Paul Brown Photography - Lancashire Wedding Photographer

The Wedding of Lisa & Andrew 28th May 2011

2011-06-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

With the threat of the usual British Bank Holiday weather being damp and horrible, we were lucky enough to find the weather predictions of rain were to be wrong. Lisa and Andrew's wedding day was upon us and for myself and my co-photographer Simon, the first stop was at Lisa's parents house, Jennifer and David in Darwen for some images of the Bridal Preparations. On arrival we were met with an air of calm and tranquillity. But we were soon to find that was because the Bridesmaids were all still at the hairdressers. Once Bridesmaids, Rachel, Cara, Gemma and Helen were back, the excitement escalated and it wasn't long before it was time for Lisa to get into her beautiful dress supplied by Wedding Belles of Blackburn. I then left them in the capable hands of Simon for their final pictures before leaving and I made my way to St Francis Church, Feniscliffe to meet the boys.

On arrival, Andrew admitted to his nerves by stating he was not his usual cock-sure self, but he was looking forward to the day ahead. A few laughs and shots of Andrew and the Groomsmen and it was time for them to take their place in the church ready for the arrival of Lisa in the white Ford Beauford. It was hard to work out who was most nervous, was it Andrew or was it Best Man, David. Lisa's arrival was met with a look of love and pride from Andrew and they then went through the marriage ceremony without a hitch. Whilst the formalities of the register signing was taking place, the congregation were treated to the wonderful operatic voice of Helen Jarmany which certainly brought out much emotion.

So with all the formalities of the Church finished, we all headed off the the lovely venue of Astley Bank Hotel in Darwen. A lovely compact little venue, with excellent, helpful staff who are always willing to help and look after you. This was our location for the rest of the day, from the fun group shots, a walk around the venue with Andrew and Lisa to give them chance to spend some time together, to the Wedding Breakfast and the speeches. This is where it was obvious that Andrew was again full of his usual confidence. The evening, we set up a studio upstairs in the conference centre and we had a stream of people coming along and getting pictures of themselves having fun.

As always, myself and Simon had a great day with great people and the time just flew by. We wish Andrew and Lisa all the very best for the future and here are just a few of the images from the day in the video below.

If you wish to view the online gallery, please contact Lisa and Andrew for the password issued on the day and follow this link. Lisa and Andrews Wedding, Feniscliffe and Darwen

Three Golds

2011-06-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

March, April and May saw me awarded Gold Awards for images with the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers. March was in the pictorial category, April was in the Fine Art category and May was in the Monochrome Category.

Here are the links to see all the winners for each month.

March
April
May

Here are my three images.

Pictorial -March

Fine Art - April

Monochrome - May

Crown Eyeglass Video Goes Live

2011-06-24T02:00:00.000-07:00

I have recently been involved with a project to produce a video for Blackburn eye glass manufacturers, Crown Eyeglass. In conjunction with web developer IT-Brains, I produced the footage of the spectacles being manufactured, provided IT-Brains with the edited video which was then clipped to fit the audio script given by Crown.

The final result can be seen here. HOW YOUR GLASSES ARE MADE. As a glass wearer myself it was a very interesting interesting project to be involved in and thanks to the staff at Crown Eyeglass and Duncan at IT-Brains for the help and support.

The Wedding Of Jordan & Janine, A Burnley Wedding Photographers Dream.

2011-06-08T03:38:00.000-07:00

Right from the first time I met Jordan and Janine, I knew their day was to be fantastic and I wasn't disappointed. Their Wedding on 21st May. Even at the wedding rehearsal the signs were good, lots of laughs and lots of trial runs. On the day, the weather was not the forecast rain but a mixture of sunshine and cloud which of course had put everyone in the perfect mood for the Day. Myself and Simon arrived at Janine's Mum's house at 8.30am to start getting a few shots of everyone getting ready and a few of the details of the day such as shoes, jewellery and the beautiful flowers from Kathleens Florist in Burnley. Emma and Vicky were already busy with Make up and hair.

It wasn't long before Janine was ready to get into her dress, a creation from Lulu Browns and she looked stunning. I then left Simon at the house with the Bridal party and went to St Matthews Church in Burnley to meet up with Jordan and the boys. Straight away it was clear, they were all excited about the day too, so a few shots, a few laughs and it was time for the Brides arrival. A few deep breaths and a walk down the aisle. Jordan took the opportunity for a quick look back and you could see his eyes light up with pride instantly. It wasn't long before they became the new Mr and Mrs Savage and they walked back down the aisle dancing to Lovely Day by Bill Withers. A little bit of time for everyone to congratulate the happy couple and make a confetti tunnel to the beautiful vintage Rolls Royce from Classic Wedding Carriages.

Next stop was the lovely wedding venue of Dunkenhalgh Hotel, just off the M65 at Clayton-le-Moors, near Accrington. Time for them to have a few drinks before we had the formal, but fun group shots. My young, trainee photography assistants performed perfectly, although the look on Mum's face when she thought her son was whispering rude words to me was a picture. Finally we took Jordan and Janine off for a few shots on their own. This is the perfect time for any Bride and Groom to relax, have time with each other and prepare for the wedding breakfast. We got some fantastic photos and had some great laughs especially with Jordan's attempt to hide under the dress on the stairs. We were then ready in perfect time for the wedding breakfast. The room was set beautifully, enhanced by the lovely wedding cake from Specialized Cakes of Burnley. The speeches were before the meal, this has the huge benefit of allowing those who are speaking to enjoy the meal without worrying about speaking in public. Janine's Dad David gave a wonderful speech that came from the heart as well as telling a few tales of Janine's childhood. He was clearly a very proud Dad. A great speech from Jordan was followed by a little traditional public humiliation from Best Men, Callum and Stephen. Well done guys, I know how nervous you were about speaking.

Finally, the madness of the evening reception. A few images were shown from the day, a studio was set up in the bar and everyone came in a got some great fun shots, dressed in various hats, glasses etc. See the slideshow to see what I mean. Music from Adam Chandler Jazz was fantastic and everyone had a brilliant night. We finally finished at 11pm and although it had been a long shift of photography, we had a ball. So from myself and Simon, we thank Janine, Jordan and family and friends for being great company on the day and we wish Jordan and Janine the perfect life together.

So please sit and take a look at Lancashire Wedding Photographer, Paul Brown's selection from the day.

Paul Brown is a high quality wedding photographer in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and across the UK and is also a principal photographer with one of the countries busiest wedding photographers based in Yorkshire, Mark Pearson Photography. So if you are getting married in the Yorkshire, Humberside, Lancashire and Cheshire regions, you want superb customer service, quality imagery, and photographers who are both passionate about there business and photographers who will ensure your day is a wonderful experience. You will find yourself not needing to look further.

The Wedding of Jonny and Gemma at Bartle Hall, Preston

2011-05-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

On 6th May 2011, We photographed the wedding of Jonny and Gemma at Bartle Hall near Preston and what a fantastic day it was. The weather was fantastic, location superb and we knew we were in for a great day. The day started with myself and partner Jan arriving early to put the Dress into the Bridal Suite along with the beautiful flowers from The Flower Shop By Morgan in Garstang. Jan had made the dress for Gemma and we wanted it to be all ready for her arrival. Gemma arrived along with Bridesmaids, Fran and Hayley and it was immediately clear that they were very excited about the day. So myself and co-photographer for the day, Mac, got to work capturing a little of the preparations. It wasn't long before it was time to go down to meet the boys at the Balmoral suite. They were running fashionably late so just a few photos and laugh and jokes with Jonny, Best Man Dave and Usher Stu.

It was then back up to the Bridal suite to meet up with Gemma who was now in her dress and she looked absolutely beautiful as did the Bridesmaids Hayley and Fran. So a couple of minutes of photographs and an attempt by Gemma's Dad to knock her out with a champagne cork and it was time to make our way down to the ceremony where a nervous Groom was waiting. The ceremony went well with Jonny deliberately stuttering on a few words to make sure his friends had a giggle, but it wasn't long before we were in the presence of the new Mr and Mrs Whitehead.

The rest of the afternoon followed the format of a few formal group photos and a walk around the Bartle Hall grounds with Jonny and Gemma and a quick shot of the fantastic cake by The Cake Lady in Blackpool. The speeches were at the beginning of the Wedding Breakfast and this is was when Jonny took the opportunity to lay down a few ground rules about toilet seats and football. I wish you luck Jonny with that one.

