Spirit's Scrapbook

Rach & Spencer - Wedding Photography at The Town Hall, Reading.

2011-09-17T21:38:00.001+01:00

It's always a privilege to be invited to share in a couple's wedding celebration, to be invited to create the aid memoir which will take them both back to that most special day. I was especially excited when our several-doors-away neighbours came to us to photograph their wedding at The Town Hall. I think there is always something that bit extra special about taking a friend's wedding pictures for them and I really enjoyed being 'official tog' for Rach & Spence. Congratulations both of you and all the very best for the exciting journey which lays ahead. Emmie xxx

Wedding Photography in Reading, Berkshire.

Death By W.O.D - Round 4

2011-04-26T20:32:00.002+01:00

Now each week the workout is announced from CrossFit HQ which happens to be during Tuesday night if you live in the UK. Every Wednesday for the past month, Alex has disappeared from beside me at about five am to log in and find out what lies in store for the coming week. This weeks wake up call came a little earlier than usual in the form of an unquotable text message from a fellow Reading CrossFitter which prompted a mad rush to the computer to find out what provoked such a comment to be sent at this extremely unsociable hour of the morning. This one was hard. In fact I would go so far as to describe it as borderlining on evil. Sixty bar-facing burpees, thirty overhead squats with fifty five kilos on the bar and then ten muscle ups. As many rounds as possible in ten minutes. Now the burpees are do-able. An athlete can pace themself and manage those even though sixty is quite a lot to do. Then comes the set of overhead squats - thirty of those whilst holding the bar overhead. Very big ouch! That really is a toughie. The muscle ups are the absolute killer. The athlete must pull him/herself up from a hanging position on a set of olympic rings and lock out their arms. This workout would well and truly take the competition to a whole new level...

Wedding Photography in Berkshire.

Death By W.O.D - Round 3

2011-04-13T07:55:00.000+01:00

Week three and a five minute amrap (as many rounds as possible). Short but brutal - squat clean to overhead with fifty kilos on the bar for the girls and seventy five for the guys. Ouch! Still, some awesome results from our athletes and some appearing quite far up the leaderboard during the week. The end of this W.O.D brings us to the halfway mark. Three more to go...

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Death By W.O.D - Round 2

2011-04-02T22:26:00.001+01:00

This week saw the gang at CrossFit Reading attempting the second of the qualifiers for the CrossFit games and boy was it another toughie! Nine deadlifts, twelve pushups and then fifteen box jumps as many times as possible (amrap) in fifteen minutes.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Death By W.O.D

2011-03-18T08:31:00.000Z

Its qualifying time for the CrossFit Games and this year members have to complete a series of workouts at their local affiliate and register scores before the top athletes go on to compete in the competition. I caught up with the guys and gals at CrossFit Reading as they attempt the first of six W.O.Ds - 30 double unders and 15 power snatches...

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Marta & Paul - Wedding Photography at Aldermaston Manor

2010-10-20T21:27:00.001+01:00

The weather did not disappoint for our second wedding of the weekend. Marta and Paul tied the knot at Aldermaston manor and wow - what a beautiful ceremony. The sunlight flooded into the library through the windows making the task of photographing the proceedings a real pleasure. I am a natural light freak and rarely pick up a flash if at all possible. The guests were able to bask in the sun out on the terrace and enjoy the reception and were well entertained in the evening with a masque and a casino. We did away with the Lastolite background instead using the book-lined walls of the library to provide a unique backdrop for the evening studio. Congrats Paul & Marta x

Wedding Photography in Berkshire.

Liz & Lee

2010-10-20T10:09:00.000+01:00

We're definately into Autumn now, the leaves are turning, the evenings drawing in - what a great time of year to be out and about with a camera, especially shooting weddings! This weekend saw us at Elcot Park photographing Liz & Lee's special day. The first of two weddings we photographed this weekend, and this one was a beauty. The elegant setting of the venue was perfect and the gardens provided a stunning Autumnal background for some gorgeous bride and groom portraits. Liz & Lee, you are complete naturals and can model for me again anytime!! Congratulations to you both. xx

