Kate Hampton Photography

Fantastic Cheese cakes

2011-06-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

A small goat's cheese tops this 'Cake'

Cheese Cakes can be decorated with fruit and flowers to match your wedding theme

Cheese Cakes make a wonderful alternative to traditional wedding cakes, and they are an excellent addition to the menu, particularly if guests get a little peckish later in the evening.

I saw the first one about eight years ago and since then there have been many variations on the theme. Today I met with Emma Dandy of La Cremerie , who specialises in fabulous cheese wedding cakes. She offers over 100 cheeses to choose from for a cake and bases her recommendation on the results of a tasting meeting held with the Bride and Groom. Many of her cheeses are sourced from Neal's Yard Dairy and she guarantees that they will be in perfect eating condition when they arrive with you.

She is based near me in Hertfordshire but supplies cheese all over the UK by courier.

They can be cut like traditional cakes, although you might want to tackle one of the softer cheese tiers!

Another hand-made Queensberry Album finds its home

2011-05-18T23:32:00.001-07:00

Just delivered a beautiful hand-made Queensberry to James and Kitty.

The flexibility and bespoke nature of this stunning product means that invitations, orders of service (see left) and menus, can all be incorporated into the design.

The Order of Service sits next to a photo of the church and the menu next to mouthwatering photographs of the food.

The invitation is placed next to a photo of the gorgeous venue which I went to early that morning so I could photograph it in the best light.

The quality of the album is amazing - a real heirloom. The cover is in smooth Burgandy leather with a photo motif.

Art for art's sake

2011-02-23T09:58:00.001-08:00

It was cold, yesterday, and overcast with flat light, but Cambridge is still a magical place. Away from the cacophony of bicycles and the throngs of tourists along the main streets and outside the famous colleges, you can still turn a corner and turn back the clock.

Perfect day - perfect memories

2011-02-18T04:13:00.000-08:00

"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined... to strengthen each other... to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories."

George Eliot
English novelist (1819 - 1880)

Dear Kate,

We both wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for our beautiful wedding album and parent albums. They have definitely been the icing on the cake following our very special and awesome day. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face looking through the album as it brought back so many wonderful and happy memories. We were truly blown away by all the finishing touches...the case for our album, the calendar, the little book from you. Both of us said we were over the moon that we picked you as you really delivered well beyond our expectations. Thank you Kate, for everything!

All the best, Wendy and Wayne

Another beautiful Queensberry album

2011-02-16T03:36:00.000-08:00

A small intimate wedding on one of the hottest summer's day imaginable. Rhinefield House in the heart of the New Forest was the spectacular setting for the moving ceremony and the sumptuous wedding breakfast. With a Sage cover, this Queensberry Album will have ivory mats, and the photographs will be mounted on grey pages which will give a soft border to each one.

A walk in the Park

2010-09-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

September is a wonderful time for 'environmental portraiture'. Great light and, with all the recent rain we still have saturated colours. Autumn is on its way, but a recent shoot in Richmond Park was very leafy and green on a perfect late summer's day.

Gorgeous girls!

2010-08-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

Two beautiful Angolan sisters and their parents were the subjects of a recent shoot in London. I've photographed the elder sister before, and was delighted to meet the new arrival! Three sets of stunning clothes and two photogenic girls resulted in some lovely informal and formal pictures for the album.

A hectic month....

2010-08-11T14:44:00.001-07:00

Weddings, parties, portraits - a busy month. But I managed to get some time to myself and my camera while in the Outer Hebrides a few weeks ago.

The Callanish Stones on Lewis have been photographed numerous times by better landscape photographers than me, but they are impossible to visit without trying to record them. I've only had a brief flick through my photos from this trip, but they are truely majestic - and unlike Stonehenge you can walk right up to them. Worth the trip.

"They are absolutely beautiful, I am thrilled..."

2010-07-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful Queensberry Album delivered to its home, together with two digital copies for parents.
The digital copies - 7" x 5" - are faithful replicas of the Feature Album, covered in the same 'Baby Blue' Leather. Each one even features the flip pages which I designed to tell the story of the ceremony on one spread. Delivered in their own soft bags they are the perfect gift for parents.

There is nothing to beat Queensberry's quality. Expensive? Yes. But you get what you pay for. I guess I could offer my clients cheaper covers, mass market binding systems and standard size images and layouts. But I don't give my clients average quality work so why put it in an average quality album?

