My Favourites from 2017 | The Black + White Edit
Let me start by wishing all my readers a very Happy Christmas! Whether you've just found my blog or are a regular reader, thank you for dropping by, and an extra big thank you to all my couples who invited me to capture their special day in 2017. I know some of you will be reading this! I've really enjoyed looking back on your weddings and remembering the emotion and all the little moments that made up the story of your day. Thank you too for all your lovely testimonials - I've added extracts from just a few of these here, with more to come in my Colour Edit early in 2018. (To read all my client's reviews in full, please click here.)
So what makes a great black & white image?
For me, it's a combination of lighting, contrast, shape and emotion. I'm generally fairly selective about which photos I choose to edit in monochrome - the image has to convey a mood which is truly enhanced by the removal of colour. Tears, laughter, backlighting, strong shapes are all game. So too bridal preparation images, where black and white can really place all the focus on the bride's face and expression - while, let's be honest here, ensuring those bold orange-striped hotel room curtains don't take centre stage. Whilst I can remove that bright pink can of hairspray before taking the shot, full length curtains are somewhat trickier, especially as I shoot this part of the day almost entirely candidly, discreetly observing the preparations taking place.
The dance floor can also look best in monochrome; I'm always looking to capture the perfect moment, which can occasionally coincide with the DJ's lighting adding unflattering green spots to the bride's face. If I wait for the gentler pink or blue hues, I could miss the song's climax with 50 pairs of hands in the air! Clearly not an option. I also set up lights to add backlighting when capturing dance floor action, which really emphasises shapes that look great in mono - think John Travolta (yes, Greased Lightning is still popular at weddings!). And let's face it, at this stage in the average wedding, black and white can simply make for more flattering skin tones all round. I'll make the decision image by image, but rest assured, I'll always choose the most flattering option.
How did I choose my top 50?
I do love black and white, so found it difficult to limit this selection to just 50 images. I have some absolute core favourites that were no brainers for me to include - generally those where lighting, composition and expression all come together to work perfectly in an image. Sometimes, the mood of an image is so perfect in black and white, that it tells the couple's story in a single photo. Sometimes it's simply a great expression.
For me, wedding photography is fundamentally about capturing people and all the raw emotion of the day, which I wanted to portray in my selection. I hope you'll enjoy browsing, and enjoy the special moments I've chosen.
"[Jenny] captured every moment of our day perfectly, allowing us the opportunity to be able to relive our perfect day
with friends and family each and every time we look at them..."
"[Jenny] made us feel at ease in front of the camera and took the most beautiful and natural pictures of us, our guests
and venue. So many guests commented on how well she slotted into the day...."
"[We] were so happy with how our photos turned out. Jenny is so talented..."
"[Jenny] takes the time to get to know what it is you really want from her on your wedding day,
and we couldn't have been happier with the results!"
"As expected we love them! So glad we chose you..."
"Jenny isn't just an exceptional photographer, she is also an extremely warm and friendly person.
I knew she was the right person to capture our special day..."
Jenny helped make our day special. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anybody.
Thank you. Xxx
"She was also an absolute star during our wedding day - calm and unflappable and willing to stay till the bitter end [...]
We are absolutely thrilled with all our pictures"
"We're so glad we chose you to capture our special day... Thank you Jenny"
"As a couple who are not too keen on having their photo taken, Jenny made us feel so calm and relaxed.
We truly loved every single moment..."
"Family and friends have all commented on your calm nature and how you felt like family.
Our photos are gorgeous. Thank you"
"We spent hours laughing with her which I'm sure helped to capture the great shots."
"[Jenny] made us feel so comfortable and confident in knowing she completely understood
what we wanted."
"[You] definitely put us at ease when we normally hate having our pictures taken! All our guests have
commented on our stunning photos, thank you so much Jenny"
"AMAZING!! We couldn't of asked for anything more,
you were so calm which made us feel relaxed..."
"On the most wonderful day of our life it was a blessing to know we had such a super photographer.
We are over the moon with the pictures..."
"From first meeting Jenny at our engagement shoot,
we knew she was going to be an approachable and fun photographer to have on board! "
"Thank you so much for being such a star on our special day"
"We felt very very lucky to have her! Thank you Jenny! Xxxxxxx"
"It has been such a pleasure to look back on our wedding day through Jenny's photographs
- she is extremely talented and really captured the feel of our day."
"Jenny has a great personality and excellent eye for detail
- we were amazed with the quality and variety of shots captured"
"We would definitely recommend Jenny to any couple who are looking for their wedding photographer
- you won't be disappointed!"
I hope you enjoyed my selection! I've blogged the weddings of four of my 2017 couples so far, with many more to come over the coming months. Please do scroll through my most recent Wedding Stories to find them. My most recent wedding blog is of Tuesday & Joe's wonderful Arundel Town Hall wedding which features in the above images - you can view it in full by clicking here.
Well, it just remains for me to wish you all a Very Happy New Year! Next up on the Wedding Stories blog will be my top 50 colour picks, so if you've enjoyed these images, please do pop back in early 2018 for the next installment :)
Now time for me to take some time out to enjoy a family wedding on the 22nd, followed by a (hopefully!) relaxing and very merry Christmas.
Seasons Greetings to you all,
Jenny x
Sussex Wedding Venues for all the couples featured in this blog:
Long Furlong Barn, Worthing, West Sussex
Brookfield Barn, Horsham, West Sussex
Worthing Pier Southern Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex
Michelham Priory, Hailsham, East Sussex
Brighton Royal Pavilion, Brighton
Brighton Town Hall, Brighton
Arundel Town Hall, Arundel, West Sussex
Bracklesham Barn, Bracklesham, Chichester, West Sussex
Cottesmore Hotel, Spa & Golf Club, Crawley, West Sussex
Dean's Place Hotel, Alfriston East Sussex
Field Place, Worthing, West Sussex
