An update on my business....don't worry it's all good.

Since Covid restrictions were announced back in March 2020 the wedding industry has been really struggling with restrictions and even more were announced a few days ago.

Most of my wedding bookings have been postponed to 2021 and 2022 and sadly also a few cancellations. This has made me reassess my business slightly and alongside working on some family photography I have also been working on some commercial photography.

My wedding photography is still very important to me as well so don't panic about that.

I am not able to share my latest commercial work yet but I will as soon as the clients website goes live. I'm pleased to say however that she is so pleased with the images I provided and what I have seen of the website so far looks fantastic.

Also all my images are available as digital downloads (only £10 an image) and in print (prices on individual prints dependant on the size wanted) The 'Ch*****as' season will be here soon (can't allow myself to say that word just yet) and photographs make an original and thoughtful present - here's the link if you feel tempted ;) Thank you !

https://www.photographybyalison.co.uk/commercial-photography-plymouth

A few days ago I was overjoyed to photograph my first wedding since March 2020 (just before Covid-19) hit the UK.

The Bride and Groom were determined to carry on and even with restrictions in place they had a wonderful day!

I will be posting photographs of their day in a few weeks once they have seen them (I have put one in this blog that they've already seen)

The day after their wedding the Bride sent me an email saying  “Absolutely brilliant. Alison was fabulous to work with from beginning to end. Made me and my husband feel relaxed and was truly a pleasure working with her. Perfect what more could you ask for. Amazing lady.”

After the wedding I went home and just before bedtime decided to check my emails. I was shocked and pleased at the same time.

A Bride-to-be who had already postponed her big day twice was enquiring about wedding photography for August 2020 another social distanced wedding. I was very happy to tell her I was available due to a previous postponement and she booked me there and then.

If you’re thinking of having an intimate wedding day (especially while restrictions are in place) then consider my two hour photography package for only £199. You can still have an amazing day and I'm more than happy to help you plan it for free. 

I have held the £199 package price since 2013 to enable couples who would not otherwise have a photographer on their day to have one.It’s affordable and can even be paid for in instalments.I have even had guests buy a photography package for couples as a gift.

If you're looking for a photographer who will make your day a pleasure and not a chore then I'd love to hear from you. 

It will be great to see some more couples celebrating in 2020 and into 2021.......

The Bride chose to share a dance with her Uncle who had been there to give her away at the Ceremony.

I love the expression on his face - pure elation and love.

When couples choose me as their photographer I can ensure I won't be bossy and most of the time you won't even notice I am taking your photograph.

The best thing I can hear when a couple view their photographs are statements such as " I didn't see that happen" " I didn't know you took that one" or "I didn't even realise you were there."

For me that is what your day is about. Choose someone who can capture the moment and give you memories not boss you around and make you stand in a boring line.

(I do sneak in a few of those as most couples want them but will not have you standing around for more than 20mins)  #promise

This means I have been looking at many of my past weddings.

I just wanted to share this photographs with you.

This was the day that I played a game of chase the wedding car. I managed to get a photograph of the Bride and Groom in their beautiful car before they left the Church in Plymouth to travel to their wedding venue in Cornwall. This involved a trip across the River Tamar on the Torpoint Ferry. 

I was determined to catch the same ferry so drove (at a decent but legal speed) to catch up with them. 

I loved the couples faces when they spotted me taking their photos from above them and the gorgeous way they are holding hands :)

These times are so precious and I can't wait to be photographing weddings again and who knows maybe I'll chase a ferry again one day !!!  
                

Bride and Groom cuddling by the sea at Royal William Yard, PlymouthWedding at St Pauls Church, Stonehouse, Plymouth and Royal William Yard

My best friend phoned me in desperation as her Son’s wedding was looming and his photographer had let him down with only a few weeks before the wedding. My friend knew I ‘had a nice camera.’ To be honest it wasn’t that great but was better than nothing. She also knew I was a pretty good amateur photographer but I had never photographed a wedding so I was terrified. . I asked her if I could sleep on it and get back to her the next day.

Well, as they say, the rest is history. How could I refuse my best friends request !

So off I went to Swansea and guess what ? We had a fantastic day with 30 degree plus weather. The photographs were pretty good and everyone was happy so let’s roll forward a few years ....

......here I am six years later and I now photograph people as a full time job which I love.