Close ups of the Baby Blue Leather cover - really soft and feely - embossed with my clients' names and wedding date; the Feature Album pages to show the page mounting of the photos (ivory mat on grey page); the first page, which has all the key details of the wedding day; the edges of the album pages, beautifully finished to last a lifetime of handling.

And also in my camera bag.....

2010-07-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

It was INCREDIBLY hot on Saturday, and in south London - Dulwich to be precise - the heat was on and over 32 degrees by the time the suited and booted men of the bridal party had begun to gather at the church. The Best Man was mopping his brow almost as much as the nervous Bridegroom!

The humidity inside the chapel was very high and the beautiful orders of service were put to good use as fans by the guests.

It was not surprising to find that my camera bag was raided for a number of crucial items as the day wore on: water for the bride and groom after the ceremony, pain-killers (for dehydration headaches), sun tan cream, and last but not least plasters to cushion hot and swollen bruised feet!

The wedding was wonderful - an eclectic mix of Japanese, Scottish and English with guests from around the world converging on Dulwich College for the celebrations. The heat of the day turned into a balmy evening with a cool breeze and guests taking a break from dancing spilled out into the floodlit College grounds.

A photo of me!

2010-07-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

The problem with being the photographer is that there are never any pictures of oneself. I know I should get one of my photographer colleagues to take one - I just haven't got round to it yet......

Just occasionally, very occasionally, when we're out I allow someone to take a photo of me. I have three looks – ‘bag lady’ which is the walking the dogs look, ‘working’ look which is smart – suit or jacket and trousers, and glamorous.

This is me with elder daughter at her Leavers Ball at Wellington College on Friday. You decide.

Fun in the evening sun!

2010-07-08T10:21:00.001-07:00

Wow - we've really had a wonderful few weeks of sunshine. It's made shooting during the day a bit challenging, but the early mornings and evenings are fabulous.

Just at the end of our pre-wedding shoot, we saw this old tree, just picked out in the setting sun. The light lasted for about 5 minutes like this - just enough for Kitty and James to make their way through the undergrowth and get in position.

The sun has been so bright that even shooting as late as 8.30pm in and amongst trees hasn't been a problem!

Latest Publicity - Wedding Venues & Services

2010-06-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Tilly and Christian's perfect summer tea party is featured in the latest edition of Wedding Venues and Services. Tilly is a professional Lady Golfer, so not surprisingly the tables had a golfing theme!

The wedding took place at the exclusive Buckinghamshire venue of Poundon House - in the open air. Tilly planned her wedding in only eight weeks, although I was aware of the date for a little longer, as I had photographed Christian's sister's wedding four years previously at Woburn!
Christian and Tilly can be seen further down in my posts under 'Capturing Perfect Moments'. That image not only headlines the magazine article, but will feature on the front cover of their album - currently in the final stages of production.

Latest Queensberry Album

2010-05-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've just said 'goodbye' to my latest Queensberry Album. Absolutely gorgeous. Cover in Twilight Silk (the most vivid deep blue - stunning), ivory mats and delicate mist to surround the photos.

Hand-made to order for me in New Zealand - mine for a brief moment then - whoosh! - out the door, and on its way by courier to Chantal and Mark. Their wedding was in Shrewsbury Castle and was a wonderful day of laughter - even the formal groups were fun. This shot made the album!

Singing sensations!

2010-04-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

A wonderful evening in Dulwich with Helen Hampton's Popchoir. (Yes - she's my sister!) The admiring audience of family and friends enjoyed an end of term concert at which the choir performed a sensational set of numbers - some with six part harmonies!

Only available in South London at present, it's for anyone who likes to sing but hasn't found where to do it before.

The choir is a bunch of people, who spend an hour and a half every week getting that feelgood factor one only gets from singing and making new friends in the process. If you'd like to know more check out http://www.popchoir.com/

Fun in Manchester

2010-04-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Spring weather makes everything much more fun. Just returned from my second pre-wedding meeting of the week - this one was with Wendy and Wayne in Manchester.

After discussing the details of their day (Scarborough in August), we went out and about and found some great locations for their pre-wedding shoot. I think they enjoyed it as much as I did. Here's one of the shots to be going on with.

