We love pet photography! Every pet owner knows that pets have their own personalities (though in the case of my two cats Ollie and Stan, it’s a rather dim one..) and it’s always a pleasure to be out and about showing your pet having a great time running about or simply enjoying a few cuddles with their favorite owner! From horses to lizards, cats and dogs, if you like your pet to have it’s own portrait session feel free to call Celynnen Photography, BIPP NW Pet Photographers of the Year Finalist (2010)

Here are a few pictures of Bluebell the Springer Spaniel having fun in her favorite wood and playing with her preferred toys: Pinecones!

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Celynnen Photography have been doing family photography in Wrexham, Chester, the Wirral and much further afield now for a considerable time and we are proud of our loyal clientele who keep coming back as their family grows! Part of it can perhaps be explained by our flexibility! Whether it’s in a park, with a seasonal theme  or at home using a variety of backgrounds, we always come to where you are most comfortable for your portrait photography.

The advantage over a studio setting is clear. It’s much easier to take pictures of children in an environment in which they are comfortable! It also means that if you are with us for one of our newborn sessions, everything for your child’s comfort is at hand!

Here are a few pictures from a session we did for a playgroup in Chester, another way to organise your family portraits while raising money for your playgroup!

Hope to capture your family’s smiles soon!

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As some of you know, I was the photographer for the Crusaders Rugby League team last year which allowed me to work a bit with Gareth Thomas. For those who might not know him, Gareth’s international and club record in rugby union and Wales is very impressive to say the least.

But in 2009 when he revealed to the world that he was gay and intended to continue playing professional sport, his legend grew even bigger than anyone could have ever expected. Stonewall named him hero of the year, he was a guest at Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, top shoe designer and good friend Christian Louboutin made a shoe for him Mickey Rourke is now making a biopic on Gareth’s life.

But the best thing about Gareth, which he shows on twitter and that you’ve all seen on Celebrity Big Brother, is that he’s simply an all-round good person. In the UK’s “Star System” where people are celebrities for no obvious reason, “Alfie” is a true role model when it comes to dedication in sport and demolishes every stereotype possible of how people see gay men. So many times I was left in awe in how much time he had for some of his fans and how despite his truly deserved admiration from legions of people in and outside of rugby circles, he’s always remained true to himself and to where he comes from. (Twitter fans will know how much he misses home when away!)

I think we’re all going to see a lot more of Gareth in the next couple of years and I think we’ll all be better for it.

See you soon “butt”!

Here are a few pictures we took last year of Gareth which I like. And of Christian Louboutin when he came to visit Gareth, simply because it was so surreal to be with him in Wrexham speaking French to each other!

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I remember Anna and Neil’s wedding very well! As Doug, my trusty assistant, and I were driving towards the beautiful Crewe Hall, where Anna was getting ready, big clouds were moving into Cheshire! At first we were concerned, but very soon it turned into a gloriously sunny day!  Anna was looking gorgeous from the start and the atmosphere during the preparations was really good fun and quite relaxed! Then we went to Neil’s where we found the groom and his men ready for the big day with a rather excited mother of the groom! She was quite obviously enjoying herself and very happy for her son.

Off we went to St-Mary’s Church in Sandbach where we had a small meeting with the Vicar (we always work with the officiants..) had a gorgeous ceremony and made the most of Willington Hall‘s beautiful grounds. If you agree, like me, that they make for a rather gorgeous couple, leave a comment saying so!

After 25 comments, Anna and Neil get a FREE box frame of their favorite picture!

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There are some brides that leave a lasting impression on you and Rachael was definitely one of them. I met Rachael at the Chester Racecourse during an awards night where she was her usual cheery and bubbly self and by the end of the evening, she had decided that when she was going to get married, I was going to be her wedding photographer! From our first ever encounter, a considerable amount of time passed (I think a year or 2..) when suddenly I start getting messages on Celynnen Photography’s Facebook page and it’s Rachael asking if I remembered her (who wouldn’t!) saying she was getting married and, as promised, wanted me as her photographer!

So we started with a fantastic boudoir session where seeing Rachael trying to keep the surprise from Richard was as much fun as hearing her reaction when she saw the pictures!

Then, for their pre-wedding shoot, we took them to one of their favorite spots on Wirral. The big day finally came and the bride and groom looked absolutely fantastic and a very brave young pageboy, beaming with pride read out a wonderful poem during the ceremony at the registry office. The reception was at the Red House in Chester where friends and family celebrated under the sun!

Wishing Rachael and Richard the best of luck in their new life in Australia! Thank you for all the laughs! We’ll miss you! (Though feel free to come to Perth in Western Australia when we are shooting Penny and Adrian‘s wedding!)

Right! Let’s have a look at these pictures then! Leave some comments on this post and show them some love! If Rachael and Richard get 25 comments, they get a free box frame of their favorite picture!

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Sandra and Amanda are getting married at the beautiful Hargate Hall very soon and we cannot wait!! Like all our same-sex civil partnership clients, they made the most of our pre-wedding portrait offer! And as they have a lovely dog named Bramble (how cute is that name?!) we had him tag along too!!

Celynnen Photography have worked with same-sex couples since the very beginning and it’s always a great honour to be trusted for such a special ceremony. When I asked Sandra and Amanda why they chose us instead of a Gay wedding photographer, their answer is one that really touched me. They said that the important thing for them was to make sure that they felt comfortable with their photographer and that they didn’t feel judged, which is the same thing with all couples really. Picking your wedding photographer is not only about pictures and prices, it’s about making sure you know you will be able to feel at ease with the professional you’ve picked for fun and natural pictures!

Anyways, enough chatting, here are the pictures!
By the way, another reason why it was such a privilege to work with these two is that through sheer determination and by changing life habits, Sandra (the one with the longer hair) dropped an amazing SIX DRESS SIZES in 11 months! I’ve seen her change so much since I’ve known her, it’s an honour to know someone with such determination and that is showing us that if you REALLY want it, you can do it..

She is one of the most inspirational people I know!
More on Sandra’s story in the February edition of Weight Watchers

Can’t wait till the big day!!

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Remember Katherine and Liam? One thing that really stayed with me from our pre-wedding shoot was how much fun they have with each other! And as expected, their wedding in Aberaeron was full of smiles, happiness and a few cheeky winks!

Wishing you both a fantastic Christmas, a Happy New Year and many, many happy years together

Ioan and Nicola, Celynnen Photography

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A lot of people put pressure on themselves with statements such as “It will be the biggest day of your life”. Well, let me tell you something: Pam and Ian sure went for it!!

Pam, who I first met at her nephew Alun and his gorgeous wife Melanie’s wedding in Portmeirion spent a good amount of time organising her wedding held at the beautiful Rhinefield House Hotel in Hampshire, and it showed because everyone had a great time! A party with Pam and Ian never really happens without a good amount of champagne being drunk. Plus, on this very special occasion, there were spectacular fireworks and the fantastic Soprano Bella who’s singing was so beautiful, it literally brought tears to the eyes of some of the guests! But the most wonderful thing about this beautiful summer’s day is how much happiness and joy Pam and Ian were getting from being surrounded by all their favourite people & how much this sentiment was reflected back at the happy couple. It was truly one of those magical and unforgettable days which also provided me with one of my favourite pictures ever (see if you can guess which one!)

A massive thank you to Pam and Ian for inviting me and for their incredible generosity and hospitality as well as to all the guests, some of which I got to know at Alun and Mel’s  others at Nicole and Phil’s wedding at Nant Gwrtheyrn, for making me feel so welcome! Hope to see you all again very soon!

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I met Sikander Malik, aka Jamil of Hollyoaks during an interesting evening with Save the Family and I remember him saying at the time: “Nice meeting you! We should work together one day!”
Having worked with a few actors and athletes, it’s something I’ve heard many times before but it generally never comes to anything. So I politely replied: “Yeah sure! That would be great.” and forgot about it…

About 10-11 months later, I find him on twitter and he asks about the shoot again! Immediately I knew that he was someone of his word! So we met at New Brighton on the Wirral and shot until the local high school’s day finished and over-excited teens started turning up!

On behalf of Celynnen Photography, I would like to thank you for being a man of your word and we are all looking forward to seeing you in your new acting ventures!

This is what Sikander had to say about working with Celynnen Photography:

““Ioan Said is a brilliant photographer, with a keen eye to detail and a creative style which is flexible and adaptable to each and every situation. Whether that is a wedding, a social function, a modelling photo shoot session or other. He is a gentleman and his personal qualities as a person shine through his work, making it very easy to work with him – and he is always open to ideas and suggestions (always the sign of a knowledgeable and experienced photographer). I have worked with Ioan twice, once during a charity event where Ioan had been hired to shoot the event for the papers, and the second time recently for my own personal portfolio. As an actor and model, it is very important to me to be able to work with someone I feel comfortable with, and who I know will bring out the best in the final product. Ioan provides an excellent service – and is a lovely guy too! I recommend Ioan and Celynnen Photography to anyone if you not only want a fantastic final outcome, but also if you want to actually have fun during the shoot! Sikander Malik”September 22, 2011″

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It was a beautiful day in Shropshire and the bride and groom had their characteristic smiles on. The families came together during a beautiful service at the Shrewsbury Cathedral and partied through the night at Oakley Hall. Half of the bride’s family being from Mauritius, they engaged in some traditional dancing and I can tell you something right now, these people know how to move!!
And it all finished under a beautiful firework overlooking the river.

With the Oakley Hall staff discreet it really felt like we were guests in the B&G’s home, which was really interesting!

Rachael, Olly, thank you very much for choosing Celynnen Photography! I will keep many wonderful memories, from discussions about the album design to your pre-wedding shoot to the big day of course! Looking forward to working with you again in the near future!

Ioan

Here is what Rachael had to say about her experience with Celynnen Photography:

“We’d just like to say a huge thank you to Ioan and Nicola for the beautiful photographs of our Pre Wedding shoot and also of our Wedding Day. Ioan is amazing at getting even the most camera shy of people to take fantastic images. We cant praise them enough for their professionalism. Nothing is too much trouble and we would highly recommend Celynnen Photography. Ioan even took the time to speak French to many of our relatives from France, directing them on where to stand and informing them on what was happening throughout the day. Thank you!
Thank you also to Nicola for her hard work and attention to detail in producing such beautiful albums.”

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