Styled shoot March 2024 - Matt Rock Photography

Styled shoot at Tonbridge School Weddings and events

I was contacted in February 2024 by Nicky from Nicola Rose Weddings and Events to take part in a styled shoot to promote some local businesses and Tonbridge School weddings and events.

We met at the school a couple of weeks before so I could see the locations and get a feel of how we wanted to create these image assets for us all to use and to promote our respective businesses.

A lot of work goes into these styled shoots; Assigning the team, getting everyone together to create a wedding themed shoot to promote what we do in our day jobs and mine of course is making the images that hopefully showcase what we all do. Using the drone I was hoping to give a sense of where we are and show the venue with a different perspective to show couples looking to book this wonderful venue an overview of it’s grounds and architecture. You can see that this venue is full of character and history. A little side note; I was lucky to get the drone in the air when I did as it wasn’t long before the sun went in the the rain came down…

“Tonbridge school is a public school in Tonbridge, Kent, England and was founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde. It’s a member of the Eton Group and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies. There are currently around 800 boys in the school aged between 13 and 18.”

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On the day I arrived to set up my cameras and drone then had another look around whilst the finishing touches were being made for the shoot; hair, makeup, suits, flowers, room decoration and cake all being prepared and made ready for the day ahead. I started with a nice fresh cup of coffee as always and got a few photos of the ‘bride’ before she was all finished, just to get warmed up before it was all go.

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After a few warm up shots it was time to get the wedding vibe going with some more styled images of the ‘bride and groom’ getting ready with hair, make up, dresses and suits.

During the day I tried to shoot in a similar way to how I work at a real wedding (documentary, candid in nature) although due to not having the time restraints at an actual wedding I was able to direct things more than usual with a few more re-takes than is normally possible.

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Now it’s all come together and if you are reading this whilst planning your own wedding, please get in touch to see how I can help you get the photographs you deserve from your big day.

If you have read this far, thank you! And if you liked what you read please share with your friends and family who may benefit from having an experienced photographer capture their big day.

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Suppliers involved with this styled wedding shoot were:

Photography - Matt Rock Photography 

Event organiser - Nicola Rose Weddings and Events

Florist - Bailey and Blossom

Venue - Tonbridge School

Videographer - Alin Cengher

Suits - Hardman & Hemming

Favours - Gwyneth Johnson Cake Designs

Cake - Artisan Cakes And Confections

Dress - Bridal Boutique of Jules

Female model - Cristina Maccarrone

Male model - Calum ORourke

Make up - Makeup by Evi 

Hair - The Makeup and Hair Bar

Hair Accessories - Deco Flowers

Content creator - Nadya Mamaeva

Retro cameras - Bailey Mansfield

Getting married in a pandemic - Kent Wedding Photographer - Matt Rock

Wedding Photography at The Manor Gatehouse, Dartford - 2020

2020 was a bit of a curve ball for us all.

I was all set for my busiest year of shooting weddings since starting my business way back in 2006.

It was 2019, and I had a busy year after winning the Kent Wedding Photographer of the Year - 2019. I was all prepared for a busy year ahead; I had a minor operation booked in for the start January 2020 (which went well thanks to our amazing NHS) and my first wedding of the year was booked in for late March. So plenty of time to rest and recover before the hard work and fun started.

Then came COVID-19…

Fast forward a year to December 2020 and out of the 32 weddings I had booked in, only 3 of them were able to go ahead due to government restrictions.

To say it was a stressful year professionally is an understatement. However, I still count myself very lucky. Receiving the government grants, having some great clients who were still prepared to stick with me and some who paid their fees upfront. This meant I was able to keep my business going and look forward to a busier 2021.

We are still not out of the woods just yet, but with the vaccine being rolled out and an amazing NHS - it’s got to a positive move forward.

2020 will be a year to remember - or maybe forget.

