Kirsty and Mandy's Civil Partnership Wedding at Gretna Green

Wow, what a wedding to finish the year on! Two very special friends of mine, Kirsty and Mandy, decided to tie the knot at a very special place - over the anvil at Gretna Green. I don't think I've ever laughed so much at a wedding - ever! Their photographs show what a fabulous day it was, with everyone there laughing throughout the day too. The theme was the Gay Pride Rainbow, with ribbons on each of the thistle buttonholes and the tie backs on the chairs each in colours of the rainbow too.

Here is a little sneak peak of Kirsty and Mandy's fabulous day of love and laughter! Lots more the follow!

In The Press

What a year it's been! During 2011 we have had articles and photographs in The Daily Express, The Liverpool Echo, and The Liverpool Daily Post numerous times, Zoe has been a regular guest on Radio City CityTalk for What the Papers Say, as well as being interviewed by Roger Phillips for the Phillips Hour on Radio Merseyside back in March. 

And now we finish the year on a high, with the following:

Front Cover and the Editor's Choice photograph inside Your Merseyside Weddings

An article on questions about wedding photography in Pure Weddings, 

with a real wedding to follow in 2012

An article on Networking in Photo Professional Magazine in their Business Matters section, 

with more articles to follow in 2012.

Gift Cards and Christmas Charity Contribution

We've been so busy at the Zoe Photography studio on Hope Street in Liverpool, finishing off wedding albums, putting together Christmas presents, and seeing through orders from recent family portrait sessions that I'm late putting up my annual Charity-Not-Cards post. I managed to get it up onto the Facebook page and ran out of time! So here goes ....

It's that time of year again - time to send out the Christmas cards .... but those of you that know me will know I don't do that. Instead I like to make a contribution to a charity. In view of the help our family has had in the past from Macmillan Nurses, I'm putting £50 into their pot. And this is where you can help. If you'd like to help me double that, for every comment below (liking the picture is NOT enough LOL) I will add £1 to the pot, and I'm hoping to reach £100 with your help.

PLUS, anyone who buys one of our Christmas offer Gift Cards (usual price £125, this Christmas they are £25 via our blog - click on the button at the top) will receive a gift from us of a key ring with a picture from their shoot, and I will add £5 to the charity pot from your purchase of the Gift Card. Keep the Gift Card for yourself, or pass it on as a wonderful gift for friends and family.

So come on everyone, help me reach my £100 target...

Alex and Kevin's Wedding - A Family Affair at West Tower, Aughton

Some weddings are about a couple, some are about the bride, occassionally it's all about the groom. But Alex and Kev's wedding was definitely a family affair ... which you can probably tell from the selection of photographs below! They got married at one of my favourite venues, The West Tower Country House Hotel in Aughton - the staff are fabulous, the food is just delicious (and I'm not just saying that because the chef is called Zoe!), and the venue itself is in such a lovely setting with beautiful rooms.  Then you add into the mix two great families - it was one of those weddings where there was just so much love, and the children were definitely at the centre of it all.

Here is a little sneak peak of their winter wedding.

I think it all got a bit too much for some people!

Gingerbread House Pre-School Photographs

On 16th November Zoe Photography went into Gingerbread House in Crosby to photograph the children. Proofs were delivered on Tuesday 22nd November but we have heard that these have not been handed out to parents. We are unclear about why this is, as there are lots of gorgeous photographs of your children - if any parents would like to contact us directly on info@zoephotography.co.uk or 0151 708 5838 we would be happy to arrange for you to view proofs on line.

Vicky, Jon, Ava, Will and Finn Get Married at The Vincent, Southport

I love photographing family weddings where the children are as much part of the wedding as the couple, and Vicky and Jon's wedding was certainly like that with both of them having to comfort a child each throughout the ceremony!  The ceremony room looked gorgeous (as I'd expect from David Beckham Doyle who dressed the room), the bride was beautiful, as were the bridesmaids, and most particularly Ava who stole the show as flowergirl, and the groom and his little pageboys was very handsome. We even had time to go for a drive (the weather was another gorgeous day this autumn) with Kevin in his Beaufort from Grace Wedding Cars, with a short stop at the carousel at the end of the Pier in Southport. So here is a sneak peak to keep you going - can't wait to show them all of their pictures!

