Beautifully Told is the vision of Ben Lovejoy, an award-winning wedding photographer who has trained with some of the world’s leading wedding photographers. Whether you are planning your wedding, civil ceremony or renewal of vows, Ben will be delighted to help. Ben also loves to shoot portraits.
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story-telling in photographs

I see my role as a simple one: to tell the story of your day, beautifully.

The joy. The nervousness. The laughter. The careful preparation. The gathering of family and friends. The quiet smile. The meaningful look. The details. The friendships. The love.

You’ll find me near-invisible most of the time, and a relaxed & friendly companion the rest of the time. You won’t find me herding sheep or bossing your guests around, just capturing the story of your day with an artistic eye.

And when you look through the photos, they will transport you instantly back to the day of your wedding, allowing you to relive every precious moment. I chose the name because to me, the story is what it’s all about. You’ll get a sense of this from the photos here.

reportage. fine-art. fashion.

Story-telling doesn’t just mean ‘photograph whatever happens’ in a random way, however. It means applying a little artistic licence to presenting everything that happens in the most beautiful way possible.

Reportage for the bridal preparation, ceremony, wedding breakfast and reception.

Fine-art photography of the details: the dress, the shoes, the rings, the place settings and so forth.

Fashion-style bridal portraits, with light direction to get the very best results. This doesn’t mean telling you to stand with your left foot 30cm in front of your right foot and your arm at 35 degrees! It just means some gentle suggestions like ‘wander down this path hand-in-hand, then embrace under the tree’. The result is a set of photos in which you look fantastic without looking like you’re trying!

no packages, no preciousness

Finally, I have no inflexible ‘packages’. I believe it’s right for you to see your photos before you decide what you’d like to do with them. The only fee you pay in advance of the wedding is the coverage fee. If you do prefer a package, it’s a flexible one that lets you adapt it as required, even after the wedding.

You also won’t find me precious. Your guests would like to take photos too? Of course! (The only time I ask for alone with the two of you is for the 30 minutes set aside for the bridal portraits while your guests enjoy pre-reception drinks.) You’d like to own your photos on USB key to make your own prints? No problem! For me, it’s all about finding out what you want and then finding a way to make it happen.

In terms of presentation of the photos, wedding photos need to look as good in 20 years’ time as they do today. I thus usually stick to just four forms of processing: a Portra look for the colour photos of people (bright but not over-saturated, and with warm, flattering skin-tones); a Kodachrome look for colour photos of details (rich, deep colours); an HP5 look for b&w (medium-high contrast); and a bleached effect used sparingly. All are classic looks that have survived for decades and should do so for decades to come. However, if you prefer more contemporary processing, then you’ll find examples in my portraiture slideshow.

Album design can be classic or contemporary as you wish. Having guarded against dated photos, there is always the option of updating an album design in years to come if you prefer a contemporary look today.