Elliot Patching is a photographer based in the midlands and works country wide. This guy is so cool and relaxed it was a real pleasure to spend the afternoon talking to him about his work. Here’s what he had to say…

Eliott Patching's style

- Tell us about you. Where you’ve been, why you’re fabulous?

Ha! Fabulous! That’s a new one! Well, I started my life in photography working as a Formula One photographer. But after some years I decided this wasn’t for me. I did enjoy my time there and I was lucky enough to visit some great places (China, Malaysia, Singapore, Bahrain to name a few) but I just had no time for a social life. I noticed while I was doing this though that I had a bit of a natural flair for portraits. I’ve always been ambitious so decided to leave and set up my own company – one of the things I had always wanted to do. Since then I’ve been enjoying life and I think this is reflected in my work. I love shooting weddings so much. It gives me the opportunity to be creative and constantly push my boundaries attempting to find something different. It’s this originality, I think, that helps me stand out from other photographers.

- Tell us a little bit about your company and why it’s special.

Relaxed portraits, amazing moments and cool details. That’s what I’m all about. I like to have fun when I’m shooting. Why be uptight?! All of the best shots come from clients being relaxed.

Honesty is a key thing for me as well. If I haven’t been given enough time to get a shot I’ll say. I know how important the images I produce are to clients so its important we get everything right before the day. I like to be as hands on as possible and iron out any problems that may occur as early as I possibly can. I think the combination of honesty, planning and having a chilled out personality are the three key things that enable me to build a great rapport with clients and that’s the reason why I get recommendations and happy couples.

Relaxed and Happy!

- Where do you find your inspiration?

I would be lying if I said I don’t draw inspiration from other photographers. I do. I think as long as you harness this inspiration and put your own twist onto the shot then that’s ok. Simply copying someone else’s work is not cool in my book. I get real enjoyment of seeing a shot and creating it. If I copied someone else I just wouldn’t get that feeling.

Also, I find it very difficult to switch out of “photographer mode”. Whether I’m walking down a street or driving in the car I am constantly scouting areas for shoots. If I see some nice light I am just desperate to stand someone, ANYONE, in it and take some shots of them! It’s my girlfriend that I usually inconvenience! I suppose you could say I am inspired by anything and everything.

- What style do you specialise in?

Bit of a mixture really. I think there are three types of wedding photographer out there. Reportage, Formal and what I would describe as “Arty”. If you are looking for formal, I’m not your man. Just standing clients and posing them isn’t my thing. For me, it’s all about natural expressions. I think of myself as a third eye, documenting the big day from start to finish so the shots tell a story. I want my clients to be able to relive the day again and again for years to come through the shots I take. In addition to this, like I said before, I love doing something a little different – using light and location to create something spectacular.

So I would say I’m mainly reportage, with a bit of art thrown in for good measure!

- What is the best wedding you’ve ever been to?

Each wedding is great in its own special way. That’s what excites me. You never quite know what you are going to get, so it’s tough for me to set one apart from all the others.

Having said this, there was one I did fairly recently actually at Blenheim Palace. The location is just superb. The Bride worked for Wedding Magazine so with her experience, everything about it was stunning. All the little details had so much care and attention put into them. Couple all this with an enthusiastic bride and groom and you have a great wedding to shoot.

- What is your absolute favourite picture you’ve ever taken?

That is such a tough question! I’m simply not sure! Not to over complicate things but there are so many factors that go into deciding which is my favourite. For me it’s not just about the end result – it’s also about the thought process that went into it. I have two motor sport ones and two wedding ones. Is that allowed?!

Eliott's Favourite Pictures

copyright sutton images

Eliott's Favourite Pictures

copyright sutton images

- Does working with a Wedding Planner have an impact on your day?

Wedding planners are great. The day always seems to run more smoothly when they are employed. I wouldn’t say it changes the way in which I work though. I just do my thing!

- What advice can you give to a bride and groom who may be feeling anxious about their wedding photos being taken?

Firstly, try to get the photographer you want. If you like their style, then that’s the sort of thing they should produce on the day.

Secondly, RELAX! CHILL! I personally offer a complimentary engagement shoot with all of my packages. This is aimed at relaxing the couple before the big day and also for the clients to see the way in which I work. No surprises! I’ve had people who were horribly nervous at the engagement shoot but incredibly relaxed on the day. I’d like to think this is a combination of the prior shoot and maybe a touch of Champagne!

Thanks for taking the time to see us Elliot – we think you’re fab!

If you’d like to get in touch with Elliot, you can do so through his website www.ewpphotography.com

One of Eliott's arty shots!

