The Wedding of David & Alice

Each wedding has it’s own ‘signature’ ambience; that overall aire which – when you first walk into a room where the betrotheds guests have gathered – subtly informs you that this is a classy or happy or frenetic or tense or nervous affair, or, indeed, any combination of the aforementioned.
I don’t know where that sensing of things comes from? Maybe it’s just me; a perception I’m able to translate, or a certain sensitivity to the vibes being unwittingly transmitted by the assembly - but it works every time.
Now, being able to read the mood of a room can prove quite a handy talent when it comes to photographing the day itself; picking up on the ‘pulse’ of the wedding party and guests can help you strategise your interactions with them: do you project as funny, serious, laid-back, ultra-professional? One things for sure, if you don’t interpret the signs correctly, then you risk alienating yourself straight away and, while it can often prove difficult to tease guests ever so slightly out of their comfort zone in order to help you create unique pictures, getting on the wrong side of them from the start will make gaining their assistance at any stage almost impossible.
Fortunately, the number of positively charged gatherings I’ve attended far outweighs those which have emitted a negative atmosphere, and it’s always those positively charged gatherings which seed the best memories.
The wedding of David & Alice – which I shot recently – was the perfect example of where, from the moment the guests began to arrive, I could tell that I was to have the opportunity of shooting a really sweet and lovely event. A small group of whom were obviously very close family and friends of the Bride & Groom had gathered in the conservatory of the gorgeously appointed Cringletie House Hotel, near Peebles in the Scottish Borders. Among their number were those who obviously hadn’t had the opportunity to see each other for a long time and, amid the prevailing aire of expectancy, there was a buzz of hushed tones as old acquaintances were reaffirmed.
It may have been the action of my lifting the camera to my eye which signalled to the gathering that the Bride was entering the room, for the buzz of muted conversation quickly reduced to a respectful silence, only to be replaced by one or two appreciative ‘Ahhhhs’ as Alice glided through the room to take her place by the side of her betrothed.
The ceremony itself was very simple, but it was that very effortlessness with which David & Alice took the short journey from individuals, to married couple, that gifted the entire proceedings with such an unpretentious and lovely narrative.
Following the formalities, I was able to spend a little time with David & Alice on their own, and I hope the pictures I captured go some way to illustrate just how happy the couple were in both their own company, and in the company of a group of guests who were so obviously delighted to share the day with them.
I have to say, there’s nothing so lovely as a lovely wedding.

David & Alice

Brian & Sam's pre-Wedding shoot.

I had the great pleasure of welcoming newly betrothed West Lothian couple, Brian & Sam to the studio recently.

Brian popped the question to Sam at the end of last year and, since then, Sam’s thoughts have been focused on their July wedding. Now, with the date getting closer and closer, things are starting to move – a welcome distraction to all brides who have to suffer that becalmed period which seems to fall over everything when all the initial arrangements have been made and you’re then just waiting for things to start happening - in ‘real-time’ 

So, having previously booked in for my pre-wedding package, both Brian & Sam were keen to come to the studio – both for the shoot itself, and to chat about final arrangements for the wedding itself.

The primary reason for arranging the shoot was to capture a picture of Brian & Sam which could be displayed at the wedding reception venue. The picture is enlarged and printed at A3 size. It is then sent off to be professionally mounted. Then, on the day of the wedding, it will be set on an easel and family and friends are invited to add their signatures and best wishes to the couple.

While we are essentially looking for a very warm but informal image to display as a sort of 2D guest book, the secondary reason for staging the shoot is to have the opportunity to get back together with the couple again before the nuptials are performed.

Chatting with the couple about the wedding allows them to relax and feel at ease, and presents an excellent distraction for them as they contemplate their big day. It’s also a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other a bit better prior to the formalities of the day, when the opportunity to share a few words, a few laughs, and a bit of casual banter might not present itself again until after the ceremony is over, the formal pictures are captured and the cake is ceremoniously cut.

Fortunately, Brian and Sam are a fun-lovin’ couple; very at ease with themselves and, as such, the shoot itself went really well. We enjoyed a few cuppa’s while, in between sets, we fine tuned some of their ideas for the day in respect of the photography.

All that’s left to do now is for Brian & Sam to choose the picture they want to display at their wedding which, for all of us, can’t now come fast enough.

West Lothian Couple, Brian & Sam.

Fascinating stuff

I was fortunate enough to be asked to shoot a collection of fascinators and wedding accessories for Ritz nGlitz; a quality, high-end bridal gown and accessories outlet based in MidCalder.

The accessories - and especially the fascinators – were literally ‘fascinating’, while having the opportunity to work with – and light – such a fantastic collection of exquisite tiaras, necklaces and bracelets was a real pleasure.

Some of the resultant head and shoulders shots were used in a power-point slide which was displayed at the ‘Wedding Box’ wedding fayre held at Centrex, Livingston on Sunday 6th September.

Thanks to models Michelle and Rachael for being so patient with me, and to Make-up artist, Jade, whose skills made my photography look better than it might otherwise have.

Michelle & Rachael

Quick as a flash, eh?

My last few days have seen me with the nose to the grindstone as I printed a series of 31 x A4 prints.

You have to kinda steel yourself for a task as repetitive as that; you have to make sure your mindset is right and you have to be prepared to stay at it.

It took me around five hours to complete the series and, although I wept silently as I replaced empty ink cartridges one – one after another after another, or so it seemed – I did enjoy seeing the images transposed from electronic imagery to hard-copy prints. It’s a cathartic process that reminds me of developing my prints back in the good old back ‘n white days of yore; the cyclopic blinking of my Dad’s ‘Gnome’ enlarger with its excellent ‘Star’ lens, the rattle of the negative tray, the smell of the chemicals and, of course, watching the images materialise from out of the white paper. It’s not so different now … well, OK, I guess it is.

Things are a lot quicker now though, are they not? Or are they? The fact is, those images I spent all of yesterday printing were first consigned to digital ones n’ zero’s in the camera’s CF card way back in October of last year; a wedding I had originally been commissioned to cover at around this time last year!

As well as being a lovely couple, the bride and groom are also a busy pair and they only finally produced their list of wants just last week. In fact, yesterday marked four months to the day since I did the shoot. I have also to say that the full sum of the invoice was paid just a few weeks after the shoot, and that I have had further orders for reprints.

Isn’t it ironic though, how for all the ease of workload and speed of turnover in the digital age, we humans can still draw things out :)