Nigel's Big Blog

This image of my beautiful granddaughter Evie, taken at the weekend, is now one of my favourites from the hundreds captured over the last 9 months. It's one of a series of candid images shot with soft late afternoon window light. For techno's, the camera used was a Nikon D700 + Nikkor F2.8 24-70mm zoom at 70mm, F2.8, 1/180sec at ISO 3200.

Portraiture is all about expression and hopefully capturing a special moment, which when I viewed the image later that evening, I realised I had. However, Evie does make it easy for me (and her mum who has some great shots of her too)

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Checkout my rapidly expanding collection of slideshows and movies on YouTube (Nigel Harper ABIPP AMPA) Lots more to come of wedding slideshows at a variety of venues I've worked at over the years. Should give you a good feel of how wedding venues can appear on your big day.

I have lots of exciting travel and Landscape images too in slideshows with music (whenever possible) by my son Gary Harper, musician and fitness trainer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE & ALL!

OOOOOOOOOPSSS! Having seriously neglected my blogging in recent weeks, I'm about to make a big return. Excuses! of course, there's always plenty of those, like too busy working, shooting, relaxing, cycling, gym-ing, holidaying and sleeping! There's a lot more 'ings', but that'll do for now.

So, why I catch up and prepare to bombard this space with more of my latest images - here are a couple for now.

This was taken in Christchurch College Oxford, for Nita & Scott Erwin. Their fabulous wedding was a 4 location shoot, starting at the Randolph Hotel for bridal preps. Onto The Oxford Oratory for the service, travelling by Rickshaws to Christchurch College and finally to the reception at Rhodes House. Notice the 'triple arch' effect with the water, architecture and the couple's form. Something like nature mimicking art - or fortuitous luck!





OK, so in complete contrast, here's a 'Bump2Baby' shot. I'm doing an increasing amount of these shoots now and they're great fun. This is Vickie Moore, who's wedding I photographed a couple of years ago.


A couple of months later and here's the result. The gorgeous Ella, just a few weeks old.


Having recently become a grandfather, I'm really enjoying photographing babies like never before. Images of my beautiful Evie, coming soon.

Click on www.nigelharper.com and you will be welcomed by new website designed by Paul Danbury.

Despite a couple of' tweeks' it's just about there for now. So I'm currently populating the site with more images and information.

Here's a recent image from Andrea & Jason's shoot/recce in Cambridge. We had a great day on Saturday shooting their wedding. The location Clare College was fantastic, as was the weather.

At last my new (long overdue) site is live, albeit with one or two galleries still to be populated. Radically different to my old site and hopefully a lot more accessible and informative.

Here's a recent image from the wedding of Jenny & Jeremy Tollman at Stoke Place.

Wow! another fantastic location. I've been photographing weddings at Danesfield House for over 20 years and it's always a pleasure to return and shoot in the myriad of stunning locations available.
Emma and Dominic were married at the beautiful St Mary's Church in Hambleden, (the quintessential English village). I started with the boys at The Stag & Huntsman in Hambleden, where Dominic arrived in a Ferrari (the sound of that engine - wow!). Then to Danesfield for the bride preps. Back to Hambleden for the church service and then back again to Danesfield for the reception.

A really fab day and here are just some of my favourite images.

I have been so privileged to photograph weddings in far off exotic locations, but just a little closer to home is the magnificently situated, Michelin Star rated, Auberge du Lac Restaurant, just across the lake from, again magnificent, Brocket Hall - a venue I've worked at several times.

I've photographed many of Lee and Emma's friends' weddings over the years, so it's always a pleasure to meet up with the guests, many of whom are past clients.
The weather was good, the location superb, the staff and food excellent and Emma & Lee were fantastic to work with. A really brilliant day.

Here's a selection of favourites.

Another fab day photographing at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons one of my top favourite venues. Great couple, great weather - a really fun day. Guests from 'down under' were (by way of Skype) able to view the ceremony live (though late at night for them of course).

Here's a small selection of images.

Four year old Isabella Danbury had a great time, and was the perfect model, for a shoot with her father Paul in a local bluebell wood close to their home near Sarratt, Rickmansworth. Overnight rain had thankfully petered out and left a bright but humid morning.
Here's a small selection of images.








Isabella disappearing with my reflector in tow.

Attempting to look cool on the bike, I'm posing in my new Castelli Lycra Kit.
OK, maybe not looking cool! All the gear and no idea eh!

I'm often asked about the cameras I use. Well as you can see, Nikon kindly produced a very limited edition 'Spiderman' retro DSLR, just for me.
Now I feel like a real pro - cheese!

Katie hits the dance floor in a blur of light and colour at The Dairy at Waddesdon

On a cold murky Wednesday, I met Andrea and Jason at Clare College for a recce and pre-wedding shoot. Wow! what a great location. But then again, I knew it would be. The last time I came to Cambridge to shoot a wedding, it was at Queens many moons ago. Clare, like many of the 'Oxbridge' colleges, has so much photographic potential, it's mind-boggling.

As I was escorted around the grounds I shot pictures in a variety of locations. The Chapel and grounds of Old Court is where the wedding will be. We're all praying for good weather! Andrea and Jason were so easy and fun to work with, which augurs well for their wedding day in July this year - I can't wait.

Here's a small selection of images.


When I examined the images of Andrea taken against the white cupboard doors, (images shot in the modern interior of Memorial Court) I couldn't believe my luck as, during her run across the room, I'd managed to capture her inside each door panel in 4 consecutive shots taken at 1/10 of a second. This made it easy to manipulate and create collages with the 3 examples shown here.

A distant storm near sunset reflected in the still waters of Lake Titicaca. This image shot on an Xpan panoramic film camera was taken from a slow moving train, on the amazing Cusco to Puno railway - one of the world's great train journeys.