Magical

Even though it’s been over a year since this magical day, it remains as one of my favourite weddings ever!

I had never been to Applewood Weddings before, and when I first saw the venue I was absolutely gobsmacked! It really was the most beautiful woodland setting, with fairy lights everywhere you looked.

Not only was the venue just so beautiful, but it has to be said that Kate looked absolutely breath-taking too. She was the coolest, most down-to-earth bride ever, rocking her white wellingtons throughout the whole wedding day. Now that is my kind of bride!

Kate & Mark were just the loveliest couple to spend the day with. It just so happens that they’re both bloody gorgeous as well! They did such a brilliant job with bringing everything together. Sonia, the celebrant, delivered the most beautiful, personal ceremony I have ever heard! Then throughout the evening, the boys from 24 Live kept everyone entertained with their music. They really are amazing these two, and if you’re looking for a band for your wedding I can’t recommend these guys highly enough!

The day was topped off by a ‘build your own’ pizza van! I thoroughly enjoyed mine on the drive back to Harrogate..

Such a magical wedding from start to finish.


A first class wedding

Lou and Sam got married in the university where they first met! Their wedding was one of those days that made me so happy to be a photographer.

Bridal prep was a whole lot of fun. 6 girls and a whole load of Prosecco. You can imagine it was a rather eventful morning!

It was clear from the start that it was going to be an emotional one. Lou walked down the aisle with Tom, her son, by her side. I’ve never seen a bride and groom grin so much upon seeing each other at the end of the aisle!

I must say, Lou & Sam’s first kiss was the most emotional I’ve seen all year. Once they were officially married, they stayed in an embrace together as if there was no one else in the room. Since editing the pictures, I actually got a bit choked up! (I can’t help it, I’m such a sucker for things like that).

The wedding ceremony was held at York St John University. You’ll notice from their gallery that we did a photo of them sat on a bench together. This was the bench they were sat on when Sam realised for the first time that he was in love with Lou. So beautiful!

After Lou and Sam’s wedding, I was one very happy photographer indeed!


Happy birthday Maya Maya!

Maya Maya has been up and running in Kendal for 11 years. Owned by the fabulous Amanda Slattery, last year they relocated the Wainwright’s Yard. To celebrate a year at the new premises, they had a blow out party for all their lovely loyal customers with lots of free Prosecco. What more could you want?!

It’s always an absolute dream to do a photo shoot in the Lake District. I was actually born in Kendal and lived there for the first few years of my life, so I jump at any opportunity to go back up there. I really don’t go there enough; it’s pretty much one of my favourite parts of the world!

The day itself was really hot and sunny, which was a bit of a treat for the Lakes! Maya Maya has the most beautiful big windows, lending itself to fantastic lighting throughout the whole of the shop. All the staff dressed up as Marilyn Monroe for the day which was rather amusing, and certainly caught the attention of some passers by! All the girls get on so well as a work force which really is lovely to see.

What a treat to be able to photograph such a fun event. Here’s to many more years of successful business for Amanda and the team!


A winning photoshoot

For so many years I’ve wanted to do a shoot on the beautiful cherry blossom walkway in Harrogate. I would absolutely advise a visit if you’ve never seen it, particularly when the sun’s shining!

I decided to launch a competition for my Facebook followers to win a free family shoot on the stray. The number of entries absolutely blew me away; it seems it’s not just me who loves a competition! I selected 10 finalists at random, and asked each of them to tell me a funny or interesting story about their family.

My winners were Robyn, Jonathan and their two lovely children. Robyn and Jonathan were at nursery together when they were only 2 years old. They lost touch for 17 years before finally meeting again when they’d both finished school. I thought this was such a lovely story, especially since they are now married with 2 beautiful children of their own.

I was thrilled when the sun came out for the shoot! It was a lovely early morning filled with lots of laughter and running around. The kids certainly kept me on my toes, and it was lovely to get some pictures of just Robyn and Jonathan together, too.

All in all, a lot of fun, and possibly the most colourful shoot I’ve ever done!


Keeping fit

When I was asked to photograph a shoot for Brasilfit, it was a bit of an unusual one for me – having never done a shoot for a clothing brand before, I was so intrigued and wanted to find out more!

The shoot brought trades together from all across Yorkshire, and it was so lovely to meet and work with so many amazing creatives.

I really enjoyed the shoot because it was more of a lifestyle setup than anything else. We wanted to get a nice combination of the girls in action along with some more casual shots. I felt we hit a really nice balance between the girls on a treadmill and lifting weights, with having a chat and a coffee.

It’s exciting to see the final images on the Brasilfit website, which you can check out here:

https://www.brasilfit.co.uk

Clothing – Brasilfit UK
Organisation and marketing – NIMA
Video – Vidaveo
Photography – Lily North Photography
Models – Elise Evers and Deborah Hirzel
Make Up – Amy George Make-Up Artist
Locations – Joe’s Kitchen, York, Swift Fitness York, Hiscox York


La Ville Lumière

When my best friend suggested we went on a trip to Paris, I can’t say I took much convincing.

Paris was the first holiday I’ve ever taken my DSLR away with me. It has to be said that it’s my pride and joy, so (perhaps) I’ve been a little over protective! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities on the planet and not take my camera.

Being an ultimate tourist, that I couldn’t leave Paris without getting a long exposure shot of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately for me, when I was lying on the floor in a puddle to keep my camera still, it didn’t seem like a great idea at the time! Looking back, I’m so thrilled with the photos that it was so worth it. The rain wasn’t going to stop me!

On our last day we got up at sunrise to see the Sacré-Cœur which was incredible. I will happily admit that my pictures absolutely do not do it justice how beautiful it was to see the sun rise over Paris. For a photographer, that’s rather embarrassing, but also a fitting tribute to the true beauty of the city.


The Nosh Boss

A day of baking, photography and eating; what’s not to love?

In early 2016 I was asked to photograph an up-and-coming food blog. The Nosh Boss was set up to focus on recipes and ideas that are both approachable and inspiring. This project was the first time I had used my new toy, the Canon 5D Mark III (otherwise known as Shanon the Canon!). More than a year on, and the novelty has still failed to wear off.

Spending the day cooking, baking and eating is certainly my kind of work. Shot in a modernised farmhouse in the outskirts of Harrogate, there was something about the beauty of the house that somehow managed to make the food look even more delicious.

The shoot covered a range of desserts, main meals and little tricks that readers of The Nosh Boss may wish to recreate themselves.

Take a moment if you can to give the blog a quick look. You may even surprise yourself by what you learn. Did you know, you can make pizza dough using nothing but yoghurt and flour? Life changing.


Where it all began

Summer 2015. Harlow Carr in the summertime is paradise for any photographer. From the age of 11, I have spent so many weekends there photographing the flowers and wildlife.

The thing I loved most about nature photography was that the shot was always so beautiful. I suppose in a way it was an ‘easy’ way to create amazing photography. Looking back, that’s now the thing I dislike the most about nature photography! I think it’s fair to say that nowadays I enjoy a bit more of a challenge!

4 times a year, Harlow Carr in Harrogate plays host to en exhibition of local artists. It displays everything from photography and watercolour paintings, to handmade cushions and cross stitches. I visited the exhibitions as often as I could as I have always loved anything handmade. It’s so important to support local businesses too!

I was fascinated by the nature photography, and couldn’t help but compare it to my own. This was the first time I actually believed that my own work could be good enough, so I got in contact with the events organiser, and was accepted for the following exhibition later that year.

The exhibition was so exciting. It was an absolute honour – if not a little nerve wracking – to have my work displayed for everybody to see!