Wedding Photography: Creative and Inspirational Work

My professional photography website: Taylor Young Photography

Wedding photography is a very tricky, but extremely satisfying activity.  When I first was toying with the idea of taking my photography to the next level and making it my profession, I thought there was no way I wanted to do weddings.  It was too commercial for me… and I wanted to keep it pure and honest.  You see, most photographers take it up as a hobby and then eventually they quit their jobs and do it full time.  And a lot of them go into wedding photography.  Why? Because there is a lot of money in it.  I’m just being honest.  Most people are willing to spend on a wedding photographer, what a small compact car would cost.  I have numerous friends that have paid many, many thousands for a photographer to capture their special day.  Wedding photographers costing £5,000 is commonplace these days.

I vowed that I wouldn’t get caught in the wedding photography trap.  That my art would stay pure and I wouldn’t sell out.  And until recently, I have kept that promise.  When did my decision change? When I realized that wedding photography could be hugely creative and artistic.  Take the images below for example.  Because of my training and my technical equipment, I am able to capture something as simple as an engagement ring and wedding band and make it into something very few people would be able to imagine.

And so, it is this creativity and inspiration I bring on to all of my wedding shoots.

Engagement Ring and Groom's Wedding Band on Gucci Shoes

Rings on a Fuente Fuente Opus X Cigar

Rings on an Orchid

Canon 100mm f2.8 L Macro Lens: Never Ceases to Amaze Me

My professional photography website: Taylor Young Photography

Every photographer has their own favorite lenses, camera bodies, etc.  My favorite lens at the moment is the Canon 100mm f2.8 L Macro lens.  Oh, don’t be fooled by the macro designation, this lens is a heck of a lot more than just a macro lens.  It also does a brilliant job of being a portrait lens.  The short telephoto range of 100mm is ideal for limiting distortion and achieving a pleasant, blurred background.

However, where this lens really shines, is up close and personal.  It is capable of capturing just about anything, no matter how small.  Take my watch, for instance; with the Canon 100mm f2.8 L Macro lens and some decent light streaming in from the window, I was able to capture every detail.  Note the platinum bezel and face.  Each brilliant microscopic piece of platinum is separated out and distinguished.  You can even make out the small metal fibers around the letters inside the bezel, that wrap around the face.  One of Rolex’s new security features.  It might not be visible at these resolutions, but cropped to 100% you can see each and every metal shaving produced when the engravers stamped ROLEX.

This lens never ceases to amaze me.  It’s quite possibly the best lens Canon has ever made.  I use it for food photography, portraits, macro and much more.

It’s The Little Things That Count

My professional photography website: Taylor Young Photography

Before I began my professional photography career, I had a food blog.  I still have the blog actually.  But because I’m now working steadily as a photographer, my dining out has decreased and thus my blogs have decreased.  But, it is still one of my greatest passions.  Not only does it help me become a better food photographer, which in turn brings in more clients, but it gives me another creative outlet.  Recently, while dissecting my blog’s statistics, I noticed a link from a fellow food blogger.  And he had some very nice things to say about me and I just felt like posting them.  It’s nice when once of your peers speaks highly of you.  Makes it all worth it to me.  Here’s what he said:

“That said, after you read my profound remarks about Taco Bus, check out the link I am posting to another blog, a photographer’s blog – a really talented photographer, if you ask me.  I don’t know him; I just happened to look at his recent post about eating at Taco Bus and was amazed by his photos of the place.   Very nice.  With pictures like those, who needs my amateur attempts!”

Thanks for the kind words, my friend.  And below is one of the images from that particular food blog.  The others can be seen by visiting: Passport Foodie

The Taco Bus in Tampa, Florida

Portrait Photo Shoot: Brother and Sister at the Ashdown Park Hotel

Yesterday  I had the pleasure of photographing George and Anne from Tunbridge Wells. We secured the Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club grounds for the shoot and it turned out to be amazing. Despite the threat of rain and the cold. The Ashdown Park Hotel is an extremely photogenic venue. Both the grounds and the building itself make a fabulous backdrop for any photo shoot. Thanks George and Anne for braving the weather. I think we got some great shots!

Here are a few: