To veil or not to veil?

It's your big day. Why not make the most? Our 2009 Brides are asking our opinoins about whether to veil or not. We LOVE veils as do our Brides once they've understood how chic they can be.

We need to pull together their views on the website. Promise to do this soon so you can choose the best one for you.

Patrick Ciatto at PTO - what camera do you use?

Florida based Patrick Ciatto gave us a welcome masterclass at Photo Training Overseas in Egypt.

He ran through and demonstrated the 5 main ways of lighting portraits in a flattering way and then showed how to position groups so that eveyone looked their best. He showed us at what angle to hold the camera and what to ask the group to say to guarantee a smile. And no, it wasn't 'cheese'.

He told us that when he's asked what sort of camera he uses, he says 'a black one'. That really sums it up. Given the photographer is a professional, why do you need to know? The title of his talk was 'The camera never had an idea'.

And that's why we were all sitting listening to him

Kelly Hearn at PTO in Egypt

Kelly Hearn was one of the most inspirational photographers at the Photo Training Overseas conference in Taba Heights, Egypt.

She is quickly climbing to the top of her profession in the wedding industry, has already achieved her ABIPP qualification and is an excellent teacher.

Kelly developed a passion for photography when studying for her GCSE's and she has worked hard to build up an impressive portfolio.

Kelly runs her weddings in much the same way as we do. She has all the technical side of photography sorted and always works with a light meter, tripod and set of steps which her supportive husband carries for her on the day.

The Sofitel in Taba was a fabulous location and there were many locations where you'd love to photograph a Bride and Groom. Kelly made the most of these but also took the trouble to work in a less glamorous corner of the hotel, which is rather more typical of some UK wedding venues, particularly when it rains.

Amateur photographers often understand their cameras, but when photographing a wedding you need to consider how to position the Bride and Groom and how to make the most of available light to avoid harsh, unflattering flash lighting. Kelly has all this at her fingertips, and was generous in her willingness to share her hard gained knowledge with all those at PTO.

Thanks again, Kelly.

Excellent shopping experience in Monsoon in Westfield

Just back from Egypt, and a sudden request to find a glamorous dress for a young singer making her debut with a internationally famous Big Band. We only have a couple of hours and the performance is tomorrow.

Where to go in this cold, slushy city? Westfield is the obvious choice in west London. But it's enormous and the choice can be overwhelming.

Monsoon's shop window caught our eye and in we went. A gentle and charming young woman greeted us and asked if she could help. Usually, I quite like to browse and look after myself, but this time we accepted the offer.

It was an excellent experience and Rebecca and I warmly recommend the services of Silvana Borg. She knew her stuff and talked to us to find out more about the occasion. She quickly picked out half a dozen dresses, all of which looked good.

There was no pressure to buy and Rebecca looked fantastic in the first dress she tried on. In fact, she was so pleased she didn't bother with the rest. Silvana then showed us co-ordinating shoes and costume jewelry. Perfect.

The items weren't the cheapest but they will be worn often and give great pleasure, And we will certainly return to Monsoon to ask Silvana to help us with our spring wardrobe.

By the way, Silvana also offers bridal dress advice. She's in Monsoon Westfield on Thursdays, Fridays, and every other Saturday and Tuesday. You can reach her on 0208 749 3368

PTO Egypt Phil Jones SWPP CEO

Meet a very generous man, Phil Jones, Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers, SWPP for short.

Our good friend, Gurwinder Soor, from http://www.eastwestphotography.com/ recommended we join SWPP a couple of years ago. We did, and learned a lot. This year's conference in Hammersmith was a massive success, with over 12.000 delegates attending.

Imagine our delight when we heard that Phil Jones, together with his wife and business partner Juliet Jones, were attending PTO in Egypt. there had been no chance to spend time with Phil in Hammersmith, occupied as he was with organising one of the biggest photo conferences in the world.

But here he was in Egypt, temporarily in a wheelchair because of an injury he sustained while organising the conference in Hammersmith.

I can tell you that Phil is one of the most generous guys in the business when it comes to sharing ideas and techniques. We spent the morning together, and he updated us on the latest business information.

We truly believe that if you are making a significant outlay in your wedding or portrait investment, you should seriously consider booking a photographer who has taken the time and commitment, both personal and financial, to update his or her expertise and professional development.

We left Phil and Juliet Jones planning next year's SWPP conference, to be held again in the Novotel Hammersmith - and packing their bags for WPPi in Vegas.

Bon voyage and thanks to you both.

Photo Training Overseas Egypt

Photo Training Overseas

A big thank you to George and Glenys Dawber rang out from over 100 top professional photographers at the 22nd Photo Training Overseas course held at the spectacular Sofitel Hotel in Taba Heights, in Sinai province of Egypt.

Speakers flew in from all over the world to update practising professional photographers on developments in digital retouching, advances in technology, lighting and business.

It was a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the most important people in our industry, including CEO Phil and Juliet Jones of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers and Llewelyn Robins from the British Institute of Professional Photographers.

The weather was perfect, blue skies and all you'd wish for a summer's day. The hotel was iconic. All I want to do now is go through the photos we took and pretend we were back there again.

And share with you what we learned.