us to have a look at. I received a call 30 minutes later saying "It’s booked, four weeks time!" I fell of my chair!
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As I mentioned earlier my Nana was quite poorly and it was just two days before the wedding when she lost her battle against cancer and it was a real dilemma as to whether to go on or not. We knew she would have wanted us to do it, so we continued. In a way this helped get people through it.
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What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?
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It’s hard to say what sets me apart from other photographers as there are so many fabulous photographers around the North Of England. I guess if I was to say why do people book me over other photographers I’d say, based on my clients feedback, that personality has so much to do with it. I have had lots of comments while booking couples that they immediately feel at ease with me, they understand my ideas and my vision for their big day, and of course they love our work. We use Bellissimo Albums (from Loxley Colour) with an acrylic cover showing an image which our couples absolutely love. I think my album designs are different to most, but certainly tell the story of the day as it actually happened.
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What can a couple who book you expect on the day?
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The couple can expect a calming influence, especially on the morning when everyone is running around! They can expect me to have plenty of interaction with them and the guests which is always received very well, which also helps put everyone at east. Most of all they can expect fun, relaxing and professional photography.
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What is included in your "package"?
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I offer a range of packages depending on the clients budget and depending what sort of coverage they would like, but no matter which package they choose they will always receive:
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An Engagement shoot
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A Signing frame displaying and image from the Engagement shoot for their guests to sign as an alternative to a guest book
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A Magazine style proof book containing all of the image we are happy to submit back to them
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An online gallery with slideshow and e-commerce function
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At least one new friend!
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Can you give us an idea on price?
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My standard packages range from £500-£2300. However, I urge all of our clients to create their own tailored package to ensure they get exactly what they want. As a rough guide most of my couples pay around £1200.
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Can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?
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I would happily offer Brides Up North Readers an additional 10% off any "Standard Package" price.
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How can Brides Up North get in touch with you/ see more examples of your work?
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They can visit our brand new website on www.xophoto.co.uk or our blog which is regularly updated on www.xtraordphoto.wordpress.com or just give me a call on 07870552256.
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2011 Xtraordinary Photography
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