Demuth Photography Blog

On the 22nd December 2011 I was photographer for Jon & Becky’s wedding. The ceremony was at St Mary De Haura Church in Shoreham and the reception was at Pangdean Barn just outside Brighton in Patcham. Christmas weddings are getting more popular now. There was a time when wedding bookings only seemed to be during peak-summer Saturdays but more couples are now choosing to get married during off-peak times and midweek. Weddings close to Christmas always seem to be very popular as generally people are in the party mood at this time of year and already I have a couple of December bookings for next year.

Jon & Becky at St Mary's Church

Jon & Becky’s wedding at St Mary De Haura was excellent. The church is beautiful, set in picturesque gardens in the heart of Shoreham By Sea. The service was held by Gail Souppouris who is the vicar at The Church of the Good Shepherd on Shoreham Beach as St Mary’s previous vicar has now retired. It was great to be photographing a wedding so close to home and the photos show how beautiful Shoreham is, especially in the bright sunshine.

Jon & Becky at Pangdean

After a few family photos outside the church the wedding party went to Pangdean Barn for the reception. I love taking photos at Pangdean, it is one of my favourite wedding venues. The house and gardens offer stunning backdrops for photos and the barn itself has a wonderful, warm atmosphere. Nicky Currie and Peter Mackenzie run Pangdean and Hunger Pangs, the catering company responsible for all the lovely food and Michael Phelan is the excellent Events Manager who ensures everything runs to schedule effortlessly. The staff are friendly and the service is excellent. I am one of Pangdean’s recommended photographers and it is always great photographing weddings here.

Jon & Becky have now been sent the link to the photos and I look forward to meeting up with them soon to deliver the prints and high res cd. To see other weddings at Pangdean and other top wedding venues in Sussex, London and Surrey please take a look at complete wedding galleries: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings.html

Over the next few months I will be exhibiting at a number of wedding fairs (or wedding fayres) in Sussex. Wedding fairs are a great way for couples to meet wedding providers with exhibitors offering everything from cars to wedding dresses. Competition among photographers to exhibit at the fairs is fierce as over the last few years (mostly due to the rise in popularity of digital photography) there has been a massive increase in the number of wedding photographers. With only a few spaces for photographers at each wedding fair and hundreds of photographers competing to exhibit it can be tough. Before the advent of digital photography there were a lot fewer wedding photographers and therefore a lot less competition.

Wedding Photography using film in Sussex, Surrey & London by Paul Demuth

Although most of my work comes from direct recommendation I have found wedding fairs incredibly valuable and each fair I exhibit at usually results in a few bookings, so in the current economic climate it makes sense.

The first wedding fair I will be exhibiting at is the Goodwood Hotel Wedding Fair on the 29th January organised by PNM Wedding Fayres.

“Probably one of the best wedding venues in all of southern England, the fantastic Goodwood Estate on the glorious Sussex Downs, what a wonderful venue to hold our Winter Wedding Fayre. See thirty five top class exhibitors, stunning dresses, beautiful flowers, amazing photography and so much more.”

PMN wedding fairs have a number of fairs organized for Winter and Spring and Paul M Nother who runs the company does a fantastic job getting the best exhibitors at the best wedding venues. To see the full list of wedding fayres please visit the PMN website: http://pmnweddingfayres.co.uk/index.html

In addition to the Goodwood Fair (PMN) I will also be exhibiting this year at: Fontwell Park on the 19th February (Stylish Events), The Metropole Hotel on the 4th March (Stylish Events), The Grand Hotel Brighton on 20th May (PMN). If you would like to meet me you can see me there or if you would prefer to see my work privately please email me: paul@blog.demuthphoto.com or use the contact form.

Every now and then I find myself backed up with work! December was just such a time, not only were there all of the Christmas orders and deliveries for prints and wedding books but there were a number of shoots including portraits for Justine Wren, photography at Deepdene School in Hove, Jon and Becky’s wedding at St Mary’s in Shoreham and reception at Pangdean, photography at St Peter’s School and interiors and corporate shoots for a number of clients. Plus there was the small matter of Christmas (two very excited children) plus my wife’s birthday on Chritmas Eve to plan for. So apologies for not posting recently and I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year!

This time of year is also about meeting couples looking for wedding photographers and over December and throughout January I have been and will be meeting a number of wedding couples to show them my work and discuss the various wedding packages I offer.

I always enjoy these meetings, first and foremost because I like meeting people, but also because it gives me a chance to almost see my work through someone else’s eyes. It makes me realize that over the last ten years shooting weddings I have amassed a huge collection of wedding photos and covered all sorts of weddings: funky Brighton civil partnerships, Indian wedding ceremonies, luxurious stately home weddings, small civil ceremonies and of course the traditional English church wedding. Each has its own new set of challenges and I try to adapt my approach and style to fit the couple and occasion.

