How I shoot the dancefloor fun

Photographing the dancefloor action has always been one of my favourite parts of a wedding… and no, not because once I’ve shot that I can go home!

I genuinely love the spontaneous and action-packed images I get from this final part of a couples big day.

wedding dancefloor photos

Everything from hunting out the shot, to just coming across a random and funny moment, it really is a documentary photographers dream. Not to mention the fact most people have got so used to me being around by that point that I’m either treated like one of the family, or ignored because they know I’m just doing my job and getting on with capturing all the fun.

For the evenings my kit selection is very simple. I’ll use a two camera, two lens setup. One Sony a7iv with the 35mm GM lens attached, and the other Sony a7iv with a wideangle lens (either a 20mm if I feel the guests can handle me getting really close! Or the 24mm lens if I don’t want to go quite so wide, or quite so close).

With the 35mm GM lens I will shoot all the images wide open at f/1.4 and really capture the atmosphere of the evening by making the most of the light getting in, and just shooting with available light. On the other camera however I will attach my tiny Godox TT350 flashgun and flash away at my subjects!

I also have my 3rd camera which has my Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lens on it, and if I see an interesting scene/moment from distance I’ll quickly grab that and snap an available light shot.

My settings on the camera with the flash gun will vary depending on the effect I want to create, and also how dark or light the dancefloor is. Some venues really do a great job when it comes to lighting up the dancefloor, and some are as dark and dingy as a dodgy nightclub!


“The evening is generally the first and only time on a wedding day where I will pop the flash on my camera”


Not every wedding venue/dancefloor area is the same, but my base level for the camera settings is nearly always the same. On my cameras I have assigned different flash settings to my custom buttons. This was honestly a game-changer doing this, and I would urge any photographer that finds themself faffing around on a dark dancefloor at a wedding to do the same. On the Sony a7iv there are 3 custom setting options on the top dial, and I have mine set as follows…


CUSTOM ONE

1/30 SEC - ISO 800 - F/8 - This I like to call my cutting the cake shot option. Such a boring and simple setting, yet gets the job done.


CUSTOM TWO

1/10 SEC - ISO 1600 - F/8 - This is the my slow(ish) shutter speed setting I like to use where I know I can get visible shutter-drag images. (Blurry lines and all that jazz!)


CUSTOM THREE

1/2 SEC - ISO 800 - F/8 - It may not seem a lot slower than custom 2, but it really can produce a very different effect.



I love having these set up and pre-dialled into my camera as it means I’m not messing around on the dancefloor looking at my camera as if I’ve never held it before! The more time you spend messing around with your kit at a wedding the more amazing photos you’re going to miss.

As far as the settings on my flashgun are concerned, I keep it very simple. I nearly always use TTL and let the flashgun do the hard work! I’m getting really close, firing with direct flash (not bounced, I never bounce flash, I just don’t like the look it gives), so only need to light up the person/people that are about 3-6 feet in front of me… I don’t need strong flash power.

If after a few shots I feel the people are being lit up too much i’ll just pop the flashgun into manual mode and play about with lowering/reducing the output setting. Normally starting at around 1/32 power.


MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR SHOOTING DANCEFLOOR

1 - When shooting with direct flash get close… then… GET EVEN CLOSER!

2 - Don’t be afraid to go really slow with the shutter speed to get more creative and extended light trails.

3 - If you think you’re annoying someone by flashing away too much… you almost definitely ARE annoying them! Stop, and move on.

4 - When shooting using available light make sure you keep an eye on your shutter speed. You may be able to handhold a camera at 1/60sec, but the people in the scene may be too blurred at that speed. Unless thats the look you’re going for of course!

5 - Take breaks. Some couples book me to just stay until a few songs after the first dance. Others want me there until last orders!

If I’m shooting the dancefloor for a long period of time I always make sure I take a break so I’m not just flashing the direct flash in guests faces constantly. It also allows me to take a break after a bloody long day of working my arse off!

JUST HAVE FUN!

My final piece of advice is to just have fun! Everyone else will be. If you’re stood around looking serious, or worst still, looking grumpy, chances are your photographs are going to carry that energy too. I don’t mind admitting that by the evening time I very often have a bottle of beer in one hand, whilst wandering around with a camera in the other.