Andrea & Ben

2010-08-19T23:19:00.000+01:00

We've been at a wedding a week this summer, our busiest yet, and having an awesome time at each and every one! Last weekend saw Andrea & Ben tie the knot at Earley St Peters and then party on down at The Wellington Arms afterwards. Now as a wedding photographer I am in quite a privileged position. I am able to observe the entire wedding day from the bride getting ready to the evening's antics. I can move about the proceedings and snap away to my hearts' content. I become a part of the day and yet am detached from it. I am able to select and edit images in order to produce a visual record which fits the utopian expectation of my bride and groom. I weave the pictures together into an album telling the story of a wedding day which will be treasured for generations. It's a sense of achievement to hand over a finished artefact and see the happy couple take pleasure from their photographs. This isn't 'just a job' to me. This is a gift which blesses other people and I treasure each chance to share it. Congratulations to you both and I hope you enjoy your pictures for many years to come. Emmie x.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Katie

2010-08-17T22:47:00.002+01:00

A lunch with my friend Katie turned into an impromptu photo shoot this week. Her brief was pretty straightforward - ''I need a new Facebook profile picture''! We proceeded to the back garden where she proved to be quite a natural in front of the camera. I hope one of these will do for you Katie. xx

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Jon & Chloe's Special Day.

2010-08-16T18:44:00.006+01:00

It's no surprise for people to hear me babble on about wedding photography and how much fun it is and how I love my work (if you could call it work), but, in honesty, I regard it as a great honour and privilege to be appointed by a couple to capture this most special of days. And it is always a treat to be asked by friends to photograph such an occasion. Jon is a friend I have known for many years and I was only too pleased to be 'official tog' at his recent wedding to Chloe. A brilliant day which saw a brilliant new assistant make his wedding photography debut and one I hope to work with again. Anyway, here are some of my favourite shots of the day in classic black and white. Congratulations Jon & Chloe. xx

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Barnabas Camp at Monkton Combe

2010-08-02T11:31:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite weeks of the year! And this year was a bit extra special because I was testing out our brand new bell tent! This three meter high, five meter wide canvas pad looked like a luxury Bedouin dwelling by the time we had finished decking it out with throws and cushions collected from both our Dubai honeymoon and my 2008 trip to Israel. It looked especially super at night lit up with LED fairy lights and the tea light chandelier which hung from the central pole. It provided the perfect place to play music and absorb ourselves in some art. The week was an amazing time of fellowship, worship and meeting with God and I returned feeling refreshed and relaxed and really looking forward to next year!

The pad!

Jammin'

Monkton Combe in HDR

The 'main road' leading through the village

Gathering together for baptisms in the swimming pool

The Word

Music

People worshipping the King of Kings

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Richard & Jaimie at The Tudor Barn

2010-08-01T10:03:00.003+01:00

I love a venue with a story and this weekend I had the pleasure of photographing at The Tudor Barn in Burnham. I am a big fan of Tudor history. It is one of my favourite periods to learn about and if I had a time machine I would definitely pay a visit! The barn itself was originally built in 1505 or there abouts and has now been carefully restored and refurbished into the stunning venue it is today. Suffice to say it provided a fantastic setting for the wedding of Richard & Jaimie and this was a wedding I had been looking forward to for ages. The day arrived, the weather did not disappoint and the bridal couple were beautiful. Congratulations to you both and thank you for inviting us to be your photographers. xx

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

The Skarlets

2010-07-18T11:39:00.003+01:00

As a musician, (yes I also play several instruments and am a member of RCC worship. Aren't I multi-talented!!), I have quite an appreciation for live bands and having performed in one myself in the past I understand the amount of work that goes into a set making sure everyone is tight, in tune, can hear each other properly and so on. I was delighted to be asked by Dave, lead of local group 'The Skarlets', to come and photograph the band in action. The evening was certainly rockin' with quite a crowd tearing up the dance floor and I was very impressed by the fabulous perfomance by the group. I had a great time experimenting with the ambient to create some moody, atmospheric images and I hope to see these guys in action again.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Spirit Pictures is Born - An Historical Account.

