Emma Tindley Couture at Wakehurst Place, Ardingly - Shakespeare in Love Collection: West Sussex Wedding and Fashion Photographers

Good Evening Folks,

Something a little different this evening, a slideshow that showcases the wonderfully, brilliant and talented Emma Tindley who designs right here in East Grinstead.  I am very happy to say that I am the official photographer for Emma Tindley and wow do I love photographing her creations, they are truly a work of art.

Emma studied at the London College of Fashion and what she doesn't know about the female form is not worth knowing.  All her designs have this amazing corsetry that gives a beautiful shape to any woman and this comes from her extensive knowledge of period corsetry that she has adapted and moulded into her collections.

When you visit Emma you are talking to the designer herself not just a supplier of dresses and  you are talking to the expert, not someone who just sells dresses without any real knowledge of their construction.

Have a look at the slideshow, better still visit her beautiful boutique in our very own East Grinstead and you will never buy off the peg again!

Enjoy the evening folks,

Claire

Felbridge Hotel and Spa, East Grinstead, West Sussex - Shelley and Matthew: West Sussex Wedding Photographers

Good Evening Everyone,

I recently had a fun time with Shelley and Matthew at their pre-wedding shoot at the Felbridge Hotel and Spa, East Grinstead, West Sussex.. They had just finished a particularly fabulous menu tasting at the hotel and their choices sounded yummy and made me feel a little peckish!

We explored the hotel and I went to my usual spots and also found some new ones too.  We also have a new shot planned along with some drama, I get all excited when we start planning the shots and I cannot wait until the big day when we can put everything into action :)

I have posted four images this week, the first one in the garden of the hotel; Matthew was being a little over vigorous, I think he had a Strictly Come Dancing moment!  The second is just a lovely shot of the two of them enjoying each others company,  I love the gates and fence in this shot and the clouds were all puffy and dramatic, little did I know what was to come!  I am calling this last shot stolen kiss and its inspiration was taken from the film Grease.

As we left the hotel the spits and spots of rain started and by the time I got home, which is so local you would not believe, the monsoon was here; how lucky were we.  I think Shelley and I have managed to convince Matthew that he is photogenic and Shelley is a natural in front of the camera; we are going to have great fun creating the drama on the day...super stuff.

This week sees the start of the album designing and completing all my outstanding orders, next up on the blog Slaugham Place, so tune in later in the week folks.

Claire

May and Jess: East Sussex Location Photography

Good Afternoon Folks,

I am enjoying my secret project immensely and it is really starting to take shape now.  The project has taken many twists and turns since I first started, so much so that I had May and Jess back to re-visit their image.  As always the girls were consummate professionals and this helped to capture the image that I needed.  It was then for some fun and to see if they could beat the waves!  All I can say is there were some squelchy shoes on the walk home!!!  As the project remains under wraps, I thought I would post one of the images taken after the session; as you can see the girls are having great fun despite the weather.

Had a lovely session in the studio this morning and I am really looking forward to photographing their wedding next year.  There is lots to look forward to in the interim as a new bundle of joy is due in July and I cannot wait to see 'bubs' once he/she has made an appeareance.

Claire

Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway - Dawn and Antthony Part One: East Sussex Wedding Photographers

Good Morning Folks,

Well what a fun packed Bank Holiday weekend it was for me workwise.  I spent Sunday and Monday with Dawn and Anthony as they celebrated their marriage.  On Sunday they hired a steam train to take them from New Romney to Dungeness for all the guests that were celebrating with them.  When I arrived the final preparations were being made to Doctor Syn in preparation for his VIP guests!

We had a brilliant journey through the beautiful East Sussex Countryside and it was then to Dungeness with its rugged, industrial but beautiful landscape.  I took Dawn and Anthony off to the beach, which is very special to them, as this is the spot where Anthony proposed to Dawn and so the story begins.

There were fish and chip cones and Chapel Down champagne all round before another stroll on the beach to toast the start of the celebrations with more champagne.  The fun did not end there; Dawn had arranged a lovely surprise for Anthony as he was to be the assistant driver on the footplate for the return journey.  It was a joy to see Anthony's face and so lovely as Dawn had told me a while ago this was going to happen.  This railway holds many childhood memories for Anthony and what a truly special gift from his wife to be the day before the next chapter of their lives together.

I have chosen three images from the day; one of Anthony looking extremely rugged on 'his' train, another very special moment with the two of them on the beach and finally Doctor Syn charging back to New Romney with driver Anthony at the helm.


Part two coming soon....

Tenterden Steam Railway - Dawn and Anthony: Kent Wedding Photography

Good Afternoon,

I recently photographed a few images of Dawn and Anthony; this mini-session was sneaked in ahead of Anthony's return to work in India. We had great fun at the Tenterden Steam Railway and I was particularly taken with Anthony's hat. I told him not to put it down anywhere as it might go walkies straight into my studio!! Their wedding is going to be at the gorgeous Great Barn in Rolvenden and this venue enjoys typical views of the gorgeous countryside that we have in Kent. The Tenterden Steam Railway has many nooks and crannies in which to photograph; I love it because you just cannot beat a good steam railway, and on a personal note, my Father taught the drivers here when it first opened as a steam railway attraction. The train scenes in the Darling Buds of May were also filmed here; this is one of my favourite programmes so lots to love.