Recently I found some fabby little ballet pumps by Redfoot. They are shoes that are designed to fold in half & fit into the smallest bag to help relieve tired feet after a long night partying.

The

The girls at Redfoot just love shoes and know how hard it can be to remain fabulous all day or night in sky scraping heels! There is a need for relief and so their feet saviour concept was born – hurrah! Developed by a team of footwear experts and top podiatrists, their goal was to provide fashionistas with a stylish, sexy and comfortable shoe.

These fabby little shoes are great. The soles are highly durable and protect your feet, making them ideal for day use as well as evening and their split sole design is so unique that it is patented worldwide. The design enables them to fold away into a slinky little pouch and re-emerge in perfect condition time after time.
By the end of the night, after you’ve partied like a diva, you can take these babies out of your clutch and slip your gorgeous – if not a little sore – twinkle toes into them!

Cute, pretty, stylish, very wearable and best of all, they range from £20 – £40 so these could be the perfect thank you presents for your bridesmaids!

The 'Mischa' in Black

Natalie at Redfoot also tells me they offer a bespoke made to order service which allows you to design your own pair of redfoot folding shoes for your wedding day, honeymoon….or let’s face it – any occasion we can find to have a unique pair of shoes!

Their craftsmen use the best materials, ensuring each creation is totally individual.
You simply choose your style, select your size, decide upon your fabric & colour then you can add your own flair to the finishing touches – could this be any more fab?!
Once they are complete, they are given to you in a luxury presentation box with a certificate of authenticity.
These creations only take between 2 and 4 weeks to complete depending upon the complexity of design and cost from £125 per pair.

One of their most recent creations is shown below, and I am told their bride was thrilled to slip these on, as her husband to be and her are similar in height she didn’t want to tower over him in heels on their wedding day. After searching endlessly for flat bridal shoes that were sassy as well as comfortable, she couldn’t believe her luck when she found these!

Claire's Bespoke Shoes!

As you can see from this next picture, the craftsmen at Redfoot were able to custom make the soles to incorporate their names and wedding date – how sweet!

Check out this detail!

I’ve been dancing around the Victoria James offices in a pair for a couple of weeks now and I love love love them! I will be slipping them into my handbag this weekend for sure, ready for my big Saturday. Thank you Redfoot!x

For more details, phone +44(0)1706 873333 or their website is www.redfootrevolution.co.uk

The 'Sienna' in Gold

Sunday afternoons do have the potential to be fab-u-lous, and I must say spending the afternoon with ‘Tailfeather Cocktails’ was truly so!
I met with Martin and Mike along with their gorgeous Nicole so they could showcase their talents. Their focus is on the quality of the drink produced, rather than artistically whacking a few things in a glass with garnish and hoping for the best. Not that I’m a lush….but I do know a goodie when I taste one and after sampling their menu I was so impressed they are now firmly on my top recommendations list! Here’s what they had to say…

Tell us a little bit about you both…
Over the last few years, we have both been fully occupied working in the automotive industry. I have been working as a consultant design engineer, with clients ranging from Tata Motors to Bentley. Martin has been involved in financial compliance on the dealership side and is therefore well qualified to keep the Tailfeather Cocktails company on the straight and narrow!

In our twenties, we were both very much involved in the party scene. Martin was a popular DJ at the Boathouse night-club in Stratford-upon-Avon (It’s now a Thai restaurant and the old days are sorely missed!). Meanwhile, I was living in Barcelona and was heavily into the bar scene there. Perhaps my most memorable moment was being made responsible for the supply of drinks when I was invited to take part in a local carnival. An extremely important role!

Now, however, I think that Martin and I are having a second youth: Our joint appreciation of well made drinks, served properly and in a great environment made us think about becoming involved in the bar or event scene again, but this time we wanted to be in control of everything ourselves.

So, 
where did the inspiration for Tailfeather come from?
Martin and I are both well travelled and have socialised in locations all over the world: From Cape Town to Barcelona, Las Vegas to London. We have both enjoyed drinking cocktails in all these locations, but have found that quality can vary enormously. Cocktail making is often seen as an easy bolt-on to an existing bar operation. However, if there is no technical knowledge and no passion, the result is often along the lines of that Tequila-heavy pitcher of over-sweetened Long Island Iced-Tea.

Tailfeather is a reaction to this variance in quality. Whether we are providing a Cocktail Bar service for a special Wedding Day with a difference, or providing staff training to a bar that wants to serve Cocktails and get it right, we underpin everything we do with the quality of our drinks and our service.

How did you think up the Tailfeather name?