My couples get it, they want me to relax, they want me to be having fun like their guests. They’ve no doubt seen me working really hard all day, know that my day is nearly over, and want me to celebrate with them. Yes, I am lucky to have these sorts of clients, but it’s years of hard graft, and me showing the kind of work I want to shoot that has got me to this position.

Just have fun, enjoy yourself, get involved on the dancefloor instead of creeping on the outskirts of it, and you will come away with some fantastic evening shots.

Below is a gallery of some of my favourite dancefloor photos. You may even spot a few outside dancing shots… Taking the dancefloor out into the open!

As with all my camera/photography related blog posts, this is just how I shoot, and what works for me. This blog post is barely scratching the surface of a huge part of a wedding day.

If you’d like to learn about shooting the dancefloor in more depth from me, or ANY part of the wedding day, please get in touch or take a look at my 1-2-1 wedding photography training days.

Brympton House, Somerset

“From the moment we saw Ed's work, we wanted him to be our photographer, as the way he captures photos is like no other.

After speaking to Ed on our initial video call we were completely sold and booked him within the hour. In fact, we paid the deposit before even signing the contract, that is how much we wanted to save our date! Ed is so personable and passionate that we knew we had to have him capture our wedding day.

Communication throughout the wedding planning was super easy and Ed was always on hand to answer questions if we had any. We were telling all our friends and family about our amazing photographer for months and on our wedding day, they could all see why.

Ed was a total legend to have around, he put everyone at ease and was exactly the style that we were looking for. We were able to spend around 95% of the day with our guests and dancing the night away yet he still managed to take the most stunning photos that we will cherish forever. We cannot thank Ed enough for all our photos, we received SO many!! More than we could have ever imagined and on the day it didn't even feel like he was there!

If you're looking for a laid-back, chilled out, kind, funny, passionate legend who delivers stunning photos somewhere between Rolling Stone and Vogue magazine then Ed is your guy!

We hope this isn't the last time that Ed captures a special moment in our lives as we wouldn't go to anyone else.

Thank you so much, Ed. You're the best!”

- Thalia and John

Break from the chaos - how i shoot wedding day portraits

Here we go, strap yourself in, and expect to NOT be blown away by anything you’re about to read!

Or at least thats how I see it. After all, It’s the only way I can shoot them.

A simple (and brief) explanation to my ridiculously relaxed and carefree approach to shooting portraits on a wedding day.

I totally understand how from an outsiders perspective (that of a wedding guest even) it may look like the couple have hired an absolute amateur that has no idea what he’s doing. No plan of action. No real structure. And no real concern that I’m often making a bit of a dick of myself. Anything to get the shot… that’s how I see it!

I simply cannot work any other way. If somebody was to give me a shot list, or even worse, a bunch of posed photos they’d seen on Pinterest, my head would explode. The creative side of my brain wouldn’t know how to function, and I would no doubt shut down.

For me, going into the portraits part of a wedding day has to be fun… and I’m talking about selfish fun. I don’t just want my couple to be having fun, I want to be having fun too… I need to be having fun to produce good photos. What’s the point of working for yourself if you’re not having fun?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not spending 15 minutes making god-awful dad jokes. Believe me, my memory is so shockingly bad that I can’t even remember a single joke! I’m shooting the portraits with an open mind, no clue what might happen, but always with a strong emphasis on making sure my couple are relaxed, happy, and want to be doing the portraits.

I’m essentially making it up as I go along. (VERY DIFFERENT TO WINGING IT!). If I was winging it I wouldn’t know if it was going to work or not, and that would be risky. I know from years and years of doing this, and shooting over 600 weddings, that this works for me.

How do I do this? Its pretty simple, and its just common sense. I don’t take a photo, or even raise my camera until I’ve chatted to my couples for a minute or two. I’m treating them with respect and am fully aware they are currently going through one of the weirdest and sometimes most stressful days of their lives! Hence why I’ve called this blog post break from the chaos… thats exactly what I feel the couples time away from their wedding party is when they slope off for 15 minutes with me and my camera.

The key to a successful 15-20 minutes of portraits (or however long you take them away) is to make sure the chaos doesn’t spill over into the portraits!

Too often in the past I’ve heard stories from couples where they were at a wedding at they had to witness a bossy photographer take their friends away for the couples shoot, and talk to them like it was a one hour intensive photoshoot for a lifestyle magazine. This sounds like hell to me! Just my personal opinion. But I could not take a couple away for an hour on their wedding day. The day goes so fast, and that time is precious.

