It was my pleasure to photograph 8 month old Heath and Mum (Ellie,) and Dad (Jez,) today at Heath’s grandparents home in Cardiff.

This was our third session together, of the 3 session Bump-to-baby package which started back in November last year with Ellie’s ‘Pregnancy’ session. Then after the arrival of Heath towards the end of November, we had our ‘Newborn’ session in mid-December, followed today with the ‘Family’ session. (Click the links to see images from the first two sessions, and click here for more info on our ‘Bump to Baby’ family portrait photography packages.)

It was lovely to see Mum and Dad again, but also great to see how much Heath has changed in his first 8 months. It was also lovely to be able to shoot this session outside in the garden, something that’s nearly impossible to do with the ‘Pregnancy’ and ‘Newborn’ sessions.

If you know this lovely family and have enjoyed the images above, please leave them a comment below or click here to visit our Facebook page to connect with them. All of the images from all three sessions are now available to view from this page.

Enjoy!

Nic

We have re-vamped the popular location-based portrait area of our website. Adding lots of new images from recent sessions but also adding new galleries that now separate the areas of portrait photography that Nic regularly shoots.

We now have separate image galleries for Bump to Baby, Newborn/Baby, Couples, Families, Children and Location-studio shoots. Hopefully this will make it easier for new clients to find examples of the type of photography they are looking for, before they call to book their session.

Remember that available dates for outdoor summer sessions are now filling up rapidly, because we limit the number of sessions Nic photographs and have to carefully plan these shoots in and around his existing full wedding calendar.

An outdoor summer family location-based portrait session, is a great idea for producing gift ideas for the rest of the family at Xmas, so don’t leave it until we hit late Autumn or early Winter when the weather turns cold and wet.

If you’d like more information on our popular South Wales location-based family portrait services, please click here. To visit our new gallery page click here, and to read more on how these sessions work, click here.

We look forward to hearing from, and photographing you and your family soon.

Diana

It was my pleasure to photograph the wedding of Marc and Katy last Saturday at the ‘Manor House’, part of the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport, East Wales.

After meeting Katy at her parents home for some getting ready images with her family and bridesmaids, it was a short 20 minute drive down the M4 to the Celtic Manor (already preparing for hosting the 2010 Ryder Cup Golf,) for a civil ceremony in the Manor Suite of the Manor House.

After meeting Marc and the boys resplendent in their Celtic tartan kilts with all the accessories, Katy arrived with her bridesmaids and parents in a stretch limo. After the ceremony we had 20 minutes of group photos on the lawn, before taking a further 20 minutes to create some fantastic shots of Marc and Katy on their own, around the grounds and inside the Manor House.

After the wedding breakfast, we ventured through the hotel and eventually found our way to the main reception area of the Celtic Manor, which provided a great opportunity for some fantastic reportage images, together with a few loosely posed shots in front of the main entrance etc.

Finally we headed up to the Presidential Suite for stunning views over the Ryder Cup Golf Course and Celtic Manor club house from the balconies. We finished off with a  few photos in the suite on the sofas and next to the grand piano.

If you were at this wedding I hope you have enjoyed the sneaky peak images above and would like to invite you to leave Marc and Katy a personal message below, (or you can visit our Facebook page here  and become a ‘Fan’.)

All of the images from this special day will be available to view from Monday July 26th when Marc and Katy return from honeymoon, accessed from this page.

Nic.

It was my pleasure to visit the stunning Mid Wales wedding venue of Caer Beris Manor last Saturday to photograph the wedding of Chris and Rachel.

On the hottest day of the year so far with the mercury hitting the high 20′s, the sun shone from beginning to end. With Chris and Rachel both getting ready at Caer Beris, we were able to capture some preparation photos of the girls and boys.

After a beautiful civil ceremony held outdoors underneath the main function room with stunning panoramic views of the gorgeous grounds, we ventured down into the grounds for some family and friends group photos, seeking relief from the heat in the shade of the ancient trees in the gardens. After a few carefully selected formal shots Chris and Rachel joined me for a tour of the grounds.

Visiting the famous suspension bridge spanning the river Irfon, and walking along side the river on the lawns, and taking in the views of the grounds from outside the Manor House itself, we spend a hot and sticky 25 minutes creating some wonderful bride and groom images.

