Liezl Croft Photography

{Published} Your West Midlands Wedding Magazine - Becky & Will

2011-12-05T12:26:00.001Z

Becky & Will’s wedding at Mallory Court in Leamington Spa has been featured over 4 pages in the December/January 2012 issue of Your West Midlands Wedding magazine which hit the shelves on Friday!

You can view the original blog posts from their wedding here

{Newborn} Noah - a new arrival in Evesham

2011-11-21T12:48:00.008Z

Baby Noah is possibly the cutest baby (apart from my own of course ;-) ) I have ever had the pleasure to meet!

It's been a while since I did this shoot, but I wanted his parents to be the first to see the images. I have to admit though that I've been dying to share these images with you.

He was only 11 days old when we did this shoot, and I would say he was on the verge of almost being too old! He didn't sleep as much as both his Mum and me wanted him too, but that comes completely with not being well within the first 8 days of being born. As the babies get bigger, and by this I mean even a couple of days, they sleep less and is already appearing less 'newborn'. So remember, if you would like to have some sleepy newborn images, the earlier we schedule it in for, the better!

Now back to Noah, as I said, he didn't sleep as much, but we still managed to get a good variety of images of this gorgeous little man.

Leslie, Noah's mum, and I were on the same wavelength with this shoot. Without even discussing exactly the sort of look we were going for up front in much detail, we soon realised we wanted the same outcome from this shoot. I knitted and brought the hats & blankets, and she supplied the wooden box, letters for his name and other bits and pieces.

Everybody that saw the {Sneak Peak} image after the shoot, had the same reaction to it, they all went AHHHHHH!!

So without further ado, I introduce to you Baby Noah, or as his parents call him (very lovingly) Master Raddish ;-)

PS: Don't you just love his hair?

Newborn Baby Photographer, Evesham

{Sneak Peak} Joanne & Stuart's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Evesham

2011-11-21T11:05:00.003Z

A sneaky peak from Joanne & Stuart's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Evesham, yesterday afternoon.

Evesham Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Baby Jamie - Newborn Baby Shoot in Harvington

2011-11-11T15:25:00.005Z

A sneaky peak from Baby Jamie's Newborn Baby shoot yesterday.

Newborn Baby Photographer, Evesham

Happy Birthday Alyssa!!

2011-11-10T19:40:00.005Z

My (not so little) Munchkin turned 6 today, and as always it makes me reflect on the past year (or six).

My dearest Alyssa,

I am in awe of how much you have blossomed this year. You are loving school and are excelling at all the tasks and challenges that comes with doing so many Firsts.

At home you are an excellent big sister for Ryan, and I love watching the two of you play together, even you are forever dictating exactly what, when and how he should play/say. I wonder where you get that from? ;-) He adores and looks up to you, and in his own words, 'you are his best friend!'

We are all so very proud of you, and love you all the way to the moon and back. You are (and will always stay) our little Munchkin.

So I hope you had a very Happy Birthday, my Angel.

Hugs and kisses.

Mamma xxxxx

{Sneak Peak} Stephanie & Edmund's Wedding at Marston Farm Hotel

2011-10-31T09:36:00.006Z

A quick sneaky peak of the Stephanie & Edmund's Wedding on Thursday at Marston Farm Hotel outside Sutton Coldfield.

Wedding Photographer Warwickshire

{Pre-Wedding Shoot} Stephanie & Edmund in Sutton Park

2011-10-14T14:39:00.003+01:00

Stephanie & Edmund are getting married in a couple of weeks at Marston Farm Hotel in Sutton Coldfield, and we did their Pre-Wedding Shoot a few weeks ago in Sutton Park.

We had a lovely walk round one of the lakes and also spent a little time in a clearing where there were loads of heather in bloom.

I think we managed to calm most of the nervousness towards the camera and came out of the afternoon knowing each other a little better. This is afterall the main goal of a Pre-Wedding Shoot. ;-)

Here are a few of my favourites...

Sutton Coldfield Wedding Photographer

Win Your Wedding Photography Competition

2011-10-10T16:39:00.004+01:00

After the phenomenal response to my Win your Wedding Photography Competition at the beginning of the year, I have decided to go run another one!

The competition will be running until Sunday 30th October (that's only 21 days), so be sure to send in your details ASAP!

Here are the details:

_____________________________________________________________
WIN your Wedding Photography Competition– valued at over £1700

The prize consists of:
* Wedding Photography by Liezl Croft from Preparations to Speeches
* Disc with High Res JPEG files
* Private viewing of your images at my studio
* Online password protected gallery for 6 months
______________________________________________________________

This competition was launched on my stand at the Designer Vintage Bridal Showat the Edgebaston Cricket Ground this weekend (8/9th October) and will also be available at my stand at the Vintage Chic Wedding Fair on the 30th October in the Old Library,Custard Factory in Birmingham.

Here is a copy of the entry form that I'll be using on the stands ...

...but in case you can't make out all the details, here is a list of what I need from you:

Your Name:
Your Partner's Name:
Date:
Venue:
Email Address:
Phone Number:

Also don't forget to send me your address as well, then I can send you some show cards in the post.

Please also read the Terms and Conditions for this competition is below, so make sure to read them before entering. (they are fairly simple and straighforward!)

The competition closing date is Sunday 30th October, so hurry up and send me an email with all your details to info@liezlcroft.com

The winner will be contacted by telephone on the Tuesday and announced here on the blog by the latest Wednesday 2nd November.

All the best of luck!

{Wedding} Sue & Chris' Wedding in Coventry

2011-10-05T12:20:00.000+01:00

Antoher lovely wedding to share with all of you, is Sue & Chris' Wedding in Coventry.

I met Sue at the Designer Vintage Bridal Show in Birmingham in Febraury this year, and we had a lovely chat about her wedding day.

When we got together for their Pre-Wedding Shoot in May, we had a real laugh and I felt I got to know them much better. I couldn't wait to share their day with them.

The day finally arrived in August (the day before my birthday), and the weather held off for the majority of it. Let's just say, it was dry when it needed to be ;-).

Their ceremony was in the Coventry Registry Office and afterwards the guests travelled to the Maudsley Pub, where the reception was held.

The couple's two children, Lily & Josh were fantastic on the day, and was so proud to be sharing in Mummy & Daddy's big day.

I had a lovely time with this fantastic couple, and as always am sharing a few of my favourite images from the day.

Let me know what you think!

Coventry Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Thompson Family shoot at Dumbleton Hall

2011-10-03T17:30:00.002+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from the Thompson Family shoot I did on Saturday in the grounds at Dumbleton Hall Hotel

Gloucestershire Family Photographer

{Wedding} Becky & Will's Wedding at Mallory Court, Leamington Spa

2011-09-28T13:30:00.000+01:00

The Mallory Court was the venue for Becky & Will's wedding in July.

You'll recognise this lovely couple from their engagement shoot at Winterbourne House and Gardens - here.

{For those of you that remember my Win your Wedding photography competition in January, Becky & Will were the winners!}

It was a beautiful sunny day, and Becky got ready at her Mum & Dad's house in Knowle, and there was a great atmosphere of excitement amongst everybody. The bridesmaids all got dressed in their beautiful gold dresses before helping Becky into her STUNNING limited edition Ian Stuart dress. (This dress is one of only 3 ever made).

The ceremony took place at Knowle Parish Church. There was a small hickup with Becky's grandmother feeling a bit faint in the church, and the ambulance having to be called out whilst the couple were signing the register. But apart from this everything else went really well.

From the church, eveybody went on to the very impressive Mallory Court Hotel, where a string quartet welcomed the guests onto the lawn for the drinks reception.

The entire day was a bit like a fairy tale, and when we saw the room where the reception was going to take place, I don't think anybody could not help but be amazed with the small details that made up the room. From twinkly fairy lights, to gold bows and a beauuuuutiful wedding cake.

This was one of those weddings that the guests are always going to remember and go: " Remember those XXX's at Becky and Will's wedding?"

It was an incredible day and I feel so honoured to have played a part in it!

Here are a few of my favourites from the day...

Suppliers:

Dress - Ian Stuart limited edition (1 of only 3)
Shoes - Glitzy n Glamorous
Jewellery & Headpiece - Ivory & Co
Suits - JP Formal Hire
Flowers - Lili Floral Art
Stationery - Paper Jewels
Church - Knowle Parish Church
Venue - Mallory Court Hotel
String Quartet - Nero String Quartet
Music - The Kites
Table Dressing - Pumpkin Wedding Design
Chair Covers - Jessica Claire Designs
Cars - Wedding Day Beauford
Cake - The Red Cake Company
Hair - 699 Hairdressing

Wedding Photographer, West Midlands

{Sneak Peak} Sara & Seb's Wedding at Danesfield House Hotel

2011-09-26T14:28:00.001+01:00

A quick sneaky peak of the Sara & Seb's Wedding on Saturday at Danesfield House Hotel in Marlow.

Wedding Photographer Berkshire

{Sneak Peak} Wootton Family Shoot in Harvington

2011-09-06T15:29:00.004+01:00

Just a quick sneaky peak of the Wootton Family Shoot I did in Harvington over the weekend.

You'll see that once again I couldn't decide on just one image, so here are a couple ;-)

Family Photographer Worcestershire

{Pre Wedding Shoot} Sara & Seb at Danesfield House Hotel

2011-09-05T09:45:00.006+01:00

Sara & Seb are getting married later this month at Danesfield House Hotel and I met up with them a few weeks ago for their Pre Wedding Shoot & consultation at the Hotel.

Sara was a little bit nervous when we started, particularly about blinking. She's had a bad experience with a photo session before and wanted to make sure we overcome any potential issues before the wedding, and I think you'll agree that we managed just fine.

Seb is very laid back and was brilliant at putting Sara at ease. He is going to be a real asset on the wedding day, as the nerves always steps up a gear on the day.

We had a stroll round the grounds of the hotel and had great fun choosing locations and trying something different!

They are such an easy going couple that it obviously very much in love, and I can't wait to share their special day at the end of the month.

Berkshire Wedding Photographer

{Lifestyle} Catford Family Shoot, Worcestershire

2011-09-02T16:10:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago I spent the morning with the Catford family at their home near Pershore.

Chris, one of the sons, had purchased the shoot at a charity auction last December, and for various reasons, it had taken us until now to get it in the diary.

Both boys (and partners) had travelled up, one from London and the other from Southampton, to be here for this family shoot.

There was a lot of bantering and teasing going on, because as somebody pointed out, they had never done anything like this ever before, and I suppose that was just the nerves talking.

We had a good laugh during this shoot, and from what I hear, the merriment continued for the rest of the day. Richard said they had a brilliant day and created a good memory to look back on.

Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot:

Family Photographer Worcestershire

{Sneak Peak} Catford Family Shoot near Pershore, Worcestershire

2011-08-30T14:02:00.003+01:00

I just realised that I forgot to put a sneaky peak photo up from a family shoot I did for the Catford family a few weeks ago.

The full blog post will follow next week after the family has had a chance to view their images first ;-)

Family Photographer Worcestershire

{Lifestyle} Stent Family Shoot at Cliveden

2011-08-23T11:35:00.000+01:00

Wow, I can't believe it's all the way back in June that I spent a lovely afternoon with the Stent family at Cliveden.

