YORK PLACE

NEW FEATURE >> Big wedding or micro-wedding our vision never changes: we want to make big images from micro-moments. Weddings and photography have been such a big part of our lives for so long now that it is difficult to remember a time that we didn’t pick up a camera most weekends. Over the last seventeen years (!) we have photographed the largest of gatherings in the grandest of settings to the most intimate of weddings. We wondered at first if the type or size of wedding would affect the kind of photographs we would capture but in fact it has never really been the case. No matter how big or small, formal or relaxed, weddings for us are always all about the people who attend them. The people themselves, their relationships and their personalities are always unique, always new and exciting to celebrate and capture but our approach and the way we see the world through a lens do not differ. Colours, expressions, life, humour and love still permeate through our images and the people in front of us, and we’re always seeking out the smallest whispers of moments and intimate of connections to reveal them. Link to the blog post in the profile. #yorkplace21 #yorkplacestudios (at voco Oxford Thames) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpmtZwCMirU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Glorious sunny wedding days that end up in a park having a picnic. We love that weddings can be whatever you want them to be. Any place, any style; the more personalised the better! 😍 Perfect for our non staged, non posed, stay in the moment mantra. #yorkplacestudios #yorkplace21 (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co4WhaWs00V/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

NEW FEATURE >> One aspect of our photography that has, by now, long been established is our love of filling the frame. We love to fill a photograph with multiple stories across the width and height of the frame, paying attention not just to the foreground but the background as well to create layers of moments and characters within a single image. The aim is to find a sense of connection between each element of the photograph and allow you to enjoy a different part of the story each time you look at the picture. And for the bride and groom we want to include as many friends and family in a photograph as we can; telling the story not just of the events of the wedding day but of the people they shared it with. An unposed story of family and friendship that we hope to make worthy of a place on the wall alongside any portrait or group shot. For more thoughts on this topic go to our profile link #yorkplacestudios #yorkplace21 (at Prince Albert, Camden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoUTNBwsQ6y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

That time we spent a wedding day having a sightseeing tour on a London bus! #yorkplacestudios #yorkplace21 (at Queen Mary University of London) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJ8II5Miay/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

NEW FEATURE >> “Consistency is a paradox. By striving to achieve it you don’t stay the same, you get better.” It’s a brand new year and it’s that time of the season where we are examining our images from the previous year, finding our favourites and discussing how we can progress as photographers for the upcoming season. We love the start of the year; planning for the coming months whilst pondering the unknown possibilities and opportunities that might arise and challenging ourselves, once again, to take our favourite ever photograph. That rush and thrill has kept us going for over sixteen years now and the search for the perfect photograph starts again in February when our wedding season begins. Something that we also continuously try to improve upon is consistency. These blog pages represent a (relatively) short, carefully curated collection of some of our favourite images from each wedding; photographs that we are truly proud to show and that are selected with a specific story in mind. But our mission is that every single image we take through every part of every wedding should be worthy of a prominent place within these pages. The challenge is not to make that curation easier each year with a handful of clear “winning images”, but to make it impossible; to be able to fight strongly for the place of every photograph and the thought process that went into it. For more thoughts on this topic go to our profile. #yorkplacestudios #yorkplace21 (at High Billinghurst Farm Wedding Venue) https://www.instagram.com/p/CngxyLfs209/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

NEW FEATURE >> The push to make better art. Last week we launched a new brand @kaleid.me Incredibly it’s been 17 years (next month) since we last did that, and in that time York Place Studios has grown into something that we never expected. We love documentary photography more than ever and feel so privileged to be able to spend our time taking photographs and writing and speaking about our absolute favourite subject. In fact, we have even bigger plans for York Place Studios next year which we are excited to share very soon! It is important to us to always continue to challenge ourselves and (whilst York Place remains documentary-led), just as street photography influenced our wedding work, we find that ideas and perspectives activated in a new and different field can often be brought back into YPS and help develop us as photographers. Growing, learning, expanding and seeking understanding is so, so important. Our work is continually evolving and developing and we couldn’t be prouder that after nearly 17 years in the industry we still continue to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves as photographers to make better art. Speaking of art, Charlie and Lucy’s wedding was a photographer’s dream. Colourful and spontaneous, fun and silly, whilst remaining emotional and real, we absolutely loved every second.  Here is a glimpse into this bubble-filled, colour-centric and delightful day at @chelsea_physic_garden {Link in the profile} #yorkplace21 #yorkplacestudios (at Chelsea Physic Garden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmWGge0MV0Y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