Finally, the evening function was upon us with great music by Alltrack Promotions and we had the studio set up so the guests can come along and have some fun and get some memorable shots done.

As a wedding photographer in Lancashire and principal photographer with Leeds Wedding Photographer Mark Pearson Photography, we are is such a privileged position to be part of such fantastic days. On behalf of myself and co-photographer Mac, I would like to thank the guests for being great fun and all the staff at the superb Bartle Hall who helped us on the day to ensure the day was a wonderful success.

Now please take time to watch the videos below. The first is of a few images from the wedding. The second is of the evening frolics and the third shows Gemma's dress being made.

Photography Training and Development

2011-03-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

As a Lancashire Wedding Photographer, I am always wary of the need to continual develop knowledge and skills to ensure that my clients get the best quality service and imagery. So last week, I spent 4 nights on a residential photography training course in the Peak District with some highly acclaimed photographers, trainers and I have to say, it was an awesome few days. Not a lot of sleep was to be had, we were either shooting images or up to the small hours talking about photography. Even photographers who have been in the industry many years will always agree that there is always room to learn more. I must thank the organisers and trainers for their efforts, Paul Haley, Richie Crossley, Julie Oswin, Sean McCormack. Mark Pearson and of course the very patient models, Lelde, Faye and Maria. I have come away inspired, have new friendships and I also know a little about wine.

Below are some images I took in the group sessions and the post production is my interpretation on the image.

Finally, whilst we were there, myself, Mark Pearson and Mac MacBride decided to give the models some time off by modelling the wedding dresses. It was however all in the name of charity and £130 was added to my partner Jan's and Marks wife Mary's fund raising for Race For Life in aid of Cancer Research. We would like to thank all those that kindly donated for such a worthwhile cause. To donate go to http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/mazandjan

Here is a couple of shots from the shoot courtesy of Alison Bailey Photography

Travel Photographer of the Year Award

2011-02-01T06:11:00.000-08:00

On Sunday 16th of January I was delighted to be awarded The 2010 Travel Photographer of the Year Award by the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP). Every year in January the SWPP hold their week long annual conference, with hundreds of lectures and training events, a trade show which all ends with the Awards Dinner. Throughout 2010 a monthly image competition was run where you can enter 1 image per category per month and over the course of the year thousands of entries are submitted and less than 2% are awarded 'Gold' awards, which then go to final judging for the annual awards. Over the course of the year, as you will see in the previous post, I won 17 Gold awards across various categories of which the picture of the man in Marrakech was narrowed down to the final 3 of the Travel Category. This image was taken when I was in Marrakech to photograph a wedding in May of which thanks must go to Siobhan Murphy Photography for passing the couple on to me in the first place. The Awards dinner was hosted by TV personality Philippa Forrester, who's husband is an acclaimed wildlife photographer and videographer in his own right and I have to admit, I really never expected to win. When I was named as winner, it was a very proud moment for me and although it may sound a bit Cliché, after my Grand Father who had given me my first camera to learn with, had passed away 2 weeks earlier, there is really only one person to dedicate the award to.

The judges comments about the image were as follows. 'Interesting and intriguing image of the man, cat robe and bike. A lot to see and gives the feeling that you want to know more'.

So, as a Wedding Photographer in Lancashire who is Travel Photographer of the Year, I can now offer a fantastic service to Bride and Grooms. When you go on honeymoon, take me, I will go out and take all your photos of the local area and you will not need to leave your hotel room. But in all seriousness, I hope you all enjoy looking at the images I take and if any invoke a smile or a good memory then it means everything to me.

Below, is the winning image and an image courtesy of the SWPP of me being presented with the award by Phil Jones, Societies CEO.

The Winning Image

Nominated For SWPP Travel Photographer of the Year

2010-12-18T04:15:00.000-08:00

Recently I received notification that I had been nominated in the last 3 for Travel Photographer of the Year with the SWPP thanks to an image I took in Marrakech in May. This year, I was quite successful in the competition. My target at the start of the year was to beat last years total of 4 gold awards. In the end, I managed 17. The Travel category alone had nearly 500 entries throughout the year and the Golds awarded make up less than 2% of all entries. So at the awards dinner in January in London I get to find out if I am successful or not. Either way, it has been a fun year. Below are the images that were awarded Gold awards.

Travel Gold Award

Merry Christmas to you all
Paul

The Wedding Of Laura and Paul 6th November 2010

2010-12-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

The beautiful location of Eaves Hall near Clitheroe was the venue for the wedding of Laura and Paul. The weather on the run up to the day was very poor but on the day we were blessed with bright sunshine albeit a little on the cold side. On arrival myself and able second photographer Jamie made our way up to the Bridal suite where we were met with the calm of the Bridal preparations. I am not sure who was the most nervous, Laura or the Bridesmaids Katherine and Shannon. Everything was running like clockwork, Mel was busy doing everyone's hair, although I did try and say mine was fine as it is. The flowers from 'The Flower Shop' Clitheroe all arrived on time and looking beautiful so a few shots to capture the proceedings were taken before we left them to get into their dresses. It was now the turn of the gentlemen to get their pictures taken. The boys were in very high spirits and best man Paul and Usher Glynn were not going to give Paul the chance to get nervous.

It was then back up to the Bridal suite to get the last few shots of the Bridal Party before the ceremony. The ceremony was emotional and it was so obvious to all that the vows made meant everything to them. From then on the time just flew past as it always does when you enjoy yourself. The speeches before the meal were excellent and everyone who spoke should be justifiably proud of what was said. It was quite hard to try and capture the shots as I was laughing just as much as everyone else. There were also the moments that had guests reaching for the Hankies.

The evening was started off with the first dance to Wonderful Tonight, which was well rehearsed for the watching friends and family. It was then my time to leave and let them carry on with the fun. We would like to wish Laura and Paul all the very best for the future and it was an honour to be part of your day.

Below is a slideshow of just a few images of the day.

Paul and Jamie

A Touching Testimonial

2010-11-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

As a Wedding Photographer in Lancashire, it is always nice to receive positive feedback from clients. Last week at the business networking group I am a member of a testimonial was read out to me that really made my day. The text from the testimonial can be read below.

Our wedding was arranged in a record time of 3 weeks after Peter was diagnosed with cancer. Many of our family and friends helped with the wedding including the photographer which was a gift from friends, Amanda and Lee Carus. When we met Paul we were instantly put at ease, he was very reassuring and professional and told us not to worry about anything at all, as, if anything did go wrong he would have plan b up his sleeve.

On the day Paul arrived at my parents house to photograph the wedding preparations - he captured all the memories we could have hoped for and was never intrusive - in fact most of the time we didn't even know he was there. During the service and after, Pauls organisational skills shone through - he had even prepared a list of photos so all our family and friends knew who was next to be photographed. Many of our guests commented that Paul's organisation was great and it ensured the smooth running of our special day.

Paul stayed well into the evening and took over 500 photos in total. Then came the hard bit, picking 90 out of the 500 to go in the album. After hours of deliberation we emailed the list of photos back to Paul and we were amazed that within a week the album was ready.

We cannot put into words how fantastic the album is - the quality of the photographs, the design of the pages, the beautiful leather bound case - everything about the album is perfect. Most of all we and our girls have had our memories captured and will treasure them forever. Thanks Paul

Nicola and Peter

The thanks also comes from me, it was a total privilege to be part of the day and glad I have captured some memories that will last forever.

Award Winning Images from August and September

2010-10-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

My 3rd video blog, this one is showing the 3 images that won gold awards in August and September.

If you are looking to save money when shopping online or even searching prices online then download this free shopping App for PC and start using. An installation guide can be found here. If you wish to know more about how this application is being used as a fantastic income opportunity then just send me your details using this page.

Video Blog Post - Images from Blackpool

2010-10-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

The second of my video blog posts. This is a slideshow of images from a recent trip to Blackpool. Please feel free to subscribe to my Lancashire Wedding You Tube page and add me on there as a friend also.

First Video Blog

2010-10-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well here is my first video blog post. This is something I am hoping to adopt and improve over the next few months so please be patient with me whilst I gain confidence in front of the camera and not make so many mistakes. This post is about an opportunity I have for you to save time and money online.

