I had to seriously consider taking this job ever since being asked by Alfie and Amina over a year ago. I have known them for nearly 6 years now, having gone to the University of York together, so of course I was delighted to be their wedding photographer. As I learned on the day, it's certainly a challenge for someone as inexperienced in wedding photography as I am. However, I'm very pleased that it went as well as it did and I was blown away by the positive feedback!
In terms of gear, I went with my Canon EOS R and extra battery grip, which proved invaluable for portrait shots and ensuring that I had more than enough battery power for the day. I had just the right lenses too - my Sigma EF 24-70mm for most of the coverage, an RF 85mm macro for close up details, plus the RF 50mm F1.8 to really nail those additional portraits. Additionally, I rented an RF 70-200mm F2.8L, which is an absolute powerhouse of a lens. Significantly smaller and lighter than the well-used EF 70-200mm, it gives crystal clear shots right up to the end of the focal length. This was an absolute lifesaver for one of the most crucial events of the day...
After the nerves of capturing the kiss, confetti throw, and family shots, we relocated to Pope Farm down the road, where a gazebo full of owls and falcons awaited! Amina had always stressed the importance of photographing her with her favourite owl, Bluebell (I could see her point - Bluebell is a magnificent owl, and deserves to be photographed as much as possible). As a novice wedding photographer, it was a brilliant challenge to try and capture the flightpath from Bluebell's perch to Amina's glove, but the AF tracking on the telephoto lens did an excellent job. More to the point, having birds of prey at a wedding proved a very clever and engaging way of keeping guests entertained for the afternoon, and I'm sure its popularity will soon take off (pun very much intended).
I couldn't have wished for a more joyous day for my first wedding gig. In all the time I have known Alfie and Amina, I am very happy to say that they haven't changed at all within that time. They are still both wonderfully kind, friendly, heartwarming people to be around - and yet, now everything has changed. Seeing two friends being so happy together was a very special moment to witness, and I feel very proud to have been there to capture it.
