A couple of years ago I photographed a 30th birthday at Patch St Paul’s in London. This year the birthday boy’s dad turned 70 and commissioned me to photograph his party at Patch East, a few streets over. It’s tucked away through a small door and down some stairs in Leadenhall Street, but it’s a fantastic wee party space and the perfect size for Richard and his family and friends to celebrate in.
The brief: to get a set of posed family group shots at the start, then capture the rest of the party in my usual reportage style, making sure to include speeches, Chloe the DJ on the decks, and plenty of dancing pics. No posing required but guests were welcome to ask for a posed shot any time, as always!
The shoot: three hours on a Saturday night, shooting with two Fujifilm X-T5 cameras, mostly prime lenses, and no flash beyond the posed group shots at the start. I carry a small handheld LED which is great for throwing some light onto any other group shots I’m asked for without having to faff attaching the flash. Also came in useful for lighting the DJ in a few shots.
