Well, obviously I’m not watching with the actual Mr Freeman sitting on my sofa sipping Vanilla Red Bush. I’m sure he is with his own family or some BBC bash.

I mean he’s in the film – the superbly improvised film about a school nativity play. As a primary teacher I cried at every nativity. I loved doing them and seeing the kids shine. As a parent it’s no different

Today was all about using off camera light to create stunning images. These are the sort of images I would look to do for my Bride & Grooms during their 15 minute shoot on the wedding day. Also to create some amazing one off images during my on location Fashionista shoots.

What I found amazing was that Zack & Jody keep it simple one portable light and a system for consistently creating great shots. They shared the system then everyone has a hand on attempt at recreating it. This means that I can recreate the feel of these images on my next shoot!

Not only are they super cool Rock star photographers, Z&J are also totally generous with their time and talent. Guys – my heartfelt thanks for sharing!

I love these shots of Vicky who had a thought about Brad Pitt just as I snapped the second image!

I shot Suhaila with my camera pointing into the light and got some funky flare to boot!

Vicky again – Check out her beautiful skin!

Suhaila and the most glamourous dumpster you ever came across!

We had great fun with the sky as a backdrop.

Can you believe this is what the setting actually looked like?

The gorgeous Charlotte in a field…

…and a behind the scenes shot!

The camera was on the floor to create this long grass effect. It’s actually only 3 inches high!

Charlotte, Suhaila, Vicky and Becky – You totally rocked it out! Thanks for braving the cold and modelling for us!

Ben Sherreard – what a guy! You’ve earned your Elmo hat with all your hard work organising the workshops.

Kevin – Thanks for letting us take over the Sim Imaging lab for the day!

Zach & Jody – what can I say? I wouldn’t have walked round london dressed as Harry Potter for anyone except you! Thanks a million for all your hard work and dedication to our industry. The world is a better place with you in it!

Becky – you’re amazing!

When it comes to expressing my gratitude for all Becky does, somehow a bottle of wine at Christmas doesn’t cut it! So I jumped at the chance to fly out to Rhodes to photograph her wedding to Mark. (Also referred to as the Wedding of Natalie Portman due to Becky’s uncanny resemblance in some of these images!)

Becky, Mark and 20 guests all stayed at the 5* luxury paradise that is the Atrium Palace Hotel. I mean, it’s just gorgeousness everywhere you look and the staff can’t do enough for you – especially Agatha, the Wedding Planner. I was totally bowled over by everything but especially the bananas growing in the garden!

Becky & Mark have some really talented friends and Lizzie is incredible! I saw her switch roles between Bridesmaid, florist, table dresser, chauffeur (although when you mention that Lizzie is giving you a lift, ten different people all issue warnings about how to stay alive during the journey!) and she even did the honours and administered my daily blood thinner injection on one occasion!

Lizzie wanted to bring a little Greece into the flower displays and bouquets and we went off on a lime hunt the day before the wedding. Stopping at nothing to produce the perfect work of art, Lizzie & Joe took several scrumping trips and reappeared with armfuls of olive branches!

Lizzie also carried 22 glass fish bowls in her suitcase for the table displays! Whilst I was photographing the details, Nikos, the restaurant manager, started to tell me how delighted he was that a couple had used the surroundings of Greece and brought the flavour of nature to the table! I think you’ll agree it looks fabulous!

Becky gets ready at the Atrium Palace Hotel Spa while the Ladies do their prep in the villa.

Meanwhile Amalie plays mermaids…

….until it was time to get dressed!

Becky’s sister, Jo and friends Fran and Lizzie were bridesmaids and wore beautiful silk dresses the colour of the ocean!

Doesn’t Becky’s mum, Linda look gorgeous?!

Becky looked like an angel!

The Ladies in all their finery!

I love this tender moment between sisters! Jo is getting married to Andrew next April so the roles will be reversed then!

Mark and the Guys are cool, calm and dressed when I arrive despite winding me up all week about wandering off to play golf and sitting around in their pants until 10 mins before the wedding!

I saw a fabulous Californian Wedding Photographer take and image like this and have always wanted to create my own – with compulsory palm tree of course!

OK, so maybe asking 10 guys to jump off a bed simultaneously is a little on the reckless side! I heard an enormous crack and exclaimed: ‘I don’t believe it! This is the second time this has happened to me on a photoshoot!” (NB Note to future clients, if I even mention how cool it would be to get on the bed, make like Zammo and Just Say No!)

