September 2008

Hi, I am Jenny Tonkin and this is my first blog posting. My website should be up and running within the next couple of days (go Tim!), but in the meantime I thought I would get the blog going.


It's been a busy month so far with sorting the website out and working as well.

At the beginning of the month it was off to sunny Devon. Not so sunny at the start of that particular weekend though. We had to drive through a number of flooded roads before reaching Sidmouth. Anne and Don had very kindly booked us into the lovely Kingswood Hotel with a room overlooking the sea front and after a bracing walk I made my way to the Victoria Hotel, which was to be the venue for the Golden Wedding celebrations the next day. I feel it is important to always visit the venue before an event. Not only do you have the chance to introduce yourself to the staff, but it is an excellant opportunity to look around and assess the location and the lighting. After all, if it is pouring of rain you cannot take photographs in the garden!

We were incredibly lucky with the weather the next morning, sun shining, not too much wind and lovely and warm. Family photographs were taken outside in the gardens of the hotel and informal, candid shots were taken throughout the rest of the day. The Victoria Hotel has so many lovely large windows that the lighting was so good, I was able to use my Canon IS lenses without flash for the majority of the celebrations, even when it started to pour with rain outside.

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of photographing a 'pre-wedding' shoot for Lisa and Paul who are getting married in Maidenhead in November. We had made the arrangement for Saturday morning after the weather forecast had given a sunny day. What did we wake up to? Thick fog! We decided to take the plunge and up to the woods at Maidenhead Thicket we went. I am so glad we did, the sun shone through and what a beautiful morning it became.

Lisa and Paul pre Wedding Photograph Maidenhead Thicket

Part of the reason for doing a 'pre-wedding' shoot is to help the 'bride and groom' get used to a camera clicking away in front of them. I think Lisa and Paul would both agree it worked. Paul admitted he had been quite nervous beforehand, but they both got used to me very quickly. I am really looking forward to photographing the wedding, these guys are going to be so much fun!