Perhaps we are getting used to the annual plastic wrapping of our countryside, it seems to be part of Island life and nowhere as shocking as is was a few years ago. Taking a different look at it made me realise that perhaps there is beauty in eye of the beholder.
January can be a dull month, so when the sun shines and the light is perfect you just have to go and shoot. The north coast of Jersey is one of my favourite places in the world on a day like this.
Whilst staying in nearby Mougins, a visit to Nice was a must. We were not disappointed. The approach to Nice was breathtaking as the vista of aqua marine sea came into view. We took a stroll along Le Promenade des Anglais, a 5 kilometre walkway where beach cafes line the coast and locals roller bladed, jogged or cycled along it. The town hosts numerous museums, a Russian Cathedral and picturesque buildings and banks with art-deco facades. One could even smell the fresh produce from the daily local market in the old town. The colours and aromas evoked a true atmosphere of Provence cuisine. The fresh green olives were delicious!
Just back from a recent “Gourmet” holiday in Provence. We stayed in Mougins, known for having the most Michelin rated restaurants in any region in France. Luckily most of the nearby villages we visited had some very steep inclines, including Mougins, so we could walk of some of the superb French cuisine (which really did taste as good as it looked) . The village itself was set on a hill and comprised of mainly restaurants, classy boutiques, quaint artisan workshops and a Photographic Museum. Naturally, we paid a visit, to see some portraits of Picasso who spent the last 15 years of his life living in Mougins. At night, the narrow alley ways are lit up, filled with diners walking off their meal; it’s definitely worth a visit to at least one of Mougins many restaurants!
Simon and Shelly know how to have a great time! Their wedding was so full of fun and very stylish. From the start of the day at 9:00 am until 11:00 at night there was always something happening. We quietly and carefully documented the day, and had a good time doing it. Starting at Longueville Manor and moving to the Grand Hotel in the evening it was full on. The Little Big Band was outstanding and got the party going with a swing.
With only a week it was only ever going to be a snapshot of such a beautiful area and I just can’t wait to share the images with you. So here is a start, more to follow.
I asked Shelley and Simon where they wanted to shoot their pre wedding pictures and they said in our field! Well at least it was different! The light was perfect and we had a great time pushing the creative boundaries. There is no doubt that spending time doing a pre wedding shoot helps to make the photography on the wedding day just that bit easier and you get a document of the time before you were married , that’s real family history in the making.
La Hougue Bie neolithic mound is a world famous historical site, so have a wedding there is a wonderful idea, although the prospect of a bit of rain is a worry. Well Clare and Alan had planned everything but it rained so hard it was difficult to see, let alone take photographs. To the great testament of Canon cameras despite getting utterly soaked for a couple of hours all 5 of our cameras work perfectly. All images created on that day were amazing so full of life and excitement and when the rain stopped the light was beautiful and worth waiting for.
When it came to being focused both Peter and Selina proved to be remarkable. Selena was determined and happy to walk across the rather wet sand to the old harbour in St Brelade’s Bay Jersey. The tide was absolutely perfect just high enough the photograph and low enough to sneak across to the back the of the harbour. Selena and Peter seemed utterly relaxed in front of the camera and after a few minutes were oblivious to the presence of anyone around them. Radier Manor was the location of their wedding reception ; its sheltered beautiful position is the perfect place to enjoy a summer wedding. It was certainly a massive pleasure to be involved in the wedding and as you can see from the pictures’ so many people had a great time; there are numerous memories to be recorded and documented and cherished for many years to come.
Click on image to see more from the wedding
In a world of their own on a deserted beach
The sea was a glistening turquoise blue, the beach utterly deserted
It’s always refreshing, rewarding and usually invigorating to discover a bride and groom that are really willing to go the extra mile to create something very special for their picture on their wedding day. Brian and Jacqueline were very enthusiastic and wanted to walk down the several hundred steps to Portelet Bay in Jersey to get the drama and excitement of that magnificent beach and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The sea was a glistening turquoise blue, the beach utterly deserted. We took only a few minutes to do the shoot, all agreeing that it was was certainly worth it, despite as in all of us feeling slightly warmer and a bit breathless at the end of the climb up! Truly worth the effort.