A few weeks ago I had the awesome privilege of photographing the wedding of Lucinda and Luke over in Huddersfield.

The entire day was held at the lovely Old Golf House Hotel.

The day started with bridal prep - which was the usual mix of fun and the awkwardness of a strange man taking pictures of people getting dressed!  After getting over the confusion of everyone calling the bride a different name, we had more fun than awkward though.
Pretty soon the couple's girls came in to keep us all on our toes too!

The time flew by, and before you knew it - it was time for the main event.
Luke was waiting patiently (and a little nervously) at the end of the aisle waiting for his bride.  As you can see from the photos - he had his hands full too!
His wait was worth it though - pretty soon Lucinda appeared and she looked absolutely stunning.
The registrars did their thing, and pretty soon the vows were spoken, rings were on fingers and the blessing was sealed with a kiss to the cheers of everyone there.
The happy couple left the room as man and wife. 

A very smiley, happy husband and wife!

The rest of the day blew by filled with love, happiness, smiles, laughs and hugs.  And a few more kisses.  And a few more drinks!  There were also some pretty emotional speeches thrown in to bring a few tears to the eye.  Not mine though - I just had something in my eye...


There was some pretty awesome dancefloor action squeezed in at the end of the night too!

Congrats to you both guys - your day was absolutely awesome.

Here are a few snaps from their day.

After seeing lots of articles the last few weeks regarding the 75th anniversary of the crash landing of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in Sheffield, we decided to head on down there for a little family walk and visit the spot dedicated to the 10 USAF Airmen that lost their lives that day.

The story has garnered lots of media attention recently, after a journalist spotted Tony tending the memorial and listened to his story.  Posting the info on social media, the attention received was staggering and a memorial flyby was held on the 22nd February - 75 years after the crash in 1944.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get to visit for the flyby, but about 10,00 others did - including relatives of the air crew.  The sight must have been awesome!

Tony had been playing in the park with friends that day, as the battle damaged B-17 bomber appeared low over the rooftops searching for a place to land.  Seeing the children on his hopeful landing spot, the pilot eventually crash landed in the trees, resulting in the loss of all on board.  The pilot, Lieutenant John Kriegshauser, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery in minimising the loss of life through his actions.
The 'Mi Amigo' was returning from it's mission to Aalborg, Denmark, where it had come under attack from German Focke-Wulf fighters - resulting in heavy damage and 3 mortally wounded crew members.  The pilot and copilot managed to navigate back to England through terrible weather conditions, but suffered engine failure over Sheffield, forcing them to land.

Tony has tended to the crash site since 1953, after learning the significance of the crash and how the pilot had spared the children's lives at the expense of their own.  In 1969, a memorial was built by the RAF to honour the airmen.  Tony has selflessly tended to the area almost daily ever since.

On our visit, we'd been at the memorial for only a few minutes before Tony himself approached us through the trees.  We weren't expecting to see him, but we were so glad we did.  It was an honour to shake the hand of this gentleman.
He also posed for a photo with my little Sea Cadet, who wants to join the Navy when he's older.  Such an awesome memory for him to treasure.

When asking about Tony's personal wreath laid at the back of the memorial, he told us that that's also the place reserved for his ashes to be laid when he passes.  That certainly brought a tear to the eye.  What an amazing man.

A few more snaps.

We left Tony to be interviewed once again and carried on our little walk.

Endcliffe Park is a lovely place to visit.  Even on a gloomy, rainy February day (typically it was red hot the day before we went!)

For more info on the place, click HERE.



Some more snaps from our walk.

Gear used: Fujifilm X100F

The weather's been miserable again, but we donned our jackets and went deer spotting for an hour to get out of the house.

I'd only recently learned that these were close by, so stuck the camera in the bag and went for some snaps. 

These were a bit rushed - as my 4 year old is not the most patient companion, so hoping to return soon for some more.

Gear used:  Fujifilm XPro2, 50-230.

Following on from last weeks duties, today saw my little Sea Cadet took part in the South Elmsall Armistice Day Parade.
The day started with a grey gloomy sky, which soon turned into a good ol' British drizzle.  All the representing cadets were outstanding regardless of the weather.  The mix of uniforms was a sight to behold as they marched down the main street. 
Sea Cadets, Army Cadets, Air Cadets, Yorkshire Rose First Aid Society, Town Council members, Royal British Legion and local schools all paraded proudly and brilliantly accompanied by the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band and escorted by a solo RBL Rider.  (Apologies if I missed anyone).

And here, in all their glory, are our outstanding Sea Cadets.  Proud parent time for all of us watching.

David Lee Evans
Father
Son
Husband
Brother
Marine

26/3/1972 - 11/4/2018

A few weeks ago I had the awesome privilege of shooting the wedding of Luci and Mark over in Leeds.

