STEVEBLOG.STEVESTENSONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Civil Partnership

2012-01-12T15:58:25Z

November 5th at Seaham Hall saw the civil partnership wedding of Carol and Denise, my first gay wedding but I certainly hope it won't be my last, what a great day, there were some subtle differences like both partners arriving down the aisle together for example, the day itself was a cold start but flourished into a fabulous sunset, it was to climax with the guests releasing chinese lanterns, however this was the only part of the day that did not go to plan, the lanterns only flew one way................down into the ground, as you can see they had a brilliant day with family and friends.

Fancy winning a free boudoir photo shoot?

2012-01-10T11:50:33Z

Just in time for valentines day........ check out our in store competition, we have teamed up with the lovely Ula from the fabulous "Ula la" lingerie shop in Harrogate to offer all customers a chance to win a boudoir photo shoot. Why not take a look and take a chance to have some stunning boudoir images just in time for valentines day.

Boudoir Photography Yorkshire

2011-11-02T08:55:57Z

Boudoir Photography YorkshireAs our new site begins to take shape, we have added our boudoir services, boudoir is a great gift for yourself or a partner etc. Boudoir photography covers anything from from just looking and feeling sensual, sexy and glamorous to implied nude, the key aspect is being comfortable and relaxed with your photographer, Marika is great at helping you relax and create great poses that will help us produce stunning results, below are some examples from our Boudoir photography pages. Both of these photo shoots were at the Luxury Lawrance apartments, one on kings Road Harrogate and another on Duchy Road Harrogate, this type of venue provides that real feeling of luxury and sumptuous over indulgence, what greater way to feel sensual and sexy for your stunning boudoir photos.

Wedding Fireworks

2011-09-15T12:40:53Z

Its not every wedding that has fireworks but when they do it can create some stunning images, Helen and Mark had a fabulous day that was end to end smiles and laughter, it culminated in a fabulous firework display. The venue was at Helens parents farm near Helmsley, they had a huge marquee which was decorated beautifully. I haven't included any day time images..............I will, but sadly I am lazy..............only kidding I met with Helen and Mark last night to review the images and plan the album so I had better get on with that for now.

Party in The Park Leeds

2011-08-04T12:26:39Z

Had a great weekend, photographing a wedding on Saturday on the sea front near Whitley Bay and on Sunday photographing the artists at Party in the park, I had full access media passes to capture behind the scenes and stage front images, the day was a lovely sunny day, and was topped off with a couple of nice cold beers.
The images include JLS, Olly Murs, The Wanted, Pixie Lott, Tinchy Stryder, Cher Lloyd, Jay Sean, Inna, and may more

Wynyard Hall Wedding Photography

2011-07-28T17:12:33Z

I love my work............... there are not many jobs where you can go out and meet lovely people all day, take pictures of them loving life, weddings are great, the day is charged with emotion, I love watching the emotion unfold as the day progresses:-

Predominately the day starts with a bit of nervous emotion as bride and groom prepare for their big day, in the majority of people this is complemented by nervous laughter as the bridal party help to relax the bride and groom.

It quickly moves to a very loving and sense of overwhelming relieved emotion as the ceremony begins, there are emotional tears usually from mums and dads, there's always the ice breaker when the bride and groom are asked if there is any lawful reason they should not marry, I don't know why but there always seems to be a child somewhere in the ceremony who lets out some noise making everyone else take momentary sharp breath, which usually leads to a giggle or two.

Relaxation takes a new form now as there is a bit of champagne flowing, the majority are ready to party but there are still speeches leaving the one or two who have speeches to do still feeling a little apprehensive.

Speeches done, food consumed and ready for a party, everyone is full of great joy and anticipation for the nights festivities and the first dance of the newly weds.

Capturing the wedding day of brides and grooms is a real privilege for me as a photographer, its almost like being part of a new family for a day and the relationship doesn't usually end there.

As a wedding photographer based in Harrogate, it is great to cover not only weddings in and around Harrogate but to discover lots of great venues, although some offer different challenges, I have just completed a lovely wedding at Langley Castle, the whole day consists of running up and down seven flights of stairs, beautiful for photographs but not my lungs...!

The wedding photography below is from a lovely wedding at Wynyard Hall, Andy and Helen had a great day and have some treasured memories to look back on.

Helen & Mark Pre Wedding

2011-07-25T08:22:38Z

Told you I would start catching up on my blog.... I just photographed Mark and Helens wedding on Saturday 23rd July, the wedding was at the lovely St Gregorys Minster, Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, it is a beautiful location just outside Helmsley, the wedding reception was back at the families farm, Beadlam Grange, near Helmsley, the farm is a working farm and boasts a great farm shop, a lovely coffee shop and a caravan site, it is well worth a visit. The marquee was stunning and the layout inside was beautiful, we also had great weather, but more on this wedding in a future blog. The images below were a few from the pre wedding photo shoot earlier this year at the couples beautiful home set in the countryside location of Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon. The lucky couple are just setting off on their honeymoon today leaving me to prepare the wedding photographs for their return.

