Hello!

Just to let you know, I have abandoned this blog for pastures new

 

Go to www.angelawardbrown.com to access the new one, see you there!

Two Thousand and Eleven

This year seems simultaneously to have lasted 4.2 years and also about 25 minutes.  It has been packed with the most amazing experiences for me – both personally & professionally.  So, just home after my last job of the year,  trying to write a blog post which captures all these disparate & fascinating commissions, along with the lovely people I met whilst doing them is impossible.  So, here is a partial photographic digest  to try & do it for me – just a scattering of weddings & commercial work, exciting challenges and gorgeous brides, friends & family.  Thank you thank you thank you to everyone whom I have worked with this year – I happen to think you are rather marvelous.

Honourable Mentions:  Anna my favourite second shooter – Thank you – can’t wait to do it all again in 2012!, Thanks to my Ladies Wot Drink & the BFG’s for keeping me sane, Paul & the AUCB massive for getting me though my degree and giving good crit,  all (well, some ) at Schint’s for helping with those endless wediting days with distracting gibberish, cheerleading friends too numerous to mention (but no less appreciated), industry cleverclogs like Mel at Bellissimo & all the lovely venues who spotted a flagging photographer & handed over an iced drink, The Hub-sand for his unending and unwavering support, and to my beautiful, funny, creative girls for their hugs & compliments (“Black & White looks rubbish, Mummy”  “Why would you take a picture like that” etc.), and for all the time they spend waiting for me whilst I ‘just do one more thing…’.  Oh wait, I got confused there, thought I had won an Oscar…

Becky & Dom’s wet & wintery South Bank engagement shoot

This is Becky & Dom.  They grin.  All the time.  Mr & Mrs Grinny McGrin from Grinshire.  It is absolutely infectious and I spent a good part of their engagement session yesterday grinning along with them.  They are just so much fun to be with, and I can’t wait for their wedding in February.  We spent yesterday morning wandering around London’s South Bank, past the Christmas market (a heady mix of gift stalls which fell into the categories of Germanic or cheesy), across the Millennium Bridge and into a almost deserted City (where both Dom & Becky work).  I had such a good time, and was sad to leave them to join my hubby & kids at the Natural History Museum (before heading to the Dr Who Experience -  that’s a whole other post.  One for nerds like me).  Dom, I haven’t included any of your ‘pointing at the foliage in a ‘Man from BHS’ manner’ images; but I think there are at least sixteen – we can put them in a special montage .  Thanks for yesterday, folks – I will be in touch with the rest of the images really soon xx

Catch Up: Andy & Jo at Rownhams House

I am deep in album land at present, trying to get everything wrapped up before Christmas, so I thought I would blog a recent wedding before I crack on this morning – I’m obviously feeling in a very black & white mood today!  Jo & Andy were married at Highfield Church in Southampton before heading to Rownhams House for their reception.  It was gorgeous day; the sun was beating down and Rownhams looked marvellous.  Jo & Andy are twelve kinds of lovely – just the sweetest couple – and I was so glad to be able to join them on this day of days.  Your album is with the printers as we speak!

Venue:  Rownhams House

Church:  Highfield, Southampton

Second Shooter:  Anna Morgan

The fog at Crab Wood

Wedding season is officially over for the year for me and whilst I am still knee-deep in album design I took the opportunity to take the girls to our magical local woods  – Crab Wood near Winchester – for a tromp in the leaves and a quick photoshoot.  I shot a roll of Velvia on the FM2 which I will update with later, but here are the digital shots.  God, I love Autumn.

N.B I should note that the image of the dog & the spiderweb was taken by my increasingly talented 7-year old

You can find me….

Just to let you know that my work is now featured on YourPerfectWeddingPhotographer.co.uk!

 

Your Perfect <a href=”http://www.yourperfectweddingphotographer.co.uk” title=”Wedding Photographer”>Wedding Photographer</a>

Stephanie & Kai’s yummy, autumnal, killer-light, e-shoot.

I met Stephanie & Kai yesterday for an e-shoot ahead of their May wedding.  We met up at Houghton Lodge near Stockbridge to look around its stunning gardens & take some pics.  It was coming towards the end of the day and the light was just beautiful – filtering through Houghton’s gorgeous array of trees (none of which I am able to identify – I am a botanic dunce).  Add into this the stunning autumnal colours and Stephanie’s kilowatt smile, and we managed to make a series of images I am really pleased with.  I hope you had fun yesterday S&K, I’m really looking forward to May. xx

Rachel Drewer Millinery fashion shoot – packed full o’pretty.

Fan-flippin’-tastic local milliner Rachel Drewer contacted me a while ago about doing a shoot in collaboration with fashion blogger and all-round-lovely Sarah Leigh Wade (check out her fashion blog, Sarah Leigh’s Style Files).  So last weekend I met with them both (and stylist/model/superfox Sophie Penn, and corking MUA Vicki Bunting) at The Grange at Northington in a state of some excitement.  I have been going to the Grange for some years, but have never been able to secure permission to shoot inside, until now.  The Grange is an amazing building owned by English Heritage (read about its history here, and see Sarah-Leigh’s blog for some fab behind-the-scenes images ), and the semi-derelict inside is just breathtaking. The Grange Park Opera were beyond kind in allowing us to have full range of its amazing facilities.  We were there for 5 hours but I could have spent the weekend there and still not got close to the amount of images I wanted to make.

Using Rachel’s Autumn/Winter headwear, plus vintage clothing from Southampton’s Hepwrights, we had the best time creating some period fusion images – I hope you like the results.

Sarah, Rachel, Sophie & Vicki (& Catherine from Hepwrights)- I had a blast doing this with such a talented crew, I can’t wait to work with you all again.  Go Team US!

CREDITS:

Rachel – www.racheldrewer.com

Sarah – http://www.sarah-leighsstylefiles.com/
Sophie – http://thechicparade.blogspot.com/
Hepwrights – http://hepwrights.com/

Lottie & Alex’s scruptious Somerset Wedding

Just time to give you a peek at Alex & Lottie’s gorgeous wedding today, before I wander downstairs to watch tonight’s episode of Dr Who (‘spoilers, sweetie!’).  Alex & Lottie contacted me after seeing the images from Lottie’s sisters wedding (see here) last year – and it was so lovely to see Vicky & Chris and their new baby Samuel again today.  I drove down to Somerset to record their wedding ceremony at the lovely Combe House Hotel, nestled in the Quantock Hills.  We even managed an outdoor ceremony!  The bride wore blue and looked absolutely stunning, there were cream teas and a cake made from ice cream, and I loved being there.  Thank you Lottie & Alex, I hope you are still partying away and enjoying the last drops of your wonderful day.

Thanks to Gareth & his team at Combe House for all their help, and the same to best man Alistair for helping organise the guests for the formals.

Jo & Pete’s wedding at ’286′ & the Solent Hotel & Spa

It is Sunday and I am going to take the day off to spend it with my lovely girls whilst I still remember their faces, but before I do here are some quick images from Jo & Pete’s wedding at the Solent Hotel & Spa yesterday.  The freshly refurbished church looking sparkly, the fab Rolls Royce, the bridesmaid with the best dance floor moves ever, the amazing Southampton HiLife Big Band, and Pete’s trumpet solo, even the thunder & rain, all contributed to a brilliant day for this brilliant couple.  Congratulations Pete & Jo, I hope your life together is as fun-filled and joyful as your wedding day.