It's half term dear reader and I'm sitting here in my pyjamas having a lazy morning with the kids after shooting the most fabulous wedding at Newton Hall yesterday, speaking of yesterday, I had some amazing news, I enter this competition, it's professional photographers from all around the globe voting on each others image to find the best one and yesterday a lovely image from my January wedding got voted number 1 in the whole entire world, now I realise it's not headline making news but it's big for me and for my clients, you see I never stop trying to get better and better, I truly love what I do, it's been 8 long years of hard work but I love telling couples stories and long may that continue.

Wanna See the image? and award - http://www.pixoto.com/awards/5607423863685120

and so onto yesterdays wedding and my very special offer, time is running out if you want to book me and save in a big way!  If you book me to shoot your 2014/2015 wedding before the very first day in March (you must have paid your retainer) you will receive a complimentary pre-wedding shoot and disk of images worth £335!

To enquire about me shooting your wedding you can email, visit my website or you can find me on Facebook

and a massive congratulations to Heather and Andrew, I shot this image yesterday at gorgeous Newton Hall, it was a dark cold evening and it was raining and I think above all if you can make the rain look like sparkles then who cares if it rains on your wedding day as long as I'm the one shooting it for you and can help create some magic!

Mini Photo shoots, Milestones and a Wedding, Phew, what a week

It's true, this week has been somewhat crazy but you know I love it so here's my week in photos as ever and if you want to keep up with me on a daily basis do head over to my Facebook Business Page and you'll find thats where you can book yourself a mini shoot too, with Christmas approaching I am now getting busier and busier and there's very little availability if you want to have your Christmas Mini shoot in Saltwell Park.

There's also very little availabilty left for Tynemouth Longsands and I have no doubt that there'll be a similar situation with Jesmond Dene sessions as we get into the last few weeks before the big day.

If you want to buy someone a fantastic Christmas present then why not buy them a gift certificate for a mini session, it's only £20 and includes a 5x7 print, the perfect stocking filler and if you want to add on some money so they can spoil themselves with prints or a nice canvas for above the fireplace then thats fine too.

All gift certificates are personalised and sent to you electronically so you can print and give to the happy recipient so it doesn't matter if you are reading this in America or Australia as long as you have relatives somewhere in the north of England they'll get the perfect gift this Christmas, being a photographer in Newcastle is a truly fabulous thing.

and that was the week that was, this week has already been a riot and with more mini sessions this weekend in Jesmond Dene and Saltwell Park you can be sure that I'll have lots more to share with you this time next week.

Mandy Charlton Photography - Winner of 2 worldwide awards for wedding photography

I can barely believe I am posting this but I've just been notified of the most incredible news from the lovely folks over at Pixoto.

This image was judged by professional photographers worldwide as being in the top 5% in the world in the weddings section for 2011

and this image was judged as being in the best 10% of wedding images worldwide for 2011

I only really started to enter image competitions in 2010 so to be ranked so highly in the world is a massive honour and I couldn't do it without all of my wonderful clients so I want to say thank you to each and everyone of you who has let me be part of your weddings and special events and who knows whats going to happen in 2012

Clayton and Caroline got married at Christmas!

So as you know I'm having a bit of a working Christmas this year, it's fine though because I love it and you know what I love, true love at Christmas, the best things are true love and Christmas, put the two together and you have something completely wonderful, gorgeous, romantic...

Clayton and Carolines Wedding was just that, I cried big chubby tears during Claytons speech, die hard romantic thats me!!

They got married at St Albans in Earsdon and then on the way to a swish reception at the Hotel Du Vin we stopped off at the beach at Tynemouth to capture some natural light portraits just as the sun was shining it's golden light, we really couldn't have been any luckier with the weather, for the 22nd of December the weather was better than half of the weddings I've shot in June!!

This one photo really sums up the wedding in one photograph, it was vintage, beautiful and all about love, with a touch of Biba and a hint of Pulp, when they danced on the beach singing Common People to each other I had a lump in my throat!

Congratulations Clayton and Caroline may your love story continue for many years, thank you so much for letting me share your most special of days.

Christmas is coming, better get a shake on...

Yes Christmas is truly underway, the shops are heaving, there's a chill in the air and parents throughout the land are getting over excited about little Tommy playing 3rd bean from the left in the Nativity Play.  It's only last week we sat through our girls Nativity with Abigail playing a very angelic Mary, anyone who knows Abigail will know how miscast this particular part was but she did a great job though I'm sure I caught sight of her de rigeur black trousers underneath her Mary costume.  I would have shared a photo but we were threatened that if we shared our own childrens photographs (how very dare we even think about it) the whole schools parent community would be banned from ever taking photographs at any school performance ever again, I'm not one to mess with the headmistress either even though I think it's a ludicrous thing to suggest when I as a blogger often blog my own children!!

So imagine Abigail as Mary and Looby as "one of the choir" (special part that) and gaze upon an alternative photograph which has become our family Christmas card for this year.  Now it's probably a little late for me to be doing your Christmas cards but I do have 2 slots left if you want to get some last minute photos down at the studio this weekend so if you can make it on either Saturday at 2pm or Sunday morning give me a call or drop me an email and I'll squeeze you in, I'm even going to try and sort out prints by using the services of Santas Elfs (aka, the local couriers who aren't quite happy or elfen but they do usually get stuff to places on time!)

This weekend in the studio was another busy one but I can't share some of the images dear readers and one of you reading (and I know that they do read) might be getting some for Christmas of some people very dear to you, thats enough hints from me, it's top secret to me, the people involved and of course Santa Claus himself.

One more note about Christmas business hours, gift certificates and other mentionable gubbins, Photo Shoots are available up until December 21st, after that time I am on my Christmas break but if you have family you only ever see at Christmas or the kids are home from university for the first time in ages email me and I will open up the studio especially for you, in all other cases I shall be at home scoffing Ferrero Rocher!

If you buy a gift certificate (e-voucher) before Christmas Eve I will increase the value by 20% so for instance you want to buy one for £50 I will give you one for £60 because thats my warmhearted lovely side with a festive touch).

This Christmas I have 2 weddings, 1 at the Hotel Du Vin on the 22nd and one at gorgeous Close House on the 28th so spare a thought for my cold fingers and toes as you all decide to crack open another tin of quality street!  

Ooh, 1 last thing, I have a Studio gallery on my website now with all my recent studio work, go have a look, you might just have made it on there!

Mandy Charlton is an award winning photographer {award winning wedding photographer, Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham}

I always wanted to say that, I see it on so many websites and always wonder what the various people have won and now I am actually award winning, thanks to wedding photo of the year 2010 where I came second and got the Silver Medal, second from 700 is no mean feat and when I tell you that this photographer used to be agoraphobic and not even let her husband go out to work only around 5 or 6 years ago you'll realise just how very proud I am of myself.

It's been such a long road and although it's been a rollercoaster at times, it's been a fun one, I can't thank people enough for all their support, my friends, my family and all you lovely people who hire me and then become my friends too!

So whats in store for the future, well hopefully I'll enter the competition again this year and win!  This was my very first competition entry ever so to do so well is remarkable and now I have something to aim for.  You know at times it's been unbearable, the public vote is always the hardest to achieve, especially if like me you're not really into the whole self promotion thing and I'm not, it's taken me so long to even rate myself in the professional world.

I reckon my daughters are the most pleased about this, they bounded in from school and said that from 700 to come 2nd is a win and they're proud of me so thats quite enough for me.

So, this photo was taken in March 2010 and this photo below was taken in March 2011, a possible entry for next year?

well you'll just have to stay tuned to find out!