This shoot was a birthday present for Jackie from Keeley-Ann and family (whom you'll recognise from shoots 3months, 6months and 1year)

The whole family came together at Cliveden for this shoot, as it provides plenty of space for the children to run and play, but it also has lots of scope for different backdrops to the photos.

Jackie and Peter didn't actually want to be in the photos themselves, and asked me to just concentrate on the children and grandchildren, so that is what I did.... most of the time. I did sneak a couple of photos of them with the grandchildren, but said that they are welcome NOT to look at the camera as I just want to capture their interactions with the little ones.

I had a great time playing with all the children that afternoon, and there was a special little boy that I grew very fond of in a short space of time. I hope I get to see them all again soon.

Here are a few of my favourite images from that afternoon.

Lifestyle Family Photography, Maidenhead

{Sneak Peak} Sue & Chris' Wedding in Coventry

2011-08-22T09:14:00.002+01:00

A sneaky peak from Sue & Chris' Wedding on Saturday in Coventry.

Midlands Wedding Photographer

{Wedding} Anna & Steven's Village Wedding with bunting and ice cream

2011-08-18T10:12:00.001+01:00

Back in July I had the honour to share and document Anna & Steven's wedding day.

Now some of you will remember their Pre-Wedding Shoot [here], and to say that it highlighted this as one of the weddings to wait for this summer is an understatement. The response I had from Facebook and Twitter was phenomenal!

The wedding day arrived, and I felt so excited. This wedding was different in so many ways. Anna did A LOT of the decorations herself, including what must be at least 400 metres of bunting, activity bags for the children, the reception flowers and placecards, and I'm sure many more things that I've forgotten to mention.

The whole day was to take place within a mile radius. Anna got ready at her Mum's house, travelled 300 yards to the church. After the ceremony we walked a 100 yards to the village hall, and all of which is only about 200 yards from her and Steven's house. I thought it was lovely as almost everybody knew each other and loads of people turned up outside the church to see Anna & Steven come out.

Other lovely details from the day, was that the couple had organised a vintage ice-cream tricycle to be outside the church when everybody came out after the ceremony, and this also kept everybody mingling by the church while we went off for a short drive in the country lanes with the truly magnificent Beaufort that they hired for the day.

I think the driver thought I was a little bit crazy when I asked him to park it in the middle of the road, on the crest of a blind hill on a small country lane, (We did take the best man with us to stop the trafic on the far side of the hill ;-)) but as soon as he 'saw' the image it was creating, he was there taking photos over my shoulder with his phone.
We also made it into a golden barley field, which Steven had assured me during the PWS, was going to be perfect and ripe by the time the wedding came around. Well, I suppose he would know, seeing as he is the farm manager and he probably planted it. ;-)

By the time we got back to the church, everybody had started to wander down to the village hall and was enjoying drinks in the bar. Anna (and helpers) had done an amazing job with the hall and I heard talk of amazement at how she had done a fantastic job.

After a wonderful meal, the couple did their First Dance, not the The Wurzels' - I've got a brand new combine harvester, although Steven did threaten to do that all along. I think the only thing that changed his mind was that he was not quite sure how to dance to it ;-).

After their first dance the pace of the music changed a bit and the barn dance kicked off in full swing. I have never seen so many people of all ages on a dance floor together enjoying themselves! A true success and a wedding that everybody is going to remember for a looooonnnngg time to come.

Here are a few of my favorites from the day, as always.
Lxx

Supplier Details:

Dress, Veil, Hair Accessories and Bridesmaid Dresses - Simply Brides
Hair - Amanda 07973 891399
Make-up - Top to Toe
Cake -
Figurines (incl dog) on top of the cake - made by Anna
Flowers - Mark Webster 07711 354846
Car - Beauford Style
Ice cream Tricycle - 'Henry' from Lees Ice Dreams
Barn dance - 'The Celebration Barn Dance Band' from Bands and Musicians
Silk Flowers and Jugs - Bantocks, Loughborough
Suits - Moss Bros
Bunting and placecards - made by Anna

Wedding Photographer, Leicestershire

{Sneak Peak} Stephanie & Edmund's Pre-Wedding Shoot, Sutton Park

2011-08-15T10:15:00.001+01:00

A sneaky peak from Stephanie & Edmund's Pre-Wedding Shoot at Sutton Park yesterday afternoon.

Sutton Coldfield Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Sara & Seb's Pre-Wedding Shoot at Danesfield House

2011-08-12T18:06:00.002+01:00

A sneaky peak from Sara & Seb's Pre-Wedding Shoot at Danesfield House Hotel yesterday afternoon.

Marlow Wedding Photographer, Berkshire

{Wedding} Maria & Rob Porter at the Runnymede (Part 2)

2011-08-08T13:00:00.004+01:00

And now onto the second part of the day as promised... (Part 1 is here)

Maria & Rob travelled to the Runnymede in style in a Rolls Royce, complete with champagne for Maria & a pint for Rob. ;-)

We slipped away for a little while to go and take some photos of the couple and with a complete stroke of luck on our side, there just happened to be a stand-in Lock Keeper for the day. He was more than happy to let us go on the "jetty" to take some photos of the couple, and was even keeping the boats out of our way in the process.
I have had loads of comments and reactions already from everybody, including the staff of the hotel, about these images, because apparently the regular Lock Keeper is a bit of a grump and wouldn't have allowed it in a million years!

During the reception I had another "first" to content with. Every-so-often all the guests would start clinking their glasses/plates/tables etc with the cutlery making one hell of a noise, and this is to indicate to the bride and groom that they would like to see a kiss. So Maria and Rob had to stop whatever they were doing (even at opposite sides of the room) and share a kiss. In true Italian stylie, Maria would also wind them up of course by saying that she couldn't hear them and that they could get louder... which of course they did. Occasionally the guests wouldn't be satisfied with a kiss by the bride and groom, so they would keep going until the Bride's Mum and Dad or Groom's Mum and Dad had a go. All in all a very interesting tradition that I thought certainly livened things up!

You'll also notice that even the first dance wasn't anything like the usual, but maybe I can ask Maria to describe it for us, as my words will fail to portray what went on there! ;-)

I felt honoured to have spent the day with this wonderful family, and they truly included me in the party and celebrations. This is one wedding I will NEVER forget!

PS: In case you were wondering, the "Pirates" went by on a boat on the river while we were doing some couple shots on the river bank. While they were waiting for the lock they all came running over to congratulate Maria & Rob and insisted on this photo. Maria & Rob liked it so much that it is going into their wedding album as well.

As always here are my favourites, but let me know which ones you like best!

Supplier Details:

Dress - Mori Lee from Brides to Be, Watford
Shoes & Accessories - Brides to Be, Watford
Italian Cake & Deserts - Bell’Amico, Surrey
Wedding Favours - Sole D’Italia, Enfield
Venue - Runnymede-on-Thames, Egham
Suits - Windsor Formal Hire, Windsor
Mother of the Bride - Sapphire, High Wycombe

Berkshire & Surrey Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Baby Noah - Newborn Baby Shoot in Evesham

2011-07-22T19:30:00.001+01:00

A sneaky peak from Baby Noah's Newborn Baby shoot today.

Newborn Baby Photographer, Evesham

{Wedding} Maria & Rob Porter at the Runnymede (Part 1)

2011-07-15T20:29:00.003+01:00

At the beginning of June I had the privilege to photograph Maria & Rob's wedding at the St Anthony's Church, Slough and the The Runnymede-on-Thames, Egham.

When Maria asked me to be her wedding photographer, she also warned me to be prepared for anything at a large Italian wedding. And let me tell you, she was not exaggerating!I had a fantastic time, right from the word go!

Maria got ready at her Mum & Dad's house, and so much for a peaceful affair. The doorbell did not stop ringing. Most of the neighbours, and family members dropped in to quickly come and wish her good luck. In true Italian style, the catering (at the house) was to die for, but in retrospect, you can understand the amount of food taken into account the number of people that came through. I tried to make a dent in the sugared almonds, but sadly for all my efforts, I don't think I succeeded!

There were times when the emotions got the upper hand, and there were times that the pure joy could be felt in the air (and across the internet during a Skype conversation with Australia just before setting off).

The ceremony at the church was lovely and heartfelt, and even a bit funny when Maria forgot what she had to say ;-)

After the ceremony when everybody went outside, there was no stopping them throwing handfulls of rice (uncooked!). Even with my best photographer voice asking them to just hold tight for a minute so that we could get everybody together, just meant that I got pelted with it too! Now there's a lesson to be learnt here, don't try and organise close on 150 Italians when they want to do it differently! ;-)

Now, I was never going to fit all of this wedding into a single blog post, so part II will contain the rest of the day at the Runnymede-on-Thames.

Let me know what you think so far.

Berkshire & Surrey Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Becky & Will's Wedding at Mallory Court

2011-07-12T10:04:00.001+01:00

A sneaky peak from Becky & Will's Wedding on Saturday at Mallory Court.

Wedding Photographer, West Midlands

{Sneak Peak} Anna & Steven's Village Wedding

2011-07-11T20:39:00.000+01:00

A sneaky peak from Anna & Steven's Village Wedding last Saturday near Loughborough.

Wedding Photographer, Leicestershire

{Sneak Peak} Coleman Family shoot at Cliveden

2011-07-10T19:33:00.002+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from a family shoot I did at Cliveden a few weeks ago. The full post will follow later this week. Enjoy!

Lifestyle Family Photography, Beaconsfield

{Lifestyle} Freya Kelly - Portraits of a 1 Year Old

2011-06-15T12:36:00.008+01:00

It was with great excitement that I met up with Freya and her family at Odds Farm Park, near Beaconsfield, a few weeks ago. I have had the priviledge to photograph Freya twice before in the last year, and I feel as if I'm almost part of the family by now!

Linkies to previous shoots - [3 months] and [6 months]

It has been fantastic to go through all the stages of Freya's development with them, and watching her turn into a (now blond) little girl.

I even got introduced during the shoot to another Mum as "our family photographer", which was particularly meaningful to me as this is an underlying principle of my business and is exactly the type of relationship that I strive to achieve with ALL my clients.

We had a great time at the farm park, and we were also joined by James, Freya's handsome older brother, who hasn't been able to join us at any of the previous shoots. I was clear that she absolutely adores him, and I assure you that he dotes on his little sister too!

As ever, I'll leave you with some images from the day, and the promise that you are going to see Freya again before the month is out as I photographed her extended family last week at Cliveden ;-)

Let me know what you think?

Lifestyle Family Photographer, Beaconsfield

The Coolest Wedding Music Video!

2011-06-15T10:45:00.002+01:00

This is A-MAAAA-ZING!!!

It gives me goosebumps everytime I watch it (and yes I've watched it a few times already!) ;-)

I came across this wedding video via somebody on Twitter (sorry I can't remember who exactly!)

They posted a link to the Huffington Post, from where I followed the links to a number of other blogs/pages that featured different elements of this wedding.

The full blogpost with images and video is on the Junebug Weddings website, and the video with all the credits are posted on the The Society of Wedding Cinematographers' Vimeo page
The Videographer is the very talented David Robin Films.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I have!
(and just so you know, if I ever get the chance, I'm sooooooo doing this!!)

