The wedding took place at the  Glengoyne Highland  whiskey  distillery and we all enjoyed the generously poured high-quality scotch!  wowsa!!

Congratulations Gerry and Jenny – thanks for bringing me to your wedding!

I had an  awesome  time visiting the clubbing scene in Glasgow and partying till 3am – at that latitude the sun rises at that hour and I got to experience my first Celtic ‘time between’ with a beautiful sunset departing Gelengoyne, and a sunrise after dancing all night through the packed clubs of Glasgow.  

Well a highlight of my year went that way when I met my now friend Steve Yates, who was kind enough to let me stay at his home this summer in the Lake District of the United Kingdom.  He’s a wedding photographer in this legendary landscape. and if you’re daring enough to click that link you’ll see some amazing wedding images.  If you imagine me, as a scotsman, and ten years older – well – that’s Steve, a climber, adventurer, and photographer and all round nice guy!  Well, here’s a photo to end my blabbing on:

And his family with whom I stayed in the Lake District

Ever recognize something the first time you hear it?

Well it was the same when Steve had some John Martyn playing the Sunday morning I was headed for the train…We were drinking coffee in the back garden shown above.  I instantly wanted to know who it was, and he informed me – and sent me on my way with a few tracks.  I’d like to pass on his recommendation and this two disk set (available as download also) retrospective for your consideration over the weekend. The album is Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology The Amazon reviewer glows:

“Martyn has the whiskey-soaked voice of (fellow scotsman) Rod Stewart with Louie Armstrong thrown in, the spiritual intensity of Van Morrison and the jazzy folk sound of Joni Mitchell.  
I’ve never heard anything quite like it. All of his songs are melodic and interesting and some, like “one world,” “small hours” are transcendent and as beautiful as any music i’ve ever heard.”

The history on Martyn goes back through the seventies and I don’t know why he’s not more recognized than he is – cause in my perception he deserves it.  Take a listen with this player:

I’ve now used two of his songs in my slideshows, and we’ll see what else may develop in the future.

However the judges comments went like this:

But I have to comment on this category in general. There were so many pictures of people walking away from the photographers that it puzzled me. I saw so many pictures with stunning light in other categories that I wondered what the photographers were thinking when they got to this category. All of the moments and good storytelling went away.

Who is this judge that feel’s so strongly that there’s no story from this image that they take the liberty to complain about my photo as exemplary of the category? But they award first place to a haphazardly composed and monochromatic image of the same theme? Boy does that sting.  In my experience this goes to strengthen the stereotype that ‘photojournalistic’ images are ‘careless snapshots in black and white’ and doesn’t work toward showing how a good photojournalist can transcend the basic elements of what’s happening and make an image with stronger themes. I would love to hear Sister Wendy discuss the results.

Realistically, when you’re up there your eyes are glued to the splendor that’s enveloping you! When the couple looks at the camera the image loses it’s compelling fixation on the mountain. When you’re there, just as in the picture, it feels like you can reach out and touch it. In my picture I worked to transcend the basic experience of being dropped off on the side of a mountain by helicopter, and tried to capture gesture and pair forms that form an allegory for the wedding experience.  I was looking for body language that helped describe the awe we all felt.

It’s funny how every time I hand out the business card with this image on it, the response is – “did you photoshop the background?” Nope, I was really there – and the story of this image, doesn’t just begin when the shutter clicked. You see, it was my vision to wait until the very last minute to get the sunset on the mountain. In this position, we’re in danger of being surrounded by clouds moving up the mountain. Here’s Nigel, our pilot on the lookout for clouds coming in.

The only reason we were able to make this picture is because of Nigel’s experience, daring and willingness. He told us that on his warning we would have to be back in the chopper within 1 minute, because if a cloud covers us – we can’t take off – because the pilot flys visually. The helicopter is perched on loose stones, and Nigel got out and propped us up with extra stones before he would let us get out. The helicopter is idling with the blades spinning so we can make a quick takeoff. On the port side of the bird, there’s probably only two meters to the edge of the cliff from the rotor tips. So Nigel has made a pretty difficult landing at my request, so that I can capture this scene.

From this angle, you can see the clouds at our elevation across the valley.

Oh boy wouldn’t I have loved to had the time to get to the Tasman Peak & Ben Ohau Mountain Range side of the valley to land the couple on the west facing ridges – but that will have to wait until next time. From that side I could get more of the turquoise hues of the glacially fed Lake Pukaki also. Just plan your destination wedding at the Luxurious Mt. Cook Hermitage Hotel and I’ll be there to make unforgettable images with you!

So as a bride which would you be satisfied with a few snapshots from the top of the mountain, or would you want something that transcended your experience? something with allegorical intent?

The image of Joel and rebecca walking on Mount Dark in New Zealand places as a Gold image in the June competition by the British Professional Photographers Association + Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers in the United Kingdom.

Look through the full results (NSFW some pages) SWPP and BPPA June 2008 Image Competition Winners

If you have a current issue of Professional Image Maker magazine, you can see Neil’s March winning image in print on page 134.  
 

I just uploaded three new events to www.Make Love Real.com for viewing and ordering prints from your wedding events!

We have everything from Rochester NY to the Scottish highlands!

I’ll update you with the stories behind all these images through the next week or two.

Rebecca’s preparation

I tie Joel’s necktie for him.

Joel awaits takeoff for his mountainside wedding.

Just one more teaser post before the full set of images are available at www.MakeLoveReal.com

Here’s a quick preview of Joel and Rebecca’s wedding photos, all my new Kiwi inlaws drop your e-mail in the comments and I’ll notify you when all the pictures are available on www.MakeLoveReal.com

Bahamas Destination beach award winning wedding photojournalist.

