Hey everyone, I'm Steph, a little Brummie photographer! To briefly sum up my photography for you, it's full of colour, fun and style!
I've been my own boss for 2.5 years now (overall I have 10 years experience in photography) and I am just as excited, if not more, than when I first started. I have met amazing couples and photographed many beautiful weddings! Every wedding I shoot, the better I become as a photographer. I love to capture those fun, cheeky moments of your day along with the beautiful, emotional ones. My style is relaxed and unobtrusive, being 5ft makes this a walk in the park for me! I make sure all my couples are relaxed, enjoying themselves and spending as much time soaking up their day with their nearest and dearest! I'm also a barrel of laughs, this helps couples feel relaxed in front of my camera, although it's usually laughs at my expense...so there's enough about me!
Jenny, owner of My little Wedding Shop, got in touch to see if I'd be interested in a styled shoot for her new collection. She found me through a beautiful bride we both worked with and after seeing my images Jenny got in touch. I had no hesitation in getting back to Jenny and arranging a chat to see if I could help out! Our bride, Corinna’s, dress was beautiful. The way it moved on the day and the attention to detail... I couldn't wait to see more of Jenny's work!
I went to My Little Wedding Shop in Bridgnorth (that place is so beautiful, definitely worth a visit) and met Jenny and George. Straight away we got on like a house on fire (sorry for the grim analogy there). Jenny and George are so friendly, positive and just a joy to speak with. Jenny was telling me how she envisioned the shoot and from her ideas and seeing the dresses I was getting ideas straight away! Our ideas bounced off one another and we knew from that moment, we worked perfectly together!
As a photographer, doing styled shoots is a great way of reigniting my creative flare! Yes, they are staged, but this is a positive! At weddings, I avoid this like the plague! You want to capture the special moments as they happen, which means very little posing. Being able to pose in a styled shoot helps you assess what works for the subject you're photographing, in this case, The Davenport dress collection. I experimented with movement, positioning and natural light. Jenny and I wanted to showcase the gorgeous dresses in a way that when future brides see these photos, they can imagine themselves wearing them.
Jenny rounded up a fantastic team of makeup artist, hair stylist, florist, venue, model and photographer. To be honest, these ladies were all so fantastic and professional, it made my job a doddle! Being a female small business owner, having the opportunity to work with other female business owners was a dream! I admired their professionalism, their creativity, their passion and most of all how strong they were! The feminist in me was very happy that day!
On the day I wanted to make sure I was capturing everyones work. I captured some behind the scenes; some closer shots of hair and makeup; some fantastic movement of the dresses, the beautiful model and the setting of the stunning Davenport Manor! The images speak for themselves in terms of the passion and hard work that went into this collaboration styled shoot. I was so proud when editing these photos, not only of what I achieved, but seeing such amazing work from the team. On the day, it really was a team effort and you would never have guessed it was the first time we all worked together!
You're probably thinking, 'why has this styled shoot made such an impression on you? You photograph this kind of stuff all the time at a wedding?' and you're right. I do photograph all these elements at weddings, but I only really get to meet the make up artist and hair stylist while they're busy at work so I don't like interrupting their concentration and rarely the dressmaker or florist.
Working with your fellow businesses in the wedding industry really makes you appreciate their fields too. I have more of an understanding of what they do, the effort that goes into it and just how amazing they are! I now look at my brides in their dress and notice the way it moves and I capture it creatively, that results in a beautifully natural and fun photograph for the couple to cherish!
As a wedding photographer I am constantly developing new skills and ideas for my photography. Every couple is different, so I have to adapt my style and skills with them. This shoot in particular has sparked a new creative approach to how I shoot couples. How I can create your wedding story through different locations. How to use the natural light in different locations. Most importantly, how to support my fellow small businesses!
Weddings are once in a lifetime. People forget how special this day is. Having a team of wedding suppliers who are professional, knowledgable and just hands down amazing is what every couple needs! Being a wedding photographer is a competitive part of the wedding industry to be in. I don't see this as a negative. This means I push myself to be the best I can be and provide a service that my couples will appreciate. I help my couples as much as I possibly can.
Doing styled shoots means I get to see how other suppliers work, I see their passion and dedication. These people are the people I know will provide an amazing service to my couples, so of course I will be recommending them as I know they're just as hard working as I am!
So, to celebrate our partnership with Jenny & Georgina, I am offering any bride who purchases their gown from My little Wedding Shop the following added extras when they book me for their wedding day.
100 free personally designed thanks you cards worth £75, when you book package 2
Or
a 16x12 photo chosen by you, professionally framed worth £225 when you book package 3
A huge thank you to Stephanie for putting this blog together, we hope you have enjoyed reading it as we much as we enjoyed working with Stephanie. George & I found her to be professional, creative, fun and very hard working and we are over the moon with the images she has captured.
If you want to get in touch with Steph, here are her contact details:
w: www.stephaniebutt.com
E: steph@stephaniebutt.com
T:07791 629 583
If you would like to contact any of the suppliers from our shoot, here are the credits!
Dresses: Jane&Edward Couture www.janeandedward.co.uk at My little Wedding Shop
Photography: Stephanie Butt: https://www.stephaniebutt.com/
Venue: Davenport House: https://davenporthouse.co.uk/
Make-up: Omie Megan www.facebook.com/omiemeganmakeup
Hair: Hair by Ellis: http://www.hairbyellis.co.uk/
Florist: Blooms of Bridgnorth: https://www.bloomsofbridgnorth.co.uk/
Jewellery: Julieann Bird: https://julieannbird.co.uk/