Spotlight On: Newcastle wedding photographer Erika Tanith

Spending the festive period looking for the perfect wedding snapper? We caught up with Newcastle's Erika Tanith Photography to find out more…

How did you get in to wedding photography?
"I studied media at university and that covered all the practical skills like video, photography, sound and lighting. Back then photography was mostly film, and although I enjoyed it, I was more taken with digital media and wanted to go into cinematography. Not long after graduating a friend asked me to photograph his wedding as he'd liked my undergraduate work so much. He loaned me his digital camera for the day and I was hooked!"

What do you love the most about your job?
"Being able to spend time with people, and photograph them on the happiest day of their lives is a great privilege. It's also a great responsibility, which is both humbling and empowering in equal measure. Being a wedding photographer is about preserving people's memories of their wedding day; that in itself is incredibly special."

What do you love the most about living in the North East?
"The people. North Easterners are just the best! I grew up in the Midlands and spent a lot of time in London when I was younger. I moved to the North East when I was 18, and it's the friendliest place I've ever lived. I'm never leaving. You're stuck with me now!"

Why pick you over anyone else?
"My style of photography is very unobtrusive and relaxed. My work is about capturing what really happens on your wedding day, because I think the best pictures are the ones that remind us of a great moment. For me, looking back on your wedding pictures and remembering what you were laughing about, how you felt at the altar, or seeing the way your husband looked at you when you walked down the aisle, are the most important things. It's nice to have a couple of traditional pictures, but we rarely feel comfortable posing for the camera, so it's not where I like to focus. For me, it's about happy memories of happy moments."

For more info on Erika visit https://www.erikatanithphotography.co.uk or email enquiries@erikatanithphotography.co.uk