Another lovely photograph taken at the Horn of Plenty, Devon. This image of the Groom getting ready was taken just just before he headed off to see the registrar in preparation for his wedding. A lovely moment that the bride would have missed but has been captured for them to remember. They were given both the colour and black and white version of this photograph but for me, I like it in black and white. 
 

Groom getting readyGroom getting ready

Horn of Plenty, west Devon

Wedding bouquetLunch time for Mr bee on the Wedding bouquet

Those Devon bees do love a wedding bouquet. A silly little moment that I photographed at a recent wedding at the Horn of Plenty in West Devon. You cant blame him the flowers were absolutely beautiful. So it was only natural for him to stop for some food. This may not make the wedding album but it's another little memory from the wedding.

What a lovely wedding photograph taken at the Oak Barn in Devon. A wonderful wedding venue that is always a joy to be the wedding photographer at. This is a photo that I know the bride and groom love and why wouldn't they. It's of the two of them and their little boy on their special day.  I always find that when photographing little ones this young it best to grab the photograph when they are ready and not when it suits you. So I keep an eye out and when the time is right we capture the moment. This could be during the formal photographs or the bridal shots. Whenever it is I let them decide ensuring we get some magical moments like this. 
 

Bride and groom plus oneBride and groom plus one, there little boy at the Oak Barn Devon

I love this wedding photograph of Amy arriving for her wedding day. The look on her face is of pure excitement and anticipation of whats about to happen. The car is also looking good and helps make this a special photograph. It was not the easiest photograph to capture As I have to focus through the open window onto the brides face whilst the car was still moving. The is a moment the groom would have missed as he waited patiently at he alter. So I am glad I was able to capture this moment for them both to enjoy. 

Arrival of the brideArrival of the bride in a fabulous wedding car.
 

I am always on the lookout for something different on my weddings. Also something thats a little bit fun, so when I saw this  graffiti I knew it would look great as a back drop. So The first thing I did was check this was ok with the bride and groom and they loved the idea. So the three of us ran across the road from the pub the reception was being held at to the wall with the graffiti on. I hope you all like it as I LOVE it. So colourful and bold I only wish I could meet the artist to thank than for their work. 

Wedding Photo in ExeterWedding Photographer Devon

what a stunning setting this is for a wedding photograph. It was taken at Bovey Castle in the heart of the beautiful Devon country side. Now I would have been nice to have taken it on a day with no wind for that perfect reflection. However the one thing I can not control is the good old British weather on couples wedding day. If I could, wow! that would be something to add to the CV. As it was the breeze gave a gentle ripple on the water for what is still a wonderful photograph of the bride and groom on their wedding day. 

Wedding at Bovey Castle DevonWedding Photographer Devon

I have fond memories of this fabulous wedding and this photo. During the wedding reception as the bride and groom were eating their meal. I noticed out of the window a change in the sky. I ran upstairs and was delighted to see they had just finished their mains. The bride noticed the excitement in my face, “if you trust me, we need to run” I told them. Well, trust me they did and we quickly made our way outside before the light changed. It resulted in a stunning set of wedding photographs with this beautiful sky. 

Wedding in the cloudsWedding Photographer in Devon

I love this wedding photograph taken a few years ago of my bride and groom. I wanted to get a different angle of the happy couple. So, for this image I placed them at the bottom of the stairs and took the photograph from above. I think it gives an interesting angle and a something a little different for them. A great couple to work with and another fun wedding to photograph.

Bride and GroomWedding Photographer Devon

Here we have some of the wedding photographs of Holly and Matthew, who got married at Sandy Cove North Devon on a very hot sunny day in July. As you will see, there cannot be many wedding venues in Devon with a backdrop as stunning as Sandy Cove.  It certainly made for some beautiful wedding photographs. If you have not been to Sandy cove before there is a steep path down to the ceremony setting. Luckily the wonderful staff at the hotel were on hand to give the bride and her dad a lift. This was appreciated in the heat.

