Good with an E

My approach and style

A wedding photographer in Hampshire

If you search for a wedding photographer in Hampshire you'll get hundreds of results. What makes my approach and style stand-out from the rest you may ask? This is a task difficult to distill into a few choice words. For me it starts with the clear understanding this is your big day. It’s your story. A day full of poignant moments that are unique to you. Moments that are fleeting. An interaction, a gaze, spontaneous laughter, rounds of applause or simply silent reflection. They’re all moments, begging to be captured.

My work captures and tells that story, beautifully and authentically. I combine intuition (what might happen next) with creative flair (how will I frame it) with technical skill (how will I capture it), and finally, presentation (how will I curate, process and present your day).

And this is my mode. I’m fast but quiet. Aware but calm. In the theatre of action but not in the way. An approach perfect for couples who don't like to pose (or certainly the idea of it).

A candid approach

Most of us aren't comfortable in-front of the camera and so naturally photograph better when we're unaware it's there. And this is when I capture people at their best – remaining unobtrusive and discreet in the background or helping the couple to feel relaxed enough in front of the camera to take something that looks natural; something that looks like them. I don't think I've ever had a couple approach me and say "we love having our picture taken!" Most couples I meet have never had a professional picture taken of them both together. If that sounds like you, then you're probably in the right place.

With my candid approach, some of what I capture is inevitably reactive but I endeavour to anticipate meaningful moments. I'm not trigger happy! As the photographer, I need to be in the right place at the right time, and when I am it gives me the opportunity to slow down, time to think, and get that killer composition. It's incredibly rewarding when you capture genuine moments-in-time and do so without having to direct what's unfolding in-front of you, and without having to take thousands of pictures to get that one shot.

Group photos

I sometimes get asked about group photos, if interested you can read more about my approach.

Creativity

As much as I can, I'll work with natural light throughout the day. I love the look it returns and it helps me to remain unobtrusive as I work away in the background.

I also love to use a wide-open shallow depth of field. Having objects out of focus frame the image helps make a picture, which is inherently a flat 2D object, feel three dimensional. It gives the image a sense of depth and context, helping you (the viewer) to feel connected to what was captured, and like you're there in the scene. This is sometimes called layering. Also, contrast is key. Not just in light, but in subject, framing, scale etc. That's a winning trio for my approach that I aspire to – observation, contrast and layering. Below are three examples:


Working with the bride and groom

When working with the bride and groom for their portraits I'll step up the direction a little, if needed. However, my aim is still to capture something that looks natural. The end of the drinks reception is often the best time to sneak away and capture these, or a summers' evening. Being disciplined with time here is paramount. I won’t remove the bride and groom from celebrating with their guests for too long. Fifteen minutes is usually plenty!

Romance and authenticity — yes, pose and cheese — no. You won't see any dip kisses here! These are special, unrepeatable moments. They’re personal. They’re timeless. They’re precious memories; for keeping and sharing.

Ninja skills

For me, the biggest compliment when delivering the final photographs is to exceed your expectations, and to hear expressions such as: “we barely noticed you on the day” or, if you did: "you were like one of our guests." My testimonials and reviews are full of similar comments.

Behind the Scenes

Google Reviews

Zoe
28/12/2022
I don’t even know where to start!! Ben was just incredible. We had already had a couple of meetings prior to the big day so he could get a feel of what we were hoping for! He put us at ease from the moment he walked through my parents door on our big day. We had so many comments from our guests about how discreet and friendly Ben was. He went above and beyond to get the photos that we wanted and we are over the moon with what we got! Just to say another huge thank you to Ben!
Tom B
21/11/2022
Ben Goode is a top class photographer. We hired him for our wedding at relatively short notice due our personal circumstances and he did everything he could to help and accommodate us. He is a very warm, friendly and helpful guy with a great eye for his craft. He followed exactly what we wanted which was a documentary style approach and was discrete yet easily found when we needed him for certain photos or the key family photos. He delivered on his promise to get the photos to us with the whole album and a highlights reel within two weeks (8 days to be precise) and well and truly exceed our expectations with the quality of the photos. He has provided us with something we will cherish throughout our lives. Thank you Ben.
Harriet Tolkien
20/09/2022
Ben photographed our wedding in July and we could not be happier with the results (which came through within a couple of weeks, much quicker than we were expecting). We are so pleased with our photos that we have shared them with pretty much anyone willing to look at them and the universal response has been how brilliant they are. Ben’s record of our wedding is beautiful, fun and utterly authentic. He captured our and our guests’ personalities and memorialised the emotions of the day. Ben was also a delight to deal with, both in the lead up and at the wedding itself: innovative, engaged, sensitive and well organised. We could not recommend Ben more highly.
Carol Baker
28/07/2022
We used Ben for our wedding photos. The day before we met up with him and went through the ideas we both had and he showed us some great locations for the photos. On the day Ben was amazing, he kept himself out of the way and didn’t impose in anyway, but was there to capture every moment of the day. The images came back really quickly and they were absolutely amazing. We cannot thank him enough for everything he did for us on the day and beautiful memories he has captured of our special day. We would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone.
Louise Cloney
11/07/2022
We couldn’t have asked for more from Ben, he was absolutely wonderful. He went over and above to capture the best moments of our wedding day. He was incredibly professional and accommodating and made us feel comfortable and relaxed. The quality of the pictures exceeded expectations and we couldn’t be happier!
Melissa Cavill
21/06/2022
Amazing photos and such a lovely guy. We didn’t want to pose for a lot of photos and wanted candid photos capturing the day. He absolutely achieved this. When looking at the photos it seemed he was everywhere as there were so many amazing shots, yet we didn’t realise they were being taken.
Zac
05/06/2022
Ben is really professional and enthusiastic with his work, we really enjoyed having him on our special day, his pictures made it even more special. We would recommend to anyone who wants pics with more of a creative touch alongside the usual family pictures.
James
26/05/2022
The quality of his work speaks for itself, he has a gift. But beyond that talent, Ben contributes so much more than great photography of the big day. His calming influence and knowledge of who needed to be where and when, helped steady nerves, and ensure the day went smoothly. Ben was professional and composed at all times, and somehow, always in the right place at the right time, yet, without ever being intrusive. I cannot recommend him highly enough. He has managed to capture the essence of the day beautifully. Thank you.
Alice Budge
26/01/2022
Ben was so fantastic on our wedding day. I would highly recommend him for any event . He got some amazing shots despite the constantly changing British weather we had 🙂
Kylie
13/11/2021
From the first moment we met Ben we instantly liked him and knew we wanted him to be our photographer for our big day. Quick to respond to emails throughout the whole time. On the day he made sure we had some time between photographs to enjoy our canapés and mingle with our guests. We absolutely love the photos and can’t stop looking at them and showing them to our guests. Photos came less than two weeks after the wedding which was so nice to see it all so close to the wedding. Would highly recommend Ben, he made the day feel so relaxed (even went to source a bottle of fizz for the morning) Even our guests commented on how nice and friendly he was. Thank you so much Kylie and Andy

