Neil Redfern Photography Blog - Wedding Photographer in Manchester & Cheshire

New blog now live at www.neilredfern.com/blog

2009-04-04T12:32:00.004+01:00

...and I'm really pleased with it!

You can visit the new blog here: www.neilredfern.com/blog

Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment to the "Welcome to my new blog" post.

New blog on the way...

2009-04-02T08:48:00.003+01:00

I am currently working on a new blog which will be a huge improvement over this one.

The new blog will allow me to display much larger images (the images on this blog are far too small), is much more flexible in terms of how I can customize it's layout and rather than being hosted separately to my main site, will be on the same domain as my main website.

The new blog should be ready in the next few days - watch this space!

New Facebook Group

2009-03-18T17:07:00.003Z

I have set up a new Facebook group called 'Neil Redfern Wedding Photography'.

I'll be posting some of my favourite wedding photographs to the group as well as adding news updates and client comments etc.

I have set the group up so that anybody can comment on the photographs I add and post on to the group's wall. Quite a few of my photographer friends have already joined so it will be interesting to see what comments they receive!

The group is open to everybody so, if you are already on Facebook, please feel free to join by following the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73154597585&ref=nf

Hope to see lots of you there!

Manchester Town Hall Wedding Photography Slideshow

2009-03-15T21:57:00.026Z

The slideshow above contains a selection of photographs from a wedding I covered at Manchester Town Hall on 27th March.

The bride and groom, Fran and Richard, are friends of mine so it was an honour to cover their special day for them.

I will post some more shots from their wedding soon.

Feedback from Oaklands Hotel wedding - Zoe & Andrew

2009-03-09T18:27:00.007Z

I received a lovely comment yesterday from Zoe and Andrew, a couple whose wedding I photographed last November at the Oaklands Hotel in Cheshire:

Hi Neil

We are over the moon with our wedding album, it is fantastic and very well finished. All the family loved it, and have been round showing it off to all of the neighbours. You did an amazing job on the day, getting everybody organised and into position very efficiently. We loved your friendly service, and attention to detail thoughout the planning and on the day. I am so pleased we chose you for our special day and have already recommended you to a few friends of ours that are getting married soon.

I have posted a selection of my favourite photographs from Zoe and Andrew's wedding below. You can view more photographs from the wedding by visiting the portfolio section of my website - www.neilredfern.com

Zoe and Andrew - many thanks again for asking me to photograph your special day. It was a pleasure to work with you both and I wish you a very long and happy marriage together.

Belle Epoque Wedding Photographs - Anna & Peter

2009-03-02T21:35:00.008Z

Last month I covered the wedding of Anna & Peter at the Belle Epoque Brasserie in Knutsford.

It was a lovely day and as the wedding took place the day after Valentine's day so there was definitely romance in the air! Anna and Peter are such a lovely couple and it was a pleasure to work with them and be part of their wedding. The ceremony itself was one of the most emotional I have covered, making for some lovely photographs.

The Belle Epoque is a beautiful wedding venue, very cosy and intimate but with lots of character. I have another wedding there in a few weeks time and I am certainly looking forward to going back.

Anna & Peter - thank you again for asking me to cover your wedding day for you, and for making me feel so welcome.

Here are some of my favourite photographs from the wedding:

Norton Grange Hotel Wedding Feedback from Karen & Gary

2009-02-19T02:31:00.011Z

As I mentioned in an earlier post I was the photographer for my sister Karen's wedding in October last year at the Norton Grange Hotel in Rochdale. Although Karen and her husband Gary have thanked me personally, Karen also sent me the lovely comment below last week. Congratulations again Karen and Gary - you are perfect for each other!!

We always knew the photographs from our wedding would be important to us, but I did not expect them to become so very precious. They are so much more than just photographs as they capture all the emotion of the day so you can relive each moment when you look at them. We have sat together looking over them again and again and never get bored!

As Neil is my brother, I felt incredibly selfish having him take our photographs, but I knew nothing else would compare. I looked at other wedding photographers on the internet and at wedding fairs to try and not ruin the day for Neil, but I just couldn't find anything that seemed as perfect.

