The opening pages of Natalie and Will's Manor by the Lake wedding album shows two full page images. The first shows the couple's oldest child running through the grounds, holding the hand of one of his friends.
I absolutely love this image, and capturing it proved quite difficult. The young boy was really happy in front of the camera, so much so that every time he saw me he tried to pose or smile. This doesn't sound like a bad thing, but for the biggest part of a wedding I try to remain hidden, and take photos candidly from a distance to ensure the photos would look like I wasn't there. I'm always careful to tread lightly and not influence the image with my presence.
Whilst his mother, the bride, was busy getting ready, I could see him running around the grounds without a care, and I knew this was something that the bride and groom would love to have 'on film.' I waited for him to turn and run in the opposite direction, in order that I could sneak out behind him, and position myself so that when he turned to run back towards the venue, I'd be ideally placed. I made sure to use a long, fast focussing lens and a wide aperture which would all work to separate my subject from the out of focus background. It worked perfectly, and the images of the young boy and little girl are just amazing. If you look really closely, you can see how he's actually completely airborne in this image, with neither foot actually making contact with the ground.
The image on the opposite page is an early morning view of the Manor House itself.
Location: Manor by the Lake in Cheltenham.
Keywords: Manor by the Lake Weddings (18).