Amy and John were great throughout all of this. They had originally booked me almost 2 years before, in 2018 and their original date was set for 10th April 2020. They even recommended me to John’s sister and I shot her wedding in 2019. But as soon as the lockdown was looking like a possibility their date was soon changed to later in the year and we postponed it to 14th November 2020. At this point we were all hopeful this virus would be under control by the summer of 2020.

As this new date approached however it was clear that things were getting worse - not better. So they made the difficult decision to move their wedding date for a second time and bring it forward to 30th September 2020. Which as it turned out was a great move on their part as another venue lockdown was just around the corner…

Below are some of my favourite memories from their wedding day - 30th September 2020

So that was the moment it all happened - all the years of planning a wedding, postponing it twice, a pandemic and the compulsory wearing of face masks.

It all came down to the fact that two people just wanted to get married!

That’s it!

There was not going to be any lavish after party with 150 guests, no big embarrassing speech from the best man, no DJ, no first dance and no honeymoon.

Just two young people who were desperate to get married and start a new life together as Mr & Mrs.

Then it was all down to the local pub for burger & chips & few drinks.

It was great to be part of Amy & John’s special day and although it was not as they would have chosen, I felt they still had the best day, spent with close friends and family. I mentioned before that i’d photographed John’s sisters wedding back in 2019, so for me it was good to catch up with the family again too.

I made a music photo-film from their wedding and you can see this below.

Thanks for reading and as we look to March / April and the summer of 2021, let us hope it will be a bit more ‘back to normal’ and weddings can once again be a regular occurrence in our diaries.

Suppliers:

Ceremony: Manor Gatehouse, Dartford Registry Office, Dartford, Kent - A Kentish Ceremony @kentishceremony

Pub: The Malt Shovel, Dartford, Kent @maltshoveldartf

If you know any suppliers that I have missed, please contact me me as I would love to include their details here.

Need help deciding? See my BLOG below for some more inspiration.

“pandemic noun
plural pandemics
Definition of pandemic
1 : an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease
a global pandemic
Influenza pandemics seem to strike every few decades and to kill by the million—at least 1m in 1968; perhaps 100m in the “Spanish” flu of 1918-19.
— The Economist”

— https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic

Make better family photos - 3 simple rules & a bit of luck

Matt Rock shares 3 simple ideas to help you make better family photos.

Life can be all about chances, luck and seeing opportunities when they arise - but the more you put yourself out there, the more luck and opportunity you will get.

This BLOG and the video below came from meeting a lovely lady whilst on a very wet camping trip with friends in Norfolk. So the moral of this story is to chase your dreams, take every opportunity when it comes your way & go for it!

A few weeks ago I was asked to make a short video for the NHS as part of their Christmas party / online get together. They were looking for some tips and tricks on how to improve their family photos over the 2020 Christmas period and I was happy to help.

DISCLAIMER:

It says ‘Photography Masterclass’ which is a little hard to get my head around as I will never consider myself as a master photographer … or a master of anything!! But i’ll go with it for now as that is what they called it.

• So, for the record, I did not name the video myself - Smiley face / wink emoji....

The other point I would like to quickly make is that this is my FIRST EVER attempt at making a You Tube video. It’s very weird seeing and listening to yourself on a video & I cringe when I watch it. - So be kind… :)

All the views are my own and the elements within the video are just some things I look for when I make my own photos; either Professionally or personally.

So push play, enjoy & hopefully learn something new too.

Don’t forget to read the rest of the BLOG below the video.

Video below - just over 10 minuets long.

So let’s get into my top 3…

There are 3 main areas you should look out for when making photos of your family and friends:

• LIGHT

• MOMENT

• COMPOSITION

My style for weddings and events is often candid and natural, although as a portrait photographer I do like to mix it up a bit & make directed portraits where possible without controlling the whole event or wedding.  

LIGHT

Firstly, I consider this to be the one of the most important things you will need to look for when it comes to making good photos…  Light.

If the light isn’t great the image can look flat or too dark, too bright & washed out.  So when I’m working I am always looking for the quality of light  - not how bright it is.  So, I either need to create the light myself with flash or another external light source like LED or if it’s at a wedding or an event I will often need to look for best the Ambient light.  

Now, good light doesn’t always mean bright or lots of it.  But you do need to look for the quality of it. This can be the position or direction of light, the colour and the strength of light. Being aware of the quality is very important and something you will get used to seeing the more you look and practice. 

At weddings or events I’m often there to candidly document the day - to tell the story of how the wedding went from the eyes of a guest or to showcase the business, clients and employees. I’m not there to tell everyone where to stand or who to talk to.

For 99% of a Wedding and Event work I use ambient light (light that is already there) like the sun for example. Therefore windows and doors are often a good place to be.  Especially if you are working in a dark castle or an old building. 

My image style if often quite contrasty and has been described as cinematic.  I love shadow & I love black and white images.   

Here are three examples of having window light and using it to my advantage.  

Ambient Light - Leez Priory, Chelmsford - 2017

Ambient Light - Lympne Castle - Kent - 2017

Ambient Light - at home - 2019

All of these photographs are using sunlight, either from a window or an open door and because the sun isn’t facing them it’s not too harsh. Using good quality, soft window light can really help with the overall feel of an image.

Below is another example of window light - an image of my two on an old steam train ride, Halloween - 2018.  The window is behind them this time and just wraps around their faces without being too harsh. 

Window light - old steam train - 2018

Our friends baby playing

So when you are at home look at the windows you have in your home, look at the direction the window is facing.  You might have a beautiful window which has the sun beaming through it in the morning that is far too strong but when the afternoon comes, it turns into this beautiful soft light which would be perfect for a portrait. 

MOMENT

At home on the swing

This can often be the split second of time that you see happening in front of you.  That moment that tells a story.  

The light might not be perfect, the composition might not be the best but the moment really brings back memories and emotions. 

The ‘moment’ for me is the hardest one to capture - because often we need to keep looking for it and anticipate it if we can.  You need to watch what is happening and anticipate what will happen next.  

Watch a scene unfold, then wait a bit longer. 

• The look on the brides face watching her nervous husband speak at their wedding.   

The Kennels at Goodwood - 2017

• The proud little glance from the grooms Nan. 

Wedding - 2015

• The tight loving squeeze from the bride and the squashed face of her grandad.

Westenhanger Castle, Kent - 2017

• A fun photo opportunity on the dance floor. 

Westenhanger Castle, Kent - 2017

Waiting for the moment can be fun but you need to be ready for it - and yes, that sign was meant for me…

Wedding, Southend Barns, Chichester - 2018

Some moments can be very historical too. Especially during difficult or challenging times. But they will still be interesting to look back on in the future.

Facetime & Face-masks during the first Lockdown - 2020

You could try this with your family too.   Watch and listen to what is happening and try to anticipate what is likely to happen next.   You will often have a better idea with your own family, so give it a go.  

I would probably suggest getting the Christmas dinner on first though.  Or give the camera to someone who is not in-charge of the food.

One more thing I would add when trying to capture the moment over Christmas is try not to say ‘SMILE’ or ‘CHEEEEEEESE’ All you will get is a false, awkward look and the natural moment will be lost.  

Wait for when the time is right

My kids love it when I make portraits of them - 2020

Trip to the woods - 2020

 Right, onto the last one now:

COMPOSITION

So, you have seen the light you want to use, you’ve been waiting patiently for something interesting to happen, now is the time to compose the image correctly.

Composition is one of those things that can make a good photo great and there are some rules that you can follow - or at least think about.

A lot of them you probably learnt in art class at school - all those years ago.…

Some of these ‘rules’ are:

• Rule of thirds

• Viewpoint

• Framing

• Repetition

• Pattern

• Leading lines

• Negative space

• Focus point

• Depth of field

• Rule of odds

There are lots of ‘rules’ to think about, but you need to remember photography is very subjective - what I like, you might not like. So it really is personal taste.  

Here are just a few to think about over the holidays.

Rule of thirds.

Minis Bay, Kent

You can see in this image the subject (my little girl) is in the lower left third of the frame, the horizon is in the top third and there is some negative space to the right of the image and her legs are leading your gaze to that space.

Goodwood - Revival Festival - 2019

You will see another example above, the subject (the camera operator) is off to the right third and there is some negative space to the left of the image.

Another portrait example below, shot through the car window which has beautiful soft light and is naturally framed by dark the areas from reflections of the trees (framing is explained more below). It also shows the rule of thirds and some negative space to the right.

Camping - 2020

Viewpoint

Minis Bay

When making photos of children, try to get down to their level. Most photos of kids are from your view point - looking down at them. Try to get to their level. It can make a more interesting viewpoint and show the world through their eyes.

Framing your image

Corporate event - Museum of London - 2018

Look for natural frames to focus the viewers eye. It can take them to the area of the image you want them to look at. This can be light patterns as seen above, shadows, other objects in the room and many more.

The image below has a few different aspects which I used to isolate the speaker, the light on top of the audiences faces, the viewing platform above and the great ambient lighting thanks to the museum.

Corporate Event - Museum of London - 2018

You can use other people in the image too… The image below was shot through the best mans arm, framing the bride and groom.

Wedding - 2020

This is the same wedding - below - and this is the best man I used to frame the bride & groom in the image above - shot just a few minutes apart.

I used the venue to frame the best man. The curtains were a natural frame for the image below.

Wedding - 2020

Environmental objects can almost want you to use them. Using this mirror to frame the bride.

Wedding - 2020

The doorway at Lympne Castle is another example of a natural frame. I just needed to put the couple in-between the castle doors to frame them in this directed portrait - below.

Pattern and focus point

You can incorporate pattern into your family photos too which can make an image interesting and be used to bring back memories. The image below will remind me of my time in Turkey, having a beer at the beach bar overlooking the sea.

Turkey - 2019

Pattern along with good light can be used with all photos, like the one below. The pattern of the blurred area (known as Bokeh) can make an image interesting to look at.

My garden

“bokeh (/ˈboʊkə/ BOH-kə or /ˈboʊkeɪ/ BOH-kay; Japanese: [boke]) is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image. Bokeh has also been defined as “the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light.”

— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

The image below shows how focus point as with framing can draw your eye to the part of the image you want to be seen. However the out of focus area still shows a dinner party kind of scene.

Christmas time at home

Another example of how focus point (and framing) can help you take the viewer of your image to where you want them to look is below. I wanted to make a photo of this fly-by during the historical Goodwood Revival Festival last year however I also wanted to incorporate the people and their old fashioned clothes that were at the event.

This image shows two men (out of focus) looking at the aeroplanes I wanted to capture and I think it makes the image more interesting with them included.

Goodwood Revival - 2019

One more thing to think about is details. When you are making your next family album, little details can bring your photos together. These images - below - clearly show the time of year. These might not be photos that you would print out and put into a frame and hang up but in an album they can work really well.

I hope this BLOG has been helpful and given you something to think about when making your own family memories with your camera.

TUITION

NEED HELP WITH YOUR PHOTOS?

If you want to chat more about improving your photos I am happy to arrange a one to one session or book small groups of like-minded people to take their camera skills to the next level.

I would like to thank our NHS and Emergency Services for the work they do and especially this year when we have all realised the work they do for us every day.

Please use the ink below to see my SPECIAL OFFER for our key workers.

Are you looking to hire a photographer for Your Wedding, next Corporate Event / Headshot Portrait?

© All photographs are the property of Matt Rock Photography 2020

Portrait Photographer London

Portrait for the Global Indian Series - Rajan Nazran - 2020

Portrait of Rajan Nazran - for The Global Indian Series - 2020

I have had the pleasure to get to know Rajan over the last year or so and I was happy to help him with the portraits he needed for a couple of projects he has going on.

When I arrived at his home I was greeted by a man who I knew is very well travelled, confident and loves a chat. What was quite unusual is that he seemed relaxed and very excited to be having his portraits made - this is often not the case with most people.

Rajan was dressed in a black suit, open topped light blue shirt but had no shoes or socks on. This can be quite normal when you are only shooting a headshot or a 3 quarter length portrait for someone at their home. I was just glad he was wearing trousers!

After getting all the equipment inside I started to set up the studio; lights, stands, camera, backdrop etc. It was at this point that his lovely wife offered me a fresh coffee and as always, you get asked if you want it black or white, with or without sugar etc. But she asked if I wanted it with vanilla essence?

Now, I love a story - which for me is usually in the form of photos rather than words - but I do love a story.

Or in this case a back story… Back stories can make an ordinary story have meaning and are more memorable. This is helpful when I’m shooting corporate events and to use story telling shots in the final set of images. You can see some examples of corporate events here.

When I get asked if I want a coffee, it’s usually followed up with more questions like; do you want milk? Sugar? Cup, mug, strong or weak?

But I can’t recall ever being asked if I wanted vanilla in my coffee. Me being me I had to ask more about it. His wife then told me the story of how and when they acquired it. It turns out they were in the Dominican Republic and bought it off a farmer - he poured it like draft beer straight into this bottle for them - as fresh as it can be. This wasn’t one of those tiny yet expensive little bottles you can pick up from the local supermarket, it was a large plastic bottle full of dark liquid.

It did make the fresh mug of coffee (strong with milk, no sugar) taste very nice and yes, I did buy one of those very small yet very expensive bottles of vanilla on the way home that day - and no it doesn’t seem to taste the same… But then again it hasn’t got the backstory.

Portrait of Rajan Nazran - Nazran Roth - 2020

It was a pleasure to photograph Rajan in his home and we managed to shoot a good selection of images for him to choose from.

Rajan is a 2nd generation British Indian. He is an experienced journalist with his work featuring in the likes of TIME Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Fortune and now exclusively with the Indian Express Group.

I did say that Rajan loves to chat and I also said I love stories…

For the last 15 years Rajan has travelled to over 50 countries taking on some of the biggest conversations, covering stories from around the world. His journey has taken him to the edges of the Amazon Rainforest, battling against hurricanes of the Caribbean, being taken hostage in Eastern Europe and facing Ebola in West Africa.

With all the stories he has from around the world, I had to ask him where he got his bracelets from.

His eyes lit up and with keen interest he told me the silver one on his right arm is a Sikh bracelet called a Kara. The others on his left arm are from St. Lucia, Malaysia & India and the FIT-BIT was from Curry’s - PC world, London.

Meeting new people and telling their stories with my photographs is so much fun and a wonderful job to have.

Let me chat with you about your next big project.

Have you just started your new dream job, or begun the first steps to being self employed or have you had your old photograph too long and it’s time to show the world that you have matured.

If you or your staff need a headshot or portrait for their new profiles - get in touch.

If you would like to discuss your story and book your portrait get in touch with me - details below.

See my BLOG on Headshots - “Do we all need a professional headshot or portrait?”

Camera and lenses used: Fujifilm XH1 Fujifilm XF50mm f2, XF23mm f2 @fujifilmx_uk

Rajan’s websites: https://globalindianseries.com

Instagram: @globalindianseries - @thenazrans

A little behind the scenes image showing the set up of how we made his portraits - with no shoes or socks...

BTS:

Black suit, light blue shirt - no shoes or socks.

Kent Wedding and Portrait Photographer Matt Rock - Black and White Photographs

If you are like me, you love seeing beautiful, creative & timeless black and white photography.