2010-07-09T19:02:00.002+01:00

My love/addiction began when I was a child and my Grampy gave me a Kodak instamatic camera, a small rectangular box which was loaded with cartridges of film. I set about recording my surroundings - the tiny village of cottages where my grandparents lived. As I think back now I am not sure what became of those early photographic efforts, and sadly the little black camera has also become lost in time but the memory of snapping away, the sound of the shutter clicking and the excitement of opening up my developed pictures still remains. My Grampy was himself a keen photographer and I still own, and am pleased to say, still use his old Minolta TLR camera.
Fast forward to my teens and the great moment that my Father entrusted to me his pride and joy - an Olympus OM-10 and selection of lenses! He explained to me how to read the light meter and set up the flash and I was well away. I took it on holiday, on school trips and yes I stuck out like a sore thumb compared to my classmates with their Kodak compacts! My proudest moment was being approached by Mr Ward during a new parent's open evening;

''Do you know how to use that?'' He enquired, eyeing up my toy which was ready for action, loaded with film and the flash attached to the hotshoe.

I replied that yes, I did know what I was doing and was very excited to then be asked to take some pics for him to use for publicity. Being an ecstatic fifteen year old I shot two films and handed them over. I was delighted when Mr Wall handed me a photocopy a week later of an article from the local newspaper featuring the open evening. It boasted two of my pictures and was a great start to my career - published at sixteen!

My pictures appeared in the Reading Evening Post on Fri 9th October 1998.

I continued to enjoy photography into my late teens and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at subjects I really wasn't that excited by in sixth form followed by a brief stint at a menial desk job (never again), I returned to college and began my academic exploration of my favourite hobby.

This handsome chap was a resident of the Isle of Wight's tiger sanctuary captured using the OM-10 on regular daylight film.

At about the same time I was invited to the wedding of my sister in law, Kirsty, and by now, having discovered the joys of black & white film and darkrooms, I was armed with the trusty OM-10 and several rolls of HP-5 to play with. This is the day I became hooked on wedding photography.

My first bridal picture - this candid of Kirsty.

My late father in law, John with Alex's cousin Gemma.

Very soon after, I invested in my first digital SLR, the Nikon D70. My late father in law accompanied me on the day to the Jessops store at the 'top o' Basingstoke town' and watched with interest as I compared the different brands of camera and shared my excitement as I made the purchase and proudly carried my new camera home thinking of all the great pictures I would take.

A ladybird in my parent's garden. Nikon D70 and 60mm macro lens.

I was shortly embarking upon my first wedding commission - Jan and Ged who got married on 9th July 2005. The day was slightly nerve-wracking but most exciting. We (Alex and I) arrived at the registry office and I set about photographing the bride and bridesmaids and the ceremony. Next there was a short journey to the reception and I took group portraits followed by the bride and groom cutting, well, pretend cutting their cake. The feeling of being in that privileged position of 'official wedding photographer' was immense. I felt the anticipation, the excitement, the responsibility... It was great to be a part of this special day and record it, to leave a historical artefact of the occasion with the couple that they will look at for years to come and pass on to their children and grandchildren - wow! All too soon it was over and Alex and I were tucking into a late steak lunch at the pub down the road and I was peering at the small screen on the back of my camera at the days' work. I began to make plans about launching my business.

My first bride and groom - Jan & Ged.

I have been a Christian for many years now and feel that my gifting in photography is definitely to be used to bless others. I began by using the name 'Something Special' as I truly felt special when I was photographing and I needed something to post in the yellow pages. I didn't keep the name long as it didn't quite have that 'yeah' feeling about it. After a few more weddings and as more people began to call me up I decided I wanted to name the business in accordance with how I felt about it. Looking over my images and pondering about wordplays and syllables I came up with the word 'Spirit'. That was it. It worked on so many levels. The capturing of a moment in time, not just the surface but the soul speaks out through pictures. The spirit of who and what we are and the Spirit of He who created us is ever present in the whole of creation. I decided that what was I wanted to achieve always - to capture the spirit and immortalise it forever. I searched for 'Spirit Pictures' and found only a few results relating to photography of ghosts! I registered my domain names and my business, my ministry, my blessing was birthed.