NEW FEATURE >> “Photographs change meaning over time and you never know which is going be the most powerful until you look back on you life” When it comes to blogging we quite deliberately always post weddings and images photographed the previous year. But why do we do this? Why would we consciously choose to only showcase the photographs a year after they were taken rather than our most recent work? Simply we like to give photographs a chance to breathe; to allow enough time to pass for us to remove our personal feelings from the image at the time they were taken. As photographers we wrap a lot of our own thoughts and feelings into the images we take, after all the weddings we attend are our memories too and we care about the day, the couple and the moments we capture. There’s an emotional resonance to images for those that were there, (ourselves included) and it’s easy for that nostalgia to cloud our opinions. Is this truly a good photograph? Does it tell the story in its own right? Or are our minds and emotional attachments filling in the blanks from our own memories of the event? To read our thoughts on this go to our blog. {Link in the profile} Featuring the superstars Elly & Hugo on this stunning autumnal day. #yorkplace21 #yorkplacestudios (at Layer Marney Tower) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClQmL5iMgmH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

NEW FEATURE >> One of the long term mantras of our wedding photography is that we work flash-free. We are naturally often asked the (rather logical) question by other photographers: why do we do this? Why not have a flash-gun handy for those trickier conditions? For us it is about ensuring that we maintain consistency throughout all the photographs we take, from our street portfolio to our family and lifestyle to weddings; we want the feel and style of photography to shine through whatever we are shooting. It’s also important to us that the wedding photographs have the same feel and atmosphere as the wedding itself; to reflect the true memory of being there (in part) by embracing the light (or lack of), the colour and the mood. More of our thoughts over on the blog. {Link in the profile} Featuring Charlotte & Joe at a wedding venue long on our bucket list; the stunning Asylum Chapel. (at Asylum and Maverick Projects) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkfpTisMtJn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We haven’t posted much street photography in a while but it’s something that we still always do. Here is a frame we took when we were on our way to a wedding in London earlier this year. Looking for connections and juxtapositions between people, places and inanimate objects. #yorkplace22 #yorkplacestudios (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkLGqPPMNhm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

And (for photography at least) that’s a wrap on another wedding season! ♥️ It’s been a whirlwind of a year and we always seem to say this but it really has definitely been our busiest ever. We started early with talks to be written for February & March and weddings starting as early as January and we ended with another month of extreme craziness, dotting all over the country and beyond for talks and weddings. It truly has been a wonderful year and we are very grateful to everyone who has made it so special. We are just wrapping up our editing and then we will be back to posting regularly on our page! We can’t wait to share what we have been up to and reveal our plans for the rest of the year! In the meantime here are just a few images from 2022 so far. #yorkplacestudios #yorkplace22 https://www.instagram.com/p/CjkWtGXM7DX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We had the pleasure of having a pre-production @fujifilmuk XF56mm F1.2 R WR to play with for a few weeks back in July. Quite simply we didn’t want to give it up and it’s straight on the wish list. It’s faster, sharper and works with the X-H2S like a dream. #Fujifilm #56mmf12 (at Greenwich Yacht Club) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiR-CN4MDq8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s been incredibly busy times for us at York Place HQ so naturally we have been a little quiet on social media as we keep up with the workflow! Not only are we in the thick of wedding season, we are working on two other projects (to be announced soon!) and we have five speaking events lined up in the next two months so those are keeping us busy as well. For those who have asked we are loving the new camera (@fujifilmuk X-H2S) and have had great fun creating new photos with it. Loads more photos coming but here is one of our favourites from this year so far… #yorkplace22 https://www.instagram.com/p/Chou_ECsgf9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

NEW FEATURE>> Our long-term mantra for our photography has been “Stay in the Moment”, a phrase really built around two messages. The first is a reminder to us to keep in the moment and shoot through the scenes, staying present and only thinking of the moments and scenes in front of us, not what’s gone before. The other is a reminder for our brides and grooms (and ourselves!) to stay present in the day, not over-thinking life and just enjoying the world and the experience around us right now, not dwelling on the past or worrying about what comes next. More of our thoughts over on the blog. {Link in the profile} Featuring Paula & Chris and their truly rock n’ roll wedding. 🕶 #yorkplace21 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfn_dVrsu3y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=