The Groom had asked for the whole day to be relaxed and laid-back, however there was always the possibility that relatives may ask for some formal shots of the couple as mementos so I wanted to get the balance ‘right’. 

Aside from some debate about how to tie a cravatte, no flash allowed in the church, and a few showers we were blessed with a beautiful day.  The Best Man remembered the rings, people laughed at the right times throughout the speeches and photos were taken of dodgy dancing in the evening.  All-in-all a great day.

“They either love it or they hate it.
If they love it, they will always love it.
If they don’t, they may learn to appreciate it,
but it will never become part of their soul.”

That’s a bit heavy, so moving to the other extreme, here’s the popular way of explaining the rules (they are actually laws, but let’s not be pedantic) to an american:

“You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
Each player in the side that’s in goes out and when he’s out he goes in and the next player goes in until he’s out.
When all the players are out then the side that’s out goes in and the side that’s in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.
Sometimes you get players still in and not out.
When both sides have been in and out, including the not outs, that’s the end of the game.”

Regardless of whether you are into cricket or not, this is a photography blog so back to the plot.  I’ve played for my local team for the past twenty years but it was only last season that I actually got round to taking some shots of them in action.  This was at a ‘fun day’ competition which enabled me to get up close and personal.

I have a vague memory of cigarette packets (not mine!) containing sports cards which used to look something like the following.  Feel free to correct me!!!

I went there with an open mind about what I’d shoot and how it would influence me, but with it being a grey, cloudy day the outside immediately struck me as foreboding and stern.  As with most buildings  of this age, it was adorned with massive door furniture that helped to enhance its solidity.

As a photographer I love to seek out the unusual as opposed to the obvious.  Quite often this involves concentrating on parts of things, and upon entering the church I was drawn to the organ and the beams.

Recognizing the purpose of the building I wanted to capture some of its spirituality and calm.

I hope you enjoy what you see, and if you have any comments or gossip please let me know.

Thanks for stopping by.

Graham