Wedding Photography by Paul Demuth

It is always nice to get positive feedback and wedding meetings are a good way of measuring how well my work is received. The vast majority of people that I meet end up booking me and that is a sign that I am doing something right. I do not believe in pressure selling at wedding meetings as the choice of photographer is such a subjective decision. The wedding photographer inevitably spends much of the wedding day with the couple so it is essential that a couple feels relaxed with their photographer as this will result in nicer more natural pictures. A wedding meeting should be an opportunity for couple and photographer to meet and see the work without any pressure. If a couple likes me, likes my photography and the price is acceptable then I inevitably get the booking…

If you are interested in seeing my work (I usually bring along a mix of wedding and non-wedding photography for couples to look at plus some sample wedding books) please contact me either by email: paul@blog.demuthphoto.com or use the contact form on my website: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/contactform.php

Andy & Lorna were married at Cisswood House in Lower Beeding on 11.11.2011. This lovely hotel is a great venue for weddings and the day was a lot of fun. The wedding and reception had a real autumnal feel and the celebrations started quite late in the day. There were lots of children present and Andy and Lorna both looked great. It was nice to see so many familiar faces at the wedding. Lorna had been a bridesmaid at Stuart & Emily’s wedding last year and many of the guests remembered me. It was also good to see Matt Wainwright performing magic at the reception. Matt is a member of the Magic Circle and is another Shoreham by Sea wedding supplier.

Andy & Lorna

The link to the wedding gallery has been sent to Andy and Lorna and will be made public for everyone to see soon.

Andy & Lorna - The First Dance

Lola On The Sofa

A few weeks ago I mentioned in this blog that we now have a puppy. Lola is a Working Cocker Spaniel and is now five months old.

These photos were taken the other day when I was using up the end of a roll of film after a wedding on my old Canon A1.

They capture Lola looking very cute on the sofa. If only she always looked so innocent!

To see some more examples of Pet Portraiture please take a look at the Portraits Galleries page: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/
portraits.html

Lola

On the 4th November Jerry and Paul celebrated their civil partnership at Angmering Manor near Worthing in West Sussex. The day was fantastic and it was lovely to see a same sex marriage really celebrated by family and friends. Angmering Manor is a great place for a wedding with beautiful gardens and quirky stylish interiors.

Jerry and Paul planned the whole day impeccably with warm autumnal colours and a New York theme. It was stylish from beginning to end and I was made to feel very welcome by everyone present. Many thanks to Jerry and Paul for being so lovely to work with and for booking me and to staff at Angmering Manor and the lovely friends and family for making the day such a warm success.

To see complete Civil Partnership galleries of photos please take a look at the Galleries page on the main website: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings.html

Paul & Jerry

Bill on his new board

I still love using film and often have an old camera with me when I am out and about. Using film and an old camera makes you think about every shot, as every shot costs you money.

This photo was taken with my old Canon A1. When it was launched in the mid-1970s this camera was regarded as one of the most advanced cameras on the market. Now you can pick up these cameras second-hand for less than £100 with a lens. The build quality is excellent and it is a great camera for shooting in natural light with easy to use metering. The focus is completely manual and capturing moving objects can be pretty tricky so anticipation and timing is everything.

I am often asked for advice from aspiring photographers and my response is always to get an old fashioned top of the range 1970’s film camera, read the manual, buy some cheap film and think about every photo in terms of framing, aperture and shutter speed. There is still something special about shooting with film and not being able to instantly see whether you got the shot right. It means you have to understand the basics of time and light, shutter and aperture. I still use old film cameras for a lot of my work especially portraits and weddings and I find that it helps to keep me sharp and focused concentrating on the basics of great photography that are too easy to ignore when using a modern camera.

Bob & Sarah

Bob and Sarah were married in September 2009. The couple who live in London chose Brighton Pier as their wedding venue because of the sense of fun, there were lots of children attending and the Pier made it a great place for a family day out and wedding rolled into one. Brighton Pier is an unusual and fantastic setting for a wedding and I have done a couple of weddings here.

This shot on the carousel works for me, the couple look relaxed and you get a real sense that here are two people meant to be together. I love the vivid colours of the carousel, Brighton seafront in the background and the gulls. It is the iconic seaside wedding photo.

To see more favourite wedding photos taken in Sussex, Surrey and London please take a look at the Wedding Photography Portfolio.

Dan & Lindsey

Dan and Lindsey were married at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey on the 29th October 2011. The photos have now been edited and the link to the wedding gallery has been sent to the couple.

Denbies Wine Estate is Britain’s largest vinyard and produces some excellent wines. Guests at Dan & Lindsey’s wedding were treated to a wine tour and tasting session while I was taking photos of the couple. As you will be able to see from the photos we were really lucky with the weather, with bright skies and dramatic clouds. I am the recommended wedding photographer at Denbies and have done a number of weddings at this lovely venue this year.

To see some examples of weddings at Denbies pleases take a look at the Wedding Photography Galleries page: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings.html

My new business cards have arrived. The cards have been printed by Generation Press who are based in Poynings, Sussex and produce beautiful print using “green” technology. They pride themselves on the quality of the print they produce and have a number of very creative, artistic clients such as the V&A and a number of prestigious fashion designers and artists.

I am really pleased with the look and feel of my new business cards, which feature the phone image used on the front page of my site. The cards are double sided with plenty of white space on the back for writing on. Many thanks to Kate, Scrub, Anand and all the staff at Generation Press for ensuring that the job was printed on time and for producing such beautiful work.

The Best Man's Speech

Darren & Becky were married at Anne Of Cleaves House in Lewes a couple of years ago and this photo is still one of my favourites. It is taken during the speeches and captures the hilarity of the best man’s speech.

I always try to capture any special moments as they happen and do not believe in staging photos. It is all about being in the right place at the right time to get the shot.

To see more favourite wedding photos taken in Sussex, Surrey and London please take a look at the Wedding Photography Portfolio.

I have mentioned “Your Sussex Wedding” in earlier posts on this blog. It is one of the very few magazines that I often advertise in as it is very well distributed at outlets and wedding fairs and is a good resource for couples getting married in Sussex or looking for Sussex based wedding services. I have just sent through newly designed artwork and the Editor has also asked for some editorial photos for the next issue. I gathered some of my favourite photos taken over the years and wrote up a short introduction for each and I am looking forward to seeing some of my photos featured in the next magazine.

Over the next few weeks I will post these favourite Sussex wedding photos here. In the meantime to see some of my favourite wedding photos please take a look at the Wedding Photography Portfolio: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/wedding-photography.php

Your Sussex Wedding Advert

Duncan & Caroline

It is always good when my photos are featured in a nationwide iconic magazine like “Hello”.

Duncan and Caroline were married at Buxted Park Hotel on the 10th June and a few weeks ago they asked me to send on a few of their favourite photos to Hello magazine as they wanted to use them. The photo is featured in the weddings section of the magazine:

Caroline Wallace and Duncan Budd. Nearly one year after Duncan proposed on a gondola in Venice, he walked Caroline down the aisle at Buxted Park Hotel in East Susses. “We had the most amazing day” says the bride.

To see the complete collection of Duncan & Caroline’s wedding photos please take a look at the wedding gallery: Duncan & Caroline

Neerja & David

David

Selective Colour Editing, where you pull out a colour and drop the rest of the image to black and white, has become quite popular over the last few years. I have seen the effect used really well and have seen it used really badly. It is not to everyone’s taste but I think that if it is done well it can be quite striking. David & Neerja liked some of the photos where I have done this and asked if I could do a selective colour job on some of their photos.

If a couple like this effect I always try to ensure that a few of the wedding photos get the selective colour treatment. To see more examples of this please take a look at some of the wedding galleries: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings.html

Stephane & Helen

This last summer I was lucky enough to be working at some stunning locations. The two that stick in my mind are the French Alps and County Cork.

View from Mont Blanc

In July I did a shoot for TUI at the ski resorts, out of season, when they are used as a base for outdoor adventure holidays. Travelbound puts together packages for groups of young people and the itinerary is packed with some great activities: white water rafting, mountain biking, ice skating, hiking, dry luge runs and various excursions to places of outstanding natural beauty and geographical significance.The two resorts that really made an impression were Alpe de Huez and Mont Blanc.

To see more landscape photography by Paul Demuth please take a look at the landscape photography portfolio: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/landscape-photography.php

Alpine flowers at Alpe de Huez

In August I traveled to Cork for a wedding at University College Cork and then reception at Clonakilty which is a beautiful village on the south coast of Ireland. County Cork is an amazing place with amazing coastal scenery and lovely villages everywhere. It is also one of the most hospitable places I have had the pleasure of visiting.

Clonakilty, County Cork

If photography is my first love (not including family) then music is a very close second. I have always loved seeing live bands and have a passion for all kinds of music. In July we went to Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle. Camp Bestival is very much a family friendly festival with lots for the kids to do and also a decent line up of music being performed at a number of stages and tents throughout the extensive grounds of beautiful Lulworth Castle. This was first and foremost a holiday so I wasn’t constantly taking photos (more often than not I was jumping around with my son on my shoulders). However I did have my small G9 with me for much of the time and managed to get some photos.

Andre Vincent at Camp Bestival 2011

Highlights of Camp Bestival for me were: Seeing Gentleman’s Dub Club who are a fantastic new band from Leeds with a dedicated posse of dubstep followers. Catching up with my good friend and very funny man Andre Vincent who I grew up with, it was great to spend some time with Andre again and to see him performing and compering the comedy tents. I also managed to see Rodigan who is a personal hero of mine, perhaps the most unlikely of Reggae superstar DJs, David “Ram Jam” Rodigan has been playing decent reggae music for over 40 years and has the respect of every major reggae artist. His love and knowledge of the genre is only surpassed by his enthusiasm when DJ’ing live, a true legend! David Rodigan is playing a number of nights around the country over the next few months and I am really excited at the prospect of seeing him again when he plays Concorde 2 in Brighton on the 12th November.

David Rodigan at Camp Bestival 2011

"Give Me Some Signal"

Fire-writing

A couple of years ago we were chosen to be the Outwell tester family in the UK. Outwell is a Danish company that makes top of the range camping gear and over the last couple of years we have been lucky enough to try out some of their fantastic tents and camping accessories. This year we took our Outwell tent to Camp Bestival where we were the envy of the festival-goers around us.

Outwell Monterey 5 tent

We then set up camp at Burnbake camp site in Dorset, between Corfe Castle and Studland, and spent the whole of August going to and from our new “home from home”. As August is one of the busier months for me, with lots of weddings, it meant that I would often be away for the weekends but it was still one of the best breaks I have had over the last few years and we were surrounded by good friends enjoying the “great outdoors”.

Holidays are always a chance to unwind, and during the break it gives me a chance to get some family photos and also to experiment. One evening I set up my camera to get some “fire-painting” photos (above). I also took my little Canon G9 into the sea with an underwater housing to get some photos of the children swimming and playing, and then there is also some amazing scenery.At the moment this gallery which captures the whole month is private view but I will be putting together some public view galleries that captures key moments very soon. In the meantime if you would like to see previous shoots done for Outwell then please visit the Lifestyle Galleries pages.

Underwater housing photography

Corfe Castle

Pre-wedding portraits are included in the price of all Demuth Photography Gold and Platinum wedding packages and are proving to be very popular with Brighton wedding couples. A pre-wedding portrait session gives the couple or bride the opportunity to get some photos before the wedding day, these can be used for invitations or the favourite photo can be printed large and mounted for guests to sign on the day. Some brides take this opportunity to get some photos in the dress or couples can get some nice natural portraits at a favourite location. A couple of weekends ago I took photos of Vicky and Jospeh at Brighton seafront and also at the Pavilion. Their wedding isn’t until next September but they wanted some photos that they could use for invites.

Joseph & Vicky at the "dough-nut"

Vicky & Joseph at the Pavilion

There are so many great photo locations in Brighton and to capture the seaside theme of the wedding we took photos at the seafront, on the pier, by the “dough-nut” on Banjo Groyne, on the carousel and also at the Pavilion where their wedding ceremony will take place. For the shoot I used a combination of film and digital photography. The photos are currently private view only but if you would like to see other pre-wedding portraits taken with couples please take a look at the Portraits pages: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/portraits.html

Hardcase makes top of the range hard-cases to protect drums in transit. Their funky bespoke designs and indestructibility make them highly sought after by drummers all over the world:

• Cases designed, perfected and proven by the hardest touring musicians.
• Moulded as single piece structural casings – totally impossible to fall apart.
• Supremely tough, high impact resistant, polyethylene.
• Damp & Water proof.
• Deep cushioned linings and adjustable straps, absorb and isolate any impacts.
• Ultimate protection that lasts, backed by a Lifetime manufacturing Warranty.
• Safer than a gig bag, tougher than a flight case.

While doing a shoot with Gavin Harrison recently for Porter & Davies I also took some photos of Gavin with his new personalized hard-cases. These photos have now been used to promote Hardcase at the London Drum Show and it was great to see that they also credited me for the photography.

Hardcase banner at London Drum Show

Photography Credit

Many thanks to Dil Davies for sending me the photo of the banner and to Dave at Hardcase for crediting me. I look forward to doing more work with both Porter & Davies and Hardcase in the future.

To see the complete collection of photos of Gavin Harrison and Steve White with both the BC2 and Gigster drum stools by Porter & Davies please use the following link: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/corporate/08.09_porteranddavies/index.htm

Landmark Art is a photography company in Brighton that I often work with. The company is owned by a good friend of mine and excellent photographer Carl O’Connell and we often work together on shoots. Over the years we have worked with a number of blue chip companies and have done a range of shoots including interiors and 360 degree photos for 1 Alfred Place and various interior designers, food photography for Starbucks and corporate portraits for numerous clients.

Corporate Photography for Landmark Art by Paul Demuth

We have recently done a series of shoots in central London for Mathys & Squire – Intellectual Property. The photos taken (staff portraits and a number of banner images) will be used for general marketing and website. The site is currently being redesigned and once it is completed I will post a link on my blog.

Mathys & Squire Corporate Portraits

To see more Corporate Photography galleries by Demuth Photography please take a look at the Corporate Photography Portfolio on my main site.

Over the last year I have noticed a definite increase in the number of corporate and commercial commissions received and I look forward to doing more work for small and large businesses in the future. If you would like more information about rates and the kind of services I offer to businesses please contact me: Contact

Demuth Photography produces stunning wedding books to showcase a couple’s favourite wedding photos. Designed by Paul Demuth and printed on photographic paper by Graphistudio in Italy the books are available in a range of sizes and finishes and are beautifully produced. To see actual wedding book designs please take a look at the Wedding Books page: Wedding Books

Wedding Book Design by Paul Demuth

This is a busy time for me as all wedding books have to be designed and each book takes a while. Once the design is done then couples get sent a pdf proof of the design to approve or edit before the order is sent out to be printed in Italy. I have just contacted all couples whose weddings I have photographed over the last year to let them know the deadlines for guaranteed Pre-Christmas delivery. Graphistudio Wedding Books make fantastic Christmas presents. If a couple orders a Primary book then there is a significant saving for smaller books which make fantastic Christmas presents for realtives and friends. Sizes range from 50x40cm down to 6x4cm.

Wedding Books by Paul Demuth

Wedding Books by Paul Demuth

Over the last couple of years I have done a number of shoots for schools to capture images of “A day in the life of a school”. During these shoots I try to show the school as it really is and aim to give the schools a selection of marketing photos that they can use for web and prospectus that positively highlight the vibrancy of the schools. I am fully CRB checked (enhanced disclosure) and love working in schools capturing photos of the children at work and play.

A number of schools have asked me back at regular intervals to keep the supply of images fresh and new. Some of the schools I have taken photos at are: Handcross Park School, Morden Mount Primary School, Dunottar School and St Peter’s R.C. Primary School.

The schools’ galleries of photos are all private view only. But to see a few sample photos please take a look at the Lifestyle Portfolio.

Schools Photography by Paul Demuth

"Love" Filing Cabinet

"Today" Filing Cabinet - detail

Kiki & Bree is a company dedicated to providing beautiful fashions, toys and cards for twins and multiple birth families.

The company was started by Vicky Monteane and also does stylish and quirky interior furniture.

Vicky contacted me recently to take photos of some filing cabinets she has designed, and last month I took a variety of photos of the filing cabinets.

Kiki & Bree has a fully transactional and beautifully designed website and Vicky also sells her products through “Not On The High Street”.

The gallery is private view at the moment but most of the photos can be seen through the links above.

To see some examples of other shoots done for small businesses in Brighton & Hove please take a look at my Corporate slideshow: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/corporate-photography.php

Sid & Marie-Louise’s wedding photos are now available to see on my website. The wedding and reception were held at The Terraces which is raised above Brighton’s seafront and has views of the Brighton Pier. Both Sid and Marie-Louise are originally from the Manchester area so there was a real sense of south meets north. The day was filled with laughter and even the torrential rain failed to dampen the spirits.

Sid & Marie-Louise - Just Married at The Terraces, Brighton

Sid & Marie-Louise at The Terraces, Brighton

“We have both had a look through the gallery and are really really happy with the pictures.  You did a fantastic job mate!!  I just want to thank you for your work and also helping to keep us calm on the day.” Sid

To see the gallery of photos please visit: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings.html

On 6th August 2011 Jo and Ben were married at St John The Baptist Church in Westfield and then had their reception at Dale Hill Golf Club, Ticehurst. The wedding was fantastic and it was lovely to see so many familiar faces and to meet so many lovely people. A couple of years ago I had been the wedding photographer at Jo & Ben’s friends wedding and that led to them booking me. I will be meeting them again next week to deliver the prints and discuss the wedding book.

Jo & Ben at Dale Hill Golf Club

Jo & Ben at Dale Hill Golf Club

To see the photos of the wedding please visit Jo and Ben’s wedding gallery

Last year I did a shoot for Seven Dials Osteopathy Clinic in Brighton. The shoot involved taking staff portraits and also some photos of the osteopaths at work. A couple of weeks I was asked to go back to take some more photos of new members of staff and also some photos of Jo Hull who is an acupuncturist who works from the clinic.

Olivia Rowley

Jo Hull

Jo was very aware that acupuncture is difficult to photograph. The challenge was to take photos of Jo at work that would be calming and reassuring. So most of the photos concentrated on the pressure points used in acupuncture and some of the complimentary practices like cupping which involves using warm glass bowls to create a vacuum which increases blood and lymph flow, resulting in improved circulation. We also thought it would be a good idea to get some photos of the actual needles. As someone who has had acupuncture I can confirm that the use of acupuncture needles is painless but getting photos that would convey this is obviously tricky. Photographing the very fine needles used was obviously a challenge but I hope that the images will be reassuring to anyone considering acupuncture.

To see some examples of my corporate photography please visit the corporate portfolio page: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/corporate-photography.php

Jo Hull at Seven Dials Osteopathy Clinic

Acupuncture at Seven Dials Osteopthy Clinic

Over the last couple of months I have done three shoots for Porter & Davies: Shots of the Gigster, soon to be officially launched at The London Drum Show at Olympia, and then shoots with Steve White and Gavin Harrison, who both use Porter & Davies products. They say drummers are mad! I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Many thanks to both Steve and Gavin for being so generous with their time and for being such interesting people to work with.

The Gigster by Tim Porter & Dil Davies is a smaller, highly portable solution for drummers playing live, and enables them to “feel” through the seat, the bass drum and kit. The system delivers powerful and nuanced reproduction without sound, transmitted through bone conduction. The Gigster, although smaller and cheaper than the BC2 does not compromise on the power delivered and Porter & Davies are confident that the Gigster is going to be very popular with drummers everywhere. Many of the World’s top drummers already use the BC2 and Porter & Davies are expecting a very busy few months ahead once the Gigster is officially launched.

Steve White (Paul Weller, Style Council, The Players, The Who, Trio Valore, Galliano, Carleen Anderson, Young Disciples, Jazz Renegades etc) is one of Britain’s finest drummers. To see Steve in action: Paul Weller live, Steve White drum solo.
“The BC2 is an integral part of my set up now, both studio and live, it’s not a luxury it’s a necessity.”

Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Iggy Pop, Dave Stewart, Lewis Taylor, Lisa Stansfield, Incognito, Paul Young etc) is winner of the Modern Drummer magazine readers’ poll for “best progressive drummer of the year” consecutively from 2007-2010. He is the featured cover story on Modern Drummer January 2009. Rolling Stone Magazine polls rate him as the third best drummer in the past 25 years. To see Gavin playing: The Letterman Show – Drum Solo Special
“The Porter and Davies BC 2 gives me a reassuring feeling every time I hit the bass drum. It really gives me control of my pedal articulation – and that in turn makes it easier to play the bass drum more accurately”.

Steve White & BC Gigster

Gavin Harrison & BC Gigster

Demuth Photography’s gallery of photos for Porter & Davies can be seen using the following link: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/corporate/08.09_porteranddavies/index.htm

Our family is growing! We are now proud owners of Lola, our Working Cocker Spaniel puppy. She is now nearly ten weeks old and is settling in well at Briarwood. Our two cats Rocket and Angel are not quite sure about her but we think she is lovely.

A few months ago I wrote about pet portraits after photographing Allan and Susannah’s wedding. They run a blog about dogs and their canine friends were a feature of the day. Little did I know then that we would soon be proud owners of a puppy. To see the post on my blog please click on the following link: Man’s Best Friend

Demuth Photography is available to take portraits of your pets. To see some examples of pet portraiture please see the portrait galleries page.

Lola

In August (04.08.2011) I was in Cork photographing Scott & Heather’s wedding. The ceremony was at the Aula Maxima at University College, Cork and then the ceremony was at the beautiful Dunmore House Hotel in Muckross near Clonakilty. The wedding was the first civil ceremony to be held at the Aula Maxima and is a very beautiful and lavish ceremonial hall at the university. Dunmore House Hotel is set on Ireland’s south coast just outside Clonakilty and has amazing countryside/seascape backdrops which are a photographer’s dream…

I am available for all kinds of weddings abroad. Prices are the same as for a normal wedding booking but there are obviously additional travel and accommodation charges. This often means that it will only be a couple of hundred pounds more to fly me out to photograph a wedding in another country and this can give peace of mind to couples who specifically want to hire me or who aren’t sure what to expect from local photographers at the wedding destination abroad.

At present the photos are private view, but as soon as they are made public then I will post a link so you can see the photos. In the meantime to see some examples of complete wedding galleries please go to the galleries page: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings.html

Heather & Scott

This Sunday (18th September) I will be exhibiting at the Fontwell Park Wedding Fair. Fontwell Park is a racecourse just west of Arundel on the A27 and is also a fantastic wedding venue. I have done a few weddings here over the years and the setting, facilities and friendly staff make it a perfect venue.

The Wedding Fair has been organised by Stylish Events who specialize in wedding fairs and corporate events and promises to be a very popular day out for couples planning their weddings. The Fair starts and 10am and finishes at 4pm, entry fee is £2 and includes a goody bag.

Fontwell Park Racecourse is another of our West Sussex Wedding Fair venues for 2011. As always, our Wedding Fairs held at Fontwell are guaranteed to present to you a uniue range of wedding businesses. As with most Stylish Event fairs we hold Wedding Fashion Shows throughout the day. To further add to the occasion we hold the event itself within heated marquees set in the beautiful grounds of this prestigious racecourse. If you haven’t booked a wedding venue yet why not use the trip to also check out Fontwell Park as a potential wedding venue for you. Fontwell House is licensed as a wedding venue and is set amongst 65 acres of relaxed, picturesque surroundings. On the day potential Brides & Grooms are able to meet up to 50 different exhibitors offering a wide range of wedding services.

I will be at the Demuth Photography stand with portfolios and wedding books and if you are looking for a wedding photographer or just want to visit me to see my work it would be lovely to see you.

To see some examples of my Wedding Photography please take a look at my on-line Weddings Portfolio: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/wedding-photography.php

Sarah

It is always lovely when a couple whose wedding you photographed then ask you to take some family portraits. I photographed Rob & Louise’s wedding in 2008 and earlier this year they asked me to do some portraits with their little boy Franklyn. The portrait session was split between their home and the beach and during the session we were able to get a range of photos indoors and out.

These family portraits can now be seen by visting the portraits galleries page of my website: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/portraits.html

Louise, Rob and Franklyn

Franklyn

On the 23rd July 2011 Emma & Matt were married at St Bartholomew’s Church, Leigh, which is a beautiful church on a quaint village green. They then had a “Garden Party” reception complete with Marquee and fairy lights at Matt’s parents’ beautiful home in Surrey.

This was a fantastic wedding. Emma and Matt looked amazing and there was a lovely atmosphere throughout the day. The photos have been edited and can be seen using the following link: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings/23.07_surrey_wedding_matt_emma/index.htm

Emma

Emma & Matt

It has been a long time since my last post. August and September have been ridiculously busy with lots of great corporate work and some fantastic weddings. Hopefully normal service can now be resumed and I plan to keep this blog updated regularly now that I am back in circulation and the wedding season is slowing down.

It hasn’t all been work, work, work though: A long weekend at Camp Bestival at the end of July, some quality time with the family camping in Dorset and a new edition to the family – Lola the eight week old Working Cocker Spaniel puppy!

Lots of work to highlight over the next couple of weeks and although I still have a backlog of editing to do you can expect some more posts very soon…

July has been a crazy month for me, with lots of diverse and interesting work. The shoot for TUI Travelbound in the French Alps went really well, in spite of some “biblical weather”, I did an interesting corporate shoot for Mathys & Squire who specialise in intellectual property and patents. In addition to the teaching earlier in the month I also did a “day in the life of a school” shoot for St Peter’s RC School in Shoreham By Sea, and also have some “Race For Life” photos that I still need to edit and get up on my site. There have also been weddings for Stephen & Sophie and Matt & Emma, a portrait session for Louise, Rob and Franklyn and a lot more over the next couple of weeks: Camp Bestival from tomorrow, a wedding in Ireland next week for Scott & Heather and also Jo & Ben’s wedding at Dale Hill.

It has been so busy that I literally haven’t had time to keep the blog up to date but I hope to remedy this in the not too distant future and will be adding new posts about each of the shoots mentioned above and probably a few more over the next few weeks… It is a privilege to be making a living as a photographer and I am not complaining about being busy, the alternative is far more daunting…

To keep up to date with my blog and any new posts please use the RSS feed or follow me on Twitter.

Indian Wedding at Birling Manor

Neerja and David’s wedding photos at Birling Manor have now been edited and a link has been sent to the couple.

As recommended photographer it is always a pleasure to take photos at this amazing venue. Set in beautiful countryside close to Birling Gap and Beachy Head, Birling Manor is one of my favourite wedding venues. The wedding party are left to get on with their celebration and there is always a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere to weddings here. Neerja got ready for her big day at Belle Tout Lighthouse near Beachy Head. It was shame the weather wasn’t better as it would have been great to photograph Neerja with the dramatic lighthouse and rugged coastline.

In spite of the grey overcast and misty weather the wedding was bright and colourful. This Anglo Indian wedding was a fantastic celebration with guests from all over the world (India, Canada, Kenya and the UK). Everyone made a real effort to embrace the traditional Indian Wedding culture.

The service took place in a teepee and included Agni (fire blessing) and Shaddra/Karuna (blessing from the elders). Another tradition is the shoe stealing tradition and it is rumoured that David had to pay over £350 to buy his shoes back from the “sisters”.

Neerja and David

Last week I was at Bishopshalt School in Uxbridge for two days teaching a digital photography workshop as part of the school’s Arts Festival Week. I did the workshops with fellow photographer David Streeter and it was a great success. The children were given digital cameras to take photos in the school and they were then given some basic photoshop training to edit their favourite shots.

The school focuses much of it curriculum on the arts and the children really grasped the task and used their imaginations to produce some fantastic photos that David and I were very impressed with, especially as each session was only an hour long. During our two days we managed to take eight classes and worked with over 180 students.

To see some of the photos the children took please use the link: www.bishopshalt.hillingdon.sch.uk

Caroline getting ready at Buxted Park Hotel

Caroline & Duncan’s wedding photos at Buxted Park Hotel on the 10th June 2011 are now available for friends and family to see. The day was a fantastic celebration for both families and friends.

Caroline looked amazing and it was a real pleasure to be present taking photos on the big day.

There are so many amazing hotels that cater for weddings but Buxted Park is one of my favourite wedding venues. The luxurious hotel is set in amazing countryside and the staff ensure that your wedding day runs smootly.

To see the complete gallery of photos of this fantastic wedding please use the link below:

www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings/10.06_buxted_park_duncan_caroline/index.htm

Next week I will be doing a couple of days teaching photography to secondary school children in Uxbridge, West London. I will be doing this with fellow photographer David Streeter and the job has been arranged by Explosive Events. I have done a number of photography classes with children over the years and love working with schools. The itinerary looks pretty action-packed with five classes each day and I am sure we will have a lot of fun.

For me, the aim of the classes is to get the children inspired and to get them to switch the camera off automatic and get them to start thinking about how to use a camera to best advantage using aperture and shutter priority modes and to give them a basic understanding that photography is all about time, light and composition. Once you understand the way the camera works you can take better photos. We are also going to be introducing basic photoshop skills so that they can enhance their photos and edit them with an end result in mind.

Photography is simple once you understand the basics. My own children have proved to me that if you understand how your camera works and have some rudimentary editing skills you can take some great photos…

Nadine, June 19 2011

Not everyone has a big wedding. Some couples prefer a more intimate ceremony with a handful of friends and family. I have been photographer at a few weddings where the couple just wanted a small celebration with three or four close friends. However there is often a party after to celebrate the wedding where friends and family are then all invited.

Paul and Nadine had a wonderful party a couple of weekends ago to celebrate their wedding. The party was at their house in Kingswood, Surrey. Paul and Nadine are musicians and the wedding party was a fantastic musical celebration with lots of talented classical and jazz artists performing in the front room. Canopés were offered on silver platters, the wine was flowing and music filled the air long into the evening.

Photos of Paul & Nadine’s wedding party have now been edited and a link has been sent to the couple. The photos will be available for all to see soon. In the meantime if you would like to enquire about wedding party rates then please get in touch using the contact form or email me at: paul@blog.demuthphoto.com.

YSW advert, Susannah by Demuth Photography

I have just submitted a new ad for Your Sussex Wedding. As mentioned in an earlier post, YSW is one of the few magazines that I advertise in.

The magazine is distributed at wedding fairs all over Sussex and the next issue will cover all of the August and September fairs, which is a busy time for the wedding industry with lots of couples making preparations for the year ahead.

This year I will be at the Fontwell Park Wedding Fair by Stylish Events on the 18th September and the Stanwell House Wedding Fair by PMN on the 25th September.

I have been commissioned to do a shoot for Skibound – Summer Alpine Camps. Skibound are part of TUI and in the Summer the ski resorts are used for Adventure and Educational holidays. The shoot I am going to be doing is for a school group who are going to be doing various outdoor activities in the French Alps, including: Summer Luge, Ice Skating, White Water Rafting, Trekking and Mountain Biking. I will be with the party for a week and I am really looking forward to getting some great photos of the activities, Skibound hotels and some of the amazing landscapes on offer.

Dirt Boarding in Sussex

After a year doing lots of schools, landscape and outdoor sports photography I am ready for what promises to be a very full and exciting itinerary.

To see some examples of recent related shoots please take a look at the Corporate and Lifestyle and Landscape Portfolios on my site.

If you would like to make an enquiry regarding my availability for corporate shoots please email me at paul@blog.demuthphoto.com or use the contact form to get in touch.

Simon & Cat at St Andrew's, Tarring

Simon & Cat, whose wedding I photographed a couple of Saturdays ago in West Sussex have now seen the wedding gallery and they are happy for it to go live so friends and family can see the photos.

The wedding ceremony was held at St Andrew’s church in Tarring and then the reception was held at Findon Manor, where after a sumptuous wedding breakfast the couple and their friends and family partied into the night.