Valley Gardens Harrogate - Lifestyle photography

2011-07-22T16:56:55Z

Summertime in Valley Gardens, Harrogate... Had a great afternoon with a family of Americans some of who live here in Harrogate and family members who had come over for a short stay. They were great to be with and made my work very easy, I have lost count of the amount of portrait photography I have done in Valley gardens, but it never ceases to amaze me the new locations I find and how this moves with the changing seasons, I think all portrait and wedding photographers in Harrogate have used this location to great success at some time, we are so lucky to have such a beautiful well maintained, free recreational area like this.... another reason to love living in Harrogate.

Maternity photography

2011-07-22T15:04:30Z

Ok............ I will catch up on my blog..I promise!!!

Confession....I love taking pictures of people and presenting them with images to treasure for a lifetime but blogging and social networking are not my key strength..There I've said it... Now its time to look at what we have been doing, I love photographing pregnant ladies with their partners or children, there is something magical about capturing life as it begins. Our Harrogate studio is a perfect environment for fun, intimate, private maternity photography, my only request is don't leave it too late, Marika's due date was two days after the studio images were taken and the day we shot some lovely lifestyle images in the lovely Harrogate surroundings, fortunately for me beautiful baby Maria was born a week late....phew.

Weddings in Spain

2010-10-20T10:05:00Z

Wow, what a busy period...time to catch up on the blog. Got a great lifestyle photo - shoot this afternoon with a family over from Rotterdam, they want a lifestyle portrait photo shoot to capture them in one of their favourite locations, the Yorkshire Dales. It's great to photograph events like this as there will be three generations celebrating their parents 40 years of marriage. I've also been busy with lots of commercial work but this blog is about to be taken over with a wedding............. Beth and Neal are a fantastic couple with fantastic family and friends, I had the privilege of being their wedding photographer over in Spain where they got married. I have included some images from their special day, but before I get into uploading the images I would like to say thank you to the best man and ushers who were a great help on the day. Whilst photographing the Reception I think I have discovered the answer to Englands goal keeping dilemma, I'm sure if Fifa could produce a football with flowers on it then Neals mum is our savior, she reminded me of Peter Schmeical the way she commanded her area and got across the other attackers to retrieve the brides bouquet.......!!!! If Capello happens to visit my blog I think she is my discovery and therefore I should be her manager, if he doesn't then sadly it is Englands loss...lol You can see the action unfold in in the images below.

Wedding Photography in the North East

2010-08-27T07:43:00Z

All weddings are special but when your future husband is only back in the country for a short break it seems a little different, Andy is a corporal in our great armed forces, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his words he found his wedding more frightening than going into operational war zones, this was before he saw his lovely bride to be when you could see the color return to his face, I think he was more relieved she had arrived as she had been delayed by 30mins (brides prerogative.............but 30 minutes). This was a truly great day and the couple wanted to hold their wedding in South Shields as it was a favourite location of theirs, I had never covered a wedding at this location before but I can see the attraction, part of the remit was to capture some images with a local icon, the Herd Groyne Lighthouse which we did. What a great couple and what a lovely wedding. Best wishes and a safe journey through life to a lovely couple.

Weddings, weddings and more weddings

2010-08-15T10:19:00Z

Wow, busy times, which is why the blog is a little bit behind, every weekend has a wedding at the moment and only two weeks away from Beth and Neales wedding in Spain, cant wait to do some photography where the sun is shining............Only joking the wedding at Headlam Hall for David and Jane was changeable weather but still a lovely day, it set off with showers and brollies, moving to sun hats in the afternoon, Headlam Hall is a beautiful venue and everyone made the most of it. David and Jane made a very impressive almost choreographed first dance that had everyone applauding. Anyway thought I would put a couple of images for everyone to see the lovely bride and groom.

Hbomb rocks fashion

2010-07-06T15:33:00Z

The Royal Hall in Harrogate was the venue for H Bomb, this event was organised by Kelly Gavanah, who raises money for Victims of Domestic Violence through organizing live music festivals etc.
This event was unusual in that it was a mix of fashion and music, it was described as "An evening of cutting edge fashion, music, dance and film to raise money for people affected by domestic abuse in Harrogate. Toni & Guy, Sudo Attire, Snob, Fashion Degree students Harrogate College, Music from ROB REYNOLDS, Book of Job, Dead English Poets, Crossed Wires, DJ L-Rok, DJ Rory Hoy (Skint/Loaded Brighton) and Gravity Control Dancers. Make up by the amazing Danni Alexander!! This was a great event that was well undersold and should have attracted a packed house, however for those that were lucky enough to attend there was great variety. My personal favourite was Rob Reynolds but don't let that detract from the others who were all amazing.

