About me
For as long as I remember I have had a strong passion for photography, picking up the camera and
annoying family members with my numerous photos.
In 2009 I was lucky enough to travel around the world, and really expand my photography portfolio.
Being away from home for nearly a year and living abroad allowed me to meet some amazing people and have some fantastic experiences that have made me who I am today.
After this I was hooked with the travel bug, and in 2010 managed to find a job working on-board a cruise ship as a photographer for 7 months, which was ideal, allowing me to travel more with my camera. This was a huge eye opener and probably the hardest i have ever worked with huge highs and lows. But again i met some inspirational people on my travels, who were my family on-board. I got to travel to over 20 different countries in this short time, some of my favourites places including Venice (you can never take too many photos of a Gondola in my eyes!), Norway and New York. I also had the pleasure of photographing the Queen as she christened one of the new ships I was working on.
Since I have been back on dry land, I have worked in a family portrait studio – more locally this time, which allowed me to experience a new type of photography and client (most being not old enough to walk yet) And then in 2011 I set up on my own, combining all of my experiences and being able to express and dedicate all of my time to photography even more.
I specialise in Weddings, family portraits and event photography, and thrive of capturing those special moments between people and creating images that stay with people forever.
Please feel free to give me a call or email if you wish to discuss anything further and if you would like to work out how we can capture your special moments.
Some lovely words from some of my beautiful Bride and Grooms from the last few years...
Testimonials
Michael and Harriett
8th June 2019, Wethele Manor, Weston-under-Wetherley
I had known Sam previously for her work so knew that she was the right person to photograph our wedding; she did not disappoint. Sam captured our day perfectly. Harriett and I were so impressed by her professionalism both in her manner and in the quality of the photos she took. Even though the weather on the day wasn't the best, her photos were really vivid and vibrant. Her candid style meant that she captured the perfect moments as they happened. We were never entirely sure where she was at any given moment and she managed to photograph some wonderful shots; some of pure happiness, others of sheer comedy!
After the wedding Sam processed the photos really quickly and we were able to share them with our friends and family whom were aching to see them.
We would recommend Sam to anyone for their special day!
Jodie and Steve
6th July 2018, The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells
We had our wedding at the Spa hotel on 6th July 2018 and Sam was our photographer for the day, she made us both feel comfortable and relaxed when we first met with her, it was like speaking with a friend, we only met with Sam as we had other people booked in but decided straight off she was our photographer! She had also worked at our venue before and mentioned some places to do photos and made us feel we were in safe hands. On our other communications and meeting she was great and helped us with our timeline for the day. On the morning of our wedding she made me feel so happy and relaxed taking pics of my dress shoes and me having my make up done, she even helped zip my corset part of my dress up!
She was everywhere in the background doing her thing, captured some lovely moments of our littlest who’s a fidget pants! Some family and friends thought she was a local friend as I had some other friends doing things like flowers make up on the day. Thank you very much sam for being organised and making us feel relaxed on the day, thanks for staying later too just to capture every last moment, we’ve seen some great pics alrady and we look forward to seeing the rest!
Thank you, Jodie and Steve xxxx
Aimee and Mase
2nd July 2016, Woods, Tunbridge Wells
I am a company director, mother to a delightful-yet crazy toddler, and I am also not the biggest fan of the camera... For me, Sam ticked every single box as our wedding photographer for our summer wedding this year (and also added a few of her own!). To work with, Sam is the complete professional, organised, communicating everything to a 'T', completely taking control of every situation (not easy with my rabble of guests after a prosecco or two!). Most importantly I feel it was her care and understanding of my husband and I as a couple that really delivered and came across in the photographs.
Sam captured every single moment (really did not need the videographer after all! - this was my first thought on viewing the photo's). What really sets Sam apart is her ability to take control of what is a very hectic (and stressful) day, also whilst completely slipping under the radar! I honestly believe that my guests would think she was good friend of mine, and a guest herself, due to her personable nature.
However, what I will never be able to repay Sam for, is she actually saved the day when I was having the ultimate dress dilemma, losing the back panel of my dress, with minutes to spare! Ever calm, lets just say Sam solved the issue, and my photo's (and dress), are in a league of their own.