Thanks for looking.

Paul Brown is a high quality wedding photographer in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and across the UK and is also a principal photographer with one of the countries busiest wedding photographers based in Yorkshire, Mark Pearson Photography. So if you are getting married in the Yorkshire, Humberside, Lancashire and Cheshire regions, you want superb customer service, quality imagery, and photographers who are both passionate about there business and photographers who will ensure your day is a wonderful experience. You will find yourself not needing to look further.

Photo Shoot in Manchester with Beckie and Roxanne

2010-10-09T01:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a slideshow of some of the images from the photo shoot in Manchester with Beckie and Roxanne. Change the quality settings on the video on the bottom right of the video.

Boudoir Photography Shoot With Zoe

2010-10-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had a boudoir style shoot with Zoe. Take a look at the show to see just a few of the images from the shoot. You can adjust the quality settings at the bottom right of the video.

More from Blackpool

2010-09-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went for a walk along the front at Blackpool and here are a few images from the walk (1st Image is from Friday night for those that are picky). It was very windy but certainly cleared the cobwebs.

Tour of Britain Cycling

2010-09-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the start of the Tour Of Britain Cycle race and I was there near the finish in Blackpool to get a couple of quick shots. It is not until you get up close that you realise how fast and how physically fit theses cyclists are. The tour is all over the UK this week and more details can be found on the Tour of Britain website.

World Fireworks Championship Blackpool

2010-09-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

Well it's about time I caught up with my blog a little and show you some of the things I have been taking pictures of. I have been very busy with weddings across the Pennines with Yorkshire Wedding Photographer Mark Pearson Photography and in fact since the end of May I have been a co-photographer with Mark for 24 weddings and I can say I have not only enjoyed immensely but also learned a lot. I will post some of the work that has come from these weddings at a later date. This weekend, my better half Jan and I took a quick overnight break in Blackpool and being a photographer who likes taking photos of just about anything, I of course took my camera with me. Friday night was the Taiwan entry of the World Fireworks Championship in Blackpool. It was raining extremely hard, so not the best conditions to get out the camera and take photos but I did manage to get some. Those trekking towels certainly come in handy sometimes. So below are the images. If you have an interest in photography and want to have a go at taking photos of fireworks here is the technical side. Camera needs to be supported, preferably on a tripod. Aperture of about F9, ISO 100, manual focus and either manual mode or bulb mode on camera. The shutter durations in these images are generally about 4-6 seconds. It is not too long before bonfire night so you may get chance to have a go.

The Wedding of Nicola and Pete, Ridgmont House, Horwich, Lancashire

2010-08-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

On Friday 6th August 2010, I had the pleasure of being the wedding photographer at the wedding of Nicola and Pete at Ridgmont House, Chorley Old Road, Horwich, Lancashire. Pete has recently been diagnosed with cancer, has a broken leg and Nicola, with support from friends and family organised the wedding in 3 weeks and did a truly remarkable job.

The day started for me with the Bridal preparations at Nicola's Mum and Dad's house. Ian and Eileen made me feel very welcome and already there were many nerves although bridesmaids Talia and Claudia (Nicola and Pete's Daughters) were very excited at the prospect of the day ahead. Nicola had already been to get her make up beautifully done with Maria at Spit and Polish in Blackburn. Pictures of some of the details of the day were taken, including the beautiful dress from Tie The Knot in Blackburn and Flowers from Ruth Marriner Flowers Blackburn. Nicola Parkinson was busy being the hair dresser and it was not long before it was time for everyone to get dressed up. It wasn't difficult to see the pride in Dad's eye as Nicola and the girls looked stunning in their dresses. A few shots were taken and then it was time to head over to Ridgmont to meet up with the boys. Nerves were apparent and once we had received the flowers that had been forgotten, we took a few shots with Pete, Best Man Duncan and Dad, Harold.

It was then time for the arrival of the bridesmaids followed by Nicola in the cars supplied by Darren Griffin. The personalized number plates were a great touch and just one of the many things during the day that was to show how much Nicola and Pete are loved. On to the ceremony, an emotional ceremony it was, but it wasn't long before we were in the company of the new Mr and Mrs Boardman.

The weather again, was good to us and the rain held off for the group photos and shots of Nicola and Pete and it was time for them to have their wedding breakfast before the speeches. The speeches were truly from the heart and delivered beautifully. It was then time to head into the evening celebrations.

I would personally like to make a few thank you's. First of all, Ian and Eileen for making me so welcome at the bridal prep. Darren, the wedding coordinator and his staff at Ridgmont House, not only for being a great help ensuring I was looked after and ready for a wet weather plan but also making their day special. Doreen and Harold for having a great son, Pete. Nicola and Pete, for being so wonderful on the day and finally Lee Carus of Simply Floors in Blackburn who asked me if I could photograph the wedding.

Below is a small selection of images from the day on a slideshow so sit down and hopefully you will enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed taking them as this wedding was an honour to be part of.

Paul

Paul Brown is a high quality wedding photographer in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and across the UK and is also a principal photographer with one of the countries busiest wedding photographers based in Yorkshire, Mark Pearson Photography. So if you are getting married in the Yorkshire, Humberside, Lancashire and Cheshire regions, you want superb customer service, quality imagery, and photographers who are both passionate about there business and photographers who will ensure your day is a wonderful experience. You will find yourself not needing to look further.

Want Help with speeches then Click Here!

Some more Gold Awards for Lancashire Photographer

2010-08-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

At the end of July I submitted some more images to the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) monthly competition and was glad I did. I ended up collecting Gold awards in the Categories of Travel, Fine Art and Monochrome and a Silver in Digital Art. That now makes a total of 13 Gold awards for the year with my target at the beginning of the year was to equal last years total of 4. These Gold awards go towards the Annual awards for photographer of the year held in London in January. So at least I can say I am in with a chance. Below are the images that received the awards, hope you enjoy them.

Monochrome - Gold

Fine Art - Gold

Travel - Gold

Digital Art - Silver

Now, to change the subject, if you are a photographer the next piece may be of interest to you. Yorkshire and Lancashire Wedding Photographer, Mark Pearson, who I am a principal wedding photographer for has organised a training day and mini trade show on 25th September 2010 at the Higher Trapp Hotel, Simonstone, near Burnley. Training consist of a Session with photography trainer Paul Haley FMPA on Classical Posing, A session with photographic trainer and lecturer John Denton on Art Nude and finishing off early evening with Staffordshire Wedding Photographer Dave Nunn who will be showing how he uses Lightroom and Photoshop to such great effect in his wedding workflow. A small trade show sponsored by DPM Wallbank. Full details and how to book can be found on Mark Pearson's blog. This day will be of huge benefit if you are wanting to take your photography to the next level, no matter what standard of photographer you currently are.

Paul

Paul Brown is a high quality wedding photographer in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and across the United Kingdom and is also a lead photographer with one of the Norths busiest wedding photographers based in Yorkshire, Mark Pearson Photography. So if you are having a wedding in the Yorkshire, Humberside, Lancashire and Cheshire regions, you want superb customer service, quality imagery, and photographers who are both passionate about their industry and customer service and photographers who will ensure your day is a wonderful experience. You will find yourself not needing to look further.

Good news about The Higher Trapp Hotel and more.

2010-07-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a little over a week since I agreed to become a principal photographer with Yorkshire Wedding Photographer Mark Pearson and work as a team to provide high quality wedding photography and service across both sides of the Pennines. The good news this week is that I officially signed the contract and we got to work on planning our commitments to each others business and find the ways we can ensure as many Brides and Grooms are able to get the quality service on their wedding day, not from just us as photographers, but with other vendors that share the same passion for weddings as we do. Well thanks to the commitment I make to business networking each week and trying to help others succeed, we were fortunate enough to get opportunity to meet with the Wedding Manager of The Higher Trapp Hotel, Simonstone, nr Burnley. The Higher Trapp Hotel is a wonderful location, beautiful terraced gardens, panoramic views of the Lancashire countryside, excellent customer service and truly a wonderful wedding venue. It was quite obvious that The Higher Trapp Hotel share the same passion as we do for ensuring a Bride, Groom and all their guests have the best day possible and it is with great pleasure we can announce the agreement to become one of their recommended service providers. We look forward to our association with The Higher Trapp and working with Brides and Grooms who will leave the venue saying 'that was an awesome day'.

