I'M AN EASYGOING,
RELAXED PHOTOGRAPHER
HORSES, COCKTAILS (I'M TOO INDECISIVE TO CHOOSE) AND CAKE!
who loves
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CAMERA IN THE ROOM!
You feel the lens on you and your whole body goes rigid and that awkward, stiff smile creeps from the depths of nowhere; even when you’re trying your best to be UNAWARE OF THE CAMERA. How does it know? I’m giggling as I write this because that’s me! I can’t help it, BUT I DO EMBRACE IT NOW and with the right person you can get around the awkwardness, I PROMISE!
The number of times I hear guests whispering, “Everyone just act naturally!” I’m not a lion stacking the savanna, I’m just a person, exactly like every other person around you, the shop assistant, bus driver or the dog walker passing you by.
So just carry on; carry on as normal.
It’s not about acting natural, it’s about learning that the camera is nothing to be shy of, it’s about ignoring me when I’m about. I spout on and on about my best bit of advice being, ignore me.
People tell me all the time that they’re “no good at having their picture taken,” whatever that means. But afterwards, they tell me, I make them feel relaxed and comfortable, and they say I'm calm and patient; my husband and kids will probably totally disagree with them of course.
MAKING PEOPLE FEEL THIS WAY IS MY SUPERPOWER, once we break down the barriers, I start to see a character that even you might not recognise on the back of my camera and this is where the magic happens.
Don’t listen to that voice in your subconsciousness making you question how you are standing, if your hair’s right and whether your clothes were the right choice, once you forget all that, you'll feel at ease.
But just remember, it takes the right photographer/person for these worries to fade away.
ABOUT ME
Here's a little bit about me in general, my kids, my husband, my interests and my ambitions.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
ME, DID YOU KNOW ANOIF IS FIONA BACKWARDS?
I'm Fiona, a chilled-out and relaxed North Yorkshire Wedding Photographer capturing natural, off-the-cuff moments for the fun-loving, free spirits I get to work with. I don't just do weddings, I also photograph families (with their pets), horses and small, local businesses, my ambition is always to tell a story for the people I work with. The best possible version.
Life's not just about work though is it, so let me tell you about a few of the things that I LOVE in my life, I might use the word love frequently, sorry about that! I'll try not to.
I have one husband (Richard) and two teenagers, Lewis and Natalie, not to forget our German Pointer, Steve, life can be a bit of a whirlwind at times, it can be chaotic. I'm often in a zombie-like state trying to process everything that needs to be done and by when, but that's just part of being a Mum/wife, right?
Richard and I started our family when we were just 19 & 20, so I hardly remember a time when I wasn't a Mum.
Exaggerating embarrassing stories of things that they do is one of my favourite pastimes. I like to spice the tales up and add a bit of drama for effect of course, I can't be the only one who does it.
Calorie-free treats are my favourite! I only eat half a piece of cake which makes it calorie-free, doesn't it? Whenever there's half or anything tasty in a tin, everyone knows who's been at it.
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My most prized possession, and the thing that my husband will tell our friends that I love more than life itself, is my horse April (well, she's actually a pony). I wake up thinking about her and go to bed dreaming about her!
Spending time down at the stables with her (and Natalie) is my happy place, it's how I unwind. I enjoy hacking in the Howardian Hills around us with Steve my dog at tail. He just follows on behind, he’s pretty cool and very well-behaved most of the time.
"The money pit," is what Richard refers to April as. Yet she's absolutely essential! I usually treat myself, (daily) to a sneaky ride, before or after work, depending on the time of year. Believe it or not, this is when some of my greatest ideas come to me. (Therefore she's essential like I said.)
Indecisiveness is my biggest flaw, I'm terrible at making decisions, give me a wine list or a cocktail menu and I could be sat there until the bar shuts. Ironically, I'm the opposite of this when it comes to making decisions during a shoot.
Whilst I'm editing, I tend to occupy my mind by listening to self-improvement and motivational podcasts or audiobooks, Roxie Nafousi and Mel Robbins are a couple of my favourites at the moment. I love discussing what I’m listening to with friends, with coffee or vino, I also welcome their favourite listens.
The most inspirational woman, in my eyes, is Sarah Beanie. She'll turn her hand to anything, she's an all-time legend.
One day Richard and I will build or renovate another house, which will become our forever home. Eek! We're on the lookout for somewhere with land, my goal is to have some holiday accommodation where people can bring their horses along too. That's the dream anyway!
