Allerton Castle Wedding Photographers - Emily & Andy

It's always a pleasure to be wedding photographers at Allerton Castle and we were really excited when Emily and Andy booked us to photograph their big day at this spectacular Yorkshire wedding venue.  A dream venue it certainly is, but it's also one which requires the skill and experience of a professional Allerton Castle wedding photographer or better still, two photographers, to get the very best from it.  The Great Hall is extremely dark with its oak panelling and the registrars insist on no flash during the ceremony, but Alex got some gorgeous shots, capturing the atmosphere as Emily and Andy exchanged vows and wedding rings by candlelight, with Janet documenting the proceedings from the gallery.

The weather was very similar to that we had when we met up with them for their pre-wedding consultation a few weeks earlier - cold and windy.  However, the memorial garden does offer some shelter and this is where we photographed the family groups before moving on to the couple's photo session before the wedding breakfast.  As the guests were invited to sit for dinner, this was the ideal time to make the most of that iconic staircase which is such a feature of weddings at Allerton Castle.  Emily made a gorgeous, elegant bride in her couture dress and full length veil.

The wedding breakfast room looked beautiful in blue and white and the cake was something pretty special too, kept a secret from Emily and organised and chosen by Andy as a surprise for his bride.  After the speeches, we dashed outside to make the most of the remaining daylight.  The wind had dropped just a little, it wasn't quite as cold and we were able to get a few more couple photographs, including a lovely sequence of images as Emily and Andy walked hand in hand back to the castle.

The evening party started with the couple taking to the floor for their first dance and then everyone partied to a Ceilidh band.  We decided that it was well worth walking through a field full of sheep to set up for some night shots before we left, and Emily was very sensible and switched her stunning but very high heeled shoes for a pair of flats before joining us.

Thank you Mr and Mrs Turner for booking us as your Allerton Castle wedding photographers.  We had an amazing day with you all.  If you were a guest at this lovely wedding, please leave a comment and why not Like us on Facebook?  Thank you very much.

Wedding Photographer Allerton Castle | Emily and Andy's Pre-Wedding Photos

As Allerton Castle wedding photographers, we were chosen by Emily and Andy a very long time before their big day and when they booked us, their wedding seemed ages away. Time really does fly and before we knew it there were only a few weeks to go.  It was great to meet up with them for a chat about their plans for their wedding day and take some engagement photos around this spectacular Yorkshire wedding venue.

Access to the inside of the castle wasn't possible on the day we met up, and the weather was decidedly dodgy, threatening rain at any moment, so we had fingers well and truly crossed that it would hold out for us and allow us time to feature all those beautiful backdrops that professional Yorkshire wedding photographers and brides and grooms love about Allerton Castle.  As it was, we dropped lucky and the rain held off for us, giving us plenty of time to try out a variety of ideas for Emily and Andy and give them a good selection of images to choose from, one of which will be framed with a signature mount following their wedding.

An engagement portrait session is a great way for couples to get used to being in front of the camera and relax and enjoy being photographed without the pressures and time constraints of the wedding day.  It also gives us an opportunity to explain and demonstrate flattering posing and find out what the couple likes and what they feel comfortable with. 

To enquire about our services for your wedding photography at Allerton Castle, please give Janet a call on 01977 730159.  We have experience working at this top Yorkshire wedding venue and you will receive all day coverage, two professional, qualified wedding photographers, and a fantastic service.  We look forward to hearing from you.  

West Yorkshire Portrait Photographer | Sophie's Photo Session

As portrait photographers in West Yorkshire, we get to work with clients of all ages and it's great to try out different ideas with them.  We've photographed Sophie many times over the years and today we decided to work through a variety of styles, from low key photography with subdued lighting and a black background, to white clothing and a white background for a high key portraiture style.  This resulted in two completely different looks and a wide range of images for Sophie to choose from.  These are just a couple of our favourites from the session.

If you'd like us to be your Wakefield portrait photographers, we would be delighted to hear from you so please call Janet on 01977 730159.  A session costs just £35 and we allow plenty of time so that you can relax, enjoy yourself and receive the best possible service.  You can find us on Facebook and we'd really appreciate a Like!  Thank you.

All images are protected by copyright Alex & Janet Durasow.

Engagement Photographer West Yorkshire | Katy and Chris's Pre-Wedding Shoot

As West Yorkshire wedding photographers, we're often asked by our couples if we provide a pre-wedding photo shoot service.  We are certainly happy to offer this to our wedding clients as it's great fun, it allows them to get used to being professionally photographed in a relaxed environment and it lets us see how they interact with each other. It also gives them an opportunity to choose their favourite image to be framed.     

Couples often choose their wedding or reception venue for their Yorkshire engagement photography session or a location such as a park or other beauty spot which has some special meaning to them.  The only drawback to location shoots can be the weather and this is where studio portrait sessions can be great.  It doesn't matter what the weather's doing and in Katy and Chris's case, the style of photographs we had in mind for them had to be taken in the studio.  

Katy and Chris will be Mr & Mrs Smith when they marry at the beginning of May, and this gave us an idea for their engagement shoot.  The idea went down very well and they delighted us with their enthusiasm and the amount of time and effort they put into preparing for their session and buying the appropriate clothing and props.  Setting up the studio took some time too and during the shoot, we spent a long time getting the posing and expressions right and paying attention to detail.   

The couple have chosen an image to go with a signature mount that their guests will write messages on at the wedding reception.  For now the image is a secret but we promised them that we would share some of their other favourites from the shoot.  Thank you Katy and Chris for being such brilliant sports and for being such a pleasure to work with.  We are very excited about working with you again as we know how important your photographs are to you.  We look forward so much to sharing your wedding day!    

Please feel free to comment, Like us on Facebook or get in touch on 01977 730159 if you would like any information about wedding, engagement or portrait photography.  

Wedding Photography Oulton Hall | Elizabeth & Thomas

As recommended Oulton Hall wedding photographers, we're always really excited about working at this gorgeous venue, with the added bonus that it's only a short drive from home.  Liz and Tom chose the Oulton Suite for their civil ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening celebrations, so it was nice to arrive for Liz's preparations knowing that everything would be at the same location.  We always receive a warm welcome from the staff, they are very obliging and helpful and this is something that's really important, especially when the weather is unkind, which was the case today.  The wedding co-ordinators arranged to have the Orangery cleared so that we could photograph the family groups indoors straight after the ceremony and keep everyone warm and comfortable in the process.  It was drizzling for much of the day but Oulton Hall is one of those rare venues where poor weather doesn't create too much of a problem, offering as it does, some incredible backdrops for photographs inside.  After capturing the activity as the girls got ready, we met up with a slightly nervous Tom and his attendants who, despite the rain, were up for a laugh and although we would like to think that we kept them entertained, it was just as much the other way round!  After the civil ceremony, conducted by lovely, friendly registrars, we got on with capturing the groups the couple had asked for.  We knew that Liz had gone to a lot of trouble to provide dried flower petal confetti in cones for every guest, so we were really keen to make sure that her efforts paid off.  The rain had eased a little and even though it was freezing cold and windy, the guests obliged with a fabulous shower of confetti outside, resulting in some great images for the couple's album.  As the entrance to Oulton Hall is such a brilliant place for photographs and because Liz and Tom wanted some fun images to reflect their personalities, we suggested that the bridal party, including the couple's two beautiful daughters, Evie and Lucy, joined us at the front for a few minutes. After everyone else made a run for it to get back inside and into the warmth, we grabbed a few quick shots of Liz and Tom together.  We know you guys were freezing but thank you for being such great fun to work with!  After the wedding breakfast and speeches, it was a good time for a romantic couple photo session for the new Mr and Mrs Latham and an opportunity to make the most of the staircase, gallery and lift for some artistic images, before the evening party started.  Our grateful thanks Liz and Tom for choosing us to share your special day.

