David's Photography Blog

Bec and Mark - pre-wedding shoot in Sunny Bristol!

2010-03-13T20:48:48Z

After the windswept, but fun shoot with Sian and Dave in Dungeness, I was grateful to Bristol for being so warm and sunny this afternoon where I met Bec and Mark for their pre-wedding shoot. Their weddingis going to be a very vintage affair so they were keen to contrast this with a very modern pre-wedding shoot around Bristol where they live in quirky Totterdown. I have only been to Bristol a few times, and so it was great to be shown around by two locals and see parts of the city I’d never been to before. The bright sunshine can make it difficult to find suitable places to shoot, but I like using the sun as part of the image and love the warm, almost summery vibe we managed to get today.

I know it seems like pre-wedding shoot madness at the moment - but I’m delighted to say that next weekend brings with it my first 2010 wedding! This week though there’s an Anniversary shoot to look forward to tomorrow, and my own profile picture shoot on Thursday, so you’ll get to see a few new photos of me… how lucky you all are

Sian and Dave - pre-wedding in Dungeness

2010-03-11T22:11:16Z

Dungeness is one of my favourite locations of all time, and although I’ve shot there a few times I still managed to come up with a few new spots to shoot at with Sian and Dave today. Now, if there was an award for “bravest couple on a pre-wedding shoot” - they would win hands down, as I slightlly underestimated just how cold it would be in Dungeness at the end of the coldest winter since records began. However, neither Sian nor Dave complained and we managed to get loads of great shots during the shoot (even if Sian had to retreat to the warmth of her blanket in between!)

I knew they would be great fun as their wedding is one of the most eventful I think I’ve heard of. Guests are going to be treated to a morning at the zoo, a boat ride during the canal canival, a funk band in the evening - and to top it all off, my wonderful photo-booth at the reception. Think I might stay for the party!

Ewan and Kirsteen - pre-wedding shoot in Edinburgh

2010-03-06T18:08:52Z

It’s not every day I get the pleasure of going back to the city I grew up in and have a pre-wedding shoot there with an amazing couple. Well this weekend was one of those times and I enjoyed the challenge of seeing if my pre-wedding shoot style worked well up in Scotland. We started in Castle Terrace car park (getting told to leave the premises for the first time!) before exploring some of the grimy back alleys near the Grassmarket and the Cowgate. We ended the shoot near the Royal Mile where I had found the most amazing heart shaped bush running up the side of a wall. Ewan and Kirsteen really got into the spirit if the shoot and it was very easy making them look incredibly cool. Their wedding is in beautiful Craigsanquar House in Fife and I am so looking forward to what will be my first Scottish wedding.

This is the first of three pre-wedding shoots (and weddings) I have coming up in Edinburgh - I can’t wait to use the city again!

Adrienne and Ricky - the rest…

2010-03-05T23:23:50Z

...Adrienne and Ricky are getting married at Sopwell House in May and I can’t wait to be let loose on that fantastic venue. I suggested we head down to Richmond for the pre-wedding shoot as it’s somewhere I frequently visit but rarely shoot at. There’s loads of character in the cobbled streets and little shops, and I feel that it matched Adrienne and Ricky’s personality really well. One of my favourite shots is of Adrienne giving it some while music balred out a car stereo nearby! I have to admit though I was a little scared during this shoot as both Adrienne and Ricky are police officers and I hoped they hadn’t heard of all the naughty things I’d been up to…

New Books nearly here..

2010-03-04T21:35:28Z

I’m off to Edinburgh this weekend for another pre-wedding shoot. Don’t worry, I have a couple of weddings in March ahead - including Emma and Mattias wedding in beautiful Hurley, and a Sorrento wedding I really can’t wait for. I’m enjoying this time to get some of the pre-wedding shoots done, and also focus a little on my business plans for the year ahead. I’m delighted to be in the position of having 2011 bookings in the calendar, with July leading the way in popularity.

I’m currently planning a whole new look for David McNeil Photography and have been working with Nubby Twiglet, a fantastic graphic designer from Oregon who is putting the finishing touches to my new logo (it’s going to be very different from what I have now!), and I have the bones of my new website ready for a little polish to be launched within the next few months. I know I keep saying that, but it’s really imprtant for me to get everything just the way I want it!

