Naomi Lloyd | Portsmouth Hampshire Photographer

Waiting for the registrar to arrive for the pre wedding interview, always a nervous moment and a great time to distract the bride….and also get some lovely bridal portraits.

A fantastic November and December for outdoor family portraits on the beach in Southsea. Just posted off the last of the prints and cds today to be delivered and placed under the Christmas trees in many family homes. Merry christmas everyone!

This year more than any other I have enjoyed the benefits both professionally and personally of being in such a personal service provider business which is the nature of wedding and portrait photography. The biggest part of this is that once a wedding album has been handed over, the relationship with a couple invariably will not end there which is so lovely. I have photographed four pregnancy shoots this year with couples who already knew me as their trusted wedding photographer. I have also been asked to return to photograph family birthday events, christenings and retirement celebrations. Most recently, I was delighted to go up to Winchester to meet Jen and Nick’s newborn baby, Freddie. Jem and Nick got married in Norton Park Hotel in Sutton Scotney, Winchester in 2012 and Julian and I were there from the bridal prep to the first dance to capture their special day.
This August we got together again to take some lovely sunset photographs on Southsea Beach of Jem at the end of her pregnancy. So as soon as I was invited we arranged a date to capture the new parents with their gorgeous baby boy.

Just designing a beautiful new sample album to add to my ever growing wedding album portfolio. Couldn’t resist the beautiful new Young Book album from Graphi Studio Albums. Always tricky to choose a wedding to feature but decided to focus on one the gems of the Portsmouth area where I live…HMS Warrior. Such a unique venue and Julian and I love photographing weddings there.

I loved reading this article with its insight into the life of a wedding photographer. I always say you need to be a real people person to enjoy this job. I would never suit being a landscape photographer for example but I can honestly say I feel privileged every time I am invited to capture a wedding day, a pregnancy in its final stages, a newborn baby’s first photo shoot or a family celebration. It is a daily reminder of people enjoying being in love with their partner or baby or family member. What’s not to love about that?
http://darlinglovelylife.com/2014/07/my-day-shadowing-a-wedding-photographer-the-hardest-job-in-the-world/

I love variety in photography and seeking out new locations and venues and of course in the models themselves – whether they are bride and grooms, expectant mothers, excited toddlers or even much loved pets. However, at this time of year I find that when I am planning my pre wedding shoots I am consistently drawn towards my old and trusted favourite friend…..the beach. Fortunately, living in Portsmouth, I not only have access to lovely pebbled beaches with slimy rich green seaweed walls but also the nooks and crannnies of the old tower and castles along the historic seafront.
The soft and flattering light provided by the arches and the shelter from harsh sunshine and coastal winds further justifies my reluctance to move too far away from such a reliable and beautiful source for portrait and pre wedding shoots.
Just leaves me more opportunity to concentrate on having fun with the children I am photographing or the nervous bride or groom who hate having their photo taken. So, if you see any crazy dancing going on around this area by a gal with two cameras strapped around her neck….strong chance it is me!
Happy Summer everyone.x

I absolutely loved capturing this outdoor wedding at Netley Abbey and the grounds of Victoria Country Park in Southampton. I think the photos hopefully will say it all – what a stunning setting and what a way to make an entrance! Love it!

Lisa and James are part of a gorgeous group of very close friends and we have been lucky enough to photograph many of their weddings – all really beautiful weddings and unique to each couple.
We captured the wedding of Lisa and James at Marwell Hotel in Winchester. Lisa was a stunning and very relaxed bride and clearly wowed James when she walked down the aisle. I admit to welling up myself!
Here are some of the lovely couple on their pre wedding shoot at Southsea beach and on the wedding day itself. A special wedding day.

As a thank you for the honour of being chosen to capture a couple’s wedding day we always provide complimentary framed photographs of the couple on their wedding day. Here is a photo of Lisa’s mum receiving her photograph during the speeches. We love seeing happy parents of the bride and grom when they see they have a photograph all framed and ready to take home of their special people.

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I often get asked why I include a complimentary pre wedding shoot with my packages and also what is it for? Well, I could run a decent business just from a few pounds for every time a bride will also say to me that she hates having her photo taken. I am not surprised by this either, as we live in a world where we do not have a lot of control over people discreetly taking photos of us and then posting on their social media. You then log on to your computer to see a badly lit and posed photo of yourself and the bad relationship with the camera has been set in place.
My aim with a pre wedding shoot is two-fold: to dispel any fears of unflattering photographs appearing on your wedding gallery and to enable the bride and groom to feel relaxed with me and actually enjoy having their photograph taken. This is where I really can help because I can take this important time before the wedding to show the couple some important and easy posing tips to avoid those unflattering arm angles ( very important when brides’ arms are often exposed) and also to show them how to stand together and hold each other naturally. This can be very important when there is a significant height difference between the couple too. But there are easy solutions to this and my experience in how to resolve these is what I am there to show them and to have fun! Here are some examples over the last few years. Pets and children are also welcome too at these shoots – why not use the opportunity for a family portrait at the same time?
http://www.naomilloyd.co.uk/engagement_shoots.html