Pretty summer church wedding and reception at Witney Lakes, Oxfordshire

I met Emma and Michael at Sudbury House Hotel wedding fayre back in 2013 when they were planning their wedding day.   Both were living in Faringdon, a place which holds special memories and where they were to marry so we did a lovely pre-wedding shoot up by the Folly.  They were so at ease in front of the camera I knew then this was going to be a great wedding to shoot.

They had a wonderful wedding day held on a gorgeous mid-summer day during July 2014.  After the ceremony at Faringdon Church the wedding reception was held at Witney Lakes Resort and in the evening the warm sunshine provided a perfect  "golden hour" - a term photographers use to refer to as the best time of the day for photographs where the sun is low in the sky but warm and flattering on the skin.  Even better we were able to nip out and make the most of this light is a nearby cornfield.

I hope you enjoy looking through these highlights from Emma & Michael's special day.

If you are planning your wedding and looking for a photographer to capture your day using a mixture of documentary and fine art style then please get in touch me.

           Judi x




Judi is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based near Oxford working mainly in Oxfordshire,  Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds but will consider commissions throughout the UK.  Working on location using natural light and countryside landscapes, Judi focuses on capturing beautiful relaxed images of you and your family using a mix of reportage and fine art style photography. Using an artistic eye Judi will not just capture your memories but create a work of art which can be presented in luxury fine art albums or as framed art or canvases to hang in your homes. 

Judi also provides services for commercial businesses including headshots, nursery and pre-school portraits as well as special events such as birthdays and christenings etc. She is a member of both The Society for Wedding & Portrait Photographers and The Guild of Professional Photographers.

More information is available on the website www.judicheckettsphotography.com or contact Judi via email

Child Portraits among the poppies at Faringdon Folly, Oxfordshire

Earlier this month the poppies were in glorious display at Faringdon Folly.  Too good an opportunity to miss, I headed up there with with Eddie and his mum for a few photos amongst the brilliant red colour. I tried a slightly different approach to my usual shoots here - more emphasis on the posing to camera. Let me know what you think of the results in the comments below.  It was hard work for little Eddie but he did really well, especially considering how hot it was.

Photographing children in natural locations gives a strong link to their (and often your) childhood memories of favourite places spent with their family.  It also allows them to relax and be themselves in a familiar environment. As a children's photographer this gives me wide scope to capture lots of images with them.  If you are looking for some great natural portraits of your children in the countryside then consider a location shoot.  More information is available on my website or email me for further details.

Judi x

Judi is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based near Oxford working mainly in Oxfordshire,  Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds but will consider commissions throughout the UK.  Working on location using natural light and countryside landscapes, Judi focuses on capturing beautiful relaxed images of you and your family using a mix of reportage and fine art style photography. Using an artistic eye Judi will not just capture your memories but create a work of art which can be presented in luxury fine art albums or as framed art or canvases to hang in your homes. 

Judi also provides services for commercial businesses including headshots, nursery and pre-school portraits as well as special events such as birthdays and christenings etc. She is a member of both The Society for Wedding & Portrait Photographers and The Guild of Professional Photographers.

More information is available on the website www.judicheckettsphotography.com or 

Friday Foto - image of the week

Well what a glorious week of sunshine its been.  We have been lucky in this beautiful rural area where I live to have seen the poppies come into flower around Faringdon Folly.  Its the first time I have seen the poppies flower in this spot - others who have lived here longer tell me the same - although I have seen images of them so I know the poppies do flower here.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to why they don't flower up here every year.  They look so fabulous - it really had to be my image of the week.  If you get chance do go up and take a walk around the Folly and enjoy the red spectacle - it makes a perfect summer evening wander and the poppies will be gone all too soon.

Stanford in the Vale will soon have its own cafe opening very soon - a selection of limited edition prints of some of my work will be on display and available for purchase so do pop in and take a look.


Techy Stuff

Camera:  Canon 5D II
Focal Length:  75 mm
Aperture: F13
Exposure:  1/320
Iso: 160

Shot in manual mode


Judi x



Judi is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based near Oxford working mainly in Oxfordshire,  Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds but will consider commissions throughout the UK.  Working on location using natural light and countryside landscapes, Judi focuses on capturing beautiful relaxed images of you and your family using a mix of reportage and fine art style photography. Using an artistic eye Judi will not just capture your memories but create a work of art which can be presented in luxury fine art albums or as framed art or canvases to hang in your homes. 

Judi also provides services for commercial businesses including headshots, nursery and pre-school portraits as well as special events such as birthdays and christenings etc. She is a member of both The Society for Wedding & Portrait Photographers and The Guild of Professional Photographers.

More information is available on the website www.judicheckettsphotography.com or contact Judi via email

Friday Foto - why I love this image

Here's the second of my new blog feature on the story behind the images. This week's image is from an engagement shoot.

Engagement photos need to be romantic - they are after all portraying two people who are about to promise to spend the rest of their lives together.  Capturing such an image that is both romantic without being overly posed  - or worse just plain cheesy - requires a couple to be comfortable with both their environment, their photographer and each other (yes, I have done shoots with couples who barely wanted to touch each other!).

This shot of Emma and Mike captures them both in a loving moment at Faringdon Folly, a place that is special to them both.  I had noticed the sweeping tree shape while I was checking out the location before they arrived.  It creates a beautiful frame for the image and I shot it from both sides - but preferring this image not just because of the light falling on them so flatteringly but also the foliage and purple flowers in the foreground which adds extra dimension to what otherwise could be a flat one dimensional shot.  Its tempting to concentrate on close-up headshots with couples but using the location, especially when its a place with great meaning to the couple, creates a more memorable and meaningful image.

All my wedding couples get a complimentary print from their engagement shoot and Emma took a while to decide which image to select but I was pleased this ended up being her chosen one.


Techy Stuff

Camera:  Canon 5D II
Focal Length:  70mm
Aperture: F5.6
Exposure:  1/640
Iso: 250

Shot in manual mode, no flash.



Judi x



Judi is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based near Oxford working mainly in Oxfordshire,  Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds but will consider comissions throughout the UK.  Working on location using natural light Judi focuses on capturing beautiful relaxed images of you and your family using a mix of reportage and fine art style photography. Using an artistic eye Judi will not just capture your memories but create a work of art which can be presented in luxury fine art albums or as framed art or canvases to hang in your homes. 

Judi also provides services for commercial businesses including headshots, nursery and pre-school portraits as well as special events such as birthdays and christenings etc. She is a member of both The Society for Wedding & Portrait Photographers and The Guild of Professional Photographers.