To finish, I have had a few people ask me what effect will working as the Principal Lancashire Wedding Photographer for Mark Pearson Photography have on Paul Brown Photography. Well, it just means my service is just going to get better. As a photographer with Mark, who is arguably one of the busiest in the North and who's business succeeds so well because of the quality of service, my service can only get better because of it and it only takes an informal chat with me to find out what my passion is. Mark Pearson Photography based on all the skills I have with both customer service and image quality and it is a very privileged post to have. It does mean however, I am now becoming extremely well booked and if I am booked as a lead photographer for Mark Pearson Photography, I will not be taking bookings for Paul Brown Photography on that day. So as 2011/12 is already getting extremely busy and bookings for 2013 are now coming in, it is not hard to see that booking early is going to be of high importance, if high quality photography service, quality images and great fun are high on your priorities if you are getting married.

So, wedding photography in Lancashire has never looked better and I for one, am buzzing with the prospect of working to be part of something great, working alongside wonderful people and meeting many wonderful couples and also passing this passion for weddings on to my team of assistant photographers.

Wedding Photographer Yorkshire links with Wedding Photographer in Lancashire

2010-07-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that I have now become a Principal Photographer with Mark Pearson Photography based near Leeds in Yorkshire. Mark is arguably Yorkshire's busiest wedding photographer who gets booked up well in advance covering weddings in Yorkshire and Humberside and is the recommended supplier for several high quality wedding venues. Mark has nearly 20 years photographic experience and formed Mark Pearson Photography in 1991 and has photographed over 1000 weddings and is the photographer that many families trust to produce the results and service they desire. He is a qualified photographer with the Master Photographers Association and he also gives business training services to other photographers across the country.

So how and why have I been appointed? Over the last few month's we have spent a lot of time getting to know each other's personality. We have spent many hours discussing our industry and our ideas of what is classed as top quality customer service. We have talked about our aspirations for the future which eventually led to Mark asking for me to become a second shooter at some of his weddings. It was obvious from the first wedding we would get on as we both have similar styles with not just the Bride and Groom, but all the guests who are present and also all the other vendors who are there to make it a special day and of course, the final images were of the highest order. From this, because of in Mark's words 'my ability to second guess him all the time', I became more of a co-shooter on a wedding with Mark and he would be assured that when left to my own initiative I would produce the results and customer service he is renowned for across Yorkshire and this alone, is something that can not be taken lightly. It became blatantly obvious that we both have the same principles and after much talking and with Mark Pearson Photography having more couples wanting his services than there is availability, we have struck a deal to be able to ensure as many clients as possible can be assured of superb service, excellent quality and photographers who are passionate about making the day special. I have primarily been appointed to cover the Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire areas, but will also be covering Yorkshire and Humberside when bookings dictate.

Paul Brown Photography will still be running as normal and this link up will in no way have a negative effect on the quality received. There will of course be some changes over the coming weeks but all these will be geared around making the service even better than it ever has been and I am really excited about these changes as it really will be the customer who gets the benefit from the changes.

So, if you are looking for a wedding photographer in Lancashire, wedding photographers in Manchester or a Cheshire Wedding Photographer and you want high quality images, products and customer service you can either contact Lancashire Wedding Photographer Paul Brown, or alternatively, in celebration of our Link up, Mark Pearson Photography is offering Bride and Grooms who are getting married in the Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire regions during 2011 a MASSIVE 10% discount off any package if you book before 1st December 2010. No strings, no catches, just affordable wedding photography in Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire. Mark Pearson Photography can be contacted on 0113 2295408.

Here's to many, many happy clients in the future.

Paul

Emma and Adrian 19th June 2010

2010-07-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 19th June I headed down to Swaffham in Norfolk for the wedding reception of Emma and Adrian. Emma and Adrian were married in the Bahamas and had a reception for Family and friends back home. Emma and Adrian make a fantastic couple and it was a pleasure to be booked to take their pictures at the evening function. Emma's Dad, Mark was a colleague of mine in the early 1990's when I was working on Victor Tanker aircraft and in the Tornado component bays at RAF Marham in Norfolk. Below is a slideshow of a few of the images from the evening.

The Wedding of Natasha & Adam, Blackburn and Darwen 12th June 2010

2010-07-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday 12th June 2010 I was privileged to be the wedding photographer at the wedding of Natasha and Adam. The weather was perfect and the day started for me at Woodlands United Reformed Church at Cherry Tree in Blackburn where I met the nervous Groomsmen. I wasn't sure who was the most nervous, the groom, Adam or Best Man Stuart, who had the thought of giving a speech to contend with. With the Groomsmen nervously waiting, the family and friends all started to pour into the church and it wasn't long before the Bridesmaid, Jade arrived looking beautiful in her burgundy dress and was closely followed my Natasha who looked stunning in her beautiful dress. After a lovely ceremony, we all headed off to The Whitehall Hotel, in Darwen which is a lovely venue. All the group shots were followed by a little bit of time with Natasha and Adam before it was time to leave and let them continue with the rest of their day. Natasha and Adams parents, Jackie and Derek and Cath and Eddie can be proud to think that they were inspirational bringing up two lovely children. I wish all the families and wonderful future.

Here is just a taster of the images created on the day.

Michelle, Tania and Scarlett

2010-07-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last month I had a little portrait photography shoot at the home of Michelle with herself, Tania and Scarlett. It was a great fun shoot and little Scarlett was a star and her personality shone through. Below is a small slideshow of just a few of the images we got from the shoot.

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The Wedding of Sophia & Richard, Mytton Fold, Blackburn, Lancashire

2010-05-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

With seemingly a never ending few months of unseasonally cold weather, Saturday 15th May saw the wedding of Sophia & Richard gain a change for the better in the weather. The wedding was held at Mytton Fold Hotel & Golf Complex at Langho, near Blackburn, Lancashire, but the day for me started at Tockholes with the Bridal Party getting ready. There was a complete air of calm during the morning, which was soon followed by a little nervousness in anticipation of the day ahead. As mentioned, Mytton Fold was the venue for the wedding. The hotel is a lovely privately owned and run hotel set in 100 acres of beautiful countryside in the heart of the Ribble Valley. The whole day went all according to plan thanks to the dedication and friendliness of staff at the hotel. The wedding photography was fun and relaxed and thanks must go to my able 2nd photographer on the day Jamie, who always brings a smile to the guests faces. The first dance was great entertainment in itself with much time planning the choreography to Michael Jackson's 'The Way You Make Me Feel'.

Being a Blackburn Wedding Photographer, it is always a great honour to be a part of such wonderful days that are the start of married life. To be able to capture wedding photography images that will be looked at by generations in the future. So I would like to wish Sophia and Richard many happy years in the future and thank both families for making the day special.

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If you are a business owner in the Blackburn area and looking to gain more business. Contact me to find out about our business referral breakfasts at Ewood Park.

Lancashire Wedding Photographer On Tour In Morocco

2010-05-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

As you will have possibly read on the last post, I recently spent a great weekend in Marrakech photographing the wedding of Jayne and Ste at the Villa Dinari. It was a very tiring few days but great enjoyment and below are some of the images from the wedding day which was a very relaxed ceremony. The priest was so laid back he took three phone calls during the ceremony. My thanks must go to Jayne and Ste for making my job so much easier and also Heather of the Villa Dinari for great hospitality. Take a look at their website and maybe book yourself a holiday out there to sample something different.

Click the link for a slideshow of the Marrakech Wedding.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer in Lancashire, or a portrait photographer. Contact Paul Brown Photography on 0800 6126569 or email paulbrown1@aol.com

Images Copyright Paul Brown Photography
Wedding Photographer Lancashire, Manchester and all UK
Blackburn,
Preston
Bolton
Burnley
Pendle
Ribble Valley
Wigan
Colne

If you are a business owner in the Blackburn area and looking to gain more business. Contact me to find out about our business referral breakfasts at Ewood Park.

Moroccan Adventure - Lancashire Wedding Photographer on Tour

2010-05-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

On the 8th May I had the pleasure of being the photographer for the wedding of Jayne and Ste. The unusual thing about this wedding for me was the fact it was in Marrakech, Morocco and was passed on to me by Siobhan Murphy of Siobhan Murphy Photography and this post is not to show the wedding images, that will come later, but a bit about the trip.

