Prestwold Hall

I've just put together a slideshow of some pictures from Phil and Fru's wedding at Prestwold Hall, Leicestershire. This is a great venue and makes for some stunning photographs. The show only contains a selection of pictures from the day. Click here to see it:- Prestwold Hall Slideshow

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If you are not aware, Glen Ford Photography is now part of PureLight by Sam and Glen. You can see our new site at:- New PureLight website

Nick and Clare - some beautiful pictures

Nick and Clare were married at Bury Court near Farnham in Hampshire.

Clare had seen one of our ads in You and Your Wedding Magazine and liked the natural style of photography and within a few days of speaking she had booked me to take their pictures - that was a year ago. The wedding was on Sunday 7th October. Clare and Nick were not too prescriptive in terms of their photographs, but they love black and white images and more informal pictures.

It was a bit of journey for me, from Nottinghamshire, but we cover weddings all over and I simply arranged to stay at a local hotel on the Sunday evening.

Bury Court is a delightful location. It was previously a nursery, so the gardens are more than wonderful - they are designer gardens, with beautiful long grasses. It made for some great pictures. There are a few below and you can see more at the Client Gallery.


Nick and Clare told me that they tend not to look good in pictures - I've told them to give up the day job with looks like these (above).


There was a cricket theme to the day, so they had a muster of cricket bats held high to walk under.


Clare just looked stunning, as you can see here.


Some of the grasses and gardens at Bury Court.


Such unusual flowers - which make the cake look fantastic.

Phil and Fru

Phil and Francesca (known as Fru) were married at Prestwold Hall, near Loughborough, Leicestershire on the 22nd September. You can you see their images at the client gallery. I have posted some images below, all of which are in black and white. I just simply love the feel and texture that comes with black and white photography. I use film for weddings, so my black and white images are of course shot on film - and I think the effect is just great. These are the type of images that I love to take.

Mandeep and Sukdeep

Here are a few pictures from the wedding party of Mandeep and Sukhdeep. Mandeep's family held a party for the couple at their home in Leicestershire and we were asked to photograph the celebrations. This was a truly fantastic evening. There were around 900 guests and the reception was held in a large marquee, with a very large dance-floor. The whole event was planned and organised by Tania Tapel from Leicester, which meant that the organisation and display was just great. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, finishing around 1am in the next morning. Here are a few of the images:-

John and Kelly

Here are some pictures from John and Kelly's wedding, which was on the 1st September and was held in Allington, near Grantham, with the reception held at Allington Manor.

It was a lovely day, with the service at the parish church, which I have been to before, and the reception was a short walk away. There was very much a village feel to the day. The beautiful weather, a marked change from a month earlier, made the afternoon very pleasant. Allington Manor is a delightful location and we have done two weddings there this summer. There is so much character to the house and the gardens at the rear are lovely. Kelly had some family from China at the wedding too - it always adds a very special touch to a wedding when guests take extra effort for the day, like coming half way around the world! It says so much about the overall commitment and how special the day is to them.

You can see pictures from John and Kelly's wedding at the client gallery.


Make up is a important part of any wedding. Many brides opt for a lighter touch rather than use a trained make-up artist. But good make-up is essential for good pictures - it also makes for some nice, candid moments, like this one, when it is being applied.


I really like the colours and contrast from the bridemaids dresses.


Kelly looked stunning throughout the day and this picture captures her well. We call this type of picture a perspective shot, where one person is in the foreground and the other is in the background. It is slightly different from the more usual mantle-piece type picture.


Some might ask the rationale for photographing the backs of people. It is not a picture you would have seen say 20 years ago. But less is more with photography and this picture has a nice composition and is aided by the fact it is black and white. John's pose, with one arm behind his back, helps to define the picture also and you can see the back of the dress, in all its beauty.


The speeches make for some great, candid moments. We spend a lot of money on good lenses for our cameras and this is why. There is a small amount of flash but not so much that it bleaches the picture, and enough light in the background, which is out of focus, to help frame the picture. You need a good lens to take this type of picture.

Salima and Arif

Salima contacted me around 3 months ago to photograph her wedding. She was looking for something different from the more typical type of photographs taken at Asian weddings. She wanted a fresh and contemporary style, something that would capture the day without taking it over and leave her with some great pictures. Well she and Arif, her husband, tied the knot in Birmingham on the 1st September and had their main reception on the following day at the Marriott hotel at the Forest of Arden.

You can see a handful of pictures below and all of them at the client gallery.