Lx

{Pre Wedding Shoot} Sue & Chris in Abbey Park, Evesham

2011-06-09T13:47:00.006+01:00

Towards the back end of May, I had the pleasure to photograph Chris & Sue's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Evesham's Abbey Park.

As usual we had a good chat about the whole day and all the ins and outs. After we had finished that discussing all the details, we set of for the park to go and get a feel for the camera etc.

I think both Chris and Sue were a little bit nervous to start with, but the former probably more so. ;-) I showed them what to do and more importantly what not to do on the day, and most of the time it resulted in giggles.

I'm glad to say that by the end of the shoot Chris said to me... "I really enjoyed that, although I didn't think I would. I'm really looking forward to the day now, this has made it all real for me now."

This is the ultimate statement from my point of view, because that shows that the PWS has served it's purpose and that the couple (especially the groom) will feel that little bit more relaxed on the day!

West Midlands Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Stent Family Portraits at Cliveden

2011-06-07T09:10:00.002+01:00

Another sneaky peak from this weekend... this time it was a family shoot at Cliveden on Sunday afternoon.

As a special treat there are 2 images in this one... just because I couldn't choose between them!

Lifestyle Family Photography, Maidenhead

{Sneak Peak} Maria & Rob's Wedding at the Runnymede

2011-06-06T20:20:00.001+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from Maria & Rob's Wedding on Saturday at The Runnymede-on-Thames.

Surrey Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Patricia Joins' Family shoot, Evesham

2011-05-23T09:50:00.007+01:00

Another sneaky peak from a family shoot on Saturday afternoon in Abbey Park, Evesham.

Lifestyle Family Photography, Evesham

{Sneak Peak} Chris & Sue's Pre-Wedding Shoot, Evesham

2011-05-23T09:48:00.004+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from Saturday morning's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Abbey Park, Evesham.

Evesham Wedding Photographer

{Pre Wedding Shoot} Anna & Stephen - Belton, Leicestershire

2011-05-19T10:36:00.011+01:00

Just over two weeks ago, I met up with Anna & Steven for their Pre-Wedding Shoot. Sneaky Peak photo here.

Anna & Steven are getting married in Belton, Leicestershire, where they live and we decided to do the Pre-Wedding shoot there as well.

At first we had a good chat about the day and all the details that I needed to look out for, and then we went to the ruins of Grace Dieu Priory just outside Belton. We spent some time getting used to the camera and each other, and I'm sure you'll agree got some really lovely images of them.

Afterwards we went for a drive through the surrounding countryside looking for potential spots for the photographs on the day. We are going to be taking the wedding car (and the couple of course) away for a bit on the wedding day to go and take some photos on the farm where Steven work, as well as a couple of other spots along the way. The guests need not worry about being left behind, as a special treat has been lined up for them while we are away. ;-)

We ended up in a Rape Seed field for the final part of the PWS, and I think those images are some of my favourites from the day.

What do you think??

Belton Wedding Photographer, Leicestershire

{Sneak Peak} Freya's 1 year session

2011-05-18T10:13:00.000+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from monday's Lifestyle Family Shoot at Odds Farm Park near Beaconsfield.

Lifestyle Family Photographer, Beaconsfield

{Featured} Hatton wedding on the Plans & Presents Blog -

2011-05-10T11:01:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to say that a few weeks ago, one of my weddings [Emma & Rob Hatton], was featured on the Plans & Presents Blog.

Click here to go and have a look.

{Pre-Wedding Shoot} Becky & Will - Birmingham

2011-05-04T09:20:00.002+01:00

A couple of weeks ago i met up with Becky and Will at Winterbourne House and Gardens in Birmingham to do their Pre-Wedding Shoot. {Sneaky Peak here}.

Will found this venue online and suggested that we go there for the shoot. It was a private house and gardens, but got bequeathed to the University of Birmingham in 1944, and is now their Botanical Gardens. Really worth a visit if you are looking for a very tranquil spot to spend a Sunday afternoon.

It was a lovely warm, sunny April day, and we had a coffee and a good chat on the terrace about all the little details of their day. This was our opportunity to double check all the bits and pieces, and I even got to offer some advice about a couple of items that they hadn't thought about.

Afterwards we had a leisurely stroll through the gardens, exploring all the different areas, and using it as a backdrop to their photos.

Becky and Will is such a fun couple, that are obviously very much in love with each other and I can't wait to share their big day in just over 2 months time.

Here are a few of my favourites from the shoot...
(you'll see I had a hard time choosing ;-) )

Solihull Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Anna & Steven's Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-05-03T10:04:00.002+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from yesterday's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Belton (near Loughborough).

Leicestershire Wedding Photographer

{Pre-Wedding Shoot} Maria & Rob - Cliveden

2011-04-23T20:27:00.006+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I kicked off the start to this year's wedding season with Maria & Rob's Pre-Wedding Shoot at Cliveden.

I normally schedule in the PWS around 8-10 weeks before the wedding, as it then coincides nicely with the pre-wedding consultation that I like to do with all my wedding couples. During this meeting we chat through the whole day, from start to finish. This helps me to know what to expect from the day, but also helps the couple to identify any bits and pieces that still has to be done, or might have slipped their mind.

Then on to the fun part, the actual shoot.

There are a certain level of nervousness present in any couple when it comes to the photographs/camera, and this shoot is designed to firstly calm those nerves, and secondly, see that it is supposed to be fun. Most of my couples thank me afterwards and say that they are feeling so much better for having done this, and that they are now looking forward to doing the photos rather than having the nerves get in the way.

For Maria and Rob it was no different. One of the first things Rob said to me, was that he didn't like having his photo taken! This is fairly normal, as I have yet to meet a groom that hasn't said that.

We just had a casual wander around the lovely grounds of Cliveden and I did a few shots here and there. A little bit of direction, in terms of the posing, during the PWS works wonders for use on the wedding day.

Here are a few of my favourites from the shoot, and I'm sure you'll agree that Rob is a natural! ;-)

Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer, Maidenhead

{Lifestyle} Croucher Family Portraits

2011-04-19T19:58:00.012+01:00

Back in August I got a call from Dave Croucher. He and his brother wanted to get a Family Shoot Voucher for his Mum & Dad's Ruby wedding anniversary. So after having a couple of failed attempts of getting all the family together, we finally managed to line it all up for a Sunday in March.

So a few weeks ago I met up with the Croucher family to do the family portraits.

Now, I've photogaphed Dave, Jodie and little Lauren before as part of the Dale Family Shoot at Cliveden, so we decided to use the same venue again for this shoot.

It was a lovely day and we had a good time. Little Zoe loved being in front of the camera, but unfortunately little Lauren seems to have developed an aversion to cameras and I had to use every trick in the book to try and coax her into position. Most of the time the answer I received was an absolute - NO! followed by her walking as far away from me as possible ;-).

Even with all of this going on, I am quite pleased that I still managed to get a few nice ones of her although she was hardly ever smiling. We agreed that for the next time we will probably try and do Lauren at home (in familiar surroundings) and away from a large group scenario, as she has not liked the experience on both occasions.

Sometimes children just don't like the pressure and expectation that a shoot of this proportion demands, and they show it in the only way they know how. I would always recommend that we then start with the basics in her familiar surroundings to build up her confidence and trust.

So without further ado, here are a selection of images from the day.

This is probably my absolute favourite image from this shoot, I just love those tights!

Family Portrait Photographer, Beaconsfield

{Sneak Peak} Becky & Will Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-04-17T20:30:00.005+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from today's Pre-Wedding Shoot in Birmingham.

West Midlands Wedding Photographer

{Sneak Peak} Maria & Rob Pre-Wedding Shoot

2011-04-11T10:36:00.002+01:00

A quick sneaky peak from yesterday's Pre-Wedding Shoot at Cliveden.

Wedding Photographer Berkshire

{Portraits} The Livesey Girls - 2 years on.

2011-04-07T11:39:00.007+01:00

Here's one from the backlog of last year...

In November I got a call from Julia to ask if I could fit them in for a quick portrait session in time for her Mum & Dad's Anniversary for which these images were going to be a present.

I had photographed the girls once before - way back in 2008 - and I always get remarks and compliments about their striking images that are in my portfolio album that I carry around with me.

This shoot also involved their 3 older cousins, their Aunt and Uncle, but more on that part of the family in another post soon.

For this post I wanted to show just a couple of my favourite images from this shoot as always, as well as a selection of images from their shoot in 2008.

Let me know what you think!

And this is what they looked like 2 and a bit years ago...

Family Portrait Photographer Windsor and Eton.

{Newborn} Introducing Baby Adele - Gorgeousness Alert!

2011-03-22T09:36:00.000Z

Last week I took a couple of hours out of my busy week to go and take a few photos of baby Adele. She is the brand spanking new baby sister of one of my daughter's school friends.

She was only 8 days old, and I couldn't resist going over to have some cuddles and volunteering to take a few photos while I was there.

I have recently been buying some 'props' for taking my Baby Photography (especially newborns) into a new dimension. The afternoon before the shoot, I was rumaging through my hat box only to discover that I seem to have misplaced some of my newborn hats in our house move last year. :(

I quickly went down to the wool shop to stock up on some really pretty pink wool (and got blue too) and I scoured the internet until I found a hat pattern that I liked. So monday night saw me quickly knitting a hat for my shoot with baby Adele on Tuesday morning. In the end, I didn't get to use the hat very much, because by the time we got to strip her off and put the hat on, she had decided that enough was enough, and she was tired of all this modeling business. ;-)

I have really enjoyed photographing little Adele, and I now have even more ideas swirling around in my head for newborns and small babies.

So if you or anybody you know is having or have just had a baby, get in touch to make sure we capture those precious days with beautiful images of your little one.

As usual, here are a few of my favourites from the shoot...

Newborn Baby Photographer - Evesham, West Midlands

{Commercial} Rio Rocks - Jewellery Shoot

2011-03-10T16:35:00.007Z

Back in November I did a shoot for a very talented lady! Diane's company is called Rio Rocks and she designs and makes bespoke jewellery. Her shop is located on the Evesham Road in Headless Cross, Redditch.

Everything from bridal pieces to the more unique handcrafted pieces that she can make to your specification.

Her website is currently undergoing a rebuild (hence the new images) and she has also recently gotten a Facebook Page. So head on over to be kept up to date with any happenings.

Here are a few of my favourites from the shoot...

Commercial Photographer - Evesham, Worcestershire

Designer Vintage Bridal Show

2011-02-19T06:31:00.003Z

Just a quick note to let you know that I'll be at the Designer Vintage Bridal Show at Highbury Hall in Birmingham this weekend.

It is a fantastic new show that is opening it's doors for the first time this year, and according to pre-show ticket sales, is going to be extremely popular.

"A brand new bridal show, celebrating the creative, the incredible and the absolute hottest designers and suppliers of all things vintage!"

One of the highlights of the show will most definately be the presence of not one but TWO of the UK's top wedding bloggers... yes, both Rock n Roll Bride and Love My Dress will be there for all the fun.

The doors open at 10am on both Saturday and Sunday (19th/20th), and it is going to be truly fabulous.

Hope to see many of you there!!

{Headshots} Sarah Sallis - Evesham

2011-02-15T09:21:00.003Z

Last month I had the pleasure to photograph my good friend (and accountant) Sarah Sallis. We've been talking about doing some updated images of Sarah for a few months now, but have just never gotten round to doing them.