Rather than wittering on about how wonderful I am (haha) I thought I’d let my past customers tell you and then you can see for yourselves my style of photography and what to expect if you hire me. Many more reviews can be found at this link and I really look forward to hearing from you. Take care......Alison x

https://www.photographybyalison.co.uk/devon-wedding-photographer-what-people-say

- Would thoroughly recommend Alison. Good communication leading up to the wedding . Very professional and made us feel totally at ease during the day. Good sense of humour. Very good value for money (Rachel, Bride, February 2020)

- Me and my husband were absolutely delighted with Alison. She’s so lovely and puts you at ease whilst taking some amazing photos Thanks for all your help, pleasure to have you at our wedding Mandy and Jon x (Mandy and Jon, February 2020)

- Wow Alison was amazing from start to finish. She just blended in and we didn’t even know she was there and we have not even seen the photos yet but I would highly highly recommend her for any event or even more importantly your big day. Thank you so much again Alison for capturing our big day. Was a epic day and night xx (Sabrina, Bride, November 2019)

- Wow just wow!!! Alison was amazing from start to finish. She just blended in and we didn’t even know she was there and in turn got some amazing photos. I would highly highly recommend her for any event or even more importantly your big day. Thank you so much again Alison for capturing our big day x (James, Groom, November 2019)

- I have just received our wedding photos back. And I cannot believe how amazing they are, I am so happy with the results! Alison is literally amazing and I’m so glad we chose her. The final images are great! Plus it only took a week which is bloody amazing! From start to finish Alison has been fantastic, she is an amazing women and I am just beyond happy with the end result. If you want great quality photos, then look no further. She ticks all the boxes and I couldn’t recommend her enough! Thank you so much Alison 💕(Rachael, Bride, November 2019 - First review from Rachael is below this one) :)

- When we first met with Alison we instantly decided she was the woman for the job! The morning of the wedding she came up to my hotel room baring umbrellas seeing as the weather was not on our side 🤷🏻‍♀️ everyone commented on how much of a lovely person Alison was and how she almost made herself invisible, she wasn’t in our faces with the camera but when we needed order for the group shots Alison just got on and sorted the necessary people. She was just fantastic from start to finish and I am so happy we chose her for one of the most important roles to the wedding. I cannot wait to see our final images! A big thank you from the cowlings ❤️(Rachael, Bride, November 2019- Second review from Rachael is above this one ! )

- Alison was so lovely, not just the wedding but the whole journey. Thank you so so much! I cannot wait to see our pictures 📷 (Amy, Bride, October 2019)

- Alison, you were amazing. You made us feel very comfortable and honestly helped the day run that bit smoother. Also you were brilliant with all the children. Thank you so much. (Daryl, Bride, August 2019)

- Alison was extremely professional from start to finish whilst ensuring the atmosphere was relaxed at all times. Her relationship with the personnel at the registry office was clear to see and it helped get the best angles for our photos.
The resulting photographs far exceeded our expectations and will serve as a beautiful reminder of our special day for years to come.
We are delighted with the outcome and highly recommend Alison x (Gemma, Bride, August 2019)

-Wow! Just wow! From the moment we met Alison, my Husband and I knew she was the perfect lady to choose to photograph our big day. Alison is SO down to earth, friendly, and an AMAZING photographer. Everybody who came to my wedding complimented her on how not only professional she was, but how lovely, considerate and fun she was! Our photos are Gorgeous!! Sitting through, reminiscing of our day, and Alison manages to capture every second, telling the perfect story of the day. We cannot thank you enough, and if anybody is looking for a photographer to capture those precious moments, We recommend Alison 110%. All our Love, Mr & Mrs Roberts ❤️( Nadyne, Bride, August 2019)

How are you all ?

I'm hoping you are finding this time bearable and for those of you that have children that they are behaving. I'm also really hoping that you are keeping yourselves as safe as possible. For those of you who are key workers I'd like to say a personal MASSIVE thank you !!

It was a sad day yesterday as it would have been a Wedding Day for me at The Bedford Hotel, Tavistock. However I'm still looking forward to being at the couples new Wedding date later this year. 

So tomorrow I will be starting to work on my website again and looking forward to the Wedding season starting again sooner rather than later but all we can do for now is our bit keeping ourselves and others safe. 

Also for those of you still looking to book your Wedding Photographer I still have my amazing discounts valid with ZERO deposit needed. I realise that we must all do our bit to help each other during these difficult times.

ALL packages are also still reduced by 10%........new packages from £179.10 up to £629.10.

Message or call me if you'd like to chat and we can look forward to your Big Day together :)

https://www.photographybyalison.co.uk/wedding-photography-plymouth

#plymouth2020 #SuppPlymBiz

#plymouthweddingphotographer

I think once this is all over we will have lots of events and weddings to look forward to. 