Really looking forward to your wedding, guys!

Antigone - shooting theatrical productions

2010-03-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're nearly at the end of March. I've been very busy in this 'quiet' time of the year, not just shooting portraits but also indulging - pro bono - in one of my passions, photographing theatrical productions.

I hadn't seen the production before, and - just like a wedding - all the shots were taken without setting anything up, just as the rehearsal happened.

In the old days of film, ISO 800 was about as high as you could go and get anything usable. You had to use a tripod and so the angles you could shoot a production from were severely limited if you didn't want to miss anything. The new digital cameras have changed all that. Some of the shots were taken at ISO's well over 1600 as the stage lighting wasn't available at the start of the rehearsal; I also had help from the image stabiliser on my EF zoom lens.

Capturing Perfect Moments

2009-12-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

Some potential wedding clients ask me about the cameras and lenses I use (it's often a boy thing); some ask me how many photos I will take. I usually can't answer either question very accurately - because my equipment is just a means to an end and I take as many images as I see for as long as I am shooting. For some clients these seem to be very important questions, but I can't answer them very well because that's not what I'm selling.

I'm selling a split second, a moment, caught in time forever. A discreet glance that is the look of love. The image that sticks in the mind after you've seen it. This is priceless. It's not just a record of the day, it's the emotion, living in the images long after the champagne has been drunk and the guests have departed. You cannot add it back in afterwards. It isn't a Photoshop 'plug in'.

The most important thing I do is to capture the emotion in the special moments of the lives of the people that populate my work and make them live forever. It's a privilege. As the year draws to a close, I'd like to thank all my clients, both past, present and future for entrusting me with the task of capturing their perfect moments for eternity.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Trash the Dress on TV!

2009-10-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

I've just completed a fantastic Trash the Dress shoot with a client which was filmed for TV.

Shooting took place in Norfolk on a private estate using a wide variety of locations. These ranged from beautiful gates, to an ancient tractor, a water sprinkler in a potato field! Finally we went to the beach where my client Susie was game enough to go into the sea! The weather had become somewhat windy and stormy by this time but we got some amazing shots. To view the video, please click on the link below. Please note that although I have usage rights, copyright is with Reuters, thank you.

Advice on Choosing Your Wedding Photographer. Recent Publicity - Wedding Venues & Services

2009-07-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

Featuring one of my favourite informal photos from Elissa and Michael's wedding, I contributed to a piece in this summer's Wedding Venues & Services magazine: Ask the Expert

What interested me most on reading it was that all five of us featured - some of the top names in the wedding photography world - gave essentially the same advice to prospective clients seeking to choose a wedding photographer:

See at least two complete recent weddings; you get what you pay for in photography - the better the photographer the more they charge;

see client testimonials as well as wedding photography; check experience, & whether the photographer is full or part time;

check they have client liability insurance (an absolute must have);

choose someone you get on well with;

look for passion and emotion in the images;

choose a reportage photographer with great care, not all 'reportage' images are flattering - make sure they can also take the other type of shots that matter e.g. groups, lovely portraits of the couple.

In terms of trends, each of us picked our own trend, but I agree with all of them:

1. Image manipulation - there is currently a fashion for heavily manipulated, fashion style images.

Whilst I think this can work well for a portrait shoot, for a wedding I offer this style to clients on one or two photos only from the hundreds taken. I prefer wedding photography to be 'real' rather than fake, to tell the story of the day. When I do show such an image I usually recommend that it is a stand alone image, rather than one put in the album.

2. The best of both worlds - Not just reportage or portraiture.

More Brides are realising that posed photographs don't have to be stiff and formal and that reportage shots aren't necessarily relaxed! The best photographers are combining both, I certainly do.

3. Trash the Dress - the big trend coming in from the USA.

This is becoming more and more popular both with my existing clients and with Brides who have used other photographers for their wedding.

4. The importance of the classic wedding album

Digital only packages are popular, but invariably clients realise that a wedding album is more than a collection of photos - it's an heirloom, and a repository of their memories of an extra-special day.

Bumps and Babies

2009-07-23T10:02:00.001-07:00

There's something quite miraculous about Bumps turning into Babies!

Congratulations to Jane and Phil on the arrival of their beautiful daughter Erin.

Jane is responsible for my fab logo and a very talented designer who is now enjoying juggling - time that is, not babies!

