Helen Jones Photography

Helen Jones Photography blog has moved

2011-09-14T16:30:00.003+01:00

Proof Books

2011-01-18T10:00:00.003Z

Proof books are available for viewing contacts from wedding photography, portrait photography and commercial shoots. Alternatively you may simply receive your contacts on a DVD or view them online at my client viewing gallery at www.helenjonesphotography.co.uk

Sim2000 Album Range

2011-01-18T09:56:00.003Z

These are my high end albums, generally used for storybook wedding photographs. Parent albums are available too.

Coffee Table Wedding and Portrait Albums

2011-01-18T09:52:00.004Z

One of my suppliers for Coffee Table albums - they are lovely for both wedding and portrait albums.

Best Canon 580EX Speedlight Batteries

2011-01-17T08:06:00.005Z

Helen Jones Photography https://www.amazon.co.uk/Energizer-Ultimate-Battery-Lithium-Jan-Apr/dp/B000TOC2QM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1295250513&sr=1-1

I am often asked which batteries are best for powering camera flash and compact cameras. I have been using the Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries for a while now to power my Canon 580ex Speedlight and would thoroughly recommend them. Amazon have an amazing deal on them at the moment which I believe will run until April.

I am finding that one set can see me through photographing an entire wedding or event. The only downside is that they are not rechargeable, however Boots do a recycling service for batteries so I hope they go to a heaven somewhere!

Wedding at Westminster Cathedral and Dartmouth House

2010-11-08T19:57:00.007Z

Congratulations to Rachel and David who got married on 23rd October 2010 at Westminster Cathedral. I didn't envy Rachel the task of finding a dress worthy of the grand walk to the alter but she found one of the most amazing dresses I have ever seen! You scrubbed up well too David :-)

Despite a pretty awful weather forecast the weather was glorious. My second shooter Tamas Olajos arrived at Dean Street Townhouse for the Groom's Brunch. While the boys were figuring out how to pin their button holes on I was having a fantastic time with Rachel and the girls in the flat in Notting Hill. The wedding had a black and white theme which was cleverly picked up with the wedding flowers. The bridesmaids wore black dresses and shoes and the bride had a gorgeous pair of shoes by Jimmy Choo.

Rachel and her father arrived at Westminster Cathedral in a vintage taxi and the cathedral provided a dramatic setting for the wedding photographs. The ceremony was beautiful, with exquisite music by the choir and soloist.

After the wedding ceremony the guests were taken to Dartmouth House in Routemaster buses and we wandered around Mayfair taking quirky reportage style photographs. I was very impressed that Rachel could walk, skip and jump in her Jimmy Choos!

The formal portrait shots were taken in the courtyard at Darmouth House. Rachel and David favoured a more relaxed style which I think we achieved really well. I particularly enjoyed photographing the speeches which took place along with the cutting of the cake on the grand staircase.

The dining room looked stunning. Rachel had spent many months collecting china so that each individual place setting would have a different teacup. Like everything on the day, including the bride, the room was stunning!

Fun Wedding Photography at The Goring

2010-10-08T18:14:00.003+01:00

A big thanks to Ollie and Jane for posing so fabulously on their wedding day! They had a September wedding at The Goring, Beeston Place, London. I know they share my view that The Goring is one of the best venues in London for a wedding. It is a small family run hotel and their friendliness, attention to detail and of course food is second-to-none.

Ollie and Jane wanted their photography to be fresh and original so after posing in the gardens we went for a walk to do some reportage photography. The reactions of the general public were mixed, but we did meet some friendly people. Thank you to the staff at the London Souvenir shop for accommodating us and letting us use their flags and brollies! It seemed fitting to go with the London theme as we were celebrating at The Goring which is quintessentially London after all.....

The reception was flawless, great food, heartfelt speeches, yummy wedding cake, fantastic French music by a magical trio.... a perfect day. Oh and I think Jane should get a round of applause for her choice of dress!

