Personal Work
Many people particularly potential clients ask me what I do when I am not taking photographs of weddings; easy answer I take photographs of other subjects as well.
I have posted some personal work on Facebook here.
I have many images online at Alamy photo library here; just click on Images by Peter Jones on the Alamy page.
Please feel free to Contact Me about any of the images or if indeed you would like to buy any.
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Peter Jones 17/04/08.
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Award winning Wedding Photographer
One of the many facets of a successful wedding photographer is to take part in competitions and exhibitions which gives even more focus to photography and raises the whole standard of wedding photography.
Here are two recent successful images that gained Peter Jones Gold awards in the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers Monthly Competition. |
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The image above was taken at a wedding in 2006.
The image on the left was taken at a Photo Training Overseas event in Morocco in Jan/Feb 2007
I will add more successes to this page as I catch up with my backlog.
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Peter Jones 05/03/08.
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Recent Charity Event
The Parish Church Hall in Seer Green (near Beaconsfield, Bucks.) is in urgent need of funds for a major renovation; briefly the Parish Church hall
was built in 1829 and was originally a lace making school.
On the 1st March 2008 we conducted a portrait shoot from 10.00am until 4.00pm in aid of the refurbishment fund and raised over £220 by people donating £10 per
portait shoot; many thanks to all those who stopped by to have their portraits taken; please click Here to see the images..
Please Contact Us for further details.
Peter Jones revised 04/03/08.
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Promotions for Pretty Pictures Clients
We are now running promotions exclusively for existing and past clients of Pretty Pictures and consequently are putting together a
mailing list so that we can keep you up to date; also it gives us a reason to keep in contact with past clients.
If would like to be kept in touch please Contact Us.
When you email us please advise us the date of your wedding, portrait or event. Under no circumstances whatsoever will your details be passed on to any third party.
Peter Jones 26/02/08.
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How safe are our Wedding Images?
This question is asked a lot by potential clients; we can honestly say very very safe indeed; we use cameras that write images simultaneously to two cards
i.e. the camera automatically backs up every image immediately; as soon as we return home after a wedding the files are uploaded to a laptop not a PC
as the laptop will continue to run even if there is a sudden power cut thus not corrupting your images; once the wedding is uploaded then two DVDs are
written and stored in separate locations one being off site; we store the files indefinitely as we often have clients come back to us years after a
wedding for reprints; Pretty Pictures will do absolutely everything possible to ensure your wedding images are safe.
Peter Jones 09/01/08.
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The Martial Arts
We were delighted to be asked again to photograph the South East Academy of Martial Arts Training and Grading event at High Wycombe Sports Centre on the 25th November 2007; the enthusiasm,
dedication and good humour of all the instructors made the day very enjoyable for young and old alike
In these times when people with some justification are worried about the modern decline of standards, respect, self discipline and self responsibility the Martial Arts represent
an outstanding example of role models; most people when taking up any Martial Art look upon it as a route to self defence but soon realise that it is much greater than that:
hard work, discipline, physical fitness, high personal standards and stretching goals are all part of the process. If you would like to find out more about this exciting Martial Art please visit the website www.se-martialarts.co.uk.
The South East Academy of Martial Arts specialise in Lau Gar and Kick Boxing and also teach aspects of other Martial Arts thus creating a very well rounded syllabus for all ages and abilities.
This event is to be found on the Weddings and Events section.
Peter Jones 27/02/08.
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Prices
We think it is right and proper to publish our full range of prices; we reason that the average client who is totally unfamiliar
with the wedding industry and wants to arrange his/her or their wedding has no idea of prices; however
comparing prices from a mere price list cannot possibly tell you the whole story as you need to see for yourself what you in fact get for your money; arguably your wedding day is
the most important day of your life and when the champagne has been finished and hangovers have gone the wedding photographs will bring back memories of your day for the rest of your life.
We are more than happy for you to come and see us and not make an instant decision on something so important; if you want to go away and think about matters or compare us to other photographers
we will make no attempt to dissuade you otherwise; we have nothing to do with the "hard sell"
Peter Jones 06/11/07
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Getting Ready for the Ceremony.
