At the end of August I was again shooting the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert from the roof of Boots on Princes Street in Edinburgh. A 45 minute display over Edinburgh Castle marking the end of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which takes place every summer in the city. I opted to go for a left hand position this time on the roof, as last year I was on the far right.

It's true when they say you get better shooting the same subject second time around, as you learn from your mistakes and try out new techniques. I think I improved my images dramatically on last years attempt, I have featured my favourite images in this post.

This year I decided to go for a two camera set up, shooting simultaneously, one with a super wide lens complete with a 10-stop ND (Neutral Density) filter and the other shooting with a standard lens without filters. I took a gamble with the filter which I had read up on as being very effective for shooting fireworks displays. With the ND filter obscuring all view of the scene and exposure, it was a real challenge focusing the scene and calculating the exposures correctly for the display. I found exposures of around one minute with the aperture almost wide open at f3.2 worked best, and of course there was a lot of luck involved! The first two shots directly below were shot with the ND Filter and are a 62 second exposure and the second a 66 second exposure.

In conclusion I found both techniques worked well in their own way, with some interesting results. But I am glad I had two set ups, as for some of the fireworks in the display, the really long exposures did not capture them well. 

Photographing fireworks well is always a challenge and I am looking forward to experimenting more with the 10-Stop ND Filter in the future!
   

I'm not very good at keeping this up to date! I thought I would share some of my events work from earlier this year... 

I was photographing some live performances of alternative/rock band Syren (now Erin Bennett) in Edinburgh. The first gig I photographed was actually their last performing under the name of Syren, with them now performing under Erin's name...

Erin Bennett is an award winning singer-songwriter/producer. Her live performances as former front woman for all female-power trio Syren have enthralled audiences and music journalists alike.

In 2010, Erin recorded and produced Syren album 'Something Has To Separate'. The release was delayed due to the untimely passing of Erin's wife and Syren drummer Joanne Heeley.

Erin has collaborated with UK DJ/Producer Darren Bailie (responsible for the smash-hit 'Infinity2008') for the re-working of the classic house track 'Hide U' by Kosheen. 'Hide U 2012', put together by Darren Bailie and Ronen Dahan, is available for download from ITunes.

Single 'Never Give Up The Fight won the 'Frankie Miller Songwriter of the Year' award in 2012 (Scottish New Music Awards). Erin wrote the song in memory of Jo Heeley and her struggle with breast cancer.

That same year Erin temporarily resurrected Syren with new musicians when asked to open several shows for legendary prog-rock band Hawkwind. 

Above and below are some of my favourite images from both gigs I photographed. The first was at Henry's Cellar Bar, a popular underground venue in Edinburgh for alternative bands and clubs nights. 

Erin's passionate performances make her a great act to photograph, I'm sure you agree the energy of her performance is apparent in these images.  For the second gig at Bannermans Bar, a popular rock venue on Edinburgh's cowgate, Erin and the band played a powerful performance once again to the fans and bar regulars alike. 

I like to shoot prominently with natural light at concert venues, depending on the venue this usually looks the most dramatic and eye catching. Of course this isn't always possible with extremely low lit venues and energetic bands, but with Bannermans as an example, the stage area being in part of Edinburgh's old underground, there is plenty of low ceilings to bounce light off with interesting results. As long as you get a good balance of natural and artificial light, you can't go wrong.

I will hopefully be shooting with Erin again later in the year, with her continuing to promote her solo work after Syren. I wish Erin and the band the best of luck and watch this space for more images of the band in action!

More event and concert work can be seen here in my Events gallery.

Something a bit different for my blog this month! In February I was at the first gig of up and coming Edinburgh rock band - Miss Country Blue & The Jure Grando Band. I was hired to work with them towards the end of last year and I also took images at their first gig at Whistlebinkies in Edinburgh. 

The band describe themselves as blending both dark and light qualities into their music to develop an alternative new genre influenced by blues, rock, punk and country. The bands concept was explained to me at our first meeting...

"Blue is the ultimate contradiction in female sexuality. Her dark, seething and often twisted lyrical content reveals a side of femininity often unexplored. No song in Blue’s repertoire reveals this more than Temptress, where she encapsulates the ultimate self-preserving, sexual predator. However, one only has to listen to the heart-warming innocence and optimism of songs like a Happy Heart to understand that Blue is so much more than a Woman Scorned. 

This ability of Blue to honestly explore all aspects of her inner self and reflect this fearlessly in her writing, shows that Blue is indeed a talented and original artist.

