Bridal and Fuchsia Pink in Halesworth

Our latest Elegant Exposures shoot took us to Halesworth, Sue’s home ground, for an early start and two very different looks. Susan Hardy styled the session and handled the makeup, Sophia modelled, and I photographed. The three of us have built this project over a long run of shoots, and this was one of the smoothest mornings we have had together.

Sophia in a short cream bridal dress and long veil on a tree-lined path in Halesworth, Suffolk

The Location

Halesworth gave us everything within one accessible walk: an old brick railway arch, a footbridge and a shallow river, all close enough together that a trolley full of lighting kit could come along. Flat paths matter when you are moving flash gear between setups. The morning started cool with low sun, so the first setups were lit with flash. Once the day brightened we put the flash away and finished in natural light. At half past nine the sun turned harsh and we wrapped.

Sophia in bridal styling framed by the old brick railway arch in Halesworth

Look One: Bridal

A short cream dress with a long trailing veil, a pearl headpiece and white roses, finished with hot pink shoes to pull it away from the traditional. Wedding imagery has been on our list for a while, and shooting it outdoors around the arch and the river gave it a character a studio could not.

Sophia standing in the river at Halesworth in a cream dress with her veil trailing in the water

Sophia leaning on a footbridge rail with her long veil caught in the breeze

Look Two: Fuchsia Pink

The second look turned the volume up: a fuchsia satin skirt with a white broderie anglaise top, a wide-brimmed pink hat trimmed with netting and flowers, long gloves and matching heels. Same locations, completely different feel, which is the point of running two looks in one session.

Sophia walking a Halesworth footpath in a fuchsia pink satin skirt, white top and pink hat

Sophia seated on a wooden bench in fuchsia pink with long pink gloves and a wide-brimmed hat

Why We Shoot These

Elegant Exposures is about marrying style and fashion with photography, chasing looks that are interesting and slightly off the wall, and always aiming for an image that grabs attention and keeps it. There is no client brief on these mornings. We experiment, we learn, and the strongest ideas earn a place here and in our portfolios.

Sophia in pink satin and gloves resting against the arm of a park bench in dappled shade

Working Safely

Every Elegant Exposures shoot runs the same way: no physical contact between photographer and model, posing directed verbally or demonstrated from a distance, and a standing invitation for any model to bring a chaperone. Any photographer who discourages a chaperone is showing a red flag, whatever the excuse.

The full write-up of this shoot, with more on the light and the thinking behind the two looks, is on my main site: Elegant Exposures in Halesworth.