Bride and her dadWedding Photographer Devon

In the next two photographs, the backdrop for the wedding takes your breath away. The bride and Groom had decorated the arch adding a splash of colour to the wedding. With it being so hot, I knew people would head for the shade as soon as the service was over. With the experience I have gained over the last 20 years, photographing over 1100 weddings, I knew I had to grab the big group photo right away. So, after checking with the bride and groom I decided to take the large group shot just before the bride and groom walked back down the aisle. I hope you agree it looks great and It also saved us a lot of time.

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Large group photoWedding Photographer Devon

As with most weddings, after the ceremony, I like to give the couple some time to relax with their friends and family. This gives me the chance to capture some natural wedding photographs of the celebrations. Once everyone has had the chance to congratulate the bride and groom it’s onto the formals along with photographs of the bride and groom. The sun may have been in the wrong place but how could I not capture some photographs with this stunning North Devon backdrop.

Bride and groomWedding Photographer Devon

North Devon weddingWedding Photographer Devon

It was then time to once again use my experience when looking for little corners of the wedding venue to maximise the limited shade available. In this first photo, I love how the tree frames the bride and groom as I captured them chatting on the bench. In the second image, I used a long lens and shot from a low angle to give the impression they were stood amongst some tall wildflowers. An image I know the couple love.

Bride and groom chatting on a benchWedding Photographer Devon

Bride and groom in the flowersWedding Photographer Devon

The last image to share with you was taken in the evening down on a local beach. I love the different layers to this photo. The dark foreground of the beach is again captured due to the low angle. Then you have the bride and groom before fading to the background where the late evening sun is hitting the cliffs in the distance. A great wedding on the North Devon Coast at one of Devon’s most popular wedding venues, Sandy Cove.

bride and groom on north Devon beachWedding Photographer Devon

By Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams

This is wedding I photographed three days ago at the Roman baths. Mark and Theresa eloped to this stunning venue and kept things simple with the venue providing the witnesses to the wedding. 

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If you do not know the Roman baths as a wedding venue you have two options to get married. The venue is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK and therefore getting married around the water’s edge during the day is just not possible. So, if you want to get married at this stunning venue you have two options. An early morning start with a wedding at 8-30am, yes that’s right 8-30am or a sunset wedding at 7pm.

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Mark and Theresa decided to go with the early option meaning we had to be out of the venue by 9-10am. This gave me a 17-minute window to capture the photographs of them in and around the ancient waters once frequented by the Romans two thousand years ago.  

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I am always looking to give my couples variety in their wedding photographs. I think there is nothing worse than all the picture being taken in the same place and looking the same. So, to achieve this in 17 minutes I have to get my skates on. Forward planning was the secret to achieving this and I knew exactly the shots I wanted to get before they even got married. This really speeds up the process but that’s not to say at time I was physically running around the water’s edge to get my shots.

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Such a fun wedding to photograph and I hope you agree, that despite the very tight timeline, we ended up with a beautiful selections of wedding photographs for the bride and groom to enjoy.

2021-06-25_0016Wedding photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams

It’s so good to be back photographing weddings again. I have 10 weddings booked in for July, most are in Devon with some in Bristol and one in Cornwall. This wedding I am about to show you was photographed at Thornbury castle on the 31st May, on the outskirts of Bristol.

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Wedding in the castle

I set off from my home in Devon nice and early to ensure I beat the traffic. On my arrival as I always liked to do, I made my way around the grounds to see what was in bloom and what would make a great backdrop for the wedding photographs. This is an important part of planning on the day, no matter how well I know the venue.

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A glorious day for a wedding

As you can see from the wedding photographs, we were very lucky with the weather. Most of the day we were bathed in beautiful sunshine bring an extra smile to everyone’s faces. The bride and groom were a joy to photograph and were happy for me to take the lead with the photos.

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Along with the bride and groom, all of the guests were so happy to be there, especially after the last 12 months we have had. Everyone was willing to have their photograph taken, helping to make wonderful memories for the bride and groom. Memories I know the bride and groom love as they have left me a wonderful five-star review on google.

BG-521evening wedding photograph

As you can see from these sample images, I was able to spend some time with Tamsin and Colin (the bride and groom) in the evening. This allowed me to capture some spectacular images of the happy couple in front of the castle. I used some off-camera flash to add a little drama to the photographs, which I feel worked very well.

A fantastic way to end the day

BG-528Sunset wedding Photograph

If the rest of the weddings that I have booked in for this year are much fun as Tamsin and Colin's wedding, then I’m in for an amazing second half of the year.

Wedding photography has always been acceptable to fashion. When digital photography first became popular, spot colour was in demand. Turning the photograph to black and white leaving just the flowers in colour, was a part of every photographer’s portfolio. Then the desaturated look was in. Photographers desaturated photographs making colours look vintage and pastel in colour. The latest fashion is the muted look. This is when the blacks within the photograph are adjusted to give a distinctive look. Then we have the elephant in the room, the Black and white photo. Black and white photography is in fashion but it is the one constant over the 20 years I have been a photographer. When I started back in 2000, I was photographing weddings on film cameras. I would use a top professional medium format camera loaded with colour film along with a 35mm camera loaded with a black and white film. For me, some wedding photographs just look better in black and white and I have always been a fan.

Wedding Photography

So, onto some samples of my black and white wedding photography. The first one of the bride and her bridesmaids is great fun. After photographing the girls walking towards me, I asked them to do it one more time. As they walked back to their start position the dancing started and I grabbed this wonderful memory. I love the second one of three very cheeky boys. I got them to wrap arms around each other and then said something silly to make them laugh. The third one of the bride and groom looking out of the window was not set up. I was outside organising a group shot when I noticed the happy couple chatting with friends whilst leaning out of the window. Another lovely memory captured.

B&W-001Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams. B&W-002Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams. B&W-003Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams.

Devon wedding photographer

This next image of the bride and groom was taken in a tunnel that led up to the wedding venue in Barnstable North Devon. I love the lights that lead the eye into the happy couple. This help to turn it into a dramatic wedding photograph I know the couple love. Now we hope for a nice sunny day for our wedding but we do live in Britain. This bride was presented with torrential rain as she arrived for her wedding. I could easily have waited inside in the dry but I wanted to capture the bride and dad as they arrived. Yes, I got soaked as did my camera but I think it was well worth it. Now, how different is this next image of the arrival of the bride. On this occasion, we had a lovely sunny day so no need for me or my camera to get soaked. Two photographs of the same part of the day with a very different look.

B&W-004Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams. B&W-005Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams. B&W-006Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams.

Black and white Devon weddings

The next black and white photograph I have to share with you is of the bride having just finished getting ready. The dress was simply stunning and I wanted to show off the beauty of the design. Laying the dress out and adding the flowers to the image makes for a beautiful wedding photograph. The next photo is a casual photograph of a bride and groom chatting. It looks reportage but it has been set up by myself. Using the leaves of a tree to frame the couple gives the impression of a private moment has been captured. The next photograph of a bride and groom is a typical sample of one of my set up formal photos. Just because a photograph is set up does not mean it has to be stiff and unnatural. In this case, I posed the couple against the wall with the wedding car in the background. Using a large aperture on my camera ensures just the couple are in focus with the car softer behind them. This ensures the eye stays firmly on the couple yet as your eye starts to wonder the car comes into the image.

B&W-007Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams. B&W-008Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams.

B&W-009Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams.

More black and white photography

The first of the last three photographs to show you are of the dancing getting underway. You would be forgiven for thinking this is the bride and groom but in fact, it’s the beautiful bride and the best man having fun. A great moment to capture, I just love their expressions on their faces. The second image is of the groom as he is getting ready for his big day. Again, it’s easy to think this is just reportage but he is laughing at one of my very poor jokes. The last image is from a wonderful summer wedding and is of the bride and groom walking and happily chatting. We had just finished photographing them next to the gate overlooking the field. As we walked back, I asked them to hold hands and chat about their day. As you can see, just a simple instruction like this can help to make a stunning photograph that the bride and groom will love.

