Sometimes simple is best - Northamptonshire Studio Photography

As photographers we are always experimenting with lighting and poses to create something unusual, something that evokes an emotion or reaction. However it is all too easy to get carried away and forget that there is a time and a place to go back to basics and do them well.
Here is a perfect example, a shot of Sam & Steph from an hours shoot in the studio. The pose is relaxed, with affection and lovely composition. The lighting very simple but well positioned to avoid ugly shadows and model the faces beautifully.
Sometimes keeping things simple is best. Do it well and the image can be just as expressive as a shot with complicated lighting and unusual poses.
A guide to finding the best wedding photographers

Here at ASC Photography Solutions Ltd we are continually meeting with clients that are frustrated with the confusion surrounding wedding photography. The number of photographers in any particular region is over-whelming. Many of which have professional looking websites, but as we all know, may in-fact be nothing more than an amateur with an expensive camera. There are not many of us that still operate from a studio, with the bulk of the business being internet driven. This may not concern you, after all, you pay your money and you make your choice, however many couples, who have never booked a photographer before, and on the whole are getting married for the first time, struggle to identify a full-time professional photographer for their big day. Photography can represent a major part of your budget yet there is an understandable overriding concern that you don’t know whether you have booked a top photographer until its too late.
To help assist in your selection process we have compiled a list of criteria that we think you should consider and will help you be more confident in your choice. You may find some of the topics obvious, but we think we have also identified some areas that you may not be aware of that will help you make an informed decision and to get the best from your photographer once you have booked.
- Meet with the photographer
It is important to sit down and discuss your big day with the photographer before you book. By meeting them face-to-face there is no place to hide, you will know who you are dealing with and whether they are really a full time professional photographer, or simply a part time amateur looking for some extra cash. - View a full set of images
A seasoned professional photographer will be able to capture good technical images consistently throughout the day. A poor photographer may capture a few good shots but you may be left with the remaining shots looking like a relative has taken them. Ask to see a full set of images from a real wedding, not some beautiful bridal shots taken with a professional model. - Have an engagement shoot
An Engagement Shoot is an ideal opportunity to get to know your photographer and see them at work. - Establish their experience
This one is simple really, know the experience of the photographer that you are considering booking. - Who is photographing your wedding
Do not assume that the person you meet will be the photographer that turns up at your wedding. Establish the link between the images that you like, the photographer who is responsible for the shots and the person who will attend your wedding. Common sense really, if you like some shots then you want that photographer at your wedding. - Are they a full time professional
Wedding photography is perceived to expensive, but when you factor in the costs of running a full time business with the number of hours the photographer will be working before, during and after your wedding the cost if fully justifiable. On the contrary there are many part time photographers trying to cash in on the wedding industry without the running costs of a full time business and without dedicating the number of hours required to provide you with a quality product. - Like their style
Every photographers style is very different. View their work and you should be able to identify some of favourite shots. If you can’t then they are not the photographer for you. - Recommendations
You cannot beat a personal recommendation to identify a photographer that is capable of capturing your special day to the standard that you require. - Discuss your schedule for the day
The photographer should want to understand every part of your timetable and plans. This way they can plan to be in the right pace at the right time and have a chance of capturing those fleeting special moments. - Post wedding work
Fully understand what the photographer is going to do with all of the images after the big day, this way you can understand what level of work you are getting for your money. The spectrum here is huge, worst case (and one that you should not entertain) is that they will take all images from the camera untouched and present them for your album. Best case they will sort the best images, crop, sharpen, adjust contrast and colour, remove blemishes and apply some appropriate techniques to produce a full set of edited images. - Editing of the images
How are they going to master the image. Photoshop is a wonderful tool which can be used to master images, but can also be over used to wreck the shot. Discuss with the photographer the images that you like and what techniques they have used to create the image, that way you will establish what style you like and if they can produce it. - Who is designing your album
Many albums are now digitally designed and printed. The two methods to achieve this artwork is for the photographer to ask the album manufacturer to produce the artwork, or to get a third-party to design it, which may be themselves. Ideally you want to find a photographer who designs the album themselves. This way you will be able to have the album designed uniquely for you, and have the artwork amended to your complete satisfaction, at no extra cost, before the album is manufactured. - Member of a professional organisation
Establish if they belong to a professional organisation to help you make an informed decision. - Their equipment
