Lighting winter weddings in castles with the Lowel iD and Lovegrove Gemini systems

3 comments April 8th, 2013 10:35am damien

01. Hopetoun House in all it’s splendour. I lit Siobhán with a Lowel iD light on a Lastolite Jupiter stand.

I am given various challenges as part of my day to day photography training business but none are tougher than this one. My long term clients Alan and Jackie Rankine flew me up to Edinburgh to give two days of 1:1 tuition in January. The theme was lighting winter wedding portraits and groups in castles and stately homes. I was faced with that classic combination of heavy rain on a bitter wind barely illuminated by what little daylight there was in January that far North. Here are some of the magical pictures we created at Dundas Castle and Hopetoun House (more…)

Bridal Boudoir ~ test shoot

16 comments February 28th, 2012 11:44am damien

1. Imaginative use of space combined with simple lighting is the key to this kind of shot.

Last month, Julie and I shot a one hour test for a forthcoming bridal boudoir workshop and I thought I’d share some of our naturally lit pictures with you. For the workshop itself we will be working with two gorgeous slightly older professional models. This is going to be a prestigious event held at Kingscote house in the Cotswolds. We will be using a single Speedlight with various modifiers for some of the pictures on the workshop day itself.

Julie asked Luke to give her pictures (shots 08 – 19)  a simple post production look. (more…)

The Best Photographs of 2011 ~ by Damien Lovegrove

21 comments December 30th, 2011 12:03am damien

The past 12 months have been a challenge for most photographers eking out a living in a contracting market. It’s been tough on some counts but all this economic turmoil has given us the perfect excuse to explore new markets, change the products we offer and to push forward into uncharted waters. Art and humanity have always made great progress in times of trouble, when they have been forced to take on new directions.

Click on the picture to visit this years gallery. There are 372 pictures and their exif data in easy to browse galleries.

Fashion in wedding and portrait photography has always been (more…)

How to pose groups ~ Pictures and advice

15 comments December 6th, 2011 11:03pm damien

01.

Here is my feature length guide to posing groups for weddings. It forms just a part of my comprehensive 20 page guide to posing couples and groups that you can download in PDF form for just £2.95. From the formal to the casual, every group needs careful consideration.

Picture 1. Our American clients love a group shot to be constructed with thought and design. For this picture I set each of the guys in their place in turn by showing them (more…)

Spain 2011 ~ The Lovegrove Workshop ~ Part 4

2 comments November 18th, 2011 11:28pm damien

Here is a selection of the pictures taken by my friend and fellow tutor Martin Hill on our latest workshop in Spain last month.

The full story and the previous pictures are in these posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Martin has since been in India photographing a fabulous wedding and has just processed these wonderful images for my blog. Enjoy…

01.

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Tuscany ~ The Lovegrove Workshop ~ Part 2

3 comments November 3rd, 2011 10:47pm damien

I am pleased and proud to present the pictures of Carolina taken on our Tuscan adventure by my friend and expert photographer Chris Hanley.

Words and pictures by Chris Hanley…

Evolve 3 get together ~ Pictures and techniques

14 comments October 23rd, 2011 10:38pm damien

1. Lit with an Elinchrom Quadra from about 5m to the right of Rebecca.

Most of you will know that I run a photographer development programme that lasts for one year called Evolve. And from time to time throughout the year we get together for a social and a shoot. Here are twenty or so pictures from our last meeting at Hogarths Hotel near Solihull, a few weeks ago. (more…)

Wedding Photography Workshop ~ Dillington House

8 comments October 4th, 2011 11:02pm damien

1. One of Julie's pictures from yesterdays wedding photography workshop.

As the summer wedding season draws to a close we had just one last spell of fabulous weather for our shooting weddings workshop. These events are limited to just 4 delegates per tutor and with an overall group size of 8 delegates it is easy for everyone to get their shots without feeling hassled. (more…)

Kosibah ~ The 20th anniversary bridal collection photographed by Damien Lovegrove

20 comments October 1st, 2011 01:24pm damien

Designer: Yemi Osunkoya
Photographer: Damien Lovegrove
Models: Rosemary Chileshe-Ellis, Lisette Mibo, Naomi Sharpe and Olivia Wood.
Make-up: Kemi Imevbore-Uwaga
Hair: Kasia Fortuna
Tiaras/Head pieces: Claire Ogden
Photgraphy Assistant/ second shooter Adam Dunn
Venue: Room 17 at the Hempel Hotel in London

1. I went for a mixed colour temperature look throughout the set but changed the setting and lighting design to provide variety whilst mainting a style strategy.