AM I THE PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU?
MY PHOTOGRAPHY IS FOR FUN-LOVING FREE-SPIRITS, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME.
It's for normal people, who care about THE REAL, UN-SCRIPTED MEMORIES AND OFF-THE-CUFF MOMENTS being photographed, so they can relive them and keep them safe to share forever more. My photography will make you FEEL: It will encapsulate the people you love, the atmosphere and the authenticity of that moment.
I GUARANTEE I WILL PAY ATTENTION to the details and emotions of our time together, I'll put you at ease and keep things calm, I care most about capturing your memories for You.
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My photos of our time together will tell Your true story, it's unscripted and will show off your characters, afterwards the photos you receive will make you laugh and sometimes they might make you want to cry (good, old, happy tears). I see the beauty in ALL moments.
I promise you, you will treasure these photos forever too.
On the day Fiona blended in, we didn't even know she was taking photos. Fiona put us and our guests at ease for the hours she was with us by taking laid-back and relaxed photos with minimum direction.
RACHEL & KARL
REAL WORDS FROM MY COUPLES
Documenting behind the scenes, the products, your space and whatever you'd like me to really.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...
LOTS OF PEOPLE ASK IF THIS IS MY ACTUAL JOB In short, yes, it is! That's right, I'm a full-time photographer, I get to pick up my camera and 'make' photos with lots of different people, from all kinds of backgrounds and for so many reasons. I consider myself lucky to be able to work so closely with people at times in their lives that are very important to them, their milestones. I got to capture weddings when only 12 guests were allowed in the room, to these couples their photos were the only thing they had left to show the people who were unable to attend. I've also been fortunate to document the crazy and joyous parties since all of the 2020 shenanigans! Believe me, there's been a lot. I love to tell the true story for you, so you can look at the photos afterwards and know exactly what the atmosphere was like on the day, even if you weren't there. That's my intention away! A face can tell a thousand stories and that's exactly what I look for when I work for with my couples and families. Even though I’m based North Yorkshire; I get to go all over and see loads of incredible places which I really enjoy. I cover heaps of local venues, some are literally just down the road from me, but I've also been to the very tip of this country in Cornwall and all the way to the Tuscan hills of Italy. Not to mention the beaches in the Bahamas. I love an adventure; nevertheless, I also love seeing familiar faces when I stay nearer home. It's a win-win.
DO YOU OFFER OTHER TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY OR JUST WEDDINGS? I'm hoping this is clear if you're here on my website, I often get this question asked when I'm at a wedding or family shoot. Yes, I do all kinds of photography, Families, Weddings, Horses and Small Local businesses are most what I get up to.
IS A DEPOSIT REQUIRED FOR A FAMILY SHOOT? To save a date for your family photos a 25% deposit is required, (the total amount of whichever package you choose) this is followed by the remaining 75% the week before your session.
WHAT DO YOU WEAR ON OUR WEDDING DAY? I like to blend in as well as I can, with the hope that you and your guests won't notice me so much, so I'll wear something nice for the occasion.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE VENUE? I rarely work in the same place twice a year, mainly because there as so many venues out there and I do a lot of Marque/Tipi weddings where people do stuff in their own special place.
DO YOU TRAVEL FOR WEDDINGS? I do, depending on how far, I may need to quote you to include travel and somewhere to stay. I like to sort my own travel and accommodation so I price this into your package, that way you don't need to worry and I'll know where I'm going and where's easiest for me to get to.
CAN WE MEET YOU IN PERSON BEFORE WE BOOK YOU FOR OUR WEDDING? Yes, I love to meet couples before they book me for their wedding, it's good to make sure we get on well. To book a pre-booking meeting, click the get in touch button to make contact.
IS A DEPOSIT REQUIRED TO SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR WEDDING? To save a date for your wedding a 25% deposit is required, (the total amount of which ever package you choose) this is followed by another 25% 6 months before the date and then the remaining 50% 6 weeks before.
HOW MANY PHOTOS DO YOU TAKE AT A TYPICAL WEDDING? Too many!! Haha, seriously though, I take 1000s, because I like to make sure that I've captured the best bit of the moment. On a normal wedding day I'll take anywhere between 4000-8000 images, it just depends on what's happening and how the day flows.
HOW MANY PHOTOS DO WE GET FROM A FULL-DAY WEDDING? From a full-day wedding, you can expect around 800 images.