How many cameras do they use on the day? Do they have any backup cameras available if there are any problems? Are they backing up the images throughout the course of the day to protect from loss of data? One camera, without any backing up, is a risky policy. - Like-ability
It seems like a silly question, but, do you like them. You will need to work with this person on your wedding day and they will be with you and your guests for many hours. You will not produce natural relaxed images if you feel uncomfortable in the presence of your photographer. After meticulously planning your perfect day surely you would not want to spoil the occasion because everyone loathes the photographer. - Working with you and your guests
What kind of person are they? Will they interact with your guests or send them all running? The time the photographer spends with you and your guests should be enjoyable and courteous. - Photographing the details
Wedding photography has moved on from simply a set of posed group shots. All of the little details are the finishing touches to your big day so why not make sure that it is all captured to complete the storytelling in your album. - Knowing the venues
Has the photographer any experience at your venues? If not how are they going to become familiar so that they are not head-scratching on the day trying to find the best locations for the shots. After all, you have a wedding to enjoy instead of wasting unproductive time with a unorganised photographer. - Attending the rehearsal
If you are getting married at a church will the photographer attend the rehearsal. The answer to this question should be YES. Every church, and every minister can run a ceremony very differently. This part of the day cannot be repeated, or controlled by the photographer, therefore they need to plan and try to be in the best locations throughout the service. Attending the rehearsal to understand the movements and order of the service is invaluable. - What are you getting for your package
At times wedding photographers can market themselves very differently. It can be difficult at times to understand the allowances in your wedding package, such as hours of photography, post production work on the images, which album you will receive and with how many images. A reputable photographer will be fully transparent in this area. Make sure you totally understand the packages when comparing photographers like-for-like. - Costs of extras after the wedding
The saying ‘To cheap to be true’ is very appropriate here. Apart from understanding the initial package cost you should also want to know how photos are priced for relatives copies, the cost of re-prints, a set of images on CD etc are charged at. This is where many overcharge to compensate for a cheap package cost. - On-line album
Do you get an on-line album. It is not uncommon for relatives and friends to live far away from the Bride and Groom. On-line albums are an ideal way for them to be able to see the images from the day and order copies if they wish relinquishing you of the task of compiling endless orders. - Discuss your favourite images
If you have some favourite images that you have seen then discuss them with your photographer. This way they should be able to plan a shot of that style into your day. After all, don’t forget, you are the client and the photographer should not necessarily dictate the shots and ultimately the style of your album. - Read the testimonials
Any photographer of worth should have some testimonials helping you gain confidence in their abilities. - Understand the payment terms
There is not a set rule here, a photographer can ask for any payment terms they wish. Simply know what their terms are to make sure you are happy with them and that you can make the payments on time. Typically there will be a deposit when you book. - Discuss every detail of your day
The devil is in the detail. The more the photographer understands your day the better prepared they can be. - Timeframes to see images and receive your album
You hear horror stories all the time of clients not receiving their albums over 12 months after their wedding day. Admittedly the photographer cannot produce your album until photos have been chose and artwork/layouts agreed, but your photographer should be able to put a timeframe against the images being presented for viewing, how long for a first pass artwork/layout, and lead-time for the delivery once the album has been ordered. - Do they blog
Most photographers are keen for prospective clients to see their work and therefore produce a wedding blog. If they blog take the time to view and read the articles as it is a great way of becoming familiar with their work. - Social media
Another way of promoting themselves is through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Again another resource for you to explore their credentials. - Visit some wedding fairs
Wedding fairs are a great way of viewing several photographers to understand what album styles you like, what styles of photography you prefer and understand some typical pricing brackets helping you narrow down your selection criteria. You may identify your photographer of choice and benefit from a promotion that they are running specifically for the show. - Book as early as you can
Many photographers will only photograph one wedding a day. Therefore ideally you should start to research your photographer 18 months before your wedding day with an aim of booking at least 12 months before. Without doubt the earlier you book the better chance you will have that the photographer will still be available.
If you have any experiences that our readers would benefit from please comment.
Corby Wedding Photography - An intimate wedding with Lee-Anne & Stephen at The Holiday Inn
The group shots were a breeze with there being a smaller crowd which gave us more time to concentrate on Lee-Anne and Stephen before the wedding breakfast. This was not one of our All-inclusive full day and evening bookings so once Lee-Anne and Stephen had posed, hugged and kissed for the camera it was time to catch some priceless speech shots, cut the cake and call it a day.
Congratulations Lee-Anne and Stephen. All the best from ASC Photography Solutions, here are some shots as a little reminder of the day, enjoy........