I was not available for the Saturday, as I was already doing a wedding, and so Samantha covered the Saturday and we both photographed the Sunday. We have now photographed three Asian weddings and they have all been great occasions, and this was certainly the case here and was a very enjoyable experience for us. The wedding organiser was Ranjna from Tania Tapel in Leicester - she had put Salima in touch with us. Needless to say with Ranj on the case the organisation was spot on, to the very last detail. And, details are very important with Asian weddings - the major arrangements, the little touches and the overall atmosphere - and this was very much the case with Salima and Arif. We so enjoyed taking the pictures and mixing with their families and guests - by the end of the celebration we almost felt like we had joined them.


This picture, taken by Samantha, captures so much. Hena is symbolic of Asian weddings and is instantly recognised as such. But the delicate light and the composition in this picture, with the differential focus, makes it very appealing.


What a picture! Another taken by Samantha from the Saturday - this could be on the front page of a book! The expression is so warming, it is almost infectious.


I mentioned above that details are important and this applies to the pictures we take. We like to capture the details of the day, especially so for Asian weddings, as so much time, effort and expense goes into the planning for the day. Typically there are many hundreds of guests, so there are lots and lots of details to plan. Here is the inside of the marquee.


This was taken by Samantha on the Saturday. I like this shot. It takes some courage to set this up at a wedding, when the couple might start to wonder what is going on when you lead them into a blind ally - but in this case the picture works really well. The colour and the contrast between the ally, with all its pipes, and the bride and groom is just great. The lighting is also really good.


Dancing is a very big part of Asian weddings. You do not get the more typical situation that is the case with non-Asian weddings, where the dance floor remains empty for much of the evening, except for a few children and the odd bridesmaid. I could perhaps be forgiven for thinking that the highlight of Asian weddings is the dancing! This is a slower version than the more normal bangra music and dancing, but it captures a nice moment of them both.

Recent weddings - Ian and Laura

And here are some pictures from the wedding of Ian and Laura (26th Aug). They were married at Holme Pierrepont Hall, Nottinghamshire, with their reception held there too. It was a lovely day at a lovely venue. Laura got ready at the Lace Market Hotel in the centre of Nottingham.


I like the light in this picture - there was only just enough, but it adds a certain atmosphere to the shot.


This was a real chance photo. I was walking down to take some pictures of the bride and groom and noticed this little girl wondering in the grass. The composition and light are just great.


A candid shot of Laura getting ready.


More cup cakes!


I like to try and get different shots of the bride and groom, rather than just the usual wedding photograph. You might like this or hate it, but it is certainly different!

Recent weddings - Jo and Nick

Here are some pictures from Jo and Nick's wedding (25th Aug). They were married in Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire and they held their reception in a marquee in sherwood forest. The shelter within the trees was very pleasant and it was a very unusual setting. Many of their guests had stayed over in tents - just as well the weather was good for them! You can see all the pictures at the client gallery.


I like to capture natural moments and I find this works especially well for the signing of the register.


I like this shot of Jo and Nick coming out of church, again it has caught a very natural moment.


Cup cakes!


The lighting in the forest was great - these lanterns worked really well.


An informal picture of Jo with one of her bridesmaids.

Natasha and Bruce

From Natasha:-

"Absolutely thrilled with the photographs. I'm one of life's natural worriers so, since the wedding, in the back of my mind I've been worrying about whether the pictures will be OK (and what I'll look like!). But I need not have fretted. The photographs are amazing. Glen's done fabulously. He's got just the right balance of different kinds of shots, all the more impressive because he did the job in a very short time period. Everyone said on the day how hard he worked. Most importantly, besides having a collection of wonderful photographs, I have about ten that I will absolutely treasure for the rest of my life. And there are a few that I hope my children, and their children, will also treasure as well. Thanks again Glen. We were so lucky to find you."

I was only contacted by Natasha in May this year, and as it happened their date (11th Aug) was still available. The wedding was in Herefordshire, so not exactly local to me in Nottinghamshire. They were going to book a more local photographer, as recommended by the venue, but they were unhappy with the type of photographs they would get. They found me through the internet and we discussed over the phone what they wanted and packages. Natasha wrote to me at the time of booking that she had gone from being just about okay with the photographer they were going to book to choosing someone whose work really excited them both.

I really enjoyed meeting them, their families and guests. Weddings are always hard work for the photographer, but that is what I am paid to do and it is a wonderful privilege to be able to capture something so special for people.

Here are a few pictures from their collection. You can see the rest in the client gallery:-

A quiet moment caught on film.


I love the natural affection between Natasha and Bruce. I simply instructed them where to stand and then stood about 40 yards away with a long range lens, so I was not in their face. Natasha looks absolutely stunning and the moment is perfect.


