Hey there! As we bid goodbye to the whirlwind that was 2023, I’m excited to give you a peek into my world of wedding photography. Forget the fancy talk – I’m not here to sound all high and mighty. Instead, I want to spill the beans on the real stories behind those killer shots, and some cool trends that rocked the wedding scene. It’s not just about pretty pictures; it’s about the genuine moments, the struggles, and the vibe of the year. So, buckle up for a ride through 2023’s weddings – the good, the real, and the downright awesome, while I also chat about 2023 and 2024 and ahead!
I’d love to show you all of them, but I’ve randomly picked out a few to give you a little of insight to what a great year I had. But I’ll be sure to share more over the coming months as I write up a few blog posts on some of these weddings.
Behind-the-Scene Stories
This year, I was twice chased by cows while photographing the golden hour in a field. To say I was scared was an understatement, as I’m a city boy not used to being around cows. Fortunately, the bride from the first wedding was a trained farm vet and used to dealing with cattle, knowing how to handle them. She was in her element, while I quivered behind trying to act cool.
I’ve learned that one of my favourite parts of a wedding day is the dance floor! When the guests let their hair down, I loved busting out a few simple moves to dance with everyone, while keeping an eye on the action to quickly capture it and move on. On the dance floor, even the DJ joined in the dancing; his music was so good!
Client Testimonials
I’m always stoked when I get feedback from my lovely couples, and this year was no exception for the lovely comments I received. You can read about some here.
Here are the top 10 popular words used by my customers in my 2023 testimonials:
- Friendly
- Natural
- Professional
- Beautiful
- Memorable
- Relaxed
- Genuine
- Comfortable
- Storyteller
- Unintrusive
Trends in Wedding Photography
Every so often, trends come and go, earmarking a photo for a particular year. Several decades ago, when I started with film, the trend was for a photograph to have a misty border, giving a dreamy look to the image. Then there was the superimposed image in a wine glass, what we called spot-colour, where the main image would be in black and white, while the flowers would be left in colour, etc.
2023 was no different. While I tend to avoid trends, as I prefer the timeless look to my images, I did notice a few who used smoke bombs during their wedding (I must confess I’ve done a couple of weddings where the couples insisted on wanting to use them).
There’s a current trend for photographs with intentional movement, i.e., image blur. There’s also the editorial look, where the photographer used direct flash as if the couple were captured by the paparazzi.
Drone shots have come a long way, and I must say they are an excellent way to capture an alternative view of a wedding from above.
Many couples are choosing to have a Champagne spray photograph.
Wedding Venues
I’m fortunate to be a recommended photographer from a few wedding venues, i.e., Ashton Lodge, Bordesley Park, Gorcott Hall and so I get to photograph at these venues quite a few times during the year.
Along with visiting a few other regular venues such as Redhouse and Curradine Barns, again, made 2023 a year for great and varied scenery to photograph.
This year I also photographed a couple of new-to-me venues that I hope to revisit sometime. They were Coton House and The Cowshed at Woodhall Farm. I loved their country, rustic vibe.
Looking Ahead to 2024
There are a few trends that will be interesting to see how they develop further during 2024. The one I’m watching with the most interest is the use of AI in the photographic world.
This can be a very controversial subject, depending on your angle of view and deserves its own blog post to fully discuss. But in a nutshell, Artificial Intelligence is already being used to help us photographers with our editing to speed up our workflow, even to the point of being able to generate parts of an image to enhance the image.
But where will the line be drawn? When does it no longer become an authentic record of your wedding day but becomes an image created in the mind of the “photographer” on their computer?
A massive thanks again to all those who booked me to document their 2023 wedding, or have already booked me for their weddings during 2024 and 2025.
I’m sure the up-coming weddings will be as exciting as in 2023, if not more. So I look forward to sharing all the goings on with you all on my social feed. (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliveblair – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cliveblair) Be sure to check them out for the very latest news. See you soon for my 2024 round-up!
