Award-winning photographer Ioan Said has topped 10 years in business by being crowned North West Wedding Photographer of the Year.
Ioan is founder of Celynnen Photography and picked up a total of seven awards at the British Institute of Professional Photography’s North West Region Annual Awards in Manchester.
The accolades – including winning gold, silver and bronze in the wedding reportage category – come as Celynnen Photography marks its 10th anniversary.
Ioan, 39, said: “Winning the title of North West Wedding Photographer of the Year is a fantastic way to celebrate a decade in business. I’m particularly proud of these awards because the judges are award-winning photographers themselves.
“I love capturing genuine emotion in my photographs – a look exchanged between a couple exchanging their vows, a pageboy being cheeky or a best man bringing the house down with his speech.
“I must have photographed more than 200 weddings over the last ten years but I still feel privileged that I get to do this for a living because I simply love weddings.”
Ioan submitted 20 printed photographs to the competition and was competing with 500 entries from photographers across the North West and North Wales.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges - internationally renowned photographers Martin Grahame-Dunn and Kevin Mullins and leading photographers’ agent and buyer Lisa Pritchard – across more than 20 categories including press and events, wedding reportage and fine art.
Kevin said: “Ioan has an eye for the off-beat, fleeting and romantic when it comes to wedding photography. The trust he builds up between himself and engaged couples is evident in the candid, fun and uninhibited images he takes on their big day.
“Ioan’s photos swept the board in the wedding reportage category because he managed to capture on camera the intimacy between a new husband and wife during their first dance.
“Although this couple were surrounded by family and friends the image is somehow very personal and private.
“I loved the picture of the pint-sized guest all geared up to throw confetti too. You can’t help but smile when you look at it.
“Ioan’s clutch of awards is well deserved and we look forward to seeing his entries next year.”
Ioan’s commercial side of the business, Ioan Said Photography, was also successful at the awards with photographs commissioned by Dee Valley Water winning a bronze award. Images of David Cameron and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were also awarded merits.
Celynnen Photography is based in Wrexham but Ioan and his photographic team work across the North West and North Wales as well as nationally and internationally.
Starting out as a sole trader Ioan has built Celynnen Photography up over the last decade and now photographs 40 weddings a year, employs staff and has expanded his services into editing and wedding album design for other photographers.
