The Master Builders Hotel Wedding Photographer Kimberley Garrod. A wedding with a difference this lovely pair had the most amazing day the weather was beautiful for April but what was even better was the wedding days itself. I have not photographed at the The Master Builders Hotel before I can can say what a beautiful venue to photograph in lots of amazing places for sunny photographs and also lots of places to use if you happen to get rain on the day. Here are a few pictures below to get a little  idea off the venue and a few sneak peeks of Ian and Jenni’s wedding day. Wedding photographs are important to the couple and do not need to be splashed all over a blog 100′s of them so please see below enough images equivalent to a roll of 36 film to give you a little flavour.

Little write up from me about the venue;

The Master Builders Hotel is set close to the beautiful location of Beaulieu River and is the most perfect location for a wedding the hotel to give you freedom in working with you to create the day you truly want. The staff here at this hotel are lovely they really do look after you and take care of all the little details as well as the big things on the day. The team work smoothly together and the catering team produce food that is spectacular. They looked after me well on the day even though they had lots of other quests to look after they made a real effort to ensure I had a lunch and drink as well which was lovely. This Hotel has all the key ingredients for creating a perfect wedding day for you. For more information please visit the link below. 5 stars from me.

http://www.themasterbuilders.co.uk/weddings

Suppliers List

Cake by Hannah: http://www.hannahbananabakery.co.uk

Hair by Corina: http://www.flawlessbridalmakeup.co

Engagement Shoots Southampton by Kimberley Garrod photography. Southampton is one location you might like to do a engagement shoot to allow you to feel more at ease in front of camera before the wedding day, or you may wish to just do a engagement shoot to celebrate being engaged. The idea of the shoot is not only to feel more at ease in front of camera but the perfect chance to ask your photographer questions and to speak to them in more detail about you. This allows the photographer to get to know your natural side and this really helps in creating the most relaxed style pictures for you.

I am pleased to share these images with you from Elaine and Jason pre-wedding shoot. This was a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other better before the big wedding day in May 2015. We went to a local country park in Southampton and I guided and supported this lovely pair in creating natural fun couple pictures. I can not begin to tell you how much fun these two are my face hurt from all the smiling and laughing that took place on this evening. We were blessed with the most amazing weather and below are a few images as a sneek peek into what could be achieved from a on location couple shoot. I simply can not wait to photograph this wedding in May I wonder what is in store next?

One very excited photographer here x

Chewton Glen is one of my  favourite wedding venues of all time and it’s grounds are perfect for creating the most beautiful wedding photographs. I am now one of the recommend Wedding Photographers at Chewton Glen and will be appearing in the new Trusted Partners Brochure very soon.  Can not wait to photograph here in the near future.

“Chewton Glen is a beautiful Hampshire wedding venue which provides the ideal country house setting for your special day. This award-winning 5 Red Star Hotel is recognized as one of the finest luxury wedding venues in Hampshire, and is superbly located within the stunning New Forest countryside. The venue can accommodate up to 140 guests for a wedding banquet and 200 for a wedding ceremony or drinks reception. Our Hampshire wedding venue is licensed with Hampshire County Council and the New Forest District Council for Civil Ceremonies, and we can arrange for the vows to be taken within the intimacy and comfort of one of the private lounges or outside in the Walled Garden. Whether you require a bespoke service from your Hampshire wedding venue, or an inclusive price, you can be sure of the best traditions of service, from the initial enquiry through to the happy day itself. We also have a number of luxury pre-wedding pamper packages in the spa to help calm your nerves and prepare you and your bridal party before the big day.” For more information please visit the website direct on link below;

http://www.chewtonglen.com

Venus Women Awards National Finals 2015. The awards took place at the lovely Hand Picked Audleys Wood Hotel Basingstoke. Audleys Wood is a very impressive venue one I have had the pleasure at photographing at on many occasions before corporate events and weddings but today found myself enjoying the hotel as a quest rather than a professional photographer. So today was the national finals which was a exclusive brunch with winners from each region coming together and celebrating, with the added excitement of awards for the overall winners for each category being crowned National Finalist. The room was packed with the most impressive business women from each region which it was a great pleasure to have so many people come together to celebrate Women in Business. There were some very touching stories from the day and had to hold back a few tears but hopefully together we can make a difference in the future. So people were making speeches today and thanking teams and loved ones and it got me thinking what would be my favourite quote to share and one sprung straight to mind so here my quote for the day;

