Sunday 7th May-
Work
The biggest news of the week is that we have a new King, what an amazing thing to watch. I actually photographed a wedding on coronation Day but very relaxed bridal preps saw the bride, her family (and me) sitting around the TV eating ham sandwiches and fairy buns whilst the crown was placed on Charles III’s head then a quick rush to get ready for the wedding, and an amazing wedding it was too. Soulmates, these two, perfect.
Discoveries
I have made 3 amazing and life changing discoveries this week. Short story that leads to the first one. Rich will occasionally put on a pair of joggers after a shower. I think it’s funny to pull them down and run away. This has gone on for years, he gets bored of it, I don’t. I ran away and hit the doorframe with my toe. I couldn’t wear my usual shoes for Saturday’s wedding so wore trainers. a) nobody noticed I was dressed like a videographer and b) HOW comfy !! This may become a thing. My next discovery is prime lenses, I’ve not so much just discovered these but it is the first time I’ve used one for a wedding. A whole 2 stops of light in a church are an amazing thing. I’m not entirely converted, if you shoots with primes you have to zoom with your feet, I’m more of an ambler. But it will be coming to more weddings. My third discovery and the best of all is seam-free thongs from Primark. These are THE best pants you will ever wear. Seriously.
Sunday 30th April
Work
Another 2 fabulous wedding this week, back to Sandburn Hall where this time I didn’t get shouted at by golfers and the lovely Danby Castle. The thing I love about Danby is that after shooting 37 weddings there I still come up with different photos for couples every time I shoot it, that how unique and diverse it is. A bit more behind the scenes work this week, working out my cost of doing business and I’ve been looking to add a rather special album to my packages which is on it’s way and should be ready to photograph and release in the next couple of weeks. Very excited about that.
Personal
It actually snowed on Tuesday, not what I expect from April showers, I love winter but I’m actually ready for it to warm up a tad now. On Tuesday I had my portrait done by Andrew Bylo. I first met Andrew at a wedding a few years ago now and he is one of my favourite registrars but his main job, and passion, is painting. He is holding an exhibition and the goal is 52 portraits in 52 weeks so I was thrilled when he asked me to sit for him. A bottom numbing 2 hours later and we were done. Such an amazing and humbling experience that I just loved. Andrew has just launched a new side to his business and will soon be doing live paintings at weddings. I’ll be doing a blog about this exciting new venture very soon.
Sunday 23rd April-
Work
It’s been a busy April and this week has seen me photograph 2 more weddings and an engagement shoot. Lucy and Ben married at Danby Castle, and fabulously one of Ben’s friends is a re-enactor who happened to have swords and axes in his car (don’t we all). Lots of fun photographing mock beheadings of the groom. My first Church wedding of the year was on a village not far from me. Westerdale sits in the Esk Valley, a single street of houses with a population of just 150 people. Matt and Kerrie married in the local Church and had their reception at the family farm in a marquee, torrential rain eventually cleared and we were able to have a walk up on the moors from some photographs showing this beautiful part of the country. I’ve been attending a business course over the last couple of years held by Chris Chambers. We met up on Tuesday, went through websites, portfolios, off on tangents about lots of different things but an absolutely brilliant, and super helpful day. Sadly it’s not all about taking photos and as much as the business part isn’t my forte it’s such a massively important part, it also armed me for my meeting with my accountant the following day. VAT- yawn. Taxes-yawn. Luckily I’m fanatical about writing stuff down and I love stats so came out feeling quite smug.
Sunday 16th April-
A secret wedding is always a lovely thing to be asked to photograph. Carol and Stuart married at Ox Pasture Hall, I was to photograph their ceremony, take them and Caesar, their gorgeous Boxer around the grounds for some photos then rush off home to edit 10 photos for them to make their announcement. I was delighted to hear that their friends and family were all thrilled for them. Wednesday evening saw me in York assisting Chris Chambers with a night photoshoot. My lovely friend Beth was the model and she has a worse sense of direction than I do, we got there though, somehow. Great night and it’s fab to see Beth finding herself and her confidence, she’s come such a long way since our first shoot and her modelling debut just over a year ago. SO proud. I finished the week with a return visit to Blackwell Grange with my work husband Gav, and to one of my favourite wedding venues, Danby Castle. Both fab weddings that I just loved.