This week's blog post is a little late because things are hotting up here at Woodland Hill Photography as wedding season is about to go into full swing. It was a fun packed weekend both in the studio and on location on Saturday and Sunday. I have been working away to get all my edits completed ahead of this week's wedding.

Enjoy your week and seeing all the trees bursting into bud is brilliant; come on Spring show yourself :)

Claire

Grace: West Sussex Children's Photographer

Good Morning Folks,

Recently I photographed Grace's 3rd birthday party, and what a lucky little girl she is to have a lovely Mummy and Daddy to make such special memories for her.

It really was a children's paradise with bouncy castles, ball pools, slides and bouncing thingys (not sure of the correct technical term). Mummy had prepared tons of food for both the children and adults and it all tasted fab... a little too fab I think! Auntie Kirsty made the birthday cake, there is a picture here so this masterpiece will speak for itself.

The DJ played some 'banging tunes' along with a bubble and smoke machine; yes folks this was a 3rd birthday party, I bet you are all jealous now!

I have posted two images of beautiful Grace along with that magnificent cake; yummy.

I hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed the warmth. I can see the trees starting to wake up now; you can almost hear them yawning and stretching their branches in readiness to give us a magnificent show of blossom.

Enjoy the rest of the week and look forward to catching up with you again in a few days.

Claire

Ashdown Park Hotel, Wych Cross, East Sussex: East Sussex Location Photography

Good Evening,

Welcome to a festive post! I recently photographed a really lovely family at Ashdown Park Hotel and the shoot was to celebrate Maggie's birthday. What a wonderful weekend she had with her family and it was full of surprises, which just kept on coming; so much so I think she couldn't believe it. Her wonderful sons in addition to the weekend, this shoot and a beautiful huge framed print of her choice have also given her a once in a lifetime trip to New Zealand! Sons of the world you have an awful lot to live up to because this will take some topping.

Here is a slideshow of the shoot and I hope it brings back lots of memories of a truly fantastic weekend.

Enjoy your weekend everyone; I am all set for the studio tomorrow so looking forward to my sessions with my ever gorgeous clients.

Claire

Heather and Roy's Engagement: West Sussex Wedding Photographer

Good Afternoon,

Recently I photographed Heather and Roy's Engagement Party at Clair Hall in Haywards Heath. It is a really nice start to their wedding story as I am photographing their wedding next year at South Lodge. They had the most lovely blessing conducted by the vicar who will be marrying them next year. Roy placed the engagement ring on Heather's finger and it was the first time that her ring had been seen in public. It was such a special moment and has really marked the start of their new life together.

Here are three pictures from the evening, one of Heather and Roy and they are so in love it is a joy to see, another of this gorgeous little boy who was having a quiet nap as it was way past his bedtime and one just after the blessing.

December is now well and truly upon us as I am going to try and snatch some time in the evenings to put up my decorations as I just love this time of year.

If you are Christmas shopping...have fun!

Claire

Ladies' Night at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club: Sussex Event Photography

Good Afternoon,

I recently attended a Ladies' Night at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club. It was really lovely to see so many lovely ladies in the most beautiful dresses and you were all a pleasure to photograph. It really reminds me of James Bond seeing a tuxedo and a glamorous dress. I also had some wonderful chats as well!

I enjoyed having a a few days off, especially over the weekend, which is a rarity in my industry and the weather was a real bonus too.

Enjoy the week everyone,

Claire

Julie and Jon The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Kent Wedding Photography

Good Morning,

I recently photographed Julie and Jon's pre-wedding shoot at their gorgeous wedding venue The Beacon in Tunbridge Wells Kent. We had great fun planning the photography for their big day, the theme of their wedding is very close to their hearts and so fitting to the county of Kent. Having grown up in Tunbridge Wells and frolicked amongst the 'gardens' and orchards myself as a child, I cannot wait to see the finished theme.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend; I saw lots of lovely clients on Saturday and it was a pleasure to talk about some really exciting plans for a wedding that I now have for 2013. I never tire of hearing the lovely things that couples are planning for their weddings, and there is always something new to look forward to that I have not photographed before too. We are so lucky to have so many beautiful locations for wedding photographers in Surrey, Sussex and Kent.

Well it is back to editing weddings and studio sessions for me, so I hope you all have a great day.

Claire

Beautiful May: Kent Children's Photography

Good Afternoon,

I hope you are enjoying some lovely weather at last; we do seem to have very turbulent Augusts now followed by some beautiful Autumn months so I hope things settle down for a bit.

I recently photographed May as part of a project that will not be unveiled for some time but at the end of the session we had a couple of minutes to capture some images. These shots show just how demure May is and she was so patient during the rest of the shoot I cannot wait to photograph her again.

Have a great weekend; no weddings for me this week but plenty to keep me busy with the studio, lovely new wedding clients and lovely newly married clients so looking forward to lots of great chats!