If you're looking for a graphic designer check out Jane's web site at www.danglydog.com

Funky fun!

2009-07-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about a Love Your Dress shoot is that you can have a lot of fun trying out different 'looks' so that you have a wide choice of photos from the classically beautiful to the funky and fun.

I adore photographing weddings, but on a portrait shoot I also get the one thing I don't get at a wedding: plenty of time! On the wedding day itself, the most important thing is to capture the real day, and to spend time with the Bride & Groom judiciously so that they get stunning photos but don't feel that their day was turned into a full scale photo-shoot. Unless we can build in a lot of time prior to the ceremony, the portraiture time afterwards is usually about the couple, not the dress, so a Love Your Dress (or if you feel like living dangerously a Trash Your Dress) shoot is the perfect opportunity for us both to relax and have fun, without any pressure.

Recently, Emma and I had a fabulous afternoon doing just that at a variety of locations. We did some classic shots as a bit of a 'warm up' and then moved on to more adventurous pictures. Emma's stunning Vera Wang dress had the chance for another outing before being finally packed away.

She's still choosing her favourite photos which we intend to put at the end of an album with the photos from her wedding in Australia.

Sumptuous in Chocolate Leather

2009-06-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm just sending off a really lovely Chocolate Leather bound album to two super people, Sarah & David.

This is a classic album with a subtle twist, where the bespoke flexibility of the Queensberry product has enabled me to design the album to reflect the colours of the wedding and the intimacy of the day.

Their autumn wedding had a lovely bronze and orange theme, so the rich chocolate leather is perfect, and a softer option to black. The cover features a small image of the couple, and the colour theme is carried through with ivory mats and the photographs mounted onto chocolate pages.

On this first right hand page, instead of a traditional 'title' I mounted Sarah & David's wedding invitation into the square space - so just a thin cholcolate border shows - and then placed three small square images taken from different sections of Sarah's bouquet, as accents underneath.

The wedding at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hyde Park, London, was an intimate affair for close family and friends. The album relects this, in particular on the pages featuring the speeches where, using the option to include a 'flip' page, we can see both the Bride's speech and the whole speech sequence all at once. Capturing the reaction of guests during this time is one of my favourite parts of any wedding.

Getting your wedding featured in a Bridal title

2009-04-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Many Brides like the idea of their wedding appearing in one of the wedding magazines. It's just as well that magazines have no shortage of Bride's volunteering their photos - Real Life weddings are one of the most popular sections in any wedding magazine.

I've had quite a few clients featured over the years, the latest in the most recent issue of You & Your Wedding. Whilst there's no guarantee of your wedding being featured, here are a few pointers which might help you decide whether yours is likely to be in the running:

1. An unusual or particularly stylish wedding venue. There's a trend for weddings to take place overseas at the moment, and somewhere particularly beautiful has a head start.

2. A strong theme - colour or style - that flows through the wedding.

3. A good story - for example, how you met or the choice of dress.

4. Interesting and unconventional details - flowers, mode of transport, ice vodka luge, favours, cake - that can feature in the article.

5. Designer names - a dress by a top designer, flowers by a leading florist all add cachet to the feature.

6. Fabulous photos! - the details and some of the action. You may have some lovely portraits but these are almost never featured. The magazine editor is looking for pictures that tell the story of the day to accompany the words, so you'll need to supply a complete range.

However, don't be too disappointed if your special day doesn't make it into print. Editors are looking for inspiration for their readers, and they also need a variety of weddings in each issue. If yours is the third 1940's themed wedding they see that month then, however beautiful, it probably won't make it.

Recent publicity - You & Your Wedding

2009-04-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

Lindsey and Adam were married in a stunning chateau in France, and although overseas weddings are on the increase the bespoke ones exporting a UK-based photographer (and in this case disco too!) are still quite rare. Not surprisingly, such an unusual day became a feature wedding in one of the UK's top Bridal magazines.

Lindsey and Adam were fantastic clients to work with - very organised with their preparations (essential if you're going to travel abroad to get married) and very calm throughout the action-packed weekend. Even the unexpected rain, which meant that the ceremony had to be moved inside at short notice left them unfazed.

The lovely thing about overseas weddings from a photographic perspective is the opportunity to take photos in completely different light to the type we usually get in the UK. A real treat!