I lit the dresses with a pair of Lupos, daylight balanced HMI fresnel spotlights, one with a full CTO and the other barefaced. I lit the room with a pair of Elinchrom BX500Ri flash heads bounced off walls with various grades of CTO gel as required fot the particular shot. It was a dark day with persistent driving rain so all the light had to be created from scratch. Here is a small selection of the 170 or so pictures submitted to Yemi my client. (more…)

Are second income shooters killing the wedding photography industry?

54 comments August 30th, 2011 01:41pm damien

A few truths: Professional doesn’t mean high quality and part time doesn’t mean poor quality. There is no correlation whatsoever. I see a good cross section of the industry as a trainer and there are good and bad photographers on both sides of the fence. There are uninsured professionals that churn out rubbish and there are expert amateurs making fine wedding albums. I agree with several of my Twitter followers that the term ‘weekend warrior’ is derogatory so I will use ‘second income shooter’ instead. (more…)

Photographing couples ~ Feature article

5 comments May 13th, 2011 05:24pm damien

Shooting couples is like portraiture with an extra dynamic – relationship. Having been trained in television I’ve seen many a director at work cajoling the very essence of a plot out of the actors. Passion to pain all come easily into shot with the right cast and a great director. (more…)

Bridal Fashion workshop pictures by Bella West

13 comments May 13th, 2011 04:59pm damien

1. A bit of vivid colour to brighten our world.

Here is a selection of 15 images shot by Bella West on her recent Bridal Fashion workshop with Lovegrove Consulting at Dillington House. Enjoy…

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Gemini ~ the twin Speedlight bracket from Lovegrove Consulting

12 comments February 25th, 2011 04:44pm damien

Here it is at last. We have just taken delivery of our first 100 Geminis, our latest precision engineered lighting accessory. The design is simple and effective. The finish is first class and the Gemini was designed and made in England.

Gemini ~ The twin Speedlight bracket designed for use with Nikon or Canon Pocket Wizard TTL receivers.

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7 rungs of the ladder

39 comments January 10th, 2011 12:47am damien

7 Key steps to building a world class wedding photography business

Here are seven of the twenty five key steps that I have identified that are needed to develop a world class wedding photography business…

1. Start with the end in mind

One of my favourite couples in a favourite location of mine, Babington House in Somerset. I lit the groom with a small 50w battery light and used 1/8th of a second shutter speed with my camera on a monopod to make the exposure.

Having an exit strategy is one the most important parts of the process, hence why an exit strategy is (more…)

A guide to shooting winter weddings in 49 pictures

22 comments December 20th, 2010 12:01am damien

I thought I’d share some of the techniques that Julie and I employ to make winter wedding shooting stress free and very profitable.

I’ve taken 49 of the pictures from this seasons shooting winter weddings workshops to discuss and share my thoughts on.

It is at times like these in December 2010 with canals frozen over and a pretty winter landscape at our disposal that I choose to show it off. I placed the bride and groom in the shade of a tree to avoid squinting in the winter sunlight and I used a Speedlight on camera pointing straight at them. I put the camera in program mode so I couldn't mess up. I'd like to say it was more complicated than that but it wasn't. Keeping things simple is our wedding shooting strategy.

In the picture above I’ve shot from low angle to place the bride and groom against the sky. This avoids a trees in the background growing out of the brides head. A large depth of field was used to record the church and the winter scene in focus. This was taken in a seminar environment and the couple are looking at another delegate. I would normally have them looking at the camera for this kind of chocolate box picture. (more…)

Three Day Wedding Seminar Event ~ Pictures

21 comments October 2nd, 2010 01:17pm damien

Here are a few pictures from the first of this seasons shooting winter weddings workshops. The three day event held in Stonehouse Gloucestershire comprised a shoot day followed by a one day business school and then a day of wedding picture post production with Marko. Julie and I rounded off the week with another Shooting Weddings event to satisfy the early demand for shooting skills training.