Sara and Craig
18th June 2016, Ashdown Park Hotel
Sam is a truly fantastic photographer who captured our day so naturally as it unfolded.
She is very professional and unobtrusive while getting all the shots I wanted, on occasions I wasn't aware she was there which makes the photos even better.
We are thrilled with our photos, they are beautiful and extremely high quality.
I would not have wanted anybody else there on our special day and would recommend her to anybody needing a wedding photographer.
Laura and Ben
6th June 2015, The Bell, Ticehurst
When we got engaged we went out to find a photographer, neither of us like having our picture taken so we wanted someone that would take lots of natural pictures of the day how it was happening. Well, we did not have to look for long! We came across Sam’s website by searching for local photographers, we loved the look and style of her photography so booked a meeting in with Sam instantly. Within 5 minutes of meeting Sam we both knew she was going to be our photographer! Sam is very easy to talk to and she understood our brief instantly, nothing was too much trouble. Sam kept in touch throughout the lead up to the wedding and went above and beyond her duties helping us with our order of day. On the day Sam was a cool calm and collected presence, there was no waiting around for photos, she seamlessly captured our entire day from start to finish. Sam had our pictures with us within a month which we were overjoyed with. I haven’t stopped recommending Sam to everyone I know (whether they are getting married or not) and will continue to do so!
Fern and Pete
30th May 2015, Penshurst Place
We were extremely pleased with the service we received from Sam right from our first meeting. She was very organised and had lots of questions for us that we hadn't even thought about, which really made us think about the structure of our wedding day and can only have added to how smoothly it all went. We were impressed with how she managed to get everyone to pose and how she blended into the background so easily that you didn't realise she was there snapping away and getting lovely natural and relaxed shots of our friends and family. Overall we are both delighted with the photographs that Sam has taken and would highly recommend her to any one in need of a great photographer.
Kirstie and Harry
20th May 2015, Cooling Castle
We are so pleased to have booked Sam as our photographer for our special day. Sam made the whole process so enjoyable and easy from guiding us through what photos were to be taken to designing the spectacular album. On the wedding day Sam was so dedicated to ensuring that all the special moments were captured so that we can treasure them forever. The amazing photos were also available so promptly to show off to all our family and friends.
Becky and Tim
8th May 2015, Swallows Oast, Ticehurst
We knew from our first meet with Sam that we wanted her to be our wedding photographer. My husband isn't the most natural in front of the camera so it was important for us to have someone we felt at ease with, and we certainly were with Sam.
We had looked on Sam's website prior to meeting and the photographs were stunning, capturing real moments throughout the day; expressions and emotions at their best.
We had few staged photos planned so on the day Sam mingled with the guests, blended in and captured relaxed shots.
The post wedding details are also carried out with care and dedication, with personal touches throughout. The photos and wedding albums are delivered fast and presented beautifully, it really extends the excitement of your wedding and helps combat back to reality blues!
I would recommend Sam to everyone! She's a talented and friendly addition to your wedding day
Charlotte and Julian
20th September 2014, St Julians Club, Sevenoaks
We chose Sam Yardley to be the photographer for our wedding day as we felt the portfolio of photos that she had taken for other couples really captured the story of their day perfectly. We really wanted a reportage feel to our photos, as well as the more traditional shots and we were confident that Sam could deliver for us.
We had a wonderful wedding day and we felt that the photos Sam took really showed this. We never felt that Sam was intrusive in any way and she managed to capture the little moments that were significant throughout the day, giving us some really special images that we will treasure well in to our old age.
We would highly recommend Sam Yardley as a wedding photographer. She is personable, professional and very talented.
Laura and Mark
10th May 2014, Nettlestead Place
Hiring Sam as our wedding photographer was one of the best decisions we made for our big day. From the first email correspondence, the meet up over coffee to look through her portfolio and then the subsequent meetings to finalise what shots we wanted on the day, was all an absolute pleasure. Sam is nothing less than professional at all times, but also warm, friendly and accommodating. On the morning of the wedding she arrived on time and joined in with the fun, taking some great snaps of me and the girls getting ready. She was so discreet and took pictures I hadn't even realised she'd taken; beautiful ones of my bridesmaids laughing and joking, my brothers causing mayhem as they arrived to drop off the wedding flowers, and some touching glances between my mother and I.