Sarah was the first person to welcome me to Evesham (via twitter) when we moved here back in May 2010, and since then we have gotten to known each other and have attended quite a few networking meetings together.

Sarah wanted the photographs to be quite simple and clean, so that she could use them for a variety of different applications. The initial use of one of the images will be in the Vale magazine in the March 2011 edition, and thereafter Sarah will use them for Twitter, Facebook, Website and Blog.

Here are a few of the images from the shoot.

Business Portrait Photographer, Midlands

{Lifestyle} Discenza Family Shoot in Evesham

2011-02-01T11:49:00.002Z

Back in December - before Christmas (yes I know I'm really behind with this blogging malarchy), I had the pleasure to photograph the Discenza family in the now, very familiar Abbey Park in Evesham. It was just after the first snowfall of 1-2 inches, and just before the bucket-fulls (10-12 inches) hit us.

We started off at the house taking a few lovely relaxed photos of each of the girls before we wrapped up warm and braved the cold outside. It was bitterly cold and we couldn't stand still for more than a couple of minutes at a time, before it became neccessary to move and generate some heat.

The girls were fantastic, and believe me true superstars for being able to hide the pained expressions of somebody slowly freezing to the spot.

We even got Mia (the little one) to march up and down the path to keep her mind off it and to give her something to do while I was photographing the other girls. I'm really glad she liked doing the marching, as I quickly grabbed the image of her marching off in the distance, and this image has turned out to be one of my favourite images from 2010.

Also, don't you just LOVE that skirt? I immediately went out the next day and got one for my daughter too! Just to bad they didn't do one in my size as well!

As always, here are a few of my favourites from the shoot...

Midlands Family and Lifestyle Photographer

My thoughts on the UK Wedding Show in Coventry

2011-01-20T09:30:00.006Z

So 2 weekends ago saw me exhibiting at the UK Wedding Show in Coventry on both the Saturday and the Sunday. To say it was a true revelation to me would be an understatement. It was the first time that I've exhibited on this scale, as previously I've only ever done the "local hotel with a six foot table and 2 chairs" wedding fairs.

In January 2010 I grabbed at the opportunity to have a stand at the UK Wedding show in Coventry, mostly because I needed to push the boat out a little further and leave my comfort zone behind. Spaces (for photographers) to exhibit at these shows don't come up very often, as the organisers limit the number of photographers that they have at each show. It makes perfect sense, as no bride would want to be confronted with 80 photographers, 5 dress shops, 2 cake people and a car company.

I booked a 3x3 metre corner stand at the Ricoh Arena way back in January, even before I knew that we would be moving into the area in the summer.

I have been to a couple of these shows, and most people's stands are a complete shambles and they don't make enough of this opportunity by putting in the effort and planning before hand.

I started my preparations by re-reading my friend Fiona Humberstone's book - Exhibit (available on Amazon). Utterly brilliant, and a real lifesaver. A must read for anybody going to an exhibition.

I also volunteered to assist my friend Gill Taylor on her stand at the National Wedding Show in October, sort of a dry run for my stand in January. An invaluable experience that I'm truly grateful to Gill for.

So along came October, and my mind turned to what am I going to put in a 3x3 metre space, because when you start to think about it, it really is alot of space to fill. Not even considering that I wanted to do it properly.

Everything from furniture, wallpaper, vases and flowers, display materials, frames with images to go on the walls and also a super duper Show Offer had to be thought up or sourced. Countless hours was spent trawling the internet, and asking advice from anybody that would listen (sorry you guys, you know who you are!)

Delivery vans started arriving and the house started to resemble a warehouse with boxes everywhere. And then the time arrived for Adam and I to start making the walls. Neither of us have ever wallpapered a thing never mind REALLY LARGE, VERY BENDY boards. With some good advice from my friend Matt Pereira (who has done all of this before) I felt armed with at least half a clue of what we were about to try.

I designed 4 new albums and had them made up over Christmas. I had loads of thank you cards, price lists, show offer cards and other bits printed, and also printed loads of things myself, and still the boxes kept coming in.

All in all, the level of effort involved and the difficulty was so much more than I ever thought it would be. And the question remains "Would I have gone ahead with it if I ever knew??" I don't know, but at least now it is all done and I have everything for the next show.

Of course there are a few bits I can do better next time, and some lessons I learned from this show that I will take with me to the next one, but that's how it's supposed to be, isn't it?

On to the show itself...

The response I got at the show was OVERWHELMING!! Everybody LOVED IT!

The exhibitors all came round and commented on how nice it looked. One lady asked if she could take a photo, because she wanted to go and decorate her living room exactly the same. The organisers came by and said that they were really impressed with my stand and wished that everybody had put in that much effort.

But most importantly, the brides LOVED IT TOO! Every bride that I spoke to had something nice to say. One girl came up to me and said that unfortunately she had already booked a photographer, but she now wishes that she hadn't because she wanted to come and sit down, have a chat and book me. Even after the show, as I've been speaking to different brides over the last week, they have all said how lovely my stand was, and they just wanted to come and sit down as it looked so welcoming.

So was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY.

All the lovely comments, compliments and bookings I received made all the hard work over the last few months utterly and completely worth it!

(Sorry that this post has turned into a bit of an epic, but it just shows how much I've enjoyed and learned from it.)

Here are a few images of the stand, please let me know what you think.

Midlands Wedding Photographer

Best Man - PLEASE TAKE CARE!!

2011-01-18T16:00:00.000Z

I have just been sent a link to this Video clip, and to be honest after watching it for the first time my mouth hung open with the horror and sympathy I felt for the poor bride!

After watching it a few times, I can now see the funny side and have a bit of a giggle ;-)

So if you are ever in a situation like this one (or anything else similar - maybe a cliff top wedding) - Best Man "PLEASE PAY ATTENTION, and take care!"

EMBED-Clumsy Best Man Ruins Wedding - Watch more free videos

Win your Wedding Photography Competition

2011-01-13T10:36:00.001Z

So this time last year I announced a Competition to Win part of your Wedding Photography, and this year I've decided to go one better than that!

The competition will be running for 11 days only, so be sure to send in your details ASAP!

Here are the details:

_____________________________________________________________
WIN your Wedding Photography Competition– valued at over £1500

The prize consists of:
* Wedding Photography by Liezl Croft from Preparations to Speeches
* Disc with High Res JPEG files
* Private viewing of your images at my studio
* Online password protected gallery for 6 months
______________________________________________________________

This competition will also be available at my stand (number 49) at the UK Wedding Show in Coventry at the Ricoh Arena this weekend (15/16th January) and next weekend at the Danesfield House Hotel Wedding Fair.

Here is a copy of the entry form that I'll be using on the stand this weekend...

...but in case you can't make out all the details, here is a list of what I need from you:

Your Name:
Your Partner's Name:
Date:
Venue:
Email Address:
Phone Number:

Also don't forget to send me your address as well, then I can send you some show cards in the post.

Please also read the Terms and Conditions for this competition is below, so make sure to read them before entering. (they are fairly simple and straighforward!)

The competition closing date is Monday 24th January, so hurry up and send me an email with all your details to info@liezlcroft.com

The winner will be contacted by telephone on the Monday and announced here on the blog by the latest Tuesday 25th January.

All the best of luck!

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-04T09:49:00.006Z

First and foremost, I just want to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very Happy New Year. My wish for all of you is that 2011 brings you everything you can hope for and maybe even a little bit more ;-).

The last few months have been very busy for me, as October and November was spent photographing lots of families that wanted to give photographs and frames as Christmas presents. (There is still quite a few blog posts to follow from those.)

Then the weeks leading up to Christmas was spent completing all those orders, designing and ordering all the outstanding wedding albums from the summer, and making sure the orders made it to the recipients in time for the big day despite the snow doing it's best to try and prevent it! ;-)

Throwing into the mix, a new corporate client wanting a shoot 2 weeks before Christmas and to have it turned around and delivered by the next week, it turned into an impressive juggling act for a few days.

So, just when everybody went on leave and started to slow down to spend Christmas with family and friends, I started to step up a gear with the preparation for a big wedding show I am attending on the 15/16th January in Coventry (UK Wedding Show).

I designed and built a set (yes, it's a 3x3metre stand - i.e. mini living room), bought all the furniture, designed 3 new albums. Planned and ordered a whole bunch of frames and prints for the walls, revamped my offerings and price lists, wrote a communications plan and sourced some truly fabulous new products.

On New Year's Day I wrote myself a To Do List of things that still needed doing before the show, and I was surprised that it was still as long as my arm and I only had 2 weeks in which to do it all. So slowly but surely I am working my way through it all, and am feeling a very warm glow of achievement everytime I manage to tick something off the list.

So for all my photographer friends - I won't be seeing you at SWPP this year, as the show is unfortunately on the same weekend, and
for all my clients and other friends - business will return back to normal in a little while.

So if I had a glass of bubbly, I would raise it to the wonderful year ahead of us, and all the new opportunities it will bring us... I've only got a cup of tea though, so that will have to do for now ;-)... Here to 2011, may it be fabulous!

(Sneaky Peak from one of the shoots that I still have to blog)

Midlands Photographer

{Commercial} Vicki Scott PR Photographs

2010-12-17T11:24:00.006Z

Last week I had a phone call from a large Public Relations and Communications Consultancy Company in London to enquire if I was available to photograph one of their expert speakers.

The images were commisioned by one of their clients for publicity and marketing purposes, and let me just say it is a fairly household name for anybody that's ever had a baby ;-). Vicki is their Feeding and Wellbeing Advisor.

They needed some images of Vicki and of Vicki with her girls. She is a qualified midwife, nursery nurse and breastfeeding consultant. She runs courses and offers consultancy through her company Baby Confidence. For the shoot the PR company also employed Katy, a Make Up Artist and Kate, a Stylist, and let me tell you I think they did a fantastic job!

I had a great time doing this shoot, and hope you like the results. Please tell me what you think!

I would like to say a big thanks to Jennifer for recommending me for this job. xx

Business Portrait and Commercial Photographer London

{Lifestyle} Seonaid & Family

2010-11-30T10:42:00.004Z

A few weeks ago I went to in Abbey Park in Evesham again to photograph Seonaid and her family. Seonaid put in the winning bid, for a shoot and framed print, at an auction at a barn dance put on by our local Pre-School back in the summer.

We have been trying to schedule this shoot for a few months and finally managed to get everybody together just in time for the fantastic autumnal colour display this year.

Seonaid wanted mostly photographs of all the grand children and a couple of group shots with all of them.

We played, kicked, threw and piled the leaves up high (although they were just a tad wet and muddy ;-) ), and although there were a few shy and grumpy moments, they were really pleased with the results.

Here are just a few of my favourites, because with so many children it was really difficult to choose!

And YES, this photo is the right way up, it was Daddy that was dangling her from behind the tree!

Family and Lifestyle Photographer in Evesham, Worcestershire

{Portraits} Alfie - 1 year on

2010-11-20T11:40:00.002Z

This time last year I did some portraits of Alfie at his home in Tyler's Green. His mum won the shoot on a Charity Raffle that I sponsored, and you can see the images from that shoot here.

