Wedding Days

Here are some images from another of the weddings I had the great pleasure of being invited to capture last year; that of Stacey & Gordan Roberts which took place at the start of September.

Incredibly enough, despite the monsoon weather we had to bare over the summer months, this was the first wedding of the year at which it rained. While that might normally have blighted the prospects for the day, this turned out to be one of the best weddings I attended: the families were so enthused on the day and that positivity just seemed to infuse the guests almost as much as the rain infused the clothes of all as they arrived at the venue - an exquisitely appointed church in Coatbridge.

Happy times:

Sunset over Blackness

With the weather still seeming a little hesitant about being nudged over from spring to a full-blown summer (if that actually materializes this year) and with huge fleets of clouds still sailing through otherwise gorgeously crystal clear-blue skies, I packed my gear into the car a few evenings ago and went out to search for some picturesque sunsets.

The coast always seems to provide rich-bounty for sunset seekers and so I drove over to Blackness and set up a tripod on the boat-club jetty; you’re not actually supposed to use the jetty without authorisation, but a combination of facts – a/ there was no-one about and b/ the view looking West along the Forth was spectacular – led me to risk life, limb and the displeasure of any happen-along boat-club members for the noble pursuit of collecting rich, photographic images.

I feel it was worth the risks :) The sunset was spectacular; a picture postcard comprising a sky of brilliant blues, guilded with deep ochre’s, ambers, reds and gold’s all set above a tranquil seascape which both drank in the light in it’s darker areas and, mirror-like, refracted the deepest gold hues and scattered them across the jetty and nearby shores where it skipped off the surface of the water. Best of all, the entire scene was being presented like a limitless slide show: each press of the shutter release produced an entirely new picture as the sun, sinking in the darkening blue skies, conspired with the flotilla of slowly drifting clouds to create the most dynamic, constantly evolving landscapes.

I hope I’ve given them some justice in these two dimensional offerings:

Make pictures while the sun shines.

Hasn't the weather of the last few days been stunning?

So gorgeous was it, yesterday, that having the day pretty much to myself, I decided to take a walk in one of my favourite corners of West Lothian, Beecraigs Country Park.

I got there pretty early and left my motor alongside three others which were already there in the Balvormie Car Park. I then got my gear together - stripping most of the extra lenses and stuff out of my backpack until I was left with the bare minimum of kit and a manageable weight to hump through the forest in the scorching heat.

Hot, sunny weather doesn't really produce the best light for photography, but it does make you feel good and I enjoyed an excellent stroll out through the network of paths and bridleways which snake through the natural forest on the south side of the park.

I was out for four hours and true to form these days, returned to a baking hot car with just one image which I liked enough to keep. Poor beer for the photographer, but such a nice day to air your spirit.