If you were at this wedding I hope you have enjoyed the ‘sneaky peak’ images above and would like to invite you to leave Chris and Rachel a personal message below. All of the images from this beautiful day will be ready to view as slide-shows acessed from this page, from Wednesday July 14th, when Chris and Rachel return from honeymoon. If you have enjoyed these images please visit our facebook page here and become a ‘fan.’

A big thank you as always must go to Chris and Rachel for inviting me along to capture the story of their special day, but also to the staff at Caer Beris Manor for their warm welcome, hospitality and re-hydration on such a gorgeous summer’s day. (I’m looking forward to visiting you again in September.)

Have a great honeymoon guys and enjoy beautiful Italy. Safe travelling.

Nic.

It was my pleasure to photograph the wedding of Iain and Victoria on Saturday at one of my favourite Carmarthenshire wedding venues, The Fig Tree Restaurant in Dryslwyn Carmarthenshire.

After photographing Victoria’s preparations at her parents home near Pontardulais (taking full advantage of the beautiful garden and warm sunny weather,) we moved on to the beautiful St. David’s church in Penllergaer near Swansea.

After the ceremony we made the trip into Carmarthenshire, heading towards the Fig Tree for the reception. Before arriving however, we stopped off at the ruins of Dryslwyn castle (just a few meters further down the road from the Fig Tree,) for a stunning set of Bride and Groom photos.

Vicky came well equipped with a pair of trainers for the hike up the steep steps and slopes to the castle, perched high on it’s own hillside, but the effort was well worth it for the stunning valley views from the top. In fact I had trouble keeping up with them both as they marched to the top!

Hopefully the resulting photos illustrate perfectly what can be achieved by a bride and groom who decide to invest a small amount of time on the day (just 20 minutes here,) to having a fantastic set of ‘Intimate’ photos taken somewhere special.

After the ‘careful’ descent to the car park, we made the short trip to the Fig Tree for a great afternoon reception and wedding breakfast. The day ended with a Chinese Dragon dance after the speeches had finished. A fantastically colourful way to end the day.

I hope you have enjoyed the ‘sneaky peak’ images above and would like to invite those of you who were present at this special day to view all of the images from this page of our website, where they will be available from Wed June 30th, when Iain and Vicky return from honeymoon.

In the meantime please feel free to leave them both a personal comment below, or visit our Facebook page here.

Many thanks to Iain and Victoria for inviting me along to capture the story of their day. I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I did making them with you both. Have a great honeymoon and safe travelling.

Nic

It was my pleasure to photograph the wedding of Dean and Cath last Saturday at the King Arthur Hotel, one of Gower’s most popular wedding venues near Swansea, South Wales.

After photographing Cath and her bridesmaids at her parents home in Penllergaer (with makeup done outside in the garden due to the fantastic weather,) we made the short trip into Swansea to St. Luke’s church in Cwmbwrla to meet Dean and the boys who arrived in an ice cream van armed with 99′s! Perfect for such hot sunny day.

After a beautiful service at St. Lukes, Dean and Cath made their way to the Oxwich Castle ruins on Gower, a great Gower location for bride and groom photos on their own. After exploring the grounds and creating a lovely mixture of posed and natural images, we made the short trip across Gower to Reynoldston and the beautiful King Arthur Hotel.

After a few family and friend group photos in the garden everyone headed inside for some shade from the sun and for the speeches which lead into the wedding breakfast. With the weather still perfect towards the end of the meal Dean and Cath ventured into the grounds of the King Arthur and we had a few more photos down by the lake to finish off a perfect day.

I hope you have enjoyed the sneaky peak images above and would like to invite friends and family of Dean and Cath to leave them a personal message below, (or here on our facebook page.)

All of the beautiful images from the story of this day will be available to view as a slide-show from this page of our website from Monday June 21st, when Dean and Cath return from their honeymoon.

Have a fantastic holiday guys and safe travelling. Thank you for inviting me along to your special day.

Nic

After years of resisting social networking sites (for fears of Nic spending even more time in front of the computer than he currently does,) we have been receiving such a high volume of ‘friend requests’ from past and present clients, that we have decided to create a Nic Cleave Photography Facebook page.

Click here if you’d like to visit us on Facebook and please leave a message or send us a friend request so we can stay in touch with you.

Although we’ll be posting recent news and a few images from recent weddings and location-based portrait sessions Nic has photographed, we will still be using this blog as the main area for previewing Nic’s most recent work, news, and for displaying the kind comments he receives from his couples and families.