WHEN TO DO THE PORTRAITS

As wedding photographers I feel the timing of the portraits shoot is one of our most important decisions we make on a wedding day.

Again, its common sense, I judge a good time to approach the couple through nothing more than gut feeling. Honestly! There’s no secret, no certain time… I don’t even really care much for golden hour. I’ve shot plenty of portrait sessions in golden hour in the past, but the couple weren’t feeling it… they just wanted to be with their friends on the dancefloor. And I get that… and I don’t blame them!

We need to remember as photographers that its NOT our day, its our clients. And thats what they are… clients. They paid us, trust us, want us to take the best photos… they don’t want to be interrupted and taken away from their favourite song on the dancefloor with all their Uni mates.

GO WITH YOUR GUT!

My thought process on a wedding day is very simple… couple are happy… I’m happy… photos will be cool! It works, and I’m not saying this is a “works for all” approach, it most certainly isn’t, but for me, someone with very little patience, someone that like to work fast and have lots of fun on a wedding day, it works!

You might be into forward planning, love having a detailed brief, working from a shotlist, and thats fine. If that works for you, and you love the results you’re getting, keep doing it!

But if you’re really struggling with the portraits part of the day I urge you to maybe use my technique. Just go with your gut for when you approach the couple to take them away, chat to them to relax them before you start shooting, and just don’t give a shit about making a fool of yourself. Don’t obsess over perfection, shoot LOADS and look out for those genuine in-between moments of joy and fun… trust me… the shots will come, and everyone will be happy with the images.


BELOW IS A SELECTION OF COUPLE PORTRAITS THAT SHOW JUST HOW RELAXED I LIKE TO KEEP IT…

I put it out there on Instagram for photographers to ask me some questions on this interesting topic, and here they are… along with my answers.

All anonymous of course!

How much guidance are you giving?

Very little.. honestly! I’m just chatting to the couple to make them feel relaxed around me before I start shooting. If I don’t think they look particularly happy or slightly stressed for any reason, I’ll just be a decent human being and ask if they’re alright! Trust me, couples relax if you just show compassion and understanding towards their nerves and fears. They will soon be put at ease if you ask them that… and you will then be able to do the portrait shoot as well as possible.

Posing women who have told me they are uncomfortable with their weight, and I think they look fab, but they feel like they look horrible in every shot?

If I’m made aware of this, either by a bride telling me they don’t like their appearance, or I can actually spot it as a concern with my own eyes, then I just do the polite thing and shower them with compliments. Its their wedding day, they need to be told how amazing they look!

Have you got any ‘get out of jail’ prompts? I know the type of couple I don’t gel with as I’ve got older.

Very often my only prompt is “walk to that tree… turn round… and walk back together hand in hand… and look like you like each other” :)

Seriously, that works for me. And if said in a fun manner, and not in a dead-serious instruction with a straight face, then you should be good to go!

Some of my couples have zero energy! Some people are really stiff and struggle to follow instructions. I absolutely love doing the portraits, but not with people that are unable to get into the groove of the shoot?

This is where I find making a fool of myself works. I know not everyone is into acting the fool, but for me it comes easy (I don’t know if thats a good or a bad thing!). I’m not talking about reeling off a string of jokes, or pretending you’re a comedian on acid, I just mean don’t take yourself too seriously, try to get their true personality out of them. And if that doesn’t work… then maybe THAT is their true personality.

I always like to meet my couples on a Zoom call the week before a wedding, and often at the time of booking too, so I’ve already done the simple groundwork on finding out about them and working out how they may possibly act on the day. My couples are attracted to my work because I bombard their eyes with fun and happy photos all over my social media and on here on my website, so I’m in a fortunate position where I don’t get couples that have zero energy or are dead serious. So maybe you need to look at the kind of people you’re attracting through your advertising and website.


So thats it… sorry its not rocket science, particularly in-depth, or even a industry secret!… but it generally is just a case of making people feel comfortable, and not taking over their day. It really is as simple as that. And my wedding photography totally revolves around simplicity and not over-complicating things. Let your expensive camera do the hard work, you just concentrate on connecting with your clients before the wedding day, and definitely on the wedding day itself!