Venue: Holiday Inn - Corby
Cake - Delight Cakes (delightcakes@live.co.uk)
Northamptonshire Wedding Photography - The Benefield Wheatsheaf
Natasha was fashionably late to the ceremony at St Giles Church Desborough, making Gordon wait patiently staring at the clock in the church. But not to worry Natasha because Gordon was also running late that morning (not sure if he has told you that). However from the moment Natasha walked down the aisle smiles lit up their faces with neither showing any signs of nerves.....apart from the secret message from Gordon which was revealed when he kneeled down, much to everyones amusement.
During the group photos we had to have some fun with all the gents in kilts. All of the ladies lined up with their cameras at the ready, the gents all lined up holding the kilt of the person standing next to them, and then, well you can use your imagination. There is photographic evidence but sorry, they are not for public viewing. All we can say is that some did and some didn’t, if you know what we mean.
The wedding breakfast and party was being held at The Benefield Wheatsheaf, one of our regular venues. In addition to the building the large marquee with its star-lit dance-floor gives ample room for friends and family to party the night away. At 8.45 we had to whisk Natasha & Gordon away from the dance-floor because the unsettled skies that had threatened all day decided to treat us with a stunning red sunset. We always look for a sunset at our weddings for the ‘romantic shot, and this was a special one. In anticipating of a lack of sunset we had already created a silhouette shot against the cloudy skies earlier in the evening but Natasha & Gordon now have both shots for their album. If nothing else we aim to please.
Here is a few taster shots, including the killer heels. Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Allan.


























Venue: The Benefield Wheatsheaf
Makeup: Liza Smith
Entertainment: Knight Owls Entertainment
Makeover and Children photo shoots - Portraiture to fall in love with
Makeovers are very rewarding. Once the client has arrived we have a group discussion (client, me and Sarah) to agree the style of hair & makeup that suits the outfits that the client has brought along to the studio. Then the transformation begins - I don’t know how Sarah does it but the changes are nothing less than spectacular. Georgia rarely wears makeup and her hair is normally combed straight with very little body. Neither Georgia or her Mum had any idea of what potential there was until Sarah worked her magic.

Photo shoots with children are a totally different kettle of fish. With babies and toddlers you may get a few opportunities early in the shoot for some poses, but generally the session turns into an organised play time, which is a great way of getting lovely natural shots to capture the individuality of the child. Older children are a little easier as they are normally happy to pose, unlike teenagers that can become very self aware and awkward in front of the camera. One of the shoots in July were of sisters Angel and Sienna. A mixture of poses and play time meant we were able to capture some gorgeous shots.