Norman Wisdom and Sally Geeson Photographs taken when filming What's Good for the Goose in Southport 1969

2010-10-06T09:28:00.005+01:00

After hearing the sad news of Norman Wisdom's death, I had a visit today from the beautiful actress, Sally Geeson. She came to the studio with some beautiful photographs taken during the filming of What's Good for the Goose in 1969. I think this set of images show so much of Norman's character. Sally shared her memories of him as a wonderful and indeed very funny man. Many of the shots show her almost crying with laughter!

We are all sad to see you go, Norman, and thank you for entertaining us for such a long time.

Lembit Opik

2010-10-04T08:12:00.004+01:00

Last week I did a commissioned shoot for Hello! Lembit and Merily were really good fun to work with and it was a real pleasure to meet them both. A big thank you to my poor long-suffering assistant Callum Winton who was brilliant! Couldn't have done it without you, CW.

Here is the link to the first publication of the photos in the Daily Mail this morning:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1317491/Ex-Mp-Lembit-Opik-reveals-new-21-year-old-girlfriend-Merily-McGivern.html

I am just popping out to get my copy of Hello! which is running the full story with more photos....

2010-10-01T19:36:00.001+01:00

Richard and Fiona's Wedding at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office

2010-10-01T19:21:00.004+01:00

Congratulations to Fiona and Richard. What a wonderful wedding! We met at about 8.30am for a very early wedding and started by taking photographs at a flower stall near the steps of Chelsea Old Town Hall. He wasn't amused!

It was only 11 minutes before the ceremony when Richard asked me to be one of the witnesses and we were tasked with hunting around for a second one. We spotted Len and Ian on the scaffolding doing a bit of painting so Richard went off to ask them while Fiona and I annoyed the flower vendor by taking photographs on his stall. The decorators seemed a bit surprised and very amused by Richard's request. After some gentle persuasion paint brushes and tins were abandoned and we laughed all the way to the Rosetti Room for the ceremony.

Instead of the usual exchange of rings Fiona had bought Richard a lovely watch which she put on him during the 'exchanging of rings'. Ian, Len and I were so busy gazing at the lovely watch we almost didn't notice when our couple entered the room! The ceremony was short but very intimate and moving. Sadly, my name can't be found on their marriage certificate so I will have to make do with having it on the photos instead...

After the knot had been tied we took some photos on the iconic steps outside the registry office and continued with our scaffolding theme!

It was a privilege to be part of such a special moment and Fiona tells me that the rest of their day was just as special and fun.

Coffee Table Album by Helen Jones Photography with photographic lay flat...

2010-09-30T23:56:00.001+01:00

I just received my new studio samples from Sim2000 Imaging which were created from Lucy and Rob's Wedding at Rivervale Barn. The books are the coffee table albums and are 40 pages and made with photographic lay flat paper.

Portrait Session with Actress Sophie Linfield

2010-06-30T19:19:00.003+01:00

Another photo shoot last week with Sophie Linfield. Photos were taken in a West London studio. Lots of post production using Photoshop to make the black and whites really punchy. We agreed that these are our favourites.

Portrait Session with Helen Mutch in Ham

2010-06-30T18:22:00.006+01:00

Helen is a London based actress who I have worked with on a number of occasions. These are the results of a portrait session in Ham, near Richmond in Surrey. They are a combination of a beautiful girl and a beautiful place!

Rivervale Barn Wedding - Lucy & Rob Donald

2010-05-06T07:43:00.004+01:00

This was my first wedding at brand new venue Rivervale Barn, which is a purpose build venue in Yateley which is on the border of Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey. Lucy and Rob fell in love with it last year and were delighted that it was ready in time for their wedding. The car park area had been finished a few days before, just in the nick of time! It was the perfect setting for a wedding and made my job so much easier; beautiful rooms, loads of light and laid out perfectly with Bernie on hand who went out of her way to be helpful and make sure the day went smoothly and all the little details were in place.

After a very stressful run up to the wedding caused by Euroash the sun came out and set the scene for a perfect day. My second photographer Callum Winton arrived and we started photographing the bridal preparations. Rob had commissioned a beautiful art piece for Lucy - thank goodness she opened it before she had her makeup on!

