Hey, welcome to the first edition of my newsletter. I’m so glad that you are here.
This month, I’m sharing about a run-in that I had with a vicar, a review of my Sony a9III, and one change to my website that has had a big pay-off.
NO HATS PLEASE
It’s always a little nerve-racking meeting the vicars and the like before photographing church wedding ceremonies. You never know how disagreeable they are going to be. Generally, I find they dislike photographers.
Recently, I shot a wedding in my parents’ home town of Harlow in Essex and here’s what happened.
I was in the middle of capturing the vows when this church warden decided to air a grievance with me. That’s right, the vows were being made.
The warden approached me with a death scowl on his face and gestured at me with his finger as if to say ‘come here now’. I thought, wow, this must be pretty serious to stop me from shooting the vows…
So, I came over, and he then reprimanded me in the hearing of the guests for wearing a hat! I kid you not.
As a consequence, I was out of position for the first kiss, and I missed it by a long shot.
This was one of those times when I just had to bite my tongue, remain professional and get back to work.
What would you have done in this situation?
My thoughts on the SONY AIII after one year in use
First off, I’m not a Sony fan boy- there are many things that I miss about Nikon…
I’ll happily shoot with anything; those of you who have been on my documentary wedding workshop will know that I think the camera is just a tool, it’s how you use it that matters.
But the Sony A9III has helped me as a photographer and in my business in a few ways, and that’s largely due to its global shutter. You can get my thoughts on the Sony A9III after one year HERE.
ATTRACT AND REPEL
One change that has made a big difference to my business this month has been to change my ‘hero’ image on my website.
My home page used to feature a good image – it was a fun moment between a bride and groom, and it had won a Fearless Award too, but perhaps it was a little ‘safe’
I wanted to try a more polarising image.
A few days later, I received one of the best enquiries. Here’s what the couple said ‘When we saw a photo of a bride falling down the stairs, we knew we had to speak to Nathan.
The couple went on to book me to shoot their wedding next year.
How’s your ‘hero’ image? Does it best connect with your ideal couple?
If you want me to view your portfolio and website, you can book a power hour with me below:
Book a portfolio / website review
BEHIND THE SHOT
I’ve won a couple more awards this month. I thought I’d share a little about this one from the last round of Photographers Keeping it Real, which is one of my favourite documentary wedding photography competitions. It was photographed at a wedding in Nottinghamshire at the start of 2025
Sometimes, it pays to look beyond what’s right in front of you (speaker addressing the bride). This was only after I had bagged the ‘safe’ or expected shots.
I loved the contrast between the engaging speaker, gesturing with his hand, and the completely disinterested child 😂
In the edit, I cropped out the speaker’s face to provide anonymity so that the photo would cause no embarrassment to the speaker if the photo were widely shared.
If you are thinking of entering any awards, let me know. I’d be happy to make a short video review of your entries for you to help you impress the judges.
Cheers, Nathan
Liked this? Read Newsletter II
P.S. When you’re ready, I’d love to help you grow your photography business. Feel free to check out my wedding photography education page for details