On the surface Grando projects a hard drinking and hard hearted womaniser with a tangible lust for sex and death. Grando is the unexpected facilitator for Blue’s screaming lyrics and honest performances. Grando’s punk background drenches him with a foreboding, unattainable demeanour, with the menace of an emotional vampire. However, Grando’s unlikely pairing with Blue reveals a more compassionate and intimate soul".

With is idea outlined before even hearing the band, I had a good idea of what sort of images they were after to promote their music - Dark, mysterious and contrasty images were what we agreed would work best for the band and their concept.


Below are a few favourite images from our shoot at the end of last year. These portraits of Blue and Grando were to help tell a story and contribute to their songs - A Woman Scorned & Dig My Own Grave amongst others...

In February I was shooting at Edinburgh's live music bar Whistlebinkies for MCB & The Jure Grando Band's first ever gig (Images Below) They pulled out a good crowd on the night and showed that they had something different to offer with a great and energetic live performance!

I very much enjoyed working with the band and I am looking forward to shooting again with them in the near future. Due to unfortunate circumstances our latest shoot had to be put on hold for the time being but I know there are definitely more ideas we can come up with to create exciting and engaging images!

It's been a while since I last updated my blog, so I thought I would share some pictures from my first wedding of the new year. Elaine and Duncan's lovely wedding day at The Caves in Edinburgh.

The Caves is a truly unique venue that makes up the sub-structure of the 18th Century South Bridge. There is no venue more Edinburgh than the Caves, or more Scottish, if you consider there was once so much Whisky stored here that it became known as "Whisky Row".

The venue is arguably the most tricky to shoot in for photographers, it being so dimly lit. It is very atmospheric, full of candle lit corridors and coloured lights. My previous trips to the venue helped me prepare for the challenge of lighting in the main room. The image below shows the venues cozy atmosphere with the dinner table display! 

Elaine and Duncan's ceremony and reception both took place at The Caves, a favourite venue of Elaine and Duncan's. What made the day extra special was Duncan's dad was marrying them, as he is a Minister with the Church of Scotland. A nice personal touch to the day that for both Duncan and George must have been very nerve wracking for the pair of them.

A lot of Elaine's relatives were over from Hong Kong for the wedding, so I knew I had to capture the best moments of the day the best I could. There will be a lot of orders coming from China I hope! 

Below are some of my favourite intimate shots of Elaine and Duncan, most came from the speeches and first dance. with Duncan being a keen DJ, he got a good say in the music later on in the night. Much to the dislike of some older relatives, and maybe even his wife!

Although one of the more difficult wedding venues to photograph in, The Caves really is a good choice for those wanting something a little different from their wedding day. Us photographers will always have to cope the best we can with the tricky lighting conditions there, but this is definitely not a complaint from me. It's a great location for weddings and photographs alike.

In mid November I was working with Richie Laurie Photography again for the wedding of Tanya & Matt. The ceremony took place at Cramond Kirk were I had worked previously with Richie, followed by a picturesque wedding bus journey to the Hub in Edinburgh's city centre.

This unique and spectacular venue is a stunning combination of award winning contemporary design and classic Victorian architecture, making it a popular choice for weddings in Edinburgh. The spectacular Gallery (pictured below) looks over the Main Hall and can welcome 100 guests for a wedding ceremony.

Matt is a RAF pilot, so there was plenty of uniforms on show for the ceremony and reception. The two wedding buses took us from Cramond to The Hub very quickly, with some photos in mind while on the bus, I struggled against the bumpy roads to get these shots! One favourite being one of the buses passing Edinburgh Castle along Johnston Terrace while hanging on at the back on the leading bus (pictured below).

The reception and Ceilidh dancing took place in The Hub's main hall, where Richie and I also set up our portable studio and additional package "The Photobooth Experience". This went down very well on the day and was great fun for all the guests and us! It was definitely the most busy and eventful booth we have done so far, as the images below show! Richie and I offer the Photo Booth as an extra on top of our wedding packages, please click on the link above to visit our Facebook page for more information on how to book...

I really liked shooting in The Hub, very spacious and good lighting with plenty of areas for interesting photography. It being in the city centre makes it very accessible as well. I'm sure I will be back very soon!

At the end of October I was shooting the wedding day of Natalie & Jamie at the popular - Ghillie Dhu in Edinburgh. I had photographed at least one previous wedding at this location so knew the lighting of the venue quite well. 

The Ghillie Dhu is a traditional Scottish Bar/Restaurant located in the city centre with a upstairs function suite that is very popular for Edinburgh weddings.  Beautifully restored in 2010, it's lavish decor and high ceilings make it a lovely choice for a traditional Scottish wedding.