B&W-010Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams. B&W-011Samples of black and white photography by Devon wedding photographer Nick Williams.

So, I hope you have enjoyed this little look at some of my black and white wedding photography. Colour is always the mainstay of the images I present the couple but as you can see, wedding photographs can look wonderful in timeless black and white. To see lots more samples of my work including some black and white photography just click on this link to my wedding gallery 

People often think reportage photography is new and that it is the latest must-have. In truth it has always been popular, it’s just the development in digital cameras had made it a lot cheaper to do. When I first started as a wedding photographer, I used medium format cameras. They used a much larger negative which resulted in fantastic quality with pin-sharp wedding photographs. On the downside, you only got 12 photographs from a roll of film and the cameras were manual focus and slow to use. This did mean most of the photographs taken with these cameras were posed and a little more on the formal side.

Reportage wedding photography DevonReportage wedding photography Devon Devon Photographer Devon Photographer

35mm cameras

So, to enable us to get some reportage natural wedding photographs we would use a 35mm SLR camera alongside the medium format camera. Often the camera would be loaded with black and white film. The cameras looked similar to modern DSLR’s, had autofocus and were quick to use. On the downside, the quality was not as good due to the smaller sized 35mm film that was used.

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Digital cameras and the rise of reportage

In 2003 I photographed my first wedding with a digital camera. Not as my main camera as I still used the medium format camera for maximum quality. The digital camera instead, replaced the film 35mm camera. It had several advantages over the film camera it replaced. The main one was the cost per wedding, as I could now take many more photographs without incurring the cost of developing the film. Looking back with hindsight, digital cameras did not save me any money at all. A professional film camera would last 20 years and longer if looked after. Since buying my first digital camera in 2003 I have bought 11 more over the years costing £1500 to £5000. This is for two reasons; one they have improved greatly over the years meaning which each new camera I have felt the need to upgrade. The second reason is they do not last anywhere near as long as the old film cameras. This is not because they are not well made, it’s just because of numbers. In the days of film, I may take 50-75 photographs at a wedding whereas now I average around 1000. This allows me to capture the whole wedding day, not just the middle two hours as we often used to in the days of film.

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Reportage Wedding

So, the transformation from film to digital has changed the way I work as a wedding photographer. It is a lot more work than it used to be but that’s a whole article for another day. What I will say Is I believe couples today get a far better record of their day including hundreds of wonderful reportage wedding photographs like the ones on this page.

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Reportage wedding photography Devon

So, if you are looking for a wedding photographer in Devon who will capture memories not just photographs of your day. Then please take a look at my gallery and get in touch via the contact me page.

Devon BrideDevon Bride

Now I know it’s hard to believe, but occasionally even here in Devon, the weather can occasionally be awful. Rain, snow, wind and sleet I have seen it all over the last 19 years that I have been photographing weddings in Devon and across the South West. So for this post, I thought I would share with you a few images of bride and grooms taken inside. The first two you can see are of the beautiful bride. One taken in Exeter cathedral on a dry but very windy day. Can you imagine me trying to layout the bride's 16-foot cathedral veil, as in this shot, outside in 45mph wind?  I think I would be there all day and even then not get a shot like this. The second one is a classic of the bride at the bottom of the stairs. This was taken from the top of the stairs to include more of the bannister using the lines to draw you into the bride.

