ballet Editorial — at Beckenham Place Mansion, London
Sometimes, you just need to press pause on weddings and refill your creative tank. That’s exactly what I did when I joined a photography workshop run by Tabitha Boydell at the endlessly photogenic Beckenham Place Mansion.
I’d seen these shoots popping up in my feed and always admired their sheer visual drama – a clever mix of storytelling, historical references, and dancers who seem to defy gravity. So when my pal Tiel (the hair genius behind Big Hair Energy) told me she was styling one of them, I signed up without hesitation.
As someone who lives and breathes wedding photography, I love capturing honest, fleeting emotion. But I also need shoots like this where I get to experiment, play with light, and stretch different creative muscles.
There’s something about photographing dancers that feels really special. Their awareness of their bodies, the elegance in their posture, even the way they hold their hands – it’s a kind of delicate beauty you don’t have to direct. They already bring it. As someone who never gets to shoot on my own workshops, this was a lot of fun.
The Finer Details
BECKENHAM PLACE MANSION | BRIDAL EDITORIAL
A Shoot Designed for Photographers
Tabitha creates an environment that’s welcoming, inspiring and ready to shoot. Every detail was thought through – from the soft pastel tones of the set design by Amanda Caroline Couture, to the way each model’s look referenced ballet’s classic femininity with a modern twist.
And can we talk about Beckenham Place? What a venue. The faded grandeur of the Georgian interior paired so perfectly with flowing tulle and hand-crafted floral headpieces. The contrast of movement against the stillness of those muted walls – magic.
It’s easy to fall into routines as a working photographer. Client work, editing queues, admin days… but creative projects like this are what keep my eye sharp. They let me experiment with motion blur, window light, and slower shutter speeds and then bring that same creative energy back to the weddings I shoot.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Shoots like this fuel the work I do for my clients. They remind me how much beauty there is in movement, in simplicity, and in choosing to play.
If you’re a fellow photographer and feeling a bit stuck creatively, try something outside your norm. You never know what might inspire you next.