I was really pleased to receive a phone call from Alfie's Mum a few weeks ago asking if I could do a follow up shoot of Alfie. She wanted to give the images to the Grandparents as Christmas presents again, and we agreed that my Xmas Mini Shoot offer was probably just what she was after.

So about 2 weeks ago I went down to Beaconsfield to go and meet up with Alfie and his mum and I was amazed to see how the toddler Alfie has now turned into a proper little boy!

It was pretty miserable and damp outside and we didn't venture very far from the house. We played with a Air-Rocket thingie, and that ensured plenty of giggles from us all.

It was really nice to see Alfie again, and who knows I might be seeing him again this time next year ;-)

Here are a few images from the shoot...

{Portraits} Beaconsfield Portrait Photographer

My little Alyssa is FIVE!

2010-11-10T18:50:00.004Z

It feels like yesterday that I came home from hospital with my little Munchkin - my first born, and here I am at the end of the day of your fifth birthday. It seems surreal!

I love that you are so confident and self assured, and I love that you absorb everything around you like a sponge. You amaze me everytime with your fantastic imagination, even though Mamma doesn't always have the time to "pretend" with you.

You are a fantastic big sister that looks after, and plays so well with "The Chunky Boy", and he absolutely adores you for it!

You are throwing yourself into the new challenges that Big School brings, and after our first parent's evening this week, even your teacher says that she expects great things from you!

Mamma is SOOOO VERY PROUD of the big girl you are becoming, and I hope that Life will give you everything that you deserve

Sometimes it makes me just a little bit tearful to think that 5 years worth of moments have gone that we will never have again, but then I think about everything that lies ahead (and it won't all be smooth), and I can't wait to share those future moments with you.

So a HUGE Happy Birthday to my Angel, and Mamma wishes you all the good things in life and the knowledge that me, Pappa & Ryan loves you very much!

Mamma xxxxx

{Lifestyle} Mullen Family Shoot

2010-11-08T11:03:00.007Z

Just after half term I had the pleasure to photograph Lily and William in a local park. I already knew Lily and William from school, as Lily is in my daughter's reception class, so there was no need to spend some time getting to know each other before the shoot.

(They were the first of the many families to take me up on my Xmas Mini Shoot Promotion - See here.)

I felt the autumn colours this year was absolutely spectacular (or is that just because I now live "UP NORF"?), and I wanted to use this as part of the backdrop for this shoot. We ran races, threw leaves and even covered William under a big pile of leaves at some point. I never thought you could make a "leaf angel"!

After the park we wandered over to the Abbey where I used the stone walls to give a different feel and texture to the images. I even got Mum and Dad to lie down on the slightly damp grass and the kids piled on top.

I loved photographing these two lovely children, and I had a hard time choosing my favourite images from the shoot.
So have a look and leave me a comment to tell me what you think!

Lifestyle and Family Photographer, Evesham, Worcestershire

{Promotion} Christmas Mini-Shoot

2010-11-07T22:49:00.001Z

I have recently anounced a mini-shoot promotion just in time for getting some fabulous photographs as Christmas Presents. The reason it is labelled as a mini-shoot is that I only spend 1 hour with the clients (instead of my usual 2-3) and in this period there is then obviously not enough time to do outfit changes, or multiple locations.

This shoot is exceptionally good value at £50**, and it even includes a 3 copies of the same image - ideal for both sets of Grandparents ;-)

The uptake on this offer has really blown my highest expectations right out of the water, which in turn means that I am now working all hours just to try and keep ahead.

That said, there is still just over 3 weeks left for fitting in a shoot with a guaranteed turn around for a Christmas delivery.

So, if you or anybody that you know don't know what to get the Grandparents for Christmas, give me a call on 07780 558804 to book in your session before it is too late!

** within 20 mile radius of Evesham, otherwise a small travel fee will be added ;-)

{Married} Emma & Rob - Compleat Angler, Marlow

2010-10-31T12:27:00.016Z

At the beginning of October I had the pleasure to photograph Emma & Rob's wedding at The Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Little Missenden. It is most definitely the best little church I've ever been to, and was followed by the Compleat Angler in Marlow.

You'll remember Emma & Rob from their Pre-Wedding shoot - here.

It was a beautiful morning full of promise for a fantastic day.

Emma and the girls got ready at the Hotel with a bottle of bubbly and some yummy snacks to tide them over while their hair and makeup was being done. Emma had a fabulous Benjamin Roberts dress and a pair of very impressive shoes. ;-)

Emma travelled to the church in their gorgeous car while the rest of the girls were travelling to the church in taxis. Unfortunately this is where the hiccups started. The taxi company mistook the time for pick-up for PM rather than AM and then had to be phoned up when they didn't show.

But even with the delayed start of the ceremony, some guests getting lost (to the ceremony and back), a rain cloud rolling in and terrible traffic on the way back to the reception, everybody had a fantastic time.

The bride and groom arrived on a boat to the Hotel, complete with more bubbly and some luxurious bite size snacks. After a quick chat with the duty manager, we agreed a new timeline and we made sure that we made up some time during the photographs.

Emma said "It was the best day of my life, and I wasn't even worried that we were running late... I was uncharacteristically calm!"

I think that is the best attitude to have, afterall, it is a day to be enjoyed and treasured, and nothing should dampen it.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day...
(You'll see that I had a hard time choosing ;-) )

Supplier Details:

Dress - Benjamin Roberts from the Constantina range
Shoes - Dune
Flowers - Sue Barton Flowers, Marlow (07860585327)
Hair - Dionne Tackley, High Wycombe (07599847585)
Makeup - Zoe Sedaghat, (07980744539)
Venue - Compleat Angler, Marlow
Wedding Coordinator (venue) - Alison Smith
Stationary etc - Couple made themselves

Wedding Photographer Marlow

{Commercial} Harvington Pre-School

2010-10-25T17:52:00.005+01:00

Last week I spent the morning with the lovely children (and staff) of Harvington Pre-School to capture some new images of them doing what they do best... learning.

When Liz (The Pre-School Manager) contacted me to ask if we could meet to discuss this shoot she had in mind, I was delighted to accept, as this is the local Pre-School to where I now live and I wanted to help them with their goals.

They needed some new imagery for a flyer that they would like to produce, that they are going to distribute far and wide, to raise the profile of the Pre-School in order to "recruit" more children. They are a little village Pre-School that goes through cycles just like any other Nursery/Childcare establishment, but because they are so small, they seem to feel the pinch more than the larger settings. They beginning of the school year is historically a quieter time of the year for them and then they seem to grow as the year progresses.

They will also be using the images on their website to replace most of the ones that they've taken with their own cameras.

Harvington Pre-School is a registered charity and from what I've seen, are a fantastic setting for any child to attend!!

They do loads of extras like;

Fun French

Fun Spanish

Signing

and the absolute icing on the cake - Forrest School!

Any child will be lucky to have received such a good foundation before they go to school!

Here are a few of my favourites, so please leave me a comment and let me know what you think...

Commercial Photographer Worcestershire

{Baby} Freya - 6 month session

2010-10-15T16:43:00.003+01:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to go back and photograph Baby Freya for her 6 month session in Gerrards Cross at her Grandma and Grandad's house.

You'll remember this beatiful little girl from her 3 month session - here.

Now I'm going to do this post in 2 parts, because the shoot had 2 distinct parts...

The first part was of Freya in her christening gown.

This gown is unique and truly spectacular, so I asked Keely-Ann (Freya's Mum) about the history of the Christening Gown, and this is what she said:

"...the christening dress is a family heirloom on my father's side. We understand it was made for my grandfather by one of his maiden aunts, thereby making it 100 years old.
It is totally hand made and stitched and has been worn by four generations, my grandfather, my father and aunt, my sister and myself, my neice and now Freya."

I absolutely loved the delicacy of the fabric and the lovely little details on the gown, and I think she looked pretty as a picture! I'm really glad that her Mum decided to include it in the shoot, as they now have a beautiful record of such a special event.

Here are a few of my favourite images with the gown, so tell me what you think!
(the rest of the shoot will follow shortly)

Baby Photographer, Beaconsfield

{Inspiration} Unique invitations for a quirky couple!

2010-10-14T10:32:00.003+01:00

I stumbled across this blog post via somebody I follow on twitter (I've forgotten who now :( sorry!), and I was blown away by the detail and effort that this couple put into their wedding invitations.

Jodi & Kurt are photographers themselves (in Virginia) and they are getting married on the 15th October (TOMORROW!!)

Here is a little image taken from Jodi's blog, but please read the whole post here and if you are anything like me and like crafty things, let the drooling begin ;-)

They even created a wedding film, which you can view on her blog, or you could just watch it here...
(super cute alert!!)

a slice of invite from Jodi Miller on Vimeo.

{Headshots} Moira Bailey

2010-10-07T10:32:00.013+01:00

I first met Moira at a breakfast networking group in Stratford-upon-Avon a little over a month ago. During my 60 second talk I covered the importance of having a good headshot to represent you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and of course your website.
Moira's company is The Professional Woman's Coach and she is based in Warwick.

(I am writing a seperate post to cover all the point that you need to consider when evaluating your photo, so watch this space if you are in doubt...)

Moira came to have a chat to me after the meeting about the photograph she is currently using. It was taken by a newspaper photographer in 2004 for an article. Although it is a fairly decent photo, and she has had a number of comments from people recently about it.

Comments like:

that they didn't recognise her from her photo, or

that she looked much younger in person than she does on her photo

Of course in the last 6 years things have changed, not only styles of photography, but also clothes and Moira has changed her hairstyle. So we agreed to do some headshots to better reflect her look and style in 2010.

Moira also asked if I could capture a couple of images of her talking to a colleage for use on her website, so we incorporated that into the shoot as well.

These are the new ones we've created.

and this is the photograph that Moira has been using until now...

Which do you prefer?
And would you rather do business with Moira now or then?

Commercial & Business Portrait Photographer, Warwick

IPhone proposal in Movie Theatre - AMAZING!

2010-09-22T16:19:00.002+01:00

I have just been sent a link to a video posted on YouTube by "chadwildclay", and I think this is truly amazing!!

It took him 4 months to do this, and I had a lump in my throat watching it.

In my book this guy gets 110% for originality and creativity, and I think everybody should see it and pass it on, especially to guys that are thinking of proposing to their girlfriends ;-)

Let me know your thoughts!

{Engaged} Emma & Rob

2010-09-19T09:24:00.012+01:00

At the beginning of this week I travelled down to Cliveden for another shoot, but this time it was for a Pre-Wedding Shoot.

Emma and Rob are getting married in 2 weeks time in Marlow, and due to a couple of complications, we had to wait until now to do the shoot.

We had a little sit down in The Orangery (café) while we discussed the final arrangements for the day. We even came up with a couple of extras, like a bottle of bubbly for the car, that got added to the details of the day. With the admin out of the way, it was time to do some photographs.

Emma was a little nervous to start with but after a lovely chat about what she likes and dislikes, and anything that makes her feel uncomfortable, we soon overcame the nerves and she visibly relaxed as the shoot went on. Now when the wedding day comes we've already got this shoot to refer back to and I'm sure you'll agree that they will be just fine on the day.

Here are a few of my favourites from the shoot...

Cliveden Wedding Photographer

{Married} Beriah & Darren - Fulham Palace, London

2010-09-14T10:12:00.037+01:00

Last month (on my birthday) I had the pleasure to photograph Beriah and Darren's Wedding at Fulham Palace in London.

For those of you that can remember the competition I ran back in January (see here), Beriah and Darren were the winners.

I started off the day with Beriah getting ready at their flat in Putney. The girls were fantastic and they even had a bottle of "sparkly" and some yummy snacks on the go while they were getting ready. The overall feeling was very laid back and relaxed, which I loved, as there were hardly any nerves getting in the way ;-)

I left the girls to apply the final finishing touches, while I made my way to Fulham All Saints Church to go and meet Darren and the boys. The church was impressive and the ceremony very special, but the icing on the cake for me was the atmospheric Fulham Palace.

The couple walked from the church to the venue, through Bishops Park, which gave them some time alone, away from the crowd. We stopped a couple times on the way to take some photographs before rejoining everybody in the fabulous courtyard at the Palace.

The reception was truly wonderful and the food fantastic, and it was apparent that all the guests were enjoying the celebrations.

It was a beautiful setting and a lovely group of guests, and I felt honoured to have spent my birthday with them on such a special occasion.

Here are a few of my favourites from the day...

Church: Fulham All Saints
Venue: Fulham Palace
Dress: Pronovias
Caterers: Party Ingredients
Performer: Becki Biggins
Cake: Groom's Mum
Flowers, Stationary and Decorations: Made by the couple themselves!

{London Wedding Photographer}

{Lifestyle} Family shoot for a 60th birthday.

2010-08-06T20:01:00.010+01:00

Sunday saw me heading down to Beaconsfield to meet up with Sasha Dale and her family for a shoot at Cliveden.

Sasha and I go back a long way, in as much as she was my second client when I started the business at the beginning of 2006. Over the years she has referred numerous clients to me, and she's done quite well out of the referral vouchers scheme that I run. I have photographed babies, children, christenings, weddings and families for most of her family, extended family and friends, and I am always made to feel very welcome.

This time we combined to shoots into one. Carol's (Sasha's Mum) 60th birthday present and updating the photos of Lewis and Max. I last photographed them when they were 3 months old (separately), and it was time to have some lovely new pictures to go on the wall.

We went to Cliveden on Sunday afternoon, and although I have been there a few times before, this was their family's first time. This was quite nice from my point of view, as I got to see it through their eyes again. It is rather impressive, isn't it?

We had a lot of giggles, cheeky smiles and even a few tears and a grumpy moment. But a lovely time was had by all. We finished off the afternoon with a well deserved ice-cream and a sit down, before heading back to the cars.

I feel honoured to trusted to capture all the special moments for this lovely family, and I'm looking forward to many more!

Here are a few images from the day...

PS: I think I'm going to do a seperate blog post with some Then & Now photos of the boys so you can see how much they've changed.

Lifestyle Family Photography Oxfordshire

{Married} Matt & Lydia

2010-08-04T16:21:00.013+01:00

At the beginning of July I helped out my friend John Blythe at Matt & Lydia's wedding.

I captured the groom's preparations in Oxford while John was with the bride in Welwyn Garden City. Their ceremony took place in the Victoria Hall, Tring and the Reception was at Nether Winchendon House.

It was a lovely wedding and one that I will remember for LOADS of reasons.

Let me quote some numbers:

250metres of bunting with over 700 flags

at least 200 hearts

loads of packet of wildflower seeds with a lovely message from the couple (as favours)

Bride's Dad singing them a personalised song (at least 10 verses) during the ceremony - Unaccompanied!

3 gorgeous bridesmaids (in the most beautiful dresses I've ever seen on BM's)

a lively Ceildh in the barn with a very loud Dude that was calling the moves

and a truly fantastic couple

And just so we are clear on a small little detail... Lydia MADE all the bunting, hearts, seed packets, invitations, programs, etc HERSELF!! Fantastic!

I think this wedding will be the one that I will always compare all others to...

Have a look at a couple of images from the day.

Oxfordshire Wedding Photographer

{Newborn} Our precious little Sam!

2010-08-03T10:54:00.003+01:00

I would like to introduce everybody to the newest addition to the Croft clan (not mine I hasten to add). He is Alyssa and Ryan's little baby cousin.

This is little Sam (Samuel Lewis)and he was born on Wednesday 14th July and weighed a strapping 8lbs 15oz.

We waited a LOOOONG time for this little boy and we are SOOOOO pleased that he is finally here.

I went over to go and take his first formal portraits last week when he was 2 weeks old (to the day), and I know it will be the first of many more to come ;-)

Here's looking forward to many more cuddles from the little man...

{Lifestyle} Jessica & Harry at Cliveden

2010-07-17T13:06:00.011+01:00

I love my job, and this shoot was one of those shoots that just brings it all home to me again.

I had the pleasure to photograph Jessica, Harry, Wendy and Stuart at Cliveden a few weeks ago, and we had an absolute blast! Brilliant weather, fantastic kids, good company and of course ICE CREAM!

Wendy and I have been discussing this shoot for a Very Long Time (over a year I think), but due to circumstances were only able to do it recently.
We went to Cliveden for the afternoon and explored everything that this fabulous venue has to offer. We wandered through the gardens and even played in the new woodland playground.

I was slightly confused when Stuart asked me how fast my camera was... but he soon explaned by saying " fast enough to capture flying children?" So I replied, let's have a go and see!"
Apparently one of Harry's favourite pastimes is to be thrown into the air before coming safely down to Daddy again, and he could do this all day. I positioned myself behind Stuart and left enough space above his head to make sure I captured all the action. Good thing really, because "Wow - that boy can fly!"
(The results are at the bottom of this post. Have a look.)

I want to thank Wendy and her family for a fantastic day out and I hope they love the photos as much as I do!

And without further ado...

The two images below are my ABSOLUTE favourites from the day!! They make me laugh out load everytime I see them.
What do you think? Leave me a comment!

{Lifestyle Photography Oxfordshire}

{Bump} The Adventurous Claire

2010-07-12T13:03:00.006+01:00

A few weeks ago I photographed a very heavily pregnant Claire with just over a week to go before DUE-day. She was very relaxed and laid back and that was probably due to the fact that she's done it all before...

She has had 3 boys already (2 being twins) and guess what, the bump is another boy. I take my hat off to her, as I don't know how she does it. I only have one boy (and a girl) and he keeps me on my toes all the time.

I wanted to experiment with a couple of new ideas, so when I met Claire at a local toddler group I thought this was the perfect opportunity! I approached her and asked if she would consider having some maternity images done (and letting me experiment) in exchange for some photos. She jumped at the chance.

I think with Bump photos women tend to be divided into two camps:

"YES, I would quite like that" and they have maybe never thought about it

or "ABSOLUTELY NOT, I don't want a camera anywhere near me when I look like THIS!"

In both cases the reaction is very understandable. With my first pregnancy I loved being pregnant and I had a breeze. With my second (and last) he threw everything in the book at me and if somebody floated the idea of photos, I would have laughed at them. ;-)

Luckily Claire wanted some and here are just a couple from the day
(the rest were a bit too intimate to fit comfortably on this blog).

So what do you think? Would you, or did you have some done? Leave a comment and let me know...

This is my absolute favourite image from the day!! ;-)

{ Maternity and Baby Photographer Evesham }

{Married} - David & Claire

2010-06-29T11:14:00.008+01:00

At the beginning of June I travelled down to Southampton to photograph David & Claire's wedding.

They wanted a fairly intimate, low key affair, as getting married was the most important part to them. The ceremony took place in the Southampton Registry Office with only 30 guests made up mostly of family and very close friends.

After the ceremony I took them away for 20 minutes to go and take some photos by the old Southampton City walls and in a derelict building adjacent to the walls (I'm not sure what it was, and I can't find any reference to it either).

The weather held out beautifully until very late in the afternoon and the rain only started when everybody was safely inside the Hedge End Social Club - where the reception was held.

I had a lovely day doing my first Southampton Wedding and felt honoured to have spent such a special day with David & Claire.

Here are a few of the images from the day.

PS: The last image is of my friends Mike and Leontyne and I want to say a special thanks to Mike for referring me to David (his brother) for their wedding ;-)

{Baby} Freya - a 3 month old Cutie!

2010-06-10T11:17:00.005+01:00

A few weeks ago, on what's turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far, I went to photograph little Freya in Chalfont-St-Peter.

She has a gorgeous head of hair and enormous eyes and I think Dad will have to get a shotgun license for years to come because she's going to be a beauty!

We started off the shoot inside and was planning to go outside later. Dad had put a gazebo up in the garden to provide us with the necessary shade, but the best laid plans don't always work out as planned.
- As I said above it was a scorching hot day and the little munchkin just didn't cope very well with all that heat. It was her first experience of it after all.

So needless to say she soon got tired of all the handling and just wanted to chill out with Mum in front of the fan. We ventured outside a couple of times, but within a couple of minutes she made it absolutely clear that this was not where she wanted to be ;-)...

Who could blame her, I preferred it in front of the fan too!

She wanted lots of feeding and even tried to have a little nap, but the heat was just just too much for her and she couldn't settle down.

I still got some lovely images of Freya, Mum & Dad, and Mum wants to do some more photos at 6months and again before she turns 1, so there will be loads of other opportunities to go outside.

Here are a few of my favourites from the shoot...

My little Ryan at 2! (Not so little anymore now)

2010-06-01T10:30:00.003+01:00

Two years ago today my youngest, Ryan, was born and believe me it does not feel like two years at all!!

A lot has happened in our lives over the last 2 years, most of which I am very happy with, but the time with my little "Chunky Boy" has gone too quickly.

He has a proper little personality now and he has recently discovered that he can be funny. I love that he is now independant and that he can do most things for himself, but I miss my little baby boy.

I loved our cuddles, kisses and closeness, and I treasured the time we had, just the two of us. I'm not saying it's all over now, because let's face it - You are a bit of a Mummy's Boy, and you do love your cuddles and kisses - it's just that I'm not cuddling my baby anymore, instead he's been replaced by a big boy.

Happy Birthday my big "Chunky Boy", Mamma loves you!

xxxxxxxxxx

Thanks to Nikki Hill for the image. (Yes even photographers let other photographers take photos of their children.) ;-)

Portraits of Joshua

2010-05-31T16:06:00.005+01:00

This is part two of a post I did earlier in the week - Baby Gabriella.

Joshua is a lovely little boy and although he wasn't feeling very well on the day, he still played along very nicely and was absolutely wonderful with his baby sister.

He has the most beautiful big brown eyes, and I think he will be a real charmer when he gets a little older ;-).

I have also included a couple of images of Mum and Dad, so I hope you like them.

Let me know what you think.

Lx

Jake Dale - A lovely little boy!

2010-05-28T13:05:00.004+01:00

On the 1st May I went round to Sophie & Jamie's House to take some pictures of little Jake.

I am always delighted to be asked to come and photograph "life after the wedding" when the couples start having children. It never seizes to amaze me to see the transformation from couple to family life.
(I did their wedding before my blogging days in 2007, but I will revisit their images and post some here soon.)

Little Jake was born in January 2009 and is now 16 months old and walking comfortably. Time to get some lovely photos to remember this special time.