Wedding Photographer Devon

Devon Weddings

A couple more on the very different stairs along with one in a hallway. When taking photographs inside I am always looking for pools of light that I can use to illuminate the bride and groom.  You can see this in the hallway shot and the photograph taken looking down on the bride and groom on the stairs. Both of these wedding photographs were taken using only natural light. The other photograph taken of the bride and groom looking up at them on the stairs was taken in a different way. For this photograph, I had to use a little flash as there was not enough light hitting the bride and groom. I the flash was left on the camera this image would look very different and you would lose all the wonderful ambient colours. So to achieve this look I placed a flash above me on the next floor up. I also used a snoot on the flash, this is a piece of equipment that keeps the flash beam very narrow ensuring light only hits the bride and groom and not the surrounding area.

Devon Weddings Weddings Devon

Wet Weddings

Two more photographs to show you both of bride and grooms taken on very wet days. As you can see it did not stop us from getting some great memories for the happy couple. For the first one, we had a little bit of luck. The love sign you see in this photograph was actually left behind from the wedding the day before. What a result that was, especially as we had rain for most of the day. A slow shutter high ISO and a snoot on the flash ensured the beautiful ambient in the barn became part of the photograph. The same technique was used for the second photograph with only a small spot of light used to illuminate the bride and groom.

Wet Weddings Photographer Devon

The Bride and Groom

So as you can see, if the weather does not behave itself on your wedding day, it does not mean you will not have photographs to treasure. With good planning, clever use of light and selective use of flash, stunning results can be had inside. Over the last 19 years, I have photographed 1100 weddings many of which on bad weather days. I have never failed to get wonderful photographs the bride and groom love and I have never known a wedding to be ruined by the weather, the fun always wins.

Barn Wedding Devon Weddings in Devon

What next, back to home page or contact me for more information

When I first started as a wedding photographer photographing weddings here in Devon 19 years ago, a winter wedding was a little unusual. Now things have changed greatly and Devon winter weddings are more popular than ever. I think the main reason for this is the huge variety of wonderful weddings venues bride and grooms have to choose from today. Also, the internet has made it easier than ever before to share your photographs of fantastic winter weddings. In doing so making other couples realise that winter is a great time to get married.
Devon Winter Weddings

Winter wedding weather

Now you may get lucky and have the perfect weather at your winter wedding. One of those wonderful winter days, with blue sky and crisp clean air. Or it can be a complete washout with rain from dawn to dusk. Whatever the weather, with a little planning and the right venue, all-day fun can be had no matter what comes your way. Talking of venues, if you are planning a wedding in the winter, look out for one that’s suited for an indoor wedding. One with room to move around with different rooms for you and your guests to relax in. You are spoilt for choice today with so many wonderful venues suited for winter weddings.
Winter wedding weather

Some winter wedding advice

Having photographed over 1100 weddings I do have a few pieces of advice when planning your winter wedding. If you are lucky and have a dry day, you may wish to take advantage and get outside for some of your wedding photographs. If you intend going onto the grass, even on a dry day, the ground can be very soft. So, if you have a very expensive pair of shoes, maybe with high pointed heels, you may want to think about having to hand a simple pair of flats. A quick change will ensure you do not ruin your wedding shoes whilst getting your dream wedding photographs. If you are brave and don’t mind going out in the rain to get some shots, think about some nice white umbrellas. Sometimes the venue will have some but if not, you can pick them up cheaply on eBay. I would say do not open them and if it does not rain you can always sell them again after the wedding. If you have pockets in your dress (yes some do) or you intend having a small bag, hand warmers can come in very handy on a cold winter’s day.

Wedding Photographer Devon

Night-time wedding photographs

As you can see from these photographs, you do not have to stop taking wedding photographs once the sun goes down. With a skilled wedding photographer and some clever light and good camera technique, some of your favourite photographs may be taken in the dark. Fireworks are popular as you can see in this post as well as the cheaper option of sparklers.   Devon Winter Wedding- photographer Devon

So if you are planning a winter wedding do pop over to my winter wedding gallery. For many more winter wedding photographs and you never know, maybe a little inspiration.

Fireworks can be a spectacular way to end your wedding. Often kept as a surprise for the wedding guests and even on occasion a total surprise for the bride.  In this article, I will share my thoughts and experience of photographing Wedding fireworks in Devon and across the South West over the last 19 years.