My alarm went off on Thursday at 5.00am in preparation for a my weekly business networking breakfast meeting. This was all finished by 10.00am then it was time to finish off the packing and try and keep the weight gown to the RyanAir weight limits. This is easier said than done when you consider how much kit is normally taken to a wedding with all the back ups etc. But I managed it and was on the weight limit for hold and cabin luggage. In the afternoon I set off for Luton Airport on the train via Bolton Manchester and Milton Keynes. I was lucky in Milton Keynes, my Wetherspoon Radar kicked in and took me for some light refreshment to break up the journey. I then finally got to Luton late at night ready for a 4am check in. Sleep at the airport? Not a chance, it was cold and noisy but the check in desk did open at 3am to help give more of a feeling of 'getting there'. 5.30 and it was the RyanAir wacky races to the plane and we set off bang on time at 6am. 9.30am (No time difference) we landed in Marrakech and the weather was cool and cloudy which I was quite pleased about as I had no idea how much walking around I would be doing or indeed where I was going. A taxi driver was at the airport to meet me and take me to my Riad accommodation. This was my first experience of Moroccan driving and it was an experience in itself. Their driving style would normally be me with lots of road rage, lots of accidents and lots of police fines in this country, but there it was so out of control it was under control.

I was then dropped off in the main square in Marrakech and met by Yassin from the Riad who walked me the last half mile through the souks (markets) and some very narrow paths to arrive at Riad Douzi. Very, very basic accommodation but very welcoming. A riad is accommodation which surrounds a courtyard. It was quite noisy so decided sleep wasn't an option, so I went out walking in the area to get a feel for Moroccan life and make the most of the very short time to myself. So I went walking around the souks, trying not to get run down by crazy people on scooters who will actually use the inside of shops as short cuts. Once I had sampled a few of delights of Marrakech and enough of the heat it was time to try and find my way back to the Riad to prepare for an evening taking photos for Jayne and Ste. It finally all quietened down at 2am and I was able to get a few hours sleep.

Saturday 11.00am I met up with a few of the guests and got a taxi to the Villa Dinari where the wedding was held. A beautiful villa on the outskirts of Marrakech, with wonderful hosting from Heather and her crew. The whole wedding day was a relaxed day with a small simple Muslim ceremony. So relaxed the priest took 3 phone calls during the ceremony.

I was finally back to my Riad at 12.30am, time to pack up and get a little sleep before the days travelling back on Sunday. So Sunday morning was soon upon me and it was time for shanks' pony, a dodgy taxi ride, an aeroplane, a coach, three trains and a car and I was home again. It was a tiring adventure but very enjoyable. Below are just a few images from Marrakech, the wedding ones will follow soon.

Helen Perry Photo Shoot

2010-04-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a photoshoot with Helen Perry. The shoot took place at Hoghton Bottoms, which is shown on the map below but in simple terms it is between Blackburn and Preston. It was a good shoot and Helen help create some great images despite it being very cold in the shade of the trees.

Shoot Location

If you are looking for a wedding photographer in Lancashire, or a portrait photographer. Contact Paul Brown Photography on 0800 6126569 or email paulbrown1@aol.com

Images Copyright Paul Brown Photography

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March Gold Awards with Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers

2010-04-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

It has been another successful month with my 7 entries in the SWPP monthly competition for March. I managed to achieve 2 Gold awards in Digital Art and Fine Art, 3 Silvers in Portraiture Contemporary, Landscape and Monochrome and Bronzes in Portraiture Environmental and the Open Category. The pleasing part is out of over 1900 entries, less than 20% were awarded Silver or Gold and less than 3% were Golds. The Gold awards go towards the annual awards next January and I am really pleased to now have 8 Gold awards this year so far which is double last years total. Below are the images and the awards they received.

Digital Art - Gold

Fine Art - Gold

Landscape - Silver

Monochrome - Silver

Portraiture Contemporary - Silver

Open - Bronze

Portraiture Environmental - Bronze

Jack and Mary 60 years of Marriage!

2010-04-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

On 25th of March 2010, Jack and Mary Wild celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary with a tea party at Droylsden Methodist Church. Being a wedding photographer in Lancashire it was a privilege to be part of their celebrations and capture some images of the family get together. Thank you also to McDonald Photography for the referral of business.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer in Lancashire, or a portrait photographer. Contact Paul Brown Photography on 0800 6126569 or email paulbrown1@aol.com

Images Copyright Paul Brown Photography

Wedding Photographer Manchester

Blackburn,

Preston

Bolton

Burnley

Pendle

Ribble Valley

Wigan

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The Wedding of Elkie and James, Dukinfield Town Hall

2010-03-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

On 23rd March 2010 I had a short notice wedding booking for Elkie and James at Dukinfield Town Hall, Tameside, Nr Manchester. The referral was passed on by McDonald Photography and shows how useful it is for a photographer to have a trusted sphere of contacts to refer to clients. The wedding was a small fairly informal affair and an enjoyable couple of hours in their company. Now Elkie and James are enjoying a wonderful break in Hong Kong.

If you require high quality wedding photography in Lancashire or perhaps it is great lifestyle portraiture you are after. Paul Brown Photography, Blackburn, would be a great choice for you. Please get in touch and we can discuss what is required.

Images Copyright Paul Brown Photography

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The Wedding of Alan and John

2010-03-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

On the 6th March 2010 I had the great pleasure of being part of the Wedding of John and Alan at Astley Bank Hotel, Darwen. It was a cold day at a lovely location and everything went fantastically well and everyone had a fantastic time.

If you are looking for a high quality wedding photographer in Lancashire, the please get in touch Paul Brown Photography, Blackburn would love to be of help.

Help For Heroes Photography Success

2010-03-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

On the weekend of 20th and 21st March fellow photographer Mark Pearson and myself organised a charity fund raising event for photographers in aid of Help For Heroes. The event took place at Chevin Country Hotel and Spa and was a resounding success largely due to the support from the hotel who were fantastic. The format was a full days photography training on Saturday by top trainers Martin Grahame-Dunn and Paul Haley and this was followed up by a seminar by top event photographer Mike Weeks who gave all the delegates fantastic information on the skills required to run a profitable events photography business. The format of the day time training was to get great images using the available light and because it was a very dark day due to poor weather this was not the easiest of tasks. I must thank our models Jenny, Liam and Natalie for their patience during the day. In the evening we had a party with full event studio and some fantastic prizes to give out in the auction and raffle. Our Guest of Honour for the evening was a true hero Simon Brown. Simon was shot in the face by a sniper whilst on active service in Iraq. He was retrieving a vehicle that had come under fire and was hit. One Hundred Hours of surgery has taken place and he has lost 85% of his eye sight. Simon's story touched everybody who was there and he is a true inspiration to all and we can't thank him enough for coming along.

Sunday saw a few sore heads but started off with a studio set up seminar with Phil Andrew of The Image Mill, then it was back to the hotel for a seminar on controlling a wedding by Zoe Richards of Dovecote Training. Then to wrap up it was a talk on the business of photography by Sean O'Brien and Mark Pearson. All in all it was a fantastic weekend and with money still to come in, we are hoping to hit the £2000 mark with funds raised.

I must also thank other supporters of the event, Animoto, GF Smith, Heliblackpool, DPM Wallbank, Photomart, Jean Bennett, Flawless Studios, Everybodysmile Ltd, Light Blue Photo, Loxley Colour, The Complete Group and finally all those that came along.

Here are a few images I took from the day

From Left to right - myself, Trainer Paul Haley, Guest of Honour Simon Brown, Trainer Martin Grahame-Dunn and fellow organiser and the man who burdened the most stress in organising, Mark Pearson. This image is courtesy and copyright of Dorset Photo Event

If you are looking for high quality wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the Blackburn or Lancashire area then get in touch with Paul and see what bespoke package can be created to create wonderful memories.

