Boho Loves: Jenny Owens Photography - Mixing Old Fashioned Film Photography Together With Digital: Boho Weddings

Good afternoon to you all, I hope this Monday is treating you well so far and you are easing yourself into the week. This afternoon we are talking photograph as I introduce you to one of my lovely sponsors Jenny Owens Photography. Based in Winchester Jenny loves her job as a wedding and family photographer. She enjoys the emotional side of the role, as well as capturing natural and candid shots with a variety of clients all with different wedding styles.

‘I am a wedding and lifestyle portrait photographer based in Winchester, covering Hampshire, East Dorset, and West Sussex in the UK. I love to mix a bit of old fashioned film photography together with digital, capturing those romantic couple moments on film, and the fast paced action shots on digital.’

We asked Jenny to tell us more about her photography business

How long have you been taking photographs for?
I have always had an interest in photography since I was a teenager. I didn’t take it up further at the time because of huge film developing costs, but now, as well as shooting digital, I am pleased to be able to say I’ve gone back to my “roots” and am enjoying shooting old fashioned film again.

When did you start your photography business and what made you start?
I started a part time business in photography in 2010, photographing in nurseries and children and family portraits on location in Hampshire and The New Forest. It all really kicked off after I had my 2 children and I found myself taking photos of them and their little friends all the time!I went full time in 2013, taking on weddings as well as carrying on with the children and family side of the business.

Where are you based?
I am based in the lovely Hampshire countryside, covering The New Forest, parts of Dorset, West Sussex, Surrey and Berkshire.

How far will you travel for a wedding?
I tend to cover weddings within 1 ½ hours drive from my base in Winchester. So from Bournemouth, along the south coast to Worthing, up towards Aldershot, Reading, Newbury, Salisbury and everything in between. I have covered weddings in London and Brighton on occasion also!

How would you describe your style?
I love to take natural relaxed portraits, as well as capturing those fun candid un-posed moments.

What is your favourite bit of technical kit?
That’s so difficult as I have a soft spot for all my old film cameras! But I guess a current favourite (and not really technical but it is a favourite bit of gear) is actually my holdfast money maker which is a camera strap and harness that allows me to have and shoot with two (sometimes 3!) cameras on me all the time.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Meeting new people and finding out about their story through the details of their day and their interaction with their friends and family. I really enjoy photographing the variety of styles and options available to couples nowadays from the very small intimate elegant wedding with only a handful of their closest family and friends or the ones when the entire village full of friends and family are involved in the preparations and celebrations!

What sort of couple do you think you attract?
I think I attract fairly relaxed easy-going couples who like nature, history, diy, vintage and retro. They also prefer natural relaxed photography that captures beautiful details as well as the unseen moments.

What would be your ideal wedding to work on?
A relaxed, care-free wedding where the most important overriding factor is celebrating the love between two people and all their friends and family being happy for them.

Who is your favourite photographer and why?
I have a lot of favourites and have been lucky enough to meet and learn from a few of my photography heroes whom I write about in my About page on my website. Photographers I haven’t met and would really like to meet are Jose Villa and Omar Olvera – both film photographers but with very different styles. I enjoy looking at their photos and I’d like to hear about their approach.

What in your opinion makes the perfect photo?
A combination of emotion or storytelling, light, and composition, with the main over-riding factor being emotion. I think a photo could be technically perfect but I would always choose one which was probably less technically perfect but one which has depth, and conveys a story and emotion.

What is your favourite photo that you have taken?
A black and white candid photo when my sister in law was getting ready to get married.

What advice would you give couples when choosing their wedding photographer?
Make sure you check out their portfolio and have a chat about their approach and how they shoot the day. You have to make sure that you are happy with both their work and their approach! I like to try and meet or skype with couples before booking or certainly before their wedding day so that we are all clear at the outset about everyone’s expectations.

Can you give me some information on your pricing structure?
I have 3 packages which start at £945 and increases as more options are added on like albums, second shooters, engagement shoots. If none of the packages suit, I also offer bespoke quotes which are tailored to the couple’s preferences.

What is your ideal way to spend a day off?
Going out and about with my family. We often explore the woods and rivers locally but ideally I’d love to have a little beach hut in the south coast, where the kids could mess around on the beach, come in and cool off, whilst I have a cup of tea and cake and sit and read for a while or just watch the world go by!

Who would be your 5 dream dinner guests dead or alive?
As well as my favourite photographers, I’d also like to have Stephen Fry, Bill Bailey and Sue Perkins there!

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I love living where I am, being so close to glorious countryside and beaches, and I would love to shoot more weddings with a strong outdoor element in their plans. I also have a list of venues I’d love to shoot at (from Lavender fields and tree houses and beach weddings).