Lighting is such an important part of a wedding – and yet tragically, it’s often forgotten about. There’s absolutely no excuse for this, though, because at the end of the day, lighting adds to the aesthetic you’re trying to create with everything else, and can even make or break your overall “vision”.
We also shouldn’t forget the importance of good lighting when it comes to photography. Although you’ll probably make use of natural light, as the evening reception rolls around you’ll want to keep up the momentum from before. To a photographer, good lighting is everything – and for the married couple, the photos complement their memories in the years to come.
Add a little sparkle
A wedding is magical, so your lighting really should be, too. Fairy lights give the whole affair a really special touch, and these days they’re so delicate and elegant that they don’t look too plastic (or worse, cheap).
Take a look at the different kinds available – light bulb fairy lights from lights.co,uk are an excellent choice because they’ve got a fibre optic aesthetic and fit in really well with just about any setting in any season as they come in a warm white, according to their website. The brand have experience in lighting since 1999, so you’re putting your big day in good hands.
It’s important to listen to the experts when it comes to everything related to your wedding day, because a wrong move could cost you greatly. But that doesn’t mean taking the magic out of everything.
Make a statement
You’ve got the daintier aspects of your lighting sorted – but do you want something of a “main event”?
Chandeliers can make something of a statement and come in many different shapes and sizes, perhaps even fitting in with a theme. You could also opt for a feature light of some kind from a particular era – if you opt for the right one, this can be incredibly vintage.
This can even be a consideration as early on as when you’re choosing the venue – are there any focal points when it comes to lighting, such as chandeliers, that you’re a fan of?
Don’t forget about selfies
Your guests will want to take photos to remember your wedding forever as well – so why not set up a camera, a professional studio light, and set photos to a beautiful backdrop (such as a tasteful rose wall)?
This can be absolutely amazing if done properly, leaving guests free to either use their phone cameras to take advantage of amazing lighting – and upload pics to various social channels using your custom event filters – or to use the camera that you’ve set up instead. These make for lovely mementos afterwards, and you don’t even need to have a photographer manning it, making for the most natural sort of photos.
Lighting in a wedding makes the entire day look more beautiful, which not only helps on the day, but also with your photos of the event. Don’t ever be tempted to neglect it!
One of Frost’s favourite photographers, Anthony Epes, had released a stunning photo book. We highly recommend you get your hands on a copy.
For over a decade photographer Anthony Epes has shot many of the world’s iconic cities at their most peaceful time, dawn. This month marks the publication of a collection of his photographs from one of his most explored haunts, East London.
East London at Dawn is a collection of images showing the city, for the most part, empty and devoid of its usual flood of people. Of those who are awake, most are working, preparing the city for the day before the streets are inundated by the crowds. The subject therefore becomes the city itself, absorbed in the light of sunrise.
The light of a sunrise comes in many forms: the play of light dancing over street art on an ancient crumbling wall on a summer’s morning; a dark stormy daybreak as it wakes over one of the many industrial estates; the wintery midnight-blue sky filled already with the glow of lights from the skyscrapers and cars cramming the streets on the race to work.
Anthony connects us to the atmosphere of sunrise in the city and takes us on a unique exploration of the places in East London that fascinate him. From the stark brutalist architecture of the Balfour Tower, to the misty banks of the Thames with Canary Wharf rising up in the background, to the vibrant edgy street art that appears and disappears at random, to the imprint of new communities, foods and cultures that make up this ever-changing part of London.
Anthony’s interpretation of the city at first light is a spectacular and engaging journey through this special part of London as we see it in its transition.
Accompanying the photos, evocative quotes about the area will reveal the experiences of people who are regularly up at this time.
East London at Dawn is inspired by Anthony’s previous books and exhibitions on Cities at Dawn, including Paris, Venice and Istanbul. In this collection he has captured the rejuvenating energy and beauty of sunrise as well as the ever changing atmosphere of the streets of East London, the layers of history and mix of cultures, as well as the few people who are up at sunrise.
