My first interest in photography began as a hobby – I travelled a lot after university and took hundreds of photographs using mostly a compact camera and a Polaroid camera that my friends bought me for my 18th birthday.
Over the years my camera collection has grown and become more complex and at the same time my photography has progressed from being hobbyist to professional.
The first time I photographed a wedding was in Paris! I coped in freezing temperatures with every part of me covered apart from one finger to press the shutter and change settings, so that was a good start! On a wedding day I try to take photos of the things the bride and groom might have missed; details that they planned months in advance but might not have time to enjoy on the day. I like to create a story of the wedding day so they can look back on it and relive the joy, emotion and love.
I love the reaction from other people when I capture something that they love. Or when a bride starts to cry at the wedding photos I’ve taken. I have a relaxed, fun, creative, artsy style. Through photography I document my own experiences. I try to turn something simple into a fine art photo.
Something that will make other people smile. I love how a photo can make someone feel happy or remind them of something they love. I tend to capture things that make me happy, not in a selfish way, but rather in the hope that others will share that happiness when they see the picture.
Everyone likes to have something on their wall to remind them of family/friends/a pretty sunset/their favourite flower. I feel like we need little things like a piece of art in life to remind us of happy times and the beauty around us. I’m fascinated with light and how it can affect colours and change the entire mood of a photograph.
I completed a colour harmony course, which really helped me appreciate how certain colours complement each other. I love taking photographs just before sunset on a good day where there’s a magical glow in the evenings and crisp shadows everywhere.
I currently use a Nikon D700 that I absolutely love. My favourite lens is actually the least expensive lens I own– a £100 Nikon 50mm f1.8. It’s sharp and has incredible bokeh. I don’t use a specific technical process as such. I tend to take photos when I see something that captures my imagination.
Sometimes shots are already complete in my head and it’s just a matter of creating the same scene in reality. Sometimes it works and sometimes it’s a disaster! Either way I’m always learning. What has helped me the most is writing things down.
Money and time permitting in future, I would love to get into using film and develop my own pictures. There’s a certain romance and mystique that attracts me to film. I love the convenience of digital for shooting weddings and commercial work of course, but for my own fine art projects it would be nice to experiment with film.
Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/photographybybrideen
Website: www.photographybybrideen.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/brideenbaxter
Very nice use of lines and eye for the muted color. Your quest to learn film will be graced by lower costs since most of what you’ll need is only available used. Gut licht!