Yesterday we had a company outing to London to attend a seminar by Johannes Van Kan I am not normally one for getting involved in this kind of thing as the last one I went to started with the speaker asking what kind of car everyone drove. (mostly BMWs) They then went on to explain up-selling techniques to squeeze extra money from clients and upgrade that all important flash car. However I have seen Johannes’s work through Queensberry and love his images and philosophy.
2010 will be my ten year anniversary shooting weddings and I want to revamp the business to reflect how I work now and to stand out from the growing crowd of other photographers around. So I was seeking some inspiration yesterday and was not disappointed. He is an intelligent but kooky photographer who has great passion and energy. He is not afraid to put his heart and soul into his work and clearly packs some magic in his camera bag on a wedding day. I made furtive notes throughout the day, not exactly of what he said, but of the ideas that were germinating in my head. I now need to sit down and work out how to translate those and progress but am very excited about the coming year and about not being afraid to make some changes and be me. It was the first time I have met another photographer who gives clients a full set of prints and then the freedom to choose a Queensberry album if they can afford it. He then puts a lot of creativity into the design but like me, he doesn’t package everything. We also seem to have a similar taste in music and that is mostly cover versions. From some of the questions that were being asked, we got the impression that some of the other photographers there still wanted him to tell them how to up-sell or brag about how they do it but I came away feeling that I had met a kindred spirit. I didn’t speak to him or shake his hand but wish that I had said thank you. As for cars, we drive Skodas because Clare’s Dad runs the dealership and we got a great discount! 
annabel&martinslide
This is our latest Queensberry Duo album that Annabel & Martin have kindly agreed to let us use as a studio sample. I am very much hoping that it arrives in time for the wedding fair at Buxted Park next weekend as it should be beautiful.
www.devlinphotos.co.uk
It is a big shame that the Hotel Seattle no longer accommodates the average size of wedding but it is still a fabulously chic venue if your guest list is relatively modest. Karen and Alex managed to keep their numbers small and their day had a relaxed vibe, starting with the bride and groom meeting their friends and family in the hotel bar for pre-ceremony drinks. Karen’s Grecian style dress from Debenhams along with the simple orchid flowers had a glamorous beach wedding feel which matched the glorious weather. Their daughter Saffron also looked beautiful in her sequined dress from Monsoon and I was amazed that she had done her own make-up.
y using the Marina at dusk as a backdrop for the photography and we also got some great shots using the interior of the hotel. They had a big stack of very pretty cupcakes from the Angel Food Bakery in the Lanes which looked and smelled amazing. When we finished coverage, Karen treated Amy and I to a big glass of wine each which we greatly enjoyed as the sun went down.