Sunday 9th April-
Work
A fabulous week with 3 weddings and my first visit to Pinchinthorpe Hall near Guisborough. A gorgeous venue run by the loveliest couple, what a super day it was. It was also lovely to be back at one of my faves Raven Hall for 2 weddings, having it’s own weather climate you never know what you’re going to get and I love that. Ryedale Folk Museum opened their wedding exhibition so it was great to go back to my old roll of museum cleaner on Tuesday and help with a few final preparations. I photographed the opening on Wednesday, such lovely moments watching brides, who have kept their dresses for over 50 and 60 years seeing them dresses up on display.
Home
Our long awaited wetroom has sprung a leak, or rather has been leaking from probably not long after it was installed and has slowly leaked under 3 floors before coming up and showing itself as a wet patch, where we thought the dog had weed and then a lake. Sigh. It’s now a long wait while the company who fitted it do everything they can to apportion blame elsewhere. Sigh again.
Sunday 2nd April-
Work
It’s a late one this week, I’ve just got back from a wedding, a fabulous wedding I should say, long day but an awesome couple who were well up for a trip up ont’ moors and outside in the dark so I’ve not even taken my coat off yet. A fab week really, 3 days spent training/assisting at a 2 day photographers training event which I loved and then a day flash training aswell so I feel well prepared for the year ahead now and very eager to try new things.
Something Old
I went to photograph a new exhibition that is due to open on Saturday 8th April. Ryedale Folk Museum is where I used to work before I became a full time photographer. They are in the middle of creating a wedding exhibition that is going to be amazing, I’m going again on Wednesday to photograph the final touches and literally cannot wait to see it all.
The “A” word
It’s World Autism Awareness day today. First recognised in 1911 it was thought to be a type of schizophrenia and it wasn’t until 1943 that it was finally identified as a social and emotional disorder. For too long people with autism were left out of mainstream society and world autism day works hard to ensure that never happens again. autism awareness has come on leaps and bounds even since our autism journey began just over 15 years ago. We got lots of funny stares when we pushed our strapping 7 yr old stone around in a pushchair, and complaints from primary school parents who thought their children would be eternally damaged by seeing a 6 yr old wearing nappies. Thankfully people are more understanding, more aware and eager to be educated, for the most part anyway. Everyone’s autism journey is different, and not one of them is easy. Ours began when Emerson was just shy of his second birthday. Now a 6’4, seventeen year old he hasn’t spoken a word since he was 15 months old. I did cry when he was diagnosed, every day for a year actually. We have rough days and my girls have probably missed out on a lot of things like holidays and days out but, I think, they’re growing into more tolerant, empathetic adults because of it. We’re a funny family to many, who live a strange life behind closed doors but I wouldn’t change us for the world.
Sunday 26th March-
Work
My new venture started this week. Since giving up the studio last September I’ve been looking for a place to do boudoir and in particular, bridal boudoir photoshoots. The bridal suite at Hackness is perfect so I’m holding boudoir sessions once a month. If you haven’t done one before, you really should. I absolutely loved mine and surprised my husband with an album from the session. He loves it . You will feel like a different person, I promise ! Have a look here
My moto and this weeks (stolen) quote of the week is “I’d rather be an hour early than 10 minutes late”. My sat nav decided to take me over the transporter bridge in Middlesbrough yesterday for a wedding in Hartlepool. “Enter the toll road”, she said in her meant to be dulcet but actually annoying tone. Toll road thinks I, well how hard can it be. I checked my emergency car park cash that Rich always puts in my car and all is good. I pull up and think someone will be out in a minute to tell me what to do……………….. waited a good five minutes then the realisation that the netting, boulders and cobwebs probably meant the bridge doesn’t actually run anymore…..not since 2019 it would appear. It needs 700 grand and Dennis’ gang to sort it. Or move it.
Less sleep
Spring forward…………or kind of stumble…..tiredly. It takes a while to get back to wedding fitness so I’m still suffering wedding hangovers at the moment. I get busy and forget to drink enough water and yesterdays was a 12 hour day so I really needed that extra hour sleep this morning. Now I have to spend 6 months looking at my car clock and panicking that I’m an hour late. Might actually get the handbook out this time. Headed off to Salix Yurts near York for their wedding fair. I’m a recommended wedding supplier at this fab little venue and for anyone looking for something a little bit quirky and different it’s perfect. A great day was had, along with the most amazing pizza from The Curious Pizza Company. Brie and smoked ham. It was so perfectly timed I could have cried 😂
Life
On a more sombre note facebook has again been flooded with missing persons adverts from North Yorkshire and other police forces. I don’t like social media much but fully appreciate it’s benefits at times like this. Posts are shared far and wide and a lot of the time people are found. Sadly though, not always in time. The scary part is the ages of these young people who have found a way to take their pain away. The younger generation get so much flack but what do we know about being young now. Peer pressure from social media, a constant battle to conform to what society thinks they should look like and act like and Covid. At a time when these youngsters should have been out discovering themselves and the world they were locked inside, for months. Give them a break, keep an eye on your kids, talk to them and if they won’t talk keep bloody trying. And please share those facebook posts like you’d want someone else to share them if it was your child.
