Hi, I'm Geoff Nichols
A Bit About Me
My photography started in the school camera club at the age of twelve. I learned on film — developing and printing my own photos, making every mistake there was to make and I learned a lot from every single one. That's where my photographic eye was formed, and it's why, even now, I still think in film. It's what gives my work its look.
That grounding took me somewhere I never expected. I trained as a photographer in the British Army, and one of my first briefs was to photograph the then Prince of Wales — now His Majesty the King.
In the years since, I've worked as a fashion photographer — shooting international models on the runway at London Fashion Week, and portraits of well-known faces. My editorial work, conceived and directed by me, has been published internationally, including one shoot alongside two world-renowned make-up artists.
Weddings, though, came from somewhere far closer to home. Both my sisters asked me to photograph theirs — and so my wedding photography journey had begun. I realised very quickly that everything I'd learned in fashion could be brought to a wedding, along with something I hadn't expected: the real privilege of telling a couple's unique story. And I love hearing those stories, because every one is as different as the person telling it. No two are ever the same.
When I'm not behind a camera, I live near Hickstead, in the middle of the West Sussex countryside, with my wife and daughter. Normally you'll usually hear me before you see me — I play clarinet, saxophone and trumpet, and yes, I have a very understanding and tolerant wife! The one evening a week I'm out playing with an orchestra, her ears finally get a rest.
How I Work
For me, a wedding begins long before the day itself.
I meet every couple in person, at least twice, before I photograph their wedding — because your story is what I'm really there to tell. I want to learn what makes you both tick: how you met, what brought you together, the small things that make you you. The more of your story I can bring to your photographs, the more they'll feel like you — not just a record of the day.
Before the wedding, I'll also visit your venue. I want to get a feel for its light, find the angles that work and photograph beautifully, and know exactly where the day's best opportunities will be — so that on the day itself, nothing is left to chance.
And on the day, I do what I've always done: I work calmly and quietly, moving through everything without fuss. Weddings can be beautifully chaotic, and however frantic things become around me, I stay composed — often you won't even notice I'm there. One bride described me as "the calm among the storm," and it's stayed with me, because that's exactly how I like to work.
It's an approach built on a lifetime behind the camera. But more than experience, what I bring is this: I understand people, and I know what it takes to make anyone look — and feel — extraordinary. That's what I'll bring to your day.
“I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
– W.B. Yeats
Let's tell your story
Every wedding begins with a conversation. If you'd like to find out more, I'd love to hear from you — no pressure, no obligation, just a chance to talk about your day. I photograph across Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire, and I'm happy to travel wherever your day takes me.