Born and raised in Birmingham, British wedding photographer John Hope now lives in Leeds ("The best city in the UK!" he says), based in Yorkshire in the north of England. There, he makes his home with his wife Helen and his two daughters, Carla and Cleo. "I always imagined being a father of boys, but I love having girls," he adds.
After admitting that his British humility makes him feel a bit awkward talking about himself, John finally confesses that he is proud of his positivity. Seeing the glass as half full-and a tendency to go at things with 100% enthusiasm-has helped him make the most of life, from working as DJ (and acquiring what he calls a "fairly ridiculous" record collection) to playing rugby, scuba diving, or honing his mixology skills.
One of his favorite quotes, from Nanea Hoffman, sums it up well: "None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after-thought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you're carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There's no time for anything else."
Prioritizing positivity and kindness is something that also infuses his approach to the larger world. "I worry about mankind's impact on the planet right now and in the immediate future, so I care very much about pushing the agenda for changes in attitude at the very highest level-towards protecting our planet," he says.
"I also care about inclusivity, respect, acceptance, and generally working and coming together for the common good of all-in communities, within nations, and internationally. The current surge in nationalism and populism concerns me deeply." If there was one lesson he could teach people, John says it would be to focus on working with people, rather than trying to compete against them.
John's wedding photography reflects his open and optimistic life view. "You'll always find loads of genuine laughs and smiles in my photos-as I'd hope to see a lot of those at a good wedding! That's the thing that often gets commented on," he says.
This is exemplified in one of his most well-known photos, which he calls "The Dancing Dog." It shows a wedding couple who have just finished their first dance, with hands in the air to beckon guests onto the dance floor. " At this moment, their dog bounded onto the dance floor and is perfectly framed in front of them on his hind legs, reacting to this moment of excitement," says John.
"This image stands out as it captures energy, a celebratory atmosphere-and, of course, the involvement of their dog, who was a key part of their wedding celebrations."
Asked about what makes a "good life," John says he believes it is different for everyone. For him, it meant shifting gears around his 30th birthday and setting out to make one of his passions, photography, work for him as a profession. While wearing the many hats of a solo entrepreneur presents a variety of challenges, wedding photography is a job he loves, and one that lets him spend lots of time enjoying the things he is passionate about: spending time with family and friends, traveling, and enjoying good food, drink, and music.
So what will his positivity and 100% enthusiasm lead him to tackle next? John says his bucket list is always full. "I've always wanted to do a sky dive and I'd love to dive with whale sharks and manta rays," he says. "They're probably top of the list."
I love this photo from Eloise and Tom's wedding. Eloise is of Danish heritage and it's a Danish tradition to cut the toes off the groom's socks after the first dance. It wasn't altogether clear exactly when this would happen so I arranged a flexible 3 flash set up with an on camera bounce and a couple of 'kickers' in the corners for rim light and to give depth and lighting to the marquee. When it all started happening I jumped up onto the stage the band were performing on to get the angle - the lighting was ready and the moment is spot on!
This is a favourite shot from one of my most enjoyable weddings of the year. Srishti and Thom's fusion wedding included all the Hindu traditions including a colourful ceremony held within a stretch tent / marquee. It was a very dull day with rain for most of it but this did not dampen spirits in the slightest. In fact it played to my advantage during the ceremony. I dislike flat dull light and I often find marquees in daylight serve this up, working as a giant soft box to kill contrast and shadows. It was dull enough that 2 bounced off camera AD200 strobes were enough to overpower the dull ambient daylight and give me much more pleasing directional light.
This impromptu moment captures all the colour and joy of ceremony. It happened right at the end with Thom taking a moment to kiss his bride, surrounded and friends and family. I love the colour, atmosphere and good vibes it exudes.
One of my favourite portraits of the year that perfectly compliments Sophie and Olly's very relaxed wedding celebrations. It's a classic coming together of light, moment and composition. I'm always a big fan of backlit evening portraits and the light on this day was especially lovely. I love how it catches the grass and gives that lovely wash of soft flare to the left of frame. And the couple look so relaxed and happy which I always strive for in this sort of portrait. To find this spot I had to drag the couple up a VERY steep, rough path and get them to climb over a fence. It was quite a big ask but I work hard to develop trust with my couples - I told them it'd be worth it and they said yes without missing a beat.
As a father of two I always have half an eye on what kids are up to at a wedding as they're such a great source of amusing documentary photos. This was mid-ceremony and Charlotte and Rich's son, who was full of beans at the start had clearly become bored to tears. I focused on him for a short while, far enough away on an 85mm that he didn't notice me, and managed to capture this lovely little split second expression of frustration and boredom. An extra bonus that he's in some decent light there.
Charlotte and Rich actually singled this out to me as a photo they loved which pleased me immensely as I love to capture shots like this!
Another favourite portrait! Alicia had the most amazing big brown eyes and looked awesome in the best flower crown I'd ever seen so I wanted to deliver a shot to show them off.
It was an overcast day with some rain forecast in the afternoon. Looking at the sky I suggested to the couple that we should probably crack on with portraits as it looked like it might come soon! I more often than not find that really heavy overcast light really nice with a bit of glow and nice colour saturation. Alicia and Phil are stood right up by a very big weeping willow here, almost into the cover of it which channels the light beautifully. It's as stylised a pose as I'd ever go for but works a treat here for me!
Here are more recent wedding photographs from John Hope:
