We get behind the lens with founder of Addison McGrath Photography, Darren Perry…

Q: When did you start to become interested in photography and what did it go from being a hobby to a career?

A: I’ve been into photography ever since I can remember and got my first film SLR camera as a teenager. I went on to do a GCSE and A Level in photography and then a degree combining photography, film, TV and video at university.

I left university wanting to go into the film industry but with only runner jobs available I decided to earn as much money as possible in order to pay off student debts and get myself a start in life. A few years later I was a very successful headhunter, running a team of consultants placing directors and partners into top management consulting firms and earning very good money. However, the photography was still the number one hobby and pastime after hours. I even worked as a cinematographer on a film for a friend’s small independent film company, not at all glamorous though working with 16 mm Arriflex film cameras on a freezing day in Peckham.

After taking a year out to travel the world with my then girlfriend and now wife we moved to Ipswich. A few years after moving to Suffolk I started out on my own as a headhunter but put a lot more effort into the photography at the weekends and evenings and started to try and make the shift from doing a bit of photography to doing a lot of photography and a little bit of headhunting. Nearly six years on I wouldn’t change or go back ever. I absolutely love working as a photographer and think you can spend your whole life searching for something you enjoy doing and feel so lucky that I have found the ultimate career for me.

Q: What attraced you to wedding photography?

A: I did my first wedding aged 13 and found it very intimidating, although the adrenalin was immense. The day went so quickly and the feeling at the end was like nothing I had experienced before. The bride was a work friend of my mum and doing her wedding led to doing another wedding and so on it went in the early years and to this day I still get people contact me through people whose weddings I photographed as a young lad.

Although I loved doing weddings in my teens I never thought I would be a wedding photographer and it wasn’t until we went travelling and I got engaged that I realised how much more wedding photography could be than just taking and capturing great shots and emotions.

While in Australia I saw some of the work of a then young and emerging talent by the name of Jerry Ghionis and felt his style was amazing. The emotion and style he captured was breathtaking and his products were like nothing I had seen in England. The albums I saw out there were like film storyboards with multiple photos on each page and then a stand out print on the next, and they were bound in a black soft leather book with a classiness that was a million miles ahead of the padded ‘our wedding’ ivory albums most of the British suppliers were knocking out. Jerry is now one of the world’s most sought after wedding photographers and still an inspiration, as are many photographers from here and abroad.

Q: What are your favourite moments to capture during the day and why?

A: I love the whole day and enjoy capturing every part that goes into the story of each couple’s wedding. However, if I have to choose a favourite time at every wedding it would be the time I get with the couple after the ceremony. This is often the first chance the couple have had alone together in 24 hours and so much has happened. It’s nice to capture these intimate and relaxed romance moments, letting them have a glass of bubbly whilst talking or a stroll away from the guests.

This is an opportunity to really work outside of the box and get creative. The couple will always love one of these photos and to get that shot is the best feeling. Rather than the moments at weddings it’s the people and their expressions I love to capture, that is the favourite moment for me, seeing a bride’s mum brimming with pride or a groom dumbfounded by the look of his gorgeous wife as she walks into the ceremony.

Q: What are your best memories from weddings you’ve shot?

A: It’s hard to say what the best memories are – every wedding has a great memory. Ones that stand out have to be the sunset stroll we had in the harbour at Paphos in Cyprus with Beckie and Andy. Using the umbrella the bride’s mum gave her but not for rain but for the most gorgeous shot in a field in Walberswick with Emma and Mark. The banter of Claus and the groom’s party at Priory Hall in Hadleigh whilst sitting on the steps up to the marquee. Seeing my three-year-old daughter Scarlett walk into church as a bridesmaid and not even look at me as she was taking her wedding role so seriously at Lyndsey and Rob’s wedding. F

ollowed by one of my worst moments at the same wedding when my trousers split at the crotch crouching down to do a shot when we got to the hotel. The bridal party shot at Jo and Paul’s wedding in the rain at Haughley Park Barns with matching Massey Ferguson umbrellas, to tell you what made them laugh so much would be telling. There are too many…

Q: Do you have any favourite venues?

A: Any couple getting married in and around Suffolk is absolutely blessed with venues. There are some stunning locations and most of the wedding venues offer a superb service to the couple and their guests. If we had to pick favourites they would be for different reasons as there is always something special and positive to find at most of the venues we have shot at.

For the exclusivity on the day and stunning presence of the main building, not to mention the water features and the bedrooms it would have to be Woodhall Manor. Another favourite would be Priory Hall at Hadleigh, where the grounds are so diverse and lend themselves to some of the most beautiful shots, like the maze, the orchard, the courtyard, the pond, the drive, not to mention the green quality lawn and the lake down from the venue, stunning.

Q: Any tips for the bride and groom to get the best out of their pictures?

A: Lots, but the most important is to speak to me. Speaking with your photographer and letting them get to know you and what you ideally want from your wedding day is crucial. The best wedding photographers can bring out you and your personality in your photographs and spending time with your photographer before the wedding and talking about the day can really help make your photographs uniquely yours.

I like to talk over all aspects of the day from timings to group shots and flowers to colour schemes. I am also there to help and advise on what is a good balance of group shots and natural shots, what shots to shelf and what to take. It’s better to spend two minutes taking a shot of you both with your gran than to offend gran at her age. Every wedding is different and should be treated that way, it’s all about you!

Q: What packages do you offer?

A: Our basic level of service starts from £700 but is far from basic and includes the pre-wedding location visits, flexible coverage on the day from the bride getting ready to the beginning of the wedding breakfast, an online password-protected gallery within days of the wedding to see your proofs and, for anyone having an album, a high resolution DVD of your wedding photographs and album layout. Attendance in the evening is available if required as are CDs of high resolution images with rights to reproduce.

The album prices start from £800 for a classic album to £1600 for the largest storybook album. There are also many extras available from parents’ albums and guest books to canvas wraps and acrylic and wooden multi image frames. Nothing is too much trouble for us and our bespoke approach to packages extends to every client. Tell us what you want and we will give you a competitive price.