More Smoke Imagery

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Just recently I have discovered smoke photography and have been experimenting with some of the images. The images are created by taking photos of the patterns in the smoke from an incense stick against a black background. The rest is then done on the computer using a variety of tools and skills. Now some of these finished images are obvious as to what they are supposed to look like, but others you can sit and look at and see a completely different image to someone else. This is the beauty of smoke imagery. So take time to have a look at these and see what you think. Also feel free to go to my website and see some other images that I have created. Many of these images will be available to buy in the near future.

Images Copyright Paul Brown Photography

Wedding Photographer Manchester

Blackburn,

Preston

Bolton

Burnley

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Ribble Valley

Wigan

Colne

A Real Hero

2010-02-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st March 2010, myself and fellow photographer Mark Pearson are organising a fund raising weekend for photographers with 100% of the profits going to Help For Heroes. Full details of the event can be found by clicking here. The reason for this post is that we are totally honoured to have a Guest Of Honour at the evening event who can be called a real hero. Simon Brown is featured in the book by Photographer Gill Shaw called 'The Hero Inside'. Go to Gill's website to order a copy of this inspirational book. Alternatively the ISBN Number for the book is 978-1-84689-076-5. Every copy of this book sold raises more funds for Help For Heroes and there are some amazing stories in there.

Anyway, the following is an interview of Simon's from the book and published on this blog with kind permission of Gill Shaw.

I joined the REME as a Mechanic in 1997. I had ten years of active service and two further years of recovering, which involved twelve operations and 100 hours of surgery.
   I was in Iraq on 6th December 2006. We went on patrol with B Company Green Jackets - now The Rifles. We had a contact. As we went to pull out of the area, a vehicle broke down and we went to collect it. The enemy suspected it was a broken-down vehicle and put some fire down on it. My crew and I attached it to my vehicle with the recovery equipment. As we went to pull out of the area, I had to pop my head up to see through the dust for the driver. At that point, a sniper shot me through the face. I dropped down into my one man turret and realised I was in a bad way. I bandaged up my face and held my airway open by putting my thumb in my mouth and pushing my palate up a bit. Then it was wacky races back to the hospital! The Company Sergeant Major jumped on top of the vehicle and commanded it back to the hospital at Basra Palace. At the hospital, I climbed out of the vehicle on my own and then the medics put me on the stretcher. I woke up three weeks later at Selly Oaks, Birmingham with my family at my side.
   I spoke to my Grandma on the phone. She was dying of lung cancer and she inspired me, as she was more worried about me than herself.
   After Christmas, I was given news of a few friends who had died in combat and, at that point, I decided I could not sulk about being injured - at least I had come home. The training and the life I had led before gave me the strength of heart and willpower to get on with it and survive. I am eternally grateful for the support I received from so many people throughout my ordeal.

If Simon's story has made you decide to support this Charity and donate. This can be done by going to our Just giving page by clicking here.

Simon Brown - Guest of Honour at The Help For Heroes event on 20th March 2010

Four Gold Awards For January

2010-02-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

In January I entered seven categories in the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers (SWPP) monthly competition. The results of the judging has now been published and I am delighted to announce that I received Four Gold awards. I am really pleased because I set myself a personal target of beating last years four Gold awards and so far this year I have already equaled it. I personally use these competitions to give a little bit of a guide as to how my camera and creative skills are developing. Even when they fail, I never get disheartened. At the end of the day one persons Bronze is another persons Gold. I do however sit and look at my images and try and see what the negatives may be. Taking images of subjects other than Weddings and Portraits is also what keeps the passion for photography inside me, especially the smoke images. These give me the opportunity to get creative and pre-visualize an image. So now I will sit and look at the reasons why the other three images got two bronze and a silver award and hopefully tomorrow, I will be an even better photographer than today.

Here are the Gold Winners from January.

Digital Art Gold

A smoke image where I have created an image of two ladies.

Fine Art Gold

Another Smoke image mirrored twice to create an abstract look.

Landscape Gold

A winters view from Fishmoor Reservoir in Blackburn looking across Darwen to Darwen Tower.

Monochrome Gold

A mirrored smoke image, made to look like a mask on a stick perhaps?

Help For Heroes Fund Raising 16th Jan 2010 Success

2010-01-21T03:53:00.000-08:00

As you may have read previously in this blog, I have just recently spent a few days in London meeting up with friends who all have a common passion - Photography. During the build up, I have been supporting Martin Grahame-Dunn with the organisation of a charity event in aid of Help For Heroes. This event was borne from a discussion we had several months ago over a coffee with Martin, Mark Pearson of Mark Pearson Photography and myself and it was clear we all had a common bond with the military in one way or another. Little did we know at the time about how successful it would end up, despite many stressful moments on the way, especially for Martin who really had the most difficult tasks. However, the people that benefit from this fund raising are suffering immense stress on a daily basis, so it was worth it.

The Event

So a bit about the day. The day was split into two parts. The first part was the training. We had Martin and also Kevin Wilson, who are both highly experienced in the photographic industry and have won numerous awards during their careers, they did morning and afternoon, practical training sessions. These were inside the Brook Green Hotel, which is a venue of style we are likely to encounter at a wedding or portrait shoot. They taught us how to 'find the light' which in no way is as easy as it sounds and it served as a great reminder to us all, that we must, as photographers, be prepared to continually learn and develop our skills. We were also very lucky to have a team from Hasselblad come along and bring a selection of their very expensive, but beautiful quality cameras along for us to 'play' with. The result of the training was we all came away with many things to think about which will enhance our abilities as professionals. But I really must thank Nedine O'Brien of Fera Photography for stepping in as a model for the afternoon session and finding out what it's like the other side of the lens.

From this we progressed into the evening party, a time to meet up with fellow professionals, some who we had met before, some who would normally be seen inside the monitor on Facebook. Again we had amazing support from not just the guests who paid to come along and also donated extra on the night, but also from others who gave their time to help make this event a success.

First of all, we had Photographer, Gill Shaw come along and promote and sign her book 'The Hero Inside'. This book is an inspiring and also hard hitting look into the lives of those affected by the conflicts our military servicemen are involved in. This comes from personal knowledge of how her son, who is currently Serviceman, has close friends in need of support. Profits from the book go to the charity and I highly recommend getting a copy which can be ordered here. We also had Mike Weeks bring his Event Photography Team up from Dorset and show a little insight into the world of event photography, but most gratefully all money that was spent on images on the night was put into the charity fund. A generous gesture that we all appreciate. That brings me on to our acoustic musicians/singers on the night who again donated time to support us. Three separate musicians, they each did their own style of entertainment which was followed at the end by a superb jamming session by them all. So a massive thank you to all three who were, James D. Ingram, Komla and Oliver Hipkins. Please click on their links and take a look at these performers whose passion for their work is just like us photographers. Finally a big thank you to Mark, Michelle and John for going around with the collection bucket and gaining proceeds from the wrist bands.

The final figure for fund raising has not been confirmed yet, but it has passed our initial aim of £1000 so thank you all that donated.

From Left to Right, Mark Pearson, Martin Grahame-Dunn and Myself.

Image reproduced with kind permission of Dorset Photo Event.

Finally, to finish the weekend off, the Society of Wedding of Portrait Photographers had their Annual Awards Dinner and to see how I came to finish the weekend on a high click here.

Thi Big Freeze

2010-01-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

So Christmas and New Year have passed and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy 2010. Well, I spent Christmas and New Year back home in Ipswich, Suffolk and unfortunately spent much of it suffering with Chicken Pox. Since being back home, it is not hard to miss the fact we have been suffering with a lot of cold and snowy weather. So I have been out a couple of times within walking distance of home to capture a few scenes around Blackburn. A few of these can be seen at the end of this post. So what else has been happening? Well, before Christmas I had a shoot with Executive Cars for a double magazine page in the Ribble Live Magazine. A preview of it can be seen here . Also I am now preparing for a few days in London where I will be visiting the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) Annual Conference & Awards Dinner, where I have four images eligible to be up for award. While I am down there I am also helping to organise a training event and Party for Photographers to raise money for Help For Heroes, this I am really looking forward to.

So take a look at some of my latest images from Blackburn and hope you enjoy them.

Help For Heroes Fund Raising 16th Jan 2010

2009-12-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

On 16th January 2010 Kevin Wilson FMPA, FBIPP, FRPS and Martin Grahame-Dunn FMPA, FRSA, QEP, Hon.FMPA are hosting a fantastic training event and party to raise money for the charity Help For Heroes which supports our injured troops with their rehabilitation. Below is the details of the event which is being held in London. I am an administrator for the event so feel free to get in touch with me for more details.

