After a lot of preparation, which included some serious planning with the Bride and Groom to be, we eventually managed to hammer out a plan for the day. This included an itinerary of where everyone was going to be at any given time, and a list of requested shots divided into the ‘Must Have’ and ‘Would be Nice’ categories. A note to potential wedding photographers; the Itinerary is a MUST. There is nothing worse than going to an event and not knowing where or when you’re supposed to be.

For the duration of the shoot, Matthew kindly supplied me with his Canon 5D Mark II and 50mm lens, giving me a triple camera setup for the whole day. The 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM would be paired with my 1D Mark IV for the long range shots, the 24-70mm f/2.8L USM would be attached to the 5D Mark II, while the 50mm Prime would be on the backup 400D acting as a black-and-white point-and-shoot camera for some more candid shots. The first two cameras were paired with a Speedlite 580EX II and 430EX II respectively for those shots lacking natural light.

I’d begin by following the Alison and her bridesmaids from the very start of the day. During the fitting of the dress, I took the opportunity to photograph certain items (such as the shoes, flowers, etc) that were key to the event, and to set up the lighting outside for the first set of portrait shots. Once these were done, I returned to photograph the bride getting prepared. As I was working in a small space with a bride (plus dress), and three brides maids, I stuck to using a 24-70mm lens on just one camera.

Once the bridal preparation was complete, I used toe remaining time to photograph portraits of the brides side of the wedding. this included a number of individual and group shots of everyone involved, and the brides official portrait. While the choice of a garden backdrop was perfect from the visual point of view, it is worth pointing out that high-healed shoes (such as those chosen by brides, bridesmaids, and female guests) and grass do NOT mix… The up side was the whole party found it fair amusing that the bride ended up stuck in the middle of the garden, unable to move anywhere. A quick lift later and everything was back to normal. We live and learn.

As soon as the portraits were complete, everything was quickly bundled back into the car and I was off to the church. The timing of this was crucial, as I knew I’d only have a maximum of 20 minutes before the bride arrived to photograph Matthew. Upon arrival at the church, it turned out that the groom was in fact running slightly behind schedule. This actually worked out for the best, as it gave me more time to scout the church for the best location to shoot the wedding, and to experiment for the ideal camera settings.

Control the Light and Improve Your Photography: Part I – Portraiture using Available Light from Sekonic on Vimeo.

Credits
Model: Katie Green
Organizer & Instructor: Jon Gray

Technical
Two studio strobes were used to light this scene. The first is a Bowens Softlite Reflector with Grid Diffuser firing from frame right in front of Katie. The second is acting as a hair-light, positioned frame left behind Katie with a yellow colour-temperature gel to add warmth to her hair.

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The show ran through clothing from different times of the day, starting off with underwear and lingerie for the early morning, covered sports wear, business wear, beach wear, casual, then finally rounding off with evening cocktail dresses and formal clothing. Each set was preceded by a brief dramatisation, then moved onto the fashion catwalk sequence. The show was intermixed by dance performances.

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Big Cats from the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Headcorn, Kent.

Photos from my commission at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust.

Some of these photos have been published by the UKWCT.

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Photos from my visit to Grand Tetons National Park in February 2011.

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Jon will be joined by his associate producer and fellow director; Ben Wiles (Kinetic Energy Films), with Dominik Danielewicz (After Dark Productions) as 1st Assistant Director, and Dario Attanasio (After Dark Productions) as Script Supervisor.

“Kretzinger’s Waltz” follows through the meetings of a psychologist and his patient. Dr Kretzinger is a sufferer of depression and low self-esteem, while his patient, Daniel, slowly develops dementia. Throughout the movie, they explore the avenues of helping each other, and use each other to overcome their problems.

I look forward to working with the experienced and talented cast and crew of this production.

The business cards arrived last week, and I’ve already given a few out. I’ve got them here and there, so advertising is underway. The new Flickr Account seems to be going well, with over 650 hits in 4 days.

I will soon start posting information regarding a trip I’m planning to take in February of next year, with the hope of drumming up some interest from publications. Keep checking back for more information.

We arrived at the trust on Saturday so the dogs could be suitable rested, and the equipment / tents / location could all be set up in advance of the show. After we had unpacked and walked the dogs, Andy Stokes from the UKWCT very kindly took the whole team on a walk with Duma, the surviving North American Wolf from the trust. During my time there, I was lucky enough to capture some beautiful photos of the European Wolf Pack, and of the Canadian Wolf Pack. In particular, I was finally able to capture photos of the elusive Torak. In my past visits to the UKWCT, I have never been fortunate enough to even catch sight of him, let alone take any photos. The first glimpse of him had me open mouthed. In the evening light, he appears to have golden coloured fur. Torak is without a doubt a jewel of the UKWCT, and a beauty to behold! The photos will soon be forwarded to Vicky Hughes of Wolf Print, who I promised these photos to without restriction, as my way of saying thanks for the opportunity.

I was very privileged to be a part of this magical event, and I would like to extend my thanks to Duma, Torak, the whole UK Wolf Conservation Trust Team, and the whole Karluk Siberian Husky team. It was a day I will not soon forget, and an experience that I’m sure will remain a part of me for years to come.

After a night of Chinese food, red wine, laughter and lots of rain, we all turned in for the night. There is something very magical about sleeping in a tent less than 50 meters from wolves, and hearing them howl in the night is one of those special moments that you always remember. We all awoke early the next morning to sort out the dogs and the stand for the event.

Even with the rain lashing down around us, the whole team performed flawlessly. Even the dogs, who normally have an intense dislike for the rain, loved being back at the Trust, and enjoyed all of the attention from the public. While the ‘Hug a Husky’ stand did not do so well this time (people seemed less inclined to have portraiture done with wet dogs), the whole team did an exceptional job of raising awareness about the bread, and raising money for ‘Huskies in need‘.

Thank you again to Jayne and the dogs for inviting me along, and thank you to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust for hosting the event!

Flickr Gallery: Karluk Siberian Huskies at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust, October 3rd 2010

Flickr Gallery: UK Wolf Conservation Trust photos, October 2nd 2010

Flickr Gallery: Avian Photography from the UKWCT, October 3rd 2010