Here is a small selection of the pictures shot on the two dark and rainy days. Our role as photographers is to bring out the sun in our images.

1. My classic exposure of ISO 800, 1/60th second at f/4 was needed for this Arri 300 lit bridal portrait.

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Cherish The Dress in Somerset ~ Part 2

9 comments June 26th, 2010 12:20pm damien

1. (7). I think its important part of the client experience that you capitalise on the shoot venues features. By placing your client with the features and making the shots fun, it attaches emotional memories and makes the picture an instant buy. The old copper bath was one such feature. I asked chloe to read a book whilst her evening bath was filling. There is an Arri 300w hid behind the left hand side of the door provide the key light and a lowel ID light hid on the right hand side providing a kick/hair light.

Here are Chris Hanley’s pictures with his comments from the Cherish The Dress workshop we jointly ran at Maunsel House in Somerset. Enjoy

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How to pose couples ~ A photo guide by Damien Lovegrove

51 comments May 17th, 2010 10:22am damien

This is part of my guide to posing couples and groups available in full as a PDF for just £2.95 here.

Let’s first discuss couples in photographs. Working with more than one person at a time as your subject causes all sorts of complexities. Let me unravel them for you.

1. I used a flight of stone steps to form the base of this shot. The groom was sat on the step above the bride and she is sat within his legs leaning back into him. I like to ensure the cuff links and watch are visible on the groom when I’m shooting wedding couples. They are blissfully delighted and intimately unaware of those around them. ISO 400, 1/1500th second at f/4

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Shooting Weddings Workshop ~ 120 pictures with Exif

3 comments May 10th, 2010 11:39am damien

As I’m well into the workshop shooting season it is not always possible to post pictures from every event. So Julie and I have pulled together a selection of the shots that we shot at our most recent Shooting Weddings workshop at Stonehouse Court in Gloucestershire and Luke created an online web gallery with all the exif data.

Taken on my Canon 5D mk2 with a Zeiss 21mm lens at ISO 800, 1/60th second at f/3.5

The gallery is here. Just click on the (more…)

Location, location, location ~ The sweet shoot spot search guide

12 comments April 10th, 2010 08:59pm damien

It doesn’t matter if you shoot weddings or location portraits under the guise of a genre like lifestyle or boudoir, the location you shoot at can make or break your pictures. Although reportage shooters usually take what they are given, the rest of us have the opportunity to create shots that make the most of the environment.  With this in mind I’ve put together these notes on selecting suitable locations for your photography.

This shot was taken en-route between the Church and a marquee reception. We knew we had to come up with some shoot location options so our Bride and Groom contacted local farmers to see what was available. Farmyards can be muddy, smelly places but this one was hosed down for the occasion. This hay barn complete with a ladder was a perfect location for a whole series of shots. Don't just take what you are given, there maybe far better locations within easy reach or en-route between venues.

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Shooting Weddings Workshop ~ 3200 ISO, Orbis and full exif

24 comments March 25th, 2010 07:17pm damien

A bar shutter, a bride and Orbis - Perfect! I gave myself just a couple of minutes of the day to demonstrate the Orbis ring flash accessory and I plucked this shot out of nothing. I'm so impressed with Orbis I bought the company. (not really).

I’ve put all 90 or so selected pictures taken by Julie and I on their own web pages created by Adobe Lightroom’s web module so that I can share the valuable Exif data with you. The link is here: (more…)

Digital Post Production Workflow for Weddings

33 comments March 13th, 2010 08:57am damien

Now that the wedding season is under way I thought I’d spend a bit of time sharing our system of picture management with you. It’s all too easy to add hours or even days of work to each and every wedding for little or no reward. There is not just one correct workflow and the system you currently use may suit you better than ours, but there are many bad, inefficient workflows out there and a lot of life is wasted in our industry. (more…)

5 pictures that charted my career – Damien Lovegrove

25 comments January 30th, 2010 05:22pm damien

Five pictures that charted my career. By Damien Lovegrove 2010

Mirage in the Western Desert in Egypt. Taken by me in 1996 using a Nikon F90 with a 300mm Tamron lens and an unbranded 2x converter on Kodachrome 64. This picture was shot for stock and continues to sell well today. Sales from this shot alone total over £20,000. Every GCSE student of Physics will recognise this shot from their text books. Dorling Kindersley love it too and it often appears in their publications.

Have you ever sat down and written a title for an essay with absolutely no idea how to complete the task? I perhaps stupidly suggested to Terry Hope, the editor of PhotoPro magazine that it would be fun to write a piece about just a few pictures that became stepping stones in my life. Then perhaps he could invite other photographers to write the same essay. He wrote back and said okay get the job done. So here is the start of what might be an interesting chain of personal stories loosely strung around photographs. (more…)

Shooting Pictures with Passion ~ technique

12 comments January 20th, 2010 12:21am damien

It was right at the beginning of my career as a photographer that I realised I needed to be able to capture the emotion between people in my pictures rather than just shots of the people themselves.

In this grid you can see how I’ve often used very tight shots to eliminate distracting elements and to add impact to the shots. The collection shows shots from, Cherish the Dress workshops, Passion on the Streets workshops and a wedding. Notice how in some of the shots I’ve directed the girl to place her hands on or around the guys head.

The easy option was to adopt a reportage style of shooting and capture what was there in front of me but I was put off this idea after having spent three years shooting news for the BBC. I was more interested in (more…)

Shooting Winter Weddings ~ pictures & exif

14 comments December 8th, 2009 10:36pm damien

It was the last weddings workshop of 2009 and the weather didn’t disappoint. It rained almost constantly, it was dark and a perfect day for a ‘how to make a bright and sunny wedding album from a dull winter day’ workshop. The sun did come out for 10 minutes as it ducked under a storm cloud just before sundown. Here is one shot from the day (click the picture for the full res version). The rest of the pictures and their exif is in a Lightroom web gallery follow the link after the jump.

Taken hand held with a Canon 5D Mk2, ISO 400, 1/100th second at f/5 on a 21mm Zeiss f/2.8 lens.

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Carl Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 compared to Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L MK2

23 comments November 29th, 2009 02:47am damien

I recently decided to replace my Canon wide angle zoom lens with a fixed prime lens. I shoot mainly portraits and it’s worth bearing this in mind as you read this out of the box review. My decision to go prime for my super wide shots was an easy one to make.

The Zeiss Distagon 21mm f/2.8 ZE attached to my Canon 5Dmk2

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Shooting Winter Weddings ~ Pictures and Techniques

14 comments November 21st, 2009 01:36pm damien

Coping with changeable light, dark gloomy conditions or even low angle winter sunlight is what this workshop was all about. I lit this shot with a single Speedlight.

After last years launch of our Lighting Winter Weddings and Big Day DVDs we’ve been inundated with requests for more wedding shooting training. So Julie and I decided to put on some dates at the start of this winter season. Here are a selection of the pictures from the first two workshops that happened earlier in the week.

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Cherish The Dress at Hampton Manor ~ 44 Pictures

15 comments September 27th, 2009 09:32pm damien

I love red dresses! Lisa Marie and Sean pictured here will be with me in Tuscany for my 'passion on the streets' workshops in Sienna in a few weeks time. They are absolute stars and the shoots promise to be remarkable.

Here are 21 more of my pictures from the Cherish The Dress shoot and then 22 of Chris’s pictures for equal measure. (more…)

The essential Lovegrove photo accessories list

13 comments September 9th, 2009 01:48pm damien

Here is a list of my most treasured set of photographic accessories. I have dozens of bits and bobs that come in and out of favour with me but these items are my current favourites. (more…)

Lurking in the shadows at weddings ~ pictures and technique

24 comments August 31st, 2009 01:04am damien

As the nights are drawing in it's once again time to get used to having fun with long exposures. I lit the groom in this shot with a Luxman battery light. ISO 800, 1/8th second at f/8. I bought the battery light online from B&H in New York.

When the weather is bad, or it’s dark outside don’t let your creativity evaporate. Rise to the challenge and embrace a whole new set of opportunities. There really is no escape from the fact that if you are going to shoot weddings you need to have total command of your artificial light sources. Super sensitive cameras can help as the next 2 pictures show.

Click on the dancing picture to see the full size Canon 5Dmk11 picture taken at ISO6400 (19Mb) (more…)

Cherish the Dress™ 3 ~ pictures, psychology and technique

14 comments July 25th, 2009 11:32am damien

A black polished granite table provided the reflection in this shot of Lisa-Marie and Shawn and natural light did the rest. The difference that a few millimeters make in camera position is staggering when using reflections.

This week has been a tough one for me, It started on Sunday afternoon with… (more…)

Cherish the Dress™ 2 ~ pictures and technique

24 comments June 17th, 2009 04:56pm damien

Our second shooting workshop under Chris Hanley’s ‘Cherish’ banner went without a hitch. When putting together a ‘Cherish The Dress’ style album it is wise to shoot detail and passion pictures alongside the full length dress pictures. Here is a very small selection of the pictures Chris and I shot on the day. The first 9 or so are mine and the last 9 or so are Chris’s.

The setting is the fabulous Hilton bar on floor 23. The lighting is all Speedlight mastery using infrared remote TTL control.

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The ‘Lovegrove Flash Bracket’ is now available

21 comments May 18th, 2009 09:13am damien

Update: Over 100 of these brackets have been sold already and the feedback from users is fantastic.

It has been 6 months in the planning and testing but finally I can confirm the long awaited ‘Lovegrove Flash Bracket’ used to mount any Speedlight firmly in any position on a lighting stand is now available here

Take control of your Speedlight and mount it on a stand in any orientation with this nifty stand to flash bracket. Ideal for weding and portrait photographers alike. Click on the picture for more details.

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Calibrating the camera LCD screen ~ technique

13 comments May 8th, 2009 01:08pm damien

In order to correctly assess exposure when shooting on location, you need to start with a calibrated screen. This is a simple process but can often be overlooked. Here is my quick guide. (more…)

The Italian Job ~ is live and ready to book

2 comments April 29th, 2009 12:48pm damien

Several months in the planning stages have finally come to fruition. We were originally offered the ‘Graphi Studio’ castle in northern Italy but delays in it’s refurbishment meant we had to look elsewhere. Luckily Julie and I have shot several weddings at Italian castles and villas in recent years so we decided to revisit one of the most enchanting of them all in the heart of Tuscany.

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Cork wedding pictures 2

3 comments April 8th, 2009 03:23pm damien

I gave my pictures to Marko for his input and here are a few of his transformations. I’ve chosen fresh pictures to give you some idea of the range of pictures taken on the day.

Marko gave this picture a touch of virtual HDR using Lightroom before bringing it to life in Photoshop.

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Shooting Weddings workshop in Cork ~ Pictures & techniques 1

7 comments April 7th, 2009 04:22pm damien

Simple lighting with a Speedlight and a high viewpoint makes this picture stand out. I held the camera over my head and shot using my 16-35mm lens at a 20mm setting. The Speedlight was connected to the lighting stand using my flash bracket. ISO 200, 1/200th second at f/11. Click on the picture if you would like to download the full size image from my Canon 5D mk2.

I was invited to lead a special shooting weddings event at Fota house near Cork in Ireland. I decided to concentrate on shooting challenging light and creating ‘the big picture’. Shots like this, with the WOW factor really lift a website or portfolio. take a look at the rest of my shortlisted pictures… (more…)

Cherish the Dress™ ~ Pictures and Comment

20 comments March 20th, 2009 11:38am damien

I knew this was going to be good, but the day exceeded all our expectations. The Hilton hotel in Manchester looked after us extremely well and the dresses supplied by Michelle were spot on for this event.

A splash of flash from a Speedlight was all that was needed to bring this picture to life. Charlotte's dress looks like a liquid metal under this lighting.