If you did learn something from reading this long ramble I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or DM me on Instagram and we can chat :)



And if you’re keen to learn more, or are interested in taking part in one of my 1-2-1 training days click below!

WHAT I TAKE TO PHOTOGRAPH A WEDDING - 2024

Cameras + Lenses



3 x Sony a7iv camera bodies, one with the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM lens (my most used camera/lens combo), one with the Sigma 85mm ART DG DN f/1.4 lens, and the third body with the Sony 24mm f/2.8 G lens.



Why 3 cameras and 3 lenses?

Pretty simple really, I absolutely hate changing lenses on a wedding day. The thought of missing an amazing shot because I’m faffing around in my camera bag trying to sort through lenses scares the hell out of me. These mirrorless cameras and lenses that are made for Sony cameras really aren’t that heavy, and the harness I wear distributes the weight so evenly I really don’t mind carrying this much around.



Godox Lux Junior retro camera flash

Small, light, discreet, this compact flashgun is perfect for getting up close to people on the dance floor without blinding them!



Also pictured - Pentax K1000 35mm film camera with 50mm f/1.7 lens.

This year I’m gifting all my wedding couples a roll (or 2 maybe!) of 35mm film shot through this gorgeous camera. I used a Pentax K1000 when I was at college in the 90’s learning photography, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to see what I produce from shooting film at weddings this year.



(I go into more detail about the cameras and lenses further down this page).



Holdfast Skinny Moneymaker harness. I’ve had this for something like 8 years / 8 wedding seasons and it still looks brand new. I find this harness the most comfortable way of shooting a wedding day with two cameras hanging off me!

2 x Peli SD case (one to hold my empty formatted cards, and one to hold my used (shot on!) memory cards.

Vanguard battery holder/pouch. This holds 4 Sony batteries inside the pouch, as well as a zipped compartment that holds 4 more SD cards (in case I use all the ones in the Peli case). It also has two compartments on the outside that hold 8 batteries (spares for my flashgun).





(NOT PICTURED - BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN MY CAR!)



Tiny USB dual camera battery charger (this is my emergency charger, not my main one). I have 6 camera batteries on me at a wedding and this is always enough to see me through even the longest of wedding days… but its good to have a backup plan.

Giottos Medium Rocket Air Blaster. A must for removing dust from the camera sensor.

Godox TT350s Flashgun. This tiny (and VERY cheap) flashgun is probably my favourite flash I’ve ever owned. So small and light. Only needs 2 x AA batteries, and recharges really fast (fast enough for me anyway!). I also love its discreet size because it makes it less-intimidating when photographing people up-close on the dancefloor. It has always been my main flash since going over to Sony in 2019, but its now my backup flash.

And finally… my iPhone and 13” M1 Apple MacBook Pro laptop. (Please n.b. the laptop isn’t on me all day… I’m not that strong! I do generally take it to every wedding though. If i’ve not backed up my SD cards at a break at the wedding I like to transfer them all onto an external hard drive when I get back to my hotel room/home).



(Not pictured - the camera bag I use all day on a wedding day is the Lowepro Passport Sling III Bag / LP36657-0WW.)

HOWEVER, this year I am going to give a belt bag a go. I’ve recently bought the Think Tank Hubba Hubba Hiney V3.0 with the Think Tank belt, and am keen to see how I get on with that.

That will be the bag that holds the a7iv which has the tiny 24mm G lens attached, my spare batteries, SD card holders, 35mm film, flash, and any other crap I can fit in there.





The nitty gritty! (prepare to be bored to tears… or really interested… there’s no inbetween here)

I consider myself to be a documentary wedding photography with the added bonus that I love taking editorial/stylish portraits in a fun and fast manner! So for me the 35mm focal length covers my documentary needs, and the 85mm provides the beautiful bokeh and character for when it comes to portraits and detail shots.

35mm has been my favourite focal length for over10 years now and I know I could easily shoot a whole wedding on this lens alone… because I have done!

The 35mm lenses/camera sits on my right hand side on the camera sling, and the 85mm lens/camera sits on my left hand side.

The 35mm Sony GM lens is an absolutely stunning piece of glass. It’s so fast to focus, so crystal clear, and the bokeh it produces has such a lovely character to it.