Part of the launch will be a new range of albums to offer you, including this one from Couture Book - a really innovative and new approach to wedding albums. This is styled like an art book and, unlike other wedding albums that typically feature 20 - 30 “spreads” with thick pages, the “Greenland” art book has 100 or 200 beautiful photo pages with simple uncluttered album design. I couldn’t believe the weight of this book, and if you want to have as many images as possible in your album then this is certainly the one to go for. As this was the first time for me desiging such an album, I decided to use it as a pre-wedding portfolio - but I’m just about to order another sample featuring a full wedding.

One of the best things about these albums is that they are made of 100% recycled material - so it truly is one of the “greenest” wedding albums you can buy.

I’ll be taking some proper shots of the album soon, but in the meantime have a look at these I quickly shot in my kitchen!

Sneaky Peak

2010-02-27T17:55:34Z

...just time for the tiniest, sneakiest peak at today’s pre-wedding shoot with Adrienne and Ricky. More to follow

Cosmopolitan Bride - April/May

2010-02-26T07:25:42Z

If you find yourself in the newsagents this month then you really need to pick yourself up a copy of the latest Cosmopolitan Bride magazine. Not only is this probably my favourite wedding magazine, but this month they featured Callum and Carolines wedding in Shoreditch House in their “Real Weddings” section. Towards the end of the magazine they also asked three of my brides from last year for their “beauty secrets”. I can’t confirm, but I think next month they might be featuring another of my weddings… can’t wait for that as well!

Nicola George - portrait shoot

2010-02-24T19:06:22Z

Nicola is a television presenter and singer based in London who had some headshots with me last year. She booked in for a full day shoot for some new portfolio material and we had loads of fun today putting it together. Make-up was by Claire McDonnell (who did yet another amazing job), and our locations were “The Snug Bar” upstairs at The Defectors Weld, and Richmond. It’s always great having another shoot with somebody as I already know how they react to the camera. and it was good to get Nicola such a wide variety of shots for her portfolio.

Marie Greenwood - portrait portfolio shoot

2010-02-20T19:26:07Z

Marie Greenwood is a great tv presenter looking for some new publicity shots for her presenting and modelling work, so we combined a day of fashion shoot with an afternoon of presenter shots. She looks great, and Claire McDonnell did a great job with the make-up again! I haven’t done a proper portrait shoot for a while so it was a nice change to the routine to spend a whole day shooting Marie.

Paul and Nancy - pre-wedding shoot in beautiful Rye

2010-02-20T17:42:45Z

Considering how terribly cold and snowy it’s been this winter, we were very lucky to have Sunshine, moderate un-freezing-ness, and lack of wind for today’s pre-wedding shoot with Paul and Nancy who are getting married in St Albans in May (in the same church Ricky and Bianca from Eastenders were married in don’t you know).

Paul and Nancy decided to make a weekend of it and booked an apartment in Rye to stay over in - I’m very jealous, there are loads of nice pubs in Rye which meant we could get off to an early start and catch the best of the sunshine. we started off in Rye Harbour at the abandoned house, then headed down to the beach, before going back to Rye itself.

All in all, a very enjoyable morning indeed!

Emma and Mattias - pre-wedding shoot in Hackney Wick

2010-02-13T19:35:44Z

I’ve had a couple of restful months over the winter, but today saw the beginning of my year proper with my first pre-wedding shoot of 2010! The lucky couple were Emma and Mattias who are getting wed in March at The Olde Bell in Hurley. I always ask my couples what style of pre-wedding shoot they’d like, to which Emma and Mattias replied “gritty and urban”. Well, you can’t get much more gritty and urban than Hackney Wick in the East End of London near Stratford where all the Olympic buildings are being constructed - being architects (and yes, it is true that architects only seem to go out with other architects!) I though that might interest them too.

It was only a wee bit cold, and luckily there was no rain while we were out shooting so I was able to use all the interesting colours, textures and locations I’d sought out on the recce.

Have a look through these and get inspired for your pre-wedding shoot!