You can view the show on the following link and just below there's a taste of some of those images.

Images from rehearsal through to Rob Reynolds

A day at the races...........

2010-06-18T11:42:00Z

The Girls have been busy again, this time they have entertained everyone attending the "Ladies Day" at Ripon racecourse, the day itself was glorious and I have the red nose and tight forehead to prove it.... serves me right, reminder to myself... add suncream to photoshoot checklist as UK weather can be surprising and the sun does occasionally shine!

It was a great day in many ways even though I didn't win any money on the horses, the ladies day brought out a vast array of styles with a definite look at me........ most of them for the right reason!!

The girls once again did the college proud and as Annabel the course lecturer explained to the guests enjoying their champagne lunch, many of the girls have already secured positions with renowned companies.

You can view the fashion show on the link below.....happy viewing

Harrogate College Fashion Show at Ripon Racecourse

Neal and Beths Pre Wedding Photo Shoot

2010-06-06T13:37:00Z

What a great day for a pre wedding photo shoot, Neal and Beth are getting married in Spain in September and I have been commissioned to do their wedding photography.

Bethanie Lunn is a Writer and Presenter specialising in beauty, life and fashion. Her book, The Modern Girl's Guide to Fabulousness will be published in October 2010 by Book Guild. She is the resident Fashion and Beauty Expert for Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield.Bethanie's work appears in Daily Mail,Scarlet, Brand Alley, Stylebible.com, ChicToday.com, On: Yorkshire magazine andbookshelfboyfriend.com in addition to regular radio, event and TV appearances.

Neal and Beth wanted a pre wedding photo shoot at their home, like I said earlier the weather was great, although we all hope the weather in Spain will be even better for a beach front wedding, roll on September.

Best wishes to a lovely couple...

Harrogate Fashion Show 2010

2010-05-29T05:57:00Z

Wow, its now 24 hours since the show and I,m still sat back in pure admiration at the effort, team work and dedication that culminated in a fantastic show for the students of Harrogate college, there are vast differences in the styles they produce but the differences disappear when its comes to working together to produce an evenings entertainment.
I believe Annabel Smith the course leader and lecturer must be proud and rightly feels confident that these individuals are "well prepared to tackle any challenge they face" and in my eyes there are some lucky future employers out there.

I have included a sample of images from the show and also a link to an overview of the rehearsals and the two two shows

Harrogate Fashion Show - Link

Harrogate Fashion Show

2010-05-22T06:12:00Z

The Harrogate Fashion Show is just around the corner, the date is the 27th May, I have spent much of this week surrounded by beautiful young girls many of who are working hard towards a career in fashion and design. The garments look great but they tell only a small part of what is really going on, these photo shoots are a small part of a very busy day, and there is a great deal of organizing to take place. Just when you think you have everything planned there's always a glitch, for Marika who is organizing this show she has just four days to find 200 chairs as the original supplier has let her down............... so if you know of anyone who can help her please let me know.

One of our shoots took place in a lovely local apartment and the image below is from that shoot, its very bridal in its format and would look lovely in any wedding album, I will let you know how the fashion show goes, or better still grab a ticket and come along for a fun session, there are two shows starting at 4pm and 7pm.

Have fun..... I do, Steve

Book Covers

2010-04-16T14:08:00Z

Val Mcdermid creator of TV's "Wire in the blood" has just launched a couple of books and the publishers have chosen more of our images to use on their bookcovers, keep your eyes peeled for this one and another called "The torment of others" I haven't read it all yet but I just repeat the words of the Daily Telegraph's Gerald Kaufman,who stated that 'It may be that McDermid will write better novels thanthis in the future, but I do not see how.' so please keep your eyes open for this one and if you do read it let me know what you think?

Steve

Take a break...

2010-04-15T06:48:00Z

Well......, back to work this week after enjoying a lovely weeks break in the Lake District, found out my fitness was not where it needed to be for all the cycling and walking we did but non the less, it was worth being out of breath for the fantastic scenery. Landscapes have always been a passioin for me and there is something about being up at sunrise or waiting for sunset that always provides a magical moment to capture, I have included a couple of images that were taken less than one hour apart and the difference in colour is amazing, this is an area in the lakes called Wast Water, it has great walks leading to Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Yew Barrow and many more, it also has a nice little pub to relax in.....

Studio Portraits

2010-03-19T16:10:00Z

Hi again,

Thought I would share a couple of images taken today at the studio, these are of Marika who attends the Harrogate College studying fashion, I said in my last blog I was going to photograph some students as they required some professional images to use in a presentation.

I have just offered a portrait session for auction at the Rossett School PTA auction that takes place on Friday 26th March, if you fancy bidding to have some stunning portraits of you or your family log on to http://www.rossettpta.co.uk/ check out the other prizes up for auction.