LAURA PALMERIA PHOTOGRAPHY Laura has a long-held passion for photography. She spent her 20s gaining the relevant qualifications and by her 30s she was capturing weddings as an assistant photographer. By her late 30s she’d decided to strike out on her own and become a self-employed photographer and has been happily working hard ever since. Even the pandemic couldn’t put an end to her love for the art, as she found herself commissioned by Claire House Children’s Hospice, where she has offered pregnancy photography for the past two years. How would you describe your style of photography? “Candid, professional and completely committed to my customers.” What questions should we ask our wedding photographer before booking? “Find out whether photography is their business or their hobby. Too many people are using their hobby to try to deliver an excellent quality of service. Next, it’s important to find out if they’re insured and whether they have a contract. Particularly, given the uncertainty of the last couple of years, I’d also advise finding out what their policy is if the wedding date is moved. And finally, of course, you’ll want to know what’s included in the packages they offer.” MCAN PHOTOGRAPHY Stephen’s love of photography began at an early age. He remembers even as a kid when his friends would knock for him to go to the beach, he’d grab his camera. As the years passed his trusty camera had always been within arm’s reach and when he moved to London he saved up his wages from his bar job to buy a Praktika BMS 35mm SLR. It went through so much film and one day, while back in Liverpool getting a roll developed, the woman behind the counter asked him a question he says he’ll never forget: “How long have you been a professional photographer?” Stephen tells us, “It was the biggest wake-up call I’ve ever had. My dream job had been staring me in the face all that time and I’ve been doing it ever since.” Together with his wife, he’s been photographing weddings for more than a decade now, and they’ve loved every moment. How would you describe your style of photography? “I believe every photographer has their own style, their own eye. My personality is very quiet, I watch everything. So, if I had to label my style, I’d say documentary. I look for the moments that might have gone unnoticed on the day. I love it when I show couples their images and they say, ‘When was that taken?’” Are black and white images still popular and should we opt to have them? “That’s a big ‘yes’ in my opinion! They’re timeless and you’ll never get tired of looking at a black and white image. Undoubtedly colour has its place, but a black and white image of a church can be so stunning. I think they show more of an atmosphere.” FIND OUT MORE www.mcanphotography.com @mcanphotography_ltd FIND OUT MORE www.laurapalmeriaphotography.co.uk @laurapalmeriaphotography www.laurapalmeriaphotography.co.uk www.mcanphotography.com 55 PHOTOGRAPHY
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