Get to Know Me
So, where do I start — personal life or business life?
Let’s ease in with a bit about me as a person. After all, if I’m going to be around for one of the biggest days of your life, it’s only fair you know who you’ll be sharing it with.
5 THINGS I love
🐾 Cats, cats… and more cats!
My wife Marie and I are both total cat lovers. We’ve unofficially adopted three local cats — two from next door and one from a few doors down — and they’re at our house so often, it’s like they live here. Ideal really, since we often cat-sit for our neighbours.
😄 Silly jokes
I’ve got a soft spot for daft humour. Tim Vine’s my current favourite — I can’t resist his puns! Like: “I’ve decided to sell my Hoover – it was just collecting dust.” Or, “My mate’s motto was: ‘Always leave the theatre with them wanting more!’ Great guy, but terrible anaesthetist.”
🗣️ Languages (and a bit of brain training)
I loved learning French at school, and thanks to friends, I picked up a bit of German and Spanish too. Latin? Not my fave — but it’s handy now and again.
One cool thing: a school friend once showed me how to write my name in Urdu, which sparked my curiosity. Years later, I had the chance to properly learn the language — and now I can speak and read it! (Just don’t ask me to write anything… unless it’s my name!)
They say language learning is great for the brain — boosting memory, keeping things flexible, and even slowing cognitive decline. So I say: fun and functional!
🍊 Jaffa Cakes
Offer me a Jaffa Cake and I’m yours! I’ve even had brides gift me a box on their wedding day (hint hint — it absolutely works!)
☕ Coffee & Red Wine
Mornings don’t start until I’ve had my coffee — I’m really not a morning person. As for tea? No thanks! But pair a lovely meal with a glass of red wine, and I’m all in.
More about me
I photographed my first wedding in August 1987 — which makes me one of the most experienced wedding photographers in the region. Since then, I’ve captured weddings across the UK and even abroad, earning a few awards along the way.
My photography journey began with a Kodak Brownie camera when I was about 7 or 8. From there, I taught myself everything — built a darkroom, developed my own black-and-white prints, and eventually moved to colour. Funny how those same skills (like balancing colour) still come in handy today. Even tools in Photoshop — like dodge and burn — come straight from those darkroom days.
Awards & Recognitions
I’ve been named Wedding Photographer of the Year three times (most recently by The Great British Wedding Awards in 2022), and I’m proud to be listed among:
- Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the West Midlands – WPJA
- Top 100 in the UK – Your Perfect Wedding Photographer
I’ve also received 24 WPJA Awards, and have been featured in magazines like Your West Midlands Wedding and blogs like Boho Weddings, Love Our Wedding, and The English Wedding Blog.
My Equipment
Not that it matters to 99% of the couples I photograph — but I know some photographers enjoy this side of things, and there’s always a small handful of couples who like to know exactly how I work. So, for those people, here’s a brief history of the cameras I’ve used over the years.
I started photographing weddings back in 1987. As I prepared to step into professional wedding photography, I bought my first “proper” camera — a Yashica Mat 124G. At the time, medium-format film was the preferred choice for professionals. Over the years that followed, I worked with the Bronica SQ-A, ETRSi, and the Mamiya 645 Super.
I moved into digital photography in 2000 with my first DSLR, the Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro, before progressing to the Nikon D1X and D2X. I later switched to Canon and spent several years photographing weddings with the 1D series, 5D Mark II, and 5D Mark III.
Around 2015, mirrorless cameras began to mature and felt like the natural next step. I moved back to Fujifilm and used the X-E2, X-T1, X-Pro2, and X-T4 — cameras that suited my documentary approach beautifully.
In 2023, after several years with Fujifilm, I moved across to Sony and began shooting weddings on the Sony A7 IV. That transition gave me the full-frame performance, autofocus reliability, and flexibility I wanted for fast-moving wedding days.
I still own and use my X-T4, particularly for remote and specialist setups.
For the 2026 season, I’ve since upgraded my main wedding cameras to the Sony A7 V — refining rather than changing how I work. It offers exactly what matters to me on a wedding day: reliability, excellent low-light performance, fast and accurate autofocus, and image quality that allows me to work quietly and confidently without interrupting the flow of the day.
As always, the cameras are just tools. The real focus remains on people, moments, and telling the story honestly.
FAQ
Yes I have full professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Yes. I know some photographers for various reasons don’t shoot winter weddings or during certain months of the year. I find the light during winter months has its own attraction that stimulates creativity when shooting a winter wedding in a different way to a summer wedding. So I love the flexibility and the challenge to shoot all year round.
Sure, no problem! Just let me know by emailing me at clive@cliveblair.co.uk and I’ll be happy to show you.
I will be. Over the years experience has taught me that people like to have one point of contact before, during and after their wedding. So when you meet and book me, I will be your photographer and sole point of contact for your wedding.
I break it all down for you in my portfolio.
Here’s a summary:
I usually start off with attending the morning preparations, usually for the bride. I’m simply documenting what goes in without too much interference from myself. I always say “Just ignore me. I’m not here really” That way I get people to quickly relax as they won’t feel the need to always be posing for a photo. If the bride and groom are getting ready at the same venue, I like to visit both rooms to get some of the grooms pre-wedding preparation too.