He is a very inquisitive boy and certainly a cheeky monkey ;-). Sophie and I had to use all our persuasive powers to try and lure him away from the raised fishpond. It was at just the right height to dip your hands in and try to catch the startled fish, and to throw your metal cars into to see if they would float - (they didn't).

I had a lovely time with them on the day and it was also lovely to see both the grandmothers (and grandad) again at the viewing.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Koops Family Portraits at Cliveden and in the Bluebells

2010-05-26T10:15:00.011+01:00

In the middle of April I had a call from Joy about having some photos done of the family. She said that they would be returning to America at the end of May after having lived here for a few years, and they would love to have some photos done in the bluebells as a souvenier of their stay here in the UK.

Now the challenge was the timescales on this occasion. The bluebells weren't in flower yet and wouldn't be for another 2-3 weeks, which was exactly the time when the family would be over in the States to look for a house to buy. Upon their return we would then have 3 weeks to do the shoot, viewing and get the order back in time for the move. Some drastic rescheduling of commitments were made, and we managed to do the shoot on Sunday the 9th May (The day after they got back from their house hunting trip).

We went to the fabulous Cliveden (NT) to do the shoot in the grounds around the House and also to visit the bluebell woods on the furthest most southern point of the estate.

The boys were wonderful to work with and I had a really good time. I had agreed with Joy to take a couple of changes of clothes with us and she also packed a lovely picnic which we enjoyed midway through the shoot to give the boys (especially Jeb) a bit of a rest.

I wish all my clients could be like the Koops family, and I for one am really disappointed that they are going back to the US, as it means that I will probably never photograph those lovely boys again. (Unless... ;-) ).

Here are a few of my favourites from the day.
(You'll probably notice there are more than normal, because I had a hard time choosing between them.)

Have a safe journey guys and enjoy your holiday!!

Lx

Baby Gabriella - An adorable 2 weeks old

2010-05-04T15:30:00.003+01:00

Back at the end of February I had the pleasure of photographing baby Gabriella. I met her mum Mary at the NCT Bumps & Babies group that I run in Beaconsfield.

She saw the images of baby Ruby in my portfolio album and wanted the same done. We had a very tight timeframe to schedule a shoot in because new born babies lose their "wrinkliness" after about two weeks.

I absolutely love photographing newborns and I always feel very privileged to share the intimate time of bonding with a new baby with the family.

Gabriella also has an older brother, Joshua, who is 18 months old. He is fantastic with her - so tender and caring! I will post his images in a seperate post later this week.

Now without further ado, here is the gorgeous Gabriella.

xxx

PS: I posted a video a while ago with more images of Gabriella - here.

McKay Family Shoot - Facebook Fanpage Winners

2010-04-16T22:10:00.005+01:00

For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you might remember that I said I will pick one lucky fan from the first 100 fans to receive a Free Lifestyle shoot and framed print as a thanks for signing up to be my stalker ;-).

So about a month ago I reached 100 fans, and the winner from the first draw was Rebecca McKay who was delighted to win!

The shoot was scheduled for Good Friday and I can't tell you who looked forward to it more, me or Rebecca ;-). We chatted a few times in the weeks leading up to the shoot, and discussed everything from clothing choices to ideas for the shoot.

I've known (and adored) William since before his first birthday, as he shared my daughter's nursery class since she started nearly 4 years ago. (He started school recently and unfortunately our paths don't cross all that often anymore.)

I was also amazed at how much little Isabella has grown since I last saw her at a birthday party, sometime before Xmas. She is only 6 months old, but appear alot older than her age.

I loved photographing the McKay family and as always, below are a few of my favourites from the day...

PS: I have decided to do another draw for fans between 100 and 200, so there will be another chance to win soon. Just sign up to be my fan here.
Lx

Lifestyle shoot with Hannah and her family

2010-04-10T15:46:00.003+01:00

Two weekends ago I finally went to go and photograph the gorgeous Miss Hannah Lane and her family. I've been waiting a little while for this shoot to come around, and some of you might remember that I have taken photos of her before, (sort of) when I photographed her Mum at 39 weeks. ;-)

I was amazed at how strong she is for her age! Normally when I photograph young babies I prepare myself and the parents that the little ones will not last very long on their tummies as their heads are very heavy and the strain of picking it up to see what is happening takes it's toll fairly quickly. This was not the case with this little madam, as she was by far the strongest little girl that I have ever come across and she took all this "posing for the camera lark" in her stride.

I had her two stepbrothers on hand to make her smile on demand, and they were absolutely fantastic with her. You could see the pride in their eyes for having such an adorable baby sister.

Talking about her two lovely step brothers... It was not the first time that I've photographed them either. I photographed them at their Mum's second wedding back in 2008, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to have these two trendy boys in front of the camera again. Click here to see how much they've changed.

And finally with Mummy and Daddy - Can you tell that she is half asleep by now? ;-)

Thanks guys, I had a fabulous day and I'm looking forward to the next time ;-).

Lx

Newborn Baby Photoshoot - Video

2010-03-30T11:27:00.002+01:00

For those of you that follow me on Twitter or are a Fan on Facebook, you'll remember that I got really excited about a newborn baby shoot that I did recently!

Here is a short video to show off the adorable Gabriella, and I will do a proper blog post with my favourite images soon.

Lifestyle Family Shoot with Finley & Isabel

2010-03-26T17:25:00.005Z

I had the great priviledge of being asked to photograph the Page Family a few weeks ago.

I went to see them back in January when little Finley was only about 5 weeks old and we scheduled in this session for early March. They had photographs done of Isabel when she was 6 weeks old and had bought a lovely acrylic multi-frame that is now the focal point of their lounge. They wanted to know if it would be possible to replace some of the images of Isabel in the frame, with ones of Finley. They also wanted some nice ones of the family and each little one individually. We discussed albums and other choices and I drove away really looking forward to their shoot in the not too distant future.

Fast forward 6 weeks, and finally it was the day of the shoot. We had a lot of fun playing inside, running outside, kicking the football and generally being silly ;-). We watered the bulbs, played hide and seek and explored down the side of the garden shed. All in all I think we had lots of giggles.

I will be showcasing a couple of the page layouts from the album in the next week or two, as I've just got too many favourite images to show them all here!

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day...

Guillaume & Family - Lifestyle Shoot

2010-03-18T10:37:00.019Z

This is a post that has been loooong overdue, and I have got no excuse apart from the fact that life took over after Christmas...

So at the back end of November I was contacted by Guillaume's Mum to find out about doing a family shoot with the adorable Guillaume and his bigger sister Claire and brother Mathieu. I was absolutely delighted but also at the same time a little nervous ;-). I have met other French families abroad and know that they are very good at speaking mostly french at home, and although it is high on my list of things that I want to learn, my french doesn't really get me any further than ordering a hot chocolate in a cafe ;-).

We had a couple of false starts due to the snow and flooding that occurred before Xmas, and the fact that Mum works in the insurance industry and was called away to go and see to clients.

When we eventually managed to get together, all my nerves proved to be for nothing as the older children where fantastic with helping me communicate with Guillaume if he didn't understand what I wanted.

Between us G and I managed to have long conversations about animals and the noises they make, and I even managed to learn a couple of new words.

We did a series of portraits around the house before we headed out to go for a walk next to the river in Maidenhead. Unfortunately Bolter's Lock Island was still deemed to be unsafe due to the fast moving river and before mentioned flooding.

We did have fun feeding the (fast moving) ducks and geese on the river and I adapted a couple of precarious angles to capture some of the images through the railings... All in a days work ;-)

Here are a couple of my favourites from the day...

A Beautiful Poem for a Wedding Reading

2010-02-24T21:11:00.011Z

Below is a little poem I came across today that really resonated with something deep inside me.

I don't know if this is an extract or if this is the whole poem, but I love it, and I think it would make a fabulous reading at a wedding!

What do you think?

"Darkness may fall, murmuring softly
Or crash like a bolt from the blue
But I'm living in grace
If night finds me in a place
Where I'm still loving life
And loving you...

My dreams of the morning may shatter
My best plans for noon may fall through
Still frustration never binds me
If Every evening finds me
Still loving life
And loving you..."

~ Dr. Maya Angelou

A farm wedding in the "Vrystaat" - South Africa

2010-02-14T12:31:00.004Z

Back in 2007, before my blogging days, I had the priviledge to take photographs at a good friend's wedding on a farm in the Free State. (for those of you that don't know where that is... it's the middle, rather large, rather flat bit, in South Africa) ;-)

It was a lovely day, filled with family and loads of friends, and it all happened on a family farm (what felt to me to be) in the middle of nowhere. Just to give you an idea, it took me 9 hours by car to get there... I rest my case.

I was amazed at the level of detail at their wedding, from the little bunches of lavendar that was everywhere to the trio that played before/after the ceremony. It was magical and I think you'll have to look long and hard to match the atmosphere at a South African wedding.

The ceremony took place on the lawn in front of the farm house and the reception was in an ENORMOUS marquee in an open field not far from there.

I have recently been working with these images again and wanted to share it with you, so have a look...

I had an absolute ball at this wedding, and I wanted to say thank you to Lynn and Johannes for having me!

Competition - Win your Wedding Photography!

2010-01-20T11:06:00.004Z

So here it is... the Competition that I've been promising for a while.

_____________________________________________________________
WIN your Wedding Photography and a bespoke piece of Wall Art
– valued at over £1500

The prize consists of:
1 Photographer on your wedding day (up to 10 hours)
1 Canvas/Frame up to 30” x 20”
______________________________________________________________

I've been thinking about this for some time now, and have decided to launch this competition in time for my Wedding Fair at Danesfield House Hotel on Sunday 24th January, but not to restrict it to attendees only.

Here is a copy of the entry form that I'll be using on Sunday...

...but in case you can't make out all the details, here is a list of what I need from you:

Your Name:
Your Partner's Name:
Date:
Venue:
Email Address:
Phone Number:

Also don't forget to send me your address as well, then I can send you some cards in the post.

The competition closing date is Saturday 13th February, so hurry up and send me an email with all your details to info@liezlcroft.com

All the best of luck!

Danesfield House Hotel - Wedding Fair

2010-01-18T12:43:00.002Z

It is that time of year again where everything goes crazy with all the preparations for the Wedding Fairs/Shows.

I have been working flatout (to the exclusion of most other things) on getting everything ready for my first Wedding Fair at Danesfield House Hotel in Marlow, Bucks.

It is a fantastic venue with beautiful grounds that lends itself to fabulous photographs. I love doing weddings there!

I will be there from 11am - 3pm on Sunday 24th January 2010 and would hope to see you!

Come and say hello.

I've put a couple of images from a previous wedding at Danesfield House, for you to have a look.

My Branding Excercise - a new me!!

2010-01-08T11:22:00.005Z

I promised earlier in the week that I would elaborate on my branding exercise that's been keeping me so busy lately, so here goes.

It started back in October with being introduced to Fiona (in all her glory) on Twitter via a friend of mine. Now I've always seen marketing as one of the weakest areas in my business skills, so I was absolutely ecstatic about "meeting" somebody that obviously was an expert in her field and that could steer me in the right direction.

I've gone into this exercise with no preconceived ideas and was intent on starting with a clean slate. I wanted to be open and honest about my good points as well as my shortcomings and I was willing to take advice and criticism from somebody that could help me and show me how to do it right.