Designer Wedding Show

2010-02-12T20:05:10Z

..just time for a quick pic from my visit to the Designer Wedding Show with Kat - AKA Rock N Roll Bride

pre-wedding shoot inspiration

2010-02-06T15:26:09Z

Hey everybody!

As you know I’ve been booking in lots of pre-wedding shoots for the months ahead and from the middle of February onwards there’s going to be LOADS of shoots to feast your eyes upon - but in the calm before the storm, I thought I’d share a few images from Callum and Carolines pre-wedding shoot from last year which took place in Dungeness, Kent. I know a lot of you are nervous about what to expect on the shoot so have a look at these and see how much fun it’s going to be!

When thinking about your pre-wedding shoot, first think about the style of location you’d like. I suggest thinking of either an urban location, a seaside location, countryside - or somewhere that is special to you both. Email me any ideas you have and I’ll research. I do try to visit each location beforehand so I have some idea of where would be cool to shoot. I don’t mind travelling a wee bit, so don’t be shy in your suggestions!

Secondly, think about what you’re going to wear for the shoot. I like my pre-wedding shoots to be a bit more funky than other photographers so I suggest going for something smart. Girls, have a look in your wardrobe and find that one outfit you’re always a bit scared of wearing - the one that’s a little bit daring, or the one you’ve kept for a special occasion. Some photographers say don’t go for colours or patterns - I say go for whatever you want - the more glamorous the better! Remember, my make-up artist will look at your outfit and give make-up that compliments it perfectly.

Guys, you get it kind of easy, as you tend to look good in smart or casual outfits. If you’re going for a smart-casual look then go for a cool T-shirt, Jeans and a smart jacket. A slick shirt and tie and Jeans will also go down well. Unless the trousers are super smart stick to jeans and steer away from the trousers you’d wear to work! Imagine you’re going out for a pretty smart night out and see what you come up with.

I’m always up to try a more stylised look so if you want to try and recreate a certain era, or a fashion style from the past - please let me know. It’s a fantastic opportunity to have fun and get some images you’d never imagined getting before.

There’s plenty of shoots from last year to look through so if you see one or two you really like, let me know and I’ll come up with something similar for you.

In the meantime, enjoy these images:

What I’ve Been Up To

2010-02-04T17:08:50Z

- Scouting locations in Chinatown for a new course I’ll be teaching with The Trained Eye - Speedlights In The City
- hiring amazing NYC graphic designer Nubby Twiglet to help with my identity design
- finding out what it’s like to get married at London Zoo
- partying with Rock N Roll Bride - and feeling awful the next day
- playing with my new gear
- booking in and planning all the pre-wedding shoots I have coming up
- booking flights and hotels for a wedding I’m shooting in Sorrento in March (hurrah!)

..oh and to help everybody thinking about their pre-wedding shoots, later tonight I’m going to post some more images from Caroline and Callum’s pre-wedding shoot from last year. I had a look through my images and am just processing a few more now!

Wanting the best

2010-01-28T16:44:50Z

I continually look to offer my customers the very best image quality and every year update and add to my current ‘gear’ - I know to non-photographers camera gear and the various numbers and letters beside each piece of equipment don’t really mean anything, but I want you all to know that I am always adding the very best photographic equipment to shoot your wedding.

I already shoot with Canon L series lenses - the L standing for the grade of glass and build quality that Canon regard as their professional range. This means your images are going to be beautifully crisp and clear, have great vibracy, the shallow depth of field you all love, as well as allow me to work in the various low light situations I’ll encounter on the day.

My current kit consists of:

BODIES
Canon 5D MK 1
Canon 5D MK 1 (second body)
LENSES
24-70mm L f2.8
70 - 200m L f2.8
85mm L f1.2
FLASHES
580EX mk II
430EX mk II
430ex

Today I will be retiring my old 24-70mm lens and replacing it with a brand new one, as well as upgrading my 5D MK 1, to a MK 2. As well as outstanding performance in low light conditions, this lets me shoot HD video at a quality I can’t quite believe - so I may be experimenting with that in the near future. I’ll also be adding a 35mm L f1.4 to really enhance my getting ready portfolio.

Top equipment isn’t the only way of being a great photographer, but it certainly helps me deliver images that I know you’ll love