My 52 project and mussings.

Sorry everyone for lack of blog post recently, but it's been a pretty hectic few weeks, back to back weddings, album design, new site design and new clients for 2011. Finding the time to update my current blog has been limited, but I have still been keeping up with it and should be posting the shots in the next few days.
Other things going on, well after my article in a national photography magazine (Images to follow) it seems everyone is interested in me, with an article on me in local paper next week and image submitions for a bridal magazine. It's all go go go. Just looking forward to being able to share my recent work and goings on with you all.

New Moo business cards.

A quick blog post today, I took delivery of my new moo business cards this morning. it must be a slow day in the office if I'm blogging the opening of the post, well far from it. Loads of stuff going on at present including a feature in a national photography mag in the near future, but more of that in another post. This blog post is about how impressed with www.moo.com I am. I placed the order at the end of last week, got email confirmation that it would be 7-10 days before they got dispatched, which was cool. 3 working days later they are on my desk, in my wallet and ready to be distributed. Fantastic customer service in my book. Plus the quality is second to none and the price was spot on.
I think the part that attracted me most to Moo was the fact that I could have multiple images on the rear of my cards, so I have tailored this batch of cards to suit my wedding and portrait needs. Next time they will be based on some commercial and event work I do. Every card can be different but I went with just 10 designs, 3 portrait and 7 wedding. Looking forward to dishing a few out at the next wedding.
Well done Moo crew, you just made a new customer for life. Many thanks.

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24/52 - Spring bride?

Shoot a great fun wedding yesterday for Katie and Eugene. Lovely day, stunning weather and so intimate with just 60 guests. Folowing on from a chat with the local bridal magazine looking for a spring bride shot, I jokingly suggested a bride on a trampoline. Katie and Eugene were up for up it, so why not. It's the kind of thing I love to do, something out of the ordinary.

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23/52 - Wedding workshop.

Had an amazing two two days with Lovegrove consulting. First day was a business of wedding photography seminar, which was an real eye opener. Then the second day we went up to Stonehouse court near Stroud for a wedding shoot with Damien and Juile Lovegrove. I could ramble on for pages about how good it was and how much I learnt. But I won't. I'll just leave you with one shot for now and the rest of the set to follow later. Huge thanks to Damien and Julie for all the guidance and support and Franko and Sarah for an being excellent couple for the shoot.

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22/52 - The happy couple.

Had another great pre wedding engagement shoot today with Charlie and David. Despite overcast and foggy weather we managed to get out in the grounds of Pickwell Manor for a few shots. Lovely couple with so much love, I know that the wedding imagery will convey that.

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Vicky and Dom -22nd August 2009

Coming to the end of my 2009 wedding season review now, with only a few more notable weddings to post. This retro is from Dom and Vicky's wedding. Shocking weather in the run up to it, but on the day someone was smiling upon us. Shame the entrance to field didn't think so. Plenty of mud. But aside from that it was a lovly wedding. Very relaxed with the groom and even the bride taking a few swings with the golf clubs in a pitching comp between the lads. In the evening the marquee was rammed and it created an excellent atmospshere. A great way to start your married life together.

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Mike and Louise :: July 2009

Starting off at Ilfracombe Parish church and then onto my favourite venue of the Woolacombe Bay Hotel, this July wedding throw it's best and worst at me, a great fun couple made the day so much better but heavy rain mid way through the formal's saw us resort to using a corner of the bar to finish off getting those few missed shots, it just goes to show why the Bay Hotel is one of the top locations in North devon, in my opinion, it is just so versatile. Although this wedding was my one and only wet wedding of 2009 we still managed to get out at sunset onto Woolacombe beach for a few shots and trash the brides dress with sand and some scissors! I kid you not. It was such a great day and I wish Mike and Lousie all the happiness for the future.

16/52 - Wedding shoes.

Well this month's theme seems to have landed on weddings, which ironically is what I am shooting a lot of this year. So what better than another wedding realted shot. This time taken on Woolacombe Beach as the sun was setting. Can't show you any from the wedding just yet as the bride and groom haven't seen them But you all will in due course.
I got down real low for this shot to give that slightly different perspective on my shots as ever.
On a side note I took this on my new 7D which before had started to play up but shortly after this shot it died completely. Not bad to be able to kill a new camera in 48 hours!

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14/52 - Pre wedding recon.

I have a wedding in June at the stunning location of Tapely Park, Bideford. I meet with the couple in the grounds today to go through the final details of their day. After the meeting I stayed for a while to scope out lighting, angles etc etc.
This is where they are getting married so played with lighting set ups. Two speedlight 580 exii's just above each side pillar point to the ceiling and stofe'd, 1/4 power 24mm zoom triggered by cactus v4's. Hopefully that should give enough lighting to balance out the ambeint and flash on the day.

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Blog and site updates.

I know I have been a little quiet recently on blog updates, but hopefully posting should return to a normal pace again. It has been a mental few weeks of wedding album design, meeting with clients and general day to day business running stuff. But I seem to be over the worst of it now, so I can turn my attention to a new website design with plenty of extra content and look forward to what is shaping up to be a very busy 2010 wedding season for me, with literally one or two dates left this year, and I am all ready taking bookings for 2011 and 2012. Hopefully I won't have to increase my prices for next year but book now and I will honour this years prices next year or the year after!
Looking ahead to my new site design, I shall be adding plenty of links to wedding related suppliers in the North Devon area, so if you are such a person / business and would like to be included, then please drop me a line (My email can be found on my mail site or over to your right →), areas I will looking to forge links with are venues, entertainment, catering, suit and dress suppliers, cars etc etc. Also in the new site design this blog will be moving to my main site and there will be an updated client and general gallery system too. All exciting stuff. Thanks to Gareth at Dogleg Design (www.doglegdesign.co.uk) for doing the work for me.
Oh and one final thing don't forget my 52 project is still going strong. Not sure on what the next months theme will be yet but I have a few things on my mind for it.

Cheers
Matt

Bridal magazine cover image.

Found out last month that this image is going to be the cover shot on the next local bridal magazine. Stoked doesn;t describe the feeling.

The shot in print.

My advert inside the front cover. even more stoked.

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Dean and Bonnie :: May 2009

This was a great little wedding, nice and intimate with just close friends and family there to help celebrate Dean and Bonnie wedding. Set in the picturesque church overlooking Braunton and surrounding areas of Heanton it was a lovely day. A couple after my own heart really as the wedding car was a sub 16 second 1/4 mile split screen camper. Thankfully the driver kept it sedate! (ish). As ever I managed to stop off enroute to the venue with the couple and have 20 mins with just them to capture a few private tender moments. One of the shots of them in the field of rape seed flowers is currently being used in the latest edition of the North Devon Gazette's bridal magazine on the cover.