At your leaving venue naturally everyone wants to get involved however it is my experience that here less is most definitely more i.e. the less people
you have at the house the faster proceedings flow. I do not advocate the decision of one bride to clear everyone out of the house except her chief bridesmaid
and herself but certainly try to avoid the scenario once that I came across where there were about 45 people in a tiny house.
The family pet will also pick up on your vibes during the wedding preparation and get overexcited, budgerigars, canaries, fish and hamsters rarely give cause for concern;
cats will have the good sense to make themselves scarce however an overemotional dog is a different matter; you will have enough to do to contend with your own and the emotions of others
so I suggest delegating a non participating friend or neighbour to take your dog for an extremely long walk.
From a photographer's point of view the getting ready part of the day gives us massive opportunities for pictures especially the unguarded candid moments known
in the industry as "reportage". Of course some clients don't want these pictures and prefer to have the more formal shots with the Bride, Bridesmaid and family freshly dressed
and ready to go. These pictures will not hold up proceedings for long.
When the proofs are presented the Groom is always pleased to see these pictures as it is a part of the day in which he has no experience whatsoever.
Peter Jones revised 04/11/07
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Jane Bowler
Many clients and prospective clients have asked in the past whether or not an assistant/second shooter is used; until recently the answer has been no; however a
very enthusiastic lady who is from a hairdressing background has decided that she would like to learn to be a wedding photographer.
Jane has had wedding experience but no photographic experience whatsoever so she is literally learning from scratch; it is already evident that in her early days she
has got the all important seeing eye; she doesn't yet have the full technological skills that will help her as a fully fledged photographer but she is learning fast.
Jane is already proving an asset to our clients providing more pictures at weddings and sometimes from a different angle than your main photographer cannot be at; even
Pretty Pictures cannot be everywhere!
Whilst Jane is training there is no extra charge to clients either existing or booking and her pictures will be in addition to those already taken at your wedding.
We envisage in the future that Jane mainly will work alongside Peter Jones unless Peter is booked already for a day and you really want us for your wedding; once Jane is fully trained
she will be fully competent in taking brilliant images at your wedding; depending on her commitments at the moment she is only available on some Saturdays.
Image below by Jane Bowler.
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Peter Jones revised 04/11/07
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Wedding Archives.
Now that we have taken on a new web hosting company we have access to much improved statistics as to our websites; we have noticed that many people
have tried to visit weddings that are over twelve months old and therefore have been removed from the site; there is a new section on the site called Wedding Archives where you will be able to access many weddings over a year old; we
cannot promise that they all will be online as there is a limit to the amount of information we can preserve on the site.
The Wedding Archive section has according to our stats and logs been a resounding success and is obviously popular with past clients, their friends and families; we shall keep this feature and try to extend as far as possible.
Peter Jones revised 29/10/07.
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The things that happen to a Wedding Photographer.
A wedding photographer has to take things in his or her own stride and be prepared for any eventuality that may happen; nothing must prevent him or her
carrying on with the job at hand and most of all be on excellent terms with the clients, their families and guests.
Peter Jones 24/09/07 Image by Graham Rudge.
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Rain
We have all noticed that good weather has been a scarce commodity in the Summer of 2007, rather like a good old fashioned British Summer, the kind we used to have
before we were all aware of global warming.
Poor weather is no excuse for poor wedding photography although you the clients would wish for sunny weather bad weather is easier in some
ways for us photographers to contend with. In fact rainy weather sets us new challenges to contend with; we at Pretty Pictures always have a "Plan B" to fall back on; where clients
would like formal group images churches almost always have a lovely altar background also almost all reception venues have a very attractive interior.
When booking your venue keep the prospect of inclement weather at the back of your mind just in case ....
Peter Jones 19/09/07
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Engagement Shoot
There recently have been requests from clients to produce a picture of them that can be signed by guests at the wedding reception as an alternative to the guest book;
this product is a very unique substitute for the guest book and it makes a memorable addition to the wedding album as a keepsake.
We are pleased now to be able to present this product; the shoot will normally be carried out 4 weeks before the wedding and you will be able to choose the image immediately from a laptop screen.
The print can be an A4 or A5 size within a high quality cardboard A3 mount; the size of the print within the mount depends on how much of the mount you need to be available for signing.