After the shoot, and once the client has seen the presentation of the shots, we can offer a variety of products to show off your images. Books and portfolio’s make a lovely keepsake but Georgia and Angel & Sienna’s Mum chose to display their favourite shots on the wall. Our new in-house framing service means that we can offer a variety of frame styles. All of which are printed in-house with the latest Epson, 12 ink, large format printer and assembled by us using only the finest grade products. By bringing this process in-house we can control the quality and offer our clients competitive pricing completing our full photographic service.
Rutland Water Wedding at Barnsdale Hall Hotel

Emma and Chris won the Evening Telegraph Wedding Fair Prize Draw last year. A prize of £300 towards their wedding, which they immediately put down as a deposit for their wedding photography. Having fell in love with our Storybook albums at the Kettering wedding fair they knew exactly what they wanted, a stunning 30cm x 20cm landscape storybook for which we are currently designing the artwork.
Barnsdale Hall Hotel played host for Emma and Chris big day. A stunning location overlooking Rutland Water, Nr Oakham, which really helps add that touch of glamour to the occasion. I arrived at 9.30am to a room full of Bridesmaids getting their hair and makeup prepared for the 1pm ceremony in the Whitwell Room. What immediately struck me was the row of yellow dresses for the Bridesmaids. Blue and Purple are still very popular this year which made a yellow bridal party a lovely fresh alternative on what was a beautiful bright blue day.
Emma was simply radiant all day. There was a wobbly moment during the preparations when she had to call her dad to fetch some chocolate, but once several bars were demolished everything was back on track (sorry Emma but it was comical).
Emma and Chris were all smiles through the ceremony, and the whole day really, but the lasting memories for me were the Bungee Run and the evening party. The Bungee run saw the men getting ultra competitive, whilst the ladies just had a giggle. The evening party was probably the best I can remember for guests getting on the dance-floor and boogying the night away. On one occasion the whole dance-floor was jammed with everyone ‘shuffling’ as hard and as fast as they could. Chris and his friends seemed to be particularly enjoying the moment with Chris and Ahmet showing of their moves and stamina, great fun.
Congratulation Emma & Chris. Here are a few reminders of the day to keep you going until we complete your artwork.......

























Venue: Barnsdale Hall Hotel
Makeup: Liza Smith
Bungee Run: Bounce Time
Disco: Big Bopper Entertainment
The Courtyard at Stanwick - Sam & Hannah engagement shoot

The setting for Hannah & Sam’s Engagement shoot was the lovely gardens at The Courtyard at Stanwick, where they are to be married in August. We were so pleased that we planned the shoot for 10.30 on a Sunday morning as the sun had already burnt away all of the clouds and was clearly intending to get hotter as the day progressed.
We all know that light is important for photography, but full sun can be problematic if you do not know how to deal with it. There is nothing worse than seeing wedding photographs with people squinting at the sun with large dark shadows under the their eyes, and even worse, a wedding dress over-exposed showing little or no detail.
A tip for all you budding photographers....... Try posing your subject to the Northern sky (with the sun behind them), and ideally with subject matter in the background, trees, bushes buildings, not sky. You will then get an even tone across the face, no shadows under the eyes, and if you position them well a highlight or rim light to the head (just what a hair light will do in the studio). Of course rules are there to be broken, and some of the best shots break all of the rules, but this is a good starting point for anyone trying to improve their shots.
Hannah & Sam are really enthusiastic about their wedding photography, Hannah even admitted to stalking me and my work on Facebook (good to know someone reads it !). It may sound strange but some clients book a photographer for their wedding because it is ‘The Done Thing’. Not in this case, which makes my job even more pleasurable. I am really looking forward to photographing Hannah & Sam’s wedding day, they did really well for their first time in front of my camera which bodes well for the big take-two.





