Hello and thanks for visiting my website

I guess that you, or somebody you know, is looking for a Cotswolds wedding photographer and maybe even a Cotswold wedding videographer. I’m sure that my website will be one of many that you have ‘Googled’ so far and finding the right photographer isn’t as easy as it may seem.

Wedding photography and videography is definitely not a case of ‘one size fits all’ but what makes one photographer stand out from the crowd? Location, price, and style certainly play a role, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? 

Communication is key and finding the right people for your Cotswold wedding day starts with a conversation; first impressions mean a lot. A successful wedding day photo collection starts with trust and that’s a two-way street. Did you enjoy talking to your potential wedding photographer? Have you accurately conveyed what you’re looking for? Does everyone get the picture, so to speak?

Any wedding photographer needs to understand more than just how to use a big camera! Communication is key and the right wedding photographer will get to know what sort of people you are, what sort of wedding your big day will be and the mix of photography that you will cherish.

A little bit about how I work

Your wedding day is exactly that: yours. Our job is to create images that tell the story of your day, the most important day of your life.

We see a wedding day shoot as a journey. We set off from your first enquiry, when we get to know a little about each other and make sure that we’re a good fit. From the outset we keep in touch either virtually or face to face and we’re always there to answer your questions and discuss things that are important to you so that, together, we create a collection that you will treasure forever. 

The mix of photography styles is very much your call and experience tells me that couples prefer casual and relaxed images but also like to include some traditional portraits and group shots along the way. 

Using different photographic styles can bring a certain dynamism to your collection. Naturally, we make classic portraits and group shots, where we can guide you rather than pose you in front of the lens. These images will look wonderful in a frame. However, we also like to capture some documentary style images, these are totally natural, nothing posed, often telling stories that a more formal shot simply can’t do. Combining different styles of photography works well and, as your final collection is sent to you in both colour and monochrome, you get plenty of variety.

New for 2023 is the introduction of Cotswold wedding videography and, as a gift to you, we’re offering this on a complimentary basis for bookings made during the year. Your video will include the edited highlights of your day and, as a separate piece, your entire ceremony. We do, however, recommend you contact the priest or registrar in advance to make sure that this is acceptable to them and that there is no additional fee chargeable by them or the venue for videography.

The final destination of our journey is the day itself. It’s only natural for some couples to be a little concerned that their wedding photographer will take too much time, taking them away from their family and friends, or that the wedding photographer will constantly push their camera into the faces of them and their guests. I don’t work like that! Sure, there are some shots where I will need to be up close but for the majority, especially documentary style images, you will barely know I’m there.

Needless to say, you want great photos and I want to make those photos. I like to think that we compose, not pose, so if you’re worried about standing in front of the lens you don’t need to be. In my experience the very best images are made when the bride and groom are relaxed, enjoying their day, confident in taking the starring roles.

So, what would you like to know about me?

Where to start? I’m a Virgoan. Check any astrology definition of what makes a Virgo and it will pretty much sum me up: hard-working, forward planning, attention to detail, creative, reliable, patient, and kind. 

Well, that’s got to be a good start, but there’s more!

I got my first camera when I was just 11 years old. I remember saving up and buying it at the Bon Marche in Gloucester. It set me back the princely sum of £3.50, a lot of money for an 11 year old. I’ve still got that little camera, it nestles on the shelf alongside vintage film and contemporary digital kit. 

Today, I shoot with the latest digital equipment. If you’re into the technicalities of photography, my wedding camera has a 45.7 megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor which, in a nutshell, means that the photographs I make can be enlarged to meet the needs of any sitting room wall!

I hand finish your wedding photos, it takes a little time, but I prefer this to shipping the work out to a ‘one size fits all’ third party, and I usually get your collection in colour and duplicated in monochrome to you about a fortnight after your wedding day.

For me, one of the most important parts of a Cotswold wedding day shoot is to be confident that I’m taking the right type of photographs. It’s not simply a case of pointing the lens and pressing the shutter button. I meet, virtually or in person, with you and get to know a little more about you and what’s important to you. Every bride, groom and wedding is different, I don’t churn out the same stuff come what may. If you want casual, relaxed, documentary images tell me. If more traditional family photographs are an absolute ‘must have’, say so and it shall be done. And if you want a bit of both that’s fine by me, just say the word. 