To book us for your Oulton Hall wedding photography, please call to check our availability on 01977 730159.  If you were a guest at Liz and Tom's wedding, please leave a comment and if you'd like to keep up to date with what we're doing, we'd be delighted if you would Like us on Facebook.

King's Croft Wedding Photographers | Karen and Shane's Wedding Photography

As Castleford wedding photographers, we very rarely photograph weddings in our home town, due to the lack of venues, the closest being in Pontefract.  However, Karen and Shane live in Castleford and chose All Saints' Church in which to tie the knot on a Thursday in February, the first wedding of our 2014 season.  You might think that their date was an unusual choice but it was very significant and special to them, being ten years to the day since the couple had first met.  Karen was bright and bubbly when we arrived at the couple's home and we had a very enjoyable time capturing all the little details which are so important to the bride, before we headed off to the church to meet Shane and his best man. After the dreadful weather the day before, the fact that it wasn't raining was a huge relief, even though it was very windy and bitterly cold.  Karen arrived right on time looking stunning and despite the cold, she never stopped smiling.  An accommodating and friendly vicar made us smile too, enabling us to get some great shots both from the front and the back of the church.  Following the ceremony, it made sense to get the smaller group photographs taken in the church to try and limit the time everyone had to spend outside. This went so quickly and smoothly thanks to good co-operation and a great best man, Mike, who really took his role seriously and was an enormous help.  There are certain photographs that have to be taken outside though and we did manage to persuade everyone to get together on the path for the confetti throwing before we left for the reception.  As King's Croft wedding photographers, we know that the best location for a big group photo is on the lawn with Alex hanging out of the bridal suite window, but as this was a small wedding and because the grass was absolutely saturated from the previous day's rain, we decided to keep everyone on the tarmac to prevent muddy shoes and wet feet!  Karen and Shane were absolute stars and it was fantastic to get off to a flying start with this year's weddings, working with a couple who are so lovely and friendly and who were more than willing to do whatever we asked of them.  After speeches and a hog roast buffet, they joined us outside again for some twilight shots.  It was absolutely freezing by this time but we hope very much that Karen and Shane think that the results were well worth getting cold for!  We did let them thaw out in the bridal suite afterwards!  Our sincere congratulations guys and a huge thank you to both of you for being such a joy to spend time with!  We look forward to designing a beautiful storybook for you soon.  Our grateful thanks also to Karen's sister, Steph, who recommended us.

To book us for your King's Croft wedding photography, please call Janet on 01977 730159.

Please Like us on Facebook and if you were a guest at Mr and Mrs Hampshire's wedding, please feel free to leave a comment.  All images are the copyright of Alex & Janet Durasow.

Baby Photographer Castleford | Alex's Newborn Portraits

As professional baby photographers in Castleford, it's always a privilege to welcome our youngest subjects and their parents to our studio.  When we book newborn portrait sessions, we are always very generous with the time we set aside, as we know that new baby photography can take a long time, especially when we are trying to create those beautiful curled up and sleeping images that many parents love.  It takes patience and persistence and some babies just won't play ball, so we have to resort to other creative ideas for when our tiny subjects refuse to go to sleep!  This was the case with baby Alex, who was a week old and is also our very precious grandson.  Despite our best efforts, all we got from him was a couple of very brief catnaps but not the deep sleep we were hoping for, so we brought his proud parents in to help!

To book a newborn portrait for your precious bundle of joy, please call Janet on 01977 730159.  Bear in mind that the age of your baby is crucial and the ideal time is when he or she is around five to ten days old.

A session in our studio costs just £35 which is a bargain considering the time we will devote to you.  This modest fee includes expert editing of your images and a private viewing appointment at a later date so that you can view your photographs and choose and order your favourites.