Cambridgeshire Wedding Photography - Martin & Kirsty at Crowland Abbey and The Marriott Hotel Peterborough
Arriving in ‘Rolls Royce’ style Kirsty wore her glowing smile throughout the day. It is true that some peoples smile ‘light up their face’, and how true that is with Kirsty. I love photographing brides that smile throughout the day, not just when the camera is pointing at them, it makes for some lovely intimate shots. Having said that I must go onto say that these two simply only had eyes for each other. Quite often one of the happy couple is clearly more open with their affections, but on this day, at times, they seemed to be in a world of their own.
As for stand out moments, there was the sweet counter which seemed to entertain the adults more than the children at times, and then there was the hugh sword used to cut cake (didn’t see that one coming!!). But the best moment for me was the first dance. Obviously very well rehearsed by Kirsty and Martin, a real treat to photograph instead of the obligatory 4 minute smooch.
I have wrote many times before how rewarding it is to be involved in my clients biggest day of their lives. None more than when you receive lovely comments - Kirsty wrote:
“Thanks Andy, we had such a great day and you made us feel so at ease with the pics, cant wait to see them :) If you need us to write a recommendation on your website or anything like that, we are more than happy to do so. You are definitely the best photographer we could have asked for x”
Kirsty & Martin - it was my pleasure, Congratulations to both of you.
As usual here are a few taster shots for you to enjoy, pay attention to the first-dance shots and the clear emotion in their expressions - Priceless.



















Pipewell Hall Wedding
I always enjoy it when there is a surprise for either the bride or the groom, this time it was a treat for the groom. Of course everyone knew, apart for Leon, that he wasn’t travelling to Cranford in the Best Man’s car. He was infact being picked up by an Austin Goodward Street Hot Rod, a car he fell in love with when they were choosing their Rolls Royce at Bridal Carriages of Northamptonshire. Leon’s face was beaming when he arrived at the church with bangs and flames exploding from the exhaust.
As for the day, well, the sun was shining, Vicki & Leon were smiling all day, and we had the tranquil grounds of Pipewell Hall to spoil everyone and add a bit of glamour to the occasion. I will let these select few images say the rest, congratulations Mr & Mrs Nichols.




















Venue - Pipewell Hall
Cars - Bridal Carriages of Northamptonshire
Hair styling - Harriet Gregory - harrietgregory@hotmail.com
Entertainment - Big Bopper Entertainment
A Sneaky Peek at Emily & Steve's wedding photography

Here is a sneaky peek at Emily & Steve’s big day last Saturday. Another typical long day for us starting at 9.30 with Emily getting prepared at home and finishing at 10.00 with, lets say, creative dance moves on the dancefloor from Steve. All in all a fantastically relaxed affair which was a pleasure to be a part of. Lots of great shots to share, but to keep you going here are a select few to give you a taster of whats to come.

Engagement Photo Shoot at Crowland Abbey with Kirtsy & Martin
During these Engagement shoots we are not only concerned with preparing the Bride & Groom to-be for the photography on the day, we also use the session as an opportunity to recce the venue. This was my first visit to the Abbey, and what a place. Once a nave of the abbey church the ruins offer some great opportunities for creative shots on the day. So during the session Kirsty & Martin posed for some test shots to explore some potential photos for the big day. Here are a few of those shots, I can’t wait to get Kirsty & Martin back at the end of the month, they are going to have some stunning shots for their Storybook Album.


Emma & Chris shoot at Barnsdale Hall Hotel - ASC Photography Solutions Ltd, award winning wedding photography

June is sneaking up upon us and therefore so is Emma and Chris’s wedding at the stunning Barnsdale Hall Hotel, overlooking Rutland Water. We met Emma at the Northamptonshire Newspapers wedding fair at Kettering, where Emma won the prize draw winning £300 towards the costs of her wedding. Without hesitation Emma spent the £300 booking us to be part of their big day.

As part of our all-inclusive packages we include an Engagement Shoot to help the couple cast aside any concerns they may have about their photography. All of our couples start these sessions a little bit apprehensive, but as usual they soon understand that there is nothing to worry about, in-fact having professional photographs taken can be a bit of a giggle. Emma & Chris were no different, soon relaxing into the session and getting to understand some of the direction I was giving them. Blessed with sunshine, although it was overcast when I left studio 30 minutes earlier, we explored the hotel and its grounds discussing the plans for the big day, clicking as we went. As Brucey would say ‘didn’t they do well’ - some lovely shots, posed but natural, just the way we like it.
Location: Barnsdale Hall Hotel - Rutland


