Alan & Cheryl tie the knot.

I can occasionally be guilty of being a bit blasé about weddings; I attend a good few in any given year and, unfortunately, have found that they are not all blessed with the much vaunted hallmark of the ‘perfect day’.

There are many tell-tale signs that things are not quite going to follow the prescribed plan for the day: a Bride who has breached her stress threshold and will spend much of the day in tears; the broody bridesmaid who’s corsage has turned from pink to an almost fluorescent green; the best-man who hasn’t made up with the bride following the tongue-lashing he received when she took him to task for his disastrous handling of the Stag-night. And it’s not all down to individuals; there are, just occasionally, times when you can sense undercurrents of anxiety emanating from whole groups within the larger wedding party; that sort of thing is almost inevitable – it’s not every family that gets on, and occasionally, despite the best efforts of the Bride & Groom, the wedding can appear a little flat.

But, on the whole, weddings – by their very nature – create their own light, joyful ambience; an ambience which can get VERY decidedly lighter and a LOT more joyful as the afternoon turns to evening; the music gets faster, and the bubbly begins to flow.
At best the wedding day will be remembered as a happy, carefree event which exalts the coming together of two people whose love for each other is such that they feel compelled to declare a life-times commitment to one another before family and friends. Weddings are also supposed to be about dressing up in your best finery; about sharing a meal with your nearest & dearest and inviting your wider circle of friends to join with you in joyful celebration. So far as friends and family are concerned, a wedding offers the betrothed an opportunity (too seldom realised in the busy lives we lead these days) to call a gathering together of family members who might not have seen each other for months, or even years. At the very least, wedding are supposed to be about good, old fashioned, fun!

Well, I had the good fortune, recently, to be asked to shoot the wedding of Alan & Cheryl; an event that ticked all the right boxes.

My first stop of what I knew would be a full day was a visit to Alan at his parents house. Unceremoniously decanted from the comforts of his own hearth & home on the evening before by a soon-to-be-wife who was determined to observe long venerated matrimonial conventions, Alan was having trouble enough piecing together all the unfamiliar bits and pieces of his full highland dress, without having the cyclopic eye of the camera track his every move. But I’m nothing if not persistent.
Moving swiftly on, I then descended on that haven of peace & tranquillity which was the Bride-to-be’s house; a refuge from the terrifying contagion of Wedding Day fever –NOT!

At first it appeared as though some strange sort of I.E.D. packed with all the accoutrements of a wedding had gone off in the kitchen. However, as I picked my way carefully past shoes, shopping bags, boxes of flowers – as well as children, family members, make-up artists and hairdressers accessories - I was directed to enter the lounge. This was, apparently, the source of the primary explosion! Here, among the remnants of what I reasoned was probably a fine room – before the advent of the IED - I found a gorgeous bride whose ivory-white, beautifully detailed dress contrasted succinctly against the light, powder-pink gowns worn by her three lovely bridesmaids, only to be complemented, once again, by the shimmering white of three of the cutest little flower girls I’ve ever seen. Collectively, they made a stunning ensemble, and I quickly ran of a series of frames of what would – for me - become one of the ‘picture-moments’ of the day.
The nuptial ceremony was lovely: family & friends had gathered from far and wide to witness a sweetly understated affair where Alan & Cheryl’s relationship was turned from ‘partnership’ to ‘married couple’. I was especially touched by the fact that, during the service, Alan & Cheryl occasionally stole quick glances at each other, as though perhaps a little embarrassed by all the unfamiliar attention they'd brought upon themselves. Though not a word passed between them while they listened and, in their turn, responded to the official wedding narrative, those shared – almost comically clandestine - glances spoke volumes.

The weather conspired against the newlyweds when the first few glasses of bubbly were downed and it came time to capture the traditional wedding party pictures. Cheryl had chosen the gorgeously landscaped Kirkton Park as the backdrop to her wedding group pictures, and I was particularly looking forward to spending some time alone with Alan & Cheryl in order to capture some more intimate images in a number of excellent situations which the park provided. But the rain put a decided dampener on my artistic aspirations though, and we instead made straight for the wedding breakfast venue.