Natalie & Jamie's was an evening wedding so almost all my shots were taken indoors at the venue. The main entrance and staircase leading to the function room proving to be the most popular spots with wedding photographers.

Natalie & Jamie had a very laid back approach to what they wanted from their big day, which made my job a lot easier.  I could be less intrusive and focus on capturing moments rather than interrupting the guests, which is exactly what I like to show in my photography. Low light venues can make candid photography difficult but with a bit of forward planning and knowledge of the venue things turned out very well on the night.

After the lovely ceremony, all the guests enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere before the ceilidh and dance performances began, which certainly was not relaxed! Natalie herself dances in Barocco Tribal.  A Tribal Fusion Belly Dance performance troupe based in Edinburgh.  After the lively ceilidh there was a surprise performance from the troupe (pictured above and below) which proved a massive success and definitely not something seen at a wedding reception that often! 

I'm looking forward to shooting another similarly laid back wedding like Natalie & Jamie's, a very different experience and approach to the traditional wedding and very enjoyable.

In early September, Richie and I traveled to Ayr to photograph the wedding of Lynn & Graeme at the lovely Brig o'Doon House, home to Robert Burns famous poem Tam o'Shanter.  One of the best places for a traditional Scottish wedding, we were spoilt for choice at the house with it's high ceilings and spectacular decor.  The grounds similarly impressive.  Here I will include a few of my favourite images taken on the day.

One of the favourite spots for wedding photography here is of course the famous late medieval bridge - Brig o'Doon, which is featured in Robert Burns poem. We had literally 15 minutes to shoot here due to a tight wedding day schedule, so were determined to make the most of it. Of course, it started to rain just as we headed to the bridge. Funnily enough it was that kind of rain with sunshine you only get in Scotland! This kind of weather always provides interesting results as the lighting is usually dramatic, and despite our equipment getting wet, these were the best shots of the day.

I do like shooting the occasional wedding as a two man job with Richie. It provides the most comprehensive coverage of your day and not a moment is missed. It also provides a coverage of your day which one photographer could never possibly do.

Shooting with a mix of traditional and contemporary styles we have one photographer shooting as the lead photographer and the other capturing the candid moments from afar. This non intrusive style of photography we think creates the complete wedding photography package. In the next month or so I will be setting up such a package on my website, so please watch this space!

So far it's been a great year for wedding photography. Over the Summer months I have been working alongside my friend and fellow wedding photographer Richie Laurie with great success. We have been shooting at some great wedding venues such as The Caves in Edinburgh, Norwood House Hotel in Aberdeen, Archerfield House just outside North Berwick and Brig O'Doon House in Ayr.

I thought I would share a few images from myself and Richie's wedding last month at Archerfield House, North Berwick. A secluded location that features a luxurious stately home, which has to be one of the best in the country.

The Bride and Groom - Sarah & Craig, were married at Cramond Kirk first before heading to Archerfield for their reception. They had the run of the house with their family and friends which seemed like a fantastic way to spend your wedding day, not forgetting the free bar included. 

We were spoiled for choice for photo opportunities at Archerfield, my favourite spot being the grand ballroom (pictured below) where the speeches and dancing would take place, the whole house was luxurious so photographs in any room looked fantastic.  Archerfields grounds were also very impressive. The front courtyard and driveway being ideal for a lot of the group shots that day.

The day ended with a live band and lots of energetic dancing from the excited guests. A great day and superb location for a wedding, I hope I'll be going back!

On the 1st September I was lucky enough to get a spot on the roof of Boots on Princes Street for photographing the fireworks concert, that marks the end of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I realised I was a lot closer than I thought on arriving there, was a good thing I packed the super wide angled lens. 

The weather conditions weren't the best with very strong winds and the wind chill was biting.  I didn't realise how strong the smoke off the fireworks would be, I found this affected the shots a lot. Apart from that this is probably the most head on view of the castle you can get at a height so I shouldn't complain,  it was an awesome sight!  Below are a few of my favourite images from the night...

Hello there and welcome to my new website which is going live today, Tuesday 3rd September! There is a few pages that need a little tweaking but I am now happy enough for it to go live and share it with the public. 

With this blog you can keep up to date with what I am working on at the moment as well as featuring some of my favourite images from Weddings and Events this year.

Please note my 'Client Area' is not available yet but will be coming very soon and will be a online preview for all weddings and events, with the ability to preview your photos and order prints or canvas'. 

Watch this space!