Wedding Fireworks Devon

Preparation is key when photographing fireworks

When photographing a wedding here in Devon and fireworks are planned, I always search out the venue manager and the person in charge of the fireworks. I need to know things like, who knows about the fireworks, as I said before it’s often a surprise and I do not want to ruin that. The time they will be set off and for how long. This is important as it will give me an idea to how quick I have to work. With a quick display I will take all the photographs from the same place but if time allows, I may decide to change the camera view point. Where will they be set off from roughly how high will they go and where will the crowd be standing. All of these things are important when photographing fireworks. 

Wedding Photographer Devon

Winter wedding Devon

The Bride and Groom

The last thing to consider is the bride and groom. If at all possible ,I try to have them in the photograph with the fireworks. By speaking to the firework company I can find out where I can place them whilst staying within the safety boundaries. This all ensures the happy couple get a spectacular photograph of them and their wedding guests. 

Devon Photographer

This last photo is a little unusual in that it was actually brighter than it looks. In fact, it was so bright the bride said don't worry if you can not get any photo's. Well, I do like like a challenge so I positioned the guests and ask them to wrap their arms around each other as I thought that would look nice in the photo. Now it was not very dark at all, It was in the summer and the licence for the fireworks stipulated the latest time they could be set off. This is why it was so bright and a real challenge to photograph. I had to set my camera to underexpose the sky dramatically to make it dark enough to ensure the fireworks would show up. I then fired off every flash I own at the guests to eliminate them. Without the flash, they would have been nothing more than a silhouette. The photo came out great and was a real surprise for my bride and groom. 
 

Wedding fireworks devon

 

This was my first visit to the Oak Barn which lies north of Dartmoor in between  Exeter and Oakhampton.  A beautiful wedding venue that gave off a relaxed vibe that continued throughout the day.  It’s a venue only hire, so the bride and groom can bring in there own suppliers putting their own unique stamp on their wedding day. 

Another beautiful Devon wedding

What a day we had from start to finish the emphasis was on having fun.  This was all the guests not just the wonderful bride and groom.  Stacey our beautiful bride got ready on site allowing me to capture some lovely photographs of the getting ready stage of the wedding.  Before long guests started to arrive and got straight into the bar manned by Stewart the groom ably assisted by his groomsmen. 

Time to get married

The wedding was wonderful as you can see from the photographs and the bride and groom soon made their way outside.  They walked into the main gardens through a tunnel of confetti that I had set up.  It was then down to some celebrating with friends and family.  During this time I was able to capture some group photographs and some romantic ones of the bride and groom. 

Party time and Devon sunsets

After the meal and the very funny speeches, it was soon time for the dancing to begin.  As I was due to leave I noticed the sky developing some colour.  If you know me you will know I am a sucker for sunset wedding photographs.  So I asked Stacey and Stewart if they would like me to stay a little later.  They took no persuading and left at the chance of some late photographs with the beautiful now filled with colour. 

Devon Wedding photographer review

This is the wonderful review the bride and groom, Stacey and Stewart left for me on Google.

Nicks work is truly beautiful and the images that have been captured are unbelievable. 

Nick was extremely professional and friendly and made myself and my husband feel at ease from the moment he arrived. So many guests have commented on just how brilliant Nick was. 
Nick was calm and subtle and managed to catch the most beautiful natural pictures.

The extra special thing about Nick was that he was in no rush to leave and his priority was ensuring that we were happy. Nick spotted a potentially amazing sky and stayed until late to ensure that he captured our photograph at the right moment. This photograph, in particular, is something truly special and I can’t thank Nick enough for lying in the cold damp fields at 9 pm to make sure that it was perfect. 

Nick, I honestly cannot thank you enough for your support and kindness on the day! You reminded me to take it all in, take some time with Stewart and even though I changed my mind on what photos I wanted ten times over nothing was too much trouble. Thank you.