East London at Dawn has been published in association with Leman Locke, and is available exclusively at the hotel and via anthonyepes.com
Book details
Limited edition of 1,000
£35
Hardcover, cloth-bound, embossed cover
80 pages
Words by Diana Bird
About Anthony Epes
Anthony Epes is a fine art photographer whose work has featured in BBC World, CNN Photo, French Photo, Hyper Allergic, Time Out, Atlas Obscura, BBC London, The Telegraph and many other publications.
He has published four photo books, including London at Dawn and Paris at Dawn, and is currently preparing to launch further installments shot in Venice, Havana and Istanbul.
Anthony grew up in California and has been based in London since 2000.
About Locke
Locke is a design-led aparthotel for those who want to challenge the status quo, and experience the unique and authentic. Designed for travellers for whom a bed and shower in a shoebox isn’t enough, Locke immerses you in its neighbourhood’s culture through spaces that connect you to a community of like-minded locals and travellers.
– 168 studios and suites at Leman Locke, London
– 72 studios and suites at Eden Locke, Edinburgh (opening June 2017)
Humans of New York: Stories By Brandon Stanton is as wonderful as the Humans of New York blog. Already famous, Brandon was even invited to the White House to interview the president, this book is both life-affirming and heartbreaking. I just loved it. Many of the stories stick in your mind, some for their tragedy, others for their humour. Common themes run through the book and Brandon has made great effort to make the book cohesive. The photography is as great as the structure. Many of the people in the book will not leave you, their stories resonate for their beauty and honesty.
Humans of New York started off as a blog project Brandon Stanton wanted to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. The first Humans of New York book (based on the blog) immediately catapulted to the top of the NY Times Bestseller List. It has appeared on that list for over twenty-five weeks to date. The appeal of HONY has continued to increase substantially, with over 12 million followers currently on Facebook.
Brandon’s dialogue with people on the streets of NY, has increasingly become as in-depth, intriguing and moving as the photos themselves. Humans of New York: Stories presents a whole new group of humans, complete with stories that delve deeper and surprise with greater candour. Let Brandon Stanton and the people he’s photographed astonish you.
Brandon Stanton is the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Humans of New York as well as the children’s book, Little Humans. He was a 2013 Time magazine “30 people under 30 changing the world” and an ABC News Person of the Week. In the summer of 2014, the UN chose him to travel around the world on a goodwill mission that had followers meeting people from Iraq to the Ukraine to Mexico City via the photos he took. He lives in New York.
The search for the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015 begins
L to R, from the 2014 Award: Heather in Bloom, North York Moors by John Robinson and Sunrise at Winnats Pass, Derbyshire by Sven Mueller
Entry for the ninth annual Take a view Landscape Photographer of the Year Award is now open and entrants have until July 12 to submit their photographs of the British landscape. The Landscape Photographer of the Year is one of the world’s most exciting photography awards and the brainchild of renowned landscape photographer, Charlie Waite. The competition is open to everyone, with a special class for those younger than 17, and each entrant can submit 25 photographs across four categories. There is a prize fund worth £20,000, including £10,000 for the overall winner and additional prizes within each category.
As in previous years, an exhibition of shortlisted and winning entries will premiere in the late autumn. Previous locations for the annual showcase have included the National Theatre and London Waterloo Station. Shortlisted entrants will also be published in stunning coffee-table book Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 9,published by The AA, and described by The Times as a ‘coffee-table staple’.
Last year’s winner was Cumbria-based photographer Mark Littlejohn, who won with an enigmatic shot of a mountain stream in Glencoe, Scotland.
The Landscape Photographer of the Year is unique in that is celebrates the United Kingdom only, offering photographers worldwide an opportunity to showcase their images of Britain. From stark moorland to angular cityscapes, and from rocky coastlines to lush woodland, Britain’s remarkable landscape and volatile weather provides generous material to fire the imagination.
Photographers living outside the UK are encouraged to enter and there is a special prize offered by the competition’s sponsors for the best image from an overseas entrant (The Countryside is GREAT award).
The 2015 Awards are being held in association with VisitBritain and Countryside is GREAT. Jasmine Teer, VisitBritain’s Photography Manager, said: “Photographs that showcase the best of Britain play a vital role in VisitBritain’s mission: to raise our profile and inspire people all over the world to come and experience this beautiful country. We are very proud to support the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards and hope that, as part of Countryside is GREAT, we will encourage not only UK entrants but photographers from all over the world.”
Awards founder, Charlie Waite, added: “Now, more than ever, I think we are realising how important the British landscape is to our wellbeing. The feeling that we get when we shut the office door and escape to a green space, whether it be a small park or a vast mountain, is unique and of vital importance. Our landscape is a place in which to breathe and to create.”
Entries for the Landscape Photographer of The Year competition are now open until July 12, via www.take-a-view.co.uk. This year’s competition is run in association with Visit Britain and Countryside is GREAT.
This famous mom photographer shares her secrets with Frost Magazine and SmugMug.
Last year, Elena Shumilova took photos of her sons as they played by the Russian countryside. She uploaded the photos online, they started getting shared, and shared again… until they became a viral sensation, with over 60 million views.
These photos hit something magical all across the Internet — a sense of nostalgia for a childhood past. She even started getting letters from people in their nineties, saying the photos moved them to tears.
As parents, we instinctively want to take photos of our kids. We’re trying to preserve this brief slice of time before they grow up. But when we take our kids to professional photo studios, the results can end up looking stilted and unnatural.
We want to remember our kids as they actually are — not with the forced smile a stranger coaxed out of them at the studio, but with the real smiles and giggles they share with us every day.
How can we capture natural photos of our kids, the kind Elena seemingly has a magic touch for?
Elena has mostly been quiet since her photos have gone viral, undistracted by all the media attention. Instead, she focuses on raising her kids and continues to photograph them every day.
Given how quiet Elena has been, we are excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at her in action.
5 Tips to Get Better Photographs of Your Kids
1. How to get your kids to look natural, not “posed.”
So you catch your kids in the perfect moment — they’re outside playing and laughing, the lighting is just right, and you see this perfect picture you want to capture. You rush to get out your camera, but then…
They see the camera. They stiffen up. They start posing. The moment is lost.
What do you do?
When photographing children, the single most important thing is to photograph them often — every day.
You can’t just do it sporadically, or they’ll freeze up as soon as the camera comes out. Consistency is key. That way they’ll be comfortable around the camera.
It’s these everyday scenes that you want to capture — the ones you’ll remember best when they grow up.
To get the most genuine photos, I try to catch them in the moment — when they’re playing with each other and have completely forgotten about the camera.
Here they’re playing “airplanes,” a game we also play together at lunchtime when they’re feeling picky about their food.
2. The types of clothes that work the best.
I follow a pretty simple rule: clothes shouldn’t be distracting. They shouldn’t take attention away from what’s happening in the photo.
For such a simple rule, it’s harder to follow than you might think. Kids’ clothes today are designed to grab your attention—with bright colours, cartoon characters, and writing all over them. In photographs, all this takes attention away from your kids.
When I started pursuing photography seriously, I actually replaced all their outfits. This took quite a while to do, but now I know that anything I pull from their closet won’t interfere with the photo.
3. How to best capture kids of different ages.
Newborns A lot of parents have asked me about this photo — how did you get your one-month-old to look so calm? Infants are notoriously difficult to photograph because they’re often crying or fidgeting.
Here you’ll have an advantage as a parent. I’m his mom. I’m around him 24 hours a day, and I know when he cries and when he doesn’t. Let your parenting instinct help you choose the right moment.
The Golden Age: Ages 2–4 Something I noticed while photographing many children, including my own, is that there seems to be a universal age when kids are the most photogenic.
That seems to happen between ages two and four.
Kids around this age behave very naturally. They don’t care that someone is looking at them, they don’t care what others think, and they don’t care that a camera is pointed at them.
They aren’t yet self- aware. And so, they’re free.
Ages 5 and Older It gets a bit more difficult when they’re older. As early as age five, they start to become more self-conscious when the camera comes out. They start to pose.
The key here is to be very patient. Let them play while you disappear into the background. My best photos always happen at the end of a photo shoot, when my kids have forgotten all about the camera.
4. How to get good photos of your kids with pets.
Just like people, every animal is different. Some pets like to be photographed, and others don’t.
Because every pet is different, there isn’t a magic formula for this. I spend hours observing our farm animals, figuring out how they move and what angles work best for them — just like I would for people.