In 20 minutes I managed to construct a small ‘set’ in an unused, but well appointed room, where I then shot a collection of group and individual pictures. Before following the Bride & Groom through to the function hall where, before the wedding breakfast itself was served, the Best Man served a well chosen menu of quips – mainly at the expense of the groom himself.

I stayed in touch with Alan & Cheryl over the course of the next few weeks as they reviewed their pictures and chose the prints which, I hope, will always remind them of a great day spent with family & friends. And I have to admit that I was a little sad when it came time to wishing them farewell. Though I have a sneaky suspicion that I might get a call sometime in the not too distant future to shoot a family group; that would be something to look forward to :-)

Alan & Cheryl.

Young Model of 'my' Year Award

Having spent a number of years working in both youth and senior football, I can say that almost every 13 year old boy I ever met wanted to be a footballer. Now, having worked as a full-time photographer for the last few years, I find that almost every young girl I meet wants to be a model.
For most, it’s a pipe-dream born of being attracted to the perceived glamour depicted by countless tv shows. But, for others – and a fair number it has to be said – it’s more than a passing fad; it’s something they actively pursue.
So, it was a great pleasure for me to be introduced to Sian. Sian, wants to be a model, and so much so that, when her Dad asked what she’d like for her 9th Birthday, Sian opted for a photo-shoot.
As a photographer, it doesn’t really matter what age your models are, what really determines how successful - or not - a session will be, is the aptitude of the model; directing every detail of a shoot, from pose to presence to facial expression can make for a long, frustrating session. That wasn’t the outcome in this case though; Sian already had a repertoire of learned poses which she animated with just the right sort of looks and expressions. At 8 years and 364 days, this young lady showed real promise, and I’ve no doubt that she has a real chance of making it as a model – she certainly has the determination.

Sian

Little Princess Smiling Face.

Little Katie’s winning smile won me a bronze award from the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers when I entered her image into their August competition.

Katie is definitely one of the best models I’ve worked with this year; not only is she a beautiful, fun-filled wee person, but she has a smile that melts my heart.

Also, should I live so long, I’ll be able to blackmail her with these images when she’s 16; a cunning scenario which I’m also developing in respect of my own grandchildren (insert mad, cackling laughter).

Katie:

Rachael in white.

Young Rachael returned to the studio just recently to take part in a shoot for which I’d put together a white set; comprising a simple set-up of backgrounds, covered furniture and some silk flowers.

Rachael’s bright energy and terrific looks made the shoot ‘happen’ as usual, but the set was given some extra punch by make-up artist, Jade. This was the first time I’d had the pleasure of working with Jade and, of course, the first time Rachael had been professionally made-up for a shoot.

We did some ‘before & after’ images and the results were startling and, I have to say, the make-up actually drove the shoot to a certain extent.

Jade is now on my list of people I have to work with again and again and again.

Rachael:

.... and add a little glamour.

I recently had great pleasure in hosting a portrait shoot with the gorgeous Beth and stunning Justine.

There are times when being a photographer can prove a lonely, difficult and frustrating pursuit, and then there are times when girls like Justine & Beth come along for a shoot!

As well as adding a little glamour to the otherwise austere environs of the studio, they also set the place ringing with laughter. There was no way these girls were going to take themselves to seriously and we all had a great time during the shoot. For me, the afternoon passed just too quickly, but the girls had a schedule to keep so I tried to get as much as I could in the time allowed.

Ladies, I hope you’re pleased with the results, and do feel free to come back again soon. Please? :-)

Thanks girls:

The 'Cute' factor

Having made photography my profession – rather than my passion and pastime – I’ve had some insights into the more difficult aspects of the work; it’s quite technically challenging for a start: I no longer have license to pick and choose when and if I decide to shoot, it’s now a case of being where I have to be and then trying to grapple with any conflicts I might find – such as light and weather.

On the other hand, it does have its massively PLUS points, and two of those were presented to me just recently: Alana had commissioned me to take a passport sized picture of her daughter, Ruby. But what was a simple enough shoot (despite the latter technical trials and tribulations of getting the wee ones face to fit the very precise passport authority requirements) soon turned into a great fun session as Ruby’s inherent ‘cuteness’ forced me (with Mums permission) to shoot off another batch of pics.

Ruby had brought her friend Olivia along with her for company and that just pushed the ‘cute factor’ right off the scale.

Alana, Ruby & Olivia

What does WC Fields know ...........

W.C. Fields once – famously – said “Never work with animals or children”. But he was an actor and actors are often upstaged by children; kids tend to be more relaxed, more energetic and less likely to conform to the ‘artistic’ direction of the photographer or the sympathetic cajoling of the parents. On the upside, though, is the fact that photographing families in general – and kids in particular – is just great fun.

Woe betide the photographer who takes it all a bit too seriously; the children will NOT think too highly of his creative direction, nor are they likely to be much impressed by his attempts to ‘place’ them in the picture. I’ve found that the best way to deal with kids is just to let them do their own thing: they’re not going to sit still for long, so I try to make an art out of catching them on the move. Then again, I’m not a great advocate of families all sitting together and watching the birdie with a nice smile on their faces, I much prefer to see kids laughing – mostly at their own antics as they try their utmost to confound both photographer and parents.

This family fitted the bill perfectly: the eldest youngster was all over the studio and no amount of persuasion would get her to sit still for the camera. So we just allowed her to do her own thing until, eventually, she must have felt she was missing out on all the picture taking activity and got involved again. It was a fantastic shoot which I – and I hope the family – enjoyed. They were certainly delighted with the finished pictures.

Busy busy busy!

I’ve got lots to do at the moment, and the accumulation of tasks (and the prevailing weather) is keeping me indoors and denying me the opportunity to get out there and harvest some ‘Christmas Card’ images :(

My most time consuming task at the moment is printing off the prints order I received from Iain & Laura after I shot their wedding on 30th January; Laura says she’s delighted with the pictures, and has backed that up that sentiment with a very healthy order. I’ve also received further orders from Laura’s family; hence the fact that I don’t get to leave the house (or the printer, to be more precise) these days. It may sound as though I’m complaining but, in fact, I’m really enjoying revisiting the shoot and turning the electronic files into hard-copy existence; it was a lovely wedding (despite the weather) and Iain & Laura were favoured by the attendance of a very supportive family. And, besides, I just love weddings :)

I also had another shoot with young up-and-coming model, Rachael, last week, and I’m really pleased with the initial Raw-file images. But, rightly, Laura’s wedding portfolio takes precedence at the moment, so I’ll have to resist the urge to process the images from Rachael’s shoot for the moment.

Along with the photography side of things, I also have a comprehensive order of Wedding Stationary to prepare for Robert & Julie’s wedding in August, as well as an order of table place cards and other pictures to produce for an anniversary party taking place this weekend.

My new range of wedding stationary seems to be gathering some interest, but I’ve neglected the marketing side a bit over the last few (busy) weeks, so that task is another on my growing agenda.

Still to come, I have a family portrait shoot to undertake this weekend, and a wedding in March to prepare for. So, now that I think of it, I really shouldn’t be typing this entry – I’m far to busy! :)

Family Portraits

I recently had the pleasure of a undertaking a portrait session at my studio with Iain, Laura and little Keiran, a lovely family group from my native Livingston. Being asked to compose and capture family groups is something I really enjoy, and working with Iain and his family just augmented that view.

The session itself took just under two hours and as well as portrait shots with Mum and Dad, I also (with a little cajoling help from the parents) managed to get a great selection of shots of wee Keiran. The shoot makes up part of my wedding package in which I offer the betrothed a kind of ‘pre-nuptials’ shoot. In many instances the images from these shoots are incorporated in the couples wedding stationary – which has inspired me to begin creating my own range; further details coming soon.

I’ve already delivered Laura & Iain’s selection of shots from the shoot, and now I’m looking forward to Friday next when I’ll be covering their wedding.

What to do before dinner.

The great thing about the festive period is not knowing that you’re going to receive new presents but – and especially if you’re a parent or grandparent – it’s the certainty that your family are likely to make a welcome appearance.

At the turn of last year, my wife June and I had the pleasure of entertaining a host of family members for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, June (a staff nurse) was working right through the festivities – including Christmas Day – so the meal was delayed until 5pm. That did allow me to schedule some studio work with my youngest Son and two of my three Grandchildren.

There is a system to photographing children that I’ve found works almost everytime, though it’s a system that has to be carefully weighed against the characters of the kids themselves: first, it’s always best to have the studio set for the shot; if you spend too much time mucking around with lights, backdrops and props then the kids are going to get bored. Have it all set up and the kids love the new ‘game’ of getting their pics taken and the energy just flows. Secondly, they are going to get bored, so you have that time to try and capture some of the moodier – or less effervescent – portraits. And, once they get past the bored stage, they enter the frustrated stage – and the shoot is then over.

As for the adults, well, you can always blackmail them with extra helpings of the coming dinner.

Jodie & Duncan with Uncle David.

These are a few of my favourite things.

All photographers have their favourite subjects and projects. My own is probably still-life photography, in which I can - and often do - lose myself for hours on end; occasionally without even creating something I feel is worth printing. But I do love all the creative alchemy that goes into making - rather than taking - a picture.

Second on my list of favourites has to be family portraiture. I do love taking children's portraits and I can usually build a rapport with children very quickly - possibly 'cause I haven't grown up much myself in the last 50 years, and they can sense the 'Granpa' in me - and that's important when the subject is a wee bit shy. But, on a personal level, I enjoy shooting family groups more than individuals; the dynamics of a family are so easy to interpret, making the photographic capture all the easier to perform. Having a family group interacting with each other within the confines of a studio is a fantastic experience. The very fact that they are all together, usually dressed especially for the occasion but, at the same time, totally out of the comfort zones of the places they normally visit, means that they always seem to want to express themselves a little more: smiles come easily, jokes are told, laughter resounds off the walls. Really, all I have to do is just make sure the batteries don't run out on the equipment!

Such was the case recently when I had the fortune to work with Carolyn & Kenny and their daughters. The fact that I did little direction during the shoot is testament to the fact that they enjoyed the experience and that Carolyn got really involved; directing the latter part of the shoot herself in an effort to make sure that she got the pictures she wanted, rather than have me construct them for her. Such collaboration is always welcome; it makes for a far more productive shoot and, in consequence, a much more intimate and tailored portfolio of pictures.

Carolyn called after she received her prints to say that she loved them, and I think that her own participation in their creation made them more special to her. My only disappointment was that I didn't have more time to work with Kenny and his new daughter. The shots of them both together were taken at the end of a two hour sitting and the wee one was beginning to tire of all the activity. But I'd love to have them back again to take up where we left off.

Time

Where does the time go?

I keep blogging that I'm not as busy as I should be, but then I complain that there aren't enough hours in the day.

The last week has seen me trying (mostly) to keep up with the business of this business: writing back and forth to the Tax dept, debating with Scottish Power over what my bill should be for the very little time I've actually spent in the studio these last five months. This whole discussion was (I hope) brought to a close on Friday when the said electrical supply company realised they were trying to get me to pay for a seperate address! Such was their ineptitude (faxtored up to 10X by the inclusion of loads of misaddressed junk mail and debt-collectors FINAL NOTICE requests, that I have now opted to go with OPUS; they're a helluva lot cheaper and they seem to have my account in order.

Inbetween bouts of bee-like industry on a business level, I've also had the opportunity to take the camera outdoors on a couple of occasions. My poor 5D, 1st time I took the lens cap off the shutter 'squinted' - just not used to seeing daylight these last months.