Claire

Nicola and Chris Yew Lodge East Grinstead West Sussex: Sussex Location Photographer

Good Morning,

Well it has certainly been a busy few days and I think the weather was very kind for the South East and Sussex Wedding Photographers!

I recently photographed the pre-wedding shoot of Nicola and Chris at the lovely Yew Lodge in East Grinstead West Sussex. Chris is a landscape gardener and I think he felt right at home in the beautiful grounds of the lodge and having visited their home I know how fabulous his own garden is!

We had a great time walking, photographing and chatting and it made for a very lovely evening indeed.

Have a great day and watch out for some images of the lovely May this week.

Claire

The Many Faces of Jess! : Kent Location Photography

I had a fantastic shoot yesterday creating some imagery for a project that I am working on. Unfortunately the images will not be posted anywhere publicly for some time and the only person that will get to see them is my Mentor. However, we had some fun at the end of the shoot and I had a few minutes to capture these images of the wonderful, vibrant and funny Jess; and as a collection they just make me laugh, so I thought I would post them here to hopefully bring a little cheer to your day.

Isn't she just brilliant; can't wait for the next shoot Jess.

Claire

Emma Tindley Couture East Grinstead, West Sussex: Sussex Location Photography

Good Afternoon,

I hope you have all had a good week and you have lots of nice things planned for the weekend. More imagery again today and this is the beautiful shop of Emma Tindley Couture based in East Grinstead. Emma was a finalist in the Young Designer of the Year awards and I am certainly not surprised as her dresses are exquisite. We are creating a collection of imagery that is going to be used for her new website; it is extremely exciting and I cannot wait to see the finished product that will show the collection we photographed in April, the shop interiors and the new collection that she is planning for next year at a very special location. I was very privileged to have a sneaky preview at some of her materials and the one shown here is a French Chantilly Lace, which has recently been used in some of Vera Wang's designs. I cannot remember the celebrity who wore it but the lace was used in a dress by Vera Wang that recently featured in Hello magazine; just how fab is that...love it! The lace is just sublime close up. Emma will be available for appointments commencing 3rd September, so if you are getting married next year take a look at her beautiful dresses; you will not be disappointed and they are a pleasure to photograph.

Happy Friday everyone,

Claire

Location Photography East Grinstead West Sussex

Good Morning,

Thought I would post some more imagery today; this was taken on a recent location shoot and I just love the wistful nature of the image. I have called it going home, look deep into the image and you will see why.

Enjoy your Sunday and I am having a client viewing day today, and I always enjoy those.

Claire

Bump to One Year - Max is One!

A couple of weeks ago it was time to go on location for Max's one year shoot. It was hilarious and mad; editing the pictures really made me laugh. As many of you will know I have followed Max since he was a bump and it has been a real pleasure to watch him develop over the year alongside his big sister Millie. As much as I always photograph Max at each session, Millie never fails to pull something quite magnificent out of the box and it has been as much a pleasure photographing Millie as it has Max.

We are off on location again in the Autumn, and I think the results will be a little more controlled with Max being just a few months older; but I did love the chaos of this shoot!

Here is just a taster of the day and have a great weekend.

Claire

Playdays in Sussex!

I recently had a what I would call a 'play day' with fellow photographer Lisa Beaney and we went to a most stunning vintage location for a shoot. Lisa's daughter Holly kindly agreed to model for us and I am attaching a few images of the day.

It is always good to set aside time to explore and experiment with our photography and having a fellow photographer to mull over ideas with definitely makes for a really rewarding day.

We have so many stunning locations in the South East and I cannot wait to search out some more to see what I can come up with!

I hope you enjoy these tasters and thank you Holly for for infinite patience.

Claire

Lisa and Pete The High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Good Afternoon,

I know, I know I am like a bus you do not hear from me then two posts come along at once! Here are a few images from Lisa and Pete's pre-wedding shoot at the High Rocks in Tunbridge Wells. This is a truly beautiful venue and I had my wedding reception here 11 1/2 years ago so this shoot brought back all sorts of lovely memories.

The High Rocks themselves are wonderful to walk around and the varying light conditions made for some very interesting lighting. The images you see here were taken using natural light only.

We have some great plans in store for the big day itself so lots to look forward to.

Have a great weekend and if this lovely weather stays with us; enjoy!

Claire

November - Family Fun at East Court, East Grinstead

Good Morning,

I have added a new taster slideshow to my Studio and Locations slideshow page called Vicky's Family Fun Day out!

We all had great fun during the shoot and enjoyed the beautiful Autumn colours at the same time. I think we are so lucky to have the seasons and for photographers they create such a varied range of looks throughout the year. I use East Court a lot as is has lots of great photographic ingredients and with its look changing so much during the seasons, I never tire of going there.

Have a lovely day and I hope you enjoy the slideshow.

Claire

September - Jake

CLICK HERE TO SEE DVD SLIDESHOW

Had a busy weekend in the studion and on location. In the afternoon Jake came over for some updated headshots that he needed for his acting work. Once we finished those it was off outside to try something a little different; we dodged the rain and embraced the rain and here are a couple of shots from the session along with the usual slideshow.