Neil's professionalism is phenomenal (controlling a crowd of 150 guests champagne fuelled guests must be no easy feat!), but he made sure every photo we asked for was taken. It is of no surprise to myself or Gary that Neil was recently won his SWPP wedding photography award, every photo captures a moment rather than a image.

Feedback from The Stanneylands Hotel Wedding

2009-02-12T00:39:00.007Z

Following the feedback I received earlier in the week regarding a wedding I covered last year at the Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, I received another lovely email yesterday from Hannah and David, a couple whose wedding I covered towards the end of last year.

Hannah and David got married at The Stanneylands Hotel in Wilmslow. This is a lovely venue and a lucky one for me as each time I have worked there it's been a warm sunny day!

Hannah and David were such a great couple and were extremely relaxed on their wedding day which made for some lovely shots. To Hannah and David - thank you very much again for asking me to cover your wedding, I wish you both the very best for your future together.

Here is the thank you message they sent to me:

"Hi Neil, My husband and myself are extremely happy with the service you provided on the day of our wedding, you was considerate, creative and professional. The photos were unique and made the most of the setting we had on the day. Lucky for us all, the weather was amazing and that showed through on the photos. the package you offered was exactly what we were looking for (having CDs of our photographs so we could print the images ourselves) and the coffee table book was a nice way to remember the day. Overall the service you provided was wonderful."

Feedback from Chancellors Hotel wedding

2009-02-08T23:16:00.007Z

I received a lovely thank you email last week from Sam & Rob, a couple whose wedding I covered last year at the Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre in Fallowfield, Manchester.

The Chancellors is a lovely venue, especially when the weather is nice as the grounds are the back are simply stunning, as you'll see in the photograph below. Luckily for Sam and Rob the sun was shining on their wedding day and everybody had a great day.

Sam and Rob are a lovely couple, extremely friendly and were great to work with. I wish them the all the very best for their future together. Here's the kind comment they sent to me:

Hi Neil, just wanted to say thanks again for the fantastic wedding pictures. The album you put together is a lovely memory of our special day. We had so many great pictures to choose from, we were spoilt for choice when putting it together! On the day itself, we hardly noticed you were there, you did such a great job of blending in, yet still managing to capture some great moments. We chose you as our photographer as you did such a great job at our friends' wedding and we weren't disappointed.

Stay informed by subscribing to my blog!

2009-02-01T19:37:00.006Z

Anybody can now subscribe to my blog, either by using the subscription facility on the top right hand corner of my blog or by clicking the link below:

Subscribe to Neil Redfern Photography Blog by Email

By subscribing you will be notified by email whenever I add a new post to my blog.

Subscribing only takes a few seconds so I hope lots of people do!

Bring on the wedding photography!

2009-01-28T18:35:00.005Z

Over the past month or so I have put a lot of effort in to the administrative side of my business - meeting with banks to open up a new business bank account, working through my accounts, hiring an accountant and finishing my new website. All this has been very beneficial (and needed) but all I want to do now is get back to actual wedding photography!!

Attending the SWPP convention a couple of weeks ago (see the post below this one) was a great experience (especially winning my award for wedding photography) and very inspiring, but again just made me want to get out there and photograph a wedding.

Luckily I don't have long to wait now as my next wedding, which is at the Belle Époque Brasserie in Knutsford, is only a couple of weeks ago and then they come thick and fast until the end of the year - bring on the photography!

I am the Overall Winner of the SWPP Member's Wedding Photography Competition 2008

2009-01-21T19:34:00.012Z

I am pleased to annouce that on Sunday evening I was named the Overall Winner of the SWPP Member's Wedding Photography Competition.

The award was presented to me at the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photogarphers) Annual Awards Dinner held on Sunday evening in London. The dinner was held during the SWPP's six day convention which sees photographers from all over the world converge on the Novotel Hotel to attend numerous photography seminars, classes and a large trade show. Over the 5 days the convention attracted over 12,000 visitors!

Unfortunately I was only able to attend the convention for part of the Saturday which was a shame as I would have loved to have been there longer (I broke down on the M25 whilst traveling ot the show but's that's a whole other story!). There were a host of great photographers speaking at the event including Joe Photo, Kevin Kubota, Jeff Ascough, Mark Seymour and Jose Villa. With over 400 people in the room, the awards dinner itself was a great experience.

