Ben – Arrival of the long awaited fine art specialist. With a background of Fine Art and landscape imagery, Ben is an expert in photographic composition and technical details. With an artists eye, and impeccably good taste, Ben’s photography is for the people who love beautiful things in life. Both fluent in English and Italian and a lifetime of experience in the wedding field, finally (after many years of trying), I have convinced Ben to join my team of wedding photographers.
Clients: Danny & Sarah Cheriyan
Location: Villa Cimbrone
Date: 07 September 2009
Title: I always knew you
Category: Couple Portraiture
Style: Portraiture
Night shots can be very romantic and take us to other worlds. Because of long exposures subjects have to sit really still and it’s better to do the half an hour after sunset. So many couple don’t make use of my services during crucial light moments. I have been sitting outside a brides room while she wrote her vows and did not get to take any portraits. Then her prtraits also have to be done after the service like the couple and groom portraits, not to mention the groups. Sarah and Danny were very relaxed, happy and cooperative. Their efforts were rewarded with great pictures. Not because I am brilliant but because the we co operative. And in love…
Clients: Angela & Douglas O’Donnell
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravello
Date: 29 May 2009
Title: untitled
Category: Couple Portrait
Style: Portraiture
Bad weather is the dread of every bride but for just one second image this photograph with blue skies. It just would not be the same. Some of my favourite images were taken in the rain. With a bride who keeps a good attitude and does not throw her toys out the cot because she has no control over the weather, will be rewarded. Especially those who are prepared to get a little wet and do a little walking. Keep flat comfortable alternative shoes on hand.
Completely off the topic I want to mention the absolutely chicest wedding dress I have ever laid my eyes on. I am all for short and off white. She is sexy, elegant, modern, no-nonsense… don’t think it comes cheap because it’s a Hermes dress and the pearls are Vuitton. But you can adapt the style to your budget. I have said it time and time again brides often ruin their day by being uncomfortable in their wedding dress.
Clients: Erin Bazos & Erich Schoenenberger
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravello
Date:11 July 2009
Title: what?
Category: Kids will be kids
Style: Reportage
I think children are always a lovely element to add to any wedding. I am always a little saddened by invitations which do not include children. Children are often the ones who enjoy weddings the most. They often start the dancing and they can be more decorative the flowers and more entertaining than the band. By choosing a place where they can have a little space to play and a few baby sitters to chase them around, everybody will be happier. Especially your photographer, doubt any of their older gests enjoyed the cakes nearly half as much. Though admittedly if one of your Aunties were to enjoy her cake while sitting on one of the tables barefoot, that would make a pretty good photo too.
Clients: Vanessa di Natale & Pasquale Grimaldi
Location: Castellamare di Stabia
Date: 01 July 2009
Title: Belated Bachelors Dance
Catagory: Humour
Style: Reportage
Now I thought this kind of thing went on before the wedding but not during. And although this photograph is only a tease because none of us, could take our eyes off their bottoms. Their participation to the evening was one of delight, fun and colour. They do a few salsa dancing lessons towards the end and do get the party rocking. If you have a few friends that get out of hand and embarrass you regularly, I do not recommend Brazilian dancers. They tend to work the crowd into a frenzy and well you know what boys can be like. Also, and this will sound cruel, unless you are a towering Amazon woman don’t accept an invitation to dance with them you will be shocked how imperfect and silly one can look next to a Goddess. And if you have a complex by your weight… and or height forget those Brazilians. Trust me.
Clients: Claudia & Rowan Early
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravelllo
Date: 12 June 2009
Title: YMCA
Catagory: Humour
Style: Reportage
Usually dancing time your get a few funnies but few can beat a bunch of boys who play in a band together. And have done so since they were children. Add into the mix a particularly hardcore best men’s speech which required a couple hundred shooters to recover from. And what do you get? Red Hot Chilly Pepper fans doing the YMCA. Again blending in and becoming one of the guest is very important in order to catch this kind of shot.
Let me know… I can work all night if you need more candy
Clients: Odyssia Houstis & Alexander Dudic
Location: Mykonian Mare Resort, Agios Stefanos, Mykonos ,Greece
Date: 27 June 2009
Title: little fluffy ducks
Category: Wedding details
Style: Details
Peonies and orchids are the most popular wedding flowers. I adore both but both are terribly expensive. Odyssia combined the peonies with a magical sphere theme. Which she then echoed with golden apples at every place setting. The eye loves repetition and themes. Especially subtle ones. She had circular dinner tables prepared and a dinning hall with arches. The dinning hall had already been tastefully decorated with white and gold using clean minimal art, incorporating circles. By using the themes and colours she already found within the dinning hall, she created a harmonious environment and her theme made good use of what there was available.