For those who haven't booked their wedding with Pretty Pictures the price is £95; for those clients whose wedding is booked with us the price is £75. In addition picture frames can be purchased from us.
Peter Jones 27/08/07
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Testimonials
A few potential clients ask us for references from former clients and we are happy to arrange this; however here are a few testimonials; to preserve the
client's anonymity names have been blanked.
" Dear Peter,
Happy New Year!
We just wanted to thank you for our lovely album. The pictures are delightful and you have certainly captured the moment!
Have a good year, kind regards,
xxxxxxx.
"Dear Peter,
We have just received the photos of xxxxxxxx’s wedding and we wanted to thank you very much – the photos are lovely and brought back lots of happy memories.
Thank you
xxx and xxxxxx xxxxx"
"Dear Peter,
We are just back from our honeymoon and I wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the photos you took on our wedding day. I visited the internet cafe several times while we were away to look at them! I especially like the pictures you took of xxxxx & I in the field up the back of the hotel. They are superb.
Also, thank you so much for your support and calming influence of the day. You kept me calm at the house before we left for the hotel, especially keeping me on track with the time! A big thank you for that.
We are so pleased with so many of the photos that we are thinking of having more than the planned 24 in the album and upping our package.Would this be OK? We would also still like the CD with all the pictures on it.
I'll wait to hear back from you as to what we should do now.
Many thanks
xxx xxxxxxxx"
Peter Jones revised 02/01/07
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More questions to ask your wedding photographer ...
To be up to the latest trends, do you travel and meet other top wedding photographers worldwide, to discuss and share
information, work together with international models, in order to develop and learn exclusive styles and techniques. Do you do
this a couple of times every year?
Have you made a deep study of all the equipment on the market and invested in cutting edge cameras, lenses and computers? Have you bought the finest
of it's kind to create superlative pictures and in order that everything is totally reliable? Have you then purchased back up gear?
Do you know exactly what a fine print looks like with no obvious colour cast, sharp with plenty of detail? Are you expert in composition and be
able to pose your clients so that they look their best in your pictures? Are you able to do this with upwards of at least 100 people and sometimes
considerably more? To be sure of the best printing quality have you chosen a professional photographic laboratory which will give the finest prints consistently?
Have you absorbed up 25 years of wedding photography experience combined with 15 years of Digital Imaging practice and consultancy to
make sure your equipment is used correctly (there are some tricky operations), minimising interference on your concentration for creativity? Are you
working towards and have you gained some professional qualifications within the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers, the Royal Photographic Society,
the Master Photographer's Association and the British Institute of Professional Photographers?
Of course you will have insurance i.e, Professional Indemnity and Liability insurance and no doubt you will be aware that some venues will not allow you on their premises
without Public Liability insurance?
Finally, in the unlikely event that the weather is not as good as you hoped, have you anticipated a “plan B” so that the bride can still have some
memorable pictures taken indoors?
We have done and are continuing to do all the above!
Very few ever regret buying quality after the event!
Peter Jones 13/12/06
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Customer Service
The state of Customer service in UK industry is dreadful and getting worse; the existence of call centres, 0870 numbers, indifferent customer communication all seem
to ensure that obstacles are placed in the way of UK consumers to make it as difficult and expensive as possible to get industry to correct their own mistakes. Of course it is far better
not to make mistakes at all but we don't live in a perfect world and the more people a business employs the greater the potential for errors.
It seems a total mystery how some companies can spend millions and sometime billions on improving their "image" and not spend the necessary money in improving customer service.
It doesn't seem to occur to many companies how much extra business a simple move like good customer service would generate and it wouldn't involve them in massive spending just a small amount of restructuring.
When Pretty Pictures was set up in January 2003 the uppermost thought was to provide exemplary client service; being a small business it is easy to apply quality control at every stage of the process
thus eliminating mistakes as far as possible. If errors are made they are put right immediately and the client is not blamed. Incredibly you will find that telephone calls
are answered as are emails within the shortest space of time.
Pretty Pictures undertakes to provide the best service as possible to clients.
Peter Jones 28/11/06
Tel: 01494 678616 |
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