Lucy is the daughter of videographer Peter Fairbrass who is a friend and colleague and I felt honoured to be chosen to capture such a special day. I think the wedding photographs show how beautiful the bride is and how perfect all the details were...

A big thank you to Berny at Rivervale Barn for all her help on the day.

2010-03-27T11:33:00.000Z

My lovely friend, Sophie Linfield has been staying with me recently. Here are a couple of photos - Sophie, thank you for your friendship and for posing for me over the years.

Printing.com postcards

2010-01-08T15:39:00.000Z

I've just received my new baby and family portraiture cards from www.printing.com They were really helpful with the design, the price was really competitive and I love the results. They have a special offer on at the moment so I will sign off and start designing to catch the deadline!

Architek Photo Book Wedding Album from PR Imaging

2009-12-23T20:40:00.000Z

My very first album order from PR Imaging arrived today for Emral and Steve who got married this summer in London. The postman struggled up to the front door with it this morning. It is really lovely! I am delighted with the quality of the thick, glossy pages etc, lovely brushed aluminium cover.

Family Photography Portfolio - Helen Jones Photography, Richmond, London, Surrey UK

2009-11-28T16:39:00.001Z

Just uploaded another video to You Tube this time showing my family portraits portfolio.

Contemporary Portraits Portfolio

2009-11-18T11:29:00.000Z

....and here is a slideshow with some sample images from my contemporary portraits portfolio.

Many of the images were taken during my time working with BAFTA and include some of my favourite people from the film industry including Johnny Depp, Halle Berry, Mark Linfield, Vanessa Berlowitz, Sophie Linfield, Magda Rodriguez.

Wedding Photography Porfolio

2009-11-18T11:09:00.000Z

I have been having lots of fun playing with technology and working out how to post movies on YouTube using Picasa. So far I have uploaded my trash the dress / rock the dress shoot which is in my previous blog. Within a few minutes I had over 30 views.

I have also worked out how to upload a slideshow on my blog so that readers don't have to scroll through. All clever stuff!

Here is my wedding portfolio embedded as a slideshow:

Trash the Dress!

2009-11-16T10:44:00.001Z

I have decided to follow the latest trend and at last been commissioned to do a Trash-the-Dress shoot! I have really been looking forward to spending time with a bride without the rushed schedule on the wedding day and get some really interesting photographs.

This new offering is for brides who, instead of packing the dress away after the wedding, would like to use it one more time for a special photo shoot. The shoot can be done anywhere and in this case the venue was chosen because it held special memories for Sarah.

Sarah decided to have her photographs taken in and around Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane where she used to live. It was a freezing cold afternoon so we had to work quickly and efficiently. We started by having a warming coffee at Leon where Sarah changed into her wedding dress. The staff were friendly and helpful and I would like to say a big thank you for allowing us to use their storefront for the photographs.

We met some lovely people, especially the shopkeepers. Thank you to Lucy the Florist who has a beautiful stall by the Luxe.

Our most amazing find has to be the shop Queens. It is so magical and if you haven't visited it's a must and is filled with crazy little gifts which are great for Christmas.

Finally we went to Taj Stores, Sarah's favourite supermarket in the heart of Banglatown. We got some very strange looks especially when we were taking photos by the meat and fish counters!

I have just purchased the latest Photoshop actions from Jeff Ascough (his Silver Actions) and I tried them out of this set of photographs. With a bit of tweaking of my own I am delighted with the results. I have been inspired by Jeff's work and share his love of natural light and context within a photograph. I rarely use a flash with my camera and the Trash the Dress shoot gave me the freedom to move with the light and to really take the time to produce images that have a story.

John and Jennie's Wedding at Burgh House in Hampstead

2009-06-16T15:16:00.000+01:00

Here are a few photos from John and Jennie's wedding. They got married with a 50's theme at Burgh House in Hampstead. Although the weather was a bit dodgy it was such a truly happy day that it didn't really matter. It was a real pleasure to be involved in such a special celebration. The bride and bridesmaids wore pink and silver and looked stunning.