As I’ve already said, the meetings that we have before your wedding give us all a chance to get to know each other. You need to trust me and I need to be sure that I’ve understood what you need from me. These virtual or in person meetings, which can take as little as half an hour of your time, really do pay dividends. 

What about my background?

I became a professional photographer almost by accident, a happy accident I hasten to add. I started working for a business support organisation in 2000; it was a multi-faceted role and one of my many and varied tasks was to create press and publicity news, stories and features. Naturally, the budget didn’t stretch to a photographer so I invested in a decent camera and got on with it. 

Over 16 years with that organisation, I photographed politicians, business leaders and even the occasional royal. People started to notice me and liked my work. Bookings started to come in and eventually I was asked to photograph a wedding. I was lucky, I was the second photographer, so if things didn’t go well the couple, who were friends of mine, still had the main photographer’s images, mine were just the extras. I loved it! And the rest, as they say, is history. 

In 2016 I left the day job and set up Angela Fitch Photography, specialising in Cotswold weddings as I love the gentle, undulating backdrops that the Cotswold Hills bring to any wedding day. Word started to get around and the diary began to fill up, all was going well. Then came Covid and everything ground to a halt but I used the time to hone my skills, attend virtual training courses and generally make ready the business for the boom in weddings that would surely follow.

In 2022 I relaunched the Angela Fitch Photography brand and am busier than ever before. In 2023 I introduced videography to the brand, which gives a new and dynamic dimension to any wedding day as we scope out the scenery and capture the action for you to enjoy at your leisure.

Although I would class myself as a Cotswold wedding photographer I’m happy to work anywhere with my destination weddings taking me to London, Brighton, Yorkshire, Wales, Scotland and even India! 

The free consultations help me to get to know you and what you’re looking for from me. I also include a free venue visit wherever possible and will let you know when I’m going so that you can join me if you’re able to. I meet the wedding organiser and have a tour of the site, taking notes of where the light falls best and any ‘must have’ backdrops in readiness for the big day when we shall create some amazing photographs.

By the time the wedding day arrives, I know exactly what you, the bride and groom, want. Capturing the mix of portraiture, relaxed, formal and fun group photographs, action shots, still life and even pet photography, recording your day as it unfolds.

Of course, your wedding day is all about you. I work discretely, some couples have said that they didn’t even notice I was there, although that does depend on the style of photography you’re looking for. Why not take a minute to scroll down and read some of the kind words from couples photographed over the past 12 months.

Do I do anything else?

Yes, I get about a bit. I run Birlingham Photography Club, one of the friendliest clubs around and very different to its competition-focussed cousins. I also run photography training courses that help beginners to understand their camera, what it’s capable of and how to make the most of it, ultimately, helping budding photographers to move away from ‘auto’ settings. 

Exhibitions

My work has been featured in several exhibitions and my first solo exhibition, 2020 Women of Vision, a collection of 20 photographs of women who have successfully made their careers in worlds that, traditionally, would be considered the domains of men. The subjects included: a surgeon, barrister, builder, golf pro, vicar, funeral director, dentist, and even a glass blower, to name just a few. The project was aimed to inspire the next generation of young women to aim high, focus on their goals, and achieve their ambitions.

I also do work on a pro bono basis for a variety of community and charitable organisations including: Oxfam, Evesham Festival of Words, Hawkesbury Upton LitFest, Oakwood Literature Festival and Stroud Short Stories. It feels good to give something back and it can even lead to commercial work such as book cover images, author headshots and more.

And what of the future?

I have to admit that every time I get a new enquiry to cover a wedding I get a thrill of anticipation. I’m very happy to continue to build my Cotswold wedding photography business. But for the time being my job is to capture the essence of your day and whether you have decided on a micro wedding, something a little bigger or the full on 200 guest mega day, when your photographs arrive and you shed a tear or grin from ear to ear, my job is done!

Best wishes

Angela