Toby stood beside hubby at the alter when we said I do. Lucy was very new at that stage. From memory they had had a little misunderstanding a few weeks out from the big day, when I was trying to finalise the seating plan. Calls were made to Toby. Was she coming or wasn't she? She came. I remember her beaming smile and chic black dress. We met for the first time in the loo at our reception. A few short years later they were married, in a beautiful, big, colourful, loud, Chinese celebration. Ruby was eight weeks old. I remember it so vividly. They had the Chinese dancing dragon in the street in Chinatown out the front of the restaurant where the reception was held. It was beautiful. And deafening. Through the glass it was deafening. Then they came inside. And Ruby? Slept through the entire reception. I have never heard drums that loud. I have never heard anything that loud. It was an awesome wedding. Of course. For Toby and Lucy are awesome.
Liam is the eldest. A happy, vibrant, gorgeously chubby little guy. Bilingual of course. His little personality just bursts out of him. Declan is seventeen months his junior. A quiet little soul from my observations (though his mum would tell you otherwise). He likes mum to be close. And likes to make some noise about it should she disappear. He takes squeezable to a new level. Those cheeks and rubber band wrists. This time Lucy got a look in. Liam is a mini Toby, Declan a mini Lucy.
These photos were taken for Declan. When Liam was eight months old, Toby and Lucy had some professional shots done and they weren't overly happy with the result for the price they paid. They wanted some photos done of Declan at the same age, but weren't confident in going with another photographer they knew nothing about. So they asked me to do it. I was blown away when I opened Lucy's email. I was rapt. Instantly I wanted to reply, yes! Then the wave of fear washed over me. I just take photos for fun. A hobby, something I really enjoy. No pressure if every photo you take in a day is rubbish. But to produce decent shots for beautiful friends, and be paid for it? A whole other story.
Toby and Lucy were rapt with the nearly 600 shots I took. She told me she wanted the crap ones too. I gave her the semi-crap ones. The really crap ones went in the little waste paper basket.
I had just bought my prime lens the week prior to this shoot and I wish I had more time to play with it beforehand. I feel like my photos are so much better now, just three short months later. When Tim was here, he told me I should shoot with a prime lens all the time. Forget about the standard 18-55mm, and it will change your photography. Being the good student I am, I have followed his instruction. I think it makes you work harder to get a good shot, because you have no zoom and it takes some getting used to. And perhaps your standard of good changes too. And makes you want more lenses.
I had a ball doing this for our dear friends. But then they did all the work for me. It's quite easy photographing beautiful souls. Thankyou Toby and Lucy x
*affectionately known by their family and friends ~ their surnames smooshed together.
