#Weddings at the Tythe Barn, Caroline and Greg’s sneaky peek

Between Christmas and New Year I was back at one of my regular haunts, The Tythe Barn, Launton. Anyone who follows my blog or Facebook page will know I shoot several weddings at the barn and it is certainly one of my favourite Oxfordshire wedding venues.
Caroline and Greg came to me highly recommended by the barn and booked me for their big day. I have always wanted to photograph a Christmas wedding at the barn and when Caroline and Greg booked me I was more than delighted. The weather on the run up to the wedding was, as you will probably remember quite stormy, so naturally I was slightly concerned what the weather would be like for Caroline and Greg. The barn is a perfect venue should the weather turn bad as there is plenty of room indoors for the wedding guests to enjoy. Still, I did not have to worry as it was a glorious sunny day. Caroline and Greg had their wedding service at Caroline’s family church in Ambrosden with part of the service being taken by a family friend. The light on the day was amazing, if not a little sideways, but that’s all one can expect this time of the year and I was just grateful it was not raining.
The barn put on their usual high standard of service, food and drink for the lovely couple and the guests danced the night away with a DJ dishing out some pretty groovy tracks!
Here is Caroline and Greg’s sneaky peek. Plenty more to come and I hope the galleries will go live later next week.

The world of #Biomass energy…..

To those that know me and my work, most of the time I am photographing things with two to four legs, people and animals are what I specialise in.

This time last year I had a call from a local marketing company after I was recommended to them by a local design company in Thame. ‘I’ve got a bit a of a challenge for you’ said the voice down the phone. ‘What do you know about biomass energy?’

Ironically I had photographed a small biomass boiler in a pub I photographed for the Princes Countryside Fund a few months before. Biomass energy is a very efficient way of heating and many businesses are using it now to heat their premises due to it being cost effective and better on the environment. I had photographed a small boiler in a shed that was heating a small country pub but apart from that my knowledge was limited. Always one to rise to a challenge I accepted this gents offer to meet up for a coffee and discuss the project. Biomass boilers run on small wooden pellets that have to be manufactured and I was asked to photograph everything from the plant in Wales where the pellets are made to a swish BMW showroom and leisure centre in Milton Keynes who use biomass energy to heat their premises.

‘It’s boring stuff’ I was told, ‘you are going to have to be creative’ and ‘I’m thinking black and white’ came with the brief. So dates were put into the diary and off we went to these various locations to photograph the world of biomass!

It was brilliant, I totally enjoyed the whole project. I have always had a design head on my shoulders, wanting to be a product designer before finding photography many years ago. I enjoy the processes involved and the way we start with this and end up with that. I will bore you no more, but biomass can be interesting (he says hesitantly….) To find out more about biomass energy here is a link to follow.

If you are looking for a photographer for any commercial photography projects then please do get in touch, I would be delighted to discuss your ideas you may have. My client was thrilled with the images and told me if i can make biomass look exciting I can probably make anything look interesting.

Here are a few of my pictures from the biomass days……

This is what I love so much about my profession. The way that one thing leads to another through referral and how one day I can be photographing a beautiful country wedding and another day a mucky old boiler. Variety is the spice of life they say. I think so!

It may be stormy but #LOVE is in the air…..

I’ve had several orders placed over the weekend from various shoots and thought I would choose one of these images for my blog post today. It’s from a pre wedding shoot I did in the local countryside near my home last year of a couple who’s wedding is later this year.

I love the composition of this pictures, with the nettles giving some foreground interest, the dramatic sky and of course the lovely expressions on the couple. My portrait shoots or pre wedding shoots are always very relaxed and fun and it’s a great way to get to know each other before the big day. For the bride and groom, it gives them confidence in knowing how they look in front of the camera, and for me I can see if I have any serial blinkers!

Portrait Photography Oxford

To see more of my portrait and wedding photography in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and beyond please visit http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

#Royal visit to #Sherston Old School, #Wiltshire

A few months ago I had the pleasure of being the official photographer for HRH Prince Charles’ visit to Sherston old school in Wiltshire. With several press boys and girls there I was privileged to be the only photographer to accompany HRH into the building on his visit to Sherston old school.

Sherston old school is a great community project helped by The Princes Countryside Fund, one of Prince Charles’ charities. To find out more about the fund and to see how you can help please click here. To read the ‘Sherston Cliffhanger’ and all about the Royal visit please click here. To see the images I took on my first visit to Sherston old school please click here.

In the meantime here is one of my favourite images from the visit, I just love the enthusiasm of the little boy in the middle! Wiltshire followers of my blog please keep a look out in your county magazines for more of my images from the visit.

The Vicar and the Duck….

One of my New Year resolutions is to blog about my work more frequently. I was so busy last year and found it difficult to find time to put my retouching pen down and type a few words on the keyboard.

However 2014 will be different! It may be a series of pics, some words of advice or just a nice or possibly a comical picture taken from last year.

So to start it all off here is a cheeky picture of a vicar photographed in Henley on Thames. I love going into the vestry for the signing of the register as vestries are quite interesting places. Generally cluttered with stuff from over the years, sometime pictures of past vicars on the walls sometimes a painting of the church and even sometimes a duck shaped door stop will be sitting next to the door.

This picture was taken as the vicar picked up the door stop to let me and the bride and groom out. Shall I or shan’t I went through my head. I grabbed a cheeky shot and the vicar took it in good spirit (no pun intended).

I love photographing church weddings and the more quirky the church the better, you just never know what is gong to happen.

To see more of my church wedding pictures please visit my website http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

Back to working on a Christening I photographed on Sunday in Hambleden, Henley On Thames!