We are looking forward to hearing from all of you soon and especially to catching up with a few former clients that we haven’t heard from for a year or two.

Diana.

It was my pleasure to photograph the wedding of Amy and Carl on Saturday at the Heywood Mount Hotel in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

After photographing Amy’s preparations with her bridesmaids at her parents house in Laugharne opposite the historic castle ruins, we moved on to St. Margaret’s church in Laugharne for a beautiful wedding ceremony. With hill fog and heavy morning rain still clearing from the coast, it was wet and chilly, but this didn’t dampen the spirits of all involved.

Carl and the guys arrived on a vintage red double-decker bus, which provided some protection from the elements for a few photos of the boys together, with Amy and her bridesmaids arriving soon after.

After the ceremony we made the 30 minute drive to Tenby for the wedding reception at Heywood Mount Hotel, Tenby’s only 4 star hotel.

Still dealing with chilly conditions and heavy rain showers, Carl and Amy braved the weather for a few photos outside before heading inside for more in the reading room and on the stairs. The afternoon then moved on to the wedding breakfast followed with cake-cutting and speeches.

If you were at this wedding I hope you have enjoyed the ‘sneaky peak’ images above, and would like to invite you to view all of the images from this special day, which are available from this page. I’d also like to invite you to leave Amy and Carl a personal message below.

My thanks as always go to the bride and groom Amy and Carl, for inviting me along to their day. I hope you both love the images and the story of your day. Have a great honeymoon and safe travelling guys.

Nic

Our location-based portrait session fee (just £65,) is now fully refundable for clients who meet our minimum spend on their final order.  This incredible offer means that most families will receive the full session fee of £65 fully refunded on the cost of their portrait order.

If it’s been some time since you and your family were photographed together, and if you are interested in being photographed in a natural and unobtrusive way, in the familiar surroundings of your own home (garden,) or favourite beach/park etc, then take a look at Nic’s award-winning location based portrait photography service.

Covering all of Wales and into the UK on request, Nic’s award-winning location-based portrait photography will produce a fantastic collection of precious photographic memories of the important people in your life, that you’ll want to display as large format images at home and in the office.

Click here for more information on the service. Click here to visit the galleries and click here to contact us to schedule your own session. Remember though, just like Nic’s wedding photography, our location-based portrait photography sessions are also strictly limited in numbers throughout the year in order to maintain the very best quality and service for our families.

We look forward to hearing from, and photographing you soon.

Diana

It was my pleasure to photograph the wedding of Philip and Claire last Saturday at the beautiful New House Country Hotel, Thornhill overlooking Cardiff and the bay.

After capturing the story of Claire’s preparations at her parent’s home in the morning, we moved on to the beautiful St. Catwgs church in the quiet picturesque village of Pentyrch. After the service we made the short trip to a private location for a stunning backdrop to Philip and Claire’s ’bride and groom’ photos.

This private school was the same location that featured last month in Philip and Claire’s location-based engagement session, and the forecast heavy rain showers stayed away leaving a moody sky that only added atmosphere to this fantastic location.

Photographer’s in Wales are spoilt for choice when it comes to locations for wedding day photography, but it’s always refreshing to be able to capture special images of a couple on their big day, somewhere ‘different’. This ensures that really unique images will be available to chose from when it comes time to select photos for the album!

After a stroll through the grounds of the school, mixing natural reportage opportunities with some more posed shots, we headed back to the cars for the short trip to The New House Country Hotel in Thornhill.

This stunning Cardiff wedding venue is set high up on a hillside with panoramic views over Cardiff city and Cardiff bay. With the rain holding off until all the outside photography was finished, the stormy sky once again added some drama to the small but important selection of group photos that we made in 20-30 mins, before heading inside for cover!

After a fantastic wedding breakfast, the cake was cut followed by the speeches to finish off a the formalities of a fantastic day for a great couple. I hope you have enjoyed the sneaky peak images above and would like to invite family and friends to leave Philip and Claire a personal message below.

All of the stunning images from this special day are now available to view as a slide-show accessed from this page of our website.

As always my thanks must go to Philip and Claire for inviting me to capture the story of their big day. It was my pleasure to photograph you both with your family and friends. Have a great honeymoon guys. Safe travelling and I hope there’s no volcano disruption to your journey home.

Nic