Clients: Angela & Douglas O’Donnell
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravello
Date: 29 May 2009
Title: “They look like clouds”
Category: Bridal Portrait
Style: Portraiture
Have to say it time and time again. LOVE doing run always. Why ? No stress or pressure from anyone. Loads of time to take beautiful pictures. Time to get to special places, away from the crowds at exactly the perfect time, when the light is at it’s best. Being the only witness of the day and memories to later share with loved ones, the photography takes on a whole new meaning. Angela is also very creative and together with her being to open to ideas and creativity, we made some lovely images together. I can’t tango alone.
Clients: Maurizio & Claudia
Location: Church – S. Maria di Montesanto – Naples
Date: 05 August 2009
Title: Life
Catagory: Couple Portraiture
Style: Portraiture
Naples is not on Italy’s top ten places to see. Log on to Meteo.it and you will see that Rome is as south as they want to go on the home page. But those of us who are fascinated by other realities and reality itself. For those of us who sometimes get nauseated by sugar encrusted facades presented to tourists, Naples is truly unbelievable. This young bride grew up in Naples. And wanted to remember the streets at this juncture in her life. I really love her couple shots. They will always bring back memories for her.
Clients: Erin Bazos & Erich Schoenenberger
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravello
Date:11 July 2009
Title: watching her wondering
Category: Bride & Groom Portraiture
Style: Portraiture
Another one of Erins images, again proving that two brains can equal a hundred. Brainstorming and the art of play is what creativity is all about when I am lucky enough to have a couple who are will to play magic happens. This image was completely her idea, and when I shot it, it never jumped out at me. But I have learnt to first catch the images and then decide which are work keeping.
Hint of the day:
I always recommend keep a scrap book of couple and bridal shots you like that you would like to show your photographer. They will understand your taste, get ideas and yyou will have plenty of poses to practise.
Clients: Ortensia Castagno & Dylan Dryden
Location: Hotel Palumbo, Ravello, Italy
Date: 29 August 2009
Title: Dancing on top of a mountain.
Category: Location/Venue
Style: Landscapes
Often the genre categories merge a little. This image starts to blend into the edges of reportage because it is telling you about the human interaction and motion. Hotel Palumbo has the added advantage of being able to see half of the Amalfi Coast by night. Lively parties lend themselves to reportage but if things are a little quiet a photographer may have to revert so some night portraits to liven up an album.
Personally I find the ideal number of guests is between 50 and 75. Twenty is an absolute minimum unless you have rock star guests. I recommend just the two of you as apposed to 8. But there are always exceptions to every rule. I do not recommend wedding over 160. I once did a wedding of four hundred and fifty people and the bride and groom were tortured. . I think there were just the right number of guest at Ortensia’s wedding, it was a great deal of fun.
Clients: Ortensia Castagno & Dylan Dryden
Location: Hotel Palumbo, Ravello, Italy
Date: 29 August 2009
Title: Dancing on top of a mountain.
Category: Location/Venue
Style: Landscapes
Often the genre categories merge a little. This image starts to blend into the edges of reportage because it is telling you about the human interaction and motion. Hotel Palumbo has the added advantage of being able to see half of the Amalfi Coast by night. Lively parties lend themselves to reportage but if things are a little quiet a photographer may have to revert so some night portraits to liven up an album.
Personally I find the ideal number of guests is between 50 and 75. Twenty is an absolute minimum unless you have rock star guests. I recommend just the two of you as apposed to 8. But there are always exceptions to every rule. I do not recommend wedding over 160. I once did a wedding of four hundred and fifty people and the bride and groom were tortured. . I think there were just the right number of guest at Ortensia’s wedding, it was a great deal of fun.
Clients: Claudio and Louise Sartfarti
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravelllo
Date: 20 June 2009
Title: the girls
Category: Bridal Party Portrait
Style: Portraiture
Now before your go gasping at this one. Have you ever had your photograph taken in a costume or Bikini before? I have to admit I was also a little surprised when the bride agreed to let me use this picture, but naturally thrilled. After all the lingerie would be a rather modest swimming costume , would it not? And you just can’t beat it for impact.