Sunday 19th March –
Work
Wedding season has properly begun, I’m so happy about that. My next full “week off” is November so it’s going to be a busy year. In preparation for the year ahead I went to a lighting course on Monday at Hazlewood Castle. I don’t like to mess around on wedding days so as well as learning it’s also a great opportunity to play about with light and techniques and not have to worry about actually producing photos for anyone but myself. New tricks were learned and put into practice at Friday’s wedding. I did actually pat myself on the back for remembering all those numbers and maths equations, ha, old dog, new tricks indeed ! So the quote of the week is “Shoot what you want, not what you see”. And I did. On that note a shout out to Chris Chambers who after winning Wedding Photographer of the year with The Guild of Photographers a couple of weeks back has gone and done the very same with the SWPP this week. I don’t enter competitions myself but I am trained by the very best in the business.
Weather
It feels like winter has gone and spring is on the way. The fields are a little greener and the sky a little bluer. I’m forgiven a lot quicker for asking brides to come outside with me when it’s not quite so cold.
Memories
I’ve booked a trip abroad this week. Yikes. I’ve not been abroad for 20 years. Rich and I went to Egypt in 2002. We climbed Mount Sinai to see the sunrise, swam in the Red Sea, went into a pyramid, saw Tutankhamun’s tomb, saw the burning bush, touched a fertility rock and came back pregnant. 😂 Searching for photos of us in Egypt for a facebook post (little hint to print, print, print there) I then got caught up flicking through folders and albums and spent a good hour reminiscing. I LOVE sitting and looking through photos it’s why I have albums with all my weddings packages and why I encourage couples to print their wedding photos. It’s the loveliest thing to do. I have photos of so many key changing moments of my life. When I was 17 I got kicked in the head by a horse, which moved me from riding horses to riding motorbikes and also sent me on a totally different career path from agriculture and equestrianism and onto retail. This led to me meeting Rich a few years down the line. Photos have always been my thing, long before I realised it should be a career choice and not just a hobby. Luckily, being a collector (read hoarder) of memories I love that I can now sit and look at them over and over again. Sold the motorbike though. Yup, you’re looking at the person who kept her stitches from her caesarean section but sold the bike that would now be worth a bloody fortune 🙌.
Sunday 12th March-
Work
It’s been a week of blogging but the website is coming along nicely and I’m really happy with it. Sundays wedding fair was a great success and I’m delighted to have more weddings booked in the diary. I saw a gorgeous young lady in a pair of skinny Levi jeans at the fair, she looked fab and so I bought some. They arrived on Tuesday. I once read an article on the 3 rules of wearing skinny jeans.
Rule 1 – If you’re bigger than a size 12 then don’t.
Rule 2 – See rule 1.
Rule 3 – See rule 2.
I’ve never been one for rules 🙂
Weather
The country came to a stand still due to snow. It wasn’t as bad as predicted by the “sponsored by Landrover” weather forecast so hopefully people didn’t rush out and buy one. Mine was in for it’s MOT on Wednesday and we came out with just a 3 figure bill, unrecognisable where Landrover garage bills are concerned. Emerson had 3 days off school as the boiler broke down. He gets a little angsty after 2 so it wasn’t conducive to a great workflow but an introduction to cheese and jam sandwiches (Rich and mines staple diet in the early days) was a big hit and excellent calmer downer. Ellsa also had a snow day and spent most of it on the trampoline. Which is outside. In the snow.