Family Portrait #Photography #Oxfordshire

It may be blowing to gale out there but we do get some beautiful days here in the Spring and Summer – honest! Here are a few family portrait pictures I shot last summer on a gorgeous day, the family owned a farm so it made sense to do the shoot on the farm. Farm yard locations for family portraits are one of my favourite locations as there is plenty to entertain the children and also some lovely backgrounds.

I offer a great family portrait shoot offer from just £25 to £75 depending on location. Why not treat your family to a family portrait voucher this year. All vouchers purchased before the 31st January 2014 will be valid until the end of 2014.

A portrait session is a great way of bringing an extended family together, can be great fun and you will have some pictures to show for it at the end.

Please call me on 01844 351218 or email me info@marklordphotography.co.uk for more information.

Check out my portrait photography galleries at http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

Weddings at The Tythe Barn

A couple of weeks ago I was back at my favourite Oxfordshire wedding venue, The Tythe Barn nr Bicester. I have photographed several weddings there over the years and know the venue and staff really well. However, this wedding was going to be a little different….

Tim and Cat contacted me earlier this year to check my availability. On talking to them they told me about a few things they were going to do differently. One of those things was a ‘First Look’. I had never done a ‘First Look’ before but was keen to photograph one. A First Look is…. well a First Look at each other generally with the bride walking up to the groom and then looking at each other for the first time (that day!) Got it! Well, I was very excited about photographing my first ‘First Look’!

I was not disappointed. Tim positioned himself amongst the trees at The Tythe Barn and Cat approached from behind and it really was a lovely moment when they saw each other for the first time and made for some great photographs.

As Tim and Cat had seen each other now before the wedding ceremony we decided to do a few pictures of the two of them and a few family groups for those that were there. It was quite cool doing a wedding day in a different order, and also with a Winter wedding with it getting dark by 4pm it made a lot of sense to shoot the group photos and pictures of the bride and groom pre ceremony. Obviously this will only work if you are doing a ‘First Look’ but something I would recommend if you wanted to do things

Tim greeted their family and friends as they arrived whilst Cat was tucked away. We all then enjoyed a wonderful ceremony with some entertaining readings, a few more group shots and a drinks reception in the cow shed. Then another first for me was The Tythe Barn’s self carve roast, which went down well with everyone.

Tim and Cat had several lovely touches to the day with georgous flowers by The Flower Fairies and a massive LOVE by Vowed and Amazed.

Finally another cool idea Tim and Cat had was for the first dance, where Cat starts dancing with her Dad, whilst Tim eyes Cat up and then comes onto the dance floor, kicks Dad off and has his first dance with his bride. It was a lot more romantic then I have made it sound!

I am one of the recommended photographers of The Tythe Barn and have a special offer for all couples who get married at The Tythe Barn. If you are getting married there in 2014, 2015 or beyond please do get in touch. www.marklordphotography.co.uk

Grace and Brian’s sneaky peek – Notley Tythe Barn

A few weeks ago I photographed the lovely wedding of Grace and Brian at the Notley Tythe Barn in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire.

Grace and Brian had a civil ceremony at the barn with approximately 60 of their nearest and dearest. After the ceremony it was drinks, canapés and a few group photographs on the lawn before they had a Chinese tea ceremony with Grace’s parents. After the wedding breakfast the DJ was primed and the guests partied into the night!

Notley Tythe Barn is a wonderful wedding venue near Thame if you are looking for that rustic wedding venue. It offers great locations for your guests to enjoy themselves as well as fantastic potential for great wedding photography!

Notley Tythe Barn will be having a wedding fayre this coming Sunday (29th September) 11-3 so if you are looking for a wedding venue close to Thame and Aylesbury then you may want to check out Notley Tythe Barn.

See you there!

Here are just a small selection of images from Grace and Brian’s big day……

Laura and James’s #wedding @stokeplace

It’s been a while since I have worked at Stoke Place but it’s certainly one of my favourite Buckinghamshire wedding venues and only a stones throw from London. It was a real pleasure to work there again as it’s a great location to have a wedding reception. The grounds are wonderful with established parkland and a lake for the guests to enjoy the reception and pretty splendid for great wedding photography too!

The interior of this Queen Anne Manor House retains all of its old charms and features, updated with handpicked modern designer pieces giving you great backdrops for your wedding photography should the weather turn.

Laura and James’s wedding was great fun with a few moments that still make me chuckle…. Those that were there will know what I mean!

I have just posted a selection of images onto my Facebook page here so Laura and James can have a sneaky peek whilst on their honeymoon.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day…..

Gaynes Park Wedding Photography, #Essex

Last month Jack and I photographed the wedding of Jane and Ben at Gaynes Park in Essex. Jane’s sister Rachel and I used to work together and have kept in touch ever since and in fact I photographed Rachel’s wedding a few years ago too so I know the family fairly well now!

Ben and Jane choose to have a vintage handmade style of wedding and they chose a great venue to hold their big day. Gaynes Park is a stylish and contemporary barn wedding venue set in the grounds of a historic country estate in Epping, Essex which has been in the Chisenhale-Marsh family for generations. There is a collection of various barns, one of which offers the chance to have an outside wedding ceremony if good weather. Should the weather not be favourable there is a large south facing orangery that can accommodate the civil ceremony too!

After the ceremony there is large walled garden for the drinks reception and lots of great locations for fabulous wedding photography.

It really is a smashing venue if you are looking for something rustic, rural and yet fairly close to London! In the evening you can even see Canary Wharf and the skyline of London in the distance!

Jane and Ben choose one of my Stylish wedding albums with a magazine layout and metal cover which is now all designed and with my lab for printing. Here are a few pictures from their big day!

Mark Lord Photography

Oxfordshire based photographer specialising in people and our rich landscape

Photographer