We all need a great reason to get our families together and celebrate coming through the other side. 

This is my offer to you.......

Any event that you would like me photograph will have no deposit attached to it. If someone else enquires about your date I will then charge you a deposit of just £50 to further secure your wedding or event photography. 

Most businesses including venues, wedding suppliers and even travel companies will, I’m sure be offering amazing bargains just to recoup some of the money lost during this difficult time.  

Venues often have amazing deals in the Autumn/Winter months and weekdays offer great deals too and as I’m a full time photographer I’m available any day of the week.

I think you’ll be surprised what offers we could find if we work together. 

If you would like to chat further about any event, including weddings that you would like photographed then drop me a message or give me a call. 

I’m waiting to hear from you as I sit in isolation :)

We’ll have a virtual cuppa and I look forward to helping you plan your exciting event. Let’s look forward to happy times again. 

Take care and stay at home if you can. 

Lots of love 

Alison x

Hope you are all surviving x

I have just had a message from a Bride whose photographer has had to cancel her wedding photography booking due to self-isolating.

Thankfully I had her date free and was very honest as I offered her my 20% discount offer which she was very pleased with I have also agreed to wait until the end of the month for her deposit - call me a soft touch ;) 

Anyway I was very pleased to help her and we must all stick together and help out at times like this :)

So 2019 is nearly over and many of us take the chance to reflect at the year that’s gone and forward to the next one.

2019 wasn’t my busiest year due to some changes in my life but 2020 will certainly be one to look forward to.

I’d like to thank all my wonderful couples that chose me to spend their special day with them and their guests. Thank you to everyone who made me welcome and to all the venues for their assistance.

I’ve photographed amazing historic Churches, modern hotels and every type of venue in between.

I wish every venue a very successful 2020 and I look forward to visiting some of you again.

These are the venues I have visited in 2019 (some of them several times)

St Elizabeths House, Plympton

St Eustacious Church, Tavistock

Tavistock Town Hall

St Mary’s Church, Plympton

Boringdon Park Golf Club

Devonport Guildhall, Plymouth

Plymouth Registry Office

Crowne Plaza, Plymouth

Stoke Bar and Grill, Plymouth

St John’s Church, Hooe, Plymouth

Staddon Heights Golf Club, Plymouth

Pennycross Methodist Church, Plymouth

The Parkway Social Club, Plymouth

Lavender House Hotel, Ashburton

Whitsand Bay Fort, Cornwall

The New Continental Hotel, Plymouth

The Royal Chapel of St Katherine-Upon-the-Hoe, The Citadel, Plymouth

China Fleet Country Club, Saltash.

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all !!!

 As a photographer it's always fantastic when something unexpected happens at a Wedding. I'm always ready for these times but the photograph here was a wonderful example, as the Best Man had warned me and we were both giggling before this happened. When it was his time to produce the rings he opened his hand and there they were - two colourful Haribo sweets shaped as rings. Thankfully after the huge amount of laughter stopped he produced  the real rings and the ceremony carried on. It wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't told me but it is always a good idea to warn your photographer so they can be super ready for the many reactions. Thankfully the Best Man also warned the Registrar which is most important as they have to be  happy with any changes from the set ceremony. This registrar found the moment as funny as everyone else :) 

One of the kindest reviews I have had and just amazing to be called your friend. Many thanks Sarah and Amy x

My Wedding packages are priced from £199 to £499 so yes, get booking people ;) 

The cake has been eaten, the hangovers have cleared (hopefully) and all is getting back to normal. Well not for your photographer - days of sitting at a desk editing your photographs start :) I find this really enjoyable and so I have been busy learning some more skills to make your photographs even more special and personal. So these example shows what can be done with one simple, but lovely photograph. The first image is straight out of the camera with no editing and the rest are edits that I can give to you if you wish :)  - all for no extra charge .... how can you resist ;) 

Frank What happens when you say meow to a Puppy ?

Have you ever wondered how to get a good photo of your pet ? Well, we have a new puppy in the house. May I introduce Frank to you.  Unsurprisingly I have taken many photographs of him and he just loves the camera. Mainly because I have taken photos of him since he was 8 weeks old and I also make silly faces and noises to keep him interested. If you don't fancy making yourself look silly to take a great photo of your pet then give me a call. Pet portraits are normally £30 a session with every image individually edited before being given to you on a disc. I am currently happy to give this service for only £20 to celebrate Frank being in our family. Portraits can be taken indoors or at an outdoor venue in the Plymouth area. Dare I say a print would make a fantastic Christmas present ;) Phone me on 07837109112 to make your booking or email me via the website. I look forward to meeting many gorgeous pets. 