Numerous awards were handed out including 15 category winners from the SWPP monthly competitions and an overall wedding photographer of the year award. My own particular award was voted for by the SWPP members on the society's forum; each week members were invited to submit their favourite wedding image within a particular category with each of the weekly winners going forward to the annual vote - of which my image came top.

I also found out that I also came third in the Traditional Wedding Photographer of the Year Award, obviously it would have been lovely to win this also but I am more than happy with the award I did receive!

I have posted my winning image below, together with a photo of me collecting my award on stage from Jon Jenkins. What a great start to 2009!

New website now live on www.neilredfern.com

2009-01-05T23:52:00.008Z

As of tonight I am pleased to say that my new wedding photography website is live on www.neilredfern.com

My old site is currently in the process of being transferred to www.neilredfern.net (should be completed in next 48 hours), I will keep the old site up temporarily but will likely take it down in the next few weeks.

The feedback I have received so far on my new site has been very good so far but if you have any comments please do let me know!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T22:33:00.006Z

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year.

I'm really looking forward to 2009, I have lots of great weddings coming up (including my own!) at some lovely venues. I also have a number of exciting marketing ideas and additional offerings which I plan to introduce this year so it should be an exciting 12 months...!

So, to all my clients and friends - I wish you all the very best for 2009.

Thought I would post a photograph of Michelle and I from New Year's Eve, don't worry though, I'm not planning on wearing this to weddings...!

Wedding Photography Showcase 2008

2008-12-08T11:20:00.010Z

2008 has been a great year for me. I have photographed lots of great weddings, including my first destination wedding in Cyprus. The couples I have worked with throughout the year have all been lovely and have made my job so enjoyable, so thank you to each of you.

I have also launched my new wedding photography website this year (www.neilredfern.net) which will be taking over from my existing www.neilredfern.com domain in the New Year.

The slideshow above contains some of my favourite wedding photographs from the year. To view the slideshow just click on the icon in the middle of the frame.

Many thanks again to all my clients for making 2008 such an enjoyable and successful year for me, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. Neil

Photographs from Norton Grange Hotel Wedding - October 2008

2008-12-05T22:57:00.014Z

On 11th October this year I covered a church wedding in Failsworth which was followed by a reception at the Norton Grange Hotel in Rochdale, North Manchester. However, this was no ordinary wedding for me as the bride was my sister, Karen!

I have covered a number of weddings now for close friends but this was the first time I had photographed a wedding for a member of the family. In some ways knowing the bride and groom so well can actually make things harder from a photography point of view; it isn't as easy to blend in to the background and take natural shots when the majority of the wedding party know you and it can seem strange for the bride and groom to be posing for somebody they know so well. However Karen and her new husband Gary were great and were more than happy to pose for me without falling in to a fit of giggles every time!!

It was a lovely wedding and everybody, including me, had an amazing day. I even managed to have a few drinks myself once the speeches were over...!

Despite the fact Karen and Gary were reluctant to ask me to take their photographs because they wanted me to be able to relax and enjoy the day I'm really pleased I talked them round because I was really happy to be able to give them their photographs and album as a wedding present and I wouldn't have wanted anybody else to do it.

Congratulations again Karen and Gary, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together. Neil

More photographs from Karen & Gary's wedding can be viewed on my new website - www.neilredfern.net

Gold Award in SWPP Monthly Competition - Wedding Traditional Category

2008-12-02T20:26:00.004Z

I was pleased to learn today that I have been awarded a Gold in the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) monthly competition.

The photograph which received the award was a reworked version of a photograph I took earlier in the year.

This is the second gold award I have received since I started entering the competition in April this year but it is my first in a wedding photography category so I'm very pleased.

My aim for 2009 will be to get at least 6 golds within the wedding photography categories, it won't be easier but I will be covering weddings at some lovely venues next year so I'm confident I can do it!

Feedback and Wedding Photographs from Liverpool Town Hall's Bride of the Year 2008

2008-11-25T08:38:00.011Z

In August this year I photographed the wedding of Elizabeth & Austin at Liverpool Town Hall.

