Boudoir + Wedding Photographer Kent + London bio picture

Hi, I'm Eliza and this is my blog

Photography is my passion.  This is where you'll find my latest images, both personal and professional.  Please see my wedding posts and my wedding, portrait and trash the dress portfolios for further examples of my work. 

Based in Kent and covering all areas of the UK and beyond, I specialise in relaxed, fun and stylish wedding and portrait photography.

I also offer boudoir photography, if you're looking to give your husband-to-be a very special gift, or perhaps just to celebrate your unique beauty.


The Value of a Pre-Wedding Photo Shoot {Kent Wedding Photographer}

March 2, 2010

The pre-wedding shoot, or engagement shoot as it’s commonly known in the US, is something that’s becoming more and more popular with photographers and customers alike. I include it in all of my packages for one simple reason – it’s incredibly valuable to me. As your chosen wedding photographer, I want to ensure that I get the very best images of you on your wedding day.

London contemporary wedding photography

I truly believe that in order to photograph someone, you need to know them.  The engagement session offers me that chance, to get to know you better, so that I can work out what makes you who you are, what makes you both smile and laugh, what makes your relationship work. It allows me to know the very best way to interact with you on your wedding day, for the very best wedding photos.

Sevenoaks wedding photographer in Kent

For my customers, I know that being in front of the camera for a few hours ensures that it’s one less ‘unknown’ for your wedding day. For the majority of my brides and grooms, their wedding day is their first time having professional photos taken of them – well, since school! – and they’re understandably nervous.  Is your wedding day really the best day to try something new for the first time?!

surrey wedding photographer in londonI also love that I have the chance to show you, before your wedding day, how I work – it’s fun and a giggle! It’s unobtrusive photography, but on occasion I will direct you – to get some real emotion, sometimes I’ll prompt you, suggest poses and games to play. And it helps you to realise that, while I can take a pretty good photo, I don’t know my right from my left! I also say things that sound just plain odd sometimes (”Can you stroke her cheek with your nose?” made Damien and Nadia look at me as if I’d completely lost my marbles!) but it works:

Kent Wedding photography by Kent wedding photographer

For all of my brides and grooms booked for this year, start thinking about where you want your photoshoot – a beach location, the countryside, London? Somewhere that means a lot to you, maybe even in your own home? I guarantee that we’ll have fun, wherever we go!

wimbledon wedding photographer in Surrey

by eliza

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Chavvon Smith - agreed 100%! Getting to know your couple does wonders for the wedding day photos.04/03/2010 - 3:39 pm

Jonas Peterson - You're making me want to shoot more e sessions. Damn you!04/03/2010 - 12:06 pm

Robb Duncan - Great post Eliza, complemented by great images as well !!04/03/2010 - 9:42 am

Ben Godkin - Well said! I love E-session! Great Work!04/03/2010 - 2:59 am

Amanda Lamb - Awesome post! So true...engagement sessions make a world of difference. Beautiful images, too!03/03/2010 - 11:45 pm

Sylwia Szuder - Great words, and beautiful pictures! Engagement session is very important for all the above reasons.03/03/2010 - 9:59 pm

Fotograf Łuków - Great shots, bridge shot is my fave.03/03/2010 - 6:58 pm

az - Very helpful post for couples, and definetely a good good wway to get to know clients a little better.03/03/2010 - 8:39 am

gabe aceves - this is a great idea and tip for brides and grooms. e-sessions really are a helpful way of getting comfortable so your photographer is not a stranger all day during your wedding!03/03/2010 - 12:37 am

Laura Thomas - Great post! I love your images! I love the bokeh!03/03/2010 - 12:26 am

Becca Dilley - Great information for brides and grooms, and the photos are stunning!03/03/2010 - 12:23 am

Drew - Great post! You have expertly put into words, my feelings about engagement sessions!03/03/2010 - 12:21 am

Kyle - Great post for brides. I think you're right. People are usually pleasantly surprised by how much fun getting photos taken can be...and I think that helps them remain calm with you for the big day.03/03/2010 - 12:01 am

Steph - Beautiful shots and I definitely think I can see the more personal touch in your wedding pictures02/03/2010 - 11:28 pm

Adore Amore - Love this post. Your images rock!02/03/2010 - 11:27 pm

Natalie + Lee {Hampton Court House, Surrey Wedding Photographer}

February 24, 2010

Kent Wedding Photographers

I was delighted when Amy asked me to assist her with the photobooth for this wedding, as it gave me the chance to second shoot, something I love doing.  Second shooting is so great for getting an alternative point of view on the wedding day. In this case, as Lee didn’t want his ‘getting ready’ to be photographed, it also gave me the chance to get some images for them that really set the scene of their wedding day in Hampton Court House, in Surrey.