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We are very lucky here in Devon and across the south-west to be blessed with some amazing sunsets which I love to photograph at weddings.  Not just in the summer but also in the colder months. I have often got lucky with a wonderful sunset at a winter wedding as well as the long summer days. So I thought I would share with you a few sunset wedding photographs I have taken. 

Devon sunset

This first sunset wedding photograph was taken at Rockbeare Manor near Exeter. The bride and groom had already enjoyed a wonderful day when we were blessed with this amazing scene. Well, I just had to get the bride and groom out for some pictures and they took no persuading at all.  They were both fans of my wedding work and were hoping for just such a scene to finish their day.  I photographed a number of different setups with this walking shot being one of my favourites.  I know I was not the only one, as the happy couple also loved the photograph.

sunset-wedding-01Sunset wedding photography by Devon Wedding Photographer Nick Williams Almost a Sunset

Ok so this technically is not a sunset photograph but it’s doing a very good job at impersonating one.   The sun was actually setting behind me and what you are seeing is the sun reflecting off the clouds towards the east of the wedding venue. The venue is set in a valley so this scene is actually very rare and boy didn’t I get excited when I caught a glimpse of it out of the window. I ran up the stairs and grabbed the bride and groom who trusted me that it was worth the dash outside.  I knew the amazing sky would not last long so I worked very quickly. This is the end result, which I hope you love as much as I do.

Devon sunset weddingWedding Photographer Devon Silhouette Sunset

The silhouette is another great way to make a fabulous sunset wedding photograph. I often do this type of image to complement the more traditional sunset wedding photographs.  For this one, I placed the bride and groom on the brow of a hill. I made sure they were not in front of the dark trees as that would make them disappear into the background. This shot would work without the trees but I decide to use them as a frame surrounding the bride and groom.

sunset-wedding-03Wedding Photographer Devonl and the south west Mackerel Sky

Now if I had to name my favourite sky it has to be what we in Devon call a Mackerel sky.  I believe it indicates a change in the weather but not before I capture my wedding photographs. On this occasion, we hit the jackpot, if only I could book a sky like this for every wedding.  This photograph of the bride and groom was taken just outside their wedding venue.

Wedding Photographer Based in DevonWedding Photographer Based in Devon Sunset or not?

Ok hands up this is not a true sunset at all but I hope you agree it sure looks like one.  So how did I achieve this look? It’s actually not that hard all I did was ask the bride and groom to walk up the hill into the sun. I then set my camera to expose for the sky know this would silhouette the happy couple. I then set the camera’s white balance to it’s warmest setting turning the whole scene a warm glowing colour giving the impression that the bride and groom are walking off into the sunset. The end result is a wonderful wedding photograph manipulated in camera and not in photoshop.

Photographer south DevonPhotographer south Devon Another stunning Devon sunset

The last one to show you is this one from the Oak Barn in Mid Devon.  This wedding photograph was all about timing. Ten minutes to early the sky was nowhere near as dramatic and ten minutes after taking this photo the sky was dark and lifeless.  Normally the sky will dominate the image when photographing sunsets.  However, on this one, I also wanted to make sure the beautiful buttercups also had a large stake in the final image. To achieve this and despite the damp ground I lay down on the grass keeping my camera very low. This angle gives the scene three layers that blend together beautifully.  The gorgeous buttercups in the foreground, then the stunning bride and groom, followed by the amazing sky.  What a way to end the day.

Oak Barn DevonOak Barn Devon

So if you are getting married here in Devon or across the south-west you may be lucky enough to get a sunset of your dreams. If you do you must make sure you have a wedding photographer who can capture the scene in all its glory. 

