Summer is here...

Well, May has arrived, with its strange Oxford traditions of students jumping off bridges, Morris dancers in the streets, and choirs singing from towers. If that makes no sense to you - join the club.

What makes perfect sense is the wedding of the wonderful Piper and Simon at Ardington House in south Oxfordshire. Fairytale is one way to describe the day - the bride looked utterly stunning, making her way to get married on an island in the middle of a lake (carried on a boat, no less!); the weather was perfect; the couple's guests were a delight to be around and a great laugh (the speeches - award-winning), and the lovely couple were so relaxed in front of the camera we couldn't help but take some stunning shots. Did I mention last week that this is the best job in the world?

As a fan of occasionally walking up hills, an important part of that particular past-time is to stop every so often and look back, and marvel at how far you've come. The moment I finished processing Piper and Simon's wedding was one of those metaphorical enjoy-the-view moments - comparing last weekend's wedding with the photos I gave to my good friends Ben and Clare all those weddings ago (kudos for letting me cut my teeth at their special day!) is quite a reminder that the only way to survive in the photography business is to try and make every shoot better than the last - cliched perhaps, but nonetheless true!

The bride



Arriving by boat to meet her beloved...



Pure joy!



The fabulous grounds at Ardington



Piper and Simon picked exactly the right weekend for the blossom...







Cutting the cake at sunset - with a kiwi to celebrate!



We like to party.

...say the bells of St Paul's

It was off to London last weekend for a real treat - Liv and Tony got married in the crypt at St Paul's Cathedral. Welcome to fairytale land! As if someone was listening out for us, the weather was better than any other weekend this year, with some breathtaking blue skies and great light even through the stained glass.

I had the pleasure of working with another professional image-maker in the evening - and it would be safe to say I've never seen anything like it. Liv and Tony had a silhouette-cutter providing not-inconsiderable entertainment in the evening! I still have no idea how she did it - take a piece of card, a pair of scissors and a subject, and two minutes later, pure genius. Amazing. It certainly put me in my place - all I have to do is press a button!

The adorned bride...


In front of St Paul's Cathedral - watched by more people than I'm usually used to!



Returning for dinner


Here comes the sun!


Here's one I made... just now.

New Year's Hi-Resolution

With the new year have come new projects, both in the studio and out of it. Quite quickly the period for settling in has come and gone - the real work is starting now. Studio work is high-pressure, but the results can be amazing - you need to be able to cope with complex lighting setups and some quick mental arithmetic without too much thought, so those higher brain functions can be dedicated to the imagination - thinking up new approaches to images, not only that look good and are comfortable for your client, but that get a bit of their soul in the shot.

No wonder people around the world still see photographers as stealing people's souls. A good shot can often do just that - or at least borrow it for a while...

One of the many great shots from Karen's modelling portfolio, put together in the studio in only half a day. You wouldn't have guessed this was her first foray into professional modelling!


A study in perfect hair-lighting...





The eyes are a window to the soul...





"How did he do that?"


Attitude...


Fiona's headshots - just a bit nicer than a passport photo...!

No rest for the... photographers

Sincere and abject apologies to those of you who have been checking back recently, hoping to find more news from everyone's favourite Oxford-wedding-photographer-with-a-studio-on-Cowley-Road. He's been busy.

Naomi and Jonathan got married just before Christmas - a special time for so many reasons, but specially for us at Simplicity Photography - it marks another year that's gone by since our first paid wedding for our great friends James and Charley, back in the day!

Far from being just another wedding, Naomi and Jonathan's day was fantastic - as if I needed reminding that this is the best job in the world! Perfect weather, amazing location, fun guests, and an incredibly photogenic couple - what more could a photographer ask for?

Some of our favourite shots from the day:

A sneaky kiss...


The gorgeous location...


A late-night serenade


Even later-night dancing with an incredible band

Something new...