Louise made me eat my words about tanning. Although she promised me she restrained herself and insisted be bridesmaids weren’t milk white. Her skin is one of her many gorgeous features and this portrait boldly shows it off. And why shouldn’t she. Do you know how much she will love this image thirty years from now. Respect sister.
Clients: Maria Esposito & Emilio Coppola
Location: Castellammare di Stabia
Date: 19th April 2009
Title: my children
Category: Decisive Moment
Style: Reportage
I love shooting Neapolitans they are so emotional and dramatic. They are not afraid to love. They such a romantic bunch. This is the family priest. And this is just a quick prayer on the dance floor. Especially towards the end of the evening when the wine kicks in. The more I can fade into the crowd and become one of the guests the easier it will be to get images like this one.
Clients: Erin Bazos & Erich Schoenenberger
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravello
Date:11 July 2009
Title: Should this be so difficult
Category: Reception
Style: Reportage
This one speaks for itself. Usually I am not a big fan of cake photos. It’s dificult not to do something very cheesey. Often having larger than life characters to photograph makes all the difference. And although this one might not be the couples first choice for their album cake shot, it is quite amazing. I love any picture that makes me giggle. I do wish to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this cake… it’s just them being two silly billies.
Clients: Ortensia Castagno & Dylan Dryden
Location: Hotel Palumbo, Ravello, Italy
Date: 29 August 2009
Title: Red or Dead
Category: Wedding Details
Style: Details
This is another one of those crazy brides you just have to love. I think red shoes, red bouquet and a white dress is a very funky combination. The she added such a yummy clash with the touch of pink. Anyone who knows me knows I have the most ridiculous shoe fetish due to my ridiculously huge feet. But do these shoes have horns or thorns… I ask you? Could they be any sexier? Finally I would like to officially award this bride her licence for high heel shoes. You should have seen the woman dancing on the lawn and gliding up and down the hundreds of stairs of Ravello.
Clients: Odyssia Houstis & Alexander Dudic
Location: Mykonian Mare Resort, Agios Stefanos, Mykonos ,Greece
Date: 27 June 2009
Title: “What is the secret pass word?”
Category: Getting Ready
Style: Reportage
I think one of the best things about working in Greece is the light and the white architecture. It’s a photographer’s dream. The colours are so gorgeous. This is the bride’s sister in law keeping guard at the door, shooing away the groom. I love the way you can almost feel the breeze flowing in from the door as it gently blows her dress.
Clients: Erin Bazos & Erich Schoenenberger
Location: Villa Cimbrone – Ravello
Date:11 July 2009
Title: Pesty Crease
Category: Getting Ready
Style: Reportage
Erin is a graphic artist from New York and so understood the creative process. Being so talented she was so very helpful in creating some of the best pictures I ever took, solely thanks to her clever ideas. I did want to include this little teasing picture, like myself she is a tormented perfectionist. Unfortunately it was only after she put on the very difficult to assemble Issey Miyake dress did she notice a crease. So her faithful friends… ironed the dress with her in it! Fortunately I am happy to report no harm was done.
Clients: Maurizio & Claudia
Location: Church – S. Maria di Montesanto – Naples
Date: 05 August 2009
Title: No one else exists
Category: Framing the Subject
Style: Reportage
This is one of the only moments I saw the bride still. She is a little cherie bomb of a creature, full of fun and energy. Often Italian couples are together for ten years or more before they get married and often are not the most excited about their big day. Not all but many. However Maurizio and Claudio are one crazy couple that kept me on my toes and we did some of my absolute favourite couple shots ever through streets of Naples (not a usual choice for couples). However they do look like two little church mice in this picture. A sacred moment can calm even the most restless of souls. I love the way the door way isolates them from the rest of the celebration and really seems like there is no one else there.
Clients: Mariarosaria & Luca
Location: Church -Santa Maria delle Grazie – Ravello
Date: 9th July 2009
Title: Joy
Category: Decisive Moment
Style: Reportage
Mariarosaria wanted her wedding shot in the style of fashion editorials. And although her pictures are mostly posey and quite sexy, this one slipped into my lense. Their joy is obvious and I love the way time is frozen but you can still feel the movement. This Bride has a huge amount of energy and in just one instant so many elements came together. Like I say the image chose me and slipped right into my lense and I was quite surprised to find it among the other pictures. This is why I like to shoot a lot, pictures often choose me and I just have to be ready to catch them and keep them safe.