Black and white can make such great pictures and I love this one. The light, expression, sharpness of the picture and composition really work for me - it is the type of picture that I love to take.

Another busy weekend..

Well it has been another rather busy weekend, with Sam and I covering 3 weddings on Friday and Saturday between us and a client meeting today in Birmingham.

The weather has been so wet recently that it was a very nice and welcome change to get some sunshine on Saturday. Below are a few pictures from a wedding in late June, where it was wet for most of the day. It does not ruin the day, as some may think, but it does make for a different type of day. They still had a lovely day and we captured some really nice pictures, despite the weather. The pictures are from Tina and Simon's wedding and congratulations to Simon and Tina if you are reading this.


Flowers make for good pictures, especially on weddings. The reds and whites of these roses are lovely and the few spots of rain make for an even better picture.


I like taking the 'boys' pictures, and this type of shot works well, with a simple composition and depth in the picture.


This picture sums up the British summer for this year - two bridesmaids having a giggle in the rain.


It was raining quite hard at this point, but the raft of umbrellas worked well for the throwing of the confetti.

Dipti and Vinesh Gallery Live

Just a quick note to say that the on-line gallery for Dipti and Vinesh is now live and you can see the images by clicking the client gallery selection.

The first page has a slide show using a selection of the images. You can see this show anytime from within their gallery by clicking "View Photographer's choice slideshow".

Happy viewing.
Glen

Dipti and Vinesh

Just to say for those who are eagerly awaiting the images from Dipti and Vinesh's wedding (27th May) they will be live on the client gallery from next Tuesday (26th June).

They had a lovely day and I am really pleased with their pictures, Dipti is a true picture of beauty and Vinesh is pretty dashing too - but most of all the day was fantastic and hence the pictures tell the story of a wonderful day.

A few 'teaser' pictures below:-


I love these pictures, very much a case of less is more.


I really like this picture, it is a nice abstract.


All the details that Dipti had arranged were just beautiful, like these flowers and this necklace.


The array of colours was great, this is one of Vinesh getting ready.


The first dance.....

My weekend

Well I did not have any weddings over the weekend, but I met with two couples. Georgina and Trevor, who were married on 19th May, came across on Saturday morning for a viewing session. It was a chance to see all their pictures - all 432 of them - on big screen (I have a projector set up, which is used to play back the images), and also to think about their album choice and images for the album. We made a lot of progress on the morning. When left to their own devices most couples find the task of picking out the pictures for their album difficult and often lengthy. I have recently introduced viewing sessions for couples - I leave to them to sit back on a cosy sofa to view the images and then we talk through albums and picture selections. It takes a few hours from start to finish, but it saves time later and it is a nice way for couples to view the images, in addition to having them on CD for home viewing.

I also arranged to meet Tina and Simon, who are getting married at Lambley in Notts on 30th June. I met with them at Simon's parent's house in Lambley, then to the parish Church and then onto Cockliffe House Hotel, where the reception will be. Cockliffe House is a delightful hotel and they will have the run of the place on the Saturday. All the arrangements sound great, so I am really looking forward to photographing the day for them. It is very helpful to meet with couples after they have booked, as we can finalise the arrangements for the day and it is a chance to build a rapport, which helps immensely on the day.

I've picked out a handful of images from Georgina and Trevor's wedding, the full set can be seen in the client gallery. Pictures by me and Samantha Hook.


Samantha took this picture - I love it. Georgina looks completely stunning, the contrast in black and white is compelling


This was taken whilst I was walking backwards and trying not to fall over. It has captured a nice moment and I like the long line of guests.


This is also a picture by Sam, taken whilst I was setting up a group photograph. It shows the strength of two professionals at the same wedding. The light and the expression are timeless.


In flow during the speeches - sometimes it all works for the photographer, as it did here - lighting, composition and expressions.


This picture was taken by Sam and what a picture. It is like someone has cut the end of the marquee off to enable the picture, like on a film set - only it was taken from the inside.

Client Blog - only 2 months to go!

(from Natasha - 11th Aug 2007) - I'm very excited. Only two months to go and it seems there are so many things left still to arrange and we are having a slight panic about all the stuff we have to do. So I'm going crazy and drawing up lists. Lists of things to do. Lists of lists to make. Glen is cool though. We are meeting up the day before the wedding to confirm all the arrangements for the day. Now all I have to do is find slow moving confetti for that perfect post-wedding shot!

Why have two professional photographers at the same wedding?

