2014

December 31, 2014December 31, 2014 | SallyT

So.. 2014! I can’t believe it’s gone so quickly and it only feels like last month when I was writing my last round up post for 2013.. I worry, like we all do, that everything is passing by in the blink of an eye but then again it’s exhilarating to have so much going on and however full and busy, the past 12 months have been packed with lovely stuff. I’ve been lucky enough to meet what feels like a million gorgeous couples, friends and families, be part of so much celebration, witness so much love and feel so much joy on such amazing days.

With 35 weddings, the past year has been my busiest yet.. All so different and all so incredibly special in their own way. I’ve been lucky enough to shoot weddings in Italy, Morocco and France.. Winter weddings, Summer weddings, weddings in tepees, weddings in fields, weddings in city centres, wonderfully chaotic days, one elopement, my first Indian Hindu wedding, two double weddings, a surprise wedding masquerading as a Christening, DIY weddings, intimate weddings, crazily colourful weddings, a few mum-to-be brides (one with twins!), barn weddings, made some stop motion wedding videos, shot in fancy hotels, had weddings in the sunshine and weddings in the pouring rain. I’ve loved each one in a completely different way and would like to thank all the gorgeous people I’ve worked with this year again for having me to be part of your days – Its been amazing to meet and spend time with you all, and making real lasting friendships with people along the way really is the best bonus ever on top of a career that I already love.

Amongst all the wonderful weddings, families, babies, personal trips, rolls of film, personal times and memories that have been made.. it’s been, at times, a pretty tough year and I’m really looking forward to everything slowing down a little more at the beginning of 2015. And, without this turning into some sort of ‘acceptance speech’, I’d like to openly thank my family and friends for helping me, as they always have done, with my little business along the way. Whether you’ve babysat my lovely little Vivienne, given me some honest critique or advice, made me a coffee (or poured me a G’n’T), rubbed my shoulders, picked me up or just taken me out for a break, I appreciate and love you all – thank you so much.

So, here are a few (well, more than just ‘a few’..) favourites from 2014. Going through the thousands and thousands of photos from the weddings, family shoots, commercial shoots, engagement shoots, maternity and newborn shoots took so long.. But I did so with a huge grin on my face and finally I’ve managed to narrow it down to what you’ll scroll through below. I hope you enjoy having a browse as much as I enjoyed putting this together, and if you have a few minutes I’d love to hear what you think.

Hope you’ve all had a great Christmas break and all the best for 2015!

All my love, Sally xx

New for 2015.. Stop Motion Videos by Sally T Photography

October 9, 2014 | SallyT

Ahhhh! This is pretty nerve-wracking but here goes…

For 2015 I’ll be offering Stop Motion Videos as add-ons to my photography coverage.

It all began when I was interested in playing about with stop motion for a personal family Easter video earlier this year.. I really enjoyed messing around and making something new from my photographs, and I loved how it mixed something similar to videography with still images to create movement and tell the story in a different way than I was used to… it felt like adding another dimension to what I did.. then a little while later my best friend Louise got married over in Italy and, as I was already doing her wedding photography, I decided to create a surprise stop motion video of the few days we were over there to celebrate. It was really well received and Lou and Ste said how much they loved it, and how it really captured what their day was all about…

After having a few more people ask me about them and people telling me I should consider offering them alongside my wedding photography I decided to jump in and give it my best shot. Hannah and Dan married in France at the end of August this year and I decided to throw everything at trying out a stop motion video for them on the day and see how it would turn out and how I would work the day.. I loved it.. loved shooting it, loved putting it together, loved the end result and loved their feedback:

“Thank you so much Sally for our beautiful video, it’s one of our favourite parts from our photography! I didn’t even notice you capturing all the wonderful tiny moments of our big day, watching the video we remember every second, every laugh and every smile. When you asked if we didn’t mind you having a bit of a play with a stop motion video, we had no idea that you would capture not only our whole day, but even the bits we missed! We can’t imagine a better way to preserve the memories of our wedding, and we could not have asked for a better photographer, you could not have fitted in better! We all felt so relaxed and happy around you, Sally, thank you. Love from Hannah and Dan xxx”

So this is it! I would love to hear what you all think – I’m so excited to take the plunge but it’s pretty scary putting it all out there. I’m obviously still building a portfolio and ironing out a few other details about this coverage, so the first five couples that add this to their full day coverage will be able to book at the special introductory rate of just £275.

I’m going to be working on updating my wedding photography brochure for 2015 over the next few weeks, but here is a little more information in the meantime:

What exactly is a Stop Motion Video?

It’s actually around 1,000-1,300 images compiled in a similar way to a slideshow, obviously at a much faster pace, to create movement from still images rather than video footage. It will be around 3-4 minutes in length and set to one track which I will pick (and license for use) myself.

How will you do it on the day?

I will need a little extra time on either side of your wedding day than I would for full day photographic coverage, which will allow more time to prepare certain sequences and make sure I have covered the evening reception enough too. A lot of the photographs I’ll use to compile your stop motion video will be on your USB of still wedding images too, and I’ll be continuously shooting both still images and images for your stop motion video throughout the day.

Do I need to have booked you for full day coverage to add a stop motion video to my package?

Yes. I’ve found that covering a full day, from bridal preparations to dancing, works best for the one-track video I’ll put together, so my stop motion videos will only be available for couples who have booked me for full day coverage – I want to be able to tell the full story of your day.

What about the ceremony?

As I tell all my couples, it’s really worth checking about what photography coverage is allowed during your wedding ceremony. Some ceremony officiants are stricter than others, which is why I always make a point of having a quick chat with whomever is conducting this part of the day myself on the day too. I will endeavour to appropriately cover your ceremony within your video but it’s worth noting that sometimes my coverage here can be restricted.

Will it take longer to get my video than my photographs?

Both your USB of images and your stop motion video will arrive together, and I will be honouring my current waiting time for images of 4-6 weeks.

Can you record sound?

Not at all, this video is made from compiled still images, for video coverage of your wedding you’ll need to book a videographer.

How much will they be after the introductory offer?

As it says above, the first five bookings I get for this will be £275, which will cover my time and music licensing – at this stage I’m still portfolio building and smoothing out how I put these videos together – after this I will be charging £350 for a video add on.

How do I add a stop motion video to my photography?

Drop me an email at info@sallytphotography.com if you’ve already booked me for full day coverage and I’ll add it to your booking form, and if you haven’t yet booked just request it when you enquire.

Louise & Steven {Preview}

June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 | SallyT

My beautiful best friend Louise married someone completely perfect for her, Steven, last Tuesday in sunny Arpino, Italy. To see them both so happy and knowing what a wonderful future they have in front of them made it even more special, and the next day my face ached from smiling and laughing so much.

WHAT A DAY. Completely ‘them’, elegant, fun, booze flowing, music playing (including a song written for them by musical maestro Paige Temperley), some serious shapes being thrown in the evening, the biggest wedding cake you’ve ever seen and a completely joyous atmosphere from start to finish. I’ve seen Louise looking pretty damn gorgeous in the 14 years I’ve known her but on the day she just glowed.. completely radiant. Steven, you looked pretty damn handsome too – tailor-made suit issues and new glasses aside – I know you’ll make a wonderful husband to our gorgeous Louise Caster Sugar.

Here is a preview from the day..

Rosie & Jon | Arpino, Italy

January 6, 2014January 7, 2014 | SallyT

Right.. let’s crack on with ‘back to work’ January shall we? After pretty much switching off for Christmas I still have a handful of posts to share from last year’s weddings. So here goes.

Rosie and Jon married in Italy back in July (remember when it wasn’t grey and wet outside? Me neither.) in a small mountain village called Arpino, about an hour from Rome. Rosie is my sister-in-law, and my father-in-law’s grandmother came from this tiny rural village all those years ago.. I knew it would be beautiful.. I also hoped for amazing light, wine in the piazza amongst the best company and lots of fresh, good food. It all happened, and in all it’s simplicity it was a wonderful trip for a wonderful occasion. Rosie and Jon married in front of their children, friends and family before wandering through the streets to celebrate in the only hotel for miles. It rained as they walked out, which is apparently a blessing, and a good handful of us, fueled by prosecco and music, didn’t get to bed until the sun was peeking from across the valley..

Here are Rosie and Jon.. Continue reading →