James Crockford

Ettington Park Hotel, Warwickshire: Jane & Stewart’s Wedding

admin — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:37:15 +0000

I met Jane through business networking a few years ago, so was really pleased to be asked to photograph her wedding to Stewart in August this year. In the lead up to a wedding I always get to know the bride and groom, which is important for me to be able to photograph their day properly. Although I knew Jane, I had not met Stewart before, and it was great to get to know them as a couple.

It was at held at the stunning Ettington Park Hotel in Warwickshire, and the weather was perfect, so we were able to enjoy the grounds as well as the venue itself. I was there earlier as usual to capture the story of the day from the beginning, before the civil ceremony in the Library. Ettington also has a chapel in the grounds and so we all went over for a blessing after the civil ceremony. The afternoon was a relaxed affair, with drinks and canapes on the lawn before going up for the wedding breakfast. The speeches were particularly emotional, and they are always a good way for the whole wedding party to get to know that little bit more about the couple. With the longer days at this time of year there were drinks out on the terrace afterwards, with an excellent close-up magician baffling the guests, followed by the first dance and evening party upstairs.

It was so good to be a part of Jane and Stewart’s wedding, and to meet all their friends and family on such a happy occasion.

Dog Photography: Introducing Schnauzer Lottie…

admin — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:08:31 +0000

Lottie has been the star of a couple of our advertising campaigns recently, just because we can’t resist her. Now we have finally written a blog post purely dedicated to this lovely Schnauzer.

We met Lottie’s parents at Jane and Stewart’s wedding earlier this year, and they asked us to pop along and spend some time photographing Lottie whilst she was out and about on one of her jaunts. John owns a local mobile pet food business called Trophy Pet Foods and is obviously a big dog fan.

Whenever I can I start a pet shoot in the home so that it gives the pet a little bit of time to get to know me and get used to the camera. That way, when we do go out for a walk or a play in the park, they are much more comfortable with having me around. Lottie was a total delight to photograph and we spent a little time around the house first, then a lovely morning traipsing around the Warwickshire countryside. She took to the camera well, which is why it was such a joy to photograph her, and the reason we have used her a on a few of our pet portrait and voucher campaigns recently. (We owe her a juicy bone for this!).

You can find out more about our vouchers, which are ideal, very personal presents (and extremely popular at this time of year) here. The deadline for ordering gift vouchers for 2012 is Sunday 16th December so that we can make sure that they get to you in time for the Christmas break.

We are closing our office on December 20th this year, and although we are doing a few shoots over Christmas, we are opening again on January 8th.

Hope you are all enjoying the run up to the Christmas holidays.

J&K

Children’s Portrait Photography – Colvin & Evans Families, Worcestershire

admin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:24:47 +0000

A few years ago we met and photographed the lovely Riddleston Family in Hanbury, Worcestershire, and it was through them and their connection with Hanbury School, that we met the Colvin family.

During half term earlier this year (yes, we are a bit behind on the blogging front – sorry about that), on one of the random shower / sunshine / shower days that we are all rapidly getting used to, we met with both the Colvin and Evans Families near their home in Worcestershire. We spent a few hours just having a bit of a laugh, messing around and taking photographs. They are good friends and decided to have the shoot together, which made it even more fun for the young stars of the day.

These type of family shoots are my favourite – especially for this age group. It makes for a much more interesting session for both the children and for me. You can’t go wrong with a field, some random trees, a gate and an old building – and it genuinely means each shoot is unique to you and your family.

At this time of year we have lots of people contacting us about vouchers for sessions just like this. You can find out more information here about our gift voucher options here. We are happy to photograph larger families and groups of families, the more the merrier. Just let us know what you are looking for and we can sort out the perfect shoot for you.

Hotel Du Vin – Birmingham Wedding Venue Fair

admin — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:54:12 +0000

Being nice people, we like to work with other nice people. One of the perks of the job is getting to know other wedding suppliers, including wedding venues. Hotel Du Vin in Birmingham is such a great venue – great location, interesting interior, and fantastic staff. Every time I go there I am impressed with how friendly but discrete the staff are – just how a good wedding venue should be.

