Yana Skakun
Journal
Photography Blog
Tips, guides, venue spotlights and behind-the-scenes stories from my photography sessions across England.
Venue Spotlights
1 April 2026·7 min read
Layer Marney Tower: Essex's Most Spectacular Wedding Venue
Layer Marney Tower near Colchester is the tallest Tudor gatehouse in England — a red-brick Tudor fantasy of terracotta ornament, heraldic beasts, and soaring octagonal turrets, with house, gardens, and church all within a few hundred metres. A complete guide to Layer Marney Tower weddings.
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Venue Spotlights
1 April 2026·8 min read
Weddings in Colchester: England's Oldest Recorded Town
Colchester claims to be England's oldest recorded town — a Roman legionary fortress, Norman castle, medieval walls, and a ring of extraordinary wedding venues including Layer Marney Tower, Prested Hall, and the Siege House. A guide to wedding photography in Colchester.
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Venue Spotlights
1 April 2026·8 min read
Wedding Photography in Chelmsford and Mid-Essex
Chelmsford is Essex's cathedral city — a thriving county town with a splendid 15th-century cathedral, the Shire Hall, and a ring of outstanding wedding venues across the mid-Essex countryside. A complete photographer's guide to weddings in and around Chelmsford.
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Venue Spotlights
1 April 2026·10 min read
Beautiful Wedding Venues in Essex (2026 Guide)
Essex has some of England's finest and most diverse wedding venues — Leez Priory's Tudor priory ruins, Gaynes Park's flint barn, Reid Rooms' contemporary conversion, New Hall's Tudor manor, and Gosfield Hall's Palladian grandeur. A photographer's complete guide.
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Venue Spotlights
1 April 2026·6 min read
Grafham Water Wedding Photography: Open Water, Big Sky & Golden Sunsets
Grafham Water is Cambridgeshire's largest reservoir and one of its most underused photography locations — five miles of waterside path, mature woodland, open water that mirrors the sky, and some of the finest sunset light in East Anglia. Perfect for couples who love wide-open spaces.
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Venue Spotlights
1 April 2026·7 min read
Godmanchester Wedding Photography: Chinese Bridge, Island Hall & Portholme Meadow
Godmanchester is one of Cambridgeshire's most photogenic towns — medieval streets, the iconic Chinese Bridge, the Georgian grandeur of Island Hall, and Portholme Meadow (the largest water meadow in England). An outstanding setting for wedding and engagement photography.
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Wedding Tips
1 April 2026·7 min read
Getting Married in Huntingdon: Civil Ceremonies & Riverside Portraits
Huntingdon is Cambridgeshire's county town and Oliver Cromwell's birthplace — a market town with medieval character, immediate access to the Great Ouse riverbank, and proximity to some extraordinary portrait locations including Hemingford Grey, Godmanchester, and Grafham Water.
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Destination Weddings
1 April 2026·7 min read
Florence Wedding Photography: Duomo, Boboli Gardens and the Ponte Vecchio
Florence is the centre of the Italian Renaissance — a city built for proportion and beauty. A guide to the finest wedding photography locations across the city, from the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo and the Boboli Gardens.
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Family Tips
1 April 2026·9 min read
What to Wear for a Cake Smash Session: Parents & Siblings Guide
A cake smash celebrates your baby's first birthday. What parents and siblings wear matters more than you'd think — a complete practical guide to coordinating your session outfits.
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Photography Tips
31 March 2026·6 min read
Photography and Self-Confidence: How a Session Can Change How You See Yourself
Many people who book a portrait session describe it as one of the most confidence-changing experiences they've ever had. The act of being seen — really seen — by a camera and a photographer who makes you feel safe is genuinely transformative for many clients.
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Engagement
31 March 2026·6 min read
Couples Photography: Beyond the Wedding Day
Couples photography doesn't start and end with the wedding. Engagement sessions, anniversary shoots, and spontaneous 'just because' sessions document your relationship as it actually unfolds — and many couples say these unscheduled portraits mean more than the wedding photos.
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Photography Tips
31 March 2026·5 min read
Rain Photography: Beautiful Portraits in Bad Weather
Rain creates textures, reflections and moods that clear skies can't — moody puddle reflections, misty backgrounds, and that extraordinary quality of diffuse overcast light. How to use wet weather to your advantage for strikingly atmospheric portraits.
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Photography Blog — Tips, Guides & Inspiration
Welcome to the photography blog by Yana Skakun — a professional photographer based in Cambridge, England. This journal covers everything from practical wedding planning guides and engagement session advice to family photoshoot tips, newborn photography guides, portrait session prep, and venue spotlights across Cambridgeshire, London, and East England.
Whether you're a couple planning your wedding, a family getting ready for a seasonal portrait session, or a professional preparing for a headshot shoot — you'll find honest, experience-based advice here. Every article is written from real sessions and years of capturing life's most meaningful moments across England.