Ben Goode

I've been a full-time wedding photographer for over 10 years, but that's only part of the story, here's a little bit about me – the guy behind the lens. I didn't study photography; I'm self-taught. I’ve been a web and graphic designer and photography studio owner.

I’m a Dad. A qualified PADI Rescue Diver. More creative than practical, but still handy with a wood carving knife and axe around a campfire. I've conquered the National 3 Peaks Challenge in 24 hours. The Great Glen Canoe Trial is next on the adventure list. If I wasn't photographing weddings, I'd like to manage a woodland by the coast from an off-grid treehouse.

In the UK, the Jurassic Coast, Dartmoor National Park and Scottish Highlands are places I love to explore.

Portfolio

Est. 2008

  • Based in Hampshire. Available Worldwide.
  • 2008
    Photographed first wedding
  • 2011
    Went full-time
  • 350+ weddings
    Photographed to date
  • 2021
    10 year anniversary and busiest year yet
  • Destination Weddings
    I've been flown out to: Scotland, France, Spain, Italy and Vietnam.
From humble hobby to dream job

A 'bit' of history

Est. 2008

This journey starts back in 2008 when I photographed my very first wedding (thank you sis for trusting me). I'd only been using a DSLR for two years (my first was the little Canon 350D). Up until that point, for me, photography had been a means of creative escapism and expression. Never would I have believed the dream – to do something you love for a job – could have grown into a small business that would go on to provide for my family.

Three years of graft followed. I was working four days a week as a digital designer and then had a day (or two) to grow what I named at the time, Ben Goode Photography.

Keeping it in the family

I originally started out with the assistance and guidance of my Dad, he had all the gear but a naturally creative eye too. We worked alongside each other until late 2010. His grandfather had been a keen photographer too, and a good one at that. So you could say I'm a fourth generation 'Goode photographer'.

My big break came in 2010 after shooting a stunning wedding at the Larmer Tree Gardens and then getting featured in the wedding blog heavyweight Rock My Wedding.

In 2011, I bit the bullet, handed in my notice, and went full-time as a wedding photographer based in Hampshire. A year later, in 2012, I was joined by my younger brother Josh. Fresh out of college, he brought a young and creative quality to what we were offering. Josh went on to work alongside me for the next eight years. In 2020, due to the uncertainty that the pandemic created, Josh put down his camera to pursue a new venture. I'll forever treasure those years.

I now work as a solo wedding photographer from my humble base in Eastleigh, Hampshire. I travel all across the UK, and sometimes abroad, photographing weddings in my unobtrusive story-telling style.

Well travelled

In the UK, I've travelled for wedding commissions as far west as Lusty Glaze Beach in Newquay, Cornwall and as far north as Edinburgh in Scotland to the majestic Carlowrie Castle. Internationally, for destination weddings, I've been flown out to: the Manoir de Longeveau near the rural village of Pillac in France, the Balcón de Europa in Nerja, Spain, the Agriturismo Villa Baroncino in Tuscany, Italy and all the way to Hạ Long Bay in Vietnam! In the UK, the three venues I've worked at the most are: The Larmer Tree Gardens, The Master Builder's Hotel and Trafalgar Park.

People often ask me "do you enjoy it?" I love it!

Accolades

Throughout this 13 year journey, I’ve been featured in wedding blogs and magazines – local and national. I’m the recommended supplier to a handful of awesome venues across the south/Hampshire. I’ve photographed weddings for a fellow wedding photographer, a wedding videographer, and two wedding coordinators – all people in the know. On three separate occasions, I’ve been nominated for ‘Wedding Photographer of the Year’ in the south central region. In 2022-2023 I pursued a nomination, in The Wedding Industry Awards, for the first time and was awarded the Regional Finalist. Here's a random fact, I’ve never presented at a wedding fair/showcase; it’s just not me.

Logo Badge – The Wedding Industry Awards 2023 – Regional Finalist

A few comedy moments

As you can imagine, photographing weddings for over ten years, I’ve seen my fair share of funny moments. I’ve driven a bride to the ceremony as her car didn’t make it in time! Helped a mother-of-the-bride iron the wedding dress, yes iron the dress! And even played the first dance song through my iPhone as the DJ had forgotten to prep the track. It’s also not uncommon to see me helping the groomsmen pin their button holes before the ceremony – it's easy when you've done a few hundred.

Techy stuff

I use Canon, Apple, Pixieset, DropBox, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop – of which I've been using since version 1.0 all the way back in 1990; I was only five years old!