So here we are, five years later and I feel well and truly blessed by my photography. I have made many new friends and contacts and enjoyed each occasion I have had the honour of capturing as well as the joy of building a stunning portfolio. Many, many more weddings as well as sports events, thanks to my husband’s passion for exercise, family occasions, dog beds(!), school proms and far more of this and that. I take so much pleasure in using this incredible gift to make other people happy and in turn am myself extremely happy in this vocation. So I want to say a HUGE thank you to my family, friends and clients for helping make these such an enjoyable few years and I look forward to continuing to capture the spirit in my imagery for many more years to come.

Emmie

Maggie Philbin at CrossFit Reading

2010-06-08T23:35:00.013+01:00

An exciting morning for CrossFit Reading as Maggie Philbin and BBC Radio Berkshire dropped in for a workout! More pics on the facebook page...

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

CrossFit Strength & Power 2010

2010-06-06T23:08:00.017+01:00

A stunner of a weekend and it couldn't have been better for shooting this years' CrossFit Strength & Power meet! Hosted by CrossFit Reading at Tadley Rugby club and in association with FK.UK, photographing these events is fast becoming a regular, and very enjoyable gig for me. This year saw a great turnout of both athletes and spectators, and the events, ranging from a seven and a half tonne truck pull to one hundred kilo atlas stone lifts, proved both challenging and enjoyable for the competitors who 'smashed it up' a treat! There was no shortage of photo ops and I well and truly got carried away - thank God for digital! It was also great to see Joel from Men's Fitness mag back for more! Watch out for his take on it all in an upcoming issue. Full set of images can be viewed via the facebook page. Enjoy...

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Jennie & Mark

2010-05-26T11:25:00.003+01:00

This month saw the beginning of our wedding photography season with our first booking of the year and what a fabulous day it was! Having been buried under degree assignments for the last eight months I was really looking forward to Jennie and Mark's special day, and even more so when a mutual friend told me that Jennie was really excited about the photography! The sun shone, the bridal couple were radiant and the guests had a great time amusing themselves with doughnuts, pick 'n' mix and our evening studio. Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Slade. xx

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Welcome to Spirit Pictures brand new scrapbook!

2010-05-05T20:07:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Spirit Pictures' SCRAPBOOK! Here you will find out about all the things Spirit has been getting up to recently! I will begin with just a quick note about who we are. Spirit Pictures is based in Berkshire in the south of the UK. We are a small business specialising in wedding photography and bespoke album design. We have a fresh, vibrant approach to photography and in essence, we set out to 'capture the spirit' of our clients. So whatever your photographic needs, Spirit Pictures would be delighted to work with you. We look forward to meeting you soon...

Fight Night!

2010-04-18T21:59:00.001+01:00

A new experience presented itself to me this weekend - the boxing! I have never been to watch live boxing before and when Alex and I were invited along to support one of his friends I jumped at the opportunity of a new subject to add to my growing sports portfolio. I was delighted when, upon our arrival, one of the coaches got me an 'access all areas' wristband which enabled me to position myself ringside! I proceeded to snap away during the matches and had a great time chatting to the tog from one of the boxing magazines who was covering the evening. I stayed away from the flash and shot on an ISO of 1600 to try and emulate the classic pictures I have seen of old greats such as Marciano and Foreman. I was well and truly chuffed with my efforts and even more pleased and flattered to see some of the competitors use my pics on their Facebook profiles!

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Crazy Composites

2010-01-09T08:58:00.009Z

Having decided to complete my Imaging Techniques assignment on a Christmas theme, I was delighted with the huge amounts of snow that fell over the holidays whilst I was in the middle of shooting. I was able to make use of nature's background to create my very 'cute' artefact - a book of Christmassy poetry with illustrations. So here are a few of my experimental composites from BA Imaging Techniques - assignment two...

The Strength & Power

2009-11-22T08:38:00.002Z

This month saw the very first CrossFit Strength & Power invitational event take place at Tadley Rugby Club. I was very pleased to be asked to wear the 'official CrossFit Reading tog' hat and had a blast snapping all the action as the competitors made their way through the events. From anvil lifting to truck pulling the day was awesome and despite the weather there was a great turnout of support for the athletes. The event was a real success and will be repeated next year. In the meantime you can view the full shoot from the 2009 CrossFit Strength & Power on my FB page by clicking part one or part two.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

