Georgie and Craig – Tunnels Beaches, Ilfracombe, Devon

posted in: bride, groom, Uncategorized, wedding | 0

When Georgie contacted me nearly 2 years ago saying “I’ve just seen you on Rock My Wedding and love your photos, they are beautiful” I just KNEW that I wanted to photograph her wedding day (and I did a little happy dance!) When I found out she was getting married at Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe, Devon I did a massive, crazy happy dance!

Georgie and Craig met at a gig and both share a love for live music, travel and Devon. Their wedding day was as amazingly beautiful as I had hoped; stunning sea views, mis-matched sparkly bridesmaids dresses and the most delicious cakes I have ever tasted. Guests relaxed in deckchairs and were treated to a BBQ, ice creams and a selection of homemade cakes.

Their wedding reflected their laidback personalities and was an absolute pleasure to photograph. Thanks again Georgie and Craig for choosing me to photograph your special day xxx

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Sam and Dan’s Wedding at East Soar Outdoor Experience, Devon

posted in: bride, groom, wedding, wedding planning | 0

Sam and Dan married at East Soar Outdoor Experience in late May. The farm boasts stunning views of the South Devon coastline, many quirky barns, cute animals and camping on site for guests. Sam and Dan had hoped to have their ceremony outside, however in true British fashion the weather was appalling. I’m talking rain, more rain, mist, fog and wind! Despite the weather not being as Sam and Dan had hoped, their spirits were not dampened and the day was absolutely amazing!

The ceremony took place in an intimate barn, with a log burner and tonnes of fairy lights giving it a real cosy feel. Sam wore a vintage lace dress and carried a bouquet of wild flowers. After the ceremony guests were treated to food in a huge, light filled barn with wooden palettes displaying Sam’s photos and sketches adorning the walls.

The day ended with a disco, toasted marshmallows on the fires outside (once it stopped raining!) and guests tucked into the delicious wedding cake with edible daisies on it! Yum!

Congratulations Sam and Dan xxx

Are you planning a wedding in Devon? Check out East Soar’s website here
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Melissa and Sam’s Spring Wedding at Lupton House, Devon

posted in: bride, film, groom, portraits, wedding | 0

After 9 years together having met at their summer job Melissa and Sam became engaged while travelling around in India on the Andaman and Nicobar islands, marrying the following year. This inspired their theme with the wedding breakfast being held in a Raj tent lined with hand printed Indian fabric. Melissa and Sam chose Lupton House as their venue. The house is situated in Brixham, Devon and the current owners are in the process of restoring this grand house to its former glory. “We loved the elegance of Lupton house and its surrounding parkland which is right on our doorstep. We could see ourselves marrying in the mint coloured ballroom, which together with a hint of coral became our colour theme” explains Melissa.

She chose an elegant Jenny Packham gown together with mint green Rachel Simpson shoes to wear on their special day “As soon as I saw the Marion gown from Jenny Packham with its 1920’s vibe I knew there was no point in looking any further as my heart was sold”. The bride and groom chose a Raj tent lined with Indian fabric to hold their wedding breakfast, in which tables were adorned with coral flowers. “We wanted a relaxed feel to our wedding breakfast with food being displayed like a family meal beautifully dappled with edible springtime flowers”.

The bride and groom hired a mint green Nissan Figaro, which Sam drove down to a nearby secluded cove where they had chosen to have their portraits taken. The soft pebbles and deep blue sea provided a beautiful backdrop for their photos.

“In the evening we had a ceilidh band to get everyone dancing and in tribute to my Scottish roots”. Melissa wore a beautiful lace dress from Mango to join in with the dancing before changing back into her Jenny Packham gown later in the evening.

Congratulations Melissa and Sam xx

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Baby Leo (not a skateboard in sight!)

posted in: film, Lifestyle, little ones, Maternity, New born | 0

 A few months ago I was invited to photograph baby Leo at his home. It was a gorgeous sunny day as I drove along the coastal road to Anna and Bob’s home; a light filled house with seaside coloured décor and views overlooking the River Teign estuary.

Perfect.

And it really was.

I frequently look on Pinterest and other sites for ideas for my photography as I sometimes feel that I’m not being creative enough. There is so much competition in this industry and I started to doubt myself.

This photographer is doing this, that photographer is doing that…..

Am I being creative enough? Should I buy some props to take on shoots?

The other day I found a photo online of a new born baby on a skateboard.

Yes you read that right. A SKATEBOARD! And another was on a motorbike (apparently the dad was supporting the bike)

It just baffles me how people feel the need to introduce all sorts of bizarre props when right there in front of you is the most BEAUTIFUL baby, their legs curled up, their tiny little fingers and toes. Their perfectly soft hair. And complete overwhelming LOVE that is right before your eyes. And I decided that is enough for me.

And it was more than enough that day. It was amazing; the light flooded into the house, perfect for shooting with film. We didn’t need any baskets, watering cans, skateboards or motorbikes(!) to make this shoot an absolute pleasure to be part of. Thank you so much Anna, Bob, big sister Sophie and baby Leo for reaffirming my belief that all you need is LOVE xxxx

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Goodbye 2014

posted in: Personal | 0

I haven’t written a blog post in a while as I’ve been really busy relocating my family to Devon. In hindsight the decision to move the week before Christmas was a bit of a crazy one, however taking a walk along the beach earlier followed by a big family roast dinner and playing ‘shops’ with my little niece I know it was definitely the right decision.

2014 has been an amazing year during which SO much has happened.  At the start of the year I launched my photography business which has been a dream come true.  It has been hard work alongside teaching and being a mum to 16 month twins boys, however I have met some amazingly talented people, photographed beautiful brides, bumps and babies and I have loved every minute of it. A want to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way.

I am really excited to see what 2015 has in store. I am honoured to be photographing weddings in venues including the Hare and Hounds Hotel in Westonbirt, the Cotswold Club in Chipping Norton, Mount Edgcumbe House in Cornwall and Luton House in Devon to name a few. Alongside running Renata Fry Photography I am about to start a new job teaching GSCE and A Level Photography to students in South Devon.

 So I thought I would end 2014 with a little round up of my year. Happy New Year everyone!!

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My beautiful twin boys back in February

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 May Bank holiday mini break with friends in Ludlow

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Attending the Illuminated Collective Fine Art workshop in late May (full post coming in the new year!)

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Our summer holiday in Shaldon, South Devon. 

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Claire and Tom’s beautiful farm wedding in Hertfordshire in late August

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Rachel’s maternity shoot

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Lucy and Tony’s rustic autumn wedding

 

 

A Big Decision

posted in: Personal | 3

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I have lived in Wiltshire for nearly 10 years. I have fallen in love with the countryside, the nearby parks, the local cafes and the amazing tapas bar up the road from us. I have made a good group of friends, built a career in teaching, met my husband, given birth to my beautiful baby boys and this year it became the birth place of my very own photography business, something I have always dreamt of. As many of you may know I grew up in Devon, a place that holds many a happy memory and where my family live. We travel back and forth as frequently as work allows us to, and every time we leave we do so with a heavy heart. This summer my husband and I made a massive decision; we have decided to follow our hearts and move to Devon. My husband is leaving behind a career that he has built up for 8 years, I am saying goodbye to some of my best friends, but despite this we are so excited to be starting our new adventure as a family.

I am confident that moving to Devon will bring a whole heap of exciting opportunities to my photography business. Even though we will be living in Devon I am still very much a UK Photographer and will be taking bookings throughout the south west and further afield. 75% of my wedding bookings for next year are in Devon and I hope that through those I build up a list of contacts in the wedding industry as I have done in Wiltshire. I recently attended a Fine Art Film Workshop during which I made some invaluable contacts in the industry, and some good friends, all of whom I will remain in contact with. As well as an opportunity to develop my photography business I also have a job continuing my passion of teaching photography at a fantastic school which specialises in the Arts.

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Despite all these amazing opportunities, living nearer to our loved ones and giving our boys the opportunity to grow up by the sea there are days when I think “are we doing the right thing” or ” what if our dream doesn’t work out?”. Right now I don’t have the answer to those questions, but I hope in a few months time I will look back on this post and smile to myself.

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I’m sure the upcoming months will be ones of uncertainty, anxiety and excitement and even though there are times when I just want to fast forward 12 months to us being happy settled into our first family home by the sea, I will cherish every moment and take as many photos as possible along the way! Thank you to everyone who has supported us in making this decision and made the whole process a lot easier for us.

 

Renata x