There was no bridal prep, so it was straight to Leeds Town Hall to get down to business.
Mark and a few guests soon arrived, so we had a nosey round the place to check out the room and take a few snaps.  Time soon ticked on, so everyone was ushered into the room before the Bridal Party arrived.
Pretty soon the door opened and the happy couple's two little girls made their way down the aisle before the bride.  I don't think Mark stopped smiling all the way through!
The registrars got down to business, readings were read, vows were spoken and rings were exchanged. 
And of course - kisses were kissed.

The happy couple walked out man and wife.

The day had been raining on and off all morning, so we all huddled under the canopy for a few snaps before making our way down to the reception venue.

The rest of the day was held at The Tetley.  A massive 30's art deco building that originally headquartered Tetley's Brewery.
The drinks were soon flowing, the smiles were still beaming and the kids were soon off on an Easter Treasure Hunt.
After dinner and speeches, the evening guests soon arrived, cakes were cut and the happy couple led the way onto the dancefloor.

Oh, and I kept dragging them outside for a few photos along the way.

A perfect day.  Congratulations Mark and Luci - you guys were awesome!

Here are a few snaps from their day. 

We've not taken the kids anywhere for a while, due to illnesses and other pesky things, so on Monday we jumped in the Adventure Mobile™ and headed over to the coast.
We spent the day between Flamborough Head, North Landing and Thornwick Bay.
It was a ridiculously foggy day - at some points on the way there, visibility was about 20 feet in front of the car!  We made it in one piece though, and proceeded to spend the day the way we always do at the seaside - walking on the beach, throwing stones in the sea, eating too much food and moaning about car park prices.  Well, that last bit might have been just me...
The fog did roll out at one point towards the end of the day and we got a good 20 minutes of blue skies before it came rolling back in again.  Along with the start of the rain!

I also never knew there was a Castle at Flamborough.  I must have driven past it a hundred times.  It is a pretty small stack of stones in a field though - with no signs or info to show for it.  Regardless, I went with all intentions of taking a few snaps - only to find it covered in scaffolding. 
Typical!

Anyway, we had a top day out and, as usual, I took far too many photos.

Here's the snaps. 

Gear used - Fujifilm X70

My final wedding of last year was another lovely local one that had me nipping down the road to the town we lovingly call Ponte-Carlo (well, it's a better nickname than it's neighbouring Cas-Vegas!)  I was heading once again to the lovely King's Croft Hotel for the wedding of Sharon and Barry.

The day started with the usual terrorized-women-trapped-in-a-room-with-me bridal prep.  They were less camera shy once the beers started coming in though!  ;-)
It was all a good laugh and the time soon flew by, so I quickly popped downstairs to see the groom while the dresses were going on and before you knew it, it was time for action!

I'd never met Barry before, but Sharon had given me a detailed description - "he looks just like he does on the wedding cake!"  I'm not gonna say whether he did or not, but I found him easy enough...  Well, he was stood at the end of the aisle wasn't he?!

The bridal party soon made their way in, followed by (a pretty emotional by this point) Sharon.  I love seeing this much emotion at a wedding - it gave me a bit of a lump in the throat too!
The Registrar soon got down to business and before you knew it, the vows had been said, rings had been shared, kisses had been kissed and cheers were all round.

After lots of handshakes, kisses, tears and hugs later, we nipped outside to brave the cold for a few snaps before heading back in for the Wedding Breakfast - after some pretty emotional and awesomely funny speeches!

The rest of the evening was good-ol Yorkshire knees up - everyone was having a good time, the drinks were flowing, the kids were running and chins were wagging a plenty.  After a few more photos and the cake-cutting, the happy couple were soon dancing round the floor like no one was watching.  They were soon joined by more, the band were in full swing and the love carried on into the night.

Oh - it was Barry's birthday too!  Happy birthday mate - it was definitely one to remember!

Thanks for having me guys - you were both awesome!

Here are a few photos from their day.

My second to last wedding of last year had me nipping down the road to Doncaster for the wedding of Danielle and David. 

The day started at the couple's home for the Bridal prep - another room full of women for me to terrorise by pointing a camera at them!  It was all good fun, and the time soon flew by.  Wasn't even any nerves showing ...  So far. 
Midway through the prep I walked a hundred yards down the street to the Groom's parents' house and grabbed a few shots of the fellas getting ready too.  In typical men fashion - this took about 3 minutes flat!
Back to the Bridal party and dresses were all on and pretty soon the car arrived.  A pretty awesome stretched New York Checker cab.

Convoy to the venue time.

The rest of the day was all held at Castle Park - the home of the Doncaster Knights Rugby Club.

After a quick snap of the Bridal Party, I scampered inside to find David patiently waiting at the end of the aisle.  Looking rather nervous I must say!
He needn't have worried - his beautiful Bride-to-be soon followed the bridesmaids down the aisle to take her rightful place by his side.  Time to get down to business!
The vows were soon spoken, rings were exchanged, kisses were kissed and smiles-for-miles were the order of the day!  Maybe one or two tears too!