They have a wedding open day on the 21st October 2012 – we will be there with some of the best wedding suppliers in the region.

Come along, see the venue, have a glass of bubbly and meet some lovely people.

A kiss and a secret smile…Engagement Shoots

admin — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:31:02 +0000

We photograph quite a few engagement shoots throughout the year, partly because we include them in our main wedding photography packages, but also because some couples just want to celebrate being engaged, or are getting married abroad and are looking for a special shoot of just the two of them here in the UK first.

We include them in our main wedding packages because it is a great opportunity to get to know a couple better before the big day, and not just in meetings or on the phone. James is with them for pretty much the entire time, and during some of the most personal moments of their wedding, so it makes sense that he knows in advance what makes them comfortable, and how to get the photographs that they will love.

The next six months are traditionally the busiest for us as couples look for inventive ways to ask ‘the’ question, and are inspired by Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s celebrations. Sometimes friends and family purchase gift vouchers towards prints and sessions for engaged couples.

We haven’t had the opportunity to blog them all individually, so instead thought we would show you a snapshot of a few of our favourites instead. If you would like to arrange a special photo shoot of just the two of you, or buy a personal gift for your friends or family members, just drop us a line.

As you can see, James has been meeting couples in all sort of locations and in lots of different weather conditions…

Dog Photography: Introducing Chihuahua Poppy…

admin — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:33:21 +0000

Claire contacted us earlier this year asking for a pet portrait gift voucher for father’s day as Poppy is such an important part of her father’s life. We offer the option of vouchers towards any of our sessions and products, but the pet portraits are becoming one of the most popular and I absolutely love spending time with other people’s dogs.

Poppy is a very sweet Chihuahua with her own special personality. As with all dog shoots, I make sure that I spend a bit of extra time at the beginning of the session just being around them and getting to know them, so that they don’t get worried when I bring out the camera and start following them around.

The bonus of going out to meet client’s for their shoots is that I am not tied to a specific time slot or stuck in a studio trying to make the dogs react to me. That little extra time with pets can make a real difference to the type and variety of photographs I can get of them. As you can see, I spent time with Poppy both inside the house, and in the garden with some toys. Where we meet and what we do on a dog shoot really depends on the dog, and I always have a discussion with their owners beforehand to find out what would work best. Sometimes that means going out on a country walk with them, and sometimes it just means being with them within their own home. Our ‘Decidedly Different’ styled dog shoots are also really popular, and for those I plan options in advance and we meet out and about in slightly different settings with a variety of furniture and a lot of creative imagination.

The extra time I take at a pet shoot means that I can find out the quirks that make them who they are, and spend a little time capturing those for their owner’s, after all, that is what I am there for.

Baby Portrait Photography: Sophie

admin — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:21:23 +0000

One of the great things about what I do, is that I make great connections with people. I have known many of my clients for several years and you get to see their lives develop and their families grow. I have always enjoyed this part of my work, and particularly re-photographing my favourite clients.

Meeting up with Kat and Shane is always a pleasure. I shot their wedding a couple of years ago, and since then we have kept in touch through Facebook – we were really happy when they announced that Kat was pregnant, and even more happy to hear that they had given birth to a beautiful baby girl – Sophie.

They asked me up to their home in Staffordshire to photograph Sophie while she was still tiny. I remember laughing when my boys were tiny babies and people said ‘you forget how tiny they are…’ but it is genuinely true. The difference that just a few weeks makes is incredible, so it is always special to have photographs when they are at this age. She was a delight to photograph, and didn’t seem to mind me taking photos of her whilst she slept. She looked serene.

So here are some of the photos that I took for them…

Baby Portrait Photography: Keira

admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 19:32:33 +0000

I have been meaning to post these baby portrait photographs for a while now, but this Summer (what we had of it) seems to have whizzed by and all of a sudden we are in October!

