Award Winning Wedding Photography
Guild Of Photographers Wedding Photographer of the Year 2021 & 2023!
I am so proud and thrilled to be able to announce I have won the highly esteemed Wedding Photographer of the Year for the second time in three years, taking the top prize this year.
I was also honoured to have won wedding image of the year for a second time too.
In the last five years of entering the international wedding awards of the Guild, I have managed a 5th place finish in 2019, Runner up in 2020, Winner in 2021, Runner up in 2022 and winner again in 2023. Each year the competition gets harder and I have to continue to develop and improve my photography to keep myself in with a chance to win such a prestigious award.
I have always set myself goals as I strive to improve my photography, my understanding of what makes a good image and my techniques in achieving these. For me, the competitions was not about competing with other photographers around the country and the world, but more about learning myself and seeing a progression in my abilities.
The Guild Of Photographers is an esteemed society filled with some of the very best photographers in the UK and overseas. The standard of images their competitions receive are incredibly high. The judges for the competitions are world renowned and are all leaders in their respective fields. They judge the images to a very high standard. To win any awards with them is a real honour and something I feel incredibly proud of.
Award Winning Photography
Despite my reasons for entering competitions for growth and development of my photography skills, it is a real honour when you are awarded prizes from your peers. Since 2019, I have entered the Guilds Wedding category, and have been so incredibly honoured to have been recognised in the awards every year. Following up from being the winner of the Wedding Photographer of the Year in 2021, I knew it would be a really tough title to regain, and after being the Runner up in last years competition, I was delighted to regain the award of Wedding Photographer of the Year for 2023. Each year the quality of images seem to improve and the creativity of photographers really does inspire.
How the Guild Competition Works
Each month photographers are invited to enter up to three images per category in to the competition. There are quite a few different categories, but for me, I have mainly concentrated on Weddings. Each image is scored by the judges, and if it obtains a high enough score is awarded either a bronze, Silver or Gold award (There is also a Platinum award, but I have not yet seen this be awarded in the wedding category in my five years at the Guild). Once your image is scored, you can request feedback on what you could have done to create a better image and therefore score higher, and this is where the ability to learn and grow comes in. Learning the things to look out for to elevate an image just means the next time I am shooting these thoughts are in my head and I can create an even better image for my couples, or in the case of the wildlife and landscapes, for my own personal growth.
How the annual Awards are decided
At the end of each year, all the awards are added up and each photographer is given a score. The scoring is based on 7 points for a Gold award, 4 points for a Silver and 2 points for a Bronze. Once the scores are added up the photographers are ranked based on the totals and the awards are given out from these results. Based on this system of scoring it means you have to reach a real level of consistently high quality to be in the running to win the awards. To be in the top two for each of the last four years and to win the Award in 2021 & this year is a real honour but also a testiment to mt desire to continue to push myself and improve.
What's next?
It looks set to be another busy year. I have a lot of weddings lined up for 2024 and beyond and hopefully I can continue to develop and grow, creating new award winning images that my couples will love. I’m incredibly lucky that the work I now do is also my passion and I am excited for the next year and the continued journey of improvement as I strive to create incredible memories for my couples.
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to some common questions below. Alternatively, you can contact David directly either by chat, phone or video. (This is often the quickest way to get the information you need.)
I am based in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, which gives me access to Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and the rest of Yorkshire - North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. As a rule, I am happy to travel up to 60 miles to cover a wedding. Any further than this I charge a fee to cover travel costs. Some of my favourite venues include: Allerton Castle, Bunny Hill, Carlton Towers, Colshaw Hall, Delamere Manor, Foxtail Barn, Hawkstone Hall, Hazlewood Castle, Heaton House Farm, Holmfirth Vineyard, Howsham Hall, Manor House, Merrydale Manor, Nunsmere Hall, Owen House, Peckforton Castle, Ripley Castle, Rudding Park, Rushpool Hall, Saltmarshe Hall, Swinton Park, Tithe Barn, Wharf Grange & Woodlands Hotel
Every wedding is different and the number of images you receive can be a reflection of what moments are there to be captured. On a normal wedding day I usually deliver between 600-800 images to your online gallery.
I know how keen my couples are to see and share some images from their wedding day, so with this in mind I always like to provide a selection of teaser shots a day or two after the wedding day. This would usually be around 20-30 images. I then aim to deliver the full collection of images on an online gallery within 6-8 weeks.
From the online gallery my coupes will have access to the full selection of wedding images, but they will be subtly watermarked. From the gallery you would be able to order any prints or wall art directly through my professional printing service. You would be able to share the gallery to any friends and family, and they too, would be able to order any prints they may like as well. If you wanted the full collection of high resolution images to share and keep, my couples do have the option of ordering a USB. See more on my packages page here.
Having been photographing weddings for the best part of 13 years, I am a highly experienced photographer. I have been lucky to work at some of the countries premium wedding venues and have one many awards, including the prestigious Guild Of Photographers Wedding Photographer of the Year in 2021 & 2023.
Yes, I have insurance for all my equipment as well as £2M public liability insurance. I also have Drone insurance as well as the necessary drone qualifications to be legal and safe when flying at a wedding.
No. I see my drone as an essential piece of equipment on a wedding day, and so long as the weather allows it and it is safe to do so, I will use it on your wedding day to capture shots of the venue, your guests and it allows me to get creative when getting shots of my couples too.
Get in touch using my contact page here and we can arrange a chat, either in person at my home in Brockholes, Holmfirth, or we can arrange a Zoom call.
Exceptional
Great memories
Absolutely delivered