I always plan for about 2 hours preparation photography before leaving for the ceremony. Once at the ceremony, after a quick photo of the groom and perhaps best man and ushers, I’ll be moving around to photograph guests arriving, ushers doing their job, the groom looking nervous. Whatever happens, I aim to document it. The same goes for when the bride arrives and during the ceremony. After the ceremony, I prefer the couple to again ignore me and go and say hello to their guests. Here again story telling images are made, as guests greet the newly married couple.
If required, group photos are then covered, followed by a quick informal photo session, or “walk-about” as I like to call it, for the bride and groom. Again the emphasis isn’t on camera-aware photos – looking at the camera and smiling. It’s an opportunity for the couple to walk in a field or nice area near by, and simply talk to each other about how each other is enjoying the day so far, while I discreetly capture those precious moments of them together.
Before everyone has sat down for the wedding breakfast, I’ll take a few detail shots of the room layout. I don’t take photos during the meal as no one like to have their photo taken with a mouth full of food, so it’s at this point that I’ll down tools, catch something to eat and wait for the speeches and first dance.
Time and weather permitting I may get the bride and groom outside for one last brief photo session before I leave.
Yes. If formal family group photos matter to you, I’m more than happy to include them. We’ll plan a short list ahead of time and keep things calm, efficient, and stress-free. You can read a little more about how I approach formal, posed photography here .
I don’t work with an assistant, as I generally work alone. During the day I’ll be blending into the background, and I find being a solo worker makes it easier to work that way. That way I can move here, there and everywhere without being concerned where’s my assistant, or how to avoid them being seen in the background of my images. Plus, you’ll be less aware of my presence if there’s only 1 person instead of 2.
I know how you feel, as I feel the same. I hate posing. I feel awkward and can’t wait till it’s over. So I’m totally on your side.
How I work to minimise that feeling is to concentrate on natural, un-posed photos that better capture your natural smile and personality.
Especially during the couples session, I never concentrate on getting posey-looking-at-the-camera-with-a cheesy-smile type of photos. Instead I look for natural, moment-led photos. It’s more about you two being together while I take camera-un-aware photos to tell a story.
I don’t insist on you feeding me, as you have enough to worry about with feeding your guests. But if you still wish to provide a meal, then something in a nearby room/area so I’m not too far away from the wedding breakfast area in case something unexpected happens, would be gratefully accepted.
You choose how long you’d like me there. Most have me for the whole day from the morning preparations until the first dance and after, but I also offer half day options either from the morning till the wedding breakfast or from the ceremony until the speeches.
In fact you can tailor-make your own coverage if one of my set packages doesn’t suit you.
Within 3 weeks your images are posted online in your gallery to view along with a link to download the high resolution versions. If included in your package, you’ll also get your wedding slideshow highlights.
Then shortly after that, if you’ve ordered a USB containing all the high resolution files of the photos in your gallery, it will be posted to you.
You’ll get a few weeks to choose your favourites for your album. Once your choice has been returned, an online link to view the draft layout of your album will be sent within 2 weeks, so you can fully approve the whole album, or if you wish make some amendments. If there are any amendments, another draft layout with your changes will be again be sent. This will be done until you fully approve the whole album.
Once I receive full approval, your album will be sent off to be made and will take about 6 weeks to complete and be returned to you. If your order arrives during September – October it typically take up to 8 weeks to be returned, as this is peak season for album manufacturers.
If you mean “Are we allowed to print, copy and distribute our images?” Then the answer is “Yes, you sure do!”
Technically speaking “Copyright” refers to the legal ownership of the images. The law in the UK assigns that to the photographer. This allows me, with my clients full permission to display images on my website, in sample albums etc.
Yes I have a variety of wedding albums to choose from. Just ask for further details.
Once you’ve chosen an album there are two choices for making your album:
1) You choose the images for your wedding album which will then be designed by me. You get to preview and change the layout before it goes to print.
2) Allow me to choose the images for you. This choice gives you the best option as, not only will your wedding album be finished more quickly, I will choose the perfect balance of images to reflect your wedding day as presented in an album of your choice. You still have the option to preview the layout and make any changes you wish.
I don’t limit the number of photograph you receive. But on average I’m supplying over 500 images, and guarantee at least 450 for an all day wedding. If there are many things happening at your wedding then naturally it’ll all be faithfully recorded and supplied for you.
Yes. Your images are available to view in your secure, password-protected online gallery, which also allows orders from anywhere in the world.
Yes, every photo is edited inline with the style you’ll see on my website and social media. This involves adjustment to exposure where needed and colour adjustment to match my style. I don’t retouch body shapes, skin, hair, clothes or background features, as I want your images to look as authentic as possible.
Everything you get will be supplied in my trademark colour processing. That way you have the option to make your own black and white images.
When designing albums I often make a few black and white, but as you get to approve the album before it goes to print, if you want to change those images to colour, no problem!