Click on an image to enlarge it to a readable size.

November Gold Awards

2009-12-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

I have just been away for two weeks holiday and just before I left I entered 5 images in the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers monthly competition. Whilst I was away I found out that I had been awarded Gold Awards for 3 images in the categories of Fine Art, Digital Art and Pictorial. These images now go towards the Annual Awards that take place in London next month. The images are shown below. Smoke photography is still new to me and I like the creative images that can be obtained with a little patience.

Digital Art Gold

This smoke image is one of my favourites so far. I like the way it can be interpreted as two alien like figures interacting with each other.

Fine Art Gold

This collage of just three different images has been created to give a feel of tree-like structures disturbing the flow of the smoke in the wind. What do you think?

Pictorial Gold

This was take near the London Eye. Whilst I stood there I noticed the harsh shadows being created by all the people walking by. I then set the camera exposure to the bright paving and used Jan's static feet to add to the composition and then waited for a good gap in the people traffic.

Now I am looking forward to attending the Awards ceremony in January in London and meeting up with some truly great Professional Photographers. Whilst I am in London, I am also assisting in the running of a Fund Raising Charity training event in aid of Help For Heroes on January 16th. For Details Click Here. So if you are a photographer and interested in this event, please let me know.

Carpe Dieum - Seize the day, Seize the light!

2009-11-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 16th January 2010, as a very special event, Martin Grahame-Dunn and Kevin Wilson will be holding morning and afternoon Masterclasses at Brook Green Hotel, 170 Shepherd's Bush Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 7PB.

Tickets for the four hour Masterclasses are only £50 and for the party are a measly £25 which includes a buffet and live music. Now here is the really fantastic bit. The events are being organised to raise money for Help For Heroes and we have set ourselves a target of £1000 to help the Serviceman who are seriously injured in conflict almost on a daily basis. Having spent 22 years in the RAF, this charity is very close to my heart. Also Martin's son is also currently serving with the Royal Navy, hence his desire to support this charity. So all you photographers out there who can attend, we would love you to come and support these superb events (Application details at the end).

So why should we come and get some hands on training with MGD and Kevin Wilson. Well it's simple, to aspire to be the best we can. Martin has been in the industry for 30 years next year and his career has taken him all over the World covering most aspects of Professional Photography including Industrial, Commercial, Automotive, Advertising, Fashion, Editorial, Wedding and Portraiture. Now he is an International Trainer, teaching Photographers not only the skills required but installing his passion for creative imagery in those that he mentors. Kevin is one of Europe's leading Wedding and Portrait Photographers. Kevin was the first person to achieve 2 Fellowships with the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) in social photography, 1 in Wedding and 1 in Portraiture. He now has 2 Fellowships the the Master Photographers Association (MPA) also and a Fellowship with the Royal Photographic Society (RPS).

Many of you photographers out there that may be reading this may have noticed that the event is being run the same weekend as the SWPP Conference. There are logical reasons for this. Many photographers will be in London for this Conference, including myself and as I was part of the original decision making for this event, it made perfect sense to save on the expense of travelling to London twice. Also it was agreed to split the training into half days to allow photographers to still attend SWPP run events.

So if you wish to attend the training and/or the Party where there will be great opportunity to Network/drink with some top photographers then either contact me by clicking here, or contact Martin by clicking here.

If you just wish to donate to Help For Heroes please click the link below. It is fast secure and goes straight to the Charity,

Many Thanks for your support
Paul Brown Photography

A new baby and a shoot with Louise & Rob

2009-11-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Last week at short notice I had a call from Andy McDonald of McDonald Photography to see if I could help him out with a shoot, as his wife had gone into labour with their first child. Of course I duly accepted because as Professional Photographers we do all we can to give the customers the service they expect. So I had the pleasure of photographing Louise and Rob who are a brother and sister who live in differing parts of the country. They had decided to get together and have images taken together. So here are just some of the images and I would also Like to Wish Andy, his wife Erika and baby daughter Ava all the very best and that they share much happiness.

A weekend in London

2009-11-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

24th and 25th October was the weekend of the Birthday for my partner Jan. It was good to treat Jan who has helped me so much to get through the transition of being a RAF engineer to full time photographer. Here a a few images from the weekend away and to Jan - Thank you.

Go to the end of this post for the video slideshow of our weekend.

Nathalie & Graham Engagement Shoot

2009-10-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Also on Sunday I had the great pleasure of taking engagement shots of Nathalie and Graham who are getting married October 2010. The venue was Whitaker Park in Rawtenstall and the weather was fantastic for an autumn day. I was honoured to be put in contact with Nathalie & Graham by a business colleague who is the MD of Staff Cars in Blackburn. So thank you Michael Gater.

Sophia & Richard Engagement Shoot

2009-10-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I had the pleasure of taking a few engagement shots of Sophia & Richard at Sunnyhurst Woods in Darwen. Sophia and Richard are getting married in May next year and I was lucky enough to be put in contact with the lovely couple by a business colleague who is an accountant at Bishop & Partners in Blackburn, so thank you to Simon.

If you have recently got engaged and would like a shoot with Paul Brown Photography then click here to contact and find out why Paul Brown Photography can be an important part of your fantastic wedding day.

Visions

2009-10-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks in my spare time I have been organising a workshop for photographers in the Northwest of England. International Trainer and Mentor Martin Grahame-Dunn has kindly agreed to come to the region and give a workshop free of charge and show us how as Professional Image makers we should visualise images as we work and give the clients cutting edge imagery. In 2010 Martin will celebrate 30 years in the industry and still maintains the passion for quality image making with both clients and inspiring photographers of all experience levels to do the same. In his career Martin has covered many aspects of Professional Photography including Industrial, Commercial, Automotive, Advertising, Fashion, Editorial, Weddings & Portraiture and since 2002 he has been almost exclusively teaching and presenting programs for a variety of leading International photographic organisations in more than a dozen countries. So to Martin, we offer you a very warm welcome to the North West.

Martin Grahame-Dunn

SWPP & BPPA Image awards

2009-10-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

During the month of September I entered the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers and British Professional Photographers Association (SWPP & BPPA) monthly image competition and was delighted to receive a Gold award in the Fine Art category for my smoke imagery. What delighted me more was the fact that it was a last minute decision to enter late at night on the final day of the month. I also entered the Landscape category where I received a Silver award for an image of Wainwright Bridge in Blackburn and the Digital Art category where I received a Bronze award for another smoke image.

The Image above won Gold in the Fine Art Category

The Image above of Wainwright Bridge in Blackburn won Silver in Landscapes

The Image above won Bronze in Digital Art.

Winning the Gold award, which incidentally gets published in the Professional Image Maker Magazine along side other fantastic images and gets put in the pot for judging at the Annual awards, gave me inspiration to revisit my smoke images so here is a little more of them. Take a look, free open your mind and see what images you can make just by looking at these low resolution versions.

The Wedding of Natalie & Gareth

2009-09-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

It was Natalie and Gareth's Wedding on Friday 25th September at Garstang Golf and Country Hotel. A good day was had by all. Natalie and Gareth are a wonderful couple and I wish them all the best for the future and hope they enjoy the honeymoon in Egypt. If you wish to see some more images from the day go to the albums page on my website. Contact myself here or Natalie and Gareth for the password should you require it.

I hope you enjoyed the slideshow, now here just a few of the still images to view.

Click on them to view larger

The Making of a Wedding Dress

2009-09-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

For the last three months or so my partner Jan has been making a wedding dress for her friend Natalie. I decided to capture a little of the work that went into the making. A huge amount of time went into creating the dress with all of the intricate detail being sown by hand. I just hope my images do this amazing work justice. Congratulations to Natalie and Gareth and also to Jan for producing this fine piece of work. I am proud to have been part of it all.