Plymouth Art Centre was full to bursting and the atmosphere was great.

The organisers are William Jenkins and Ben Hancock who are local, accomplished Filmmakers themselves and Graduates from Plymouth University.

If you would like to view the photographs from the evening please check out the gallery on this website at this link http://www.photographybyalison.co.uk/p519574446

The Festival continues to grow and if you would like more details please check out their site too at www.aletalkproductions.co.uk

Are you arranging a wedding this year but not booked a professional photographer because you think they are too expensive ? Well please read on. I have some dates still available for wedding photography this year and am very keen to get them booked. I have therefore decided to run a great package deal. You can have up to four hours photography for £275 and eight hours for £450. You will also receive a free poster print of any photo from your day of your choice. You will also receive a disc of edited photograph which you are free to copy. There will also be a password protected gallery for you to view on this website. I aim to average around 100 photographs per hour that you use me. All my work is fully insured. This offer is available within ten miles of the Plymouth area. 

Liann said - " Thank you so so much for not only giving us beautiful wedding photos but for also helping make our day so special ! We could not have asked for a better service and will be recommending you to everyone we know. Thank you again x"

Well the sun is shining and it's the busiest time of year for weddings. Every wedding I have taken photographs at so far this year have had a pretty awful weather forecast predicted - two were due thunder and lightening !!! However I did my little sun dance and all was well :) Please feel free to check out the photographs in the galleries on this website to check out my style of photography. All photographs have been used with the Bride and Grooms permission. I am also running a special offer and I will write another blog about that in just a minute :) 

Is this what you look like when someone asks you to have your photo taken ? Many people do not enjoy having their photograph taken (myself included) but we would still like a record of a family occasion or just a fun day. Or do you have someone in your family who finds it difficult to get to a photographic studio because they can't travel or maybe have a physical disability which makes it difficult ? Do you have several young children or elderly relatives for whom a studio visit would be a logistic nightmare ? Well, problem solved ! We are more than happy to visit you either at your home or a location where you feel at ease so you can enjoy the experience of having your photo taken. In fact we enjoy travelling to different places as photos are usually much more natural and our clients are very pleased with the results. Contact us now to take advantage of our £20 photo session. 

We are still running our 2014 offer on portrait photography. It's available for adults or children and can happen either on location or at your home. We allow an hour for photography and don't include travel time within our cost. Please feel free to contact us soon to make a booking before we have to start charging out normal rates again. 

Today was the first day in many weeks that we had good weather here in Devon. I took advantage of it and took a trip to Wembury. Strangely enough I took many photos of the sea as it was still quite choppy but when I took a break and sat in the graveyard at the local church of St Werburgh I saw this view. It is an amazing view and strangely enough was my favorite photograph of the day. 

Are you looking for a wedding photographer who can offer a great service while offering a reasonable price and an enjoyable experience. We believe that weddings should be a fun event where the photography doesn't become a chore. Obviously we will be happy to take the traditional family posed photographs but also we really enjoy taking more informal photographs of our brides, grooms and guests. Feel free to contact us to ask about your wedding photographs. Prices start from as little as £100 for a weekday wedding and £250 for a weekend wedding. 

We have taken photographs of people of all ages from a nine week old baby to a wonderful lady of 103 years of age. This obviously requires much patience and understanding. The joy of seeing the end product of a photo shoot still thrills us especially when we receive such great feedback from our customers. 

As you can tell from our galleries we are also happy to take many types of photographs from strange animals in a zoo to very sombre military occasions. 

We are based in Plymouth, Devon and we are also happy to travel if requested. 

If you would like a photograph taken which is neither a portrait or a wedding event just call us or email and we will be more than happy to discuss your requirements. 

Thank you for reading our little blog and we look forward to hearing from you soon :) 

I'll be home soon Mrs Santa

Well Santa you have finished your fun run here in Plymouth. Now is the time to stop texting Mrs Santa and get back to the job of making your list about good and bad boys and girls. 

If any of you are at a loss as to what to buy your loved ones then why not contact Photography by Alison and send them a voucher (via Santa of course) to come for a photo shoot during 2014. These portrait photography vouchers start from £20 and are great value for money. Have a look at the photo galleries on this website to see how much fun can be had at one of our photo shoots :)