I haven’t’ done this in a little while and so I’m a little excited as this is one of my favourite things to do; my Down The Lens Features showcasing ah-mazing wedding photographers whose photos make me scream ‘damn they’re good’.

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most of you know, I am happily known as a photography-snob {one who is fussy and particular with what they like} and I enjoy being so, after all, I have to be a snob in my job to ensure the blog remains image-tastic and delivers stunning results right! So what is it that I look for in photographers? And what images get my thumbs up…

That’s a question I shy away from every time it’s asked because I can only describe a few things that I know I love about photography: like B&W, documentary, portraits, boudoir – the rest is innate! It’s an un-concious thing. I just know what I love when I see it – some boxes somewhere get ticked and I get excited 🙂 I love photographers that inspire, excite and create stories by letting you see someone else’s world through their eyes and Derby wedding photographer, Chris Seddon, does just that.

And he’s offering 3 incredibly lucky Alice In Weddingland 2013 Brides-To-Be the chance to win his top, all bells and whistle, ‘Parent Package’ for the price of his standard album package. That’s a fantastic prize value of £400. Go girls! Get emailing (see below).

Down The Lens: your definitive guide to spectacular wedding photography

Starting with my absolute favourite photo of his…

Evocative, emotional: it’s a moment so beautiful, captured so beautifully!

What gets me excited about Chris’s work is his ability to make a moment appear so elegant! Whether it’s a shot of the Bride, or the Bride and Groom or the guests partying hard on the dance floor after many Champagnes. His images are sophisticated, stylish and polished. His work is intimate and relaxed and appears so on purpose yet fly on the wall. And, his ability to focus on emotion is what draws me in, it’s like I’ve paused a Hollywood movie.

Down the Lens – Q & A Sesh!

Q: How did you get into photography and how long have you been doing it?

I’m not sure whether this is one of those things that actually happened, or whether it’s just because I’ve heard it said so many times!

Anyway…both of my Grandads were very keen amateurs and were constantly trying to keep up with me and my Sister when we were nippers. So I’m guessing that’s where the spark came from. I didn’t always have a camera with me when I was a teenager, but when it came to picking my A Levels, photography was the only thing that I was sure I wanted to study.

After college and university I took a bit of a break from photography though. I say a bit of a break…it was 10 years to be precise! SO when I came back to it, everything was digital! Did somebody say ‘culture shock’!? I soon got to grips with all the new buttons and dials though.

Q:  How would you describe your style of photography ?

This question elicits the same reaction in me as the ‘What style music do you play?’ a question I got asked when I played in bands. It’s always so tricky because to you, it’s just what you do. Quite often, there’s no conscious thinking behind the style, it’s just something that’s developed naturally over time.

When I started, I really liked shooting in a way that was ‘fly on the wall’ that showed a slice of life. Since then, I’ve worked on not just capturing natural moments, but also telling a story. I’m a huge fan of movies and books and have taken inspiration from the techniques filmmakers and authors use to tell their stories. So when I come to design the wedding album, it becomes so much more than just pages of photographs.

Q: What’s your most favourite wedding that you’ve photographed and why?

You can’t ask a wedding photographer that! It’s like asking a parent to pick their favourite child!

We see a lot of weddings, and despite all of them having some things in common, they’re all different, and each has it’s own special something. It’s impossible to pick a favourite. Saying that, if anyone wants to book me for a wedding that takes place on a beach somewhere warm, that could well become my favourite wedding!

As my Mum’s Italian, and we all know how important family is to Italians, the favourite parts for me are where the Bride and the Groom have a little moment with their parents at some point after the ceremony. The proud looks in their eyes, and maybe the odd tear. In fact, definitely the odd tear!

Q: What would your advice to Brides/Grooms be regarding choosing a wedding photographer?

It can seem a daunting task, but it can be pretty simple really. Find a style that you like. If you don’t know about styles, just have a think about the sort of photographs you’d like to be left with after the day. What would you like to sit down 5, 10 or 20 years from now and look through.

Once you know what style you’re after, have a look around the internet, or speak to friends to get recommendations and check their websites. If the photographs fit the style you have in your head, get in touch. Chat with them over e-mail or phone, or even arrange a meeting.

Try not to be put off getting in touch though, because the last thing you want is for the one who’s perfect for you to book someone else while you’re trying to decide whether to send an e-mail or not.

We all know that money plays a part in everything, and your budget is your budget after all. Bear in mind though, that after you’ve spent time, money and effort creating your perfect day, you’ll want photographs that will let you look back and relive your day and all the little moments and details that made it so special. And just like most things, you tend to get what you pay for.

Q: What do you love most about photography

I’m afraid I’ll have to take the easy way out here and leave it to someone who can put it more succinctly and poetically than I ever could. Over to you Henri Cartier-Bresson.

‘Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.’ Henri Cartier-Bresson

The Competition

To celebrate the unveiling of Chris’s frabjous new website (It’s a must see!!!) he’s offering 3 lucky Alice in Weddingland readers the chance to book his top package for the same price as his standard album package. That means you get two 6×6″ parent albums worth £400, absolutely free!

To enter, all you have to do is e-mail Chris on [email protected] with ‘AIW‘ in the subject line and let him know your names, your wedding date, the name of the venue and any other details you’d like to share about your wedding.

That’s it! Easy!

Now for the science…

The important T&C’s

  • Your wedding date must be in 2013
  • You have until Midnight on Monday November 5th, 2012 to enter. The 3 winners will be picked by my robot assistant, Debbie.
  • The 3 winners will receive the ‘Parent Package‘ for the same price as the ‘Album Package’, (prize value of £400) as featured on www.chris-seddon.co.uk
  • The wedding can be anywhere in the world, but travel & accomodation is only included for weddings in England & Wales.
  • Winners must be happy to feature on the websites for Alice in Weddingland and Chris Seddon.
  • Winners will be contacted via e-mail before being announced on Alice In Weddingland
  • Chris Seddon reserves the right to use all material from the wedding for promotional purposes.

Let your fingers do the walking and you could be one of three Brides getting your wedding photos done by Chris!

Derby Wedding Photographer Chris Seddon

Beautiful. Breathless. Emotional. This is photography at it’s best! Showcasing your day, unfolding the emotions and your story. Chris has the ability to spot the intimate moments, those of pure joy and emotion and tell the story in a sophisticated and stylish way.

Get in touch with Chris on his Derby Wedding Photographer Facebook page or via his twitter account @_Chris_Seddon_.

Have a happy Monday, I’m off to drink tea!