I’ve also tried bribing pets with food, but it doesn’t work. It’s almost impossible to get a good picture when they’re chewing or licking their paws. So I’ve learned the hard way not to feed our pets during photo shoots.
With animals, you have to rely on a bit of luck — and constant patience.
5. Don’t give up.
This is the most famous photo I’ve taken. It’s been viewed over 10 million times — but I almost didn’t bring my camera that day.
Before I took this photo, my confidence was at a pretty low point. I had tried for a photo of my son and dog 14 other times — not 14 other photos, but 14 full photo shoots, all failures.
I was convinced that my hands were too clumsy, or my dog was not the right dog for it, or my kid was not the right kid for it. I was just feeling desperate that day and didn’t even want to bring my camera.
But something told me to bring it. And on that fifteenth day, it all just came together.
This dog of ours is now famous — but he’s not all that photogenic from most angles. He’s actually a pretty difficult dog to work with. From the previous 14 photo shoots, I’d learned what angles and body compositions work for him and my son.
It‘s easy to get discouraged. It’s easy to think, “Oh, why bother, it won’t work anyway.” And it may not for the first 14 times. Those 14 photo shoots weren’t failures though, because I learned from them. And they’re what made the fifteenth one possible.
Don’t give up.
Rather than creating high-pressure elaborate setups, observe your kids in everyday simple situations. Do it every day. Bring your camera along.
And then — when the right moment comes along — you’ll be ready.
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us; the time where it’s customary to celebrate the love of our lives in ways that truly matter. If there was ever something invented to capture a woman’s heart, then its jewellery and its things that sparkle. In the 21st Century, flowers and chocolate can only ever be the ‘bubble wrap’ to something with bigger, deeper meaning. For the 21st Century woman size doesn’t necessarily matter but quality does. Some of the sharp readers amongst you may have seen the title and thought the spelling of King was some kind of typo, but it is in fact the name of a new and upcoming artist K.ing with her latest jewellery Collection “Diamond K.ing”. A brand with an outspoken mandate in that it promises to treat each and every wearer as a Queen.
Model: Frances Lane Jewellery: K.ing Photography: Active 8 Images
Diamond K.ing is the gemstone of Inga Klabyte, who chose to employ everything that life threw at her to polish and reveal her inner diamond. Now under the artistic name of K.ing she makes a living by helping others to do the same. I find it astonishing to think that out of all the different types of companies one could create, the one she chose was jewellery making. However upon meeting her it is easy to see why; just like a diamond, the brand K.ing embodies and accentuates all her key strengths. For example, the number of hours that Inga puts into each design, the immaculate attention to detail which goes into each and every piece and the importance that she places on having each piece unique to the wearer.
The value of not taking things for granted is reflected in the “Diamond K.ing” logo. What appears to be a playing card of the ‘King of Diamonds’. Possession of this card can mean the difference between winning and losing and is essential in a hand of ‘Royal Flush’. In the same way K.ing jewellery is designed to be truly exclusive to the wearer and that absolute possession of the wearer is essential.
Model: Meriely Araujo Jewellery: K.ing Photography: Active 8 Images
I find myself pondering on why since time began jewellery has held such an elevated position with the sole purpose of making someone feel special. Why, Inga sparkles even talking about it, she truly believes that every woman is a Queen of someone’s heart and should be treated as such. Listening to her I find myself drawn off into a different world that as a man I had never truly appreciated: “Jewellery is the Queen of every woman’s wardrobe, it’s the jewel of Queen’s crown. There is no Queen with no jewels, simple as that. The truth is women love a good fairy tale crowned with dream come true relationships promising a sparkling future. If you manage to wake up the Sleeping Beauty inside her, you are and will always be her Prince Charming. So is she “Her Grace of Lace” like Queen Victoria or irresistible Scheherazade of “One Thousand and One Arabian Nights”? Is she romantic “Queen by Nature” or your personal Muse of “Eternal Inspiration”? Is she “The Conqueror of Your Heart” like Cleopatra or simply “The Fairest of Them All”?
“When I was a child, I saw people treating my mum as someone ordinary, when to me she was Special, a one off, someone who could never be replaced. From that moment K.ing was almost born to say: “You are the Queen of my Heart”.
