The beauty of Albums

So, the main wedding season is approaching so I thought Id share with you why I feel having a professional album made from your wedding day photos is such a wonderful thing to do.  I love it when I go home and  have those afternoons where you sit with a cup of tea and go through suitcases of old photos and albums, reminiscing on childhood memories or learning about relatives from the past – having a good laugh at some of the fashion or funny facial hair my dad used to have! I absolutely love looking at my mum and dads wedding day album – my mum wore a straw hat and was a dinky size 8 – she looked beautiful (dad did too of course) and I love seeing how photography has moved on since then. Your day is such a special day and I can’t think of anything more exciting than seeing your wedding photos printed on gorgeous paper – being able to see them printed and to touch them is part of the whole experience and the most rewarding way to treasure these memories forever. People often take lots of photos and have them stored up on computers and never look at them again (admittedly even I do this sometimes) but please, don’t let this happen with your wedding day photographs. I offer Folio Albums, there is a wide option of different covers, text inside and I personally design the layouts for you. Love and Light x

   

a little late …. Happy New Year

I know this is a little late but I have been fortunate enough to spend 3.5 weeks in Thailand. Just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New year and I hope 2014 will be full of Love, Happiness, Health and Success for everyone.  I had a challenging end to 2013, lost a little hope in love but then I reflect on all the amazing couples I have been lucky enough to meet last year and stunning weddings I have photographed and it restores my faith. Like I was saying I started the year on an amazing adventure on my own in Thailand. I took some time to myself to regain some perspective, restore my energy and to have a relaxed chilled time which is exactly what it was and more. I met some incredible people along the way, I welcomed the New Year on the Beach on Koh Phi Phi partying, worked my way around the West and East Islands, snorkelling, having many Thai massages, eating amazing food, swinging in hammocks listening to Bob Marley, got bitten by a monkey, more parties, more swimming, more sunbathing, and ended the last part of my trip doing a weeks yoga, meditation and I found peace on the Party island of Koh phangyan. The image below was my paradise. I found it so hard to leave – but I was so grateful to have spent time there with some special souls. Back to London, and to start the new year in the most positive way….. and what a lovely start, Steph and Toms wedding I photographed last year was featured in the January issue of Wedding Ideas Magazine.  Once again….. LOVE and LIGHT for 2014. Rai xxx

Featured on Love My Dress

Was lovely to see my work featured on Love My Dress a few days ago – Nikki did look FABULOUS in her beautiful Happiness dress by Jenny Packham. CLICK HERE to see the post.

Pre-wedding Photos

I really love doing  pre-wedding/couple shoots and think they are a really great thing to do before your wedding day and here are a few reasons why.

* Get used to being in front of the camera – many people say to me they ‘hate’ having their picture taken! I try to make the photoshoot fun, relaxed and informal and soon people realise it isn’t as scary as they think it will be! It is a great rehearsal for your wedding day, you can get used to me taking photos of you and I get to see how you are together and what works best for you.

* Get to know me before your day – I spend quite a lot of time with you on your wedding day so it’s a great way to spend some time together and to get to know each other. It’s lovely for me to come to your wedding day feeling like I know a little more about you both and your families and therefore feel a nice connection when photographing you and the special people there with you.

* Have some great pictures as a couple together – Not very often do people get the chance to have some professional photos taken together and in a location of your choice. Its a wonderful chance to use these photos on your wedding invitations or to get some printed to use on your wedding day or to even make a guest book with them.

“I can’t stop smiling about how beautiful our engagement shoot photos turned out. Me and my fiance are both rather nervous in front of the camera, but after a coffee and chat with Rachel she managed to put us both completely at our ease. We then had lots of fun playing around together while Rachel snapped away, and she took the most gorgeous and relaxed photos of us. I absolutely cannot wait now until our wedding day, and am already so excited to see the photos!” Amy and Dan x

We saw Rachel’s pictures on a website and immediately loved the style of her pictures. Going with Rachel as our photographer was one of the first decisions we made and can’t be happier. She captured the day just as it happened without any fuss and blended in with our family and friends straight away. We had so much fun with her during our couple shoot and wedding day which made it all very relaxed. Rachel is a lovely person to hang out with and at the end of the day we felt like we had known her for years. We are extremely happy with the pictures and glad we got to know Rachel in the process. Rachel, it was awesome and we’d love to do it all over again. Lots of cuddles ;)

So get thinking about where you would love to have some special photos taken with your loved one, it could be anywhere from the streets of london, the seaside or the beautiful english countryside!

Reminiscing

I was so lucky to travel to America in August for almost a month. Since then, lots of things have changed, and I have been so busy I havent had time to edit the photos properly yet. But here is a photo from the breathtaking Yosemite National Park. I have lots more to share and will warm up the cold winter nights soon by reminiscing on some of the most incredible scenery I have ever seen.

Sneak Peak

Heres a little peak of Jo and Sebs wonderful wedding day. More to come…..

Preserving the Season

A few weekends ago I photographed the fabulous Kinfolk – Preserving of the seasons hosted by the lovely ladies of JuniperandLily.  Always a privilege to meet such wonderful people and share an afternoon together learning new things. This event was all about pickling and preserving. Tassja and Ana had an amazing range of herbs, fruits, and spices for us to create some yummy preserves. It was all hands on, everyone chopping and cooking and working as a team…..  and ended with a delicious (as always) late lunch made by Ana and Tassja.

So in love in Lancashire

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.

When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful.

There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.

Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you.

You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do.

Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you.

You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile.

Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.” – BOB MARLEY

Kind Words from a lovely couple

We decided to go with Rachel after seeing her in action at a close friends wedding. She fitted in effortlessly with the guests, moved almost invisibly during key moments and captured photos that truly expressed the joy, beauty and love of the day. This was definitely one of the best decisions we made and we’re both delighted with the outcome. We started with a couples shoot in our home city of Bath, which we’d really recommend to warm you up for the big day. We thought it might feel a bit awkward and cheesy but it wasn’t at all, Rachel felt more like a friend than a photographer and put us at complete ease, whilst working creatively and effortlessly to give us some really lovely photos. By the time our wedding came around, Rachel had us well sussed and had done her research to find some really incredible and unusual places to shoot, definitely not what you’d expect from any bog standard photographer! She really went above and beyond capturing every element of the day from families and friends, to the unique setting, minute details and us toasting marshmallows on an open fire in the evening! She really is a true gem and one that will give you fantastic memories to share for a lifetime.

Thank you Rachel :)

Love Steph and Tom xx

VW Heaven

Those who know me, know that after heart breakingly selling my 1973 VW Beetle my next mission is to have a Camper. Was so excited to photograph Nikki and Andys day and even more chuffed when I got a small ride in the van – here is one shot from the day – more to follow.