Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who entered my first Facebook competition, the prize for which was a 30″ x 20″ canvas print of one of my recent safari photographs.
To enter the competition I invited members of my Facebook page to post a comment against their favourite photograph in this Facebook gallery, with the best comment being the winner. The comment could be funny or serious.
In the week that the competition was open I received over 60 comments, which is fantastic!
What I hadn’t envisaged beforehand though was how hard it would be to actually choose a winner! So many people left comments which were worthy of winning that I felt very guilty for only choosing one comment to win… so I’m choosing two!
The first winner is Richard’s B’s comment “Snobby monkey mimics The Thinker by Auguste Rodin” which really made me laugh! Richard is right – the pose is uncanny – click here to see The Thinker by Auguste Rodin
The second winner is Richard W’s comment “I would love to win this picture as this is the one you had just had printed when we visited you to discuss our wedding, and it is absolutely stunning! It would be a wonderful memory of the fun we had planning our wedding.” Apart from it being a lovely comment, I was both surprised and proud that Richard had remembered I’d shown him this photograph when he booked me to photograph his wedding.
Congratulations to both winners!
Most of all though, thank you to everyone who enetered I wish I could have chosen more winners but I’m not sure I could afford it!
Please keep an eye on my Facebook page as I plan to hold more photography competitions in the future, but I think I will try and incorporate a voting system next time so I don’t have to choose the winner myself as I just feel too much guilt!
I was pleased to find out last week that one of the photographs I took at a wedding at Manchester Town Hall last year has been published in Live Cheshire magazine.
The photograph was published as part of Live Cheshire’s wedding section, within a feature about weddings at Manchester Town Hall.
Manchester Town Hall is a fantastic wedding venue, extremely photogenic, and it came as no surprise to me to read in the magazine that the Town Hall is almost completely booked out already for 2010 weddings. I am lucky enough to have another two weddings there this year and I am already looking forward to them!
February 4, 2010 - 5:31 pmKevin Mullins - Nice one Neil - always good to get recognition. Great work.
January 26, 2010 - 5:09 pmRichard Wegrzyn - Great stuff Neil! I'm looking forward to being one of those weddings later on in the year. I'll have to try and get my hands on a copy of that magazine! Keep up the great work. Richard
January 26, 2010 - 11:49 amRick Mason - Fab work as ever Neil!!
To celebrate my Facebook page reaching 1,000 members, I am holding a competition to give away a free 30″ x 20″ canvas print of one of the photographs I took on my recent safari in Kenya to one member of my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/neilredfernphotography
To enter all you have to do is go to my Facebook page, become a fan (unless you have already done so) and, in the album called “Canvas Competition – January 2010″, leave a comment underneath the photograph which you would like to win stating why you would like that photograph as a canvas.
The winner will be the person who in my leaves the best comment. The comment can be funny, serious, complimentary, short or long – I will leave it up to you!
All comments must be made by Wednesday 27th January 2010 – so one week today. Once this date passes I will choose a winner. People may comment on more than one photograph but no more than one comment per photograph please. Unfortunately the competition is only open to UK residents.
If you would like to invite your Facebook friends to enter the competition please click on the ’suggest to friends’ link on the left hand side of my Facebook page, select all your friends (or those you wish to invite) and click send.
Thank you again to everybody who has already joined my Facebook page, I am very grateful.
I am very pleased to announce details of a brand new portrait photography package, especially for couples.
When people think of portrait photography they often only think of just one person being photographed, but why not photograph couples together? This way you can both enjoy the shoot together and the resulting images will be really special to the both of you
This special package will include a 1 hour portrait shoot of the two of you together in an outside location, such as a local park or other picturesque venue. Working outside will give the photographs much more variety. I can advise on locations or I am happy to be guided by you should you have a location in mind (perhaps somewhere special and meaningful to you both?)
Although I will guide you in terms of posing ideas, the emphasis of the shoot will be very much on you both being relaxed, having fun and enjoying yourself!
Following the shoot you will receive:
A CD containing 20 images as full size, non-watermarked, hi-resolution files which you will be free to use for personal use. All images will be digitally edited and enhanced.
A 20″ x 16″ canvas print of your favourite photograph from the shoot.
20 “Facebook optimised” images so you can share the images with your friends and family. These will be the same images as on the CD but they will be re-sized and sharpened especially for use on Facebook.
Free fitting and consultation and £5 off designer lingerie at Elizabeth Wells
From February 15th onwards, the price of this package will be £345. However, for couples that book before 14th February 2010, I am offering a very special introductory price of only £195.
(Please note that this does not mean the actual shoot has to take place in January, just that the booking is made in January).
This portrait package would make an ideal Valentine’s Day, Birthday or Anniversary gift. If you would like to book, or have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me
January 31, 2010 - 12:37 pmJohn Moss - Hi Neil,
Hoping to make today's deadline for booking your 'couples's portrait shoot' at your special intro price! Please advise if ok & if so, how to pay.
Flexible on dates, but how does 17th Feb fit in with your schedule? Happy to leave it in your good hands to choose venue! (EXCEPT Old Trafford though!) Also, can we bring the dog (or does that make it a triple?).
Will be good to meet you in person after FB banter!!!
Cheers!
John
Wow, I have never seen as much snow in Manchester as we’ve had today!
I couldn’t resist taking some photographs as I doubt we will get snow like this again for many years. The photographs below were all taken in Sale, apart from the last one which is Manchester Town Hall. I will be covering another wedding at Manchester Town Hall in a few months – I’ve a feeling it will look very different by then
For the photographers out there, the first 4 photographs are all HDR images made up of 5 different exposures. I combined them using Photomatix.
January 9, 2010 - 8:49 pmMartin Anderson Crombie - Good to see your bookings are up Neil for 2010!
Your blog is looking very nice & professional, keep up the good work.
Martin Crombie
January 6, 2010 - 12:10 amLittle White Book - Neil, they really do look incredible, I love the new logo as well!
January 5, 2010 - 9:43 pmKris - Lovely captures again Neil, nice use of HDR.
January 5, 2010 - 8:05 pmjoingle - Love them, they are so cool. Some of them look like Lowrys
First and fifth
Jo x
Michelle and I spent a lovely Christmas with Michelle’s parents in Norfolk. On Christmas Eve we went for a walk on the beach in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth. Gorleston beach is lovely but perhaps not surprisingly it was a very cold and windy day! I still managed to take a few photographs with my Canon G10 though
As this will be my last blog post of 2009 (and of this decade..!) I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all my friends a very happy New Year
I am really looking forward to 2010, I will be covering lots of fantastic weddings and I have some exciting new ideas planned too.
I’ll be starting 2010 with a new logo and updated branding. I’d been using my old logo for over three years now and thought it was about time I had a change. I really like the new logo and colour scheme, I think it looks much more professional and elegant than the old one and is more representative of my wedding photography and the service which I offer.
Wow, what a fantastic year 2009 has been! I was named the SWPP Members Choice Wedding Photographer of the year, I photographed more weddings than in any previous years, I set up a new wedding photography website, blog and Facebook page and, best of all, I got married myself!
What is really encouraging is that despite the financial difficulties everybody has been feeling over the last year, I already have more weddings booked in for 2010 than I covered in the whole of 2009. I will be photographing weddings in some really great venues, including quite a few that I haven’t worked at before, including Stoneyhurst College in Lancashire, Egypt Mill Hotel in the Cotswolds and Brocket Hall in Essex.
I also have some exciting plans for 2010 which I am really looking forward to working on. One of my ideas to start holding regular competitions for members of my Facebook page so please do invite all your friends to join the page (simply click on the ‘Suggest to Friends’ tab underneath my logo) so they can be kept up to date too!
So, as 2009 comes to a close I would like to say a huge thank you to all the bride and grooms I have worked with this year and I sincerely wish you all the very best for the future. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed working at every wedding I have been to this year.
And to all the couples I will be photographing next year, I hope your wedding preparations are going well and I can’t wait to work with you all in 2010!
Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year everyone.
Here is a slideshow of my favourite wedding photographs from 2009 . 12 months work in 3 minutes! I hope you enjoy it
December 23, 2009 - 8:35 pmYvonne Baxendale - Your photographs are fantastic Neil, you have such a great talent. Looking forward to you taking our photographs at our wedding next year. All the very best to you for Christmas and the New Year.
December 23, 2009 - 5:31 pmTRACY HOLLINSHEAD - THANKS FOR CONTACTING ME VIA FACE BOOK NEIL...HERES TO 2010....AND A PROSPEROUS ONE!!!
December 19, 2009 - 11:11 amSofie - Such a great range of images, emotions and moments, all beautifully captured! Wishing you the very best for 2010!
December 14, 2009 - 7:42 pmKevin Mullins - Very cool Neil - great images and a lovely showreel too. Nice work. Good luck for 2010
December 14, 2009 - 1:47 pmElaine (Reel Life Photos) - Lovely selection of images Neil. Am sure your wedding clients will have had their dream weddings come true with them feeling like true star with all your lavish attention... xx Elaine
December 13, 2009 - 9:52 pmbryan elliott - love the pics, have fun in 2010
December 13, 2009 - 2:37 pmSarah - Lovely..... Fab..... Execellent, love your work!! Here's to 2010 xxx
December 11, 2009 - 10:02 pmTim Hoy - Lovely LOVELY work Neil. What a great year of images. I must learn how to add a slideshow to my blog. It's a great way to show off our work and my friend's music too. Terric work Neil. Your brides must be overjoyed.
December 11, 2009 - 7:08 pmMartin - Neil
fantastic showcase, youv'e had a great year and i hope an even better one next
all the very best
Martin
December 11, 2009 - 3:42 pmTara Donoghue - Amazing work Neil, Here's to 2010!!! :)
December 11, 2009 - 1:01 pmSean Mantey - Amazing showcase Neil.
Here's to 2010!
Sean
Regular visitors to my blog may remember that I got married in August at the Cragwood Hotel in Windermere and, for our honeymoon, we went on safari in Kenya.
Michelle and I had an amazing time on Safari, Africa is just awe-inspiring. Our week long safari in Kenya was fantastic, a really great experience. It was also great to be able to photograph so many animals in their natural habitat.
I have already made a couple of posts about our safari, which include some of my photographs from our safari, but I thought it would be nice to make a slideshow of some of my favourite photographs – so here it is!
December 7, 2009 - 6:59 pmKathleen Trenske - What an amazing honeymoon! Thanks for letting us tag along via these gorgeous photos! Congrats on your wedding! :)
December 3, 2009 - 5:27 pmDave Nunn - Love it Neil, gorgeous photos. The music really suits.
December 2, 2009 - 2:19 pmMichael Martin - Love the pictures with the great skies, but all good. Nice idea to put them in a slide show.
December 2, 2009 - 2:04 pmMartin - Neil
looks like you both had a great Honeymoon, i think you'll give Andy Rouse a run for his money!
Great Images
Martin
December 2, 2009 - 12:46 amEmma Hyles - Again I love this photographs :D Do you do documentary photography? It looks like the kinda stuff you'd have a real knack at!
Last month I covered the wedding of Amanda & Jonathan – a really lovely couple from Burnley.
Amanda and Johnathan got married at the Sion Baptist Church in Burnley and had their wedding reception at the Mytton Fold Hotel near Blackburn in Lancashire.
This was a full day wedding, from photographs of Amanda getting ready at her parent’s house in the morning, through to Amanda and Jonathan’s first dance in the evening.
Although it was quite a chilly autumn day, we were very with the weather overall and, thanks to Amanda & Jonathan’s excellent planning, the whole day went perfectly with everybody having a great time.
Amanda & Jonathan – thank you very much for asking me to photograph your wedding day. I am very pleased you are so happy with your photographs. Thank you also for braving the cold weather for those extra few minutes, I hope you agree the photographs we got of you both together were worth it! It has been a pleasure working with you and I wish you both a very long and happy marriage together.
Here are a selection of my favourite photographs from your wedding day:
November 19, 2009 - 10:35 pmCrash Taylor - Thumbs up!
November 19, 2009 - 9:59 pmKevin Mullins - Great stuff Neil - love the dance floor shots. Got a lot of motion showing there. Your shots are so sharp as well. Love em'
November 19, 2009 - 9:25 pmPaul Brown - Great work Neil yet again.
November 19, 2009 - 9:25 pmHelen - Lovely work Neil, Some nice processing as well
November 19, 2009 - 9:20 pmMick - Beautiful Neil, outstanding work Sir !!!!
Mick
I wish I could have chosen more winners but I’m not sure I could afford it!
by Neil
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