Wedding of Erika & Fabrice, Edinburgh Castle 5th september

2009-09-11T03:42:00.000-07:00

Edinburgh Castle was the venue for the Wedding of Erika and Fabrice, Erika and Fabrice are a French couple living in Switzerland and they speak very little English which is the same for my abilities with the French language although I did take time to learn the important sayings such as 'you look beautiful'. To add to the difficulties of the day, Edinburgh was crammed with tourists as it was the end of the Fringe Festival and also there was to be a firework concert at the castle so a huge stadium had been built in the grounds of the castle. The whole wedding was being filmed by a French TV company and despite all the potential problems we had a great day and Erika and Fabrice had a fantastic day. After the ceremony they enjoyed an open top bus tour around the City followed by some lessons on playing the bagpipes.

Here are just a few images from the day.

A Tale Of Two Towers

2009-08-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

From the 23rd August to 28th August, I was lucky enough to take part on a Charity cycle ride organised by Rock FM . The challenge was to cycle from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the Blackpool Tower which equates to 500 miles in the saddle, although at the time of signing up we were told 450 miles. Our target was to raise between us £30000 for The Children's Society in Lancashire as part of Rock FM's Cash For Kids Charity. This would give funding to allow to get children as young as 7 off the streets and safe who have through no fault of their own, not had the privileges in life many of us take for granted.

So, after personally probably not having enough training, most of us met up at 4.00am on the 22nd August at the Rock FM studios having said goodbye to our cycles a couple of days earlier. A coach journey took us down to Kings Cross St Pancras station in London to catch the Eurostar to Paris. Once in Paris, an interesting taxi journey took us to the Novotel near the Eiffel Tower and once we had managed to cause chaos in the hotel with our bikes, it was time for a walk to the tower and then prepare for the next morning with a few very expensive beers.

A bit of waiting

"We have one of these in Blackpool"

Day 1 Sunday 23rd August

So day 1 on Sunday 23rd August came and after a few last minute checks we headed for the start at the tower. First puncture of the day came for one of the cyclists on leaving the hotel. This was to be the first of very many between all the cyclists, some gaining more than others. A quick team photo and we were off. The weather was fantastic and 7am in Paris was very quiet.

Jason giving last minute advice

I am ready to go

The Team

So we headed off to the first water stop at Marly-le-Roi. The format for each day was to follow the markers that were put out the night before by Global Adventures, who incidentally did a brilliant job. We would have an organised water stop at approximately 1/4 distance, a superb lunch provided by Extreme Catering half way, another water stop 3/4 in to ride and then a meal together in the evening. We were also soon to discover the meaning of Flatish Hills and that Jason miles were different to physical miles. After approx 76 miles in the saddle in temperatures over 30 degrees we arrived in the town of Evreux where it was time for a wander round and of course some beer and a meal together.

Lunch was always a great spread

Day 2 Monday 24th August

Day 2 was to be a longer day with 94 miles to the Port of Caen where we would catch the overnight ferry to Portsmouth. The weather was much cooler with a bit more cloud and some rain predicted. The morning was relatively uneventful except for some cheeky hills. Then lunch time came at Courtonne and the thunder storms started. The church where we were having lunch even got struck, giving a bit of shock to the caterers. After lunch it was a cold start where we were to go straight up a long steep hill. Here is where something in my knee went ping and from this point the pain got progressively worse. I managed to cycle to the water stop but the pain going up hill was immense and thoughts of not making it started to creep in. After such a great start this was probably my lowest point in the whole week and when you are out in the middle of nowhere on your own it is not a great feeling. So I made the water stop and decided a rest of at least 30 minutes would help. I then set of to the end joining Colette (Tinkerbell), Jack (my room mate for week) and Chris. Lots of banter, singing and riding a nice gentle pace was just what doctor ordered and my knee held out to Caen where it was time for more beer and an evening meal discussing subjects such as, deep heat, sink plungers, satsumas and ice cream tubs. After the meal it was on to the ferry, a night cap and four of us crammed into a shoebox to sleep.

The Church prior to getting struck by lightning

Chris, Colette and Jack

Man fix - woman eat

Nervous about sleeping with each other

Day 3 Tuesday 25th August

So after a poor nights sleep, the ferry docked and we were to head off towards Abingdon with 84 miles ahead. My knee had improved overnight but concious of damage I decided a gentle day was needed so I joined Chris and Colette again. It was also Chris's birthday so much fun and laughter was needed for the day which we had. The weather was typically British with heavy rain at times followed by sunshine and it was not an easy day with many hard hills. As the ride went on my knee started to get much better however, Chris was getting the start of a very sore achilles. Before I started the Tower2tower ride, I had said that if I was fit enough I would support others to get through as much as possible and I had no goals of time. All I needed to do was cycle from Paris to Blackpool. So this day was when I decided I would stick with the group I was with and try and keep morale up through the difficult parts of the day and get us all there. We rode our way to the Four Pillars Hotel at Abingdon and time for some more beer and possibly the worst food I have ever encountered at a Hotel. However, McDonalds did appreciate it. The best bit was, we were now over half way to the end but it was a low point morale wise for many today.

Nice pants

Is he?

Adam holding up traffic again

Day 4 Wednesday 26th August

The shortest day was in prospect today with only 71 miles, but as it turned out, not an easy 71 miles. The weather turned very poor at times with driving rain and a couple of people fell off due to the wet bends on the downhill parts. Chris was now really suffering with his achilles and was really struggling with the hills which was making it slow progress. Lunch at Guiting Power was to bring morale down again. Driving rain and wind made it very cold and here we formed a larger group to push on towards Worcester and to the Premier Inn. My only suffering by now was a sore bum from the saddle and all other pain had now gone.

Stretching leg and finger

Day 5 Thursday 27th August

Today was to be a killer of a day. 97 miles to Chester with an extremely hard ride to Lunch. By now Chris was in immense pain so it was up to Colette and myself to try and pull him along by trying to keep up his enthusiasm to finish.. This was not easy as he could not put any pressure on right leg when cycling up hill and having had an achilles injury in my football days, I knew the pain he was suffering. Added to this we were to climb to an altitude of over 1000ft before dropping down a bit so it was also to be a big day for Colette and myself, neither of us had covered a distance like that before. Although I did do a 24 hour ride when I was 16 but that can be discounted now. It was mid afternoon before we got to lunch, so we knew a late finish was ahead. But push on we did, there wasn't much we could do to ease the pain suffering for Chris except support him. He was showing the determination not to get beaten by the pain anyway. By 7.45pm we had made it to Chester. One day to go and the end was in sight.

So Tired

Result of steep hill

Tinkerbell going fast!

Day 6 Friday 28th August

The final day and only 78 miles to go. But oh how the weather had changed. Driving head wind and torrential rain was the theme for the day. Again we decided to help Chris through the pain. We were going reasonably well considering the pain until he sustained a puncture on the outskirts of Warrington. The support vehicle was called as it was too wet to repair and my spare inner tube was not the same size. After 30 minutes we were off and then he got another puncture. This was not good as we were under pressure of time to get to Blackpool. Push on we did. Colette and Jack had already made a move towards lunch. There was no point in four of us freezing in the rain. Chris and I got to lunch as the majority were leaving so we decided to keep lunch down to about 20 minutes max. Colette and Jack had waited. Chris now made the decision to let Jack, Colette and my self push on ahead on our own and he would ride with the Global Adventure tail rider. It wasn't easy to leave him but probably the right thing to do. So Colette, Jack and myself pushed on as hard as we could. We caught the main group up just before Preston and this was a huge morale boost. Being in a big group and in the broadcast region for Rock FM we were getting great support from the public as we moved along. Once through Preston we turned into the wind and the long slog past Lytham to Blackpool. The strength of wind was making the going very tough indeed and was a very long hour at the end. We finally all regrouped at the edge of Blackpool ready for the final ride along the prom past the Tower to North Pier. This is when the pride was felt. The general public applauding, tooting horns was enough to take any pain away and so the ride came to an end. Nearly 30000 calories burned, 500 miles and equivalent climb of going most of the way up Everest. But more importantly I have raised with much help from Jan over £2000, the £30,000 target was broken and likely to be almost double in the end and meeting the kids that this money helps was the icing on the cake. This was an immense challenge that I am truly proud to have been a part of. Out of the billions of people in the world, few can say they have cycled from Paris to Blackpool. I would also like to thank those that have not only sponsored me, but all the other inspirational people taking part that you may have sponsored. Without the money for this cause, the ride is insignificant.

The welcome finish

A well earned Medal

If you wish to sponsor me then you can by clicking here All help is greatly appreciated