Last Tuesday (15th June 2010), I attended a Professional Photographer's Workshop that was facilitated by two of the UK's most celebrated Photographer's, Damien Lovegrove and Chris Hanley. Both had invited me to attend and observe the 'Vintage Cherish The Dress' workshop, knowing how much the subject they were photographing appealed to me and my Blog readers. What lovely chappies indeed!
The workshop took place at East Lancashire Railway Station in Bury, Manchester, on a beautiful warm and sunny day. The venue was perfect for a vintage style photoshoot; the platform is beautifully maintained by a group of volunteers – there are stacks and stacks of vintage suitcases dotted about and the whole scene is beautifully evocative of the 1940s – I could easily imagine a young lover excitedly awaiting the arrival home of her wartime sweetheart.
On the day itself, ten Professional Photographers gathered to learn all about the techniques they could employ when working with their own clients on a 'Vintage Cherish The Dress' style photoshoot – that is, a post wedding photoshoot of the Bride in her dress, all glammed up vintage style. 'Cherish The Dress' photoshoots have gained much popularity with newlywed Brides in the past twelve months. Afterall, most Brides invest months, sometimes years of energy into planning their wedding and after their big day comes and passes, they want to be able to celebrate their beautiful wedding dress one last time through a professional photoshoot.
"Cherish The Dress™ is now an established genre of photography; we have
had many clients including celebrities
eager to experience our concept. With the growing popularity for all things vintage, we have
enhanced our brand to include Vintage Cherish The Dress™…"
Love My Dress Wedding Blog –
Photography Below is Copyright (c) 2010, Damien Lovegrove/Lovegrove Consulting
Chris goes on – "The concept of Cherish
The Dress™ is to put a thoroughly British twist
on the very American ‘Trash the Dress’ concept ~ Many Brides
can't abide the idea of ruining a dress that they have
paid many thousands of pounds for. But it's not just about the money ~
these days, respect for the dress designer is a key factor too. After
all, a dress has usually taken hours and hours of design, before being
crafted into a beautiful garment."
Models Chloe and Jay (below) were fabulous working together on the day – posing as the newlyweds participating in a Cherish The Dress™ shoot ~ but a Cherish The Dress™ needn't involve both Husband and Wife; a newlywed Bride might prefer to have a girly day, pampering herself with this very special photoshoot and final wedding dress outing. Chris's Cherish The Dress™ package includes Professional Hair & Makeup Artists and complimentary champagne, to ease any of those 'smile for the camera' nerves on the day.
A Chris Hanley Cherish
The Dress™ photoshoot
last around 2 hours from the moment Chris starts shooting.
"The shoots happen in fine hotels,
penthouse apartments, city centre
cafés, and if the weather is fine then urban exteriors too. There are
no wedding day pressures, no weather worries, and plenty of time to get
the hair and make up perfect between shots."
Such an incredible talent behind the camera, Damien
Lovegrove would quite literally blow me away when he'd step back from the 'teaching scene' to show me the latest photo he had captured via his very impressive looking lens! The delegates in training would watch and listen eagerly as Damien darted this way and that, adjusting lighting, describing camera settings and directing the brilliant models to dip their heads slightly this way, a little lift of the chin that way – and smile – you're in love!
Up to now, all images on this page were shot by Damien Lovegrove. From hereon, all the photographs were shot by Chris Hanley.
I HEART (with a BIG BOOMING BEAUTIFUL HEART!)
these photographs of Chris's ~ and I love this particular shot below because it
reminds me how model Chloe suddenly broke out into the most fabulous
redition of Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday Mr President' – AMAZING! And so
much fun, just like any cherish the dress photoshoot should be.
Like Chris told me "it's all about the dress – the dress and the newlywed Bride – they are the star of the show". I can't stress how much Chris kept emphasising the 'client experience'; these photoshoots aren't just another job for Chris, he is absolutely dedicated to the subject he is photographing. And the direction he gives is wonderful too. I'm not the most relexed subject in front of the camera, but I could well imagine thoroughly enjoying a photoshoot with Chris…
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – All
Photography Below is Copyright (c) 2010, Chris Hanley Photography
The dresses on the day were provided by designer Kathryn Hanson,
who specialises in bespoke bridal that is strongly influenced by the
designs, shapes and cuts of the 1940s and 1950s. Think 1950s prom style
with bags of tulle and netted petticoat layers peeping from beneath
full-circle skirt halterneck style dresses – very Marilyn Monroe!
Watch
out for a full interview with Kathryn soon
on Love My
Dress – any Bride into her vintage style will adore her designs.
For now, you can visit the Kathryn Hanson
Bespoke Bridal webpage for further information…
The photograph below is one of my favourites from the day, because it is so beautifully cinematic – a style very much favoured in the Chris Hanley Vintage Cherish The Dress™ experience. But then I guess the whole point is to make you look and feel like a movie star…
Just stunning photography -and it could be you in the photos!
Credit to the full team that made this day possible:-
♥ The Fixer ~ Claire Hanley
♥ The make up artist ~ Samantha Gardner
♥ The Hair Stylist ~ Victoria Cunningham
♥ The Dress Designer ~ Kathryn Hanson
♥ Models ~ Miss Jenni Hanson &
Miss Chloe-Jasmine
Whichello & Mr Jay Grant
♥ Thanks also go to Mr Andy Coward and his team
for all his help and hospitality and for allowing the team to use his beautiful station
I would like to thank Chris
Hanley and Damien
Lovegrove for inviting me to attend this fabulous workshop. Not only was it a huge privilege to meet and see these Photography Masters at work, it was a
great deal of fun and a wonderful insight to be able to observe how the
professionals are trained (even if most of the technical speak baffled me at the best of times!) and I also got to catch up with my gorgeous friend and Co-Love
My Dress Blogger, Cat Hepple, who was in
attendance as a delegate. I also made several new contacts with
Photographers whose work I look forward to featuring in Love My Dress
in the near future.
For more information on a Vintage Cherish
The Dress™ photoshoot experience, visit the Chris Hanley Photography website, or email Chris directly on [email protected].
To learn more about the Professional Photographer's workshops facilitated by Lovegrove Consulting, please click here.
Cherish your Sunday folks, it's back to work for most of us tomorrow! 🙂
Annabel xXx
♥
Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