Hence K.ing started out by making her mum feel special by creating unique pieces hand-made especially for her. Her mum must have been deeply touched as she took K.ing straight to Arts college entrance exams. This was followed by a Degree in Visual Arts and a Masters in Arts and Cultural studies as well as work placements all over the world. While specialists may have thought she was ‘Ace’ Inga knew she was actually a ‘K.ing’ by proving that everyone can be special and should be treated as such. There’s something in that message for everyone out there who questions their own uniqueness.
Today, Diamond K.ing is limited edition, unique wear. It is bespoke in that it is created directly for the wearer with your choice of metals, certified diamond cut Swarovski Element Crystals in all colours. There is also a ready-hand-made collection ready for you to take home or order to be posted to you straight away. The whole Collection is also there for you to rent for specific events so that you too can be feel like a celebrity on night out or even in your own home.
I have to admit I am smitten by the collection, seeing Swarovski Crystals Elements which have a unique sparkle and brilliance magnified by a choice of gold and silver. Looking at the various sets there is almost an endless variation of colours, shapes and sizes that range from earrings, to bracelets and necklaces to headpieces that can only be found at Diamond K.ing.
At a moment like this being a typical man, one’s thoughts turn to cost. I ask the question; expecting to hear rhetoric along the lines of ‘if you have to ask then you can’t afford it’. Instead, her response is much less faint inducing. For individual unique wear her prices are incredible, the smallest pieces start at just £20 and can go up to ten or hundred times more depending on the project in mind.
Why diamond-cut and not diamonds? “Genuine Crystal Jewellery has got more advantages to me as an artist and a woman than the offcuts of diamonds found on the high street. If a man brought me a diamond big enough to being able truly appreciate it though I would feel obliged to call the authorities, the price people paid for diamonds, and not only monetary, is far too high, I am a Queen with a heart and I chose not to work with diamonds who are associated with pain not love. That’s why I love what authentic diamond cut Swarovski Crystal Elements stands for.”
So what was the reaction to Diamond K.ing’s wares? Well, Jewellery was invented to conquer woman’s heart and that is exactly what K.ing does. The reaction of her other customers was evident; each woman’s eyes lighting up, instinctively reacting to the sparkle and wanting to touch and try on the items.
Inga smiles at her customers with real genuine sincerity “I’ve never seen a woman who is not a “jewellery person”, even if some said so at first. She breaths in, her chest and chin rises and her eyes start sparkling more than any man-made jewel; especially when time is taken to match the jewels to her inner character, her dreams and her aspirations for the future.”
When you put it like that I have to agree, even if just for one day where all the other distractions and mandatories of life are put aside, Valentine’s should be like the fairy tale your loved ones deserve. If there is a dream worth chasing then it should be the one where we all live ‘Happy Ever After’ the closer we can get to making that fantasy a reality the brighter the future can only be for us all.
So, have you got a Queen of your Heart?
Are you looking for the ways to keep the sparkle in her eyes?
This amazing gadget is perfect for taking landscape pictures or group shots of you and your nearest and dearest. It allows you to take 240 degree panoramic shots with your smartphone. Perfect for budding photographers or just to take great family photos.
The Panoramic Pod is a handy accessory that enables you to take 240 degree panoramic shots with your smartphone. It takes the shot over a 25 second timeframe, so it’s perfect for taking breathtaking landscape photos or fitting all your friends or family in huge group shots. The device comes with a tripod mount and is compatible with Apple and Android smartphones. – A.D.
Out of all of the things to get right on your wedding, the photography is very important. Why spend all of that money and not capture the day properly. Your wedding photographs will be something that even your grandchildren will look at. The pressure to get them right can be tremendous.
My husband and I got very lucky. I met Emma-Jane at a press event and she was an easy choice as our wedding photographer. Talented, friendly and professional. She wasn’t just a photographer on the day, she was someone who was calm and unflappable, she was endlessly helpful and managed every crisis that came her way. She has a great eye and her pictures are just stunning.
She took this picture of me. She managed to capture the light perfectly.
I can’t stop gushing about her. Emma does other photography and has been in Tatler, Hello and this magazine you are reading now. She is endlessly talented and I can recommend her for any photography project you have, including the one on the most important day of your life.