Cheryl and Paul's Wedding at St Michael's Church in Aughton and Formby Hall

I love my job - I know I am really lucky to be able to do what I love. But some weddings remind me of the fact that I'm lucky more than any others. Cheryl and Paul's wedding was one of those days - partly because of how lovely they are (and Cheryl looked like a Spanish princess!), partly their friends and family, and partly the venue (huge thanks to Tony and his team at Formby Hall for looking after us so well). And then when you get the weather too - well, that's the cherry on the top of the cake! The weather this autumn has been so good that it's been a really unusual to get time outside and capture gorgeous photographs like we managed for Cheryl and Paul. Here is just a teeny sneak peak of some of the lovely photographs we captured for them.

A Plea to Wedding Vendors

A polite plea to wedding vendors -  a plea for a teensy bit of understanding.

We photographers have a product we work hard to create - we compose an image, make sure the lighting and surroundings are right, take the picture, download the images, cull those that are not worthy of the final cut, process the proofs, and come up for air a couple of weeks or so after the wedding to show the couple their beautiful pictures. And it's so heartening to hear the ooos and ahhhhs from the couple, and nice too to get lovely remarks from the other vendors who were part of the day.

Now, there are some vendors I know well, I work with regularly, and I happily share photographs with them. They don't need to ask, it's my little thank you for recommendations or for how well I've been looked after by them - sharing my photographs of their work, their contribution to the wedding day is the least I can do. So I'm happy to offer before I'm even asked.

And then there's the vendors I don't know and I hear from with The Request ... "I love your work, your photographs are gorgeous. I'd love some photographs from Mr and Mrs YYY's wedding. My flowers / makeup / cake / cars / venue / table decorations look gorgeous in your pictures and I could do with some good photographs for my blog. I'll give you a credit on my site."

It's very kind of people to offer a credit. Thank you for asking for the pictures too - it's so nice to come across people who ask rather than just take the photographs off the blog or facebook page. But - and this is where I ask for the teensy bit of understanding - The Request is asking for our craft, our product for free. And you know, if you offered to pay, offered us wedding photographers a proper contradeal, a true exchange, well, chances are we'd say "Nooo, don't worry about it, I'll happily send you some pictures". But I'm starting to feel as though there is no value for the work that we wedding photographers do amongst some wedding vendors - oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think it's on purpose, I genuinely believe that some wedding vendors don't think about it or just don't get it, so I know it's not meant as an insult.

So my plea is this - if you are a wedding vendor, and you like the photographs of a wedding photographer who worked on a wedding you worked on, a photographer you don't currently have a working relationship with, please offer to purchase the images, or offer a fair exchange. It will go a long way to creating strong relationships that work. Next time, why not make The Request something that shows you truly value the wedding photographer who has showcased your work so beautifully.

Otherwise please don't be insulted if you find yourself receiving the kind of response that I've started to send to wedding vendors who I barely know who ask for photographs in exchange for credit on their website or blog - "Sure, it's £50 per image for full usage rights which you can pay in cash or as an exchange for your services."

A gift from you... from Zoe Photography

 As Christmas is getting nearer and nearer, I have been getting more and more phone calls and emails from people who are looking to arrange a photo shoot to give as a Christmas gift. 

Husbands booking their wives in for a shoot to make them feel special. Parents booking their young children in as a gift for the grandparents. Grown up children arranging a shoot for their mum to remind her that although they are no longer in the nest they are hers forever. New additions, generations, sisters, couples even a shoot of a woman for her man's eyes only!

This year why not give that gift, frame those moments and spread some joy. A Zoe Photography gift card in a stocking on Christmas morning is something so special and really tells the recipient how much you care.     

         

As our own Christmas gift to you we would like to share with you our Christmas offer.

A gift card has a value of £125, it gives you a Zoe Photography shoot, a viewing session to see all of the photographs taken and a 8x6 mounted photograph of your favourite image from the shoot. But this Christmas as well as this you can also take advantage of our Christmas Gift Card offer, buy as many gift cards as you want for just £25 each! This gives you a shoot and a 6x4 photograph chosen for you from your shoot and sent out to you. (And the gift card still says £125.)

   

If you want to get something special for your loved ones this Christmas buying a Zoe Photography Gift Card couldn't be simpler. On the right hand side of the screen is two buy it now buttons, just click on the one that you would like to purchase and follow the link, either the standard one or the Christmas Offer, it is up to you. We will then post out to you your Zoe Photography Gift Cards for you to give out on Christmas Morning!

