Darth Marty Media was commissioned by the Diocese of St Davids to photograph a significant and historic occasion at St Davids Cathedral – the Accession Day service and the formal installation of the Right Reverend Dorrien Davies, Bishop of St Davids, as Dean of the newly established Royal Chaplaincy in Wales.

With representatives of the Royal Household, senior clergy, civic dignitaries and guests gathering at the Cathedral, there were naturally important ceremonial moments that simply had to be captured. From the processions into the Cathedral and the taking of the oath, to the installation itself, my first responsibility was to create a strong photographic record of an occasion that could never be repeated.

But, as is so often the case with my work, I found myself equally interested in everything happening around those moments. The anticipation before the service, conversations between guests, the extraordinary setting of St Davids Cathedral, small details of ceremonial dress and tradition, and the smiles, congratulations and considerably more relaxed exchanges once the formalities were over.

The resulting collection became about much more than documenting a ceremony. It was about the people, history and tradition behind it – and finding the human moments within an event carrying centuries of significance.

For me, that's where photography becomes particularly valuable. The formal photographs record what happened. The candid moments, expressions and details help tell the story of what it felt like to be there.