SAMUEL DOCKER DOES WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WITH HEART AND SOUL.
It’s understandable to want a wedding supplier who’s as interested in your day – and nearly as excited about it – as you are. You don’t want someone who’s going to stand there and take the photos they think they should take; you want someone who’s going to get involved in the day, becoming part of the nitty-gritty, taking the photos they know you will absolutely adore. Samuel Docker is one of the latter – he’s a wedding photographer who is ecstatic to be part of couples’ big days. His enthusiasm oozes from the page even though it doesn’t need to, because his photography speaks for itself: energetic, emotional, creative shots with perfect spacing and light like it was designed (a throwback to this art and design days). He’s also just a super sound guy, and an absolute pleasure to have around on your wedding day.
WHO ARE YOU + WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
HIYA!!! *waves and smiles enthusiastically” I’m Sam, and I’m from Derby. A little place at the foot of the Peak District, just up the road from Brum!
DESCRIBE YOUR WORKPLACE
I have a little office within a creative design agency in Derby – they let me use the space in exchange for the occasional office photograph and making tea/supplying weekly doughnuts, which is nice! It’s great to be around creatives, because I love my kids to bits but a home office doesn’t make for the most productive of spaces…we’re in a cool little industrial mill too, so that’s my work gaff!
WHERE/HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
Like pretty much every wedding photographer I know, I never set out to be a wedding photographer! It started out as a favour, just taking a few pictures at a family wedding about 7 years ago, but I can vividly remember the first time I delivered those images and the feelings that accompanied it, and from that moment I was hooked. I wanted to do it again. Within 2 years I was full time, with weddings all over the UK, and I haven’t looked back since. I can’t imagine doing anything else right now.
FAVOURITE WORK TO DATE?
This is an almost impossible question to answer for a wedding photographer. Every wedding is like my baby, to say one was/is better than the other just wouldn’t be fair. That said, a couple stand out, but for personal reasons. The first was the opportunity to travel and shoot a wedding in the Philippines: it was the most amazing week, not only because of the wedding, but because I had my wife and daughter with me to experience it all. The second was a friend’s wedding in France – said friend just happens to me another wedding photographer! To watch and document them have the day they’d dreamed of, and more was an incredible privilege.
WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Is it corny to say my wife and kids?! It is, I know, but they do! And my couples, they’re pretty awesome too!
Away from weddings, I’ve always been a huge art and design fan, especially product and architecture, so designers such as Starck, Fukasawa, Dieter Rams, Tom Dixon, C&R Eames, Marc Newson and many many others! I’m also hugely inspired by cinematography, print media, lifestyle and fashion.
DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY
After fighting to get Betsy and Buddy out of the door for school and nursery, I’ll head into the office to make the first round of tea! The first hour or so of my day I tend to tackle the general admin, so the rest of the day is then free to split between culling and editing weddings, blogging and marketing, social media duties etc… I’m also a keen runner and cyclist, so I try to spend an hour each day doing something active, and I’ve just started Yoga too, so I like to mix it up each day.
WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO?
For locality and food, Birmingham; it would be a night away with the wife, we’d go and have cocktails in a little whiskey bar called Bourne & Co, followed by a meal at Adams, then the following morning it would be Yorks Bakery for shakshuka and coffee! This year we’re looking forward to trying a bit more of London, we’re off to see Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at the ballet soon, but shhhhh, she doesn’t know yet…
FAVOURITE WEDDING VENUE?
Again, impossible to have a favourite, but a few standouts have been Fforest in Wales, Tunnels Beaches, most Chateaus in France, all of Italy, and Nancarrow Farm in Cornwall.
TRENDS YOU HOPE TO SEE THIS SEASON?
It’s not so much about trends for me, but more for couples showing their personality, what they’re about and what they love! So more couples that don’t conform to the super traditional traditions of a wedding trend, if that makes sense!
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?
Wedding advice: Allow yourself the time and space to enjoy the day, you’ll be on the dance floor before you know it!! Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Non-wedding advice: You can’t be everything to everyone!
