EY UP, I’M SAM!
WEST YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
WEST YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
COVERING WEST YORKSHIRE AND BEYOND, INCLUDING; LEEDS, BRADFORD, KEIGHLEY, HALIFAX, OTLEY, WETHERBY, HAWORTH, BINGLEY, HOLMFIRTH, HEBDEN BRIDGE, BAILDON, DENBY DALE.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FEELING AND THE MEMORIES
NATURAL AND RELAXED WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IN WEST YORKSHIRE
As a professional wedding photographer, I am very fortunate to have covered weddings at some incredible venues throughout West Yorkshire. Having been born and bred in the county, this will always be my home.
The West Riding of Yorkshire stretched from the southern borders of Sheffield to the now Cumbrian town of Sedbergh in the North in the Lake District. Places such as Skipton and Harrogate, now part of North Yorkshire, were all part of the old West Riding. As well as towns like Barnoldswick, now part of Lancashire.
West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974. The new West Riding is now a multi-cultural urban area with a population of around 2.2 million people. Most of the wool and cloth-making industries have gone, but the area is now one of the most important financial and legal centres outside Greater London. Leeds has become the largest city in Yorkshire and is home to a vast array of retail, culture, and services, some not found anywhere else in the county.
I’m Sam, and you’re very welcome here.
If you want real moments captured naturally by a photographer who works quietly in a documentary style, I might be your match.
Tap below to discover how I approach weddings!
PLANNING YOUR WEST YORKSHIRE WEDDING
So, you’ve just gotten engaged. Congratulations! Now the real work starts.
And if you’ve already started planning your West Yorkshire wedding you’ll know just how much there is to do. From picking your venue, your wedding photographer, the song for your first dance – the list might seem overwhelming. But breathe, remind yourself you’ve got this, and here are a few tips to help you keep on top of things.
Write a list of everything you have to source/oragnise. Then re-write the list in order of priority to you. The venue is going to be the first thing on the list for most couples, and after that, I’d like to think that your wedding photographer would be number two – although perhaps I’m slightly biased.
Project management platforms like Trello can be great for organising all your thoughts and tracking your progress. In fact, here’s a nifty The Ultimate Guide To Planning A Wedding With Trello to help you.
WEST YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
There are many different types of wedding photography style, from light & airy, to dark and moody, from a vintage look, to a more modern feel, from a very posed style, to a photo-journalistic style.
My style as a West Yorkshire wedding photographer is to keep things as relaxed and natural as I can. I consider myself the storyteller on a wedding day, being there to capture the story of your wedding day. I won’t spend hours using the same old poses that you’ll see over and over – my focus is to capture images that are unique and special to you. I know being in front of a camera can be daunting, and I won’t expect you to carry out pose after pose, but will give you subtle guidance where I can to get those breathtaking images you will want on your mantelpiece.
I put as much effort into post-production as I do on your big day. I spend hours individually going through your images, colour correcting, tidying, and choosing between colour and black & white – all your wedding photographs will have my signature style to really show off your big day.
WHY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IS SO IMPORTANT
Memories fade, that’s a sad fact of life. But wedding photography has a magical ability to capture a moment in time and keep those memories alive. A photograph never changes, even when the people in it do. At the end of your wedding day, the venue will pack up, the cake will have been eaten, and the flowers will wilt – your wedding photographs are what will remain.
That is why, as a professional wedding photographer, I feel so blessed to do what I do. I gift people images that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
HOW MUCH DOES WEST YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY COST?
How much does a car cost? How much does a pair of trainers cost? The answer is, it is variable. And like many things in life, you usually get what you pay for.
Let’s not beat around the bush. An experienced professional wedding photographer will not be cheap. If they are cheap, then something is amiss. We spend years training and honing our crafts, we have a lot of expensive camera and computing equipment, as well as backups of everything should anything go wrong. We have to have the proper insurance, and a number of other expensive business overheads to allow us to do our jobs.
I’ve been very transparent and explained the number of hours I spent working on each wedding, and the costs involved to create your wedding photographs in this article –
Why Is Wedding Photography So Expensive?