I've been a guest at weddings where the group shots have taken ages and we've been left hanging around. Sam was a master of timing and got all the shots we wanted in record time, allowing us to enjoy our drinks and canapé reception with our guests. This was so important as the day went so quickly it enabled us to enjoy it as much as possible, but still get all the important pictures with family and friends that we wanted.
I was concerned about the May forecast: sun, showers, gusty wind, clouds, but Sam thought on her feet and we managed to get pictures throughout the day that captured the whole weather system! Sam even shot some beautiful pictures of Mark and I under a rainbow, which summed up the day perfectly.
The package we chose included a highlights DVD of a selection of photos set to music. When Mark and I watched this for the first time we both had tears in our eyes! Sam had selected a sequence of photos from throughout the day that told the story of our wedding and set it perfectly to a beautiful song. I hadn't expected this and it was a wonderful surprise.
We were especially thrilled with all the pictures of us in the grounds of the wedding venue as they captured the stunning vibrant colours of the spring blooms and trees. Despite the unpredictable weather, May is our favourite time of year and Sam's photographs highlighted the beautiful Spring scene of our day.
We upgraded to the Bellissimo photo album in the end and are so pleased we did. Sam spent time with Mark and I going through the album page by page, as we chose our favourite pictures to include (this was so hard as we had some many to chose from!). Sam was so patient with us as we changed our mind a few times before we finally got it right. We are over the moon with the finished album.
We really were so pleased to have Sam be part of our wedding and I would highly recommend her to any bride and groom struggling to make a decision! She's a wonderful photographer and just a lovely, relaxing person to be around on what can be a highly strung day!
Christina and Rob
12th April 2014, Crowborough
I don’t think it is possible to be more grateful or more impressed with the photography service Sam provided for our wedding. From the initial look at her sample of work, to our first meeting, Sam really stood out from other photographers. She listened carefully to our wishes, made sure she was fully prepared for the day and her professionalism made us feel completely confident in our choice.
Her ability to catch spontaneous moments from the right angle and in focus is truly admirable. We are thrilled with our wedding album, which shows just how talented Sam is at capturing the most intimate and heartwarming moments, whilst never interrupting them. We were amazed at just how well her pictures tell a story, showing the real and varied emotions of our special day.
Sam’s efforts went way beyond our big day and she spent several hours with us editing and perfecting our wedding album. This was far above what we were expecting and shows just how committed she is to her work and her customers.
Chloe and Ross
4th May 2013, Finchcocks
As any Bride has when they are planning their wedding I had certain requirements in mind. One of my most important was my photographer, this person is going to capture your special day for you, spend some serious time with you at your most vulnerable, emotional and tense time of your life. It sounds a little serious I know but for me I had to have someone who would not only capture the right images but also be a sensitive person for me on the day and not to be too intrusive. I can sincerely say Sam exceeded all expectations, she not only has the most amazing talent but she is someone I was more than happy to share our day with. She was so sensitive to our needs and has the most wonderful considerate approach to how she captures your day, it was truly like having a friend with us not just for the day but for the lead up to the day and after. Her enthusiasm and nature is wonderful, one of my lasting memories of the day was when I was waiting to go into the service I was beyond scared and nervous and one reassuring look from Sam and I knew all would be well. We have the most wonderful treasured photographs of the day and we really can’t thank Sam enough we feel so lucky to have found her.
Angie and Martin
22nd June 2012, The Star and Eagle, Goudhurst
I would like to thank our photographer Samantha Yardley for making the memories of our special day last even longer. We had originally been recommended Sam's services through my sister in law who had met Sam at a children's birthday party. My sister in law mentioned that not only was she a very good photographer but she was also a very kind and caring person who put clients needs first.
On our wedding day Sam was very professional and discreet in developing some excellent memories for us. Sam worked extremely hard starting at 8:30am where I was preparing my big day and not finishing until 9:30pm when the evening reception/party was already in full flow. During the day Sam managed to capture some great moments and expressions of happiness displayed not only by my husband and I but also by our family and friends.
Sam worked very hard at making sure all the photos we wanted developing were captured. Not only that every part of our day from the moment I put my wedding dress on to our first dance was not missed. Sam worked hard at capturing every detail of our wedding from the small things like the different flowers we used at the church and wedding breakfast to us smiling at each other saying our wedding vows.