Shortly before the wedding Elizabeth had been named the Liverpool Town Hall Bride of the Year 2008 and whilst we were taking the formal group photographs the Mayor of Liverpool made time to say hello to Elizabeth and Austin in person and, much to everybody's surprise, present them each with a personalised bride and groom "superlambanana". The Superlambanana has become the unofficial symbol of Liverpool during the Capital of Culture Year and Elizabeth loved them so she was obviously delighted with the gift!

I recently received this lovely note from Elizabeth and Austin thanking me for their photographs:

To Neil,

Thank you so much for the amazing job you did at our wedding. We love the photos so much that our only problem was choosing our favourites! Everyone has commented on how lovely you were and how fantastic the photos are. We can't wait to see the album.

With thanks and best wishes, Elizabeth & Austin

It was a pleasure to work with Elizabeth and Austin, they really are a lovely couple and I wish them all the very best for their future together. I have posted below some photographs from their wedding - including the Mayor of Liverpool presenting them with their Superlambananas!

New blog address - www.neilredfernblog.com

2008-11-18T00:11:00.004Z

Just a quick update; my blog (which you are reading now!) now has a new, alternative domain name - www.neilredfernblog.com.

The blog can still be accessed at www.neilredfern.blogspot.com but as this address doesn't exactly trip off the tongue I thought it would be worthwhile getting a new address that would be easier for people (including me!) to remember!

Neil

Strictly Come Salsa - Photographs now online

2008-11-16T17:50:00.005Z

Following my recent posts I am pleased to confirm I have just uploaded all the photographs from Shameem & Mat's Strictly Come Salsa dance event from last Saturday in Whitehaven.

To view the photographs please click here and use the password: whitehaven (no capital letters)

If you were at the event I hope you like the photographs! Prints of the photographs can be purchased direct from the website.

Strictly Come Salsa - Update

2008-11-14T01:42:00.003Z

Following my post earlier this week I have nearly finished sorting and editing all the photographs I took at Shameem & Mat's Strictly Come Salsa event in Whitehaven last Saturday and all the photographs I took at the event will be available on my website by the end of the weekend.

I will post a message on here once I have uploaded all the images so please check back over the next few days.

In the meantime here are a few more of my favourite images from the night...

Staffordshire Wedding Client feedback

2008-11-11T02:23:00.007Z

I received some lovely feedback recently from Louise and Jonathan, a couple whose wedding I covered earlier this year in Staffordshire.

Louise & Jonathan were great to work with and I wish them both lots of luck in their future together.

I've added a few of my favourite photographs from their wedding below:

Strictly Come Salsa!

2008-11-09T13:54:00.005Z

Last night I covered Shameem and Mat's 'Strictly Come Salsa' event in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

I really enjoyed covering the event and it was a great night. The event was a 180 ticket sell-out and Shameem and Mat should be extremely proud of what they have achieved since starting their Salsa classes a year ago. Their show dance last night was simply amazing!

I will be uploading the photos I took at the event to my website later this week. Once they are uploaded they can be viewed here: www.neilredfern.com/salsa the password for the gallery will be: whitehaven

For more information on Shameem and Mat's 'Salsa Studio' please visit their excellent Salsa Studio website

October SWPP Awards Results

2008-11-09T13:46:00.006Z

The results were recently released for the October competition last week and I was awarded three silvers and two bronzes. This is quite a good result but I'm quite disappointed that I didn't get another gold as I thought a couple had a very good chance. The image below (entered in Wedding Contemporary) was one that I thought was perhaps deserving of a gold but it received a silver. Oh well, always next month!!

Gold Award in September 2008 SWPP Competition

2008-10-03T18:03:00.005+01:00

Firstly - I must apologise for the fact I haven't updated the blog for so long! Things have been so hectic with weddings and portrait sessions in the past couple of months, whilst I'm also building my new website.... no rest for the wicked!!

I'm also conscious that I haven't updated the images on my website for a while with none of my recent weddings being on there. This should be rectified when my new site goes live in the next few weeks.

Anyway I was pleased to find out this week that I was awarded a Gold award in the latest SWPP monthly competition. Unfortunately, not for a wedding image (which I would have preferred - instead I was given a silver and two bronzes for the wedding categories) but for a shot I took of a seagull a couple of weeks ago. Here it is: