Fiona Kelly Photography {www's} Newest Sponsor

You may have noticed a few more sponsors have joined {www} this week, i am immensely proud to have such wonderful wedding vendors associated with the blog.

Today i have the huge pleasure of introducing you to the wonderful Fiona Kelly Photography, take it away Fiona…

{w} Hi Fiona, could you firstly tell {www} readers a little bit about you?

Im Fiona and own, run and I guess am Fiona Kelly Photography. I live in London with my husband, our very bouncy & gorgeous little boy & a cute but slightly neurotic cat. Im creative, love my friends & really love taking pictures. Rather partial to handbags a bit of shopping too!

{w} What do you love/dislike about your job?

I love the pure excitement, thrill & happiness of shooting a wedding. No two weddings are the same and its so much fun capturing all the beautiful details, the effort that’s been put in & ultimately the emotions that come out on the day. Its such a great feeling to look through the images and never fail to get really excited when Ive caught the style & personality of each couple. I love meeting & working with so many new people, whether couples or other wedding suppliers. Its such a supportive industry & every day is new and different. I always like a challenge so wedding photography is perfect in that way! There aren’t actually many dislikes believe it or not. There are still some people who look down on wedding photographers & that annoys me because they clearly aren’t aware of what wonderful photographers there are out there. I also don’t really enjoy the business side of the job, I just get bored doing my accounts and the like. Would much sooner be taking pictures!

{w} How did you get into photography and into the wedding industry?

I was really lucky at school to have a very enthusiastic & super creative art teacher who encouraged us to try loads of different creative mediums. We had a really small dark room in the school & my friend and I decided we wanted to learn to shoot properly with SLRs, process film & be really creative. Watching too many black & white arty films I think! I did an evening course at the same time, and my dad was a bit of an amateur photographer too.

Initially I never took my photography further than being a personal passion. A great part of my working life was as a photographic art director for high street fashion and lifestyle brands. I finally decided to venture into wedding & portrait photography professionally after I realised that not only did I really enjoyed doing it but I had a real eye for seeing and capturing true moments of emotion. I had been shooting friends weddings & their kids portraits and was getting some great feedback! I knew my love of photography and my background in art direction held me in good stead to not only be able to cope with the challenges of a wedding day but to create some beautiful, contemporary and interesting images at the same time.

{w} What do you aim to achieve for your clients?

I’m not the sort of photographer who will demand that a bride & groom do certain things at certain times and keeps them away from their own wedding for hours on end. I want the bride & groom to be happy and relaxed on their wedding day, enjoy the photos that we take, have some fun and to almost forget that I’m there. It has happened a few times! I know I’ve done my job well when I’m told that the couple are amazed by how wonderful they look. I also often have a little moment of pleasure when I’ve got a few shots of guests’ reactions that I know the couple haven’t spotted. Whether funny, tearful or loving it’s always a real joy to be able to show those special little moments.

{w} What style is your work?

Relaxed, informal & fun. I spend most of the time shooting in a reportage way, capturing what’s going on, guests reactions, kids playing. Candid shots that record the day as it’s happening. I love shooting all the little details too, the table, the flowers and all the small things that make the whole day special to the couple. I will always make sure to get some lovely portrait shots of the couple and any of the guests they’d like to have photos of, but even these are done in a relaxed & fun way.

{w} Could you tell us some information about your packages and prices?

My big thing is offering flexibility. No wedding is the same so coverage doesn’t have to be either. However, for most couples they find it always easier to create a package when there’s something to start with so I offer 4 starting packages including a ‘small but perfectly formed’ package for those who don’t want a full day. A full day digital only package & a couple of album packages. All packages include images supplied ready to go on a DVD, a consultation & venue visit and an online gallery. Just because its great fun to do, and gives us a bit of time to get to know each other better, all the full day packages include an engagement shoot.

I also offer photography vouchers which wedding guests can purchase to help with the cost of the wedding photography or which could be bought as a gift for a portrait session at any time.

{w} Do you have any tips for couples in selecting photographers?

The most important thing is to find someone you like and you get on with. I make a point of spending time getting to know each couple in the months before the wedding so by the time of the big day its almost like Im a guest. This helps me to feel able to do the job I want to do and the bride & groom to be relaxed with me mooching around with my camera.

Its always tempting to save money by not paying for a professional photographer & asking a friend, but unless they really know what they are doing and are able to spend the time after editing and retouching you might end up with a disappointing record of a very special day. You want photos you are proud to show and happy to look at for years to come. Besides, theres actually a lot more to being a wedding photographer than taking the photos. Ive doubled as co-ordinator, tour guide, mediator & stylist in the past!

{w} How can we get in touch with you?

You can find out a bit more about me on my website www.fionasweddingphotography.co.uk you can email me on Fiona@fionasweddingphotography.co.uk or I always love chatting in person (so much nicer!) so feel free to call for a natter on 07879455932

Thanks so much to Fiona, it’s great having you part of the {www} family, do give her a warm welcome to the blog 🙂