In my last post I mentioned that things have been very exciting in our photographic universe. I think this really deserves a post all to itself though - as we now have a studio in Oxford dedicated to portraits of all kinds - families (old and young!), individuals, couples, babies, pregnancy shoots - you name it!

Our address is now:

Simplicity Photography
33 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX4 1HP

It's been a crazy month of moving in, establishing a reputation in the area and marketing our (beautiful yet affordable!) photography services to as many people as possible in the run-up to Christmas. Since Louise is occupied with other projects at the moment, it's me (Chris) who is running the studio on a day-to-day basis and photographing all the portraiture that we're now happily displaying in our portfolio. Check it out at:

http://www.simplicityphotography.co.uk/portraits-portfolio.html

For me, it's something of a dream come true, and I'm lucky to have so many friends and clients who allow me to try out some of my crazier and more far-out ideas! Every so often, though, it all comes together and pays off spectacularly; so I've put a few of my favourite studio shots from the last month for you to have a look at. Enjoy - and remember, if you're stuck for a Christmas present for the family, you know who to call!

Nom and her wonderful son, Reuben



A mischievous smile is caught forever...



Katie, an absolute pro in front of the camera



A high-key edge to Simplicity



Ricki and Nat, with their baby Izak



John and Emily wanted to join in...



A really beautiful shoot with Erica, a pregnant midwife who was about the most relaxed person in front of the camera I've ever worked with!



A crazy angle (in fact from Louise) that worked perfectly for the mood of the photo.


I was so pleased with this shoot I just had to put another photo in to finish with!

To book a studio session or to enquire about our Christmas offers, email portraits@simplicityphotography.co.uk or call 07745 033707. You can find lots of information here:
www.simplicityphotography.co.uk/portraits-about.html

Have fun Christmas shopping - I'll keep you up to date with new studio shoots whenever I've got time!

Chris

An Oxford Winter Wonderland

It's been a while since my last post - apologies! Things have been very exciting in the world of Simplicity Photography - first of all, after a few weeks' rest at the end of a busy summer, we've launched straight into winter and its frosty weddings!

James and Tayce got married on Saturday 6th December in the beautiful city of Oxford (well, I suppose I'm slightly biased...) and had their reception at the magnificent Divinity Schools in the Bodleian Library. Wow.

We love Oxford, and even after dark it's hard to wish for a more grand or beautiful location. Tripods at the ready, we chased a bicycle rickshaw carrying the happy couple from the Quaker meeting house on St Giles to Radcliffe Square - and once we arrived, the cold walk was worth it! We embarked on a photoshoot around some of Oxford's most notable landmarks - the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera, the Bridge of Sighs, the Christmas lights on Broad Street, the Sheldonian Theatre and the busy High Street.

Here are a few of our favourites from their special day - hope you enjoy them!

Getting ready - the important stuff!



Tayce



The best man ensured everything ran smoothly...



Waiting to sign the register...



Tayce and James outside the Radcliffe Camera



A quiet moment...



The Christmas lights twinkle in the background...

Family and friends can log in to our website to view all the photos from James and Tayce's wedding at www.simplicityphotography.co.uk/secure/james_and_tayce
[Username: guest | Password: couple's surname]

Love is in the air...

Last week found us in the (not-so-sunny) north once again - this time for the wedding of the wonderful Paul and Charlotte.

Despite the incessant rain, we had a really fabulous day and came home with some great memories and even better photos! We may have lost our lucky streak that blessed all our other October weddings with gorgeous weather, but we couldn't have asked for a more photo-friendly wedding; and as for the couple, I'll let the photos of these two speak for themselves...

Accompanied down the aisle by a little angel...

The Kiss

Charlotte

The happy couple!

More fun with the lovebirds...

All the Groom's Men...

The rings...

First Dance

Family and friends can log in to our website to view all the photos from Paul and Charlotte's wedding at www.simplicityphotography.co.uk/secure/paul_and_charlotte
[Username: guest | Password: couple's surname]