Apparently my colour scheme that I was using with my old logo and website was all wrong - firstly the Pink was too "Spring" and the Grey was just plain BAD!
Did you know that Grey has no positive attributes in itself? I didn't!

During my Brand Consultation, I had to describe and answer loads of questions about my business and goals for my business. This was the information (and a good dose of my personality) on which Fiona and her team then based my New Brand Identity.

It turns out that my business' colour palette should have been more "Summer" for various reasons that I have now mostly forgotton. The only three I can remember are my attention to detail, professionalism and quality.
(I found a short summary on the Summer personality on the in:colour website, if you want to read more)

So without further ado, I present to you my new Logo, colour palette and business card design.

There are loads of other things that now go hand in hand with this new identity, most of which are still underway ;-). But as you've seen with the new look for the blog, they will start to appear and form a uniform look and feel over time.

Please leave a comment and tell me what you think, and if you ever need expert advice, I would thoroughly recommend Fiona Humberstone and her team!

Lx

PS: I found all this Colour Psychology Theory quite fascinating and if you want any more information speak to Fiona about the course she and her team did with Bernay Laity.

My first Asian Wedding - Bellhouse Hotel

2010-01-03T09:47:00.006Z

In November I was lucky enough to get my first booking for an Asian wedding! It has always been one of my goals to gain some experience in that area, and when the Groom phoned me to say that they were getting married in 3 weeks and am I free on that day, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands ;-)

Now as you'll probably notice, I will not be mentioning the Bride and Groom's name, nor will I be showing any faces, for the specific reason that they requested not to be recognisable as they had some family politics and would not want the other half of the family to realise this wedding had taken place.

The reception took place at the Bellhouse Hotel just outside Beaconsfield and although it was a very small and intimate wedding (40 people), the atmosphere and enthusiasm was similar, if not better, than any other LARGE wedding I've ever attended.

The outfits and colours where absolutely amazing and I was in awe for the duration of the proceedings.

The couple where fabulous and made me feel like part of the family. They insisted that I put the camera down during the meal and join them at the table to enjoy the wonderful food.

I enjoyed myself so much that I ended up phoning my husband to say that I will be coming home much later than anticipated as I was having a ball and didn't want to leave.

When the dancing started I was amazed to see that everybody (young and old) joined in and was taking part (and also tried to upstage each other). They dragged anybody that tried to sit out, onto the dance floor and at times I didn't know where to look for there was so much going on.

This wedding and all the people still bring a smile to my face whenever I think back, and I want to really thank my Couple for letting me share in their special day. I learnt so much and for that I would be forever grateful to them!

Maternity Shoot at the last minute

2010-01-01T16:28:00.004Z

At the beginning of November, I photographed the fabulous Wendy with less than a week to go to her due date.

I wanted to try a few new poses and techniques and my beautiful Mummy-to-be was up for anything! We raided both her and her husband's wardrobes for some stretchy tops and a nice shirt and I brought fabrics for draping, wrapping, etc. along with me.
We even moved all the furniture in the dining room to make some space to maneuver in.

I absolutely love the two images below because I feel they are a bit different from the usual maternity/pregnancy images that are around. I am so pleased (and very proud of Wendy) that we managed to achieve them!

Here is a selection of my other favorites from the shoot...

PS: obviously only the ones that modesty and privacy would allow ;-)

New Year... New Look

2009-12-31T23:00:00.004Z

As you've probably noticed, I've not been very active on my blog lately, and that is mostly due to the fact that I've been snowed under trying to Rebrand, Replan and Reinvent my business.

I've achieved a lot in the last couple of months, albeit with a lot of help from some very talented people.

The first I'd like to thank is the wonderful Fiona Humberstone (Guildford Printing.com - soon to be rebranded as Flourish)- she has not only helped me with logo, colours, brand guidelines, copywriting, exhibition strategy etc, but has been an inspiration for me in general.

Then there is Karen Skidmore (CanDoCanBe)- she is showing me the way in so many ways and has made so many things seem less fuzzy in my head ;-). Things like pricing, business objectives, client profiles etc, all seem a lot more manageable now.

And lastly there is my good friend Paul Glavin (Website) who is not only a brilliant photographer and my personal CSS/IT guru, but also my sounding board and sanity check person.

I believe without the people mentioned above, none of this would have been possible! And don't get me wrong there is still LOADS to do, I don't even think I'm halfway there yet, but I feel invigorated and inspired to start this year afresh and with a new supply of energy!

So without further ado... I present to you the new look and colour scheme for my blog, (and the website will follow soon courtesy of Mr. Glavin).

I will be posting tomorrow with some more details on the new logo and brand in general, and I will also be catching up on all the outstanding happenings of the past couple of months.

PS: One of my New Year's Resolutions is to "Blog more!", but more on that later.

Did you know the following Wedding Trivia? - part 2

2009-12-01T11:00:00.003Z

So here follows the next installment of my research into some of the customs and old wives tales that are closely assosiated with weddings.

Make sure to tell me what you think! Lx

WHITE WEDDING DRESS AS TRADITION

The tradition for the bride to wear white began in the 16th century and is still commonly followed today. This is a symbol of the bride's purity and her worthiness of her groom. The tradition became solidified during the time of Queen Victoria who rebelled against the royal tradition for Royal brides to wear silver. Instead, the queen preferred the symbolism, which is expressed by wearing white. The brides of the time quickly emulated the queen, and the tradition has continued in full force to this day.

THE GROOM'S FLOWER...

...worn on his lapel, usually matches one of the flowers in his bride's bouquet. This tradition goes back to medieval times when knights wore the colors of their lady in tournaments.

BRIDAL SHOWERS

Bridal showers were meant to strengthen the ties between the bride and her friends, provide her moral support, and help her prepare for her marriage. Gift giving at showers dates from the 1890's.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

The tradition of bridesmaids dressing the same as each other and in similar style to the bride comes from ancient days when it was believed that evil spirits have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and putting a hex on her.

STAG PARTIES...

...were first held by ancient Spartan soldiers, who kissed their bachelor days goodbye with a raucous party.

That's all folks... more to follow soon!

Did you know the following Wedding Trivia? - part 1

2009-11-17T12:26:00.012Z

Recently I've been intrigued by some of the customs and old wives tales that goes hand in hand with weddings.

I've done some research and have found lots of sayings, interesting facts and some things that are just downright absurd and farfetched!!

I will be posting some of the ones that made me laugh, ponder and gasp in total disbelief over the next few weeks and I hope you let me know what you thought of them.

I'm sure you'll have a reaction some way or another... Lx

Your Wedding Date and Day:

According to an old legend, the month in which you marry may have some bearing on the fate of the marriage:

"Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true;
When February birds do mate, you wed nor dread your fate;
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know;
Marry in April when you can, joy for Maiden and for Man;
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day;
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you will go;
Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred;
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see;
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine;
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry;
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember;
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last".

The Day of the week:

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all

Engagement and Wedding Rings:

The practice of giving or exchanging engagement rings began in 1477 when Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, gave Mary of Burgandy a diamond ring as an engagement present.

The reason that the engagement ring and wedding band is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand is because the ancient Egyptians thought that the "vein of love' ran from this finger directly to the heart.

The Oldest Bride:

The oldest recorded bride was Minnie Munro, who got hitched at a sprightly 102 years of age. Minnie, from Australia, wed a toy boy of 82. Britain's oldest recorded bride was just one day off her 100th birthday when she took her vows with a man nearly 20 years her junior. Apparently the age gap was not thought to be a problem for them.

The Longest Marriage:

Sir Temulji Nariman and his wife Lady Nariman were hitched for a grand total of 86 years, although they did have a distinct advantage over most people. Both were aged just five when they got married.

That's it for now, I'll put some more up in a couple of days ;-)

Trialing Animoto on a recent Maternity Shoot

2009-11-04T22:34:00.008Z

I have been meaning to try out Animoto for a while now, and tonight I finally got round to doing just that.

It is only a little 30 second video which I'm sure will lead to me signing up to the "whole 9 yards".

Let me know what you think!

PS: The proper blogpost on the above mentioned maternity shoot will follow soon ;-)

Image on the cover of my local NCT Magazine

2009-11-02T19:33:00.005Z

My local NCT magazine is published every quarter, but this time round it is worth mentioning on here that one of my images is adorning the cover.

In fact, there is a good scattering of my images throughout this issue of the magazine. All the committee images were also taken by me as I mentioned in a previous post (which you can see here).

They have also used one of my pregnancy images to illustrate one of the articles in the magazine.

It is such a great feeling to see one of your images on the cover of a magazine, and it is something that I will always get excited about.

Here is a copy of the cover of the magazine... what do you think?

Henry's Naming Day at Stoke Place

2009-10-28T19:02:00.009Z

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to photograph Henry's Naming Ceremony (and first Birthday celebration) which took place at the fabulous Stoke Place.

It was an intimate group of family and friends that gathered to share this special day with Henry, and they were blessed with a glorious mild autumn day that allowed everybody to mingle outside in the immaculate grounds curtesy of Capability Brown.

There was a big hammock that captured the imagination of all the kids (and some of the adults too) and needless to say, it was never left unoccupied ;-).

The food was presented beautifully and looked mouthwateringly scrummy, and I just couldn't resist spending some time taking some photographs of all the little details.

Below are a few of my favourite images of the day.

I had a lovely time with you guys and thank you for letting me share your day.

Portraits of Alfie

2009-10-19T21:30:00.002+01:00

At the beginning of the month, Alfie's Mum won a Mini Shoot and some prints in a raffle draw that I donated at a local coffee morning and table top sale for the Iain Rennie charity. She was very excited to have won the prize from me, and promptly scheduled the shoot for the following week.

On the morning of the shoot Alfie was not feeling too well (probably teeth) and you could tell he was not 100% himself just by looking at him. It took alot of joking and being plain silly before he decided to trust this funny lady with the big camera, but eventually we made it.

We played inside and outside, and we even went to visit the magic tree!!

I had a great time playing with Alfie, and here are a couple of images from the day...

Wedding in Winchester Town Hall

2009-10-11T16:46:00.001+01:00

In August I had the priviledge to go and help out a friend and fellow photographer - John Blythe - to one of his weddings in the Winchester Town Hall.

The delightful couple very quickly made us feel at home and part of the family. They were extremely laid back as a couple, although there were a few frayed nerves before the ceremony began ;-).

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day...

PR shoot for NCT Beaconsfield Committee

2009-09-21T21:22:00.002+01:00

Recently I joined the committee of my local NCT branch, and having never had the time to really read my newsletter properly, I never noticed the "pick and mix" nature of the images of the committee members in the front.

When I did however notice it, I couldn't stop thinking that I should volunteer to do something about it.

The photo shoot didn't have to include hair and makeup artists and glamorous poses, just a uniform/consistent look, where people were (preferrably) smiling.

I felt that the images should be informal and relaxed and not have a corporate polished look and feel to them. Afterall, we are mums volunteering and having fun while doing it. ;-)

So I did a 15 minute shoot, one evening before we started our meeting. I asked everybody to sit on the floor just outside the front door of the house where the meeting was taking place, and quickly took some pictures while we were chatting like only a bunch of mums can do.

Below is a selection of the images...
(ladies, I hope you understand that I couldn't show all of you! ;-) L)