I would definitely use Sam again and recommend Sam to other people for their big day or other special occasions. Finally if you are looking for a photographer who will not only work extremely hard for you but also cater for all your needs then please do consider Sam Yardley as your future photographer.
Sophie and Rob
24th March 2012, Pelham House, Lewes
Sam made myself and my husband, who are not fans of cameras, very calm and comfortable when having our picture taken on our wedding day. She didn't take over, which some photographers can do and just blended in with our guests rather than making everyone conscious of her being around, we had comments from our guests about how professional she was. The pictures we ended up with were fantastic, everyone was smiling and relaxed and we are thrilled with them.
She didn't over charge us and gave us all the photos on CD which a lot of other wedding photographers charge a fortune for.
I have recommended Sam to all friends that are planning weddings and we were so pleased with our wedding pictures that we booked her to do our children's christening and a family photo shoot so she's been involved in a lot of our family occasions and we wouldn't hesitate to use her again.
Suzy and James
16th May 2015, Hotel Du Vin, Tunbridge Wells
Sam was highly recommended to us by the lady who created our new joint account at a local bank when we mentioned (by chance) that we were getting married. We were pleased to have found such a positive and personal recommendation in the local area, especially as we had not been living in Tunbridge Wells very long.
We were not disappointed. James and I felt an instant bond with Sam as soon as we sat down to talk at our wedding venue. She had suggested that we meet there for an initial discussion, showing an immediate interest in our choice. We both really enjoyed our first meeting with Sam and felt very comfortable with her. She was friendly and relaxed.
As our plans progressed, we both found it useful talking through with Sam what she could offer us on the day and afterwards for our budget. Talking through the logistics of our day with Sam was the first time we saw our day ‘come to life’ and I became quite emotional and teary! Sam was really kind and supportive and almost shared a tear with me, which I found reassuring and compassionate. Sam had recently got married herself so she was a great source of advice and she totally understood our hopes and fears about the day.
In fact, I found Sam to be a reassuring constant throughout our whole wedding day. She blended into the background when necessary and came to the forefront when needed. Due to my nerves, I found myself asking her what I should be doing next and she gently steered me in the right direction, which I was grateful for.
Sam was flexible throughout the day and was happy to try and incorporate shots that we hadn’t planned in advance, and ensured that she captured any special shots that we had requested. We were astounded by the shapes and poses into which she could contort herself to get the right shot! She even unexpectedly ventured up into one of the hotel rooms to take an aerial shot of the entire wedding party from a top window! Sam checked whether there were any further shots we wanted before she left so we were able to capture a few unplanned shots of late arrivals at the evening reception.
We were so pleased with the package we received from Sam. Our photo CDs were in a lovely CD case with our names and our wedding date on the front, beautifully wrapped with tissue paper and a gift bag. We had some printed copies of the highlights too, a highlights CD, low resolution copies, and some small cards that allowed us to share the link to the online gallery with family and friends. The quality of the photographs is fantastic! We really love the sharpness, the angles, the colour, the moments captured. The photos show plenty of emotion and laughter. I particularly like the shots where Sam has captured the day through the guest’s smartphones - they are really clever shots. James has a keen interest in design and he loved the printed albums that Sam offers, so we chose to buy the biggest version! I particularly loved the much smaller versions of the album, as I will be able to carry one around in my handbag and show anyone I can (and also purchase some as gifts for family and friends).
Sam has been extremely patient with our delayed correspondence since the wedding whilst we have moved and started decorating our new house. We both feel that the whole experience with Sam has been excellent, and I personally hope to stay in touch with her, as not only is she a brilliant photographer, but a really friendly and fun person too. I imagine this must be an occupational hazard for her!
Lisa and Daniel
28th August 2021, High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells
Sam was absolutely fantastic from start to finish and I truly couldn’t recommend her enough.
From the morning to where she helped out with the bridesmaids getting ready and helping me into my dress, to staying with us throughout the day and late into the evening to make sure she captured all of the special moments.
Sam made us feel so comfortable and at ease and was happy to capture anything that we asked for, plus more.
I cannot wait too see the final pictures as I know they will be amazing and provide us with great memories of a fantastic day.