The wedding flowers were beautiful and Emma, John and Jennie's daughter made the bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids as well as arranging them on the cake. They were pink peonies which I love.

Michelle's Tilly!

2009-06-15T22:29:00.000+01:00

A big welcome to Michelle's new puppy, Tilly. My friend Michelle, owner of a beautiful Florist shop in Richmond called the Conservatory has just got a new puppy. She is the cutest little thing! Michelle does stunning wedding flowers and I am hoping that I will be bumping into Tilly a bit when we are working together... she is welcome to come and stay any time she wants to!

Amanda and Bernardo's Wedding

2009-06-15T14:58:00.001+01:00

What a fantastic day! Here are some of my favourite images from Amanda and Bernardo's wedding. The ceremony took place at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office where the service was warm and relaxed and the bride and groom clearly very much in love. Amanda looked stunning in her Jimmy Choo's and the flowers were gorgeous too. Amanda's dress was simple and elegant and perfect for the day. In fact the wedding party all dressed beautifully, especially Bernado's lovely daughter who charmed us all the way!

After the ceremony we boarded an old Routemaster bus and happily drank champagne and ate twiglets and strawberries. It was a truly happy day and we laughed all the way to Annie's in Kew where the reception dinner was being held.

Tamas Olojas

2009-04-23T22:18:00.000+01:00

I received a link from my friend, photographer Tamas Olojas who has just arrived in London from Hungary. He is so talented! Check out his website He got up this morning at dawn and went to Richmond Park to take some photographs which are absolutely beautiful. He has uploaded them to Flickr if you would like to take a look.

Tamas is a features photographer who is particularly good at photographing bands. Not an easy thing to do.

Enjoy!

Dancing on Ice - Torvill and Dean's 25th Anniversary Bolero Tour at Wembley

2009-04-18T14:01:00.000+01:00

These are the photographs taken during my press visit to the Dancing on Ice, Torvill and Dean's 25th Anniversary Bolero Tour. I was working on behalf of Retna and the conditions for photography were a good opportunity to find out whether the Canon 5D Mk2 would perform in low lighting as well as it is supposed to. I photographed these on a long lens with the ISO set to 3200 and I have been unable to see any noticeable noise. I'm impressed! Fingers crossed for some sales...

The stars photographed below include: Kyran Bracken, Ray Quinn, Todd Carty, Chris Fountain, Roxanne Pallett, Zoe Salmon, Suzanne Shaw, Jessica Taylor and of course, Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean.

Actress Sophie Linfield's Acting Headshots

2009-04-17T11:29:00.001+01:00

With the Spotlight deadline looming for submitting acting headshots, I spent an enjoyable evening last night photographing my lovely friend and actress, Sophie Linfield. Sophie's latest film, The Hollow is due to be released soon. I can't wait to see it! I have been photographing Sophie for many years now. Beautiful Sophie!

Government Minister Pat McFadden

2009-03-18T11:29:00.000Z

I spent the morning doing PR photography for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Employment Relations Minister, Pat McFadden, was meeting staff from an employment agency, Admiral, to meet agency workers. Pat's message was that the recession is not an excuse for agencies to mistreat vulnerable workers.

The photographs were taken in the kitchen of the HQ of The Royal Institute of British Architects. It is a lovely venue which is available for hire for weddings, conferences and private functions.

An Indian Wedding

2009-03-17T20:34:00.000Z

February was wonderful. I travelled to India and photographed a Hindu wedding. It was an ideal opportunity to test out the Canon 5D Mk 2 and I was able to see how it performed in low lighting conditions. Here are some of the photographs taken of Komal and his beautiful bride Anu during their wedding. The celebrations lasted for two days starting ending up at the Leela Palace in Goa.

Champneys Wedding

2009-03-11T16:03:00.000Z

On Saturday 7th March I was invited to attend the wedding of Stephen Purdew and Isabella Cave as their press photographer. It was a lovely day and enjoyed by all. The ceremony was held at St George's chapel in Hanover Square and the reception at Claridges which was well attended by celebrity guests including Frank Bruno, Sir Jimmy Savile, Anthea Turner & Grant Bovey, Samantha Janus, Nicole, Natalie and Lee Appleton, Liam Gallagher, David Seaman, Tony Adams, Ian Wright, George Graham, Piers Morgan and Celia Walden to name a few.