“Here’s to the crazy one, the misfits the rebels,the troublemakers the round pegs in the square holes the ones that see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. you can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them or verify them. About the only thing you can’t not do is ignore them. Because the change things. They imagine. They invent. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward maybe they have to be crazy…. How else can you stare at a empty canvas and see a work or art? or sit in silence and hear a song thats never been written? or gazed a red planet and see a laboratory on wheel?… and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius because the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do” (Steve jobs/apple).

The very gorgeous Tara Howard the founder of the awards has really put the Venus Women Awards on the map and hosted the awards today a fantastic day, really looking forward to seeing what happens in the future. So I won Venus Awards for Home Based Business for Southampton and has the pleasure of being joined by 7 other great home-based business in other regions. Not taking home the National Home-based business award but a very well deserved Kerry from Stand up Marketing, Charity Chuckle went home with this award today. However it was really nice to meet my fellow Home-based business winners from different regions and hopefully we will all work together in the near future.

Well on a little bit of a bias note supporting the girls from Southampton a huge congratulations to the lovely Katy The Pink Party Box Company and Pam from Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity on winning a National Finalist Award so brilliant I could not help myself and take pictures and join in being a photographer. So due to having ants in my pants and my professional camera in my handbag I had to take pictures from today sorry professional Venus Award Photographer it’s just a bug can not help it, love taking pictures so here is a selection of photographs from the day celebrating all those amazing business women out there involved in Venus Awards 2014/2015. I have supported the Venus Awards as a photographer for the last three years so nice this year to have a break look forward to being apart of the Venus Women’s Award team next year.

If you need a photographer to support your business feel free to get in touch look forward to hearing from you

info@kimberleygarrod.co.uk

Best Wishes

Kimberley

Hampshire Wedding Photographer Kimberley Garrod Showcase 2014.

What a blast 2014 Wedding Season has been.

So the wedding season 2014 has now come to a end what a great year full of lots of love and happiness.  I have had so much fun this year being a wedding photographer this year  “best job ever”. Really looking forward to being apart of many more weddings in 2015 with some very exciting weddings already booked in my diary to include France, Jersey and Isles of Scillies to name a few not to mention first friends wedding photographing next year as well.

On a personal note not to be two cliche but this year I married my best friend  in June and had a great time getting married and enjoying being on the other-side of the camera. Very strange however to be a Bride myself but loved every minute of it wish I could live the day all over again but I guess that is where the photographs come into it and a huge thank you to my friend Emma who took the challenge to be our wedding photographer she did a great job. Also this year was short listed for over 3 awards took home Venus Business Woman Award for home Based Business and also to top the year off went home with Wedding Industry Award for Best Wedding Photographer Regional Finalist for London and South East what a year it has been I wonder what 2015 has in store.

So here is a few images to celebrate 2014 wedding season a showcase if you wish of my lovely couples from 2014 to hard to include all the images so a couple from each wedding. For more images please check out the new wedding gallery on my main menu options page.

Only fair to start the first picture off with me and my wedding and honeymoon trip.

Looking forward to the 2015 wedding season.

Hong Kong Wedding Photographer Kimberley Garrod. I am based in the UK however now cover Hong Kong as a destination in my portfolio.

Feel free to get in touch if you are in Hong Kong getting married or in UK going to Hong Kong or any of the above. There are so many opportunities around Hong Kong for really creative wedding photography shoots. I have a modern contemporary take on wedding photography which is very natural fun and in the moment photography. I recently spent some time in Hong Kong and have gained knowledge of all the best places to photograph and really capture your personality and style in your wedding photographs.I have a huge range of wedding albums and you can really create bespoke albums to your style colour, material etc rather than having a wedding album the same as everyone else your album will be a complete one off.  I have 100″s of ideas ready to go for my Hong Kong clients really looking forward to photographing a full wedding in Hong Kong. So feel free to get in touch really look forward to hearing about your wedding plans. Below are a few wedding photographs from Kowloon wedding.

Sopley Mill Wedding Photographer Kimberley Garrod. What a amazing venue to have a wedding. Full of style and character and lovely little areas to take pictures in. Here are just a few pictures from Lauren and Nick’s day.

Thank you to all my amazing clients that voted for me as a result have been awarded Wedding Industry Awards 2015 Best Photographer Regional Award London and South East so massive thank you to all exciting times, a great start to a Monday morning. This Award means a lot to me as it is voted for by my clients. The awards celebrate excellent work and outstanding businesses in the Wedding Industry Awards and I am very proud to be apart of the awards for 2015.

Blog post from Wedding Industry Awards Website Describing the Awards.

“Given that our nation is bursting at the seams with creativity, it can be of no surprise that the Best Wedding Photographer category had always been the most popular one in TWIA. But that also means it’s one of the hardest and toughest to judge. So what are the kind of things that voters are telling us about their wedding photographers and what are the judges looking for?

Well, in the first instance it comes down to style. Even the most artistically blind couple can be won over by a photographer who has their own unique sense of style and ability to see the world from a specific viewpoint. It is usually this that first attracts their clients to them.

Whilst very few voters comment on the technical side of things, there is a certain sense that what couples want is a low maintenance professional who can surreptitiously get on with their job, rather than somebody who has all the gear and no idea. With the increasing popularity of documentary photography, couples almost seem to prize a photographer who they barely notice over one that has a take charge and manipulate the situation for the image type of attitude.

That being said, The Wedding Industry Awards panel often read comments commending their photographer for having a professional yet friendly demeanour that meant that their guests could interact and relate to the photographer as well. The impression that this key wedding supplier leaves amongst the clients’ friends and family does seem to be of tantamount importance.

That, perhaps, is because the photographer is the one supplier who is on hand all day and most visible to the guests. Since they’re all there to have a good time, they don’t want to be shouted as they’re marshalled into shot or made to feel like they’re in the way when they want to take their own pictures.

Of course, the work of a wedding photographer extends much further than the wedding day itself. From pre-wedding shoots to post-processing and album design, couples want to feel like their wedding photographer is invested in every part of the process, as well as guiding them in their choices and helping them to feel comfortable in front of the camera.

They may not know about the hours of editing that go into creating their wedding photos, or the endless work photographers do on raising the profile of their business or the fact that they have found a needle in a haystack due to the strong branding and passion of that particular photographer over all the rest. But they do know when they get on with someone, when they feel relaxed and when, as a consequence of that, they end up being in love with their wedding photos to such a degree that they can’t stop showing them to people.”

http://www.the-wedding-industry-awards.co.uk

Stand up to Cancer with Kimberley Garrod Photography. I am supporting standing up to Cancer. I have been watching the Stand up to Cancer Campaigns on TV and newspapers and really want to get involved. Cancer effects so many people and two people in my family and friends circle have died to Cancer. So I want to use my skills as a photographer to help support Stand up to Cancer and help all of you to celebrate your loved ones. So I am standing up to Cancer one day every week from now till end November I will be opening the studio for the whole day to raise money for Stand up to Cancer.

Why am I doing this?

So I have been a photographer for many years capturing the important family moments. A story that has always stayed with me in my career and a story that has changed my life has inspired me to get involved. I was working as a photographer for a corporate studio when I first met  the gorgeous little girl by the name of Oliva. Only about 2.5years old she had cancer and she came into the studio after getting the all clear from her doctors after under going some very extensive treatment. Her family wanted to celebrate her life and the family unit as they had a little boy a few years older as well. I remember her hair was only just growing back but she was extremely happy and full of character playing with all her favourite toys in the studio. I created a lovely selection of photographs and when the family came back to view the images we were all crying together looking at the pictures they had come out so beautiful and they really captured her personality and happiness. The power of photography always seems to surprise me. I was so touched to be in the presence of this wonderful family who had really gone though some amazing things together.  A couple of months later I got a call from a friend of the family telling me that Oliva had got really ill and that she had passed away. I was so upset hearing this news I realised that the power of photography truly lasts a lifetime and that once the moment has gone it can never be captured again. The studio I was working for at the time would not release the images without a extremely high fee for the images. So against my morals a few weeks later I left the company and set up my own business as a freelance photographer. So the Stand up to Cancer campaign is so important to raise funds to help support and accelerate the pace of groundbreaking research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives.

For more information about Stand up to Cancer visit http://www.standuptocancer.org.uk

So come along and Celebrate your family and loved ones and capture a family story and moment in time.

Please call to book your time to come into the studio on 01489 797550 or 07949 690 609.

The shoot could be a couple shoot to celebrate just being in love, a newborn shoot to celebrating the new arrival of little one, pets are welcome because they are apart of the family to, just the little ones, the grandparents, parents you are welcome do not shy away, groups of no more than 12 can include friends groups it’s not just about celebrating the core family but also our second family our friends.

Studio Family Portrait Shoot –  Stand up to Cancer days

Wednesday 22nd October 9am to 8pm

Monday 27th October 9am to 8pm

Saturday 1st November 9am to 2pm

Thursday 6th November 9am to 8pm

Friday 14th November 9am to 11am – 5pm to 8pm

Wednesday 19th November 9am to 8pm

Monday 24th November 9am to 8pm

Therefore all you need to do is give me a call to book in a time for your shoot. So shoots are £25.00 for 1hour studio shoot and £10.00 of the shoot fee will go to Stand up to Cancer, Cancer Research UK. Also you will receive 50% off all digital packages on the Stand up to Cancer Studio days. Terms and conditions apply limited availability on each day.

Look forward to meeting you and celebrating your family.For more information please get in touch.

Love

Kimberley x

Newborn Baby Photography Shoots Southampton Hampshire. Newborn shoots are such a great way to record little ones arrive into the big wide world. So ideally a newborn shoot takes place in the first 6weeks this ensures you get the sleepy cosy photographs snug as a bug. It is hard to imagine doing a newborn shoot especially if it is your first baby the idea of dragging baby and yourself out of the house to a studio environment for photographs seems a crazy idea. You only get one chance to record the moment of little ones first fews weeks so why not.

Relaxed Space

1) You need to remember our studio is set up in such a way there is space for feeding baby and changing baby and also toilet facilities and a professional photographer to guide you though-out the shoot so your not alone and you will be looked after.

In front or behind camera?

2) Who do you want to be in the newborn shoot well baby is the obvious one as parents do you want to be in the pictures? It is up to you but really nice thing to do at this special time in your little ones life. You will more than likely hate being in front of camera but afterwards will be happy that you did.

Picking babies outfit? 

3) Bring a couple of options best to have more than less so then you and the photographer can pick together what will work best. Baby will also look great snuggled in blankets so outfits may not be essential depending on the style of newborn photographs you want to create.

Picking your outfit? 

4) Well if you decided as parents you would like to be in the pictures think about clothes you feel at ease in you want to create a natural look. Most of the photographs will be in close as little one will be very small so shoes are not necessary.

Hair and make-up newborn shoot?

5) Well up to you really if you feel it gives you more confidence or makes you feel more you with your hair and make-up then go for it. Just apply the same amount of make-up you would for nice occasion or daily wear do not go over the top you want it to look natural. Or if you feel like being complete pampered mum in the photographs I can provide a top make-up and hair stylist for the shoot at a additional fee. Who will come to the studio and do you hair and make-up ready for being in front of camera.

What do you want to do with the images afterwards?

6)  Well sky’s the limit after the photographs have been taken it is possible to create a whole arrangement of products.