This is me! I'm not often on that side of the camera ;-)
Hi there, I'm Cat, pleased to meet you!
I hope that we can meet in person soon, but to give you some background about me - I have been a professional photographer since 2010, having followed my dreams and left the corporate world to set up my own photography business. I love to photograph a wide variety of subjects and work with many commercial clients as well as weddings. I'll be your photographer on the day and I also work with two other fantastic photographers, Carli and Sue - more about them below!
If I ever have any spare time, you will generally find me walking my very slow dog, Thomas the chow chow, or painting. I have always loved to paint as well as take photographs, and at the moment I am a bit obsessed with painting abstract pictures of molecules. Ask me about it sometime and I'll bore you with the details! I also love to use my collection of battered old film cameras - having grown up using film I still have a soft spot for the medium and collect old SLR and medium format cameras from junk shops. When time and money allow I also love to travel, I spend as much time as I can eating gelato in Italy - I would love to shoot a wedding there one day!
I also love (in no particular order).... my other half, dogs (especially chow chows), art galleries, electronic music, dahn yoga, a really good gin and tonic, books, dreaming, snorkelling, cooking, having somebody else cook for me, ice cream, science, marmite, earl grey tea, proper decaf coffee. You can see some of the things that I love in the things that I spy gallery.
A note about the logo - the logo is actually based on a painting I did of the Oxytocin molecule. Oxytocin is the hormone we release when we are in love, or cuddling with our children and pets - it's a wonderful but complicated molecule!
How we work and some FAQs
I understand that budgets are tight, so I will work out a package with you that will suit your pocket. You can see our packages but they are all flexible and can be fiddled with as much as you like until you are completely happy - don't be afraid to ask!
'What's your style?' - I prefer the natural, reportage style of photography - it means that you and your guests can relax and enjoy your day, while I blend in and take candid shots of everyone having fun. We do make sure that we get any and all of the group shots you want for the album as well, but most of the photos will be candid and flattering, showing your guests having the time of their lives.
Just the two of you - shortly after the ceremony I will whisk you off for 20-30 minutes to take the first photos of you as a married couple. It will give you a breather from everything and time to catch your breath and realise that you did it!! You got married dudes!! (You will also get some pretty nice pictures!)
'But I hate having my photo taken' - Honestly I'd worry if I didn't hear this at some point! Nobody really likes having their picture taken (even my dog hates it - what's that all about?!) - I don't really understand why that is, but I know I hate seeing pictures of myself so I totally understand how you feel. Don't worry though, I'm quite a nice person, we'll maybe even have a bit of fun! - you won't even know I'm there half the time and when we do some posed shots I'll tell you what to do, so have a glass of something bubbly, relax and enjoy your moment! I want to make you look and feel at your best in every shot after all.
'Do you have a second photographer?' - Yes I work with two photographers - we have worked together for ages - they are both fabulous, and I would highly recommend them! (I second shoot for both of them at weddings as well - some of the photos in the gallery are from joint weddings). Having two photographers means that we can be with both of you before the ceremony, and you will get two viewpoints throughout the day so you won't miss a thing. We have a very similar way of shooting and complement each other really well - having two sets of eyes and four cameras ensures that you get the best views and don't need to worry about anything going wrong.
'Do you have backup?' - Oh yes! I bring two cameras, each shooting on two memory cards so if one should fail, there is a spare. I download and backup all of your photos straight after the wedding, and when they are edited I keep all of the files and two sets of back ups for six years in case you need extra copies.
'Do you do video?' - I don't personally shoot video, but I do work with a couple of videographers who I would highly recommend if you'd like a creative movie of the day.
'How do we start planning? - Before the big day I work with you both to put together a plan to make sure that I get all of the shots you've dreamed of, and to make sure that I am always in the right place at the right time. I meet with you at least once at the wedding venue so that we can work out where we will get the best pictures. I also like to bring my camera to the venue so that we can take some lovely pre-wedding shots for you to use on your save the date cards, facebook or just as a keepsake. I find that photographing you before the wedding helps me to give you an idea of what to expect on the day - we can go through some poses so that you feel comfortable with the camera (and with me) when it counts.
I also like to set up a personal Pinterest board for you to share pictures that you really like, and I can share my ideas with you - we can get some great ideas for poses and picture styles together!
'What happens if it rains?' - Well, thanks to the glorious English weather we always always have a wet weather plan so that if we aren't able to get outside for photos we have plenty of other options indoors so you don't have to get wet (of course if you would like some fun pictures of you splashing around in wellies and your wedding outfit that's absolutely fine as well!). I always check the weather forecast in advance as well so we'll know roughly when and if it's likely to rain and we can fit in a quick rush outside for pictures when it's dry. Remember that a wet knot is harder to untie - rain on your wedding day is said to be a good omen!
'When will I get my pictures?' - After the wedding I will share some shots with you after a few days so that you can enjoy them on your honeymoon, but the full edits usually take between 6-8 weeks. I will then set up a private online gallery here for you to share with your friends and family, and we can discuss album designs as well if you choose to have one. You will receive an individually designed USB with all of your edited images (I don't limit the number of pictures you get - there will be loads!) and a small selection of prints. I am always happy to help with print and designs if there are any other products you would like to create as gifts for your family!
If you have any questions I haven't answered, please just yell, or if you would like to go further, take a look at our packages and then get in touch to arrange a no-obligation meeting.