Derek and Janine's Wedding (and Katie's too!) Knowsley Hall

I had a special treat on Saturday, I got to go to a wedding with Zoe and Rob, and wow, what a wedding! Knowsley Hall was the perfect setting for Derek and Janine's special day, it just suited the two of them. Janine looked so elegant in her dress and Derek, handsome in Black tie, which was just so right for Knowsley Hall. The day was all the more special as it wasn't just about them as a couple but was about the three of them, Derek, Janine and their beautiful daughter Katie. It was such a privilege to watch them together as a family,  I was moved to tears more than once on Saturday because of it I have to say. 

My role at the wedding was supposed to be holding the reflector to help catch the light because November days are ordinarily quite dull but actually it turned out nothing like a November day at all and instead found myself with a camera. The weather was perfect and the way the light cascaded through the windows of the hall just added to the warmth that was felt at the wedding.

It was an exquisite day and I felt truly honored to be a part of it. (And two of my photographs have made the blog!)

City Shoot Makeover & Photo Shoot for Birthday Girls in Liverpool

Bethany and Daisy enjoyed a bit of pampering and a CityShoot makeover photo shoot today at our studio on Hope Street in Liverpool today.  These beautiful cousins were celebrating their birthday - they started with a limo picking them up, and then came to the studio for hair and makeup before we got into taking the photographs. The session was finished off with refreshments at The London Carriage Works at Hope Street Hotel.  At the viewing session it was pretty clear that the photographs were a huge success, with lots of ooos and ahhhs, and tears from Gran, mum and Bethany! Thankfully tears of happiness!

Here is a sneak peek at just a teeny selection of the photographs we captured.

Headshots in Liverpool

Looking to have your headshots done in Liverpool? Now is a good time so that when the new year comes and you're ready to get your name out there to all the agents you are all set! Zoe Photography is known and respected locally for working sensitively with young people and adults alike for headshots in Liverpool, be it for acting, performing, singing, or for artists and designers to put across their personality alongside their installations.

This is just a small sample of recent headshots for Liverpool actors, performers, artists and designers.  Call now to book using our November special of £125 for a one hour shoot plus 10 images on CD (hair and makeup can be arranged at an additional costs, and any digital touch-up work is charged at £50 per hour and it is usually possible to do all 10 images in one hour).  Students get £25 off on production of a valid NUS card.  Liverpool theatre and drama schools can arrange a group discount for groups of 10 or more children requiring professional headshots. Please contact us for more information.

 

Call Kathryn on 0151 708 5838 to book your Liverpool Headshot for actors, performers, musicians, artists and designers. Kathryn can also answer questions about discounts for NUS cardholders and for group discounts for Liverpool theatre schools, dance and drama schools.

Caroline and Warren's Wedding At Thornton Manor, Thornton Hough, Wirral

Some people are just lucky! And that's how Caroline and Warren are - not just because it's obvious how much they love each other, but also because everything ran perfectly on their wedding at Thornton Manor. Which includes the weather! It's hard to believe that the sky was so blue and the day so warm for the middle of October.

Caroline's dress was beautiful with the gorgeous antique lace, and her flowers were such a beautiful colour (Amnesia). And the bridesmaids could have just stepped out of the '50s in their ivory dresses. Caroline and Warren were surrounded by family and friends who clearly love them and know how to have fun! It was a great atmosphere from the start of the day, all the way through.

So here is a little sneak peak of the perfect couple who had a perfect day.

Oh, and don't ask what the guys were doing! It was all part of the best man's speech!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I know what you are thinking...it's far to early for that, but here at Zoe Photography it really is starting to feel like that because, look what we've got!

A fabulous Christmas backdrop, complete with a peeking Santa at the window!
And a very very very special offer for this Friday only - your shoot plus 25 Christmas Cards of your family at Christmas for just £75. Just 4 slots available this Friday! Got a little addition in the family you want to introduce to everyone this Christmas? Want to say Happy Christmas from the clan? Or just want to do something special this year?


Then book one of our 4 slots for this very special offer! Call 0151 708 5838 or email kathryn@zoephotography.co.uk

Autumn Newsletter for Zoe Photography

Our Autumn Newsletter goes out on Monday - be sure to drop us a line if you want to receive your own copy with our Autumn special offers! Contact kathryn@zoephotography.co.uk to be added to our email list.

Frame your moment with Zoe Photography

At the beginning of this week I found myself thinking 'I love Autumn! It is definitely my favourite of the seasons!' This was of course because I was wearing boots and looking at the beautiful photographs Zoe had taken of the Barlow family and their autumnal shoot at Sefton Park. They were kicking leaves and running around in wellies and it reminded me of collecting conkers as a little girl with my dad! And I love that, I love the way that other peoples moments can conjure up your own memories!

Then today, I found myself thinking 'I love Summer!' (I still can't believe the weather we are having) and I love walking through the city with the sun on my face and before I realised my mind had wandered to summer days gone by and a smile crept across my face once more.

I love that feeling and there is nothing more special than being able to look back on photographs because really a photograph is a moment framed to keep and cherish.

I got in a taxi recently and the taxi driver told me that one of his favourite family photographs is one where him and his 5 brothers were all sitting on the kerb outside their parents house looking very glum and with no direction. Ordinarily something like that doesn't sound picture perfect, but it was when he explained to me that his mum had had enough of them all squabbling and told them to get out and not come back until they got on with each other! Now to him, whenever he looks at it, it reminds him of all the memories of growing up in a house as the youngest of 6 brothers!

TIme goes so fast and it is so important to have a record of your family story to look back on and as such we have decided to have an Autumnal Offer that is ready for taking advantage of!

For the month of October, if you purchase a family shoot for £125 then that becomes credit towards any purchases you make. So in effect you are getting a free shoot and spending your money on something for you to keep and cherish.  And if you want to be sure you fill someone's Christmas stocking with a lovely family picture, make sure you book now so your shoot can take place before 20th November 2011.

Get in touch to make the most of the Autumnal Offer, although if the weather stays the way it is we may have to change the name! 

Kathryn 

The face (well faces) of Zoe Photography Autumn 2011

We are now well and truly into September, and there is no denying it, the leaves have started to fall and Autumn will soon be upon us, but as sad as we are that summer has faded we are very excited here as we are currently looking for a family to feature in our Autumn 2011 newsletter.


So, could it be you?


We are looking for a family of 4 or 5, with 2 or 3 children aged between 3-7 as well as willing parents who would be happy to be photographed as part of the shoot. As a thank you for your help as well as the complimentary shoot, we would like to give you a print from the shoot to take away with you. 


The shoot has to take place on Saturday 24th September, and if you think that this sounds like you and your family, or a family you know that would be willing and are available this Saturday please get in touch at kathryn@zoephotography.co.uk

Chris and Claire's Wedding at West Tower Country House, Aughton

I have fond associations with West Tower as it's the place I had my 18th birthday meal, my sister had her wedding reception there (oh dear, nearly 30 years ago!) and we had many celebration meals there over the years. So it's always a pleasure to get to photograph weddings there too. Add into the mix two gorgeous people with fabulous families and friends, and you have the recipe for a great day (don't tell them both that it didn't feel like work!).

Chris and Claire tied the knot at their wedding ceremony at West Tower in Aughton on Saturday, and oh my word did it rain! But in Claire's own words, we 'embraced the rain' and as a result got fabulous outdoor photographs as well as beautiful ones in the gorgeous bridal suite.

Here is just a little taste of what's to come for Chris and Claire and their fabulous West Tower wedding.

Amanda and Milly's Liverpool Portrait Session

We had a great shoot during the golden hour with friends, Amanda and Milly at Falkner Square.  This was planned months ago to use that gorgeous light we get at the end of the day, and so we were really pleased that we got the right kind of weather to make it work - particularly after the kind of summer we've had!  Here is a little sneak peak:

Where to Find Zoe Photography

It was pointed out to me today that I'm great at using my Facebook business page and my Twitter account, by I'm not so good at telling people that you can find me there!  Hmmm, very true. So this is me putting that right.

Find us on Facebook
Zoe Photography

Promote your Page too

And Follow us on Twitter
Follow @Zoephotography

Andrew and Kathryn's Wedding in Croxteth and at the Isla Gladstone

The day started with a torrential downpour, and it looked like that was the weather we were destined to have for Andrew and Kathryn's wedding day - but when we came out of the church there was a little peak of blue, and before you knew it, the sky was the most amazing blue, perfect for such a lovely couple. It was a funny day for me, as Kathryn's aunt, over from New Zealand had a little chat with me and we soon discovered that close friends of hers and her husband Joe are actually my cousin Paul and his wife! Small world! 

Both Andrew and Kathryn were very trusting, and when I told them the light was perfect for gorgeous photographs they joined me for an extra shoot in the golden light of sunset - as a result we got images that looked like they were taken in the med!  And one of the lovely touches of the day - an ice cream man! And that ice cream was so yummy.  So here is a little sneak peak of Andrew and Kathryn's perfect day.