I bought my first Sony a7iv camera body in the summer of 2022 and have shot 60+ weddings with it and I honestly cannot fault it in any way! I loved it so much after my first wedding shot with it that I immediately bought another one… and last year I got a 3rd one!

The improvements they made on the a7iii body weren’t enough to please a lot of people, but for me I thought they did a brilliant job upgrading an already amazing camera into an even better one. Both from a performance perspective AND an ergonomics point of view. The deeper grip on the a7iv makes it a much nicer camera to hold, especially as weddings can be very long days of holding our kit.

The larger AF-ON button is fantastic as I use this to select eye AF. The previous model had the tiniest AF-ON button and I was forever struggling to press it. The a7iv also has a larger joystick on the back… thank you SONY! My thumb never ever slips off this joystick, and its very responsive.

As far as improvements in performance go, the quieter shutter is a great addition… the better/faster autofocus is noticeable compared to the a7iii… and the extra megapixels on this new model mean I never worry about quality if I have to crop into an image.

The Sigma 85mm ART DG DN f/1.4 lens is (in my opinion) the best 85mm option out there for Sony users currently. It’s ideal for when I need that extra bit of focal reach. Mainly speeches, and when a vicar forces me to shoot a wedding from the back of a church. But I also use it a lot to get candid shots of the drinks reception, and sometimes for portraits too if I really want to compress a scene or chuck the background totally out of focus.

As for the 3rd Sony body, that has my newest lens on it… the Sony 24mm G lens. So new I’ve not even shot a wedding with it yet!

But don’t worry future-couples… I’ve been using it loads the last couple of months, and I love it! Its going to be so great for dancefloor photos, and for when I get really close on some candid opportunities.

So thats it! On top of the kit mentioned here, I also have a few spare lenses knocking around at home in case anything ever breaks… (and because I’m a complete camera geek that loves kit!).

I also have other Fujifilm cameras (XT5 and XPro3) that I use for my personal photography as I just find them such a joy to shoot with. And earlier this week I put in a pre-order for the latest Fujifilm X100VI - and I cannot wait to get my hands on that to shoot more street photography and days out with my boys.

Thanks so much for taking a look at my work, and I really hope you’ve found this info on the kit I use to shoot weddings helpful in some way!

Sony 35mm GM - 1/125 @ f/1.4 - ISO 800

Sigma 85mm DG DN - 1/8000 @ f/2 - ISO 100


If you’d like to take your photography journey to the next level please take a look at my 121 Training Days that I offer… link below…

Perspective Podcast

Capturing authenticity in wedding photography - Perspective Podcast

Simon and Gregg (two film makers I shot a wedding with years ago) contacted me recently asking if I would appear on their awesome Perspective podcast. Me chat about all things wedding photography for a couple of hours? How could I say no?!

If you want to hear me have a relaxed and fun chat with the guys from Cinemate then please check out their latest episode by clicking HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts from.

Among other things we discuss… why my turnaround time for delivering weddings is 4 weeks… why I charge what I charge (and LOTS more pricing chat)… confessing when you cock up at a wedding… why I won’t sell my preset… meeting clients expectations… why my 3 camera / 3 lens setup works for me… the importance of booking and working with couples that give me freedom to be creative… and SO much more… 

Enjoy!

MY FAVOURITE PHOTOS OF 2023

“DON’T SHOOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. SHOOT WHAT IT FEELS LIKE”

I love this well known photography quote, and I definitely incorporated it into my approach whilst capturing weddings in 2023.

I’ll keep this brief. Below is a slideshow and gallery of images from the 20 amazingly beautiful weddings I photographed this year.

Thank you to every couple that trusted me to shoot your special day.

I put my heart and soul into every wedding I attend, and the extremely kind Google reviews I’ve received this year (some of which I’ve included at the end of this blog post) have really helped me to grow my business and continue to love this fantastic job of mine.

Press play on the logo below… and take in 3 minutes of joy, love, and fun at weddings!

KEEP SCROLLING DOWN TO READ SOME LOVELY

GOOGLE REVIEWS FROM MY 2023 COUPLES…

LIKE WHAT YOU’VE SEEN?

THINK I’LL BE A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR WEDDING?

Reading Festival 2007

In 2007 I shot my 10th, and final Reading Festival.

I really miss this part of being a press photographer…Which is possibly why I love the evening part of weddings!

The chaos, the dancefloor antics, the messiness of people just enjoying themselves and letting go. It makes such great photos, and is probably why after more than a decade of only shooting weddings I find it so hard to leave a wedding when the dacefloor is heaving!

Dealing with demanding celebs, and waiting outside court for “wrong’uns” to appear was never a side of being a press photographer that I particularly enjoyed, but snapping gigs and festivals always excited me and got my energy levels through the roof.

I shot my first Reading Festival in 1997 when I was just 19 years old. (I’ll talk more about that in my next blog post).

Over the course of the next 10 years I was extremely lucky to shoot this fantastic festival. It was on my doorstep, and I was blessed with an access all areas pass each time I was there. Every year got better and better, and every year I learned from my mistakes (mainly not to drink as much on the first night as the last night!). It was a blast… and I was very fortunate to be in the position I was to get as close as I did.

After shooting this last epic festival experience I went on to work for photography magazines for 3 years, before setting up my wedding photography business.

I can safely say that everything I learned from shooting these festivals definitely helped me to grow as a wedding photographer. From approaching complete strangers to ask if I could photograph them, to knowing how to handle the most difficult of lighting situations to get the best results, it was the perfect training ground for me.

The Manor Barn, Cambridgeshire wedding - Alisa and Dan

The Manor Barn, Cambridgeshire wedding photographer

“We can’t sing Ed’s praises enough - he is a fantastic wedding photographer and has left us with the best memories of our day!

When we were looking for a photographer we came across Ed and loved his style and approach. As soon as we first spoke to him, we knew this was the right fit for us. Ed made us feel at ease and understood us as a couple.

Everything about the communication process before the wedding was great, took a big weight off our shoulders.

Then on the day, Ed was brilliant, he made two camera shy people feel very relaxed and knew exactly how to shoot us at our best! We barely knew he was there but he absolutely captured it all, we couldn’t believe it when we looked back at the pictures!

Our guests haven’t stopped complimenting the photos and how great Ed was on the day. No need to think twice about booking Ed, it will be the easiest wedding decision you make.” - Alisa + Dan

West Mill, Derbyshire wedding - Steph and Jonno

“You’re obviously reading this because you’re deciding whether to book Ed or not for your wedding. If you don’t want to read our ramblings below we’ll make it easy for you… just bloody do it!

Ed was the first person we booked as soon as we booked our venue and from then on when we were asked ‘what are you most excited about’ the answer was always THE PICTURES! This is a lot coming from 2 people who are horrifically awkward when it comes to photos.

However it was totally the right answer because the images Ed has produced have made us laugh and cry (happy tears!), and relive the happiest day of our lives over and over again.

Ed has a super power in capturing the chaos, calm, nerves, silliness and pure joy that comes with a wedding day. He has captured stolen kisses, secret glances and in jokes and we will never be able to thank him enough.

To top it off he just blends into the day, makes everyone feel super comfortable and wears jazzy shirts. What’s not to love? Book him now!”

- Steph & Jonno

West Mill, Derby wedding photographer

Wallingford, Oxfordshire home wedding - Lucy and Callum

“It was an absolute joy having Ed as our wedding photographer, the images he managed to capture of the day are so full of fun and life, looking through them takes us right back!

Not only is he a pleasure to have around but he manages to capture the most special and intimate moments of the day whilst barely being noticeable which makes it all the more impressive! We would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone.”

- Lucy & Callum

The Granary at Molecey Estates wedding - Lola and Matthew

The Granary at Molecey Estates wedding

“Some people struggle to choose their wedding photographer, and I was a lucky bride-to-be who already knew who I wanted.

I’ve followed Ed’s work for years, worked with him and am also fortunate to know he’s a pretty nice guy and works his socks off on a wedding day. My partner didn’t need any convincing and boom, we booked Ed before we even found our venue!

So if you need the slightest nudge to book Ed, here it is - book him! He takes wonderful photos, does not miss any details and he will blend into the crowd. It’s so important that you and your guests feel comfortable around your photographer and you will achieve this with Ed. Everybody loved him and our pictures are amazing.

We have hundreds to choose from and we relive our wedding day every time we look through them.

Thanks Ed for capturing our wedding day - one day we will be able to decide what pictures to print out… And please always wear the colourful, patterned shirts.” - Lola + Matthew

Marylebone Town Hall / Prince Albert, Camden Pub wedding

Marylenone Town Hall and Prince Albert Camden Pub wedding

“W O W !! Where do I start!? Writing a review for Ed is almost the most impossible thing, because there are no words strong enough to describe not only the most perfect wedding gallery but also his presence on the day and communication leading up to our wedding.

Communication leading up to the day was fantastic, on a call in the week leading up to our wedding Ed was so reassuring and calming, his advice and perspective so clearly came from his wealth of knowledge and experience which instantly put me at ease over those tiny silly little niggles.

On the day, Ed was again humble, down to earth, calming, reassuring, easy going and most importantly he has a wicked sense of humour. Again, he instantly managed to squish all of those 'omg I'm going to papped all day, and I hate photos' nerves. Ed blended into the background and was barely noticed by any guest, but yet didn't miss any of the action.

The wedding photos...I still cannot believe that they are actually us! Every single shot is utter perfection, going through the gallery is literally like re-living the whole day over and over again, it has been captured flawlessly. The emotion, the atmosphere and the party come across in every single photo.

There honestly aren't the words in the dictionary to describe how completely elated we are with our photos, keeping the memories alive and photographs we will treasure forever.

We cannot thank you enough!”


Bethan & David

Clapton Country Club wedding - Stef + Joe

“My boyfriend and I had been together for about 7.5 years before he finally proposed. However I had been planning my dream wedding in my head for at least half of that time. There were two things that I had my heart set on when he finally popped the question: the venue and the photographer.

I started following Ed on Insta a few years prior after he shot an old work colleague's wedding and I knew that he was the one I wanted for my wedding. I loved his street photography / documentary style approach, and how relaxed everyone always looked in the photos. That, plus the small yet funny little moments he managed to capture when no one was looking - they're what made the photos so real, and that's how I wanted to remember our day. When I found out that Ed was free for our planned wedding date I was over the moon.

We went from proposal to wedding in under 6 months but had several email exchanges with Ed who confirmed everything we wanted to hear regarding his style, approach and running of the day.

It was no surprise that on the day, it was exactly how he'd described it would be. Ed felt like another guest and everyone since has told us how lovely he was and how comfortable they felt around him.


The great thing was that we managed to get great group shots with friends and family, that took less than 10 minutes each. Ed told us a few poses to strike, but captured the natural bits in-between too - and they're actually the ones that are better than the posed ones. We went to a wedding recently where the bride and groom were gone for about 2-3 hours having photos taken and I am so glad we managed to get such amazing photos in such a short amount of time and then could return to our guests to enjoy the day.

Ed is such a natural and it never felt awkward. He even managed to get some amazing (and flattering) shots of my Dad who usually grimaces when he has a camera pointed at him.

Ed shared the first batch of photos with us just a few days after the wedding and it was probably the highlight of our honeymoon and we've received the final batch less than 6 weeks after the wedding. I can't stop looking at them and all our friends and families have said "These are literally the best wedding photographs I've ever seen." and when they use the overused term 'literally', they literally mean it. And so do we.

Thank you so much Ed. You have captured our day better than we ever imagined and looking at the photos gives us goosebumps.
If you're reading this review, read no more and message Ed now. You will not regret it.”

Stef + Joe

Burton On Trent home wedding - Mae & Lewis

“Ed was the first supplier we booked, once we saw his work and read what his approach to capturing a wedding day would be like, we were confident that he was the right photographer for us.

On our zoom call prior to the big day, we were able to have a casual catch up and run through of the days plans, so Ed knew what vibe he was working with. Lucky for us we were having most of our day at a family home with a tipi.

The vibe was super relaxed and easy-on and Ed blended in really well and could have easily passed as a guest. He is the perfect photographer if you don’t want to spend your wedding day just posing for photos and want to actually get on and enjoy it, yet still have it all to look back on.

When we received our gallery we were both grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Ed had magically captured the day we remembered and have spoken about since, especially all the dance floor fun.

Since the big day, our friends and family have all complimented "our photographer" from how approachable and comfortable he made them on the day, and even more so once they saw his work 🙂

We definitely recommend Ed for your big day, you won’t be disappointed. Once again thank you SO much, we wish you all the best with any future weddings you are part of and will continue to follow your journey.”

Mae & Lewis