Wedding photographers in Kent

Wedding Photographers Kent

Hampton Court House, now used as a school, is set in beautiful eighteenth century gardens, and has deer in the grounds

Wedding photographers in London

London Wedding Photographers

London Wedding photographer

The amazing fireplaces that are at each end of the grand ceremony room are lit in the winter, giving a gorgeous atmospheric feel to your wedding day.

Here’s Lee, looking a little nervous I have to say, waiting anxiously for his bride.  The second image is his best man, dancing with his little boy while waiting to greet wedding guests

Surrey wedding photographers

Natalie was only a few minutes late, and looking radiant, was definitely worth waiting for – isn’t she just gorgeous

Wedding Photographers in Surrey and Kent

Kent wedding and boudoir photography

The one thing that I loved about Hampton Court House was the gallery that overlooked the main ceremony room. I shot all of the ceremony from above (as Amy was shooting the more traditional shots below) and I particularly love the shot of the (so elegant in Black bridesmaids dresses and red shoes to match the red roses that they held) bridesmaids

wedding photographers in kent and surrey

kent and london wedding photographer and boudoir photography

Their reception was held at The Wharf in Teddington, a beautiful, modern restaurant and private dining room overlooking the Thames. Such a contrast to the wedding ceremony venue, but just as beautiful.  Again, I was able to get lots of location shots while Amy was with Natalie and Lee capturing portraits.

Surrey and Kent Wedding photographer and Boudoir photography

London and Kent Wedding photographer and Boudoir photography

London and Kent Wedding photographer and Boudoir photography

London and Kent Wedding photographer and Boudoir photography

Surrey and Kent Wedding photographer and Boudoir photography

Two of their friends provided some entertainment, including a version of Girls Aloud’s Love Machine to rival that of the Arctic Monkeys It stuck in my head for days!

Surrey wedding entertainment live music

A beautiful wedding of two people clearly very much in love.

Bridal Portraits, Surrey Wedding Photographers

All images shot by Eliza Claire for Amy Wass Photography

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Thomas Lester - Awesome! Really, really good Eliza. The couple has to be thrilled. I want that house (mansion). Stunning!04/03/2010 - 6:45 pm

Kyle - Beautiful!!! You did such a good job second shooting. I'm not sure I'd be able to be that creative. I think second shooting would actually be harder than being the main because you have to try and think outside the box to get something different than whatever the main is doing. You rocked it.26/02/2010 - 7:51 pm

Emma - What a stunning set of photos24/02/2010 - 9:21 am

Caroline Alexander - Really gorgeous shots Liz, so many great details and the venues are both so cool, must have been lovely to photograph there.24/02/2010 - 12:56 am

Happy Birthday to Me {Kent Wedding Photographer}

February 22, 2010

Well, not so much happy birthday to me, but happy birthday to Eliza Claire Photography!

My business is ‘officially’ one year old today! One year ago today I purchased the URL and set up a (horrible, in retrospect) website. I was confident that I could do this – I’d spent time honing my craft second shooting and portfolio building for a long time before this day – and I was raring to go.

One year later, I still wake up every morning grateful to be doing a job that I love so much. Would I change anything in the last year? A few things – I wouldn’t get my website so cheaply the first time ’round, I would hold off on branding my business a little longer… but ultimately no, I’m incredibly grateful and happy to be exactly where I am right now.

I have a lot of really exciting things planned for this year, including an amazing Springtime Trash the Dress session with Kat from Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride, some fantastic engagement sessions (including an Alice in Wonderland inspired shoot and a 1950s Bowling Alley themed session), a STUDIO/GALLERY OPENING (squeeeeeee!) and, of course, more amazing boudoir sessions and weddings to photograph. I can’t wait! I hope you’ll join me on this exciting journey.

