Douglas Fry Wedding Photography – Our Sassi #2015Collection Team

Wedding Photographer extraordinaire and great friend to ITA* Douglas Fry has been capturing weddings for 25 years! He’s taken the beautiful pictures for our events with Sassi Holford the past two years and we jumped at the chance to bring him in for this one too.

He’s a very busy man, but always makes time to answer questions for clients, so I commandeered his attention and found out a bit more about why wedding photography makes him tick.

What, do you think, makes wedding photography so special?

It gives you an opportunity to record elegantly a private and special event in every couple’s life.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career?

There are two. Firstly, juggling the work life balance as schedules get increasingly busy each year. Secondly, moving from using flash to a no flash style. This is a much harder technique to master, even with expensive lenses, but the results are definitely worth it. Ambient light is preserved and no one knows you are there.

What’s your favourite type of wedding to photograph?

I love weddings when everyone relaxes and enjoys themselves, ignoring the camera and having fun. This can be a private wedding in a church hall for 10 people or an extravaganza for 500 in a large London venue.

What advice would you give to couples who are just starting to look for their photographer?

Make sure you see plenty of complete weddings by the specific photographer who will be shooting your day (i.e. not a colleague). Make sure that you have a good rapport. Ensure there is a comprehensive back up provision in place for the images and that the turnaround time is reasonable.

If you were to create a photo-shoot set that represents ITA*, what would it be?

A fun venue with friendly staff, gorgeous food and a positive attitude from all of the team.

What ITA* venue would you choose for your wedding day?

I like Stationers Hall as a venue as it offers a series of very different spaces for each phase of a wedding day, there is the courtyard for a summer drinks reception, or an anteroom at he top of the staircase for wet weather. The dining room is spectacular with buy valium with credit card huge stained glass windows and regal looking heraldic flags suspended from the ceiling. Its easy to find being situated very near St Pauls with hotels less that 100 yards away for guests that have travelled can easily stroll to the venue.

What trends in photography have you seen this year?

The rise of improved mirrorless cameras, with faster lenses, and higher definition video.

What trends in photography do you predict for 2015?

A move away from vintage style and back to more saturated images taken in a documentary style.

What is the most unique wedding photograph you have taken?

Every wedding is very different and each presents opportunities to capture unique moments, which is what makes photography an interesting career.

During every wedding, I try to capture a truly great image of the day which, in some way, summarises the atmosphere and feel.

What is your most inspirational/memorable wedding and why?

I shot a wedding in Wales with a spectacular backdrop and beautiful bride. She had been the victim of a hit and run when she was a child, which left her profoundly deaf, but she was nursed back to full health by a boy in the village. The groom had been that boy. There was not a dry eye in the marquee during the speeches.

What makes London so great for weddings?

London offers an enormous variety of venues for all tastes and budgets, accommodation for guests and plenty of transport options to the reception venues.

What really excites you about your job?

Each wedding is a very different project, each has its own challenges and opportunities. To this day there are always three nervous people on the morning of the wedding – the bride, the groom and me.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Once the wedding is over, the most important thing by far is the photographs. The day races by but it can be relived through good photography.

Couples are now asking guests to put away their cameras and smart phones and enjoy the day rather than watching through the lens.