one
to
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Tara Statton
Wedding photographerTara covers the south-west of England
to capture beautiful and informal
wedding imagery, engagement shoots
and portraits. She favours natural light,
and has a soft and romantic style.
http://www.tarastattonphotography.comedding season is
now truly upon us
in the UK, running
from around May
to October. (Turn
to page 24 and
you’ll find more marital bliss
in our Photo Active section.)
This is because the summer
months mark the best weather
(supposedly), as well as a time
when venues and suppliers
can show off their wares in
the best light (literally).
I’d come across the work of
this month’s pro, Tara Statton,
in a more organic way than I
often do for these masterclasses.
She’d photographed a mutual
friend’s wedding in Cornwall, and
I was captivated when I saw the
final images on Instagram. Keen
to discover and share more about
her shooting approach – but
understanding that I’d get in the
way of a real wedding – I joined
Tara for an open day at Midelney
Manor (midelneymanor.co.uk),
a romantic Elizabethan house
that’s surrounded by gardens
and woodland in the beautiful
Somerset countryside.
Tara calls herself a natural-light
wedding photographer, and thismeans that she favours a simple
yet still sophisticated approach.
Although Tara is based in Devon,
she happily travels around the
south-west, and recently
travelled with a couple to Venice
to capture them renewing their
vows. “Having lived in Devon
my whole life, I can’t imagine
living anywhere else,” she says.
“We are spoilt for choice with
countryside, beaches and pretty
views. I love being a part of this
wedding community, and being
able to document one of the
happiest days of people’s lives.”
Later on in the day, I’ll find out
just how important it can be to
network and integrate yourself
into the local ‘community’
of wedding suppliers.
On the day (a quintessentially
sunny May bank holiday),
travelling to the venue together
gives me a chance to quiz Tara
on her approach and passion for
the genre. Weddings incorporate
so many different subjects and
styles – think portraits, still-life,
food, reportage – which sparks
fear in some photographers, yet
joy in others. For Tara, it allows
her to capture everything she
loves, “from naturalW
A recent bride and
groom Tara photographed
amongst the blossom at
Pynes House, Exeter, on
their wedding day.