This is one of my formal photographs of the bride and groom at a recent wedding. Now I know you my be thinking, "Is he talking about a different photograph" but I'm not.  Many people think of formal photographs as being stiff and lacking in emotion but they do not have to be.  This photograph of the bride and groom was set up by me making it formal?   I like to call this type of photograph editorial and I do a lot of this type of photography at my weddings. Most of my wonderful couples are not natural in front of the camera. If you say to most couples, please look at the camera and smile, you will get a forced smile at best. I use lots of techniques to ensure my formal / editorial wedding photographs don't look forced. 

XW-492Wedding Photography by Devon photographer Nick Williams

As a Devon wedding photographer, It's my job to get stunning images at weddings 12 months of the year.  This is a wedding photograph I often take in the colder months when it gets dark early.  Now most people looking at this will think, how lucky the bride and groom have been to have such wonderful blue sky.  The truth is I can make the sky look like this no matter what the weather.  Even on a cloudy day and no, it's not done in photoshop.  The sky at night will always go this wonderful dark blue just before it goes black.  It's not that obvious to the eye but my experience slows me to know just the right time to take the photograph.

The important thing is to wait until the backdrop matches the brightness of the sky.  Once it was balanced I asked the bride and groom to step outside with me. I used one flash off to the side and balanced the night scene with the flash to give me this scene.  Very little editing has been done to the photograph, why? Well, it looked amazing right out of the camera. Click here to see another night time wedding photograph from a different wedding at the same venue

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This North Devon Wedding is a little different to the normal wedding.  It's not often I get to take wedding photographs in a tunnel.  As I'm sure you would guess, this is not a straight forward wedding photograph.  Putting the camera on auto would not work, in fact you would end up with a photo of a tunnel with the couple in total darkness.  So to create this image I set the couple up off to one side away from the lights.  Talking about the lights, I liked them and they did add some drama to the image but they were not bright enough to light the bride and groom.

So to achieve the image I set the camera up exposing for the lights in the tunnel. I loved the detail the lights show up and I wanted to make sure I kept this in the photograph.  If thats all I did the tunnel would look lovely but the couple would be too dark. So the answer was to use some flash.  Again auto on the flash would not work as it would over power the wall lights and you would loose all the drama in the image. So I set up the flash along with the camera in manual mode. The last thing to do was to add a snoot to the flash.  A snoot turns the flash from a wide beam of light into a narrow beam allowing me to control the light from the flash.  Hopefully the end result you can not really tell a flash has bee used at all.  

I hope you like the resulting photograph as much as I know, the bride and groom did. North Devon Weddingwedding photographer Devon; wedding photographer Exeter

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Devon beach wedding photographs are so special and if you are lucky enough to have a nice day in the winter, you can have the beach to yourselves.  For this image I wanted to make the most out of the sea along with the sky.  With the couple walking towards me I made sure the camera was set with an exposure dark enough to retain the detail in the sky.  I knew this would mean the couple would be under exposed but I also knew it was an easy fix in Lightroom. As a Devon wedding photograph I feel so lucky to have scenery like this on my door step.

Please click here to see more wonderful weddings in Devon

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This is from a Devon Wedding in February, how lucky with the weather were this bride and groom. This is just before they sat down for their meal right next to princess pier in Torquay.  I set my flash up to the right of the bride and groom and made sure I set the camera to capture the wonderful ambient light that was on show. Then with a little help from one of the guests we let the vail fly and capture this wonderful scene.  Very little has been done in photoshop as everything was set correctly in the camera. 

Click here to see a different way to shoot a sunset wedding photograph. 

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This next photograph as you can see is of the confetti. The couple had gone to a lot of effort to make sure the confetti was just right. I'm sure the dried flowers were not cheap so a close up photograph was called for.

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I spotted this wonderful card at the brides house during the getting ready photographs. It was from the groom and very special to the bride. By using a very shallow depth of field ensure the whole focus on the card and not the background.

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The bouquet is always important and is in a lot of the photographs throughout the day.  This image was taken from the back of the room with a long lens. A little naughty as I was not supposed to be taking photographs.  With the angle of the photograph you can not see any detail on the barrage certificate, so I think I was ok.  I love this image of a very special moment.  

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