Mark suggested the Courtyard for a couple of shots and this was just taken on the spur as the Guys walked past a balcony.

Becky & Mark found the beautiful St Paul’s Bay Chapel for their wedding! The view was breathtaking and all very Mama Mia!

An as yet unnamed violinist led the bridal party down the path. He was a great character whose violin well worn. I imagine he has been playing at weddings at this little chapel for many years!

The ceremony was in Greek and English and was wonderfully relaxed! The Marriage Certificate was signed on a clipboard, which I just love!

The Hollywood Kiss!

With this location I was spoilt for choice for the bridal portraits. Becky & Mark are brilliant, and having worked with me before left all the decisions up to me! All of these shots were taken in 20 minutes whilst we waited for the boat to take us to the Reception.

At a wedding, especially an intimate on like this, you really feel the love that family members and friends have for each other. There were some really tender moments here and I had to really focus so that I didn’t start blubbing like a baby!

Speaking of babies, Bella Ian 11 months and had a fab time dancing to R&B hits at the wedding!

Having gotten to know the guests a little in the run up to the wedding I really wanted to capture some great images of the couples.

Hayley & Andy were married last year and took this trip as their honeymoon. (It was their bed that broke!) I still feel bad guys!

Lizzie produced the incredible bouquets and table decorations aided by Joe (this time fully dressed!) They have a wonderful relationship and are so much fun to be around.

The next wedding Jo & Andrew attend will be their own. Now that will be a celebration! Guys, it would be an honour to photograph your wedding! Let me know if you need my services!

Ellen & Lee is a fab couple. Ellen is Bridesmaid Fran’s sister, who is also married to Mark’s brother Stu! It’s a bit like EastEnders but with laughter instead of drama! The guys had a bit of a mare with their own wedding photos and then Ellen was sick on their honeymoon in Egypt so I wanted to get some gorgeous images for them! They’re also next on my hitlist for a couple shoot!

The boat arrives!

On to the glass bottomed boat! With Mad Uncle Dave (what’s a family without a mad uncle?) using the opportunity to search Groupon for cheap glass bottomed boat trip deals!

Cox to the power of 8!

I grabbed these shots of Fran, Lizzie and Ellen while they were lost in thought on the boat. Another three ladies who actually have no idea how naturally beautiful they are!

Disembarking the boat meant walking boer a few stones. Mark, being a true gentleman, seized the opportunity to show his superior strength and manliness!

I whisked the Bride & Groom off for a few shots of them alone. This is so important on the actual day as not only does it give couples some breathing space it also produces the most beautiful images of them on their special day!

I love a bouquet toss! Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to bring out the All Blacks rugby player in you eh Lizzie?

The Cake was course 5 of a seven course meal!

The speeches brought a tear to my eye. The thing I try to explain to every client is that I am not just some lady with a really good camera. I engage, listen, get involved so that I can tell their story with real integrity. That does mean however, that by the time to speeches come round I am invested and am often moved by what is said. I love the reactions from the guests and especially the real emotion that flows throughout.

Stu, Mark’s brother and Best Man produced an hilarious audio visual speech full of embarrassing videos of a 13 year old Mark pretending to be Moira Stewart and an American basket ball coach! A future You Tube sensation if ever I saw one!

OK – I admit on the dance floor I started to miss Strictly (I flew out on Sunday so still don’t know who was eliminated this weekend!) Fortunately, the guests contained a few Strictly fans so once we’d established that Mark had to be Bruce and not Tess as he originally requested we managed to pull off a pretty good ‘Keeeeeeeeeep Dancing’ line!

I always give my couples tips for looking great in their images (ask Becky & Mark to tell you the rules for ‘Photo Kissing’!) I also taught Becky & Mark the ‘Photo Dip’ demonstrated perfectly here.

Here, the guest show ‘Photos Dipping’ is not as easy as it looks!

Aunty Jo suggested a group hug! I want this to happen at every one of my weddings!

The end to a perfect day! There’s no doubting how much Becky & Mark love and respect each other. Guys – it was an honour and a privilege to shoot your wedding. I feel blessed for being part of the whole experience. Hands up who wants to do it all again!

That’s aside from what these guys can do with one light!

Right then I decided that I wanted to attend one of their IN- CAMERA workshops which they did in the US. Well, as I couldn’t get to the mountain the obvious next step is to get the mountain on a plane and bring their genius to the UK!

Zach and Jody are also just genuinely lovely people who really do give everything away when it comes to building your business!

