Info
My background, style and approach.
Hello, my name is Mark Carey and I am a documentary photographer based in London. I am a documentary photographer who shoots weddings, not the other way around.
In my documentary photography I have shot subjects as diverse as ethnic-communal conflicts in Assam, Muay Thai boxing in Thailand, Slum dwellers in Calcutta, Orthodox Easter celebrations in Romania and destitute homes in Bangalore. I teach and write about photography and conduct photography workshops.
So you might think it a little unusual that I shoot weddings — Why do I? Well, mainly because I love it! A few years ago the penny dropped and I realised that not only would people accept this style for weddings but actually embrace it. People hire me because they ‘get it’. They ‘get’ that a totally natural and un-choreographed representation of their wedding day can be truly beautiful and generally those people want to relax and enjoy their day without the intervention of a photographer. My clients are people who really appreciate thoughtful, well composed photography and have often trawled though site after site looking for it. I am happy to rise to this challenge. My clients are more often than not people in creative industries, other photographers or simply just lovers of art and Im very proud of that. If this sounds like you then we will all be on the same page.
I feel a huge responsibility to give people something precious and I mean that sincerely. I want people to be able to look back on these images and smile, and perhaps shed a tear. I want them to see the day they didn’t see, the little moments as well as the big ones.
I put a lot of thought into my photography of your wedding day. I am not happy with second best. I am not happy with duff expressions, unflattering angles or poor compositions. My background working as an experienced documentary photographer has taught me to be quiet, open my eyes, anticipate, look and think before I shoot. Its never about me, its all about the pictures.
How much?
I do not have a wedding package list, I like to keep things very simple. I provide a full day’s coverage and supply a usb stick of your individually edited images for £1,500. Typically, I arrive about an hour or so before you leave your home or hotel to get married and then I quietly shoot all day staying a little beyond the first dance. That gives you an attendance of 9 hours which generally covers all the major aspects of the day but I can stay longer if you need me on a pro-rata basis. A couple of weeks after your wedding you will receive the usb in its presentation box ready for you to view the files, print and share. I provide at least 200–300 individually edited images in vibrant colour and also a second edit in black and white. Having a complete set of both colour and black and white allows you to choose the final mix you like, not the one the photographer thought you would like.
Groups and Portraits shot quickly and with a minimum of fuss:
Yes, I am very happy to take a limited amount of group shots if you wish them.
Yes, I am very happy to take some simple portraits of the two of you — I think it is important that you have a few nice pictures of you together on your wedding day.
What next?
If you think we might be a good fit then please contact me , let me check if Im free and then allow me to send you an information PDF. Hopefully after that we can have a friendly chat and discuss your needs.
If you would like to see what my clients think of having me shoot their wedding day please have a look at my Kind Words page.
Thank you for reading.
Mark
Some kind words from people in the industry:
‘a driving force in creative wedding reportage photography’
Rachael D’cruze — Photography journalist.
‘Mark Carey is a master of reportage work’
Sean Samuels – deputy editor Photography monthly magazine.
‘stunning images, really incredible work — its all about about composition’
Grant Scott – editor of Professional photographer magazine.
‘Supposedly, a key feature of any genuine work of art is that it springs from mind of the artist without the desire to please or fulfil the agenda of anyone else. Given the strictly commercial nature of wedding photography it should be nigh impossible to create fine art within this genre. Look through any wedding portfolio by Mark Carey and this given is contested. Not only are the images embedded with all the traditional ingredients of fine reportage photography they carry the conviction of a unique, uncompromising, contemporary vision. Reportage photography is a term many wedding photographers use to describe a tell-it-like-it-is approach but to find an entire body of work that is consistently clear in it’s determination not to make any thing up is rare. His pictures constantly burrow the surface to describe the elegance, grittiness, uncertainty and intelligence of our times. If only I were a canny, single, art collector — I would book him for my wedding now.’
Gillian Cargill — Former director of Lichtaffen Photographers Gallery