Acklins
Berry Islands
Bimini
Black Point, Exuma
Cat Island
Central Abaco
Central Andros
Central Eleuthera
City of Freeport, Grand Bahama
Crooked Island
East Grand Bahama
Exuma

Grand Cay, Abaco
Harbour Island, Eleuthera
Hope Town, Abaco
Inagua
Long Island
Mangrove Cay, Andros
Mayaguana
Moore’s Island, Abaco
North Abaco
North Andros
North Eleuthera
Ragged Island
Rum Cay
San Salvador
South Abaco
South Andros
South Eleuthera
Spanish Wells, Eleuthera
West Grand Bahama

All Bahamas Wedding Locations
Abaco

Bluff House Beach Hotel
We believe your wedding should match or exceed the beauty of the island
 

Green Turtle Club
Let the Green Turtle Club, the premier boutique resort in Abaco, Bahamas make your wedding an event
 

Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina
Located less than 200 miles from the east coast of Florida, on the Out Island of Abaco, is Treasure Cay
 

Andros  

Small Hope Bay Lodge
Get married on the beach, in a simple green wedding ceremony by the sea.
 

Grand Bahama Island

Pelican Bay at Lucaya
An intimate oasis in the heart of Grand Bahama Island, Pelican Bay at Lucaya promises a getaway out of the ordinary.
 

Old Bahama Bay
An ambience of secluded, barefoot elegance awaits couples at Old Bahama Bay ….

Great Exuma

Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay
The secluded Exuma cays beckon couples with their tropical beauty and quiet calm….
 

Nassau

Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island
Love is all two people need at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island…
 

Nygard Cay

Unusual Villa & Island Rentals Bahamas

Paradise Island Harbour Resort/All Inclusive
It’s hard to imagine anything more romantic than an escape to Paradise Island. Whisper your vows on the beach at sunset,…

Yes, thank you, thank you, please hold your applause.

The site that used to host everything, got way too big, way too confusing now hosts a simple wedding portfolio, and to introduce that I’m posting a podcast version of the main gallery here, but do check in to the www.NeilCowley.com gallery and view the fullscreen, high resolution view of this show as it will certainly knock your socks off as you view the photos in high  resolution  clarity and brilliance.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes to get your mobile copy of the slideshow.

Add our site to your favorite bookmark service:

Review our services on external sites and please click each of these links:

1. Review Make Love Real at WeddingWire.
2. Review Our Services on Amazon.com – if you have ordered from them before login to review.
3. Digg us by clicking this link and following through
4. Add our site to your Favorites as a Technorati user.
5. Top 100 Blogs
6. Cool Photoblogs rank’s MakeLoveReal.net
7. We Rank with North Carolina Top Wedding Sitesâ„¢

Social Network with Neil:

1. Friend Neil on Facebook: (by far the most useful and used) if you’re not already our client, send me a note to let me know why you’re friending me.
2. Neil’s Myspace Page: (not that I keep up with it)
3. Linked in: professional networking
4. Twitter: neilcowley
5. Neil’s Flickr account where many of the images here are hosted, and much of the teaching/instructional images are found for:
6. www.MakeLightReal.com – Neil’s creative journal if you’re interested in learning about the creative process or technical photo stuff.
7. Open Source Photo – a free discussion forum for beginner wedding photographers.

You can find us listed online in these directories:

• Behance – Creative Portfolios
• ASMP – American Society of Media Photographers – Neil is also an accomplished commercial and advertising photographer.
• Wedding Wire Charlotte NC Wedding Photographers
• WeDj.com Wedding Photographer North Carolina
• Adirondak Wedding Photographers in New York
• New York City Metro Wedding Photographers
• Rochester Club Ballroom
• Enright Florists
• Sheldrake Point Vineyard Weddings
• Glen Iris Weddings with a waterfall overlook
• Atlanta Wedding Photojournalist listed on MyWedding.com
• East Coast wedding photojournalist in Charleston South Carolina
• Miami Florida wedding photographer
• Orlando Florida wedding photojournalist
• Caribbean Island Beach Wedding Destination Villa Photographer
• National Wedding Photographer.com
• Phoenix Arizona professional wedding photojournalist AZ and the grand canyon
• PhotoLinks – The Photography Network
• Photographysites.com Wedding Photographers
• Love Unscripted – Wedding photojournalist photo blog and image stream
• Find a UK wedding photographer.
• Find a US wedding photographer
• Blog cloud
• Charlotte Wedding Guide
• North Carolina Wedding Photographers – Member of WeddingPhotoUSA – America’s Professional Wedding Photographers
• Find local North Carolina Wedding Photographers
  Search for local wedding photographers in North Carolina at LocalWeddingPhotographers.com
• listed at million blog list
• listed at Wiki Blog Directory
• 1 Second Film Producer
• Photo.net – Neil Cowley’s profile page
• Photoblog Community Profile
•  - Photography Home Pages
•  - Top Photographer’s site.
• Pixorati photo search and vote
• 
• Leading Charlotte, North Carolina Invitations and Charlotte, North Carolina Photographers listed in Decidio.com
• 
• 
• Titterectory listing for Neil Cowley – Photographer
• Charlotte North Carolina Photographer’s Directory
•    - Photo Ring Photography Blog listings
• Boudoir South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina’s top Boudoir and Glamour Photographer servicing Charleston, Summerville, Folly Beach, Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms, James Island, Moncks Corner, Goose Creek, North Charleston and surrounding areas in South Carolina.
• photographers for weddings, corporate and commercial advertising
• weddings photographer