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Canon Europe's Ambassador Programme is a partnership with some of the world's greatest photographers, who are masters of their craft and who share Canon's desire to convey a passion for powerful pictures. Jeff Ascough describes his work as being more street or documentary than wedding photography. He has transferred his passion for photojournalism and documentary work to wedding days with fantastic results. Composition is particularly important in your photos. Is that a conscious decision?
My eye is usually attracted to something which I think will make a nice photograph, and then my conscious mind takes over in terms of putting that photograph together. Composition and light are the two things I will look at first. Are there particular rules of composition you follow?
Not really. I just put together images that are pleasing to my eye. I think how an image is composed is a huge factor in a photographer's style, and I've never really tried to follow too many rules. I do have a tendency to fill a composition with lines and shapes, and often find myself placing the main subject on the third of the frame. Do you scout out venues beforehand?
No. I have never felt the need to scout a venue. I much prefer to go into a wedding with an open mind and see where that takes me. 
© Jeff Ascough. Canon Ambassador
Shot on EOS 5D Mark II; EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, Exposure 1/125, f/2.8, ISO 1600
Why did you choose black & white for this shot?
I wanted to concentrate on the boys in the foreground, and also to accentuate the shape of the door. Stripping the colour away helps to do this. Do you shoot in colour and convert to black & white in post processing?
I shoot everything in colour but the decision to convert to black & white is largely taken at the time of exposure. I tend to compose a shot differently when I know it will be in black & white. With black & white I tend to use lines and shapes a lot in the composition more than I do with colour. I'm also likely to take more risks with the lighting than I will with colour. The groom and the church door are the two subjects. Did you try the door as the focal point?
The church door is an important part of the storytelling, but my focus was definitely on the boys. The shapes around the door where good and didn't need to be in focus. I didn't try the shot the other way around.
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