Commercial Raymond Jones Images

02/09/2026

The rule of thirds is a guide. Not a rule.

We’re taught the rule of thirds very early in photography. Divide the frame into nine sections, position important elements along the lines or intersections and apparently you’ve got yourself a stronger photograph.

There’s good reason for it. The idea has roots in principles of composition that existed in painting long before photography arrived. It can help us understand balance, space and where the eye travels through an image.

But here’s where I disagree with the way it’s sometimes taught.

Great photographers don’t walk around trying to fit the world onto a grid.

Look at this photograph. Put the rule-of-thirds grid over it and the main subject doesn’t obediently sit on one of those four magic intersections. Yet the composition works.

Why?

Because there’s far more going on than thirds. The sweep of the sea wall, the railings, the horizon, the negative space, the tonal contrast and the direction the person is looking all influence where your eye goes.

Composition is about relationships within the frame, not simply placing something on a line.

Learn the rule of thirds. Understand why it can work. Use it when it helps.

Then stop looking for the grid and start looking at the photograph.

Ray

Location: Broadstairs, Kent

01/09/2026

I don’t usually share my wedding photography here. In fact, I only advertise weddings on Instagram and deliberately limit myself to just 10 weddings a year.

But today I’m making an exception, because this particular wedding has become a little piece of Chester history.

Kayley had always dreamed of getting married at The Chester Grosvenor. On 30 August, that dream came true when she married John.

With the historic hotel due to close at the end of September, Kayley and John will be among the final couples to celebrate their wedding there.

I had the privilege of photographing their day, including this wonderful moment as Kayley arrived at the hotel, knowing these photographs would document the closing chapter of such an important Chester landmark.

So, for once, I’m bringing one of my weddings over from Instagram.

Here’s the story of Kayley and John Stubbs’ wedding at The Chester Grosvenor, and why these photographs now mean just a little bit more.

Ray

Some wedding photographs become more significant with time. On 30 August , I photographed the wedding of Kayley and John Stubbs at The Chester Grosvenor .

01/09/2026

Your Body Changes Your Voice

If you’re learning to create your own videos and voiceovers, here’s a simple tip that can make a big difference: stand up when you record.

The voiceover you can hear on this video is me talking about photographing before sunrise. What you can’t see is what I’m doing while I record it. I’m standing up, using my hands, making facial expressions, pausing and changing my pace as I speak. You can’t see any of that, but you can hear it.

Your voice is affected by what your body is doing. Sit hunched over trying to read every word perfectly and your delivery can easily become flat. Instead, stand up, use your hands and your face, and talk as though one person is standing in front of you. Forget for a moment that nobody can actually see you.

And don’t put all your energy into trying to sound confident. Concentrate on sounding interested in what you’re talking about. That’s one of the things I teach people when helping them become more comfortable creating their own video content and voiceovers.

The camera might not see your body, but the microphone hears it.

Ray

01/09/2026

I know from running my own photography business just how much support can mean. Some of my best opportunities haven’t come from thousands of views, but because someone remembered me, mentioned my name or recommended me.

Support your creative friends the way you support celebrities who don’t even know you exist.

We happily follow famous people, share their work and tell others how brilliant they are. Yet there are talented photographers, artists, musicians, makers and other creatives within our own circles trying to make a living from what they do.

Supporting them doesn’t have to mean spending money. Share their work, recommend them or simply mention their name when someone needs what they offer.

Sometimes one genuine recommendation is worth more than thousands of likes.

Ray

Symphonic Sound

31/08/2026

I’ve completed my Toastmasters Club Leadership Training for my role as Vice President Public Relations.

One thing the training reinforced for me is that good PR isn’t simply about posting regularly on social media.

It’s about making the club visible.

It’s about showing people what actually happens inside a Toastmasters meeting, sharing the experiences of our members and making that first visit feel a little less daunting.

I’ve also completed the Creating a Quality Club and Creating a Healthy Club Environment modules, because attracting people to a club is only half the job. The experience they have when they arrive matters just as much.

As VP Public Relations, that’s what I want our communications to do: not just tell people that Toastmasters exists, but show them why they might want to be part of it.

Now the challenge is putting the training into practice.

Ray

Chester Speaking Club

31/08/2026

“Likes might get you noticed. Trust, relevance and great photography get you booked.”

Ray

30/08/2026

I tell stories with images.

I photograph no more than ten weddings each year, which is why I value every one of them even more and I rarely share my images except on my website.

Photographing one of the final weddings at The Chester Grosvenor felt like documenting a small piece of history.

I loved this composition. From above, I could see lots of little stories unfolding within one frame. Conversations, gestures, children and guests gathering together.

Nothing was arranged. I simply noticed the scene and captured it.

Wedding photography is not only about photographing the couple. It is about observing everything happening around them and preserving how the day really felt.

Soon, scenes like this will become part of the history of this remarkable hotel.

Ray

29/08/2026

At Toastmasters, we have a part of the meeting called Table Topics, where we answer unexpected questions completely spontaneously.

We also run Table Topics in our WhatsApp group. This week’s question was:

“If you could teleport anywhere in the world to eat, where would you go?”

Here’s my answer!

Ray

Chester Speaking Club

29/08/2026

Blue is not the obvious choice for food photography, but that is precisely why it works here.

The rich colour frames the plate, while the clean white space allows every element of the dish to breathe.

Good food photography is not simply about recording what the chef has created. It is about using light, colour and composition to make someone stop, look and wonder what it tastes like.

The food remains the hero, but the setting gives it character.

27/08/2026

What recording myself taught me about public speaking.

My public speaking journey.

My public speaking journey has taught me that my internal monologue is not always a reliable witness.

When I finish speaking, it tells me I sounded nervous, looked uncomfortable or didn’t do as well as I could have.

But when I watch the recording, I often see something completely different.

I see someone calmer, clearer and more confident than I felt at the time.

Recording myself allows me to experience my speech as the audience did, without the running commentary in my head telling me lies.

In this video, I talk about what that has taught me while speed editing one of my fine art horse portraits.

The critical voice is still there. I’m simply learning not to believe everything it says.

Ray