Well I’m just getting over a bad cold at the moment. It hit me on Monday really and hit me quite hard, but it is starting to tail off finally, just in time for Sarah’s birthday party this weekend. I have a few special plans up my sleeve, although one of them looks like it won’t be possible at the moment as some key things I needed to be sent (as I don’t have it myself) has not arrived. Sorry I know that’s quite cryptic, but I know that Sarah reads my blog from time to time so I don’t want to spoil a surprise if it actually manages to happen.

Well, it’s been a slightly busy week this week (and will be for a few more weeks) as we begin our hunt for a wedding photographer. We have been to see a few different people now in order to get a good idea of what kind of photography style each does and what they offer and for how much. It’s also important to us that we get a photographer we get along with and someone we feel we like as a person as well as a photographer. We’re really hunting for people who are good at rapport / candid shots and can blend into the guests seamlessly and get good photos of the day. I’m not really a big fan of posed shots (I even try to avoid them in my own pictures) as they just seem like forced stills throughout the day, but unexpected / candid pictures feel to tell much more of a story to me. It shows people as they were at the time, much more relaxed and actually doing what they were doing on the day, not standing in a big crowd smiling at the cameraman (although we do want the traditional photos too). We also consider full copyright/ownership of ALL the digital photographs a must as part of the package, and have removed any photographers from the list who don’t offer that or aren’t willing to offer that. We have seen a couple of photographers now and both have been very good, but one stands out to us a lot more, however we have about another 10 to speak to at some point (one is even giving us a telephone meeting as they are in Dorset but cover all of the UK with no transport cost).

We also have Sarah’s birthday coming up tomorrow. I’m really happy that a lot of Sarah’s friends are able to make it to the party, so it should be great. Its the big 30 – so it has to be special as far as I am concerned. We’re going out for some cocktails for a few hours before heading over to a lovely Thai restaurant for an evening meal together. Then the end of the evening still remains unknown. It depends on the guests really. We could stay at the restaurant and drink, or head across the road to a bar or we could call it a night. I’m hoping to go snap happy for most of the evening though and take a huge number of pictures, so if I do actually remember to do that I’ll put the pictures on the website soon. My only problem really (with cameras) is that I am so fully involved and enjoying the evening itself that I don’t tend to think about stopping from time to time and getting a picture (plus it spoils the mood for me a little- if an exciting thing is happening to be stood back a bit trying to picture it rather than enjoying it and getting excited with it too). Still I know everyone (myself included – and I certainly hope Sarah included) is going to have a wonderful evening.