A few images from Charlotte & Gordon's Engagement Shoot last week at Causey, Co Durham. Lots of fun! Charlotte & Gordon are getting married at Lumley Castle, Co Durham in January. To View More >>

The last in the series "The 7 Biggest Errors Brides Make When Hiring a Photographer for Their Wedding and How to Avoid Them" MISTAKE Number 5 - You don't give the photographer enough time to get the job done properly on the day! Mistakes happen when you rush! Or when there are not enough instructions. You concentrate so much on getting all the details organised, you forget to tell the photographer. Be organized! Be organized! Be organized! And communicate all the details to your photographer, and also let him know any special needs, shots or relevant details, so you will not be let down. Before To View More >>

More in our series to help brides to select their photographer. MISTAKE Number 4- Thinking that having the right equipment is all a photographer needs to do the job right! Many photographers own wonderful equipment. That doesn’t mean they know how to use it properly. You can have all the latest greatest wiz bang lenses and digital wonder cameras;' but if you don’t know how to use it properly you are no better off than anyone picking up a camera and pointing and shooting. Compare this to your cell phone. Studies show that half the people who own cell phones don’t even know how To View More >>

MISTAKE Number 3: You pick a photographer based only on price The old adage is true. “You get what you pay for." This is especially true in the photography industry. If you want good photography, you should decide to work with a photographer because of the overall value you receive, NOT because they are the lowest priced. Here’s why: Value = Quality + Service + Price It is impossible for any company in any industry to offer the cheapest price, have the highest quality, and provide the best service all at the same time. You can get high quality and super service, but you can’t To View More >>

MISTAKE Number 2 - You think all photographers are the same. Every photographer is different. No two are really the same. Every photographer has different equipment, and has different skills and abilities and different employees; these all bring a complete mix of abilities to their product but will not guarantee consistency across several photographers. Photography is art and craftsmanship combined. Most people who hire photographers don’t truly understand that despite all the technological advances being made, photographers still use the same quality work habits and techniques as they did To View More >>

There are some things you should watch for when you shop around for your wedding photographer: * Booking too fast - Shop around, take your time. Don't ever feel pressured into making a decision on the spot or that day, unless of course you've done your homework and feel very comfortable with your choice. Then nab 'em before it's too late.  *Read what you are signing - Some vendors use certain tactics to get people to sign a contract. Then they may not follow through on the "verbal" promises made. Unfortunately this makes the entire industry look bad. There is a simple solution. Take your time To View More >>

I recomend that all wedding couples buy "Wedding Insurance". We don't sell it but it easily found on the net. It's very inexpensive £100 will cover a wedding up to £25,000. Why do I recommend this? Well in these increasingly difficult trading conditions many wedding suppliers are closing and because they are bankrupt people are losing their deposits, booking fees, goods that they have paid for.  As a Newcastle and Durham wedding photographer I have become aware of several instances - a couple of years ago a   hotel that was very popular with wedding receptions closed and To View More >>

I haven't gone all the way back to 1955, but over the last couple of weeks I have got out my Nikon F4 camera. This was a top of the range, very expensive camera when it was launched; it cost over £2000 in the nineties, withou a lens. It is auto focus and uses 35mm film. I cleaned it and found a manual online so I knew what the dozens of buttons did, charged the batteries, obtained a replacement focussing screen and bought a couple of rolls of Kodak Tri-X film. Opening the film canister took me back in time, the aroma of the film hit my nostrils and that was what took me back in time. I loaded To View More >>

I have been asked if we ever do special offers or discounts. the answer is, yes we do. To be able to access these you have to sign up to receive our occasional newsletter. There is a sign up link on all pages of the website and also on Facebook, via this link www.facebook.com/northlightsphotography We never share anyone's details and its very easy to unsubscribe at any time. We received an endorsement of one of our previous offers from Laura Dixon who married Ross in 2011, they received their photography completely free by winning the draw we held in 2010. Here is what she says. "The first time To View More >>

What to do with the images from a pre-wedding shoot? We offer a pre-wedding shoot with all of our album packages, its the ideal way to get to know us and to learn to relax in front of the camera. This is the best way for you to get to know us and start to build what we hope will be a great working relationship. It will be very informal; you will have fun, and get fantastic pictures too. This shoot is included. The shoot lasts up to two hours, and in that time you will relax in front of camera and begin to experience the uniquely intimate nature of the Northlights style. The shoot can take place To View More >>