A Styled Shoot with Moments Captured Photography

I felt incredibly honoured when Claudine of Moments Captured reached out to me regarding a styled shoot focusing on weddings and the start of her educational programmes. Featuring a plethora of dresses for our “brides” to choose from giving us the option to change the vibe of the photos around a marvellous historic home and gardens. With Vintage dresses and some classic designs you will find at a wedding, there is a lot of scope to have some fun with silks, ruffles and lace. The different range of movement available in the different dresses ultimately determines the positions available for the models.

Workshops are one of the most useful events I would suggest to any photographer, anyone beginning or amid their career. A workshop may not replicate the fast pace of a wedding and how little time there may be to shoot a couples session but it is a great time to experiment and perfect shots to use with future couples at Weddings or family sessions. These moments are also great to get to know any new equipment without stressing if there are not too many great shots if the focus hasn’t been found, or if other settings have gone wild and are not salvageable.  During this particular workshop,  I was working with a camera that has not been thoroughly used so it was a great time to explore some of the limits.

Working with Claudine who has been in the industry for over 10 years,  she is a wealth of knowledge,  sharing stories of how to stay prepared, and how she likes to battle strong light and find spaces to shoot.  Claudine is sooo open to any question you throw at her, so if you have the pleasure of joining her in a workshop,  ask, ask away!

In a snug silk dress, and with restricted movement, the shots in the silk dress were limited to something a little more editorial. The editorial style is a little more posed and shows off a particular detail. I love to mix my styles and try out something new. Working in a more editorial style is not my standard working process so it was an interesting moment to try out something a little different.

I love to give just a little direction and let the couple relax and be themselves as opposed to entering an awkward pose or movement. Even something as banal as putting foreheads together can feel awkward but this can lead to giggles galore, more often than not. The couple in this shoot was so open to any suggestion creating some gorgeous shots, some things didn’t work while other moments are just beautiful. These guys are super comfortable in front of the camera whereas some may not be,  but if you just trust the process anyone can get photos as stunning as these!

Working with other photographers, you get an insight into how others work and what ideas may arise. I find when others direct there is nearly always something new for me to try and see if it works for me. There will always be poses and movements that some photographers just absolutely nail and others it just does not fit the style of photography or editing process. In this case, the couple leaping over the tennis net was not an idea of mine, and I piggybacked onto the idea to see how it looks to me. I am never opposed to unique moments such as this or sitting around the front porch. The front porch series have also been captured experimenting with another photographer creating the shot while I shoot from alternative angles, and having now shot from the porch I would love to create similar vibes on a real wedding day if the location is fit for purpose.

All in all, a relaxed workshop with Claudine led to me finding new shots to keep in mind while experimenting and finding shots that are not for me. Everyone involved with Claudine is approachable and ready to chat about everything. Everyone is open to giving ideas and tips from multiple viewpoints to gain invaluable knowledge going into the industry.

Stying and host : @momentscapturedphotographyuk https://momentscaptured.co.uk
Flowers : @bryonymaeflowers
Makeup : @beckycornwall.m.u.a
Models : @never.always.couple @leah_meraki
Dresses : @hopeandharlequinbride @shopgossamer