The Federation of Wedding Photographers and Videographers Proudly introduces
Meet Bradley Allen
Hi, my name is Bradley, I’m a Midlands-based wedding photographer who has been bouncing around wedding days in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and beyond for many years!
Originally from Derby, I’ve moved around a fair bit over the years before settling back in the Midlands. While I consider myself a Derbyshire wedding photographer I’m fortunate that I live on the cusp of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire and I’m happy to travel further afield too!
I live with my fiancé, two and three quarter rescue cats (one missing leg) and an angry tortoise who would headbutt anyone to Timbuktu given half a chance.
When I’m not shooting weddings, I’m glued to the Formula 1 (Mclaren fan…), dragging myself up mountains (although my fiancé argues they are merely hills) or re-rewatching Friends…again.
What do you love about weddings?
It’s probably no surprise to hear that I bloody love a good wedding! There’s something so awesome about two people coming together to celebrate their unique brand of love, with those that matter there to be a part of it. Being the designated documentarian of your wedding day will never be lost on me and it’s a genuine privilege I don’t take lightly!
There’s a special kind of magic in the air during weddings, there’s an atmosphere you can feel and I’m most often found with camera in hand, poised to spring into action like a Formula 1 pit crew, ready to capture those little looks, once-in-a-lifetime micro moments and spontaneous dance-offs. You’ll probably never forget them, but it’s nice to have the photographic reminder for when you’re reliving your big day in the future with your spouse, your kids or maybe even the grandkids!
What is your favourite part of a wedding to capture?
This is a tricky one which I'm absolutely going to cheat on... and pick two!
I love the part of the day where we get to take couples portraits. Obviously it's a great opportunity for a photographer to capture some beautiful images but I love that I get to give couples 15 minutes away from their wedding party to let the fact that they just got married sink in! I take a very relaxed approached in this part of the day with minimal prompting and find that just allowing my couples a few quiet moments usually results in great photos!
The second part of the day is the dancefloor. I love it! I love to be in the thick of it, wide angle lens on, dashing about capturing you and your guests having an incredible time! I usually end up staying later than I'm supposed to just because I can't tear myself away!
How would you describe your style?
90% candid and 10% guided.
At the heart of everything I do on a wedding day is the simple fact that this is someone's wedding, not a day-long photoshoot! I'm there to document your day, there's no asking you to 'do that again'. I want you to look at your photos in years to come and remember your wedding, not remember that annoying photographer bloke who kept manufacturing moments!
What one piece of advice would you give to a couple planning their wedding?
Don't sweat the small stuff! At the end of the day as long as you actually got married then the day has been a resounding success!
What areas do you cover and are you happy to travel?
I enjoy bouncing all over the UK but predominantly cover Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire. For anything outside of 50 miles of DE15 there will be some additional travel costs, for anything further than about a 2 hour drive there will be hotel costs so I can stay nearby and you won't worry about me getting stuck in traffic the morning of your big day!
Get in touch with BA Photography now...
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