Wedding Photography - Candid photograph of a bride - Allington Castle - Kent - 2019

When I make an image during a wedding, portrait shoot or a big corporate event, I always like to make it look as natural as possible - so it doesn’t look stiff, posed or forced. Working in a documentary style means these will often be candid images, during corporate events or weddings and sometimes they will be a directed portrait where I am in complete control of how the image will look; with lighting and expression etc - often during a Wedding portrait shoot or a studio portrait session. These photographs can then be processed to black and white or kept in colour during the editing stage.

Below are some black & white images of my work during portrait sessions and inc. weddings, corporate events and portrait shoots.

Black and white images will give you that timeless look which feels unique to this style and look as good in the future as they do now.

Corporate Events - Museum of London

Studio Portrait

Corporate sports events - QPR - 2018

Candid Portrait

Natural / directed Portrait

Family Portrait session - Kent

It is my job as a portrait photographer to look for the best light or create it and then to get the best expression from the people in front of the camera - without directly asking them for it.

Black and white photos seem to be less complicated and more future-proof, without splashes of colour to distract you the viewer from the subject matter or overall scene.

As I said, I am always looking for the best quality of light for my photographs. Whether it’s available light from a window in a room, the sunlight and shade outside or the studio lights I have set up. Quality of light or interestingly the shadow is even more important with black & white as the tone can set the mood of an image and when you add to that, the moment and composition it can be very powerful.

Do they look nervous before the wedding? - Are they happy that the pressure is now off of them? - Or are they in love during a bit of quiet time together?

Wedding Portrait of Groom - window light

Event Photography - Goodwood Revival - September 2019

Corporate Events - London

Corporate golf days are always interesting to photograph - The London Golf Club

My love of black and white images does not mean I only shoot this way.

There are often different reasons for shooting in colour and or black & white - my clients wants and needs will affect this for the most part and often the client needs a colour image for what they are using the images for. But sometimes they let me make them how I want to as well.

Firstly, thank you for reading this far down, I hope you enjoyed what you have seen.

If you are looking to hire a multi skilled photographer to capture your corporate event, wedding, portrait or headshot, please get in touch.

Equipment used: Fujifilm XPRO 2 & XH1 with 16mm f1.4 - 23mm f2 - 50mm f2 - 90mm f2

Other useful links: Documentary event Photography - Headshot Photography - How to choose a wedding photographer

All Images and copyright belongs to Matt Rock Photography.

Headshot Photographer - Do we all need a professional Headshot or Portrait?

“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.”

— Paul Caponigro

How important is it that people can see you before doing business with you or offering you that role?

Where do clients see you first? Social media? Business cards?

Why is it important to make that good first impression with your clients, or casting agent before you meet with them?

When is it important to start that relationship between you and your clients? - Before you meet?

What do people see on your profile, website or newsletters? A professional or an amateur?

Who do you want for your next client?

What can you do to engage with your clients the first time they see your profile?

Are you and actor? In business? Or looking to start your own company?

Self Portrait - Mid 2019

What do you do?

• Business

• Self employed

• Sales

• Insurance

• Estate Agents

• Corporate

• The Arts

• Actor

• Musician

• Dating profile

What ever profession you are in; make sure you look professional

Whether you meet clients, or you offer services to others, I believe you need a great headshot or portrait of yourself and your staff so your clients can see who you are and will want to learn more about you and what you can do for them.

If your business is on social media I would recommend you have a professional headshot or portrait for your personal profile too.

A good quality portrait or headshot will make you and your business stand out - on social media, printed business cards, an advertising campaign, at a conference and in your monthly newsletters.

A strong Corporate portrait with clients office in the background

A welcoming Headshot with dark textured backdrop

Headshot with plain white background

Self Portrait - February 2019

As a portrait photographer I love the whole process of making portraits and I understand the importance of them. If you work for a large corporate company, run your own business, large or small, self employed, or if you are in the arts; an actor or a musician - everyone should make the best of themselves and promote themselves as the professional they want to be.

Get in touch below and we can chat about your next move and how to make you and your company stand out.