We have known Evan and Kellie for several years now, having met them through close friends. Evan is an extremely talented carpenter, as well as a great builder, so when we needed a new kitchen it was he who guided us through the quagmire that is choosing, designing and then fitting our fabulous new space. He was very patient with us.

Kellie was pregnant during all of the preparations and when we started pulling the old kitchen apart, and then suddenly, in the middle of fitting all the new cupboards in, Keira decided to surprise us all by making a slightly early appearance, wanting to come in to the world two weeks early.

When she was more fully settled in her new life, and Evan and Kellie were more used to the sleepless nights, I popped over to take some baby and family portrait photographs for them. Even though we have two boys of our own, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly children grow. I love being able to take photographs of them at such a young age, shots that parents can treasure for many years to come.

All too soon children are running around the house, chattering away non stop and although it is great fun taking photos of toddlers, it is also lovely to be able to take photographs of them at their most peaceful and relaxed baby stage as well.

p.s. The kitchen was finished, and it is amazing, we could not be happier with it. Our boys love being able to help with the cooking now, and we never seem to stop having friends over for dinner to show it off. Huge thanks once again Evan.

Birmingham Cathedral & Council House Banqueting Suite – Trisha & Ian’s Wedding

admin — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:25:35 +0000

When photographing weddings in Birmingham it is hard to think of two more iconic city centre wedding venues than St Phillips Cathedral and The Council House. I was lucky enough to be at both for the same wedding, for Trisha and Ian. However, it is not just the venue that makes a wedding successful – for me the most enjoyable weddings are the ones which just feel personal.

Trisha and Ian are both members of the congregation at St Phillips, and both have strong connections it, so the service there was a special one, with links with everyone from the congregation, the wardens and the clergy. The service was also memorable for me because of the particularly good selection of hymns and music (including a fantastic soloist from the Conservatoire). Photographically, as a venue it is also very good – with the renowned Burne-Jones windows overseeing everything.

Afterwards, dodging the showers, there was tea and cake at Cathedral before everyone wandered down to the Council House for the Reception drinks and wedding breakfast. Again, as a venue it is lovely to photograph in and around, and the space inside is great for the guests – two very large rooms, one for the meal, and the second was set up for the evening entertainment. Again music and personal connections were a common theme – an up and coming jazz pianist, Reuben James, and a Not The Blues Brothers performed for everyone, and both had strong connections to Trisha and Ian, making it all the more special.

It was a lovely day for both Trisha and Ian, and for all the guests who came into Birmingham to celebrate their wedding day.

This is a flavour of the day.

10 Amazing Years of Marriage

admin — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:22:15 +0000

Today is a very special day for Kat and me – this time 10 years ago we were getting married.

We met 16 years ago (she always likes the credit for the extra 6 years) when we both moved up to Birmingham for university, and it wasn’t long before we got together. We have been together ever since. Our lives developed after our courses ended, and our careers started, but at every stage we made our decisions as a couple – first deciding to stay in Birmingham and then later to start the business together. We have our similarities, and we have our differences and these both make sure we are there for each other when we need someone, whether that is to give a hug, advice, or just to encourage (and occasionally a jab in the ribs). We have travelled around the UK and the world together and have seen and done some amazing things, and in the last 4 years have had our two beautiful boys together.

Our wedding was at Grafton Manor and looking back on the photos it is amazing to see how some things have changed and some have remained the same; we have sadly lost some people who were there, but we have new additions to our family and friends; we have changed our careers and built up our business together (inspired in no small way by our own wedding photographer, Bruce Thomas), and hair has receded. However the vows we made that day to each other are still important to us, even if we don’t think about them consciously every day they are still there between us [although I did fluff the word 'respect' in the vows and so claim I don't have to adhere to that one]. We even renewed our a few years ago with an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas, but that is another story….

Like everyone we have had things that have tested us, but at the end of it all we have always had each other to fall back on. It would be naive to think that everything will go smoothly in life from now on, but we know that we have both have the other, and that is a great place to start the next 10 years.

Kat – I love you.