Newlyweds ditch professional photographer for smartphone pics

A pair of newlyweds ditched the professional cameras and had their entire wedding day shot exclusively on a smartphone.

Holly Eeles, 26, and James Sherris, 34, were married on 16th November, at Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa, in Windermere in the Lake District, and had an intimate and classic winter wedding with 70 close guests.

But rather than using a professional DSLR camera on their big day, photographer Ian Weldon turned to a smart phone instead.

Weldon, dubbed ‘the coolest wedding photographer in the world’, was challenged by technology company Huawei, to create wedding-ready images which showed the real story of the couple’s day using only a P30 Pro smartphone.

He said: “In most instances, photographers would have at least two cameras, multiple lenses, and lighting equipment.

“But having shot Holly and James’s wedding exclusively on the P30 Pro, I can safely say it is also possible to capture an entire wedding on a smartphone.

“My usual photography style is capturing candid moments, and using a mobile allowed me to move around and capture moments that would have been more difficult if using a traditional DSLR.”

On having their entire wedding day shot on a camera phone, Holly and James said: “We were nervous about swapping a professional camera for a smartphone to capture our wedding.

“But we were totally blown away by the quality of the photos - we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out.

"Being photographed by a smartphone also felt so natural.

“We barely even noticed Ian was there, capturing so many of the small, candid moments which are so special to look back on."

The wedding followed research by Huawei which found 35 per cent of married Brits have regrets about how their traditional wedding photos turned out.

And 39 per cent of married Brits said they prefer the images taken on guests’ smartphones to the professional photos.

Nearly 30 per cent also believe their favourite wedding photo was a ‘candid’ or ‘unstaged’ shot.

More than a third (35 per cent) felt their wedding photos were too staged, and 13 per cent reckon it looks like none of their guests were having any fun in the snaps.

As a result, 46 per cent of betrothed Brits wish they’d asked friends and family to take more candid shots on the day.

And one in three remember magical moments from their wedding which they wish had been caught on camera, which weren’t.

Another 35 per cent of married Brits, polled via OnePoll, also admit they actually feel more comfortable having their pictures taken on a smartphone, as opposed to a professional camera.

It also emerged newly married couples will pose for around an hour on their wedding day, while a tenth will smile for the camera for two hours or more.

Justin Costello, from Huawei UK & Ireland, said: “What better way to showcase the unparalleled photography capabilities of our P30 Pro than put it to the ultimate test - a real life wedding.

“The resulting images are a testament to the handset’s revolutionary technology and Leica Quad Camera System, that allows you to capture every detail and colour of life’s most precious moments.”

THE TOP 15 WEDDING PHOTO REGRETS

1. Not enough photos with family2. There weren't enough photos taken3. Bad lighting4. Not enough photos with friends5. Wrong photographer6. Bad weather7. Bad backdrop (I regret the choice of church/venue)8. The pictures looked staged9. Everyone looking awkward / making awkward poses10. People I no longer speak to are in the photos11. They looked too formal12. I've got my eyes shut13. Everyone making funny faces14. No one looks like they are enjoying themselves15. I don't remember the photos being taken