The IN-CAMERA workshop series actually shows you how to shoot images that amaze right in the camera and also learn how to grow your business. These workshops feature class time, hands-on shooting with professional models, on location studio lighting, post-production and much more. These workshops are fun, informative, and a great time to hang out with and meet other photographers who want what you want – great images without having to spend hours behind a computer screen editing.

Not just any old party mind. Paula is a great friend who used to live over the road from me and has become part of our family. She is truly wonderful and genuinely lovely! I’m off to New York to shoot Monique, her daughter and am also booked for her son, Marcelle’s wedding to Becky next year.

Guys – you know I love you all! Enjoy your 15 mins of fame on my blog!

The evening started well with Team Ampaw-Farr looking the biz! I love these images of Jake in mardy mode then cheering up when he was told there would be cake!

Food Glorious Food!

James, Paula’s husband coming over all Godfather!

The press were out in droves!

Rehearsing our ‘SURRRRRRRPRIZE!”

Proper shock!

Someone defaced one of my images here! I know where you live Luke!

Trinity realising she hasn’t been in a photo for 13 minutes!

Firstly, the Bride is a talented and hard working teacher who has had the pleasure (!) of my two eldest children in her class. Becky is totally beyond lovely and while photographing any wedding is an honour, I feel especially lucky to be doing this one. It gives me a chance to reward a lady who has put so much into my family through the education of my children.

Mark is a great guy. He fixed my iPhone screen for me after I smashed it before I’d even met him! He is as funny as he is devoted to Becky and tgether they make a fabulous couple.

You can see images from their Engagement Shoot here. I often ask my couples to model for me and Becky and Mark did just that for a video I was filming. See the model engagement shoot images here and the model wedding images here.

So the reason for today’s post is to announce that Becky & Mark’s Official Wedding photography Website is up! Click here to see it and browse their images and slideshows.

Enjoy!

When their son, Marcelle proposed to Becky, they asked me to photograph the wedding and I was honoured! Becky and Marcelle are beautiful people inside and out. In addition to being frighteningly gorgeous they make me laugh out loud (check the outtakes at the end!)

Here’s the Engagement Shoot shot entirely on location at Paula’s farm and in Stony Startford. Enjoy!

As a special gift all my wonderful clients receive their own bespoke Wedding Website featuring slideshow and downloadable galleries. Click here to visit their website.

Just in a doorway becky looks stunning!

Again, shot in the same doorway. The black background gives a studio feel.

Marcelle’s turn in the doorway! This is when I told him he reminds me of  my Granddad! I meant I the old army photos when he was a beau not at 94 with his false teeth out!

Time for a quick canoodle!

Despite being 5 months pregnant, I managed to lie down on the floor for one of my signature shots of the couple against the sky! The guys helped me up gain at the end, well after finding my attempts at trying to get up on my own hilarious!

Marcelle is such a Dandy!

I know he’s like everyone to believe he is a masterful controller of dogs but I have to say these were the only two images out of 400 where Mackerson looks like he is almost paying attention to Marcelle!

I mena they could be a celebrity couple they’re so gorgeous!

My absolute fave of the day. 

Marcelle demonstrates the ‘Sometimes. Always. Never.’ Rule for buttoning one’s jacket.

Becky is just so beautiful.

Marcelle stepping in to correct a wardrobe malfunction!

For our second location we popped into Stony Stratford. I found this little haven on one of my scouting trips. It’s an old abbey that’s rather bizarrely been transformed into flats and an Indian Restaurant! Lovin’ the gates!

I love these doorways! They remind me of a movie set and as Becky & Marcelle were up for  a bit of drama we had some fun here!

The Outtakes! It would be safe to say that a Jaz Ampaw-Farr shoot is all about fun and this was no exception. I have decided to include the shots that show the laughter behind the gorgeousness!

Marcelle had a great time spinning Becky around…

but didn’t enjoy the grape tasting quite so much!

My favourite shot from above happened just before Mackerson decided he wanted a piece of the action!

Becky went to get changed and reappeared with this wig on. I nearly dropped my camera for laughing! Actually I think it really suits her!

Becky is a lady of many faces (check her Facebook page for some real corkers!)

What’s for sure is that Becky & Marcelle are meant to be, and their wedding next year (by which time I will have given birth and will be back to full ninja status enabling me to get up of the floor with ease) is going to be brilliant! I can’t wait to meet the rest of your friends and family guys!