The basic ingredients of the celebration are also a bit out of the ordinary - from the way the table is laid, the flowers arranged, or the cake is presented.

See more photos of the day in the wedding portfolio section of my site:

http://www.katehampton.com/wedding_portfolio.html

Choosing your wedding photographer

2009-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, you're engaged! Most couples know what they're looking for when considering venues, the food and even any entertainment, but the choice of photographer can seem daunting as it's unfamiliar territory for most people. Photographers don't follow any set patterns when setting fees or 'packages' so couples often find it difficult to make direct comparisons. Here are a few pointers:

The first thing to do is to agree what you are both looking for at the end of the process. If one of you is expecting complete coverage of the day with all the details recorded but the other is just expecting a few group shots, then you need to do some talking before you start looking! Some couples want a professional, reliable record of the day but they do not want to spend too much time being photographed. For others, the photography is crucially important and an integral part of the day. Are you expecting a stunning set of portraits of the two of you (you'll need to allocate time out of your day for this), or is that less important than one or two nice shots as long as the emotions of the day are captured? Or, do you want both?

Once you are agreed on this, viewing photographers’ on line portfolios for quality and style is the next stage. However, galleries represent the photographer’s best work, so it is important to see whole weddings to see how their style is transferred across the different requirements of the day. Do this when you meet or ask to be sent a Portfolio CD if whole weddings aren't available to view on line. Wedding couples and guests are not on a photo shoot, but there to celebrate the day and party, so if you're looking for a photo journalistic style of coverage then you should check out the photographers' ability to capture those fleeting moments and your guests enjoying themselves.

Got your short list? Talk to them on the phone and meet if possible. You will be spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day and so you should ensure you like them. Are they professional in their approach to you? Do you feel they will put you first or are you just another gig?

Finally you will need to think about your album, and of course your budget. The price of wedding photography often surprises prospective wedding clients, but wedding photography is a skill and the best can command high prices. Ultimately you and your fiance have to decide on the importance of high quality wedding photography to you, and consider whether it is a price worth paying.

The Queensberry Album

2009-03-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

Why an album? Why Queensberry?

Having just come off the phone to a prospective client who was dubious about why they might want to pay for an album I thought it might be worth posting a few thoughts on the subject.

In this digital age almost anyone feels they can take photos - which is wonderful, as photos are perfect ways of reminding us of past events, emotions and friends. So it is with a wedding. However, these days photos often stay on the computer - hundreds and hundreds of them. But an album, especially a beautifully constructed wedding album will outlast the computers, to be passed on through the generations. It has a wonderful physical presence: just by turning the pages you can re-live the day quietly on your own, or share it with others.

I have included Queensberry Albums with my wedding packages almost from the beginning. There are many album suppliers on the market, and Queensberry certainly aren't the cheapest, but they produce bespoke albums of the highest quality. I can design a client's album around the pictures they choose - no preordained sizes for the photos, and each design is unique. The albums are classic without being traditional and most importantly for an heirloom that must last, durable and timeless. Their pricing also makes them pretty exclusive, but they really are worth the extra.

I'm in the middle of finalising this album for a lovely client who's wedding day I was privileged to record last year - mostly in the pouring rain! I'm at the ordering stage, having just been given design approval. It will be 15" square, with a Navy leather cover. The wedding invitation will be mounted into the album on the first page and the photos will be cut and hand-assembled in the album onto mist (cream) pages surrounded by an ivory mat. Stunning! A gorgeous permanent record of a beautiful day.

Love your dress - it's not too late!

2009-03-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Celebrate the beauty of your wedding dress.

At a recent wedding, one of the guests came up to me in tears. She was very complimentary about my unobtrusive style - her tears were for the photos of her own wedding several years previously. She hadn't taken as much care as she should have done in selecting her photographer, and the bolshy male she employed left such a negative impression that she couldn't even bring herself to look at the proofs, let alone order any prints. All they reminded her was of him. It's always distressing for me to hear such stories - unfortunately all too common. However, I do have a solution. The Trash Your Dress trend is sweeping in from the States. Not as drastic as it sounds, it is an opportunity to have the fashion style photos of you in your dress that you didn't manage to get on the day. My style is more of a 'Love your Dress' experience. It's never too late. This time, just enjoy wearing your dress - either with, or without your husband.