Wedding and Portrait photography in Yorkshire by Charles Haines Photography

I had a short break during an art exhibition last night at Goldsborough Hall near Knaresborough when I saw these mirrors in the main corridor. Always one for trying something new, I took a quick self portrait and loved the shot. I will definatly be using these mirrors at my next wedding there

I’m always amazed by the miracle of childbirth. These two images were taken just 2 weeks apart!!

When shooting a wedding, I  prefer to work on my own. Occasionally I will use an assistant if the logistics of the wedding demand it, but in the past few years I have probably only shot a couple of weddings with another photographer, even though it is very common to see at least two photographers at a wedding.

The reason is simple, it’s less intrusive. A few years ago I used to shoot with an assistant but, when she left to pursue a career in design, I shot several weddings solo. It was during these weddings I noticed something happen! Guests began to relax around me, I captured better candid shots and I started getting comments from guests and couples about how friendly and unobtrusive I had been on the day. No longer did I get comments about “the paparrazi” or guests clamming up when I pointed the camera towards them. 

Of course there are times when having two cameras at different view points may help but I have invested in a remote system allowing me to shoot from two different angles if required. A real example of this was a wedding at York Minster where I set up a camera in the organ loft, with a remote trigger, and captured the bride walking down the isle from above as well as from the front

I still wonder as to why many photographers hunt in pairs at a wedding. Maybe it is a confidence thing? Perhaps it is a way of adding perceived value to a package? I don’t really know, but it is definitely not for me. It’s simply too intrusive

In this day of social media, digital everything and instant uploads, why do we still sell prints? Too many people have forgotton that taking the photograph is just the start of creating a fantastic piece of art. Even in film days, a good photographer would spend hours tweaking each print in the dark room, darkening one bit, lightening another, sharpening different sections, all in the pursuit of the perfect image. In this digital age, professional photographers still use many of these techniques to create that perfect image. The skills involved in “finishing” an image take years of practise to perfect and is something of an art form in itself.

 Every print, canvas or framed image we produce is hand edited to bring out the best in each image, from removal of background distractions, colour correcting skin tones to black and white conversions. All of our wedding Collections either include the original files or have the option to purchase them, but nothing can replace a great photo, carefully hand edited, and presented as a beautiful crafted canvas or framed image, ready to take pride of place in your home

Time, or lack of it, is probably the biggest cause of stress to any bride on her wedding day. That is why I have put together a pdf called “Planning your perfect wedding day timeline”

This guide is given to every couple who book with me and goes into planning the best timeline for your wedding day. It was put together from experience from shooting hundreds of weddings, over the last 6 years. The idea of the guide was to educate couples on how to make their big day go smoothly and all the pitfalls to avoid. Not only does this guide help the couples plan their day, but also ensures we have enough time together to create the amazing images my couples fall in love with.

One example – When planning a church wedding, think about where you are going to go as you walk out of the church. If the couple stop in the door way, then every guest is going to stop and congratulate them as they leave. If you haven’t planned for this impromtu “line up” then you could suddenly find yourself losing half an hour just trying to get away from the church

It’s these sort of unplanned moments that we try to educate our brides about, ensuring their day goes smoothly and, with our guidance, both before and on the day itself, every wedding day can run on time and without the stress of sudden changes to the plans

One question I get asked a lot is how I dress while shooting a wedding. I’ve always been surprised by this question but it seems not every photographer understands the idea of blending in. I have always chosen to wear a suit while at a wedding, not only as a mark of respect for my couples but for the fact that I want to blend in with the guests as this allows me to capture more candid moments without sticking out like a sore thumb. Almost every couple I speak to have told me stories of friends weddings where the photographer turned up in shorts, jeans, even t-shirts with “Photographer” printed on the back!!! 

I always thought these stories might have been a bit exagerated until I saw for myself what some people wear. I was photographing a recent wedding and during the meal I popped outside for a break. There were two weddings taking place at the same venue this day and as I popped outside, I saw the other wedding party having their group shots taken in the garden. I looked in amazement at the photographer when I saw what he was wearing. Now obviously I have protected his identity but I now understand why I get asked this question by so many couples.