I’ve heard too many people say that they regret not having a professional wedding photographer at their wedding. You hear those horror stories, of people who simply ask their uncle who happens to have a camera to document their big day – only for all the images to be blurry. It’s not worth the risk.
It is recommended that you spend around 10-15% of your overall budget on your wedding photographer, more for small weddings and elopements. What you are doing, is investing in your memories. You should consider your wedding photographer one of the best investments you will ever make.
HOW I BECAME A NORTH YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
I stumbled into it by accident. True story.
I trained as an actor. And during my first summer break at drama school I got bored – so I picked up a cheap camera and taught myself how to use it. When I arrived back at drama school I was inundated with requests to take photographs of this play, and to take headshots of actors for their resumes.
I continued to work as a photographer on the side, as I went from one performing job to another, until in 2019 friends of mine that I had worked with asked me if I would be their wedding photographer. Halfway through that wedding, I realised what a privilege it was, and seeing there reaction to their photographs made up my mind that it was what I wanted to do with my life.
THE BEST NORTH YORKSHIRE WEDDING VENUES FOR PHOTOGRAPHY?
Whether it be Leeds, Keighley, Halifax, Wakefield, or elsewhere, West Yorkshire is blessed with some incredible wedding venues. As a West Yorkshire wedding photographer, I have the pleasure to work at a number of them – with more on my wish list.
If you’re looking for a venue that gives you those country vibes you should take a look at Chilli Barn, and The Old Barn at Esholt. If you’re wanting something that leans towards West Yorkshire’s industrial heritage take a look at Ponden Mill & The Venue in Halifax. If you’re looking for an elegant venue you can’t go wrong with Waterton Park Hotel or East Riddlesden Hall. For something a little different check out Holmfirth Vineyard.
Of course, there are so many more great wedding venues in West Yorkshire. I can’t wait to explore them. If you want advice about how good your dream venue is for wedding photography, just drop me a message and I’ll check it out.
ALEXIA & MARC
TITHE BARN, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Sam captured each moment so beautifully. There were some really special moments in the day that Sam photographed and we had no idea until we received the photos and we’re so incredibly grateful for that.
Sam told the story of our wedding so beautifully and we’re so pleased with the results. Thank you so much Sam!
JULIE & JOOLS
CUSTOM WEBSITE
On the day, Sam was everything we could have hoped for and more! He was super professional, uber organised but still with that smiley, cheeky chappy persona.
When the photos came back to us there were so many magic moments that we hadn’t seen and were unaware were happening! All in all, the day was perfect and Sam was a MASSIVE part of it, not only being a good friend, lending a shoulder to cry happy tears on, soothing the nerves by cracking a joke
HARRIET & NICO
MIDDLETON LODGE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
From our first meeting to saying goodbye the night of our wedding, Sam was great. His communication throughout, from the actual package for our wedding to our pre-wedding shoot- there was nothing too much trouble. If you are looking for a photographer- this is your man!
We received some special surprises on the day and some sneak peek photos the day after our wedding which we didn’t expect so soon. Everyone has already commented on how beautiful the photographs are.
YOU SHOULD GET IN CONTACT IF
think we’re a
MATCH?
It’s all about you, and your love story. I have the privilege of sharing a day with amazing individuals, capturing moments of pure joy.
“THE BEST THING ABOUT A PICTURE IS THAT IT NEVER CHANGES, EVEN WHEN THE PEOPLE IN IT DO.” – ANDY WARHOL
Your wedding day is a real, unfiltered story. Let’s chat about how I can capture it—no fluff, just real talk. Hit the button below and tell me all about your wedding plans. Ready to keep it real? Let’s talk.
SAM CHIPMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER COVERING WEST YORKSHIRE, NORTH YORKSHIRE, LANCASHIRE, CUMBRIA AND THE LAKE DISTRICT; AND TRAVELLING NATIONWIDE & WORLDWIDE.
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“The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.”
– ANDY WARHOL