I’m Gavin Chapman. In 2024 I moved to Bordeaux, from London, with my wife Julie, our twin boys, and too many cameras to be considered light packing. I’d spent years in corporate roles the kind with long meetings and short weekends but I always came back to photography. This was the right time to give it the focus it deserved.
Now I photograph weddings for people who want to have fun and have it done properly. Not over-directed or turned into a show. Just a clear eye on what matters, and someone who knows how to get it down without getting in the way.
I’ll help when it helps. I’ll ask about the timeline, the light, the people who matter. Then I’ll keep an eye on the room and let the day play out. You won’t need to perform but you will need a sense of humour! But later, when the gallery lands, you’ll see I was right where I needed to be.
This move to France wasn’t just a lifestyle shift it was a reset. Something my boys could grow up watching. Their dad doing something he loves, and doing it very well.
Couples often say the same thing afterwards that they loved working with me, and they trusted me from the start. That matters more than anything else. It’s your day. You should feel good with the people you’ve got around you.
About Gavin Chapman Bordeaux Wedding Photographer & SW France
A Life of Photography & Travel
I’ve been into photography since I got my first 35mm camera. It started with travel not for the landmarks, but for the food. I’ve planned whole trips around street eats in Hanoi, roti canai in Kuala Lumpur, butter chicken in Amritsar, and chilli crab in Singapore. The food gave me a reason to walk there first and so i may aswell bring the camera
Over the years I’ve photographed across India, Southeast Asia, parts of Africa, and around Europe. Those trips taught me to work with what I had, stay patient, and notice what most people miss. That way of working has stayed with me.
At weddings, I bring the same mindset. I read the room, keep pace with the day, and step in when it actually helps. I’m not there to perform just to do the job properly and stay out of the way of the real stuff.
Not sure how to choose a wedding photographer? I wrote a quick guide to help you figure out what actually matters — especially if you’re planning from overseas.
Why i love film
Film’s not about being different for the sake of it. It’s about slowing down, thinking a bit more, and trusting your eye. You don’t fire off a hundred frames and hope for the best. You wait, you look and then you commit. And with the price of film you have too!
I still shoot 35mm and medium format alongside my digital kit. Not all day, and not to be clever just when it fits. It changes the pace in a good way. Couples can feel the shift, and so can I.
The end result isn’t a filter or a preset. It’s something that’s built into the process. The grain, the colour, the feel it all comes from the way it’s shot. There’s no way to fake it. And for the right parts of the day, it adds something digital just doesn’t.
Looking for Real, Unstaged Moments?
What sticks with me after a wedding isn’t the styling or the flowers. It’s someone trying not to cry during the speeches. It’s the kid asleep under a table. It’s your mate handing you a drink with a look that says everything.
That’s the kind of stuff I notice and the things that actually mean something. You can’t plan them and you can’t fake them but they’re always there if you’re paying attention.
I shoot quietly, but I don’t drift through the day. I keep close to what matters and stay ready when it counts. Some of the best images are the ones no one sees being taken. That’s the aim and give me a shout if that sounds good to you.