After kicking us out while the room got flipped, we braved the cold and went outside for a few snaps.  The low winter sun was pretty brutal, and the grounds aren't the greenest place for portraits, but we managed to sneak a few in.

It was soon back inside for an afternoon of food, drink, dancing and love.

And a few more drinks.  A proper good old Yorkshire knees-up!

Thanks for having me guys - you were both awesome!


Here are a few snaps from their day - 'The One Where They Got Married'.

With the weather turning for the worse, we jumped up at the first sign of a non-rainy day, threw our big coats on and jumped in the car to have a little trip to look at the local Wentworth follies.  I talked about the follies on THIS blog post a while back, but hadn't really had a chance to check them out until now.
I love autumn.  The colours, the leaves - everything is a photographer's dream. 

The first stop was Hoober Stand.

Hoober Stand is a pyramidal tower that stands just shy of a hundred feet on a little hill at roughly 157 metres above sea level.  Construction was completed in 1748 and was to commemorate the quashing of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion.
And it looks awesome. 
I love pyramids and angled buildings.  Shooting this from the side reminds me of one of my favourite buildings in New York - the Flatiron Building.  The setting where it sits is also quite nice.  My kids love the woods and there was a nice little bit of woodland here for them to go crazy in.

Next stop - Needle's Eye.

The Needle is just down the road from Hoober.  A quick 150 yard walk up the footpath from the roadside brings you right to it.  It looks pretty bizarre, a sandstone pyramid just sitting at the top of a little rise on it's own. 
I do love a pyramid though!
The story behind this one is a little vague.  It was apparently built in the mid-18th Century for the Marquis of Rockingham to win a bet that he could drive a horse and carriage through the eye of a needle.  Measurements confirm that it would have been possible - so that brings a little bit of merit to the story.  Rich folk have far too much time and money on their hands if you ask me!
There's also a little part that made my missus get a good case of the goosebumps - along one side of the pyramid are a grouping of musketball holes at head and torso height, suggesting that this may once have been a site of an execution by firing squad.

Next stop - Keppel's Column. 
On the way we happened across a field of Highland cows, so obviously had to stop for a few snaps.  A snorting big shaggy cow is a pretty awesome sight when it's a foot away from you.  I'm glad there was a gate in the way!


The Column is a 115 foot tower built to commemorate the the acquittal of the court-martialled Admiral Augustus Keppel after the Battle of Ushant.
The tower sits on another hill, not quite as high as Hoober, but still a pretty good viewpoint.
The tower is in a bit of a sorry state.  Not open to the public anymore, but it still stands tall and impressive on the rise. 
This one is basically 'park at the side and take a photo'.  The kids didn't even get out of the car.


And that's the follies!  Here are a couple of snaps.

Gear used:  Fujifilm X70 with the WCLX70 fitted.

A few weeks ago I had the awesome privilege of shooting the wedding of Rebecca and Jamie at the beautiful Wentbridge House Hotel.  This was a super cool wedding for me, as I've known Bex for about 30 years (my God that makes us sound old!) We lived in the same village and went to school together when we were kids.  There were also a fair few old school friends at the wedding too - which always makes for a fun day. 

The entire day was held at the hotel.  We started off with the usual Bridal prep, and, as usual - there were far too many people squeezed into the room!  It was all good fun though - with plenty of kids to keep us all on our toes.  Rebecca didn't really have chance to show any nerves - as a hairdresser, she was pretty busy getting everyone else ready.  And there were a fair few hairs to do!

I also managed to get some Groom prep too, as the fellas were just down the hall.  The lads' prep was easy though - we basically had a bottle of beer while they put their shirts and ties on.  Although Jamie did spend a good 15 minutes blow drying his hair!  ;-) 

Pretty soon is was time for business, so we got downstairs for the vows.

Jamie was looking a bit nervous at the front, but the nerves soon turned to smiles as Rebecca came down the aisle with her Dad.  And I have to say - she was looking radiant.
We got down to business, and pretty soon the vows had been said, rings were on fingers and kisses were kissed.  There was a fair bit of smiling and laughing going on too!
There was also a beautiful ring presentation for little Betsie. 

The deed was done - time to get out into the sunshine for some photos! 
The blue skies were a breath of fresh air - it had been throwing it down all day up until that point!

It was soon time to head in for food and speeches.  Rebecca's Dad's speech pulled at the heart strings, Jamie's raised a few chuckles and the Best Man's brought some proper laugh out loud moments!

The rest of the evening was good old family fun, laughter and love.  We jumped back inside for cake cutting and first dance, followed by all the girls on the dancefloor.  Then it was back outside for more laughs and a bit of a sparkler walk. 

And then more laughs.

A pretty awesome day.  Thanks for having me guys - you were amazing!


Here are a few pics from their day.