Wedding Photographers Kent

by eliza

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Timothy E Kaldas - Happy Birthday! You've done a great job this past year and I can't wait to see what you come up with in the years to come.26/02/2010 - 8:54 pm

Eric Yerke - Congrats to you, look forward to seeing what's to come24/02/2010 - 4:16 pm

Alicia Kennison - Congratulations! One year and going strong :D24/02/2010 - 12:44 pm

Cliff - Congrats Eliza. I'm excited to see what you'll bring to the table this year!24/02/2010 - 3:59 am

William Massey - Congratulations! I can't wait to see your studio/gallery.24/02/2010 - 1:02 am

matt s - Hope you had a good one!23/02/2010 - 6:35 am

Amanda Basteen - Congrats! I love the photo of you pouring champagne, perfect!23/02/2010 - 6:14 am

Milena Dekic - Congrats Eliza! I wish you many, many more awesome years :)23/02/2010 - 4:48 am

Vida Carson - Here's to many more years and many MANY more weddings :) yay!23/02/2010 - 3:22 am

Shari - Cheers, Liz!!! I can't wait to see what you do this year!23/02/2010 - 3:07 am

Paul Von Rieter - Happy Birthday, heres looking to the awesome years ahead of you making incredible art!23/02/2010 - 1:20 am

Jessica Horton - Congrats! I can't wait to be a year old and look back!23/02/2010 - 12:52 am

Chavvon Smith - Many more good years to come!!23/02/2010 - 12:37 am

Steve - Congratulations, Eliza!22/02/2010 - 11:56 pm

Steph - OOh sounds like an exciting year! I can't wait to see the results of all your projects this year xx22/02/2010 - 11:39 pm

Hampton Court House, Surrey {Wedding Photographer Kent}

February 21, 2010

On Valentine’s weekend I met Natalie and Lee, whose wedding Amy Wass asked me to second shoot with her. They were both completely lovely! It’s always funny when you second shoot, you’ve never met the bride or groom before, so it’s always slightly more nerve-wracking than a normal wedding, for me at least. However, it’s also great fun, as you get to try things with none of the pressure of having to ensure you capture the moment! And so it was at Natalie and Lee’s wedding at Hampton Court House!

I arrived to find that the room that the ceremony was being held in had a gallery above it, and I decided that shooting the ceremony from overhead might offer an interesting, and certainly different, perspective.  The shot below, a sneak peek with more to come once Amy’s seen and checked them, is edited completely differently to my usual style. But, straight out of camera, this shot reminded me of an Old Masters painting. So I decided to play around with the editing, using light and texture to really enhance that feel.

What do you think?

Surrey Wedding Photographer Kent wedding photography

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Heather Mid-Michigan Photography - I think the texture was a marvelous idea! It's balenced really well, not overdone.02/03/2010 - 3:28 am

Timothy E Kaldas - Eliza I love this shot. The perspective from the gallery along with the setting is perfect. I can't wait to see the rest.27/02/2010 - 12:46 pm

matt s - Very pretty. Always great to see a different perspective.23/02/2010 - 6:17 am

Vida Carson - Wow... just wow.23/02/2010 - 12:51 am

Teresa K - It's very pretty and for sure a unique perspective on the event.22/02/2010 - 11:40 pm

Judith Green - I absolutely LOVE it, it works perfectly for the subject/colours/tones etc etc. Good for you for trying something different, I think this is stunning. x22/02/2010 - 10:05 pm

Tabitha McCausland - Love the texture!22/02/2010 - 6:49 pm

Brian Larter - Awesome work! love it.22/02/2010 - 6:28 pm

Daniel Dunlap - I love it and the texture you used really does something for it!22/02/2010 - 6:21 pm

Jamie M Swanson - Beautiful! LOVE the texture on the shot!22/02/2010 - 3:55 pm

Matt Stanton - I think you've done a great job, I can't wait to see more!22/02/2010 - 3:06 pm

Ben Godkin - WOW! Great perspective! Love the subtle texture.22/02/2010 - 3:03 pm

Jessica - What a cool perspective! I'd kill for locations with this option!!22/02/2010 - 2:56 pm

Alan Hutchison - Nice - really nice.22/02/2010 - 12:10 pm

Paul Von Rieter - You are right on with the painting reference. This shot sooo rocks.22/02/2010 - 3:35 am

Amy Wass - ooh love it. That room does have the brownish tones of a masters painting, funny I'd thought a similar thing myself.21/02/2010 - 11:27 pm

Kent Wedding Photography – The Details – {Cake!}

February 20, 2010

I love my job, I can’t believe I get to earn a living doing something that I enjoy so much. I get to share in the happiest day of someone’s life, record it for them so that, in years to come, they can look back and remember just how great that day was.

But, there’s one thing I always feel sad about on a wedding day…

Wedding Photographer Kent Cake

I don’t get to try the cake ;-)

This is probably a good thing, my waistline wouldn’t thank you if every single bride and groom shared their cake with me.  But they really do make my mouth water, they always look soooo good!

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Ryan Brenizer - Great cake shots. I shouldn't have visited before eating. ;-)22/02/2010 - 6:49 pm

Steph - They look positively mouthwatering21/02/2010 - 12:58 pm