My mate Sammy and I went to Lanarkshire on Saturday, hunting for some landscape stuff, but it was a waste of time. That area is pretty much flat as a pancake and, with the trees now almost totally denuded, there wasn't much to look at.

On Sunday I had the pleasure of welcoming Samantha, Brian and wee Megan to the studio. I'd had the fortune to get a 'materinity' session with Samantha - just days before she gave birth to the gorgeous wee Megan. Samantha and Brian liked those pics, so i was requested to follow on with a 'Family' shoot at the studio.

This evening I have Maggie Henderson and her Daughter at the studio. I haven't met them yet, but Maggie's daughter hopes to make it in modelling one day and she's asked me to help add some images to her growing portfolio and I'm looking forward to meeting them both later this evening.

Samantha, Brian & Megan

I'm as busy as I seem to be

I'm not as busy as I'd like to be - in a business sense, but I do have a knack of 'making' myself busy with what often seems like a proposterous amount of post-production on my Raw files.

This last week has proved the point: last Monday I was commissioned to do a group portrait for the Ferguson Family; a lovely couple with their gorgeous young daughters, Katie & Nicole. The shoot went very well and I had the opportunity to play - just a little - with the lighting set-up at the studio. Family portraits are usually fairly evenly lit, the subject being the main focus of the picture, but I did have the opportunity to work on just a little shadow detail and deeper DOF during the sitting. Most importantly, Mr. & Mrs. Ferguson enjoyed the results and I'm going to deliver the prints today.

On Saturday the studio was besieged by 13 year old Shannon and her Crew. Shannon was 13 years old on Saturday and she wanted a portrait taken with her friends: having eight 13 year olds (plus Mum and Brother) in the studio was a real test of the material integrity of the building - given all the high pitched squeels and ultra-loud giggling it was subjected to. On saying that, Shannon and the girls were excellent subjects and, being in the party mood, didn't have to be teased into offering beaming smiles. When they left me, they were going back to Shannon's house for a Chinese take-away followed by a couple of girlie-type films and then a sleep-over. What a brave Mother Shannon has!

So, this week has been full of Post production work; while it can be a bit laborious, I do take a lot of satisfaction from tweaking things until they seem just right. I'm currently waiting on young Shannon making her choices from the lowres files I produced. Once she and her mother have seen them, I'll post a few here.

Family Portraits

Are you interested in genealogy? I've traced my family tree back for generations. Unfortunately, the further back in time I go, the more frustrated I get with the information I gather; there is just so little of it! I have loads of dates: births, deaths, marriages, etc. But little which helps put flesh on the proverbial bones of my ancestors. I know they lived and died, but I wish I knew a bit more of what they did inbetween; what kind of people they were.

Occasionally, however, digging deep into the available information does allow you to unearth a diamond. I have got to know a few people who I am distantly related to over the last couple of years, and one especially, a second cousin whom I have sice met and now correspond with on a fairly regular basis.

Another distant relation I have only corresponded with over the net is a lad from Liverpool who is the descendent of my own grandmothers sister. We discussed a lot of bits and pieces and then we shared pictures, and I was presented with a picture of my Great Aunt and her husband. It was a great feeling to be able to actually 'See' someone who's few details I had already consigned to my rather dry genealogical database.

Anyway, where am I going with this? Well, the subject of my own genealogy always comes to mind when I get commissioned to do a family portrait. Such was the case yesterday when the Ferguson family joined me at my studio for a family shoot. As I spent this morning processing the Raw files, I wondered if one day - perhaps a hundred years from now - a relative of this family, hankering after some geneological enquiry, might come upon one or two of the prints I'll be asked to make from the files. Isn't that something! You'll probably think not but, consider this; of all the (over 400) reords I have of past generations of my own family. The one I feel closest too - of all those hundreds I haven't met - is my great Aunt; and only because I have her likeness to ponder.

The Ferguson family - now, and for history.