A Study of Alexander

2009-10-31T08:15:00.002Z

Having begun my appreciation of photography way back before digital cameras appeared, (boy that makes me feel old), I have a real love of black and white images, especially low key and moody! I started out with my dad's old Olympus OM-10 and rolls of HP5 film which I processed and printed in the darkroom. There is no way to describe the magical feeling of seeing the image appear on the paper in the developing tray. These days I do still shoot the odd roll of B&W film although now on an F-80 but like most togs have well and truly converted to digital for all pro work. So here is a study of hubs in good old black and white shot on the D80 and edited in Photoshop. Emmie.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

2009-08-12T08:08:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks since the end of school! So far I have spent a brilliant week at Barnabas Camp followed by two weddings in quick succession, the latter of which was Kylie & Leo's fabulous day at Wynyard Hall in Hartlepool. The weather was super duper and the couple had plenty of surprises planned to keep everyone entertained throughout the day including a casino and spectacular firework display to top the evening off! What a day. Thanks you two for a great time, oh and congratulations! Emmie. xx

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

A Stunner at Stonor

2009-05-30T08:05:00.001+01:00

I am always so touched when potential clients call me up and say 'You did our friend's wedding and we were really impressed so can we book you for ours?' As such I have photographed several weddings now where the same people have been involved, the most recent of which happened to be Sam and Paul's fabulous day at Stonor House. A really great reception with juggling cocktail waiters, a magician and a string quartet made for some really interesting images and the house and grounds provided the perfect backdrop. Congratulations guys! Emmie.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

The RCC CD Project

2009-02-15T08:01:00.003Z

I feel quite honoured to have been asked to design the artwork for a CD being produced by Reading Community Church. The project is now entering its final stages and is due for release later this year. So, armed with the trusty Nikon and a verbal image beautifully painted by worship leader Matt, model Sammi and I wandered off to Streatley hill in search of a sunset to use as our backdrop. We were well and truly blessed with a stunner, and we snapped away whilst trying to avoid the odd golf ball that got a bit close! The effort was well worth it for the great set of images we ended up with. I am now putting the finishing touches to the booklet and feel very excited at the thought of seeing it in print soon. Emmie.

The Holy Land

2008-10-31T07:49:00.004Z

Without a doubt, one of the most amazing countries to visit is Israel. I was lucky enough to be treated to a tour by my mum during the half term break and we had a brilliant time! The place is so full of history and I really felt the wow factor of being in places that Jesus Himself has been. Whether you believe that He is the Son of God or not, He is still a pretty awesome part of the history of Israel. Of course I did not go camera less into this adventure and am pleased to post my 'best bits'! Enjoy. Emmie.

Jamie & Grant at Ardington House

2008-08-17T14:18:00.000+01:00

We had a great day yesterday at the wedding of our friends Grant & Jamie at Oxford's Ardington House. It is lovely to be able to photograph the special day of a friend and this day was a gorgeous one to capture on camera. Ardington House was built in the 1700's and is the home of the Baring family. The house and grounds made for a beautiful setting with the perfectly manicured lawns, white marquee and swans wandering about by the riverbank. Jamie looked stunning and made a fabulous entrance to the outdoor ceremony by boat. The guests looked on as the couple made their vows in the 'temple', a stone structure rather like a gazebo which stood on a small island in the river. The weather although threatening rain stayed dry for the ceremony and reception allowing us to roam the gardens for photos. I had tremendous fun snapping away much to Jamie's amusement. The speeches were definately some of the funniest I have ever witnessed with the best man's fab perfomance of 'I just wanna be like Grant' to the tune of Nickleback's ' I wanna be a rock star'. A really fun wedding day to have been a part of. Thanks you guys we really enjoyed ourselves. xx

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding Photographers in Reading, Berkshire.

Clare & Benn get Hitched

2008-08-11T07:32:00.000+01:00

We really do love a good wedding and last weekend saw two very special friends of ours tie the knot. Clare and Benn got married at St Andrews church, Marks Tey and celebrated in style afterwards at Seckford Hall. Although not the official togs of the day, that didn't stop me going armed with my camera and happily shooting away much to Alex's amusement. A super weekend away at a sleepy little B&B, far too much to eat but still a good time had by all! Emmie.

All images copyright Spirit Pictures. Wedding photographers in Reading, Berkshire.