Here is a small selection of the days images shot by Chris and Myself. (more…)

How to Fish for Brides ~ Without Advertising

13 comments March 11th, 2009 11:42pm damien

Marketing is one area of a photography business that isn’t easy to grasp. Other tasks like taking pictures, making albums, doing sales, generating invoices and filling in tax returns are all tangible activities that deliver predictable results. Marketing however is (more…)

The Big Day the Lovegrove Way DVD ~ New Slideshow, Kit & Settings

81 comments February 12th, 2009 12:41pm damien

Here is a new slideshow of the featured pictures plus all you need to know about the equipment we used at the wedding shoot during the making of the Big Day DVD now available from our main site. (more…)

Lighting Winter Wedding DVD ~ New Slideshow, Kit, & Settings

21 comments February 12th, 2009 12:26pm damien

Here is a new slideshow of the featured pictures plus all you need to know about the equipment we used during the making of the Lighting Winter Weddings DVD now available from our main site. (more…)

New Portfolios online now

11 comments January 30th, 2009 12:37pm damien

Follow the links below to see the picture collections of Damien & Julie Lovegrove. (more…)

How to plan the Wedding Day shoot

16 comments December 31st, 2008 02:23pm damien

Planning a wedding – The Devil is in the detail.
Success happens when preparation and opportunity meet. Never under estimate the importance of planning each wedding from the outset. Here’s my complete guide to getting the planning right…

Taken on my Canon 10D IR, Hand held with my 16 - 35mm f/2.8 lens. All the pictures in this feature were taken by Damien or Julie Lovegrove during the making of the excellent new DVD 'The Big Day the Lovegrove Way'.

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How to shoot winter weddings – A guide.

40 comments December 11th, 2008 12:22am damien

This is the time of year that fills some wedding photographers with dread when they throw open the curtains on a Saturday morning to reveal driving rain and dingy light.

When the weather is bad don’t let your creativity evaporate. Rise to the challenge and embrace a whole new set of opportunities.

There really is no escape from the fact that if you are going to shoot weddings in the winter you need to have total command of your artificial light sources… (more…)

Winter Wedding Workshop – pictures

5 comments December 8th, 2008 11:56pm damien

Just one of the wow pictures shot at today's workshop. ISO 200, f/16 @ 1/200th second exposure. Program exposure mode on my Canon 5D set at -2 stops with a 580EX2 on a stand, zoomed to 105mm and triggered by an STE2 transmitter.

We had a fabulous dark day of picture making forcing us to use ISO 1250, 1/5th second, f/2.8 at times. Before the rain set in we ventured into the cold to shoot the classic Lovegrove shot above. Take a look at the rest of today’s pictures… (more…)

Take a look at the new DVD trailers – online now.

12 comments December 5th, 2008 12:19am damien

The trailers for our new DVDs are online at last. Thank you for being patient, those of you who have asked for a sneak preview are now rewarded.

The trailer for ‘The Big Day the Lovegrove Way’ is here

The trailer for ‘Lighting Winter Weddings’ is here

Please feel free to comment and ask questions about the DVDs here.

FAQ’s – Your route to a clutter free website

4 comments December 2nd, 2008 12:17am damien

In my previous post on the Wedding Contract I posted a link to our FAQs. I thought I’d share with you my reason for having them.

This infra red shot was taken on my Canon 10Dir. I took it hand held during the 'Big Day' DVD wedding.

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Wedding Contracts – I’ll show you mine if you…

8 comments December 1st, 2008 11:56pm damien

Right from the start of my first wedding photography career I’ve had a contract between myself and my clients. At first, I cobbled together a contract from ones I’d seen in a magazine article but it soon became clear that I needed a custom contract for my business.

How to arrange casual groups with a moment both created and captured is a key learning element of the new 'Lovegrove Big Day' DVD. This still from the wedding is just one of 200+ pictures shown being created by Julie & I from our perspective.

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When should you not sell photographs on disc?

21 comments November 21st, 2008 11:45pm damien

In response to the thoughts and discussions raised by my previous post on selling pictures on disc I thought I’d have a go at establishing the tipping point for the sell / don’t sell argument.

Bamboo at Westonburt Arboretum in Gloucestershire gave me just the 'film set' needed for this demure portrait of one of my favourite clients. Taken at f/4 on my 70-200mm lens.

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Winter wedding workshop – pictures

15 comments November 12th, 2008 01:44am damien

Here is a small selection of the pictures that Julie and I shot at this weeks shooting weddings workshop. I’ve selected this set for their interesting lighting or the shooting techniques we used to make them.

A classic Lovegrove shot taken with a zoomed in Speedlight on a stand. The details of how I took this shot and many others are in the rest of the post.

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Offering wedding pictures on disc – Strategies explained

32 comments November 9th, 2008 01:23pm damien

One of the golden rules of retail is ‘Give your customers what they want.’ Let’s face it, there are very few wedding clients that wouldn’t want to have their wedding pictures at high resolution on disc. In this article I explain how to make a lot of money with pictures on disc packages.

I love tunnel light pictures. Julie took this picture while I drove to the reception.

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Setting your price – A guide for social photographers

24 comments November 3rd, 2008 12:57am damien

A picture is worth a 1000 words but can it be worth £1000. Putting a price on photography has always presented itself as a bit of a challenge. How much should I charge is one of the most frequent questions I am asked. Here is my guide to getting it right.

I shot this into the light in the sweltering Brisbane sun using a Nikon D3 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

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Pictures that chart a photographers success

21 comments October 22nd, 2008 10:00pm damien

I recently had the good fortune to come across a set of pictures by Chris Hanley that made me go ‘wow’. I want to share a selection of these pictures with you, plus the thoughts and ideas behind the man himself who created them.

"There is a down lighter set into the ceiling creating the top light on the model and I used a zoomed in speedlight bouncing into a Lastolite sunfire reflector back onto her face - This created the tight spot of diffused light." Nikon D300 in manual mode, ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/80th second, and 70mm lens.

Damien Lovegrove Interviews Chris Hanley…

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Photographing your first wedding – A guide

44 comments September 28th, 2008 11:33pm damien

I’m often asked questions like “How did you get started?” and “I’ve booked my first wedding – help! What do I do now?” If you have a decent camera and can use it, sooner or later you will be asked to photograph a friends wedding.

The rings in this shot were placed on a bit of white paper on a windowsill in direct sunlight. Simple but effective composition with shadows. Remember to ask the best man for the rings early on before you really get busy. ISO 400 f/5.6 at 1/250th

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Soft selling – Creative pictures with soul

4 comments September 27th, 2008 02:29pm damien

Three seconds at f8 with the camera on a monopod gave just the right combination of long exposure with artistic movement blur. Capturing this image with high ISO, a short exposure, and a splash of flash would have been the safe option. Rarely is 'safe' wonderful.

It’s easy to get sucked in to the quest for absolute sharpness. I’ve been down that road many a time. It is no bad thing to strive for technically perfect images but I believe that often the greatest things in life are flawed… (more…)

DSLRs with video – Here’s why…

23 comments September 22nd, 2008 09:05pm damien

Well Canon have the video technology and probably asked the question – Why not?  So that leaves us to come up with answers to the question – Why?

Simple use of verticals and horizontals combined with the human touch.

In the process of finding uses for the extra facilities that we never asked for I am busy developing ideas for the professional application of this new technology integration. Here are my first thoughts… (more…)

Wedding workshop – pictures

11 comments September 15th, 2008 11:00pm damien

This close up view of love is just one of today's photographs from the wedding photography workshop run by Damien & Julie Lovegrove at Maunsel House in Somerset.

Here is a selection of pictures from today’s shoot. (more…)

Top 10 tips for professional wedding photographers

27 comments September 7th, 2008 09:36pm damien

Sunlit elegance and love cast shadows on Blenheim Palace

This feature length post sets out expert advice for professional wedding photographers.

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Wedding Seminar in Cork – Pictures

10 comments August 26th, 2008 11:52pm damien

My thanks go to Liam Ramsell of Irish Eyes for hosting today’s shooting weddings seminar in Cork. Here are a few of my pictures straight from Lightroom.

This spectacular signature shot makes the most of an overcast day and caused quite a stir among delegates. Shots like this are very repeatable when you have the know how.

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