There are many stories claiming to explain the origin of the word Cocktail.
The following is our favourite and also gave rise to the company name:

During the American War of Independence, a Barmaid called Betsy Flanagan, served visiting American and French soldiers with mixed drinks that she called Betsy’s Bracers
One night, Betsy also prepared them a meal made from a rooster, which had been stolen by one of the soldiers, from the tavern owner’s neighbour, who was believed to be a supporter of the English.
A tail feather from the rooster was then used to adorn each of the Bracers, which were toasted by the soldiers with the words “Here’s to the divine liquor which is as delicious to the palate as the cocks’ tails are beautiful to the eye.” To which one officer replied: “Vive le cocktail!”

What is the best event you have worked at?

Undoubtedly our favourite event recently was our official Launch Party. We showcased Tailfeather to trade, family and friends. Starting with a demonstration of Cocktail-making techniques and providing an overview of the different categories of Cocktail, along with some insider tips and tricks. We went on to provide a cash bar service. The profits from this, along with the proceeds of an auction of the drinks made during the demonstration, raised £530 for Myton Hospice, who provide Specialist Palliative Care of the highest quality for adult patients with advanced progressive life limiting illness. We will continue to support Myton hospice and urge people to check their website and help if they can www.mytonhospice.org

Have there been any cringe worthy moments from guests who’ve had too many of your cocktails?!

As we pride ourselves in offering traditional service, it certainly wouldn’t do for a Tailfeather barman to tittle-tattle about our client’s behaviour! However, Martin’s father must be fair game after ‘mine-sweeping’ other people’s Tailfeather Cocktails, provided during the demonstration on Launch Night!

Tell us a bit about what makes you different from other mobile bar companies.

Mobile Bars tend to come from two different ends of the spectrum. From an uninspiring, standard bar service, with under trained staff, at one end, to those with a huge staff that cater for large corporate functions at the other.

Tailfeather Cocktails is pitched somewhere in-between. This allows us to work with private clients to give them much of the service that only corporate organisers would normally be able to access.

An example of how we could work with a private client would be:

-Invention of a Cocktail based on a client’s favourite drink, colour or theme.
-Working with them to tailor a suitable Cocktail Menu, comprising drinks suited to the time of year, event theme, favourite Cocktails etc. This menu should generally be long enough to provide variety, but not so long as to confuse.
-Finally, work with a Graphics company to design the menus and possibly an invitation package or bar-front customisation in the same style.

Above all, when it comes to the event, we always supply knowledgeable, uniformed Bar-Staff and Waiting Staff to provide that sophisticated, traditional service.

What other services can you provide?

As touched on before, we offer a training service to bars wishing to introduce or improve a Cocktail offering. With an introduction to good Cocktail making technique, following a few simple rules can improve quality no end.

This side of our business can be adapted to a great activity for a hen party, where we demonstrate the making of a few cocktails – with tasters – of course, followed by some hands-on practice by everyone. There is a lot of good natured rivalry during the final stage where these creations are judged by Tailfeather, with prizes awarded. In fact, we have a hen party booked for this weekend and although we have just been asked to provide a bar service, I’m pretty sure we’ll have the girls making their own creations at some point!

The range of contacts and knowledge that we have built up during the development of Tailfeather also means that we can often help clients with other aspects of the organisation of their event, either from our own experience or by introducing them to such people as caterers, bands, florists, printers and of course a very special Wedding Planner!
(Of course, I’m grinning now!)
These will be people that we have worked with and whom we are able to recommend in the knowledge that we have seen them in action. Having organised a number of events in their entirety, we are able to offer a full event management service to Corporate and Private Individuals alike.

So…as a lover of Mojitos and Long Island Iced-Teas, what cocktail would you invent for me?

Well, Long Island Iced Tea is composed of five white spirits, shaken with sugar syrup and lemon juice, then served over ice and topped with Cola.

Mojitos are made by muddling Mint with Lime and Guarapo (We consider Demerara sugar to be the best substitute, as this cane sugar syrup is hard to come by) followed by the addition of White Rum. Served over crushed Ice and topped with a splash of Soda and a sprig of fresh Mint.

As mint and cola don’t go together particularly well, how about taking some of the depth given by the spirit combination in the Long Island Ice-Tea and creating a slightly more complex Mojito – style drink?
I would add Tequila and Triple-Sec (Cointreau typically) from the Long Island Ice Tea to the White Rum to form the base of a drink prepared along Mojito lines.

And the name:

How about “Victoria’s Secret”?

I love my cocktail - Thanks Tailfeather! Mwah!x