To see the complete set of photos please click on the link which can be found on my Wedding Galleries page: www.blog.demuthphoto.com/weddings

Tomorrow I have a lovely wedding booking, an Anglo/Indian wedding at one of my favourite wedding locations – Birling Manor, close to Birling Gap between Alfriston and Beachy Head. The venue offers beautiful scenery, amazing gardens and a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Neerja and David are planning a beautiful Indian Wedding Ceremony in a ceremonial tent, complete with Agni (fire blessing) and Shaddra/Karuna (blessing from the elders).

Over the years I have done a number of Indian weddings. The first wedding I ever did was an Indian wedding at the Savoy Hotel, there’s nothing like being thrown in at the deep end! The day promises to be a real celebration with tents and teepees set up for the ceremonies and evening disco. It should be a fantastic day.

Nikhil & Natasja

Marylebone Town Hall

To see complete wedding galleries including Indian weddings please go to the Wedding Galleries pages.

Cat & Simon at Findon Manor

Cat and Simon’s wedding photos have now been edited and a link has been sent to the couple. The gallery of photos will be available for all to see soon. The ceremony was held at St Andrew’s Church in Tarring and the reception was at Findon Manor. As has been so often the case throughout June this year, the forecast threatened downpours but we were lucky and only had to dodge a couple of showers. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck, and in my experience it never stops people from celebrating… The evening entertainment was supplied by Jag a great band covering rock and soul classics and through to the Grand Final – Live & Unsigned 2011.

Usually by early Summer wedding photographers have a pretty good idea of how busy they are going to be throughout what is traditionally the “busy time”. June, July, August and September are the most popular months for weddings and most couples book their photographer early, normally between 6 months and a year in advance of the actual date. This year I have a pretty full summer diary but there are a few key dates still free.

Last week I received a late enquiry for a wedding party last Sunday and it was a day that I could do! Paul & Nadine had fantastic party to celebrate their wedding at their home in Surrey. Both Paul and Nadine are musicians and music teachers and the day was a musical celebration with lots of talented musicians turning up and a fantastic jam session which included performances by some great artists and students alike. Paul plays in the David Gordon Trio (check out their website to find out more) and it was a real treat to hear so many great jazz musicians in one room. Thanks to Paul and Nadine for a great afternoon. I met lots of lovely people and was in my element taking photos of some amazing musicians. And thanks also for the lovely feedback:

Thank you so much for all your hard work on Sunday. Having you at the party was really great and I’m really excited about seeing the photos! Everywhere I turned, there you were snapping away. Several people commented on how committed you were to capturing as many moments as possible.

The photos of the party will be up on my site soon. At this time of year when I am at my busiest I normally try to get the photos edited and uploaded to the Demuth Photography website in about 2-3 weeks as I know that couples are keen to see the photos.

This year there have been a few late bookings for weddings. In the current economic climate couples often start out thinking they will get a friend to take photos as a way of saving money, but then as the day approaches have second thoughts. Your wedding day is the one day you will want to have great photographic memories of. All your friends and family at one happy celebration… A professional photographer is the best way to capture the event and it is a big risk to give that responsibility to a friend, they will obviously want to do a good job but are there as a guest and may not be used to the challenges that a wedding can present. If you are interested in checking out my late availability for a wedding or party please use the contact form or you can email me at: paul@blog.demuthphoto.com

Caroline at Buxted Park Hotel

Weddings at Buxted Park Hotel are always special, the hotel is set in amazing countryside with classy interiors and friendly helpful staff. Duncan and Caroline’s wedding photos at the hotel have now been edited and a link has been sent to the couple. The photos will be available for everyone to see in the not too distant future.

To see more wedding photography by Paul Demuth please take a look at my weddings portfolio or to see complete wedding photography galleries taken all over Sussex and the south east please go to the wedding galleries pages.

Duncan with Alex & Alex at Busted Park Hotel

Last weekend was really busy with two fantastic weddings at Buxted Park Hotel and Findon Manor. The forecast threatened “biblical” weather but luck was on our side and the sun shone. This week has been all about editing, I am really pleased with the photos from both weddings and will be putting the finished collections of photos on my site over the next couple of weeks. A wedding usually ends up being a week’s work – one day taking the photos, a day sorting through and selecting the best shots, three days editing in DPP and Photoshop and then another day with meetings, recces, running to and from the lab and creating the web gallery.

Another wedding this weekend, a late booking which is a bonus. I still have some key dates free this summer so if you need a photographer at short notice it might not be too late. It’s strange the way bookings go sometimes. This year the wedding bookings are evenly spread out through the year and I still have the odd Saturday free in August! Last year the summer was fully booked with weddings and winter was all about corporate work.

Wedding Photography by Paul Demuth

The wedding enquiries are coming in now for next year, I met a lovely couple in Winchester last night and have a number of meetings over the next few weeks for next year. I have even had an enquiry from a couple who haven’t set a date yet but wanted to plan their wedding date around my availability!

www.blog.demuthphoto.com/wedding-photography

After a short break from weddings, this weekend I have two bookings. On Friday I will be taking photos for a wedding at Busted Park Hotel, which is one of my favourite wedding venues in Sussex. The hotel is in amazing countryside with beautiful interiors. I have done a number of weddings here over the years and always enjoy being wedding photographer here.

Buxted Park Hotel

On Saturday I will be photographing a wedding at St Andrew’s Church in Tarring and then the reception will be at Findon Manor, which is a new venue for me. It is always good to be at a new reception venue and I am looking forward to taking photos here.

The photos for both of these weddings will be on my site over the next few weeks. In the meantime if you would like to see some of my wedding photography please take a look at my wedding photography portfolio on the Demuth Photography website.