One of the reasons why I have decided to join businesses with Samantha Hook is because of the pictures we can get when we both attend the same wedding - they are in a different league. It takes time to work as a team and develop a good working partnership. We have done around 10 weddings together, and the pictures just keep getting better.

Use the link below to see a slideshow from a recent wedding.

Slideshow of Jenny and Bruce

The wedding is of Jenny and Bruce, which had been booked through Samantha Hook Weddings but I joined Sam throughout the day. The location for the service and reception was Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire. If you are viewing this page and you know the family and would like to purchase prints, then please visit

Samantha Hook Weddings

oh, I turned 40 today... i suppose it has to happen someday.

Lucy and Dean

It is always nice to meet up with couples after their wedding and see how they are getting on with life. I met up with Lucy and Dean on Saturday, who were married last May. I dropped off their wedding album (yes, it had taken them a while to choose their pictures).

Anyway it was very nice to see them again. They had had a lovely new kitchen fitted, which was a present from all the guests at the wedding - which I thought was a rather nice and very practical gift. It is a very homely and inviting kitchen.

For their album they decided to have an art book album, which I have made using photographic paper. The album is laid out liked a matted album but you can also have pictures that cover the entire page. Lucy is very into creative design - being an art teacher - and so she took my initial layout, which gave her a basic idea how to layout an album, and then made her own changes. The resultant design is very nice and is personal to them. Click on the link below if you want to see what I mean:-

slideshow of Lucy and Dean album layout

Here are a few pictures from their day:-

Claire and Nigel

Claire and Nigel were married a few years ago - in August 2005 - and I took their wedding pictures. Shortly after the wedding they had quite a tough time across their family, including the death of one their close relatives - a disabled boy who was much loved by the family. And so it was some time before they were able to think about their wedding photographs.

I have put a link below to a slideshow I have recently done for them, well the shortened version. They are a lovely couple. Claire is a primary school teacher and Nigel is a policeman. I remember when I first spoke with Claire, way back in 2004, she was keen to have natural pictures rather than the more traditional type of wedding photographs.

Many people comment about my photography that I manage to capture the atmosphere and character from the day; it gives them a sense of what it was like to be there on the day. Well here is the link for the slideshow:-

Click here for slideshow of Claire and Nigel's wedding

Newark Wedding - Sarah & Darren

Sarah and Darren were married in December 2006 in Normanton and they held their reception at Newark Town Hall, above the Buttermarket. The main photographer at the wedding was Samantha Hook and I worked with her to provide some additional reportage photographs. Samantha is a great photographer and we get on really well (from April this year Samantha and I will be working together). Newark town hall is lovely inside, as you can see below. I met Sarah and Darren a few weeks ago. They are a lovely couple and Samantha and I had a great time taking their photographs.

Here are some of the pictures:-


(Above) this is inside Newark Town Hall. The decor and the layout for the room is beautiful, a lovely setting for a wedding.


Some friends taking pictures outside the church. I love the expressions.


This is a completely candid moment - the bride was not aware I was taking this picture.


This photograph was taken by Samantha. It was almost the last picture of the day, taken right at the end of the evening. It was one of those pictures where you say "shall we try this" - what a great result, this is a stunning picture.


This is a candid picture of the bride walking into church and shows off her lovely wedding dress.

Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire

Here are some pictures from a recent wedding at Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire. I shot this wedding in conjunction with Samantha Hook Weddings. I get on really well with Samantha and she takes some lovely pictures, and so it was great to shoot this wedding with her. The whole wedding, service and reception, was at Colwick Hall, on Saturday 6th January 2007.

I also ended up providing another service - Alison (the bride) has a dog and she wanted to find a local dog sitter. My wife received a call the week before the wedding from Alison's mum - neither of us knew each other at this point - and it soon transpired that i was taking the wedding pictures. So, they received an extra picture of "misty moments", who took a fancy to one of our dogs, Jamie. So we nearly had two romances.

Here are a few pictures:-


(Above) Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire is such a great venue to get married. This room is simply wonderful.


A very typical picture of the bride!


I really like this picture. It is a candid moment caught during the marriage service, just about to kiss the bride. The clapping hand in the left of frame helps to frame the moment. There was no flash, just natural light.


A nice picture of the bride and groom. I call this a modern pose - perhaps it is not modern but it has a modern feel to it!


Often the boys pictures can be rather formal, catching them when they are having a joke can be much better. This is a candid moment of the groom having a chat with his mates. The chap in the foreground and distance help to give this picture some depth.


Here is the picture of "Misty Moments" (in white) with her new but rather reluctant boyfriend.