Photographs have been published in Hello! and most of the major tabloids.

Frank Bruno and David Seaman waiting outside the chapel.

Sally Gunnell and her husband Jon Bigg.

Sir Jimmy Savile.

Media personality Piers Morgan with his wife, Celia Walden.

Sir Jimmy Savile with reporter Peter Robertson.

Anthea Turner with husband Grant Bovey.

Stephen Purdew, co owner of Champneys and his new wife Isabella Cave.

Former England Captain Tony Adams and girlfriend Poppy Teacher.

Isabella with sister Davina Cave.

Top ex-Gunners Tony Adams, George Graham, David Seaman and Ian Wright.

Isabelle with Boyzone star and boyfriend.

Anthea Turner with Aldo Zilli's wife.

Aldo Zilli with his wife.

Liam Gallagher with Stephen's son Robert.

Celia Walden with the Appleton sisters.

Piers Morgan, Celia Walden and Liam Gallagher. The press loved this one!

Popstars Academy Launch

2009-02-08T11:46:00.000Z

I photographed the launch of Popstars Academy in Isleworth this week. The academy is a joint venture between husband and wife team, Lindsay Armaou (B*witched) and Lee Brennan (911). There was a lovely positive vibe and the guest star was Shane Lynch of Boyzone. The launch was very successful and the children loved meeting Shane who spent time signing autographs.

High School Musical 3 Star Jemma McKenzie-Brown

2009-02-08T10:44:00.000Z

It was a real pleasure to meet Jemma and her friends at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. What a fantastic place!

These are a selection of images from my shoot with 14 year old actress and star of High School Musical 3, Jemma McKenzie-Brown. I went to her school to photograph her during her classes and with her friends. She was not only beautiful as you can see from her photographs but she was professional, charming and obviously a lovely person. She was really down-to-earth and seemed unaffected by her sudden success. Equally the other children at the school were charming and quick to help opening doors and helping me with my equipment which was great because they have a lot of stairs!

Andrew and Sarah's Wedding - Ceremony and Reception

2009-02-07T17:10:00.000Z

The ceremony was conducted in the chapel at a unique venue called The House of St Barnabas, 1 Greek St, Soho, London W1. The newly opened venue is amazing and as the light started to fade I was able to test my new Canon 5D Mk2 camera in low lighting conditions. Its performance exceeded my expectations and I was able to take photographs without using my flash which would previously have been impossible to achieve. On the occasions I used flash I had fun with my new RayFlash diffuser which provided a flattering ringflash light for the evening guest shots. The guests seemed to be impressed and amused in equal measures to see me wandering around with such a large attachment to my flash!

Andrew and Sarah's Wedding - Bridal Preparations, Soho Hotel

2009-02-07T17:05:00.000Z

What a beautiful wedding!

The bridal preparations took place in the Soho Hotel, London W1. It is the first time I have been into the hotel and I was given a warm welcome by the staff. The bridal party all looked stunning. Sarah, the bridesmaids and her mother all looked elegant in their dresses and Isobella, her daughter was the perfect bridesmaid. The bride was drinking a pink margerita which perfectly matched the decor in the room!

Andrew and Sarah's Wedding - The House of St Barnabas

2009-02-07T17:00:00.000Z

This is the first time I have worked at the House of St Barnabas which is a beautiful venue in the heart of Soho. It has a certain magic and provided a wonderful enviroment for this special event. The lighting provided by Party Lights gave a magical feel to the evening as the natural light faded which helped no end with the photography.

Andrew and Sarah's Wedding - The Cake and Flowers

2009-02-07T16:19:00.001Z

I took about a hundred photographs of the cake because it was so amazing. It was make by a bespoke cake decorator called Makiko Searle and I have just had a look on her website and after years of photographing weddings I have never seen such beautiful work. More of her work can be seen on www.makiscakes.com.