Happy Birthday
Google states that once a hobby begins to earn you money you are running a business, so with that in mind today is the 7th birthday of Angela Waites Photography. I can remember my first wedding like yesterday. I’d answered a Facebook ad where a couple had a hundred quid to spend on their wedding photography. There were a plethora of comments from people absolutely slating her. How rude she was to expect something so cheap, didn’t she know how much cameras cost, then there was my comment that simply said, “I’ll do it”. I turned up with one camera, no insurance and a few ideas off google. They loved the photos and I loved taking them so I started advertising the very next day. Now, 7 years later it’s my full time job. I’ve photographed 322 weddings, I have insurance, experience and even more love for it. In the very early days of my career I had more discouragement from people than help. Luckily I have quite a stubborn nature so was determined to prove them all wrong. I found a photography trainer , slowly built up my kit and knowledge and had a husband who was behind me every step of the way. It’s always been easier for me to believe that I’m not very good at stuff. I don’t take praise well and suffer from imposter syndrome and even now I still can’t quite believe I’m running my own business. I work harder than I need to to justify myself but having researched this subject to it’s fullest extent I am at least aware of it and use CBT to help myself. So as a successful business woman (cbt working it’s magic there 😉 ) what can I teach you after 7 years ?. Don’t give up, don’t let others drag you down and don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t achieve. Keep your eyes in your own lane and don’t worry too much about the man next door, let him worry about that. Find yourself an educator that you trust and respect. You can never learn enough about your trade whatever it may be. Listen to all the advice you are given and then sift through what you think is relevant but keep the advice in your notes, it may make sense further down the line. Lastly, and most importantly just love what you do. So Happy 7th Birthday little business !
Sunday 5th March- So after January lasted for 6 months suddenly it’s March and we seem to be hurtling towards wedding season at a frightening speed. This week has been all about getting my new website written up. Blogs are a part of my job that I love, I’m an avid reader and very much enjoy writing. At present I’m writing a blog for each wedding venue that I photograph. It’s taking me a long time to sift through galleries. Looking through weddings from the previous few years brings back so many memories. Yesterday I was at the fab Hackness Grange for their VIP wedding event. This was a great chance to catch up with couples who have booked me for their weddings and I also got to speak to couples who are at the very beginning of their wedding planning journey. Today saw me at The Downe Arms in Wykeham. This is a fab wedding fair and Charlie, the wedding co-ordinator, is one of my brides from last year, she puts her heart and soul into her job and I love her to bits.
Sunday 26th February– It’s not long until my wedding season begins so I grabbed the chance to go off and do some landscape photography this week with the awesome Chris Chambers. I headed off to Blackpool straight from a wedding fair at Hackness Grange. Driving isn’t a favourite pastime and I’ve now discovered that driving down the M62 is probably not a journey I’ll repeat anytime soon. A post on Facebook gave me an alternative and much calmer drive home so a big thumbs up to the A59. Blackpool probably isn’t a place you’d think of as a landscape photographer but it’s not all Kiss me Quick and squeeze me slow hats. This seaside town is a treasure trove of hidden gems and 2 days wasn’t nearly long enough. I was so enamoured with it that I’ve asked Rich to change our September break from Glencoe to Blackpool. I can’t wait to return.
I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in my local town of Whitby. Again heading for the sea we started the day on the piers. It was SO cold down there so a cappuccino at the coffee stop on Khyber Pass was timed nicely. Searching for food at lunchtime we discovered Sanders Yard. If you haven’t been here yet I would absolutely urge you to do so. A doorstep of a bakewell tart makes me a happy girl ! I walked that off going up the Abbey Steps whilst trying to convince Chris that the “cobbly hill” is in fact called the Donkey Path. It was nice to get home for a bath and a warm up, I love a bit of landscape photography but give me weddings any day.
Saturday was my 3rd wedding of 2023 and it was for Holly and Nina who chose the fabulous Danby Castle. It was also my second daughters first shift working here so I was both wedding photographer and very proud mum for the day. What a great couple, I love people who are just delighted with each other and these two definitely are. It was a fabulous, happy wedding and I can’t wait to start editing their photos.
Sunday 19th February -My website is built. Which you obviously know if you’re reading this. It was a true labour of love. I like colour and I’m a country girl so we settled on green and I love it. I spent many hours drawing pictures on A4 sheets of paper, measuring out squares, choosing fonts and then had Andy come and sit with me while we put it all together. Now the hard work really begins. We also got the wetroom installed on Thursday. Hopefully this will make our lives and Emersons a little easier. His sensory processing disorder makes him reluctant (aka not a bloody chance are you getting me up there mother) to climb the stairs to it’s been sponge and basin baths for many years. We were awarded a council grant 2 years ago but it’s taken this long for it to happen. Assistance for special needs is metered out by need and if someone else’s is greater you get bumped. I’m fine with that, I know what it’s like to struggle so no complaints from me. We got it eventually and it’s amazing !
